"Upon Death"

  There are all sorts of questions that surround death and I understand why. It is something we have never experienced to speak about. But Jesus spoke of it. After all, He was face to face with God from the beginning because He was God (John 1:1-4). With that being said, He knows what death is about for man and He taught on it when He walked in our world.

  Here are a few things and I will draw these from Jesus teaching of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16. First, we need to realize that a person's consciousness after death is still there. When death separates us from the living on the earth, that individual does not stop existing. They are very well aware and conscious of things around. "...remember that during your life you received your good things..." (Luke 16:25) Death does not destroy a person's consciousness. I have heard ones use Eccl. 9:5-6 stating that the dead have no awareness of anything. That's not what Solomon was saying. The dead do not lose their conscious state but Solomon states that people on earth soon forget the one who passed as a faded memory. I just wanted to throw that in.

  Secondly, death does not destroy destiny! Death is the entrance into our destiny. Death is a reminder that there are only two possibly destinies open to every person. Jesus is plain about that. One is a destiny of torment and the other is the destiny of comfort. Jesus knew this well as the purpose of His dying to remove our sins was to offer a destiny of comfort to those who would choose Him over the world. Each of us has a choice and in our choices our destinies are set. Too many are careless not realizing what choices they are making will have an eternal destiny at the end. 

  Finally, upon death we can and will recognize others. The rich man recognized Lazarus and Abraham. The rich had never known Abraham before but he knew him there. Death does not diminish the ability to recognize because they are conscious and aware of their surroundings of their destiny. Those who have died know who others are. 

  I know there are so many things we don't know or understand and this is so brief but what I was trying to do is give you something that would prick the heart and make you think about your eternal destiny. Jesus came to rescue us from the destiny of eternal torment and it must be so much worse than we could imagine or He wouldn't have given His life in our place. God wants our destiny with Him. Jesus pleads us to choose our destiny carefully and not allow anything to get in the way of our eternal home with Him. What are you planning for presently or are you just living each day with little direction or thought? Your destiny is at stake!