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Life that is truly life, life that is full, abundant, joyful… is the gift that God wants to give to you.Life with no further fear of death, no sorrow, no tears for all that is lost… is the future that awaits you.Life that is firmly set in a warm fellowship of justice, righteousness, love is… is the promise for the children of God.You who have been drawn to Christ through God the Father, who have entered into a newness of life, You who have received the Holy Spirit, the down payment, the seed, the guarantee of God’s gift… have been given a glimpse, a foretaste, a sneak peek at what lays ahead.You have been very blessed.1 Corinthians 15:50 but you cannot experience, fully know, or possess what is promised except beyond the grave. Let’s read verses 51—58 Death is not meant to be the conclusion of human existence. Death is an enemy introduced through the deception of Satan and the disobedience of man.But for those who are in Christ it is the final putting off of the old man, the corruptible, the temporary, the needy, the dependent, the vulnerable, the deceptive. We long to put all these weaknesses and pains away. We long to put on the new… to take on eternal life, to come into the fullness of son-ship in the family of God. What We Are Given to KnowWe hear about people who have died… then come back. They say stuff like, “I saw light”, “I felt great peace”. There is a certain fascination about reports like this. In my opinion these can largely be attributed to the final neural activity of the brain as it shuts down after the heart stops beating and sending blood to the brain. I am convinced by scripture that the dead know nothing and have no consciousness. These stories are human imagination at work. They tell us nothing about the quality or nature of the life to come. But humans are curious and they want to have something to look forward to, even if they have to make stuff up. Our only true source of information about the life to come is through what God has given us to know from scripture.The Quality of Resurrected Life1 Corinthians 13:12 our greatest source of knowledge about the quality and nature of the life to come is through our knowledge of God our Father, through Christ the Son. We can know something of what we will be like because we know what God is like… and we know that we shall be like Him. For example, consider the context:we know God is lovewe know love is patient, love is kind… etc read verses 4-7so we know that our life to come we are kind, patient, humble, not rude or selfish, rejoicing in truth.Knowledge of, understanding of, experiencing of these qualities of God are a form of knowing, understanding and experiencing the life to come. There is much more to be said on this.The Resurrection BodyBut someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come? Paul’s answer to this question is basically… that’s a silly question. Then He goes on to give an analogy that says the relationship of our present physical body to our future body is like the relationship between a seed and a fully sprouted plant.1 Corinthians 15:47,49 we will be raised to bodies like the resurrected Jesus1 Corinthians 15:45 we will have a spiritual body that has the power of life built in! We are resurrected to a body, we are not some form of energy or mind floating around. We put off the physical body, our spirit returns to God but it is not alive, at the time appointed by God we will be raised to life with a new body with different qualities and attributes. Without some form of body there is no life, no reality of existence. The spirit that returns to God does not have a body, it does not live. Why does this matter? Why do I keep coming back to this point?Eternal life retains your individuality, your person-hood, your unique identity and existence. You are not like a line of code in a vast computer program, you are not like a cell in a body that is greater than you.This ongoing person-hood or identity is expressed throug

The prophetic portions of God’s word give the nation of Israel a lot of attention. Is He playing favorites? Is He ignoring all the other nations and people on earth?3,500 years back people believed gods were local. Such gods had jurisdiction only over a particular territory or a particular race. When you went to a different place you had better make an effort to appease the god of that section of country to gain their favor. A mindset that even Israel struggled with.The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (the God of scripture) is the Creator/Ruler/Father of ALL nations… not just Israel. He is the God of all the earth, not just a patch of land in the middle east. The prophecies He has caused to be recorded affect all nations and peoples of the earth. Genesis 12:3 Israel’s mission was to be a blessing to ALL