All Body & No Soul?

 I just read about this guy who's spending 2 million a year. To look and feel younger. He calls his program "Project Blueprint". 

This is his prerogative but I wonder how often he thinks about his soul? 

We are all living to die. No matter how hard we work to outsmart aging, we will not outsmart God. We are born, we live, then we die. Period.

As a woman in her sixties, I use face creams and body lotion. I try to eat right. I want to be healthier. I do miss my 20-year-old body - being thin and cute. But being 20, thin, and "cute" will never be my life goal. To each his own but, for me, emotional and spiritual growth are true goals. Growing into what God created me to be is a goal. Living eternally is a goal and that will not happen in this mortal body.

I'm not hating on this guy. I'm trying to understand him. My heart hurt a little when I read that he once felt so unhappy because of life stress and overwork. He said he was overweight, depressed, and nearly suicidal. His solution seems to be revamping his physical self. He obviously sees himself as the god of himself.

To be honest, even if I didn't believe in God and if I had all the money needed, I wouldn't want to pursue this guy's regimen. I needed a nap after just reading about his routine.  He's not even really living to live a life I'd want. He is living, eating, sleeping, and breathing an around-the-clock routine that excludes everything but this weird pursuit to live younger. When does he get to enjoy the benefits? 

One quote from him: 

"What I do may sound extreme, but I'm trying to prove that self-harm and decay are not inevitable."

Thanks to sin, all the self-harm was already a done deal. Decay - does he mean death? - is inevitable.

Money can buy good medical care but it can't buy life. Money can't buy a good time but it can't buy eternity. Money can buy things that make us temporarily happy but I wonder if this man is now happy. I wonder if he isn't just wearing himself out so that he doesn't think about the inevitable. 

Here's a quote from one article about some results of this "regimen":

Test results from doctors suggest that Johnson has the heart of a 37-year-old, the skin of a 28-year-old, and the lung capacity of an 18-year-old, Bloomberg's Ashlee Vance reported. 

What good does the skin of a 28-year-old do for a person with a deadened soul? I have a quote from the Bible that I wish this man would study:

For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked. (2 Cor. 5:1-3 NASB)

If I was so unhappy with my "earthly" tent that I'd spend 2 million dollars a year to pursue youth, I wouldn't want to live another year, let alone forever. 

I did say a little prayer for this man. I prayed that he will look to God for answers. I prayed that he will come to think of his soul as deeply as he is thinking about his physical body.

Peace

--Free

When We Get To Heaven

 My entire family is still processing the death of my 36-year-old niece. Her surviving twin brother is, of course, dealing with more than the rest of us can imagine. It has been more than a month since she passed away but for him, it feels like yesterday.

Whenever someone I love dies, the first thing I think about is whether or not they had accepted Christ. Thankfully, I have not lost anyone who, to my knowledge, rejected the Lord. So I can be sad for my loss but happy for their gain. And it always makes me think about Heaven.

That simple and beautiful song, "Dancing in the Sky" by Dani and Lizzy captures some of my thoughts. I do wonder what my loved ones are doing in Heaven. 

When I was thinking about my niece recently, I had to smile because I was thinking that she was seeing everything beautiful. She could be talking with the Lord about what he named the stars. She could be feeling the warmth of God's love shining on her. She really could be dancing in the sky.

In my mind, I imagine that it would take an eternity for us to explore Heaven and never see it all. How wonderful to think that my niece will never again know fear or sadness or tears on her face. When looking for some description of Heaven, Got Questions shares this in part:

The city is filled with the brilliance of costly stones and crystal clear jasper. Heaven has twelve gates (Revelation 21:12) and twelve foundations (Revelation 21:14). The paradise of the Garden of Eden is restored: the river of the water of life flows freely and the tree of life is available once again, yielding fruit monthly with leaves that “heal the nations” (Revelation 22:1-2). However eloquent John was in his description of heaven, the reality of heaven is beyond the ability of finite man to describe (1 Corinthians 2:9).

