You may not know when it will happen, where it will happen, or how, but either way, you are going to die. This is one thing that you can be sure of 100% unless you think you will be raptured, but for the sake of the argument let’s say not in your lifetime. If this is the one thing that you can have no doubt about, why do we not discuss it more? We will spend time talking about politics, work, sports, hobbies, vacations ad nauseam, but not what happens to us when we die?
I work at a cancer center so maybe this topic comes up with me more than others, but it is still a topic of taboo. When the topic of death does comes up, it is usually followed by a God forbid, or someone knocking on wood. We will venture to discuss death about other people occasionally, but rarely if ever about ourselves. Well let me be the one to tell you, you are going to die. How does that make you feel? Does the thought scare you? If so, what are you scared of? Is it the fear of the unknown or the fear of what you are leaving behind, such as children, a spouse or loved ones? Is this what keeps us from talking about it, fear?
A more pressing question would be, if you ARE going to die why do we not spend more time trying to find out what happens to us when we die?
I know many people who when asked what happens when we die they respond, I have no idea, or say I don’t like to think about it. When I was in my late teens into my early twenties I was searching every religion to try and make sure I was on the right path. I am not saying I am better, or smarter than anyone, rather it does freak me out therefore I searched, studied, examined, prayed to whoever would listen for the truth to ensure peace about my eternal resting place. So it doesn’t make any sense to me and confounds me that more people don’t also agonize over their death and where there soul goes and what are the requirements to enter into a heaven if there is one.
Are we just turned back into dirt when we die and that’s that?
I have heard it from atheists who say there is nothing more to this life then what we are living, and when we die that’s it. Our bodies will turn into dust, we have no soul, there is no heaven, no hell, just nothingness. I have a hard time believing people actually believe that, because if this were true I think they would be living their lives differently. Why live a moral life? Why not step over everyone and take what you want and live with a more reckless abandon. Although I guess if I did believe that, I wouldn’t want to think about death either.
If there is a Heaven and Hell are you 100% sure you are going to the right place?
I will ask people who believe there is a heaven and hell, how do you know you are going to heaven? Many will respond “hopefully I was good enough”. I think hopefully? hopefully? Again, why is it that if we know we are going to die we don’t make sure we know where we are going and how to get there. Why is not our every waking hour consumed with making sure you are going to heaven especially if you think hell exists. The results are final and eternal. But instead we just hope we might be right and continue going about our daily routines like it is never going to happen.
Fortunately or not, you can not be good enough to get into heaven, so you don’t have to hope about being good enough or not. It says in the bible in Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. But rather we need to follow Jesus, and accept his free gift of salvation that he offers to all who call upon him.
Act 2:21 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved…
Act 2:28 You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence…
Act 2:38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins…
For “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 Jn 1:9
How Can I Be Sure I am Going to Heaven?
Well if it is God’s heaven He makes up the rules and He gives us promises in His word. Like in Ephesians 1:13-14 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. And similarly founnd in 1Peter 1:3-4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,
So you can be sure of your final resting place, and not fear death, but rather curiously anticipate it with hope. So you too can say with confidence, “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1Cor 15:55-57
Pieces of Truth 
LOVE this. I don’t know if you’re a pastor, but this is the kind of straight-forward preaching I really like to hear.
Hi Joanna, thank you for checking out my page and your words of encouragement. I am not a pastor, but I am a teacher of the word in different capacities in the church. Everything from Sunday School teacher of Junior highers to Men’s ministry to nursing home. I will start checking out your page, thanks again for stopping by.
Kevin
Excellent post!
Thank you, Kevin, for your TRUTH from God’s Word and being a faithful witness.
Mercedes
Thanks for checking out the post and your kind words
So number 1 I’ve never pondered more than a few moments about what will happen to me when I die. I think I’m to focused on living. Number 2 I don’t have a belief system that there is anything after death. I know a lot of people think this is sad. I assure you it doesn’t bother me even a little. See for me the years I have alive I plan to make the best of. When I die, well I won’t exist anymore so that’s not sad to me because there won’t be a me. I have no concern about a legacy because that feels like ego. So when I die that’s it.
