Why must we die?

The Bible states that 'it is appointed unto men once to die'. This most obvious of facts is among the most distressing things that we human beings face. I have a friend who committed suicide just before Christmas about eleven years ago. Why - I can speculate but I do not really know. One my friends in Liverpool then found that her partner's nephew has been found dead in his flat. Death comes to us all but why?

Why does life hurt so much?

It’s our aim in this article to address some of the questions that people ask in life and to discover what the Word of God (the Bible) has to say about it. We place real confidence in the Bible because we have become convinced that the Bible is God’s communication to men and women and we wish people to benefit from what God has said.

I’m sure that most would agree that life hurts! That hurt can be caused by the normal progression from youth to old age and all the problems that come with ageing. Sickness also brings its heartaches! Natural disasters are devastating and destructive! To say nothing of the dreadful treatment that people endure at the hands of their fellow man. War and acts of terror produce unimaginable horrors. I’m sure that at times we all question why life is such a difficult and a hurtful experience.

Is there an appropriate response to this? The first thing I’d like to say is that “it's not personal”. What I mean is that we are not usually suffering as individuals because of something specific we have done. Before I go any further let me qualify that statement.  There are times in life when we do reap what we sow. There actually are consequences to our actions! But all the awful things that happen in the world are not usually the direct result of our personal actions.

My main thought when I say it’s not personal is this: ;people don’t die as a result of some sinful thing that they have done; old age doesn’t come because you did something wrong. The fact that we die, that we have sickness, that we grow old is explained to us in the Bible. The bible states that all of these conditions and circumstances exist because sin came into the world. As a result of Adam, the first man in the world, disobeying God the floodgates to all that was evil and damaging were opened. The fact that all of this is the result of the first man’s rebellion to God is explained by the biblical statement “by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin”,; Romans 5:12.

The Bible clearly teaches that God gave man a choice:

Obey Him,

Enjoy His presence,

Enjoy all that He created for him….

But, there is a but, God warned him that the day he ate of the forbidden fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that he would die. And that is what happened! Adam didn’t die physically but he died as far as his relationship with God was concerned. He was dead spiritually. Sin, death, pain and suffering became the normal experience of life. He had to work by the sweat of his brow for everything. Childbirth became a painful experience for the woman and the earth was cursed. So life hurts as a result; a fact that we know only too well.

However, what is quite incredible about the biblical story of salvation is that God had already a plan in place. God’s plan to provide forgiveness and to offer salvation to men and women was devised long before time began, 1 Peter 1: 19,20.

God had always planned to send His ‘Son to be the Saviour of the world’. He made sure in the writings of the Old Testament, the first half of the Bible, that we would know Him when he visited earth. In the Old Testament, God told the prophets how to identify His Son. There were specific facts such as what family He would be born into, His distinctive and sinless lifestyle and His mode of death. Normally how people will die is an unknown fact but God was making a point in defining how Jesus would die in advance (see Psalm 22:16, Zechariah 12:10, Luke 2: 34,35 – all of these passages of scripture speak of crucifixion which at the time was unknown and of the piercing of the hands and feet of the Lord Jesus). All of this information was so that when He came we would know Him.

To me the greatest and most amazing thing about this whole thing is that God came to earth in person. He was a real but sinless man. He suffered, He hurt and He endured death to pay for our sin. God wants us to be forgiven therefore the price and the legal penalty for our sin was dealt with by the Lord Jesus Christ when He died upon the cross.

The Bible explains it like this:  “Christ died for our sins.”, 1 Corinthians 15:3, “He was despised and rejected of men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief”, Isaiah 53:3.

Today God offers us not hurt but forgiveness;

Today God offers us love.

The Bible tells us, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life”, John 3:16. The greatest proof of the love of God is that, “God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”, Romans 5:8.

I want to point you to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, if you pray to God, today, confessing your sins He will forgive you.

I trust that you will do this.

May God bless you!

