Wednesday, August 6, 2014

have you talked to your kids about death?













“Space...the final frontier...”  who hasn’t heard these immortal words of Captain James T. Kirk, aboard the Enterprise on Star Trek, the only real Star Trek.  But although he comes close, there is one final frontier that all human beings will encounter someday, one which we don’t like to or don’t want to talk about, death.  The death rate on earth is 100%, no one escapes it, yet no one talks about it until forced to.  Which usually occurs when a friend, family member, or celebrity has died.  Followed by a service, usually referred to as a funeral, but today “celebrations of life” have become popular among Christians, for we know that death is only the beginning of eternity for those who are saved, not the end of life for those who aren’t.  And even the word death is avoided when possible, he’s gone to a better place, passed on, not with us any longer, and others are used, all having a form of truth, but the real truth being the person is dead.   Yet that word death is something we will all face ourselves some day, don’t you think we should know more about it?  Have you ever talked to your kids about death?
How many times have you heard or even said or been scared to death?  Yet we rarely hear we are scared of death, which we really are.  I guess you can be scared to death, but really most are scared of death.  It is a great unknown, and no one is around to tell you what happens after you die.  We are told in the Bible, which mentions death almost 400 times, that the dead in Christ shall rise, and even Lazarus was resurrected after being dead 4 days.  But it never tells of where he was, or what happened for those 4 days.  I have heard some scholars refer to him as the same Lazarus of Luke 15, whom the rich man stepped over every day, and who begged Lazarus just to dip his finger in the pool to put a drop of water on his tongue.  And no one ever asked him, or is it recorded what he had to say when he returned.  So what happens after death, where your soul ultimately goes for eternity, is based on faith, no second chances, no reset button, no do overs like in kickball, death truly is the final frontier.  And why can we believe more about Star Trek than what the Bible tells us about death?
Jesus tells us that “I would not have told you if it were not so,” as He talks of hell.  Jesus who even died a physical death, not a spiritual one, and was resurrected, as all believers will be someday, knows and talks of death.  He tells us that those who believe in Him shall never taste death.  That they will pass from death unto life, avoiding death. But what happens, how, when, and where are only up to God, not us, and as I have found out personally, you have no say in it.  You cannot add nor subtract days from your life, but you can add quality of life to them.  And death is as simple as falling asleep, and even then Paul tells us that “we all won’t sleep,” that an event called the rapture will occur taking many to heaven before they die a physical death.  Something we all as Christians hope happens to us, again because although many believe, they are still afraid of death.  Or as Frank and I once discussed, “we are not afraid of death, we just aren’t real sure about the process.”  Maybe that puts death in an even more realistic life, because we also have no control over the process.  The ultimate blow to pride and ego, which when surrendered to Jesus will assure you heaven.  So what are the two choices of a final destination, of your final frontier?
All men are born into sin, and fall short of the glory of God.  Blame Adam, but since him, we all fall short.  And because of the spiritual death of that event, we all are born destined to hell.  Babies, who appear innocent are doomed, ever teach a baby to cry, to yell “mine?”  Yet God in His mercy protects them, unto an age of accountability, which the Jews feel is the 13th birthday, but no age is given scripturally.  Aborted babies, others dying in the womb, all go to heaven, avoiding earth and it sins.  Religion cannot save you, nor can your church, parents, belief system, or being frozen.  Only Jesus has the power over life and death, and the gates of hell are not to keep you out, but to keep those who deny Him in.  The gates don’t save you from hell, only Jesus does.  So don’t you think on such an important topic, one we will all face, we should know more about it?  Personally I have come as close to death as you can come without dying, so as the scripture in John 11:4 tells us, “this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, so the Son of God may be glorified in it.”  I can tell you heaven is real, beyond description.  I have seen Jesus, yet cannot describe Him, how do you explain the infinite to a finite world?  Using finite words?  So we are told that eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor imagined, so whatever you imagine heaven to be, it isn’t.  It is better.  But also whatever you think hell to be, it is worse.  I have always cast doubt on those who see a bright light, and other scenes.  They saw something, but it wasn’t heaven.  The only way I can describe what I saw and heard is I want to go back.  The only conversation I had with Jesus, the peace was beyond comprehension, and I thought I must be dead, and so I asked Him, His answer was “you most certainly are alive.” Yet some will believe my words easier than those spoken by God.  And live in fear, when they don’t have to.
So death has a place in everyone’s life, and we revere it so highly, we have funerals.  And personally, I have never attended one where the deceased wasn’t the best person, taken too soon, or deserved to live.  It seems in death, we are forgiving, when we really need to be in life.  To ask Jesus, whom God sent to reunite us with Himself, to save us from our sins, and promise us heaven.  Yet many will choose to not believe, and even in hell, scripture tells us a harsh truth.  Again Luke 15, the rich man in hell, now showing compassion, wants to go back to only tell his family about hell, but God tells him no.  If they don’t believe the prophets, they won’t believe someone sent back after death.  And it is true today, as God has sent His spirit to tell us, to warn us, yet we deny the same Jesus who died to save us.  The one whom the prophets foretold hundreds of times.  So your test is easy, life or death?  Jesus or denial?  Only available when you are alive, and tomorrow is not promised to anyone.  Today will be the day of salvation for many, yet the day of damnation for others.  How sure are you about death?  So sure you bet your life on eternal pain, darkness, and separation from God, heaven and glory?  If you deny God, He will honor you request, and deny you on judgment day, which we all will face, and the truth will be made visible.  Deny God, it is hell, but in torment you will know for all eternity, you will know who Jesus is, and was, and worship Him in utter agony, for every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord.  So you will end up worshipping the one who could have saved you, but you denied.  When you could be in perfect peace, full of joy unspeakable, and in the presence of a loving God.  Has anyone ever talked to you about death like this?
Your decision has eternal consequences, choose Jesus now, while there is still time.  Death can come upon you quick, no one wakes up knowing they will die today.  Your life is not your own, but in the hands of God.  Place it where you are assured of heaven, and enter the final frontier looking forward to seeing God face to face.  It takes about 15 minutes to read this, but can have a lifetime change of direction.  Take the time to tell your kids about death, but also life.  Death...the final frontier....where life doesn’t have to end.  You don’t have to be scared to death, for us it just begins.
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com