I emphasized that last part because it is so definitely true. Whenever I find myself dazzled by anything beautiful in this world, I know that everything in Heaven will be infinitely more beautiful. That just overwhelms my mind and makes me so happy.

So, I'm thinking about my niece and my mother and all the other loved ones I have lost. And I am trying to imagine their joy at being with the Lord. Old people use to have a saying that we should mourn coming into this world and rejoice at leaving it. That was meant, of course, for those who put their faith in Jesus. Those people described someone's death as their "homegoing". Not everyone is choosing that destination though. We all need to pray for everyone to spend their eternity with the Lord.

Peace

--Free

Death, Dying & the Last of It

 I read obituaries. This is something I have been doing for about 15 years. When I was young, I didn't think much about death or dying. I lived as if eternity didn't matter. I lived without thinking about what is after Death. I rarely considered the idea of eternal Judgement. I thought that what mattered most was life - not what came after life. At some point, I started to consider my eternal fate. I wondered, "What if I die and there is a Heaven and Hell?"

What do you believe? Is there a Heaven and Hell? What will happen when you die? Will you just forever be over with? Or will you close your eyes in this life to wake up to the next stage? What is that next stage? What do you believe and why? How sure are you?

Death became more "real" to me when people I knew began to die. I wondered where they were. I would think about how they had lived their lives and what they had lived for. And then I realized that one day, my obituary is the one people would be reading. That is when I started paying attention to death notices. I was curious about how strangers - the famous and the non-famous - had died. How old were they when they died? What had caused them to die? And then, as I read more obituaries, I realized that no matter how famous, infamous, celebrated or ordinary someone was, Death was their ending. We, the living, after we finished grieving, we went on living.

When Michael Jackson died, I remembered how "larger than life" he'd always seemed. From the time I was a tweeny-bopper until the day Jackson died, he was the biggest celebrity. I'd lived through the Jackson 5 cartoons and tours and the brief breakout careers of some of the guys. I'd lived through LaToya trying to breakout, Janet actually breaking out and making it big. I'd watched the show where Michael moonwalked right into megastardom to eventually become known as "The King of Pop". And when he died, he was just dead. People cried and raved and mourned hard until they went on with their own lives. Micheal Jackson became a memory. He was someone who had lived so large and then he was just dead. Dead like someone who'd never been known for anything but living a regular life. Dead like someone who'd been so unknown their body had gone unclaimed. Dead is dead is dead is dead. All that fame and talent and clamor of his fans didn't change the fact that he was dead.

So. How does any of a person's life here among the living matter to their after-life existence? Is Michael Jackson famous where he now exists? Does he matter any more than anyone else where he now exists? I don't think so. I think he - like we all will - is living his eternal life however he is living his eternal life. It will be the same for you and for me and for the person who dies unknown and unmourned.

And so when I see people who give away everything to be famous or known or celebrated or rich or envied, I think about the dead. I think about the existence after this one.

So, yeah, I think that we all need a reminder of how close death is to us. It doesn't matter how old or young you are, you can be taking your last breath at this moment.

There are times when I get bogged down in regret or get high on pride. That's when I need a reminder. There are some people who are so busy living that they forget they will, one day, die. That's when they need a reminder.

Your choices matter. Your actions matter. One day, you will cease to exist in a living body. 

How important is money? Fame? Is anything worth your soul?

You are dying. I am dying. That is a fact. 

Being beautiful won't keep Death away. Being thin or rich or powerful - none of that can defeat Death. 

There is Life, there is Death, and there are Consequences. It all matters. 

Some people are banking on this life. They are after everything they can gain here - power, wealth, beauty, fame, etc. They are selling eternity for the now. And there is nothing wrong with having power, wealth, beauty, fame or etc. The error is in choosing it over eternity.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. (2 Corinthians 5:10 ESV)

When you need to be reminded of life and death and eternal existence, go read some "notable" obituaries. Read them and think about what matters here in the now and what will matter there in the next - whatever that "next" is.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19-21 ESV) 

Think about the next life as you live this one. It matters.