This blog is written by Stephen at

Don't waste my death!

www.seekthetruth.org.uk
I was reading recently in the business section of The Daily Telegraph, the comments of the Royal Bank of Scotland boss John Hourican who has left his job, he was the Investment Banking boss and as he left his job he made this statement, “Don’t waste my death” as they ordered them to recognise public anger over libel scandal that led to his resignation.

Don’t waste my death. It made me think really about the fact there are people in this world’s history and their death has been for a purpose. Most of us don’t actually realise it but our own death will have a purpose. The Bible teaches that, “the wages of sin is death”a. 

The reason behind any individual’s death is the principle of sin and wrong doing. We don’t intentionally enter into it but as a result of one man’s sin, we are all condemned. Everyone of us practices sin and that corroborates and confirms the fact we were born as sinners, “for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God”b and our death is a direct result, there’s a correlation between our behaviour and our moral standing before God and our sin, which ends in death.

My message really isn’t to point out to you that your death is significant though it’s not the end I must say, it’s the death of your body. There is a moral death, that’s with you in life, dead in sin. That's the death that’s separating you eternally from the presence of God, who is life and light and liberty and joy and peace. That’s something you don’t want. 

But I would like you to think about these words for a second or two, because I could imagine my Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ saying, “don’t waste My death”. The Lord Jesus Christ came from Heaven to earth, He came and lived a very humble and ordinary life upon this earth. He lived His days upon the earth showing to men the love and kindness of God. He died upon a cross and took the judgement, the legal consequences of sin on our behalf so that we might be forgiven. But if we refuse to believe in the name of the only begotten Son of God, if we refuse to accept His forgiveness, if we refuse to accept the eternal life that He offers, we waste His death.

Can I say to you today? Don’t waste the death of Jesus, trust Him, confess your sin to Him, accept the eternal life He offers to you. 

a-Romans 6v23
b-Romans 3v23 

What is our most valued possession?

What is Your Most Valuable Possession?

It’s a good question; I wonder how you would answer it? If we are being honest our answer will depend, to some extent, on our circumstances. For instance, if I was terminally ill what I thought was important would be completely different to my choice in sunnier days. Car, homes, holidays and technology might be important to me now, but they have little value if life is slipping from my grasp. I hope that family, relationships and my spiritual condition will be my focus if I get time to contemplate my departure from this life to the next.

Is Your Most Valuable Possession a Bucket List?

So be honest with me – if you were facing the dying moments of your life on Earth what would your checklist look like? I often hear people talk about a bucket list of things they would like to do before they die. It might be to climb this mountain, fly to this destination or enjoy this particular experience. Please don’t get me wrong, I understand that you would be creating memories for those who will be left behind. I appreciate that you may be seeking to ensure that the final moments of life are full of genuine rich and familial experience.

Prince Philip 1921 - 2021

The first photo is courtesy of Unsplash, the rest by permission of Kirkcaldy Gospel Hall

“Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day?” (2 Samuel 3:38).

“They buried him ... among the kings, because he had done good ... , both toward God, and toward his house” (2 Chronicles 24:16).

Towards the end of Prince Philip’s funeral service, the Garter Principal King of Arms proclaimed the Styles and Titles of His Royal Highness:

Have you got the Symptoms?

The outbreak and spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) has brought about a large measure of panic throughout the world. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the first case was recorded in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, and since then it has rapidly extended to multiple other countries worldwide, and been declared a global pandemic. It is predicted to have implications upon medical, economical, societal, political and educational spheres on an unprecedented and unparalleled scale.

According to the U.K. National Health Service, symptoms of the virus are similar to those of the common flu, including fever, breathing difficulties, and, in severe cases, pneumonia, and organ failure. The NHS explains that because the Coronavirus is a new illness, there is still much to be learned regarding how it is transmitted, and how it may be treated. As the situation develops, the authorities are continually issuing updates on how best to avoid contamination and respond to signs of infection.

