After Death, What Then?>>>more
devotion from In Touch Ministries
Now this is one area that many pastors in the church today really do not like to discuss because of losing members, where do you go when you die if you do have Christ Jesus in your life? As the devotion from Dr. Charles Stanley points out you go to a land of torment before judgment by God, then you're cast in the Lake of Fire. If you have giving your life over to Christ Jesus, you go to heaven...no sleep in suspended animation, you go directly to Heaven.
Many people always say, "how could God send someone to hell if he is a loving God ?" And time again and again God doesn't send anyone to hell, we make that choice. I heard someone say this to me because I was on the fence about turning my life over to Christ totally, I wanted to live my life the way I wanted to live it and thinking that God would accept this lifestyle. The brother in Christ said to me, "It's better to be born twice and die once than to be born once and die twice ". It was like a light bulb went off in my head, that was it for me, I was sold out to Him.
I had this notion that I would give my life to Christ once He came back or when the battle began between Good and Evil(Armageddon) began; I would give my life to Him then but that was foolish thinking and I thank God for His mercy and grace because it's so true, tomorrow is not promise to you or I.
Try this exercise: just for one day follow how many deaths occur not in the world, not in other states, but just in your own city(your local news, they love giving us dire situations); and then check out the ages of each person that died...how young, how old and I mean really ponder it...then think about eternity, infinity. We can be dead and gone for 1000 years and those years are just a dot of infinity (I told before, I'm thinking all the time, no wonder I could get my work done when I was in school). Think about how the teenagers thought they would live forever, I know I thought that way as a youth, think about the gentleman or lady who lived to be 80, 90, 100 years old saying again and again, "one day I'm going to get my act together " or "I'll give my life to Christ...but not today ". Eternity is a long time being in torment, unhappiness. Many people have went through painful divorces or we work with someone who is pain in our butt for 7, 8, or 9 hours a day...times that with forever.
Ouch.
If I'm trying to scare you, good. That is something to think about and think about seriously. This is not a game, this is no joke. I thought by me not drinking, smoking, not doing drugs, not out hurting anyone I'm going to Heaven, God couldn't send me to hell but the more I read and read the Bible (I got to know God for myself, it wasn't because of some pastor constantly preaching and yelling about Fire and Brimstone at me and believe me I sat in many of churches hearing that coming up as a child but it went in one ear and out the other). It was about me having a full, fun life he on earth, having the best in life. Not having to feel all alone when I screwed up, because that is how I felt. I thought God was punishing me because of some of the situations I was going through. But once I gave my life over to Him, I grew up and began to realize most of the situations I was in, I made those choices. Didn't want to admit them at the time but that was my own doing. And now that I know that know that when I stumble, God has my back...that is a awesome feeling.
We are all going to go through hardships, people are going to hurt us(read the book of Matthew), situations are going to happen to us that is not our fault(I was a child of molestation) and knowing that God picked me up, put me back together, that brings a smile to my and joy to my heart. I'm so thankful and glad He gave me the chance to be "born twice so now I only have to die once"; I have the chance to have a full life that not only brings me joy but brings my Heavenly Father joy as well...that's a win-win situation.
And most of all knowing that once I die I go straight to God, how can a brotha lose?
Be Blessed, Be Safe, & Have a great Tuesday. :-)
"I pray that my children would fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel of Christ Jesus "
devotion for your spirit:
tech netcast for this tuesday:
netcast for your soul:
- His Purpose - Part 2
- Conc. of: Dealing With The Perfect Storm - Part 1
- The Gospel for Busy People, Part 1
tech news:
- Seagate bakes security into hard-disk drive
- New Windows Media Player Shines
- MySpace to block copyright music
