The Bible is basically a promise book so that for the believer you can know what to expect when life as we know it ends. "For I know the thoughts I have towards you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." Jeremiah 29:11 The Promise of Heaven for the believer sustains us as with go through the ups and downs and crazy turnarounds in this life by giving us hope, peace, joy, victory, and a expected end.
What happens after we die?
Scholars, Philosophers, Atheist, and Religious all have pondered the mysteries of life after death and have expressed their opinions on the matter in one way or another. But how can we know about this eternal home that God promised for those who love Him? Well, God speaks specially about life after death or the "eternal life"; Jesus calls it "life everlasting" in the bible. Since we all know that one day we will die, I believe its an important and interesting question to ask.
I am currently pursuing my Doctorate of Divinity degree with an concentration in world missions. Reflecting back on working in the health care field for over 25 years and how many people I have done CPR on and I have seen take their last breath. Beginning at the 17 working as a orderly in a nursing home, my first job after graduating from high school. Upon enlisting in the US Navy as a Hospital Corpsman where I was assigned to the emergency room as an emergency medical technician and a trauma tech.
Then, after leaving active duty in the Navy, I completed my reserve time in the US Army Reserves and Michigan Army National Guard as a Combat Medic. As a civilian, I got a job in the utility industry and after a few years I found myself back in the emergency room in the largest ED in my native Detroit, Michigan.
I've seeing more than my fair share of death and seeing both young and old people die at such a young age that death never really impacted me, watching people take their last breath and people dying was a part of my job. My focus was on being the best EMT I could be and would be disappointed that I couldn't save that persons life after all the training, experience, medical equipment, and medicines; but the patient still died. Don't get me wrong I've always been empathetic and sympathetic to the loss of life and feel for the families for the loss of their loved ones, but I often wondered if they had accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior as I had.
"One man dies full of vigor, completely secure and at ease. His body is well nourished, and his bones are rich in marrow. Yet another man dies in the bitterness of his soul, having never tasted prosperity . But together they lie down in the dust, and worms doeth cover them." Job 21: 23-26
Little did I know that my high school first aid class in high school where I got my first CPR certification that would lead to a career in EMS services and now Cardiology. Death is the inevitable aspect of your life, but is that it? I am very aware of the finality of life, I have saw first hand death from all sorts trauma and medical emergencies. On my first night shift at the nursing home I was called to do my first CPR on a woman that was making her transition, while the other tech was doing chest compressions, I heard him murmuring word words to the song "Staying Alive" by the Bee Ghees, and using it as a cadence while doing chest compressions, a practice I would use while doing CPR.
"For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward, because the memory of them is forgotten. Their love, their hate, and their envy have already vanished, and they will never again have a share in all that is done under the sun." Ecclesiastes 9: 5-6
I have had to bag and tag corpses from infants to the elderly, from helicopter, automobile, and "murder cycle" oh, motorcycle crashes. The term "bag and tag" refers to the process of preparing a recently deceased individual for the coroner, mortician, law enforcement and others involved for the purposes in correctly identifying the corpse.
"And I heard a voice from heaven telling me to write; Blessed are they that die in the name of the Lord from this moment on. Yes, says the Spirit, they rest from their labors, for their works will follow them." Revelations 14:13
Yes, blessed are they that die "in the name of the Lord." The obvious distinction of those that die. We all have in one way or another bare witness to death whether it was a friend, family member and just by happenstance, we've been to a funeral or saw a dead person in a casket and somewhere in the back of our minds we question what's next?
The Kingdom of Heaven | The Kingdom of God
"Now I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable." 1 Corinthians 15: 50
Flesh and blood in scripture refers to the lusts of the flesh and the passions of our lower nature. Our passions and desires that are deemed wicket, lawless or irregular and therefore are not eligible to take part in it. St. Paul states her that the perishable cannot inherit the imperishable. Entering or inheriting the kingdom of God is reserved for those who acknowledge, profess, and live by God's rules and take part in the salvation, redemption, and righteousness Christ offers.