the nations of the earth.Exodus 22:21 Deuteronomy 10:17-19Deuteronomy 27:19 Ezekiel 47:22These scriptures give us the mind of God on the matter. He loves those of other nations and wants the people He has chosen to think and act the same way. God judges each person by how they respond to His instructions. Some have received a lot and some have received very little.Romans 9:4 Israel received a lot. In return God expects a lot from them. The same equation is at work in the church, the spiritual nation, the Israel of God. “to whom much is given, much is expected in return”. Therefor this principel is at work for you and me also.In the days of the Old Covenant God used Israel as a sort of middle-man. He delivered His word directly to them… they were to take it to the rest of the world, living it, speaking of it in their streets and homes. The same equation is at work in the church, the spiritual nation, the Israel of God… to speak, to teach, and to reach.It may be that Israel’s shortcomings kept their neighbors from seeing the light of God’s commands. It may be that the shortcomings of the church keep others from seeing the light of God’s truth. [woe unto us if that be the case].Israel is First in LineThe physical descendants of Abraham may have been the first to received the good things of God. They are also first in line to receive His discipline and punishment. Luke 21:20-24 when the Day of The Lord comes Christ will deal out punishment and discipline to all the nations of the earth… Israel is also to be punished and disciplined. But their punishment and discipline comes even before the Christ’s return.Before Christ’s return there is a time of great tribulation. God will punish Israel for their rebellion and rejection by allowing the nations to have their way with Israel. The results won’t be pretty. God completely removes all protection from Israel, they are viciously attacked by al the other nations with Satan goading them on. The descendants of Abraham are killed in huge number and the rest are taken as slaves. It is “the time of Jacob’s trouble’Jeremiah 30:6-10.Note: Jesus uses same terminology [pain of childbirth, no time like it in history] in His long prophecy in Matthew 24: 6-8 [painof childbirth], 21 [no time like it]. Very likely one of the prophetic writings He was referring to was the time of Jacob’s trouble.So… the time of Jacob’s trouble comes right before the return of Christ when He will forcefully discipline all nations, all cultures, and people… but the process of punishment will have already begun with Israel.God starts with Israel: He revealed Himself first to Israel, Israel is punished and disciplined first, and Israel is the first nation and people to be restored when the Kingdom of God and the 1,000 year rule of Christ begin.God Does Not Forget Rest of HumanityIsaiah 66:18-23Acts 10:34-35 The church began with a remnant of believers drawn out of Israel, Peter, John, the 120 disciples, the 5,000 baptized on Pentecost, Paul… and on that base God is drawing to Himself people from all nations. The situation in this verse is referring specifically to the church. But is also a template for how Christ will opera

A promise from God is a prophecy from God. If God says He is going to do something you can be sure He will do it. Not only is your Creator faithful and reliable… He wants you to enjoy the feeling of security in His faithfulness… and He wants to enjoy your confidence in Him. Trust & Confidence: the foundation of a healthy relationship.God’s word speaks His promises to you [and to all humanity]… from beginning to end.Genesis 3:15 God’s first promise to humanity is a prophecy directed at the adversary… the serpent… the morning star Lucifer who by his own choice became God’s enemy.God promises a solution to the problems and suffering humanity have brought upon themselves. A choice to go their own way apart from God. A choice with no good future.God tells Satan [the serpent] that from the descendants of Eve there will come a “Seed” or descendant who would step/stomp on his head and crush it. Satan would be permitted to attack the foot of the “Seed” and temporarily disable, harass and impede His work [a reference to the execution of the Messiah and the 3 days in the tomb, also a reference to the continued harassment of the present body of Christ as they bring the true gospel to the world]. But the end is decided and certain. Satan gets stomped.Scripture begins with a promise: God will send a “Seed”, a Son of Man, a descendant born of woman, to restore humanity from the pain, suffering, and death they chose… He will crush and replace Satan, and take charge of the course of humanity on earth. The rest of prophecy expands and elaborates on this promise.Promises to AbrahamGod calls Abraham and sets him apart. And He makes some promises to Abraham that show how the