Historical Posts
What Lies Ahead?
What lies ahead for us?
What is our ultimate fate? Is there anything beyond this realm? The answers depend on who is asked! Which are correct?
Some argue what lies ahead is reincarnation!
Buddhism and Hinduism teach that each of us had innumerable human or animal lives in the past and will be reborn into innumerable future lives unless we escape this vicious cycle through moral living and spiritual awakening.
Others profess belief what lies ahead is annihilation.
This is best summarized in the statement: “When we die we are like Rover, dead all over!” Some cling to the notion that only the unrighteous are annihilated! The righteous will live in a spiritual state of one kind or another.
Universalists believe in a spiritual afterlife for everyone.
They reason that God’s love is such that no one could possibly be lost.
Latter-day-Saints (Mormons) argue for three lives:
First, a pre-existence where each person acquired a spirit body as the literal offspring of the Father God and the Mother in Heaven. Second, our life on earth. Third, is a place in a four tiered future life determined by our performance in this life. (The end result is that men become gods!)
Then there is the Biblical teaching that we live this life in preparation for what lies beyond – Heaven or Hell!
We, not God, make the determination in this life as to what lies ahead and where we will be for eternity! Man is depicted in the Bible as a dual creature with a body and spirit (Hebrews 4:12). The body is destined to return to dust and the spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7). The spirit, being eternal, will either enjoy eternal bliss or eternal damnation, dependent on the choices made in this life (John 5:28-29). This is completely consistent with what we learn about the nature of God in the Scriptures (Romans 11:22)!
What lies ahead is up to us. The choices are heaven or hell. Yes, only two choices. Which one we chose is determined by our response to Jesus Christ and the life we live as His disciples. Those who are at His side in heaven will be those who have walked in His steps here. Have you made the right choice? What lies ahead for you based on your life and choices? You can change if you don’t like the answer.
Salvation: Hear - Believe - Repent - Confess - Be Baptized - Live Faithfully
Content by Roger Rush
Visit Roger at the 6th and Washington Street Church of Christ in Marietta OH.
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Are You Afraid?
Fear can be good or bad. It is foolhardy to have no fear. It is debilitating to fear everything. I think I have met some folks at both ends of the spectrum. I’ve known a few people who, at least on the surface, seemed to have no fear. They drove recklessly, lived dangerously, and usually died suddenly. And then, there are those folks who are so frightened of everything that they almost never leave their homes. They create their own little fortress (prison) and never leave it. They are prisoners at home held by fear.
We seem to enter this world with at least a little fear. The fear of falling and the fear of loud noises are with us from the start. But, other things, like the fear of flying, or the fear of snakes and spiders are acquired. Often, our fears are not justified. Flying is far safer than driving. But, because plane crashes always makes the news, and fatalities almost always occur when a plane goes down, we associate flying with disaster. Yet, crashes are very rare. Automobile accidents, on the other hand, are quite common, but we get in our cars without a second thought. And, not many snakes and spiders are poisonous. But, because a few are, we fear them all.
Maybe our fears are misplaced. On the subject of fear, Jesus offered these words of warning: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28). The one thing that should frighten us most is the prospect of being lost eternally. And, it seems to be the one thing that many people never even consider.
Jesus, however, has removed the fear of death for His disciples. As Christians, we can say with the Psalmist, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me…” (Psalm 23:4). We can live in hope, not fear, for He has said: “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me” (Hebrews 13:5, 6).
Are you afraid? More importantly, are you afraid of the right things? The one thing that should frighten us most is the thought of facing eternity unprepared. That doesn’t have to happen. We can face death and judgment without fear because of Jesus Christ. Are you prepared?
Content by Roger Rush
Visit Roger at the 6th and Washington Street Church of Christ in Marietta OH.
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Guarantee – audio
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
A warranty or life-time guarantee means a lot in this day and time. We need people and things that are very dependable. Often, tests are done to determine how reliable a product is for consumers. People often tell us they will do things, and may or may not do them.
- Deuteronomy 18:15-22. God gives us a test for who is really from Him. All we have to do is see if what they say will come to pass. If it does, they are of God; if not, they are not. Also, this text tells us of a Prophet will arise that will speak God’s words to His people.
- Daniel 2:44-45. Daniel tells Nebuchadnezzar that God will set up a kingdom that will stand forever. That “dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure.” Daniel, a prophet, guarantees that God’s kingdom will be set up and stand forever!
- Luke 1:30-33. The angel of the Lord told Mary that she would have a Son. Of Him, “The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” What further proof do we need than God’s angel affirming Jesus was this very prophet?
A. Matthew 16:18-19. Jesus promised to build His church, the kingdom of God.
B. John 18:36. Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world.
C. Hebrews 12:28. The kingdom of God cannot be shaken.
D. 1 Thessalonians 2:12. God calls us into the kingdom.
Jesus was the Prophet of God. He established His kingdom, the church, and it still stands today. Do you want to be a part of God’s kingdom? Will you share the gospel with others so they can be part of God’s kingdom too?
Content by Richard Dillon
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God’s Eternal Purpose – audio
Today is a day (December 25th) that many people wish would last forever. If kids have been good all year, then they just might get that special something they always wanted.
The Preacher recognizes that some things can last forever! Where we will be eternally depends on what we do here and now. The Preacher says, “I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him. That which is has already been, and what is to be has already been; and God requires an account of what is past (Ecclesiastes 3:14-15).”