"The kingdom of heaven is like a hidden treasure in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and his joy he went and sold all he had and bought the field." Matthew 13: 44
The believer finds this treasure through the Lord Jesus Christ, which far exceeds worldly riches. In those days it was common practice of hiding precious utensils, money, jewels, and ornaments in the fields and gardens. They also often built hiding places in the walls of their homes, which still occurs o this day. Nowadays, we find security in keeping valuable property in secure bank deposits or in a safe in the wall of our home. For he that finds the Lord Jesus Christ, the Pearl of a great price, finds a treasure that greatly exceeds all the worldly earthly hidden treasures.
"Then the sovereignty, dominion, and greatness of the kingdoms under all of heaven will be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will serve and obey Him." Daniel 7: 27
The indication of true saints of God is not perfection, but consecration, a result of true devotion to God, whom He refers to as His elect. Their characteristics are marked by loyalty to God and increasing in holiness. The saints of God are devoid of personal ambition but desire love, joy, peace, righteousness, and to acquire wisdom. The saints will have dominion over evil powers, principles, living personalities, over self, sin, death, and even over Satan.
Eternal Life | Life Everlasting
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6: 23
Sin. "Sin is the transgression of the law." It is the fundamental idea that they have failed at some point or another to do Gods will as a principal or law. As sin is the rejection of God's authority or a refusal to allow Him to rule over our lives. It's actually rebellion against Him, that He is unworthy to govern us, His will is unkind, and His law is unjust. Life. Eternal life and life everlasting, are very frequent designations of the gospel of Jesus Christ as a "free Gift from God."
"For I have not spoken of myself, but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak." John 12 49:50
His profound humility "for I have not spoken for Myself." he is not taking credit as of his own genius, or concluding based his own reasoning but as a divine directive from the Father. The divinity of Jesus message was clearly stated with "He who sent me" as the Devine Messenger with the authority to offer "life everlasting." This claim leaves no alternative between receiving Him as Divine Messenger or rejecting Him as a liar, fanatic, or imposter.
Who shall receive Eternal Life?
"And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him. Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou will enter into "eternal life," keep the commandments. He said unto him, which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steel, Thou shalt not bare false witness, Honour thou father and thy mother, and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Matthew 19: 16-19
The assumption here is the he thought he could do a good deed and inherit eternal life and that he was good, but Jesus corrected him by stating "none is good but one, that is, God." Jesus said unto him, keep the commandments, and his reply to Jesus was which one? The implication here is that he is indirectly paying a complement to himself, his own goodness or to human goodness, and he would inherit eternal life as something he had coming to him. A mans worldly wealth and possessions have value in this life, but not have value in the life to come.
The Eternal Realm
"And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is a large as the breadth: and he measured the city with reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. And the building of the walls of it was of Jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. 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 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 the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And there shall in no wise enter into anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie; but they which are written in the Lambs book of life." Revelation 21: 16,18, 21,23,25,27
The Apostle John, saw the city in a vision of the New Jerusalem in the air, and gazed into heaven. This a portrayal of the holy community in the eternal realm, the happy home of every weary believer, the final abode of every spiritual citizen. The form of the spiritual city were the same but the material was changed. The material of the earthly city were substances that are faded and decayed, for they had only a temporary purpose to serve. The substance of the eternal were unchangeable and indestructible.
Nothing shall enter into heaven that defileth, whatsoever that is tainted with impurity shall be utterly excluded from entering through the gates. Heaven will be free of any blemishes; only absolute truthfulness and perfect purity, without any defilement at all. But the Lamb of God sits in the midst of the throne, and His blood cleanseth from all sin. Those whose names are written in the Lambs book of life, and washed in His blood, shall enter into life everlasting.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not parish but have everlasting life." John 3: 16
Check out the merchandise in my art store, all items $100 and under. Thank you & God Bless