original promise from Genesis 3:15 will happen.Genesis 12:1-3 from Abraham will come a nation through which God will bring good to all humanityGenesis 22:18 from Abraham will come the “Seed” or descendant who will bring good things, and the promise of a brighter future to all humanity.Through Abraham God reveals a new pathway for humanity. On one hand we have the path set by Adam, to follow our own heart, our humanly devised sense of what is right and true. Its the way of all physically created beings, but it has no future. Physical life comes to an end after about 75 to 90 years. Without God there is nothing to look forward to. Just nothingness. [there is a way that seems right to a man but the end is death]On the other hand we have the path set by Abraham, to believe God, have confidence in His promises and to live by His word [obey His voice] because of that confidence. This is the way of spiritual creation. To have the mind of God built in you… a way with a bright a glorious future beyond those 75 to 90 years… a hope of eternal life in the family of God. The promise to Abraham is an example of one prophecy fulfilled in multiple ways [duality]: The Messiah would be born as a descendant [or seed] of Abraham Abraham’s millions of descendants would become a nation. God would make known a better way of living through that nation… His commandments, judgments, and statues… a way of mercy, faith, holiness and righteousness All who believe God and follow the path of faithful obedience would be of the same spiritual family as Abraham Galatians 3:16The Nation of IsraelWhen Abraham was old enough to be a great grandfather, and his wife was decades past menopause, they had a son Isaac. Isaac had two sons: Esau the oldest son & Jacob the younger. Against all tradition and precedent Jacob [the younger] was chosen to receive the promise over Esau [the elder]. These children were the beginning of God making good on his promises. The circumstances sent a message about how God works: God starts things small and causes them to grow larger. God’s blessing is a miracle… over-riding the laws of physics and biology. Isaac was a miracle baby Passing the promises along to Jacob was God’s choice. It was not deserved or earned. However, God does expect a positive response from us in returnJa

What is the point of prophecy?On one hand people don’t like uncertainty… where will I get the money for rent next month?... will the stock market crash and wipe out my retirement savings? … will my son get home safely tonight?On the other hand many of us dislike the idea of a future where everything is already decided. Statements like: “I have no choice in the matter”… “its inevitable”… “I can’t change anything”, are statements of despair not confidence.God’s word gives us a way of understanding life that is a balance between a future that is reliable and true and a future that is changeable based on the choices we make. For example:Kingdom of God – the coming rule of God on earth and in the universe is set and will not change.Salvation & Reward – your relationship to the Kingdom of God is based on the choices you make. Both these aspects of the future are addressed by the word of God.God’s word shines a light on the path you must actively choose if you want to live, and receive reward in the kingdom of God.God’s word provides you with prophecies and promises of the certain and inevitable future. Note: by definitions that future has not yet happened. SO… God’s word also provides contains prophecies of events that happened just as they were foretold… Knowing these “past prophecies” gives you greater confidence in what has not yet come to pass.2 Timothy 3:16 – anyone can claim their writing is supernaturally inspired. Telling about a future event and then making it actually happen is what makes an audacious claim like “this is the word of God” believable. You will not find fulifilled prophecy in other supposed holy writings (Koran, Mormon, Hindu or Buddist literature, etc.). Prophecy and fulfillment is what sets the word of God from Genesis to Revelation apart. Isaiah 46:9-11 the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob not only claims to reveal the future… He proves Himself by demonstrating the power to make it happen.2 Peter 1:19-21 … its in your best interest to give propehcy attention!ProphetsA prophet is one through whom God speaks to humanity. There have been many prophets throughout human history… the greatest of all the prophets sent by God is Jesus Hebrews 1:1-2. [Luke 13:33 refers to self as a prophet].Jesus’ teaching was about the kingdom of God. It had the elements of certainty and choice:a kingdom of God way of living you must choosea sure outcome of human history ie. the rule of God on earth.Note: Jesus birth, life, death, and resurrection is also the most extensive and greatest fulfillment