Death and dying are a powerful reality. In our culture, we avoid discussing it, and it's the great mystery. The Bible has a great deal to say about them--both death and dying. In a wonderful sense, the Bible is optimistic, but very realistic about the processes that are involved.
"We spend our years as a tale that is told. For what is your life? It is just a vapour that appears for a little while, and then vanishes away."
Death is a process. It starts when you are born, comes to all of us, and culminates in eternity, with everlasting life or eternal disaster.
[God, to Adam]: "Dying, thou shalt die..."
[Multiple times, in Genesis 5]: "and he died."
[Luke 16:19-31]: "The beggar died...The rich man also died..."
death is also a sealing of your destiny. There are no choices after that, no opportunities to "do better," no chance that things will become better or worse. Things are very good, or terrible.
22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23 And in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus in his bosom. ("Abraham's bosom" was a symbol of Paradise in the New Testament).
There are many surprises in death. In fact, it's ALL surprise, since we don't know what eternity is really like. TODAY is the realm of possibility. TODAY is the time for choice, change, living well, enjoying life--and making the choices that count forever.
[Jesus said]: My sheep hear My voice, and they follow me... and I give them eternal life...
[Jesus said]: He who comes to me I will NEVER cast out.
"We spend our years as a tale that is told. For what is your life? It is just a vapour that appears for a little while, and then vanishes away."
Death is a process. It starts when you are born, comes to all of us, and culminates in eternity, with everlasting life or eternal disaster.
[God, to Adam]: "Dying, thou shalt die..."
[Multiple times, in Genesis 5]: "and he died."
[Luke 16:19-31]: "The beggar died...The rich man also died..."
death is also a sealing of your destiny. There are no choices after that, no opportunities to "do better," no chance that things will become better or worse. Things are very good, or terrible.
22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23 And in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus in his bosom. ("Abraham's bosom" was a symbol of Paradise in the New Testament).
There are many surprises in death. In fact, it's ALL surprise, since we don't know what eternity is really like. TODAY is the realm of possibility. TODAY is the time for choice, change, living well, enjoying life--and making the choices that count forever.
[Jesus said]: My sheep hear My voice, and they follow me... and I give them eternal life...
[Jesus said]: He who comes to me I will NEVER cast out.
[the Scriptures say]: he who does the will of God abides for ever.
You will live forever...somewhere.
You will live forever...somewhere.
No comments:
Post a Comment