Tag: Jesus Lives

A Sunday Morning Post

October 25, 2020.Reading time 7 minutes.

Your soul: where is it headed?

The whole idea of an afterlife has been questioned for years. For almost the entire time the world’s been turning. Some people believe that once you’re dead, you’re dead: blacked-out, shut down, done for. Other’s believe that the deceased’s spirit watches the earth and protects their loved ones, but that’s it. That’s as far as they get. I think I can safely say, that as Christians, we also believe that our loved ones are still with us after they’ve passed. They’re with Jesus and the angles, so it makes sense. Just as Jesus and the angles watch over us, in the same sort of way, our loved ones watch over us.

Which afterlife are we headed to?

We, Christians, believe in an afterlife. But some of us question where we’re headed after our death. I’ve talked to people who joyfully discuss their death. They talk about it as though they can’t wait to live with Jesus. And then I’ve talked to people who speak of death with fear and sadness. The fear of not knowing where they’ll end up instantly depresses them. It’s hard to convince them that they do not have to fear death. They were raised, believing that salvation is never certain, and that’s the belief they’ve decided to stick with. But why?  

A lot of people believe that if they do enough good in the world, then God will accept them and He’ll let them into heaven. They think that they won’t know where they’re going, Heaven or Hell, until they enter eternal life. Because of this, their own death is their biggest fear. They’re afraid that no matter how many good deeds they do God won’t be satisfied.

Obviously, these people believe that God exist. They believe that judgement day will come. But they haven’t realized the trueness of God’s love.

Are good deeds worthless?

I’m not saying that doing good isn’t needed—James says faith without works is dead (James 2:17). But he also says works without faith is dead.

But what is faith? The people that I just mentioned, do they have faith? Webster’s dictionary explains faith as having complete trust. James says that without [good] works faith is dead. So, if faith is only another word for trust then James’s sentence doesn’t make sense. How can trust be dead? I suppose it could be in a way, but it feels like James is talking about more than trust. Faith is mentioned multiple times in the Bible and in the sum of it, it feels that faith means more than trust. So, what is Biblical faith?

Faith is believing that Jesus Christ died for you and rose from the dead on the third day. Believing everything He’s told us. Believing that he is the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. So, if we are to have faith, then we are to believe what He told us.

And he said that “whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” (John 5:24) The famous verse in John, chapter three verse fifteen, says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

This is what Christ said, so why do people question their salvation? If we believe in who Jesus truly is and continue to do His will and follow Him, then why do people question their salvation? 

WEBSTER’S DEFINITION OF SALVATION
 Sal-va-tion n 1: the saving of a person from sin or its consequences esp. in the after death
Salvation means saving a person from sin. In Romans 6:23 it says, “for the wages of sin is death.,” meaning sin is death.  Therefore, salvation means saving a person from death.

WEBSTER’S DEFINITION OF DEATH
Death n 1: the end of life
But the death I’m talking about is the death of the soul: eternity in Hell.

The criminal, who hung on the cross beside Jesus, said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:42-43) This criminal did not have time to do any good deeds, yet Jesus said he would be in heaven with Him that day. The only thing that criminal did was believe Jesus was the Son of God. And Jesus said he would be with Him in Heaven. Jesus did not say we’ll see when we get there, he said you will be.  

So why do followers of Jesus fear death? There is no need! Believe what Jesus told us, that He is the Son of God; know that he is your savior (if you’ve asked him to be), know that you are saved. Instead of being filled with fear, we can be filled with joy and peace, knowing that when we die, we can live with Jesus. Jesus clearly says that his followers will be with him in Heaven. So, live thriving to be like Him. Live knowing death is overthrown. We, followers of Jesus, our soul, will not die, instead we will live eternally with Jesus.

Sunday Morning: Sharing Is Caring

August 5, 2018.Reading time 9 minutes.

I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. 2 Timothy 4:1-2

For as long as I can remember people have always tried to prove God is a myth. Books, songs, articles, even movies are made to prove them wrong. And from what I’ve heard, people always end up accepting Christ instead of proving His death. Of course we know why it happens in this way; because God does exist and is very much alive. Yet why do people still try so hard to prove He doesn’t? And why do others still try to prove He does exist?