of events foretold centuries before in the word of God. Both Scripture and human history speak to the credibility, and reliability, of scripture. A sobering thought when consideringthe future...Gut check: What is You First Reaction to Prophecy?You might see only strange beasts, cryptic coded messages, riddles, or confusing chronologies… unappealing and unrelated to life as we know it. How does prophecy help me find personal happiness? How does prophecy help me become a better person?If you take time to study and understand the prophecies of scripture they can give greater personal clarity as to why the life decisions you make matter. And help you see the choices you make as incremental steps toward a very positive future.To get this kind of perspective on prophecy lets step back and take a big picture view of scripture. What are the consistent (an persistent) core messages… what are the consistent threads of events found in scripture? How do these interact with history?We’ll get to those in coming weeks… but today let’s go over nine guiding principles to help us to understand prophecy:Guiding Principles of ProphecyRole of the Messiah – the key player in almost all prophecy is the Messiah and His intervention in human affairs… what He hasdone, and what He is going to do in the future Luke 24:44.Kingdom of God – almost all prophecy is in some way related to the establishment of the Messiah’s rule over humanity on earth Daniel 7:1

Job 14:14a People wonder about what happens after this life is over. Humanity as a whole has come up with a wide variety of speculations ranging from grim to absurd. What does your bible say about the possibility of life after death… AND why should you take it any more seriously than the other ideas that are out there? Job 14:14b-15 trials, patiently waiting for the change [khaleefaw], calling, answering, God’s desire to accomplish greater purpose in you… it all there. But not explicitly.Daniel 12:2 Biblical answers begin in the old testament but they remained obscure until Jesus Christ came. He provided additional teaching and clarification. Plus, though His own death and resurrection He provided an object demonstration of human resurrection unto eternal spirit born life John 11:25, John 14:19The apostles He commissioned to follow after Him carried forward that teaching and provided a witness/testimony to Jesus’ resurrection 1 Corinthians 15:22-24, without it what is the point? verses 13-14A Fundamental Church TeachingHebrews 6:1-2 Teaching and proclaiming God’s promise of resurrection through Christ was [and still is] what set the Church of God apart from all other religious alternatives in the world. Acts 23:8 the Jews were in disagreement on the matter. Those who did believe it couldn’t explain it.Greeks and Romans had beliefs that held out little hope for the dead. A disembodied soul living in a murky twilight existence like a ghost. Others held the idea of being absorbed into the consciousness of the universe… which is just a fancy way of saying you cease to exist as an individual.Acts 17:32 when Paul preached the resurrection to the intellectual class they scoffed. But for others in the Greco-Roman world it was a breath of fresh air in a hopeless and suffocating world. Acts 2:22-24 the hope of the resurrection was the teaching that launched the church… and on this simple formula the church grew by the thousands: Accept Christ to save you from your sin and its consequences Repent, be baptized, receive the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands Wait and prepare for resurrectionActs 2:38; Romans 8:111 Timothy 6:19 the Apostles teaching was not unto some disembodied half-life or loss of person-hood. Note: we begin on the path to abundant living now, but the fullness of it takes lace at the resurrection John 10:10.Purpose For LifeIn the Apostles time there was lots of confusion on this subject… yet we today are in the same situation!Atheism and agnosticism have left their mark… eastern religion and new age theories are everywhere… Catholic, Muslim, and Protestant teaching undermines scriptural truth and sidetracks people from the scriptural teaching on the resurrection. Anxiety and hopelessness hang over us like a shadow. People need the truth of the resurrection as much as ever! Resurrection: A Historical FactQ: Why should anyone believe in a resurrection? What separates this teaching from mere wishful thinking and speculation?A: The reality of Christ’s resurrection and the promise that we are to follow in His footstepsJesus resurrection is a biblical and historic event. It has all the necessary ingredients of a confirmed fact of history. Note: at other times in the year we spend sermon time going over the authenticity and authority of the scripture… history, archaeology, fulfilled prophecy and so forth. The purpose of all those messages is to confirm the truth and reality of Jesus life, His death, and His resurrection. All these point back to this pivotal purpose… confirming the reality of Jesus resurrection.Jesus was executed, put in a sealed tomb, and after 3 days and nights His body had disappeared. Even those who wanted to refute His resurrection could not explain away the empty tomb.1 Corinthians 15:6 His resurrection was confirmed by many witnesses. many of these people were still alive when the new testament scriptures were recorded and could be called upon in necessary to verify or refute what the NT scripture

