Posted on 12/08/2014 7:07:06 AM PST by Kaslin
“The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.”
– 1 John 2:17
It’s getting ugly out there.
Indeed, the world is dying. Not in a false-alarmist, “OMG-global-warming-is-going-to-kill-us-all!” sort of way. Rather, this world is passing away in a Romans 1, “The-wrath-of-God-is-being-revealed-from-heaven” sort of way. How very unsettling and confusing this must all be for those absent “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” (see Philippians 4:7).
A spirit of death and devastation has blanketed our globe. The enemy knows that his time is short. While nobody can say exactly when it will occur, it holds true that, as 2 Peter 3:10 reveals, “The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.”
Here’s the bright side: You will live forever.
Well, it can be a bright side.
For all who acknowledge the reality of Jesus Christ as Lord and savior, and both believe upon and surrender to Him, the fact that we are created as eternal beings is brighter than the brightest star.
For those who deny Him, this reality is an unfathomable curse.
I had an epiphany the other day. It’s such an elemental truth that I’m a bit embarrassed by it. Every human being who has ever been conceived and then suffered physical death is, at this very moment in time, and beyond time, fully conscious, alert and self-aware.
Right now, Alexander the Great is sentient.
As you read this line, Adolf Hitler is alert and, as scripture declares, experiencing each interminable instant of the unimaginable torment that shall befall all who reject Christ Jesus.
And even as I write, the Apostle Paul is bathed in, and fully cognizant of, the indescribable glory that is the presence of the Holy Savior.
The late C.S. Lewis who, likewise, is presently experiencing what world renowned Christian apologist Hank Hanegraaff calls “heightened awareness,” is credited with once saying, “You don’t have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body.”
Your body is mortal. It’s an earth suit for your immortal soul. It is, quite literally, and as modern science affirms, molded from clay. You are a bag of dust and water. “And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7).
The very instant we die, we will each stand in spirit before God and face judgment (Hebrews9:27). For those of you with the Holy Spirit, those who are faithful Christ followers, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (see 2 Corinthians 5:6-8). For those of you who remain unbelievers, even unto to the end of your earthly life – for those who reject Christ – physical death means eternal separation from God, which, again, is, quite literally, a living hell (Luke 16:22-23).
Still, until Jesus’ triumphant and quite conspicuous final return, and until our ensuing final resurrection, those believers who have already passed away in the earthly sense will come together with Christ in an “intermediate” heaven, or, as He called it from “that rugged cross,” “Paradise” (see Luke 23:43 and 2 Corinthians 12:4). Alternatively, and tragically, those who have rejected Him will be held apart from Christ in a very ugly place – in a “temporary hell” – called Hades (seeRevelation 1:18 and 20:13-14).
Upon Christ’s final return, those believers who, in spirit, were together with Him in Paradise, will, once again, along with those believers who remain here on earth, join Him in both spirit and with glorified physical bodies, in the new heaven and upon the new earth (see Revelation 21:1). Those who were deceived by the antichrist spirit, those whose names are “not found written in the book of life,” will be cast, along with Satan and his many demon helpers, into a lake of fire. There, they (you?) will suffer a very real, very conscious and never-ending living hell (Revelation 20:11-15).
These are weighty matters of eternal significance. These are your only two choices. Whether you are an atheist, Muslim, Hindu or Jew, Wiccan, agnostic, Buddhist or Mormon, you must either accept Christ or deny Christ.
Heaven or hell.
While you may deny Him until the day you die, after that, you will deny Him no more. Hate Him you may still, but deny Him you will not. Philippians 2:10-11 assures us, “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
You will bow, and you will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Whether you do so now, in joy, or later, in horror, is up to you.
Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26)
I believe it.
Truth! I’m sharing this one.
.....And in a few short weeks, we honor the BIRTH that CHANGED THE WORLD FOREVER.
Philippians 2:10-11 assures us, “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Amen!
Yes, we’ll all live forever.
It’s the ‘where’ that’s important................
“I had an epiphany the other day. It’s such an elemental truth that I’m a bit embarrassed by it. Every human being who has ever been conceived and then suffered physical death is, at this very moment in time, and beyond time, fully conscious, alert and self-aware.”
It reminds me that Advent/Christmas is really in 3 parts, we remember Christ’s first coming in a barn, His second coming at the end of the age, and His coming every day in our lives for those who put their faith in Him.
My Goal is to live forever.
So far, so good.
Amen
Amen, brother. I believe it.
I have an odd question. I have family members who are not religious in any sense of the word. I am trying (sometimes successfully and some times not) to live as Jesus would want me to. Should I be blessed and go to heaven, how could it be “paradise” for me if my family members are’nt there?
AMEN! And thanks for sharing!
John 3:17Amplified Bible
17 For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him.
I come from a heritage of family lines that want a "form of religion" but not the real relationship/sonship that we have through salvation.
I ask Holy Spirit to make Himself REAL to them. I've learned over these years of experiencing an extraordinary Kingdom Life that some folks just will not respond. I have to leave that up to GOD...He has already done His part in making the way for them (and me...).
I join you in the same concern. Also I’ve always wondered about people who have never had the chance to know Christ. Like people over seas or other religions. Muslims don’t ever get a chance to check out other religions. If you are poor and in a non Christian country, you would never even hear about Christ.
A good question that has no answer save for the fact that in heaven there are no tears or sadness. Does your living as Jesus would want you to mean that you are engaging your family members with the Gospel? While God converts, you job it to witness to your hope. Considering the consequences, why are you waiting?
Garbage premise. There are times in recorded history that were WAY worse than now.
I talk about God and his teachings all the time (particulary to my son)to no avail. His wife is not religious either. My 2 grandkids have never been baptized in any faith. Once time, my grandson (age 6 at the time) saw a portrait of Christ and asked who it was. My daughter-in-law stated “It’s a man who lives in the sky”. When I started to give him more information, my son asked me not to. All I can do is pray for all of them.
I’ve wondered about that, too. Then I saw an interview with a guy who’d had a near-death experience. (Not saying near-death experiences are necessarily real, but it’s something to think about.)
Anyway, this guy had a wife and kids, he “died” and found himself in Heaven. The first thing he thought was, “This is perfect!” He thought that even though his wife and kids were not there with him.
After he reluctantly had to go back into his body, he told his wife about the experience, and how he hadn’t wanted to come home. She said, “Well, what about me and the kids? Didn’t you want to be with us again?” And he said, “I’d have preferred that you come up there to Heaven, rather than me have to come back here.”
I think that somehow, Heaven will just be perfect, and even though it seems impossible now, it won’t bother us that some of our loved ones aren’t there. The perfection and wonderfulness of Heaven will override that. There’s no other way that it can be, really, because if we’re all sad about our loved ones who aren’t there, then Heaven won’t be perfect and there’ll be tears and crying there.
Just a thought, anyway.
Good post. We know heaven will be perfect;just don’t have the understanding right now to figure out all the details. I believe we will have that understanding in heaven.
Our tears are dried. Remember this, in hell is nothing good. Those who are there have no love, no joy, no peace. That is the choice. Do you accept His image within yourself? Those who do not, don’t want to be with you, are rejecting you (who has Christ within). Those who do are your family.
Christ showed love by warning of the judgment to come.
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