However, there is a disease that is far more concerning and urgent than COVID-19 could ever be; its contamination is more extensive and its consequences are infinitely more extreme. The Bible tells us of a sickness that afflicts every person on earth: "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" Romans 3.23. It is in every single person, for we are all "in sin" from birth, Psalm 51.5. Its symptoms are evident in every aspect of our lives: it infects our thoughts, our words, our actions, our steps, and even the motives of our hearts (see Romans 3.9-19). It is an infection that spreads from head to toe, and it is one that we simply cannot escape from or cure by ourselves, no matter how hard we try. Many people in the world show carelessness and indifference to the seriousness of sin, but this sickness has a one hundred percent mortality rate: the solemn outcome is the same for everyone: "the wages of sin is death" Romans 6.23.

While various treatments and a cure for the Coronavirus are still uncertain and under pressing active research, the Bible thankfully makes it clear that a complete and perfect remedy for the sickness of our sin has been provided. In His death upon the cross, the Lord Jesus Christ "bare our sins in His own body" 1Peter 2.24, and "put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself" Hebrews 9.26. Even though our sin is the most deadly and dangerous disease of all, the blood of Christ can cleanse us from it all: "the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin" 1John 1.7. His love was so great that He was willing to give Himself for us, and take the punishment in our stead. The work is entirely finished, and all we must do is trust Him, Who died for us and rose again, as the Saviour of our souls.

However, time is limited. You need to avail of the cure while there is still opportunity. Would you love to know your sins are completely and eternally forgiven? Because "Christ died for us" Romans 5.8, God can forever forgive and save your soul.

Written by a Guest Blogger for FTMP (Assembly Testimony May/June 2020)

Facing Death with confidence

From time to time I visit people who are sick. Sometimes I call at their homes, but often I pop into the hospital to see them. Hospitals can be very sad places. The circumstances and struggles of life and the prospect of facing death are often confronted head-on in a hospital ward or side room.

This week - ending 28th April 2018

Pictures of the death of Christ in Leviticus 1-7

I have just completed a week looking at the five offerings of Leviticus 1 - 7. These are instructive, challenging and vivid pictures of the death of Christ and what was happening when he made ‘one sacrifice for sins for ever,’ Hebrews 10:12. 

Our hearts are touched and our commitment challenged as we consider the life of Christ and his death at Golgotha. 

I thank God he died for me and that he lives in the power of an endless life, in heaven.

God’s plan for public services

Short Reading – Mark 10:35-45 

Longer Reading – Mark 10:28-52

Key Verse – Mark 10:45

The Lord Jesus really shook people up ,and in particular his disciples, with the teaching that he gave. I can only imagine the shocked looks on their faces when he announced that for anyone to be great in his Government they would need to serve everybody, v 44.

Is there a good way to die?

Seek the Truth Bible Media Blog - Is there a good way to die?
https://goodnews4liverpool.wordpress.com/2015/01/16/is-there-is-a-good-way-to-die-2/

The inquiry into the Hillsborough disaster

This is a term, used increasingly, to describe a situation where the truth has been suppressed, the facts have been misreported and people misled by a string of lies and a web of deceit. This is done deliberately to obscure the truth and to allow the guilty to appear innocent.

Not so long ago the Leveson inquiry attempted to discover the truth behind phone-hacking scandals and shockingly intrusive journalism that had been tolerated for years without people being fully aware of the full extent of such deplorable malpractice. The inquiry into the Hillsborough disaster, when many football fans were trampled to death, was carried out to reveal what really happened on that tragic day of the 15th. April 1989. A concerted effort had been made by the police to shift the blame onto the fans and only now are we discovering who really was to blame and what actually happened. Again and again, demands are made for public inquiries to try to ascertain the facts and disclose the truth. After years of silence and deception, many are finally being brought to justice for crimes they had covered up for decades.

Humans have been involved in cover-up since the dawn of their history; read Genesis chapter 3 and listen to Adam and Eve as they try to shift the blame and distort the facts. How rare it is for people to acknowledge the truth especially when they are at fault; few will willingly bear the blame and confess their wrongdoing. How difficult it is to admit, as did King David in Psalm 51.4, "Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Thy sight." God will not tolerate any other attitude; He sees through our deceit and He demands total honesty if we are to be blessed. "Behold, Thou desirest truth in the inward parts …" Psalm 51.6.

