It is amazing how much time people spend obsessing about this life, when life on this earth is only a few years compared to thousands of years. Everyday, every hour someone dies, people live to 50, 60 years old, some die as babies/children, and right now the oldest person on record is 117 years old. But again, time has not stopped, and it will continue to tick along, so what happens after the 117, 50, 60 or any other year? Christians are not to follow the fad of this perishing world, worrying about this life. Jesus said, in Matthew Chapter 6,verse 27 "Which of you worrying can add one a single hour to spare his life?" It is a rhetorical question, because the answer is NONE. No human being can change or control when they will die. A person can diet, exercise, avoid all dangerous activities, but they still will have an appointment with death.
Why am I talking about this? Why not a message on "prosperity" and "happiness", and "good living", the "blessings of God". There are plenty of those 'feel good' messages, not much talk about the other truths that many ignore. Many, that includes many pastors, preachers, theologians, Christian apologists, don't like to talk about hell, which is interesting when Jesus talked about that place quite often. "I don't want to scare people." is the often excuse. Many pastors admit that they don't talk about hell because that makes people leave their church,because they don't want to hear about 'hell'. It is a sad day when the 'whole' counsel of God is watered down to keep 'butts in seats' rather than being sure there are souls headed for heaven.
Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Holy Lamb. AND THE SMOKE OF THEIR TORMENT ASCENDS FOREVER AND EVER, AND THEY HAVE NO REST DAY OR NIGHT, WHO WORSHIP THE BEAST AND HIS IMAGE, AND WHOEVER RECEIVES THE MARK OF HIS NAME. Revelations 13: 9-11.They have no rest, day or night. This is true even now-those who are alive, those who reject Christ and by default worship the beast, Satan. They have no rest day or night now in this short life. See the prostitutes on the streets at all times of day and night, see the hustlers spending all their time trying to get the next score, the drug addicts, how all their activities revolve around obtaining using substances, some go days without any sleep, just searching for their next fix. The gang members who have to stay vigilant against their enemies. Those who want to have sex outside of marriage, they get heart break after heart break, they too lose sleep, are unhappy, and miserable, to the point some even take their own lives and lives of others because of their pain. THEY HAVE NO REST DAY OR NIGHT now and they won't have any rest when they die if they don't repent. I have seen funerals of people who have lived wicked lives and how at their eulogies people make statements like, "They are 'resting in peace' now, they are "rocking in heaven now". All baseless and worthless epitaphs to make people falsely believe that they are in a better place.
Jesus gave a picture of what happens when people die in the story of Lazarus and the rich man in Luke Chapter 16 verses 19 through 31. Lazarus went to paradise where he was at rest, while the rich person went to Hades, where he had no rest and was tormented all day and night. Many think this was just a metaphor, not a real story. Either you believe or you don't, but it would behoove you to really think about why did Jesus warn often about living a life of wickedness that would make you end up in a place where this there is weeping and gnashing of teeth, a place of utter torment and everlasting destruction?
There is going to be a Day of Judgment, and God will judge everyone who has ever lived, His wrath is going to poured out on all the wicked and ungodly. The eyes of the unrepentant wicked need to be opened and the ears unplugged so they can see and hear the truth. The Good News is Salvation is a free gift from God, you can't work for it or buy because the price has already been paid with the Blood of Jesus Christ and Believing in Jesus gets us into the Kingdom of God and saves us from the righteous wrath of God. But that is not all, He gives us a new heart and mind NOW, and we receive some of His blessing from heaven NOW and are equipped to be able to live a life that is holy and acceptable to Him NOW.
1. Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is real, He lived and died and rose from the grave.
2. Believe that you are a sinner, repent-turn from your sins and realize and accept you need Jesus.
3. Confess that Jesus is your Lord and God
4. Find a local Bible preaching church that does obey the commandment for water baptism for the remission of your sins and to identify yourself with Christ.
This is just the first step to a lifelong journey of growing in truth and love with the God who created this earth and everything in it, including every human being that has ever lived.
Bible verses related to this post: Matthew 6:27; Revelations 13:9-11; Luke 16: 19-31; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; Matthew 13:50; Mark 9:43
references: https://www.nia.nih.gov/research/publication/global-health-and-aging/new-data-aging-and-health; http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/11/29/worlds-oldest-living-person-italy-117-emma-morano/94619290/
