Death: The Final Frontier

Hebrews 2:14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.(NIV)
The fear of death. I don't think you hear about it that much in this country because most people put it out of their minds. They may see it on the news but that's what happens to someone else. One day we're all that someone else that it happens to. The time is coming when you will take your last breath. Each person has only 86, 400 seconds a day. How are you spending those seconds? At one time in his life Saul of Tarsus spent those seconds pursuing believers of what was called "The Way." But Paul himself said, ""I was violently persecuting the church of God and was trying to destroy it" (Galatians 1:13). I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. (1 Tim. 1:13) He thought he had the way but he failed to see who Jesus was. He was ignorant. He was destitute of the true wisdom of God. Yes even this man, who penned 2 thirds of the New Testament approved when the disciple Steven was being stoned to death by Jews who really didn't want to have anything to do with what he said. That they had failed to see Jesus for who he was, the predicted coming Righteous One who they had betrayed and murdered. (Acts 7:52) But the Old Testament had spoken about Him, "Made His grave with the wicked but with the rich at his death." (Isaiah 53:9) Fulfilled 750 years later when Jesus, bent, twisted and pierced body was laid in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea , a rich man who believed. Jesus prepared His disciples for it saying in Matthew 16 " I must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and I must be killed and on the third day be raised to life." 22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” Isaiah had said, "It pleased the LORD to bruise Him...to make His soul an offering for sin." There is a way that seems right to a man but in the end it leads to death say the proverbs. In this case the way of death led to the hope of life eternal to everyone who calls upon His name. From a God who wishes that no one would perish but all would come to repentance for everlasting life, with Him. A life of obedience to the will of God which is being holy , because He is holy. That is, set apart to obey the call of God. Paul soon found it wouldn't be easy for Jesus Himself said to paul at his conversion on the road to Damascus "he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My Name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake." Suffer? I thought God loved us. How could He make us suffer? As Christ suffered so God's people will suffer. When we suffer we learn how much we really have. An inheritance incorruptible, undefiled reserved in heaven. One that will never pass away. The world wants the passing pleasures of sin. The quick fix. The instant gratification of the flesh. The world hates Jesus. Because He says these things are wrong, evil and will bring about your death eternally. The Jesus of Scripture is hated because He points out their imperfections. Their evil hearts. Their inheritant wickedness from the womb. " behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me." God says through David you have been brought forth in wickedness. You certainly don't have to teach a baby how to lie, to cheat, to manipulate. It comes naturally. We're born selfish little sinners. Screaming out our displeasure or discomfort whenever we don't have our way. People don't want to be held accountable for the lusts, elicit passions and perversions that consume their every waking hour. They want the freedom to do as they please. Oh, God will allow them to do it but remember the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions,dissensions, heresies, envy, murders drunkenness, revelries, and the like; nor homosexuals nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. " (Gal 5:16-21;1 Cor. 6:9-11) Acts that are displeasing to God because no good can come from them. They lead to death. The kingdom of God is life. The works of the flesh death. Of the mind, body, soul and "Everlasting destruction from presence of God and the glory of His power." The spirits fruit... love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness ,gentleness, and self-control. God doesn't say this because he's a spoil sport but because he loves us and wants the best for us. That best includes life forever with Him in a new heavens and new earth where righteousness dwells. The world and it's desires are passing away. Therefore do not love the world or anything in the world. For the world's desires are dying as is everyone who clings to them . But those who do the will of God live forever. Where there is no more pain, no more suffering, no more sorrow and no more death. For the old order of things will pass away.

