Questions and Comments About Death
March 29, 2010 by Mike Knapp
Filed under Spiritual Growth
This week marks the introduction of a new Bible series at Lake Hills about Death and the Afterlife. This blog post is dedicated to hearing from you! I plan to try to give Biblical answers to your questions about our topic throughout our series. Then on Sunday, April 25, I plan to dedicate my entire teaching time to trying to answer questions I’ve received via email and from this blog. Each Sunday’s message will be posted weekly in the regular place on the Messages page of our website. I will also be posting those weekly messages on this page as well.
I invite you to join the conversation — share questions, comments, stories, jokes and anecdotes with us. For those who prefer to remain anonymous, you may email me at lakehills101@gmail.com.
Our topics are as follows:
April 4 – Death | April 11 – Hell | April 18 – Heaven | April 25 – Questions and Answers
“Do you believe your life extends beyond the few years that you have on this earth? If so, to what extent do you think what happens in this life affects the next life? If you believe life extends beyond the life we live here on Earth, why do most people give so little thought to the afterlife?” ~ Ted Dekker, The Martyr’s Song
If you like this article please give it a recommendation by clicking on on one or more of the media sharing buttons at the right side of this page.
Funny that you would put a quote from Ted Dekker on your blog. I was thinking of his book, “The Slumber of Christianity,” when I saw the beginning of your post. I’m half-way through the book. I think it’s the only non-fiction he has written. It’s all about how Christians have stopped thinking about what happens after this life. That if we would refocus on the afterlife, if we would but grow our imaginations about all that God is preparing for us, it would effect how we live today….here…in these earthy bodies. It would re-ignite the hope we have in him. Good stuff! Interesting read.
So glad your broaching this topic, Mike. Praying it will be very impactful for you and your congregation.
Going through my cancer treatments, I had to face the harsh reality that I may not be here on this earth for much longer. Not easy to do when you have a husband and four young boys to care for. But I accepted that reality and looked forward to eternity. God had other plans for me, and apparently isn’t quite ready for me to leave. I’ve accepted that as well and am now living my life with greater purpose, a deeper peace, richer love, and unwaivering joy. God is good! No matter what circumstances we face in this life. God is good!
Thank you for your post, Michelle. Cathy and I are glad that God has other plans for you! I believe that facing death provides a certain unique clarity to one’s life. I’ve directly faced my mortality twice, and found it extraordinarily defining.
Thanks for the heads up on the Dekker title – I haven’t read that one…yet! Sounds good.
Received an email from “anonymous”: Q – Will there be pets in Heaven? (i.e.-Do animals go to Heaven when they die?)
With the amount of scripture that focuses on heaven and the afterlife and the fact that God is eternal and if we choose to follow His son, we will be with him eternally, we need to focus more on heaven and preparation for heaven. And when life on earth seems overwhelming, we should be looking at the fact that the time here on earth is just a blink (if that much) in the overall scheme of things…
This time of year, we should see the bridge to heaven with an open door and realize that Christ did that for each and everyone of us.
Your blog has been recommended to us as a interviewee’s favorite blog!
We would like to do an interview with you about your blog for Blog
Interviewer. We’d
like to give you the opportunity to
give us some insight on the “person behind the blog.”
It would just take a few minutes of your time. The interview form can
be submitted online here Submit your
interview.
Best regards,
Mike Thomas
I want a follow up on ” tears in heaven”. I have always been taught that there will be no tears in heaven. Your sermon, on Easter, told me something different. I understand that there will be a moment. I did not quite get that. Does this mean that we will remember all of our loved ones who did not make it into heaven will be remembered?
Oh, no, not at all… Please remember carefully what was said. The Bible teaches we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. It is there that our works will be tested:
1Co 3:12 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw,
1Co 3:13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work.
1Co 3:14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.
1Co 3:15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.
Heaven is not the place where this will happen. I never said there would be tears in Heaven, Rather, just the opposite is true. The Bible says He will wipe away every tear from our eye. Heaven is not a place of sadness, loss or mourning. We may, however, experience loss at the judgment (see v.15 above).