Friday, September 7, 2007

"True Meaning of Death" reply to a column of Al Jones in "Here's the Scoop" magazine

Tonight I saw a copy of "Here's the Scoop" magazine that was delivered to my door today. The front page started with a column by Al Jones, entitled "True Meaning of Death". This was a story of a childhood friend of Al's names Paul Spears, in the fifth grade, who struggled with severe diabetes. Al describes very vividly his friend and the 'incidents' where some incidental thing happened to Paul that ended with him being hauled away by parents or medical personel for an extended absence...the last absence being permenant. Al's column caught my attention and imagination....I wrote the following response to him by email:

"I was very interested to read the column by Al Jones, in Issue #305 of Here's the Scoop, entitled "True Meaning of Death". It is sobering, isn't it...to think of death, the suddenness with which it may have to be faced, the certainty that we will have to face it. For every ten people in this great province of Alberta, ten will face death. Ten out of ten people die. When someone around us dies, if we think clearly, the shock really isn't THAT they died, but WHEN they died. We know death is inevitable for all of us, it's the unexpected timing that shocks us must.

It makes one beg the question though, when you die, what will be next? What is out there when you step out of this world into eternity? This is a question that fixates some, scares others and some even dismiss. There is no getting around it though, each of us will have to face whatever it is out there. Sobering still when God states that "it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27). For some this is a shock, that upon their death, they will be standing before God in judgment. There's more; "...he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness" (Acts 17:31). This gives us a hint, not only will we all stand before God on the Day of Judgment, but there is a standard, "righteousness"...God's standard of right & wrong. If you were charged with a crime & had a court date set, you would scurry down to your lawyer & check the law and see how you would do at your day in court. You DO have a court date; God has appointed a day...you just don't know when it is...yet. Should you not check God's Law (the Ten Commandments) and see how you'd do? Let's take a small test. Have you ever told a lie? If I lied to you, what would you call me? A liar! Have you ever stolen anything (regardless of value)? Thief? Have you ever used God's name as a curse word to express disgust? God says he will "not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain"...blasphemy is a very serious crime in God's eyes. The seventh commandment is "Do not commit adultery"...in case you think you are okay with that one, listen to the words of Jesus Christ "whosoever looketh at a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart". Have YOU looked at someone you're not married to with sexual desire? If you died right now, and stood before God, would he see you as a Lying, Thief and a Blasphemous Adulterer at heart? This is only four of the Ten Commandments. Would he sentence you to Heaven or Hell? Did you know that the Bible says that "all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone" (Rev.21:8). The Bible also explains that NO Thief, NO Blasphemer & NO Adulterer will enter God's Kingdom (I Cor. 6:9-10). Would YOU be sentenced to Hell?

Wow...Hell...does that concern you? It should...concerned me! Remember, being religious or church-going will NOT help you on the Day of Judgment. Your priest or pastor will not be standing with you and talking to God for you...YOU will be on your own! Giving your money, or doing good stuff will NOT help you either. If you committed a serious crime...murder...and were not caught for several years, during which you spent your time volunteering to help the poor, helped little old ladies across the street and filled your days with random acts of kindness, would you still be tried and convicted when you were caught? Of course you would, your good works were never the point, it would be your crime that you would be punished for. The same with God; good works are of course what you should do, it's your crimes before God's Law you will be judged for. God did an amazing thing for you. Something pre-planned to show what an amazingly great and kind God He is. God gave you and I his Law (He even gave us a conscience to know right from wrong..con means "with" and science means "knowledge"...you are with knowledge of right & wrong). God knew that you and I would blow it & break His Law...I've broken all Ten, how 'bout you? Knowing we would break His Law and be deserving of Hell, he sent His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus took on a body, was born of a woman, lived a completely sinless life (kept all the commandments). He allowed mere men, to nail his hands and feet to a wooden cross, stick a spear in His side, he bled and died. God His Father, blackened the sun for three hours, and poured out on Him the punishment of Hell that you and I deserve for breaking His Law.

Okay, so Jesus died...how does that help you? Good question! Imagine you are convicted of a very serious crime here in Canada. Standing before the Judge at your sentencing hearing, you are informed that you have two penalty options under the law; $1,000,000 fine or lifetime in prison without possibility of parole. Your heart sinks, you have no money to pay the fine...you will never see the light of day again! The judge stands up, steps down off the bench, informs you that he has sold all his earthly possessions and has $1,000,000 to pay your fine. You are free to go. This is exactly what God has done for YOU through the blood of His Son Jesus Christ. God simply "commandeth all men everywhere to REPENT"..."REPENTANCE toward God, and FAITH toward our Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 17:30 & 20:21). Repentance is an old-fashioned word we don't use much any more. Repentance would be like you going to God in great sorrow for having offended Him, agreeing that is just that you should go to Hell, you deserve it, confessing to Him you sin then turning from your sin, abandoning & hating it...then turning to Jesus Christ in faith...trusting that He has paid the penalty you deserve to have paid for your sin (lawbreaking). If you truly turn to God in repentance and faith, God promises that He will forgive your sin, not because he 'let you off', but because your fine was paid with the blood of Jesus Christ and he will credit to your account the righteousness of Jesus Christ. He will reward you with an eternity in Heaven...not because you are a good person, but because you are a depraved person (like the rest of us) redeemed from sin by the blood of His Son.

Consider seriously what is out there, what is after death. Repent and put your faith in Jesus Christ. Get a Bible, read and obey it. What will you miss out on by doing this?...HELL!

Glenn A. Heslop
Airdrie, Alberta
www.greatnewscanada.com"

Please pray for Al, and others at "Here's the Scoop", that this message of the incredible Gospel of Jesus Christ, would convict of sin and bring some to repentance and faith.

Glenn.

P.S. Have you warned anyone around you today of the coming wrath of God?

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