My friend, do not attempt to cover up your sin; God cannot be deceived; His all-seeing, penetrating eyes easily pierce the flimsy defence of your deception; He knows the truth; He has witnessed and recorded your every sin; not one has been overlooked or omitted. "… all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do" Hebrews 4.13. "These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; … but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes" Psalm 50.21.

However, the guilty may be pardoned, the lawbreakers can be justified and your every sin can be forgiven. It was when the prodigal son of Luke chapter 15 was prepared to acknowledge that he had sinned, that he received the kiss of forgiveness and the embrace of reconciliation from his father. Guilty though you are, "for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" Romans 3.23, yet you can have every charge of guilt removed, never to be raised again. All this has been made possible by the willingness of One Who was sinless, God’s own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to become accountable for our sins and to bear the fearful punishment we deserved. We did all the sinning but He bore all the suffering, "Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree" 1Peter 2.24. "Christ died for our sins" 1Corinthians 15.3.

You can escape the eternal consequences of your sins by trusting the Saviour God provided and by depending alone upon His death to shield you from the just judgment you deserve. Don’t cover up your sins; confess them and find refuge in the One Who "took the guilty sinner’s place and suffered in his stead".

To ask questions or for more information visit seekthetruth.org.uk

Written for FTMP by Assembly Testimony.

Important Message for everyone who reads this blog!

If I could have everything I wanted would I give it up under any circumstances?

http://goodnews4liverpool.wordpress.com/2014/10/13/barrow-in-furness/

Anniversaries!

October is a difficult month for us. It sees anniversaries come and go of deep loss. Somebody once said to me how strange it is, to think that we pass the anniversary of our death every year not knowing which day it will be. The day our soul will slip invisibly from this tangible, material, everyday world, into the timeless existence of the never ending hereafter. Do you believe in an ever after? I guess it's much easier not to - but does that belief change what will be?

The morning my mother-in-law died we had a very strange experience. I was woken by a light, piercingly bright, streaming through our bedroom window. I remember curling up beneath the duvet, screwing my fists into my eyes to stop the piercing beams hurting them. 'Heaven is calling, heaven is calling' said a voice as I struggled to withstand the light's white beams. Struggling for breath I cautiously opened my eyes...and was astonished to find the room absolutely dark. Shaking I looked at the clock - 5.15 am. No light in the window at all. Utter darkness! I remembered my prayer before sleep had finally engulfed me, pleading with the Lord for my husband to have time to say 'goodbye' to his mum. Should we go down to see her? Was the Lord telling me the time was near? My restless worry soon woke my sleeping husband. 'You ok' I asked. 'Yes' he said 'but it's odd..as I slept I heard a voice...it was saying 'it's time to meet the Lord. It's time to meet the Lord.'

I am ashamed to say that we didn't dash out into the cold dawn bold in faith as we should have done. Instead our whispered doubt was interrupted at 5:40 am by the telephone. It was no surprise to hear a broken voice say 'Can you come..I'm down at Dad's ... she's gone to be with the Lord'.

Difficult though it is to look death in the eye, we all need to do so one day. Have you ever felt like you were standing on the threshold of that other world? We cannot hide from God's presence like I tried to hide from the light. A leap of faith is required, responding to His call, believing that Jesus Christ is the sinless Son of God and that He lived here with the express purpose of dying instead of us. Through His death and resurrection He offers us life - an ever after with Him in heaven, 'a place that has to be believed to be seen'. Will you be there?

Jesus said unto her 'I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:' John 11 v 25

Written by a guest writer.

Are we getting the message?

I spotted this cute cartoon in local fast food restaurant last week in Birkenhead. It is amazing how a simple sketch can catch your imagination! It gets the message across! I was in no doubt what the message was - put your rubbish in the bin. I didn't need a lot of words, it's simple. Look and learn.

I see life and the message of the bible the same way. The main message is quite simple.