Why don’t I run amuck hurting and stealing and doing everything I want to if I dont believe there is an afterlife where I’ll be judged? Duh because I’d go to jail! I don’t consider myself am atheist but I will say that believing when i die there is nothing else, I do do what I want! (huh huh do do)
Great honest response Mike. I am curious though, do you ever think that your belief system could be wrong? And secondly what do you base your belief system on? For me that was always the hardest thing was I always wondered if I was wrong or not. That is what keeps me asking the questions.
There is actually a book about it. http://www.amazon.com/23-Minutes-In-Hell-Torment/dp/1591858828
Could I be wrong? HOW DARE YOU. Of course I’m open to the possibility that I’m wrong. I recently posted a song lyric, as one does, “on my deathbed I will pray to the Gods and the angels like a pagan to anyone who will take me to heaven”. Get it?
My beliefs come from looking for proofs and finding none. I think theres a very good chance we are a bag of meet and bones with some electricity moving us around. I don’t know what a soul is but I’ve never seen one? Never seen any of the afterlife. I’ve heard from people that have died there’s a white light and I’ve heard there is nothing. Funny though I’ve never heard of anyone seeing Hell? Anyway….
Oh I was speaking of people who were actually pronounced dead by Drs and had afterlife or no afterlife experiences. Not some guy who fell asleep at 3 am one night and possibly had a bad dream or even made the entire story up? If that’s the case many a night around 3 I’ve seen Heaven. Why take this past Saturday night for instance.
Alright, maybe that is not the best resource. But it does say in the bible that you die once then the judgement. Therefore I actually don’t think you can come back to tell of it. And I do believe there was a man named Jesus that lived 2000 years ago who also claimed to be God. And he speaks of a heaven and a hell so I am taking his word for it 🙂
Jesus or Apollonius?
😳
What evidence do you have surrounding Appollonius that I should give him any credit? Was there historical writings fortelling his birth, death, burial, resurrection? How many articles of writing are there on him while he was living? what is the earliest writings found of him and by how many different writers? Did he raise from the dead? and if so were there any eye witnesses that recorded it? Did he claim to be God and perform many signs and wonders that caused tens of thousands of people to follow him? 🙂
From what I read his birth was for told. He did rise from the dead. Many people in fact think that he either was Jesus or for those who don’t believe think the story of Jesus was based on him. As I have no dog in this fight my research doesn’t go deep and I usually switch over to YouTube to watch cute animal videos.
On that note are there any writings of Jesus while he lived? Was anyone taking notes and writing down dates or are the stories base on hearsay many years after his death on a day month and year that no one knows? SNAP we should have our own debate show on public access.
Well actually there was, that was my point. You have, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, James, Timothy, Jude, Peter, Josephus to name a few. and they were all Jesus’ contemporaries. and you have thousands upon thousands of manuscripts of their writings. The other guy you mentioned has scant information he even existed so to put him at the same level of importance is not really fair to compare the two at all. It is funny how people will bring up others like him and say what about him and give him credence when there evidence is 1/1000th that of Jesus and will believe those things rather to what the evidence points to. And find out when Ceaser Augustus reigned and when Quirinius was governor of Syria and we can start setting a date for the birth of Jesus. and since our current calendar is based off of His birth, I think we may be close?
A show would be kinda fun though
So an I could be mistaken and I trust you know more on the topic then me so no disrespect if I am wrong but doesn’t Luke tell of the early years of Jesus? So Luke was there right? Or isnt it thought that Luke used the Gospels of Mark for much of his historical writings on Jesus? Was Luke in the temple with Jesus as a young boy of 12 or 13 witnessing his amazing knowledge of the scripture? My use of the word amazing is not meant sarcastically. Isn’t it even argued that the author of Luke may be unknown?
As you know I have NO interest in questioning anyone’s faith. I do however like debate.
