All Things Can Change in One Heart Beat!
May 4, 2017
Dale & Jeannie Daly
Have you ever noticed when someone dies, many are quick to say that he or she is now in heaven? This week I was asked to conduct a service for a man who recently died, and as I asked the Lord for wisdom regarding words to share, I began to pen notes to use for the service. The following is what’s in my heart for all who read this CRA Moment.
Dr. James Dobson said, “There are only three things that matter in life. The people you love. The people who love you. And, where are you going when you die?” As I pondered Dobson’s words, the next thought that came to me was that my years of living tells me it is not right to be untruthful….even if the intended purpose is to bring about a good outcome. We are not to do or speak anything other than truth, even if we think some good may come from it. Plainly put, lying is a violation of God’s character and His will for your life and mine. He is the God of truth, which means He cannot lie, and furthermore, He will not condone lying from any of us as well. Untruthfulness is never right…never loving….never necessary, therefore, all who will choose to follow Jesus are to be truth tellers! We are commanded to speak the truth in love and, the truth only!
In the case of the funeral service conducted, I said with total honesty that as a fellow human being I was unable to say where the deceased was at that very moment…..and neither could anyone else. I knew that at one time I asked this man if he had ever accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of his life, and he had responded that he had.Therefore, I accepted his words as being truth! Only at that point, did he and Jesus know whether those words were true or not. I do know the Bible is very clear there is an eternity that awaits each one of us when we pass from this world…. however…. in which location of eternity we end up at depends totally on us as individuals. Then I said words such as: If ‘our friend’ could speak to us this very moment, what is it he might say? I believe they very possibly could be wrapped up in these seven points.
1) ‘Each person is created in the image of God, regardless of how he or she lived in this world.’ Gen. 1:27“So God created man in His own image…” This one fact always remains, and that is that each one of us was created in God’s image. No angel, bird, or cattle in the field can boast of being created in God’s image, rather, this is a feature of design reserved for humans alone. No matter the color of our skin, where you live, language you speak, or how much money you’ve stored up….none of that is important to God. What is important is that God chose to send His Son in human form in order to die for our sins and salvation if we will accept His offer.
2) ‘The wages of sin is still death…even today!’ Close to 200,000 people around the planet die every day. Most of them, according to the lifestyle they’ve lived are going to hell not Heaven. I don’t know about you…but that greatly bothers me! If we aren’t concerned that people are dying and going to hell…we need to check to see if we’re still breathing! The fact is, we all die at some point! Woody Allen said: “I don’t fear the thought of dying. I just don’t want to be there when it happens!” However….you will be! Rom. 6:23, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus…”
3) ‘The Bible is very plain, we can live a life pleasing to God that therefore gives us eternal life in Heaven!’ You and I weren’t created in God’s image to be sinful! We were designed to be His children who love Him as the God of creation. Nobody gets in heaven because of his or her good works. Our good deeds will only determine the quality of our rewards that await a person entering heaven, however, no amount of works will assure your entrance. Only faith in Jesus gets a person into heaven! Mt. 5:48 (Msg) “What I’m saying is, Grow up! You’re kingdom people! Now live like it! Live out your God-given identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God is toward you.”
4) ‘A time such as this is a way of reminding us that we too are going to die some day.’ For some that may be soon! Funeral services have a natural atmosphere which gets our minds on what is really important in life. Heb. 9:27, “Each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment.”
5) ‘God wants all people to be saved which is why He sent Jesus to live & die for us!’ None of us deserves to be saved…to be ransomed….to be given mercy, but God does it anyway. Why? Because He loves us! He loves you! When Jesus died on the Cross….He died for sins of all who would believe in Him. John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever would believe in Him would have eternal life.”
6) ‘The Bible’s truths are a ‘Now Truth!’ Don’t wait for a better time to be saved….do it now!’ Don’t say God could never forgive me for what I’ve done in the past! No person is guaranteed another day…in fact…you could pass away before this service is over! You never know when you will exhale your final breath! It’s too late to believe in God when you’re six-feet under!
7) ‘We’re all going to die…but you choose where you’ll spend eternity!’ Christians go to Heaven because they choose to believe and therefore surrendered their life to Jesus Christ. Non-Christians end up in hell because they chose not to believe…or love…and not obey God’s Word. There is no such thing as being neutral when it comes to Jesus. You either believe in Him for salvation…or you don’t! Romans 10:9, “If you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that God has raised Jesus from the dead, you will be saved.” Always remember! All things can change in one heart beat!
Blessings,
Psalm 20:7
Dale & Jeannie
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