I. What God has done shall last forever.
A. The mercy of God endures forever (Psalm 136).
B. Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, abides forever (John 1:1-2,14; 12:34; Hebrews 13:8).
C. His righteousness and salvation will abide forever (Isaiah 51:6).
D. His kingdom will last forever (Daniel 2:44).
E. The Word of God lives and abides forever (1 Peter 1:23).
II. We cannot add to or take away from what God does.
A. His Word is complete (Revelation 22:18-19; 2 Timothy 3:16-17).
B. All of God’s gifts are good and perfect (James 1:17).
III. God requires an account of what is past.
A. Each of us will give account of ourselves to God (Romans 14:12).
B. We will give an account to who is ready to judge the living and the dead (1 Peter 4:5).
C. We will all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, and will be rewarded for what we have done, whether it be good or bad (2 Corinthians 5:10).
What we do in this life determines our eternal status: if we are faithful to God, we will forever be with Him in Heaven; if we do not obey the gospel or live faithfully, we will enter into eternal death. God has given us eternal gifts to save our eternal souls; will we accept them?
Content by Richard Dillon
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Searching in all the Right Places
It happens all too often: we “know” where something is, only to find out we’re wrong.
- We’re sure our keys are hanging on the key rack, but instead we left them in our pocket.
- That restaurant was on the corner; now, it has relocated to the other part of town.
- The bread was in aisle 3; now, it’s in aisle 1.
In the religious world people look for the right things, but in the wrong places.
Eternal life is something that everyone needs, and should want! Where do we go to find it? Jesus said, “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me (John 5:39).”
The first place to look is the Bible! Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8), and His word abides forever (1 Peter 1:23). When we study the Scriptures we learn to find eternal life, where it really is; in Jesus Christ!
John writes, “And this is the testimony; that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God (1 John 5:11-13).”
Now that we see where eternal life is; let’s come and get it!
Content by Richard Dillon
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No Cancellations
“And it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).
Approximately every twenty-two seconds someone in this country dies. In the time it will take you to read this brief article more than two hundred deaths will have occurred worldwide.
Death is one appointment we will all keep. There will be no cancellations.
We are going to die, and it could happen at any time. It could be soon, or it could be years from now, but one thing is sure, there will be no escape. Yet, most of us live as though death only happens to others.
Death is not just a possibility, it is a certainty.
Our preparation for it should be of the highest priority. As a matter of fact, there isn’t anything more important than our preparation for death. There is a sense in which we cannot really live and enjoy life until we are ready to die.
What the skeptics believe
However, the skeptics would have us believe that this life is all there is. Their philosophy of “eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die” is followed by millions. They bow at the altar of evolution and worship the gods of humanism and modernism. They would have us believe that this is it. “You only live once, so you better grab all the gusto you can get!” Those who subscribe to this philosophy live for themselves and die without hope.
Jesus Christ came to offer something better.
He came that “we might have life” and that we “might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). He came to show us the way to God (John 14:6). He came to tell us that there is life after life, that God’s gift is eternal life through Him (Romans 6:23). He offers salvation to all them that obey Him (Hebrews 5:9). He gives us a reason to live, and hope in death. With Paul, we can say, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).
Are you ready to die?
Death is certain, but so is eternal life for all who are prepared. Study God’s word! Believe it! Obey it! Live it! Death has no hold on those who are ready to die.
Content by Roger Rush
Visit Roger at the 6th and Washington Street Church of Christ in Marietta OH.
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What Then…
The day of the Lord will come like a thief
Peter wrote: “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed” (2 Peter 3:8-10).
Charles Henry Parkhurst (1842-1933), commenting on the words of Peter, observed: “With God one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day, which is to say that there is no calendar and no timepiece in the divine experience, no aging, no getting away from the beginning, nor approaching toward the end.” We, however, are time bound creatures. We are born. We age. We die. It is unavoidable, inescapable, absolutely certain. The time of our death is unknown, but the reality of it is undeniable (Hebrews 9:27).
Yes, God is eternal, but we are not
He has always been, and He will always be. We, on the other hand, are different. We had a beginning. We were born into this world, and we will someday be taken out of it. Yet, we are destined for an eternity of our choice. God’s desire is our salvation. He longs for us to be with Him, but He will not force Himself upon us. He yearns for all men to come to a knowledge of the truth that they might be saved (1 Timothy 2:4). The depth of His desire is demonstrated in the sacrifice of His Son (John 3:16).
Life is all about choosing
No clear thinking man would choose to be lost eternally, but we operate under the false premise that we will always have tomorrow to prepare. If the Bible teaches one thing with absolute certainty about life, it is the uncertainty of it all. Yesterday is gone forever, tomorrow may never come, today is all we have. If we fail to use it, we may never get another chance.
When it’s over, what then?
When it’s over, and that day is coming for all of us, what awaits on the other side. For Christians there is nothing frightening, foreboding, or final about the grave. “For we know that if the tent, which is our earthly home, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Corinthians 5:1). Do you have that hope, and if not, would you like to have it? Remember, the clock is ticking, time is running out, eternity is just around the corner. What then?
Content by Roger Rush
Visit Roger at the 6th and Washington Street Church of Christ in Marietta OH.
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