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Over the years, and even as kids when someone died we would wonder if they
were going to go to heaven or to hell. We were always told we would find out
on judgment day. This is true but in many instances we can know before
judgment day. It was not until I actually read
God's Word (the bible) that I saw there were indeed concrete answers to
these questions.  
It is amazing how many times I hear someone say about a recently departed
person that they could just see them now in heaven creating some havoc. It
is amazing how people seem to think that everyone is going to heaven. It is
especially amazing when the person who recently died is a worse person than
the one making the observation. Their statement then almost seems to
validate themselves as heavenbound. Not so.
St. Paul tells us believers here that definitely "we are confident" to be
absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. The very instant we
reach out for a heartbeat that isn't there, we are with our Lord. No
waiting, no limbo, no fooling. Instantly we believers find ourselves present
with our Lord. Oh, the judgment still comes later but in many instances, we
already know the results of that judgment ahead of time. Is not rocket
science, it is simple. Believers to heaven, non-believers to hell. Now wait
a minute here, if believers upon death are instantly with Jesus, then what
about non-believers? You guessed it, they are instantly in hades.
Now Hades is a type of hell but not the actual eternal lake of fire. It
burns deep down inside the earth. No, it is not purgatory either. Sorry,
there is no purgatory in the bible. All those who have died without faith in
God since the beginning of time are put here in hades to await the Great
White Throne Judgement. At that time, they will be cast into the Lake of
Fire where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth for all eternity.
What does His
Living Word teach us?
I was always taught we could pray for the dead and buy
them indulgences to lessen their time in a place called purgatory. Well,
none of this exists in God's Word.
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A different story is told as I share with you here. Do
not take my word for it but check it out for yourself by reading the bible.
You will be amazed as I was at the truth.
Could this be your
wake-up call?
Now let me introduce you to my neighbor next door. He was a man in his
late 60's, retired. He lived alone and was slightly active in the community.
What was known about him was that he was an avid drinker. He was very
argumentative. He would openly and loudly criticize people at meetings. He
would swear using God's name in vain. He gave the impression that he was
smarter than everybody else. He had no true friends in the community. When I
said he lived alone, I meant truly alone.
Did this man ever profess a faith in Jesus Christ or even aknowledge His
existence? Not to anyones knowledge or recollection of which this author is
aware. Is it safe then for us
to say that this man is not going to heaven? No. Only God can make that judgement. We have no knowledge of what this mans last thoughts were. It is
always possible that he believed in his dying moments.
It is however certain to conclude
from Jesus' Word that if no such reconciliation
occurred during his lifetime as in those final minutes that such a person never having
believed in Jesus Christ would be instantly and eternally in flames upon
having received his last heartbeat from God. Now THAT is pretty
scary.
Consider Luke 16:20-31. The rich man now burns in hades. He wants to send
a message to his brothers to let them know that this place is real and how
to avoid being sent there. Abraham responds, No can do. There is a chasm far
too great for any to cross in either direction. Abraham let the rich man
know on no uncertain terms that he was stuck there with no recourse. Abraham
also told the rich man that it would do no good to warn his brothers.
Abraham said that they had Moses and the Prophets and that if his brothers
would not acknowledge them, they would not even listen to the risen dead.
For us today, we have the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We DO HAVE His
testimony. It has been there for our entire lives for us to accept or
ignore.
We must put God first.
We only have the here and now to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and
Savior. Once our life is ended, our window of opportunity too has passed.
Have you used your opportunity wisely? □
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