Tomorrow

As we are celebrating a new year, 2018, it's time to get back to normal.  This catchy song from the movie "Annie" is what first came to my mind as I thought of how to start this blog post. Tomorrow, a day we often think about, plan for. We anxiously anticipate our vacations, our wedding day, the birth of a new born baby, or something we have been wanting to happen for a long time. "I can't wait until tomorrow." We all have had this thought, but as I read the news reports daily, I am often confronted with the fact that tomorrow is not for everyone; and it does not matter how much money you make, no matter your race or status or sex, tomorrow is not guaranteed.  As much as we try to control our futures, it is a futile endeavor. The simple fact is tomorrow does not belong to any of us. What is promised is that every human being that is currently alive will physically die someday.  Right now many will stop reading this post, because they don't want to think about their own death, they want messages about how God is going to bless them tomorrow, make them happy or rich "tomorrow you will get a break through!"  I apologize, this is not that kind of message.

Why many do not think about death shows the blindness that is talked about in the Bible.  We worry more about temporal things than eternal things.  What's going to happen tomorrow, what's going to happen next week, next month, or next year? These type of questions plague our minds. We worry about our jobs, our kids, our family.  For those who don't know Christ, this is normal. The people who don't know God are only concerned with this life. What is sad is that many Christians worry about tomorrow like those who don't know God. We don't know what tomorrow will bring, but there is one thing that is absolutely guaranteed, we will die.  Death is not a racist. Death is an equal opportunity employer. Death does not discriminate based on age, gender, or religion. "And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment." Hebrews 9:27.  So what should a Christian be concerned about for tomorrow? Should we be worried about material possessions, relationships, jobs, wars, money? Absolutely not! As Christians, we should understand that this world and everything in it is passing away; and it is a command to NOT worry about the problems and tribulations of this world. Worrying DOES ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! Worry does not change anything except for hindering your own faith and belief in God.

It's not morbid to think about death, when you have the right perspective, it should help you live your life accordingly today.  Since we know we will die someday, this should influence the way we live now, in the present, as clearly stated in 2 Peter Chapter 3 verse 11, "Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for the hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?"  All things in the earth will be destroyed-all people, houses, EVERYTHING.   We are not to be thinking about death in a morbid self defeating way.

So I end with this, are you ready to die right now? If your answer is not 'yes', it would behoove you exam yourself and your standing with God.  You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even demons believe-and tremble!" James 2:19.  So just believing there is a God puts you in the same boat as demons, and there is no redemption or salvation for demons, only the expected wrath of God.
So examine your life and find out what you are doing or not doing that is making you not feel comfortable with dying.  Understand, I do feel some anxiety in dying but it's not the fear of dying,  my anxiety is around the way I will die, ie. will I be tortured, die of disease, head cut off?   I pray to God that I will have the strength to deal with any way I might die because I could die in any number of ways.  If you are comfortable with dying, do you know where you would go after you die? There are only two destinations, heaven or hell and despite the false doctrines running around, not everyone is going to get to heaven; and just saying you believe in Jesus does not guarantee that you are truly saved.

• Nelsan Ellis, age 39, died from heart failure
• Bakari Henderson, age 22, was beaten by a mob
• Shavon Le'Feye Randle, age 12, was murdered over stolen drugs she had nothing to do with
• Antony Van Deer, age 35, killed by lightning while on vacation
• Thomas Monsoon, age 90, died at home from unknown cause
• Brice Russell, age 6, beaten to death by his stepfather
• Officer Andrew Camilleri, age unknown, killed when another driver crashed into his squad car 

These people thought they had tomorrow-one had just graduated from college; but what they did not know was that day was their last day on the earth. We don't know if they are heaven or hell, only God knows this.

News reports have desensitized us to the fact that thousands of real human beings, who had lives and families die everyday.  We just see numbers, 200 died, 30 died, someone died.  Those someones were people who thought they had a future, they thought they had tomorrow.  When you see these human beings who have left this earth, ask yourself the real, extremely important question about your own standing before God.

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 Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, born of a virgin; Jesus lived and died but He rose from Dead, and now offers anyone who will believe in Him Salvation.  Salvation is a free gift from God, anyone who will believes in the shed blood of the risen Savior, Jesus, will know and have a real relationship with the true 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:  Hebrews 9:27; 2 Peter 3:11; James 2:19; 

References: 
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2017/07/08/funeral-held-lancaster-girl-killed-stolen-drugs

http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/08/us/american-killed-in-greece/index.html;

http://money.cnn.com/2017/07/08/media/nelsan-ellis-obituary/index.html;

http://abcnews.go.com/International/australian-tourist-killed-lightning/story?id=52094630

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/thomas-monson-president-mormon-church-dies-90-n834211

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/01/03/stepfather-allegedly-beats-6-year-old-to-death-for-snagging-cookie.html

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/driver-charged-in-east-bay-crash-that-killed-rookie-chp-officer/ar-BBHN90s

https://sep.yimg.com/ca/I/yhst-19112491217658_2271_408157357