Actually Mike, Luke was more of an investigative reporter and went to many sources as to his writings, It is believed by many biblical scholars that Luke got a lot of info from Mary (Jesus Mother). Which would explain how he knew intimate details regarding the birth of Jesus and also the account of Jesus in the temple when he was 12. And Luke wrote the book circa 60AD, which would be considered a contemporary writing. Now going back to Appolonias, How many writings are in existence regarding his life? You say there were prophetic writing concerning his birth, death and resurrection. Can you show me one? Is there any evidence of his resurrection, and what is it? I say he never existed can you prove me wrong?
Well let’s start with the writing and prophecies of Jesus. I’ve recently read that those supposed prophecies tend to be heavily based in metaphor and translation or translations and “matching” up the New Testament with the prophecies. I will email you what I researched. You say it’s “believed” he spoke to the mother of Jesus. Tom Cruise BELIEVES in Scientology. Terrorist BELIEVE we are the devil and must be defeated. As for me I’ve seen no facts to prove any of that? So what your saying is a couple guys got together and one suggested to the other maybe Luke spoke with Mary? Is that how that belief was spawned or is there a bibliography of Luke research IF in fact Luke is the other as some believe he wasn’t (see what I did just there 😉). Now to answer one final question I can’t prove to you that I EXIST!! Am I in front of you right now? Can you see me touch me? Maybe I’m your Tyler Durden? My summary is I’m not trying to prove anyone doesn’t exist. I would much rather get smacked in the face with existence rather than none and I would never try and change your mind on our faith. I do however enjoying the debate and search.
How do you think any journalist gets information. For you, every news story written must have physically seen every robbery, witnessed the murder, watched the car accident take place or it didn’t happen? I guess we can take away 98% of our history. If there was a car accident and you asked 5 eye witnesses of the story and they all saw the same thing don’t you think you can get the idea of the accident with out seeing it. Like the car was blue, there were 2 passengers, they were driving eastbound and a red truck ran a light and hit them on the right side of the car. Now if you weren’t there to see it but 5 independant witnesses were there and all their info was the same you would have to BELIEVE they are telling the truth. the evidence would point toward that end. Since Luke’s Gospel matches up with what John wrote, and Peter, and Matthew and Mark and James and Paul. And it was written during the time that others could have refuted it since it was in the same generation that people lived to see it. If you are this skeptical then you couldn’t believe in Socarates, Julius Ceasar, Shakespeare, or even that George Washington crossed the Delavare. And the there are prophecies that say the Messiah will be born of a virgin, that he will be born in the town of Bethlehem. that he will be betrayed for exactly 30 pieces of silver, It says that your king would come riding on a donkey. (Palm Sunday) to name a few. not metaphorical. that’s all I got for now
Great post, Kevin. Thanks for spreading the Word and Truth. I remember when you were in your late teens/early 20’s and searching. God said if we search for the truth, he will reveal himself. A joy to watch you grow in knowledge and love of our Lord 🙂
I thought they all wrote about different portions of Jesus’s life ONCE AGAIN I defer to you here. I also read that Luke, if he was the author, used part of Marks Gospels or borrowed if you will for his. That would help them match up. I don’t believe many stories today. You believe your couch is blue. I believe your couch is green. Is either of us lying about the color? Another text apparently treating of a future restoration of the monarchy of David is Micah 5:2-4, which speaks of a future ruler with ancient origins, “from of old,” namely from Bethlehem, the town of David. While early Christians took this verse to mean the messiah would be born literally in Bethlehem, it may well be another piece of metonymy, this time using David’s hometown rather than his father as a metonymic substitute for his name. Translation…..that’s what causes questions.
Mic 5:2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.
It also speaks of the ruler coming from the clan of Judah, Which Jesus is. I just don’t see how you get metonymic from that. I think you are stretching way more than I am on this to prove your point. So in the text it mentions Ruler from the Clan of Judah coming out of Bethlehem which Jesus is reportedly from both. and on this topic of prophecy, whether you find it vague or not, is there any other major religious leader that can claim the same? Seriously curious question not a slight
I didn’t even know what metonymy was. I had to google the definition. That was an excerpt from something I researched. You think I put that together?!?! My point isnt that Jesus isn’t any of the things you say or believe. My point is I don’t know. I think I’ve made my point! Case closed!