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Dripping Springs Weekly Bulletins
"If a Man Die, Shall He Live Again?"
This question, asked by Job long ago, deserves a biblical answer. Not surprisingly, many prefer not to contemplate the subject of death, much less talk about life after death. Is this life all there is? Is man little more than an animal? Do we have a hope of life being sustained after this life?
Bertrand Russell says “no,” and describes life as he sees it”
The life of man is a long march in the night, surrounded by invisible foes, tortured by weariness and pain, toward a goal few can hope to reach, and where none may tarry long.
Contrast his pessimistic viewpoint with that of the Apostle Paul:
“I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you,” Philippians 1:23-24.
Standing by the grave of a loved one leads us to ponder the destiny of that person, and often our own destiny. Like it or not, something stands between us and that future life. That “something” is Judgment. Nothing is surer than the promise of man standing before God,
“…that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad,” 2 Corinthians 5:19.
This fact should press each of us to the thoughts of what God has said are “good or bad.” If the Bible is right—and it is—our deeds and thoughts will come up for judgment at that day, and our eternal destiny will be determined at that judgment.
One of two places awaits, heaven or hell. One is a place of separation from God, 2 Thessalonians 1:9; the other eternal life with God, a place where pain and death are no more, Revelation 21:4. The choice is ours today, while earthly life continues. You cannot purchase eternal life, you cannot earn it, but you can inherit it from the Lord Himself, Hebrews 6:12, Revelation 21:7. The way you live today, the choices you make are the determining factors of your eternal abode.
What is heaven like? Can we know beforehand what that eternal place holds for us? Yes, but the bliss and joy of that place is so far beyond our imagination that our vocabularies are not capable of comprehending its true qualities.
Men speak of “pearly gates” from time to time. We hear of “streets of gold,” and we wonder if that is literal gold and pearl, or a metaphor used to describe that which is in reality indescribable in human terms. Some of the qualities are easily understood, though perhaps describing an existence different from what we experience on earth:
“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away... And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass….And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof… And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God gives them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever,” Revelation 21:4, 21-23, 22:5.
From what frame of reference can humans contemplate such a place of bliss? Death is something that threatens all, and everyone experiences sorrow and pain. How, then, can we conceive of a place in which these things do not exist? The use of “pearl” and “gold” cannot adequately portray the beauty of heaven, but are figures of speech that direct us to that which is beautiful, holy, eternal and lovely.
A preacher from a former generation put it all this way:
| Pain |
No Pain |
| Sorrow |
No Sorrow |
| Disunion |
Reunion |
| Tears |
No Tears |
| Disease, illness |
No Disease, illness |
| Death |
No Death |
That’s right—all the things that make life unpleasant, from the trials of youth, to the aches and pains of aging, they all reach out for the glory of that heavenly home.
From the Bible we learn the following things about heaven:
- It is a place of safety, strength and protection from all enemies, especially from Satan.
- It is a place of beauty, peace and joy so bountiful we can hardly imagine its qualities.
- It is a place where we shall live forever with God, with the faithful loved ones who have gone before.
- It is a place of honor, where those who served, respected and obeyed God will abide.
- It is a place where there is no longing for another, where there are no regrets, and where all the trials of this life will seem as nothing in comparison.
Don’t you want to go there, to enjoy the presence of Jesus Christ and the angels of heaven? Is your name written in the Book of Life? Are you ready to meet the Lord in judgment?
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“Aim at heaven and you get earth ‘thrown in’; Aim at earth and you get neither.”
“The way to heaven is up a ladder; the way to hell is down a hill.”
ABANDON ALL HOPE YE WHO ENTER HERE
Dante, inscription on the
entrance to Dante’s Inferno
“One road leads to heaven, but many lead to hell.”
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Lasciviousness at Halftime
If you are unaware of the obscene activities that occurred during the half time of the Super Bowl recently, then you must not read the papers or watch the news. This writer did not see the live telecast from the Houston stadium, but I have seen enough of the news to know that the whole production was ungodly, from start to finish. MTV produced the show and that provides a valid reason why no Christian (or their kids) should be watching the MTV channel. Last year on their awards program, Madonna repulsively kissed two other female singers (Brittany Spears/Christina Agullera) on the mouth in front of a live television audience.
One of the works of the flesh condemned in Galatians 5:19-21 is lasciviousness; sometimes translated “lewdness.” What does that mean? If you saw the half time of the Super Bowl, you saw a demonstration of what lasciviousness means. The dancing, the clothing and song lyrics were shameful, vile, smutty, and morally corrupt. It was entertainment straight from hell – devilish, lustful, and sexually orientated. These people made Elvis look like a church boy (which he was not). In his early days, television would not show Elvis from the waist down. No wonder the morals of this nation are in such deplorable condition. Look at who is driving the bus.
Shame on Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Nelly, Kid Rock, the producers, the dancers, and the other entertainers who committed these dark deeds before God and the world that Sunday night. I would only embarrass myself trying to describe how they were moving and what they were putting their hands on. The entertainment industry has manifested that they are absolutely bankrupt of morals. They are pushing nudity, vulgarity, violence, and the obscene. They will give an account one day before the Judge of mankind; God will not accept their empty apologies on that day (2 Corinthians 5:10).
I guess we would be expecting too much for Timberlake, Jackson or MTV to say, “Yes, it was evil and wrong and we will never do anything like that again.” People like this will do anything to get publicity – they love the attention. They can sell more CDs, videos and advance their notoriety.
At least some in society were shocked and offended by it. Television stations reported that phone calls of protest began immediately. It was good to hear Paul Tagliabue, NFL Football Commissioner, publicly announce his embarrassment and declare the shame these people had brought upon the National Football League. Michael Powell, Chief of the Federal Communications Commission said the entire show angered him. CBS has also apologized to the viewers for the “R-rated” ending of the show. Others have also voiced outrage and they were justified to be critical. It shows that criticism does have an effect. Christians ought to verbally protest more about such things.
In 1939, the movie Gone With the Wind had a notorious ending – Clark Gable used a four letter curse word. America was shocked. How far we have digressed in those sixty-five years is truly sad and regrettable. Pray for America.
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