In the old testament the word hell is from the Hebrew sheol. It refers to the place where dead people go… which is the grave. A hole dug in the ground into which a body is placed then covered up. It could also refer to a tomb or a burial cave. Sheol is found in the old testament 65 times: 31 times its translated grave, 31 times its translated hell, and 3 times its translated pit. The new testament gets interesting… there are 3 different Greek words that have each been translated hell. Each of these has a different meaning… #1 The GraveThe first Greek word which is often translated hell is hades which refers to the place of the dead. Hades is the closest Greek equivalent of sheol… the place of the dead, the grave. The Greeks had all sorts of their own ideas about afterlife which were attached to the word (Hades is the name of the Greek god of the underworld for example)… but if you were going to write in Greek about a hole in the ground where dead bodies were buried… hades was the word. It means the same thing as sheol, the place where dead people go.The writers of the new testament worked with a version the old testament that had been translated from Hebrew into Greek. Its called the Septuagint. Here’s an example of how the Hebrew word sheol was translated using the Greek word hades: Acts 2:27 the word here is hades (hell in some older translations like KJV). Modern translations now often simply insert the actual Greek word hades… but the meaning is grave. This verse is part of a quotation from the old testament referring to the grave. Psalm 16:10 the word here is sheol (hell in some older translations like KJV). Modern translations now often simply insert the Hebrew word sheol… but the meaning is the grave. This verse was a prophecy speaking of Jesus’ death… Where did Jesus go when He died?Luke 23:46 His spirit returned to God like it does for all humanity upon death.His body went into a tomb, a burial cave, a form of grave. Matthew 12:40 Jesus referred to it as a place in the “heart of the earth”… a hole in the ground where dead bodies are put. He would stay there for 3 days and 3 nights.Also, if hades, or hell, meant some place of torment under the crust of the earth… then you are saying that’s where Jesus was sent when He died. When He died late that afternoon Jesus’ was put in a tomb and He stayed there for 3 days and 3 nights fulfilling the sign of Jonah. He was not alive in heaven, He was not alive in hell… he was dead, until he was raised back to life through resurrection.#2 The Place of Restraint for DemonsThe next word to consider is tartar which is found only once in the new testament in 2 Peter 2:4 and usually translated hell. In Greek literature tartaroo is the name for a mythical abyss where rebellious gods were confined. Under the inspiration of the Spirit of God, Peter uses this word a name for the place where Lucifer and the other rebellious angels were restrained, or imprisoned. Seems appropriate… but where is that place of imprisonment?Isaiah 14:12 [cut down to the earth], Revelation 12:7-11The place of imprisonment is not some dark netherworld… they have been cast out and are confined to earth! Scripture tells us that Satan and demons are active and present on earth. Multiple real encounters with evil spirits on earth are recorded – Matthew 4:1-11; 8:6, 28-33;9:32-33. Satan is spoken of as the ruler of this present age John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11.Tartaroo appears in scripture once and only applies to demons, not humans. #3 The Fires of GehennaThe 3rd word found translated as hell is Gehenna. Gehenna is a Greekified version of the Hebrew phrase Gai Hinnom, meaning Valley of Hinnom located to the south of old Jerusalem. Today it’s a park. During the times of the kings in Judah the place was used for idolatry and horrible practices like human sacrifice. King Josiah made a point of desecrating the place during his attempt to reform the nation of Judah 2 Kings 23:10, 13,14 [defiled with human bones].In Jesus’ day [

