6. You Can Know

Do you know what will happen to you once you're dead?

It seems pretty harsh, but do you?

I'll tell you why I am asking, even though it brings me heartache.

This past week, I went to a funeral. Funerals are never something I look forward to especially when it is for a nine year old girl who I absolutely loved. My next door neighbor Taybor was killed in a go-kart accident this month and the reality of her abscence from my street is painful.
She was the first person I ever babysat. She was the best kind of kid to babysitt. I will never forget how much she means to me.

But I have to tell you that I know she is with God. And I don't think I could hold myself together if I knew she was not in Heaven. She was a child.

But what about the rest of us that get to experience life beyond third grade? Don't you think we are given opportunities for a reason? Here's the thing: This life is way too short already. And in the midst of this tragedy, I keep having this thought of who's next. Who am I to think a long life is guarenteed for me? Or that I have all the time in the world to tell my friends about Jesus.

What's the rush? The rush is that I genuinely feel sorrow for those of you who don't know him. He has completely restored me. If I couldn't live with him, I wouldn't want to live at all.
We all deserve death, but it is Jesus who conquered death to break a barrier.

The have been so many bible passages that scare the crap out of me and I want you to hear them. I hope they scare you too.

Matthew 7:21-23
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven...Then I will tell them plainly, "I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoer."

You guys- it's about KNOWING Jesus. Sure, you can believe in some higher being out there, but if that's all the spirituality you can handle in this one short life, then you are missing out.
You see, Jesus knows me. He knew Taybor. He knows you. Everything about me and you. The good, the bad, the very ugly. It was our sins that nailed him on a cross. And you better believe that he thought of you there and he loved you. He knows you; try to get to know him.

Luke 13:22-30
Just go read it. The door is narrow to Heaven. Make sure you're going to be let in.

Luke 16:19-31
Have you ever wondered what Hell might be like? Is it even real? Is it even that bad? If it's anything like earth, maybe it would be fun. Wrong.
We have a pretty good idea and it does not look fun at all. Agony. Suffering. Pain. And it never goes away. Can you imagine constant torment? The rich man in this bible story knows how terrible Hell is and begs Abraham to warn his family on earth about the reality of heaven and hell so they won't have to experience the torment. But it doesn't work that way. This story is our warning. The bible is our warning.
Death is not the end for you and me. There is either a life in paradise or a life in torture.

Sometimes I have this image that pops into my head. Instead of the rich man suffering in Hell, I think of the many people I know who do not know God or who don't care. I picture some of my really good friends and I am terrified of them ending up there. I don't want that.

Our days are not promised here on earth. Take action now for you're own sake. I cannot bear the idea of going to a funeral where I don't know if that friend is forever in peace, forever with the Lord. You can know where you'll be when life on earth ends. Figure it out.

So, please, PLEASE, realize that I am not trying to win points for being a better Chrisitan. I genuinely care about you and I can't stand the thought of you in constant torment.

Jesus cares about you too. Get to know him. You won't be disappointed.