Peace

--Free

The Most Serious Thought Experiment

Take some time with this. Take this opportunity to think deeply about this most important thing. 

Imagine that you just died. Now imagine Eternity.

 Maybe you were important enough that the news broke into regular programming. Maybe you were so forgotten on earth that there was no obituary at all. Maybe those of us still alive don't even know that you have died. 

Now you stand before God, facing eternity.

God only asked that you forsake other "gods" and idols. He asked that you believe. He gave you proof of His being. You could look around at nature and the wonders of life and know that He is. 

Maybe you didn't hear about Jesus but you knew that everything that is did not come from nothing. You saw a newborn child, opening their eyes for the first time to see this world. You watched that child come out of the womb, knowing how to breathe and think and wonder. You saw the child learn language and numbers and time. Maybe that told you of God.

Maybe you did hear about Jesus. Maybe you knew and believed but you never finished reading the Bible so you didn't get every detail of what he sacrificed. Maybe you did.

Maybe you were of a brilliant mind and studied the maths and sciences. Maybe you decided that you didn't believe in God because of all that you learned. Maybe you decided that there is a God because of all that you learned.

Maybe you were never very smart. Maybe you never learned to read or write or count. But maybe you still knew of God. 

Maybe you were wealthy and privileged to enjoy every material thing. Maybe you were only well off, or comfortable, or maybe you were poor. 

Maybe you woke up every day, healthy and eager to live. Maybe you struggled with depression or pain or all manner of suffering.

Maybe you were loved by a lot of people, celebrated and lauded and envied. Maybe you just went through life as one of the many people who garner no special attention.

Maybe you were beautiful or handsome; tall and thin, big and robust; shapely and attractive; short and stumpy; ugly of face and plain of body. Maybe you were deformed or crippled or blind or mentally challenged. 

Maybe you were always happy or always sad or just simply living with no expectations of this world.

Maybe you were a good person - generous and kind and loving. Maybe you were a great father, son, wife, husband, or daughter. Maybe you fed the hungry and clothed the poor. 

Maybe you went to church often. Maybe you served in the church you attended. Maybe you never cursed, smoked, drank, took drugs, committed adultery or committed sexual sins. Maybe you were more "moral" and upright than most people who claim to be Christians. 

Maybe you were a good Buddist or Hindu or Muslim or Mormon or Roman Catholic. Maybe you were a committed Mason, Scientologist, or a non-affiliated member of society.  Maybe you never ate meat. Maybe you obeyed all the laws. Maybe you were a good citizen.

Maybe people respected you in your career. Maybe you invented life-saving equipment; discovered life-saving medicines; or found new ways to help people live healthier. 

Maybe you conquered the world with your voice or your intellect or your cunning. Maybe you were charismatic or ruthless or powerful or a titan. 

Maybe you never did anything outstanding or special. Maybe you were un "under-achiever", a "loser", a "slacker", a "drain on society". 

Maybe you traveled the world and saw every wonder on earth. Maybe you slept in fine hotels and dined on meals prepared for royalty. Maybe your home was palatial and luxurious. Maybe cars and airplanes sat ready at your command. Maybe you lived on the streets or ate from charity, or wore clothes thrown out by others. 

Maybe you donated money to open libraries and schools and maybe your name is on buildings of good reputation. 

Maybe you shouted praise from the rooftops or whispered prayers in your heart. Maybe you cursed God eloquently or defied him in the dark.

Back among the living, some might be wishing that you rest in peace. But they can't be sure. But you will know. Eternally.

Some might be wishing that you had a moment to ask forgiveness. But they can't be sure. But you will know. Forever.

Some might believe that they know you are safely in a peaceful rest. But they can't be sure. But you will know. Always.

