“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,” (Hebrews 9:27). Death is an appointment which none of us will escape unless we are alive when the Lord returns. It is a Divine appointment as punishment for sin. It began with Adam and Eve’s banishment from Paradise where the “tree of life” dwelled (Gen. 3:22). Their inability to eat of that tree led to their certain death. God said to Adam in Genesis 3:19, “In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return.” The father of the faithful, Abraham, said of himself, “Indeed now, I who am but dust and ashes…” (Gen. 18:27).

Modern medicine has made great strides in curing some illnesses and diseases, in lengthening life, and in helping us have a better quality of life while we are here. But make no mistake about it — man shall never eliminate death! It is a pipe dream that too many of us have subtly tried to accept as we attempt to avoid the inevitable. We have trusted in modern medicine to “cure” all our ills. But death sweeps over us silently and continually just the same.

What is my point? I am totally in favor of living a quality life, of taking advantage of the benefits of modern medicine, of natural medicine, and of medicine yet to be discovered. But I do not want us to pursue physical life at the expense of pursuing eternal life! You see, we can get so caught up in trying to exterminate certain diseases that we can forget that death is still certain! Do you know anyone living today who is over 125 years old? If not, then death is still inevitable. It is “appointed” for men to die once! So prepare for that appointment!

God appointed physical death because of sin and spiritual death! Through His eternal scheme of redemption, He negated the eternal effects of both physical and spiritual death to those who believe! Read carefully this truth from Hebrews 2:14-15: “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” Jesus Christ took on a physical body in order to live a sinless life, to become the sinless sacrifice for sin, and therefore, through His own physical death to destroy (1) Satan’s grip over mankind with the threat of endless death; and (2) Man’s hopeless fear of physical and spiritual death.

Let us never forget that physical death was caused by spiritual death! There is that inexorable connection! You cannot ignore sin and hope to eliminate physical death! But you never read of this in the medical journals, do you?

Wayne Goff

Many people in this world have concluded that life begins at birth. Is this true? Let’s see what our Creator has to say about it. Remember, the purpose of this article is to only focus on what the word of God says. If you want to know what I personally think about the subject, my answer is simple – I believe what God says!

In Luke 1:39-31, John (prior to his birth) leaped in his mother’s womb. The text actually states that the “babe leaped”. Is it correct to call an unborn child a babe? Yes. Why? Because “John was John” before he was born and after he was born. This proves that life begins before birth, but we still need to specifically determine when life begins.

Another text to consider is found in Job 10. In verses 8-12, this man of God speaks about God making him like clay and that God poured him out like milk and curdled him like cheese. He also clothed Job with skin and flesh, knit together with bones and sinews. In this he credited God with giving him life and preserving his spirit. This is telling us that life begins at conception.

To expand on this even more, James pointed out that the body without the spirit is dead (2:26). Our body needs our spirit to live but our spirit does not need our body to live. Thus, our body goes back to ash upon death and the spirit goes back to God who gave it (Eccl. 12:7). All of this points to the fact that the soul is present at conception because there is life. When we go back to Luke 1, the fact that John leaped in the womb revealed he was indeed alive and thus had a soul/spirit.

As difficult as it is when we lose a babe, we know they have not lost their identity. The unborn is not an “it” but a human that possessed a soul that will reign with the Lord forever. It may be true that a husband and wife can come together had have a child, but let us always remember that it is God that gives life. Let us value life and never think that it only starts at birth. Such thinking is simply wrong.

                                                                                             Chuck

Did Jesus care?

Jesus was on the cross next to two thieves, yet he only told one of them “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Imagine hanging on a cross near death, yet you hear the other person being told they would be with the Lord in paradise. Do you feel sorry for that thief? Jesus certainly did, since He said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do,” (verse 34). That statement includes the second thief.

This article was sparked by a call I received this week. My mom was upset with the news that her sister’s husband died (my uncle Eric). I called my aunt Pat and expressed my condolences, but I found myself struggling with ways to offer comfort as I know the fate of those who do not care to follow the Lord – just as that thief.

Just as the Lord does not desire any to perish (II Pet. 3:9), we as His children should feel the same. That being said, many people will act like the harsh thief and refuse to turn to the Lord. Should we really feel sorry for someone who neglected such an opportunity? The answer is both yes and no.

It is terrible that anyone would choose the world’s broad way over the Lord’s narrow way. The unrepentant thief “got what was coming to him.” However, just because the faithful get to go to heaven does not mean they are getting what they deserve. No one deserves heaven. It was made possible by mercy and grace (Eph. 2:8; Titus 3:5). Even though we have loved ones that refuse to follow Jesus and leave this world unprepared, we still feel sorry for them.

My uncle went to Home Depot and bought some tile. He laid the second tile when he said he felt tired and needed to sit down. That was the last breath he took. We never know when we shall spend our last moments upon this earth. Let us do all we can to make sure we are prepared and have compassion on the lost. If you are not right with the Lord, take care of it immediately. Jesus does care! 

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How can we handle torment?

How many of us can identify with what Lot went through? Peter tells us that he was oppressed with the filthy conduct of the world (II Pet. 2:7).  The apostle went on to say that by living among worldly people, Lot “tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds” (verse 8). We can imagine how bad Lot felt seeing the corruption around him daily.

The interesting thing about what this godly man faced is what it reveals about the Lord. Peter’s thought concludes that “the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,” (verse 9). This lesson poses a challenge for us. Do we handle the wickedness around us as our Lord wants? Here are some thoughts to consider about living in a world of darkness.

Never get comfortable with sin

Let’s be honest – the day we begin to feel nothing concerning the sin all around us is the day we start to engage in it. Does this really happen? Can someone become numb to sin and then eventually start participating too? Certainly! What if a person becomes numb to sin but does not join in? This is also wrong! The Roman brethren were given a long list of sins to avoid. Then, they were told that any who “[know] the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.” (Rom. 1:32). Essentially, we approve sin if we know better and yet do not challenge it. 

Do not invite it into your home

If a person does not approve of foul language, sexual immorality or drunkenness, would you be wise to invite these things into your home and enjoy them? This happens all the time when families gather around the TV and watches a movie that is full of sin. John warned of this: “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds,” (II John 10). There is no doubt that if a guest in their home started to cuss or tell dirty jokes, Christian parents would ask the person to stop. Yet this happens in most TV sitcoms today!

Keep the disgust alive

Christ Jesus never felt comfortable with sin. This did not stop Him from being around sinners – He even ate with them (Mark 2:16). Even so, the Lord’s disgust for transgression remained strong. Recall how He overturned the tables of the money changers and drove them out of the temple (Matt. 21:12-13). There is nothing wrong with disliking the ungodly behavior around us. Truthfully, when was the last time you were not exposed to any sin? I am not suggesting that our daily lives are as bad as what Lot faced. We do not have people coming to our home and demanding that our guests commit evil acts with them. Still, this does not make the sin we encounter daily any less evil.

Seek God’s deliverance

Just as He showed with Lot, God knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation (I Cor. 10:13). If we do not abide by the first three points of this article though, then we are “not so godly” and thus should not expect to be delivered. A classic line applies here– God helps those who help themselves. When the Lord’s ways are on our minds, we can make a conscious effort to seek Him. We can have victory if we come out from the world and live differently (II Cor. 6:17-18). Lot lived in Sodom, yet he did not live like those around him – what about us?

                                                               Chuck