I know why I believe He exist, I know why I would stand up for His existence–if the chance occurred. Yet I don’t know what drives people to prove He doesn’t. I once read that people who don’t believe in Christ are dumber than the devil. Because even the devil believes in Christ. The devil knows Christ’s exist because he tries every day to defeat Him. So why? Why would humans put themselves lower than the devil and believe Christ doesn’t exist?

Well in order to prove God is dead you first have to believe that God existed. How can you prove someone is dead if they never existed? And in order to drive someone to prove God’s death, they first have to have a reason. If God truly was dead, than what would drive one to prove His death? When people set out to prove something, it usually starts with passion or frustration. Some people hate microwaves; they cannot accept them. It drives them crazy that people would heat their food in such a toxic machine. So (I don’t know if anyone has, but let’s assume they did) they set out to prove the danger in using a microwave.

Other people work hard to fight against cancer. Their sympathy for the sick drives them to fight against it. Organizations are set up to help people fight against drugs, alcohol, and smoking. Right now states are determining if they want to let drugs into their state. Microwaves, cancer, drugs, smoking, and alcohol all exist. That’s what drives people to fight against it. No one can fight against something if it doesn’t exist. No one can win a battle with no one on the other side.

So, like we read earlier, if God was dead than what would drive people to prove His death. If He was dead than your daughter wouldn’t have lived. If God was dead than death wouldn’t be apart of this world, life wouldn’t be so beautiful. If He was dead than the earth wouldn’t turn. If He was dead there would be no one to prove the big bang theory. Anger wouldn’t be apart of you. If He was dead you wouldn’t be angry at Him for letting war happen. If He was dead you wouldn’t want Him out of your school. For there would be nothing or no one to get out of school.

So, what reason do people have to prove God’s death, when they obviously already know that God exist? Anger. Hatred. Sadness. Confusion. Now take a moment and think how you felt when you read the last paragraph? Did you feel angry at them for being so ignorant? Did you hate that they refused to see the light? Did sadness sneak into your heart because you know their journey’s end would be painful if they kept going like this? Did you not understand why people refuse to accept God into their heart? Because you and I both know the terrible, horrifying death Jesus went through for us. We both know what He sacrificed for us to have life, and to see people put up a fight against it. To fight against such an undying love; to fight against someone who gave His life for them. It’s ugly, it’s disgraceful, it’s patronizing. It’s turning around, realizing the face of a lacerated, gray monster is three inches from your face.

Earlier I wrote of something I read in a book; well I left one thing out. I also read that what good is it does knowing God exist? The devil also knows He exist. However, we as Christians, live by His word, we live for Him. We do not only know He exist, we follow Him. But if we always kept it to ourselves, what good would it do? Of course, it would get us to heaven–living by His word, excepting Him in our hearts, follow Him as our friend and savior. But don’t we want other’s to join us in Heaven? To feel that overwhelming joy, the love we feel from Christ. Don’t we want people to really know how much God loves them; He not only exist, but exist for them, so they may have love and joy. Don’t we want people to know that hard times come, but God’s word never fades. That His word is just as true now, as it was when things were easy. Don’t we want people to have hope?

So why? Why on earth would we want to keep Jesus’ journey, God’s love, joy and hope to ourselves? Why would we want to keep such an incredible story of life to ourselves? What’s keeping us from sharing it? What’s keeping our tongue from speaking? What’s keeping our loving actions from happening? While we stand by, angry at the world for not seeing the truth. While our words of hatred fill the room. We speak loudly and clearly of the state the world’s in. We do not waste a second spreading bad news, we have no problem talking about how much we hate that people wont change. Yet we have a problem telling people the change that can be done. We have a problem stepping out and sharing the love. We have a problem sharing the hope that is found in Jesus. We are scared to tell the truth. We have a problem . . . we have a problem with people not realizing God’s love. We . . . are the ones who can help solve that problem. We are the ones who are going to solve that problem. We are the ones who will not keep God’s truth to ourselves. We . . . we are the light of this world. It’s time to rise up, with no fear, with no doubt, using our anger and turning it into passion. And share the Good News.