I Have Judged you and found you Wanting

I have judged you and found you wanting. I can not get these words out of my mind. The first words I heard when I woke this morning. Words like these can be found in Daniel 5:27. You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting; Addressed to King Belshazzar, God says " you have not humbled your heart....And you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. you have praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, and the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified. Belshazzar decided to have a party using vessels taken from the temple in Jerusalem. The fingers of a hand appeared on a wall before him writing these words on a wall. You have been found wanting. It says the Kings countenace changed, his throughts troubled him and his knees knocked together. Best believed he was scared to death. He called upon Daniel for an interpretion. And that very nite he was slain. The consequence of His disrespect for the true God. For a Holy God. Who demands respect. It seems to me the same could be true of the church today. The church wants a little bit of God and a lot of the world. Lots of flash and special effects, lots of noise and bells and whistles. Sprinkled with brief clips of a word from God. Not too offensive, oh no. Not to convicting, they may go down the street. Not too damaging to their precious self esteem. Never condemning or prehaps they'd leave. The church has lost it's backbone. And in the process condemns not only itself but all those who it cheats out of the truth of the gospel message. We are fallen, miserable creatures, tainted through and through, with sin from birth, evil from our youth, incapable of coming before a Holy, Righteous maker who demands perfection--Holiness to approach Him. For without Holiness no one will see God. (Heb. 12:14) People hold on to their pasts proclaiming they need not give up anything to believe. Their eyegate still a cesspool of worldy sites and sounds. Glorifying in music of that which appeals to the baser instincts including lustful affections, perverted desires and rebellion against authority. It's okay, it doesn't affect me, I can live with it. Jeremiah penned the heart is deceitful above all things. The heart lies ...because you want to be lied to. The heart is desperately wicked who can know it. People want to hear that they're okay. Oh, you won't be judged. God is a God of love. He'll love you no matter what. Well God has said the time has come for judgement to begin at the house of God. Character matters. Now if the righteous one is scarely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear? For the wages of sin is death. There is a way that seems right to a man (or woman) and the end of it leads to death. Sobering words for a world lost within itself. For a church lost not wishing to offend the world. Consumed within the the grasp for money, power and fame. Jesus said they have their reward. But it is fleeing like a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. (James 4:14) The marque has proclaimed "Coming Soon, A new heavens and new earth in which righteousnes dwells." Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. ( 1 Cor. 15:50) The old order of things will pass away. Jesus Christ, came down from heaven, God's one and only Son, who being in very nature God, came in the likeness of a man, humbled Himself and became obedient to death, even the death of the cross. (Phil 2:5-11) He did it for us because only perfection will do. The one who was in the beginning with God and was God. He became flesh and dwelt among us. To save us from the wrath to come and open the portals of heaven that we may go it by the blood of His cross. For God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. (2Cor5:21) Righteous is a prerequisite for heavenly habitation. His is the only way. All other paths only lead to destructon and despair. All other paths only lead to eternal condemnation. "I Am the way, the truth and the life. No one come to the Father except by me." (John 14:6)

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

Decisions, decisions, decisions. Sometimes the Lord moves in mysterious ways. He called on a rank pagan idol worshipper for what appears no reason at all. Told him to leave his country, father, mother, his family, and go to a place that God would show him. Huh? And added " I will make you a great nation. I will bless you, and make your name great; And you shall be a blessing." A great nation? A great name? "And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." Say what! Can you imagine the reaction of his family. "You're going to do what?! Are you nuts! What about your benefits, healthcare, 401K! You know what, Abraham obeyed. He listened to God and God gave him the land of Cannan. His livestock grew, and God promised that his descendants would be like the dust of the earth. Which no one can count! And when Abraham had no off spring God promsied him a son, from his own body, even in his old age. Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness. His actions, his decision to believe God , to follow where God told him to go, bless each and every one of us today. That's right! You are connected to the past through Abraham. Talk about an amazing story! "The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles (everyone not born a Jew) by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: All nations will be blessed through you. So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith." The gospel, the good news, came down to us from Abraham through His progeny, the 12 tribes, their descendants among whom were Issac,(the son of the promise, born to Abraham), a gentile Moabite girl called Ruth, and Jesse the father of David and finally Jesus of Nazareth, The Christ. All because Abraham believed God. You are part of this whether you know it or not. Whether you believe it or not. It was God's plan from eternity. And for those who believe scripture. "He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus"...Paul wrote this thousands of years later! That blessing given to Abraham has come to us. That blessing is redemption through the only name under heaven by which we can be saved. Decisions do matter. Sometimes we are forced into them unexpectedly when they are the last things on our mind. Sometimes they occur through derision or strife. It happened in the early days of the church. ^{Acts 15:36} Then after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing.” ³⁷ Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark. ³⁸ But Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one who had departed from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work. ³⁹ Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus; ⁴⁰ but Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the grace of God. " Yet even in this unfortunate split instead of one missionary and pastoral expedition there were two. God turned a a really sad incident into something good. Leaving a place you love, a loved one when they pass from this life or even a job you take pride in and enjoy because of derision or strife is no easy decision. Yet know in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who are called according to His purpose. A purpose at that time of distress we may not know or understand.