What do you think of when you see this? Do you think of death, finality, fear of the next stage, the end of life? The imagery is not hard to grasp. The bible says "It is appointed unto men once to die, after this....the judgment", Hebrews 9.27.


Most people associate a cross with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The symbolism is clear, a man dying on a cross. There are a lot of questions that this raises if you take the time to stop and think.

Who really was Jesus?
Was his death miscarriage of justice?
Does his death have any real significance in the big scheme of things?
If he never sinned does that mean he was capable of suffering for our sins, to bring us to God?

The answers to these questions, and more, lie in the bible. There is no point in looking elsewhere. The bible is the only communication that God has given to us to answer these questions. I would recommend that you read the following verses for answers. You will get a bible on-line or in most high street book shops. I have quoted the passages below.

Who really was Jesus? John 20:31 says "these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you might have life through his name".

Was his death a miscarriage of justice? The bible says in Acts 2 that Jesus was "a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs" but that the people of the day had taken, and by wicked hands crucified and slain him. In chapter 3 it is stated you "denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted into you". So yes, there was no legal reason to kill the Son of God but his death has provided salvation for those who will repent and trust him.

Does his death have any real significance in the big scheme of things? The bible strenuously states "Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and rose again the third day according to the scriptures", 1 Corinthians 15.3,4. Again in 2 Corinthians 5.19 it says "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses into them".

If Jesus never sinned does that men's he was capable of suffering for our sins, to bring us to God? 1 Peter 3:18 states "For Christ also has once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring is to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit".

For more information, podcasts or video links visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk.

All posts have the aim of pointing people to Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour or to aid Christian growth and development.

Location:From Perth, Scotland

The meaning of life

Imagine owning this ancestral pile! What wealth! What security!

But Jesus said....,,

"What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world, but lose his own soul" Mark 8:38

(Quote - The Lord Jesus Christ in the bible)


All posts have the aim of pointing people to Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour or to aid Christian growth and development.

Location:Liverpool

Tears

Tears are an expression of sadness and sometimes of joy. I noted some verses from the bible about tears as God promises one day to wipe away all tears from the eyes of those who have come to trust him (Revelation 21.4).

Psalm 126.5,6

They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.

He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed,

shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

John 11.35

Jesus wept

Luke 19.41-48

And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, 42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. 43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, 44 And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. 45 And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought; 46 Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves. 47 And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him, 48 And could not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive to hear him

Weep now for sin and wrong, repents and call upon the name of the Lord and come into the joy of forgiveness through faith in Christ.

No one can be certain that there is life after death!

I hear a lot of people saying that you are welcome to your beliefs about God, the afterlife, judgement for sin etc but you can't be sure. The main logic behind this is that we only get one chance at life and that no one comes back to tell us what is on the other side.

All of this of course is true if you only have access to personal experience but of course we have far more than that. We have a vast history of people who have not just anecdotal evidence but personal history and experience with God.

As a Christian I have become convinced that the bible is the word of God. You would need to read it for yourself and do some research to check this out. Most people say that they don't have time to do this. BUT if your future destination in the next life hangs on the truthfulness of this book then it would be wise to look into it seriously.

History has proven the bible to be trustworthy and to date no freshly discovered fact has proven it wrong. The bible speaks about matters of ordinary life as well as about spiritual issues. Archeology, geography, medical science to name a few have eventually proven that the bible was accurate. Let me give you one example. In Leviticus 17.11 the bible states that 'the life of the flesh is in the blood".  This was stated thousands of years before medical science discovered the vast plethora of things that blood contains to maintain human life. I could on... about the planetary system. the water cycle, oceanic currents and much more.

My point is that if the bible can be trusted in things that we can verify it gives us the confidence to trust it in areas where we have no expertise i.e. the spiritual.

As I close may I state some of the things the bible does say about the unknown.

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation (Hebrews.9.27)

Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation (John 5.28,29)

And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved Acts 16.31

It is all true. I trust that you will be richly blessed as you consider this blog.

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