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Are You Ready When Your Time comes?
Live Once ~ Die Twice
or
Live Twice ~ Die Once
- Perhaps you don't think about death very often. Few people do, because it is an unpleasant thought. Does that mean we shouldn't?
- Of all the things we know and don't know there is one thing we can be sure of. Death will happen to every one of us. Eventually our human bodies quit working. We don't know when we will start living and neither do we know when we will end living, but we do know that eventually our life will end. 10 out of 10 people die at some point.
- The Bible actually testifies to this! Hebrews 9:27 declares that every man has one appointment with death. It also warns men that after this comes judgment. Just payment for the mistakes that we have made.
- Revelation 20 tells us about the consequence for this. There is a place called the Lake of Fire where guilty sinners will be judged for their sin. When God's wrath is revealed upon sin in this place, the smoke of torment ascends forever and ever.
- However, even though the subject of death and judgment is important to be sure we know the right answer... (eternity is a long time to be wrong) it doesn't have to be a subject of doom and despair! God always has answers to the problems in life if we take the time to seek Him from our hearts. The writer of Hebrews also asks the rhetorical question: "How shall we escape IF we neglect so great a salvation?" Salvation? Yes.
- God doesn't want us to go to that terrible place called the Lake of Fire even if we are guilty! He wants us to be in heaven with Him after our physical death! 1st Timothy 2:4 teaches that "God desires all men to be saved!"
In John 10:10 Jesus said, "I have come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly!"
Jesus Christ came into this world to take His Father's wrath towards sin upon Himself while He suffered and gave up His life on a Roman cross. Even though Jesus was one with God, perfect and holy, He died so that we wouldn't have to die.
2nd Corinthians 5:21 says, "For He made Him Who knew no sin, to be sin for us; that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." Mankind has the opportunity to be declared righteous! God wants to give us eternal life for free!
- Receiving this life however, doesn't make any sense unless we understand what we must be saved from! Altogether mankind is corrupt. So in essence, we need to be saved from what we are. Our sins are what brought God's wrath upon His Son.
When the Lord saves us, He wants to make us new (2nd Corinthians 5:17). Part of believing in Jesus is to seek God's help in changing you. The Bible describes this as repentance (to turn the other way). In Acts 3:19 God's word says, "Repent therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out and that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord!"
- Part of repentance is to realize there's no work you can do to be saved. Titus 3:5 says, "not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us!" We have to give up on ourselves, and give in to God.
When God saves us, we're saved forever. In John 6:37 Jesus says, "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out!" Next, He wants to start a good work in us!
Now you've read the message of good news! Are you going to live once and die twice or die once and live twice??
John 11:25-26 Jesus said, "I am the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he will live! And whoever lives and believes in Me will never die! Do you believe this?"
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