My grandmother passed away this Sunday at age 89. \u00a0A couple years ago, she was 59. \u00a0Just a few weeks before that she was in her 20’s. \u00a0And a couple days before that she was in her terrible two’s.<\/p>\n
She is now in eternity. \u00a0As one evangelist said, Forever and well or Forever in Hell. \u00a0I don’t want to sugar coat things. \u00a0I pray and hope she was saved. \u00a0 She was unresponsive for 11 days in a morphine induced coma in the nursing home. \u00a0 I prayed for her, gave her the gospel, gave her verses, and more and there is a glimmer of hope God still was dealing with her in that time. \u00a0She has been to church services and has heard the gospel.<\/p>\n
The challenge is she is Greek Orthodox. \u00a0They use the King James Bible. \u00a0They read scriptures and believe in Jesus. \u00a0 However the distance between head knowledge and heart knowledge is only 18 inches but the difference between heaven and hell. \u00a0She didn’t fight me over the years of praying with her, but I don’t have assurance either way. \u00a0 First, make sure whoever you are reading this — make sure 1) you are saved. \u00a0If you are not, get in touch with us here or visit oldtimebaptist.com and talk to someone about your soul. \u00a02) and if you are saved, live a life that doesn’t leave us hanging. \u00a0 It is not fun spending the rest of your life wondering if a particular loved one is going to go to heaven.<\/p>\n
One big issue I have with the formal religious circles, even the ones that have a lot of truth in them is this. \u00a0Many have it set up so it gives the impression that only those in authority and those who stand behind a pulpit really know God. \u00a0Often, salvation is made to appear unattainable and basically you are at the leader’s mercy to offer you the way of escape. \u00a0Jesus came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. \u00a0 It is the common man Jesus gave the common simple gospel to. \u00a0Religion can often dangle knowing God personally like a horse following a carrot. \u00a0And the reason is to make them have the power to control your life. \u00a0Jesus said if ye continue in my word, then you are my disciples indeed, then you shall know the truth and the TRUTH shall MAKE YOU FREE! \u00a0If the Son makes you free, you are free indeed! \u00a0I now GET to go to church, it’s not I “got” to go. \u00a0 I want to go to church, but the veil is lifted and the only thing between me and God is ME. \u00a0Draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you. \u00a0“You are as spiritual as you want to be,” says Pastor Don Green.<\/p>\n
The bible says what is our life but a vapor that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away. \u00a0 Our lives fly by. \u00a0 There is nothing on this earth worth going to hell for or anybody for that matter. \u00a0Be sure you are saved because the Bible says, Be sure your sin will find you out. \u00a0Everything, good bad and ugly will be revealed on Judgment Day!<\/p>\n
My little 5 year old asked why we die when I was explaining that Granny died.<\/p>\n
I thought about it and gave 2 answers. \u00a0The first is the bible explanation and the second is a bible principal. \u00a0The bible says the soul that sinneth, it shall die. \u00a0God told Adam that if he ate the fruit from the forbidden tree, he would die. \u00a0 \u00a0The proof we are sinners is our death.<\/p>\n
God gave 1 commandment because if He hand’t man would be a robot and not have free will. \u00a0Man messed up and we still would do the same thing. \u00a0Give 2 kids a room of toys and say the Tonka truck is off limits and they will fight over the Tonka truck. \u00a0 We have Adam’s nature, and we simply inherit the sinful nature. If we don’t do anything about it, we die with that nature and die lost and cannot enter heaven.<\/p>\n
We die because we are sinners. \u00a0We inherit that nature and that is our lot in life. \u00a0 Conduct may bear that out, but even good religious moral people such as Mother Theresa are still guilty before God. \u00a0They needed to be saved too. \u00a0Jesus came to call sinners to repentance and did not come to call the righteous. \u00a0Religious folks have a hard time seeing their need because they compare themselves to other fallen men and think \u00a0God must be impressed. \u00a0 I explain it like this. \u00a0 Imagine you are the owner of a hockey team. \u00a0 Let’s say you play the Devil’s and the All Star on the Devil’s scores 5 goals. \u00a0Those goals count against your team and are not going to please you or your coach. \u00a0If that All Star gets traded to your team, that is another story. \u00a0Suddenly he becomes your best friend. \u00a0 \u00a0That is like salvation. \u00a0We are born on the devil’s team. \u00a0We need to get traded to God’s team. \u00a0That is why Jesus said YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN.<\/p>\n
Those who die saved, get a new body that never sinned. \u00a0That body can live foreever. \u00a0 \u00a0However when Adam and Eve sinned, God kicked them out of the garden. \u00a0Was He being mean? No. \u00a0God said that if he didn’t, Adam could have eaten the tree of life and his decaying cursed body would live forever.<\/p>\n
In 1992 there was a movie called “Death Becomes Her.” \u00a0I haven’t seen it in years but I remember the basic premise. \u00a0 A man invents a potion that makes someone live forever, but the ladies that drink it have physical bodies that continue to deteriorate once they get damaged. \u00a0Their blessing quickly turns into a curse and the movie ends I believe with one of them falling onto pavement and disintegrating into dust.<\/p>\n
If we merely lived forever in our present state, that would be our end. \u00a0 However, death is simply what leads us home and those that trust Jesus get glorified bodies that never rot, or decay. \u00a0That was how God intended it.<\/p>\n
And the bad terrifying news is those that are lost have souls that never perish either. \u00a0They on forever in hell.<\/p>\n
How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation? \u00a0The bible asks.<\/p>\n
The obvious answer is you can’t.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
My grandmother passed away this Sunday at age 89. \u00a0A couple years ago, she was 59. \u00a0Just a few weeks before that she was in her 20’s. \u00a0And a couple days before that she was in her terrible two’s. She … Continue reading