No one can be sure what is in your heart but God. The God you believe in or the God you rejected? The God you challenged or the God you prayed to? The God you chose or the God you turned away from?

No one here on earth can be sure. But you and God will know because whoever you were, you are now dead. And you stand before God, facing eternity.

Will you be thankful for the rest you have earned? Will you be frightened of the consequences of your beliefs? 

You are dead and facing eternity. What will your eternity consist of?

For those of us still alive, we have time - if only this very moment - to think and to be sure. 

Don't reject what you haven't carefully considered. Don't turn away from what you cannot dismiss with certainty. Don't discard out of anger or hatred. Don't dismiss what frightens you without knowing why it frightens you. Know why. Think, think, think, and consider.

No matter what your life is among the living, your eternity is coming. Every day that you live, prepare to be eternally not among the living. The choice you make while you still can choose will be with you for all of the rest of time. 

As you live this part of your existence, prepare for the next part - the eternal part - that is coming.

There is nothing but the blood of Jesus that will be your eternal salvation and mind. Nothing - not a priest, a church, a parent or child; not your career or talent or wealth; not your looks or abilities; not your fame or notoriety; not your social connections; not your good works; not lighting candles or praying to saints; not sitting in a confessional or being blessed by some man or woman. 

Are you sure? Of what you believe or not believe in? Are you absolutely certain? Are you willing to stake all eternity on your choice?

Peace

--Free

P.S.: It occurs to me that, as I was writing this, deaths were occurring. Deaths are always occurring. Think about that. You or I could be next.

I am praying that everyone takes the time to consider their life and their coming death. Many of us are afraid to think about our deaths. We don't want to think about what death will mean to us. We will think about what our death means to those we leave behind before we think about what we are dying into. 

We buy burial insurance and make wills and choose where and whether our bodies will be in the ground, crypt or urn. Our families will have to write an obituary or arrange a wake or memorial of funeral service. Someone will have to clean and dress our dead bodies, comb our hair, apply makeup, and make us presentable for viewing - or ready us from cremation and disposal. But that is just the flesh and bone of what is left of us.

The essential part of what we are, the part that lives on - that is the most important part. What plans have we made for that?

Please take the time to ready yourself for the biggest part of existence, what I think of as the "forever and ever" part.

"You Are Going To Hell, My Friend"

 I'm not talking to you in that title. That is my conscience talking to me.

The other day, the thought popped into my head about whether or not I could only think I am saved.

Hmmm...

That's a thought that will keep you up at night. It sure did cause me to toss and turn. I immediately started checking some resources. I was so frantic that I went online and literally typed into the search: "can you only think you are saved". No question mark needed. 

After checking a couple of overly reassuring pages, I added "Got Questions" to the search and several choices popped up. I chose this one If you doubt your salvation, does that mean you are not truly saved?

I read it, re-read it, printed it out, and read the hard copy, and underlined some parts. The gist of it is:

• Belief alone is not enough. Even demons believe.
• Belief and faith are different things.
• If we have saving faith (belief), we won't willfully continue to sin.
• We will still sin because, well, we are human. As Chuck Missler put it, we are "born this way" and "S-I-N- positive"
• The point is: do we struggle with our sin? (I wasn't struggling with this one particular sin; it was a part of my daily life. I set time aside for it!)
• True belief transforms us from one who happily sins to one who struggles against sin.

So...

I sent an email to end a sort of relationship that I know is not right or honest (none of your business!) and then prayed right then and there for forgiveness and strength. I know that I am going to need to examine my life every now and then.

I am going to continue my Bible studies but, in place of the particular sin I mentioned giving up, I will be using that time to pray about any other sin I am possibly wallowing in.

I just wanted to share this and I hope that you share that Got Question link with everyone you know. I don't want any of us to end up in the Lord, Lord situation. You know, this one:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven..."

The fact that I could have died in my sleep, still in my willing and continual sins, hurts my heart. And it was a warning I needed.

Peace

--Free