In the old testament the word hell is from the Hebrew sheol. It refers to the place where dead people go… which is the grave. A hole dug in the ground into which a body is placed then covered up. It could also refer to a tomb or a burial cave. Sheol is found in the old testament 65 times: 31 times its translated grave, 31 times its translated hell, and 3 times its translated pit. The new testament gets interesting… there are 3 different Greek words that have each been translated hell. Each of these has a different meaning… #1 The GraveThe first Greek word which is often translated hell is hades which refers to the place of the dead. Hades is the closest Greek equivalent of sheol… the place of the dead, the grave. The Greeks had all sorts of their own ideas about afterlife which were attached to the word (Hades is the name of the Greek god of the underworld for example)… but if you were going to write in Greek about a hole in the ground where dead bodies were buried… hades was the word. It means the same thing as sheol, the place where dead people go.The writers of the new testament worked with a version the old testament that had been translated from Hebrew into Greek. Its called the Septuagint. Here’s an example of how the Hebrew word sheol was translated using the Greek word hades: Acts 2:27 the word here is hades (hell in some older translations like KJV). Modern translations now often simply insert the actual Greek word hades… but the meaning is grave. This verse is part of a quotation from the old testament referring to the grave. Psalm 16:10 the word here is sheol (hell in some older translations like KJV). Modern translations now often simply insert the Hebrew word sheol… but the meaning is the grave. This verse was a prophecy speaking of Jesus’ death… Where did Jesus go when He died?Luke 23:46 His spirit returned to God like it does for all humanity upon death.His body went into a tomb, a burial cave, a form of grave. Matthew 12:40 Jesus referred to it as a place in the “heart of the earth”… a hole in the ground where dead bodies are put. He would stay there for 3 days and 3 nights.Also, if hades, or hell, meant some place of torment under the crust of the earth… then you are saying that’s where Jesus was sent when He died. When He died late that afternoon Jesus’ was put in a tomb and He stayed there for 3 days and 3 nights fulfilling the sign of Jonah. He was not alive in heaven, He was not alive in hell… he was dead, until he was raised back to life through resurrection.#2 The Place of Restraint for DemonsThe next word to consider is tartar which is found only once in the new testament in 2 Peter 2:4 and usually translated hell. In Greek literature tartaroo is the name for a mythical abyss where rebellious gods were confined. Under the inspiration of the Spirit of God, Peter uses this word a name for the place where Lucifer and the other rebellious angels were restrained, or imprisoned. Seems appropriate… but where is that place of imprisonment?Isaiah 14:12 [cut down to the earth], Revelation 12:7-11The place of imprisonment is not some dark netherworld… they have been cast out and are confined to earth! Scripture tells us that Satan and demons are active and present on earth. Multiple real encounters with evil spirits on earth are recorded – Matthew 4:1-11; 8:6, 28-33;9:32-33. Satan is spoken of as the ruler of this present age John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11.Tartaroo appears in scripture once and only applies to demons, not humans. #3 The Fires of GehennaThe 3rd word found translated as hell is Gehenna. Gehenna is a Greekified version of the Hebrew phrase Gai Hinnom, meaning Valley of Hinnom located to the south of old Jerusalem. Today it’s a park. During the times of the kings in Judah the place was used for idolatry and horrible practices like human sacrifice. King Josiah made a point of desecrating the place during his attempt to reform the nation of Judah 2 Kings 23:10, 13,14 [defiled with human bones].In Jesus’ day [

People don’t latch on to the idea of hell it because it’s a feel good notion… My Proposal: Humans believe in the idea of hell because they have to! Hell is the only way to hold on to two other cherished beliefs of humanity.Traditional beliefs about “hell” are the logical outworking of a basic root error... assuming and believing the human soul is immortal and lives on after death. The error is at the core of most religious systems: Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist etc.Where Did Such an Idea Come From?Genesis 3:1-3 the big lie of human immortality was introduced into human thinking by Satan… and it began very early in the human time line. Some part of every person lives on after they die (error)On to this error that some part of every person lives on after the death of this body we’ll add a true observation obvious and apparent to all humanity: some people act in a good way and some people act in a bad way. Note: we might have differing opinions about what defines good versus bad… but we all see a world where some are good and some are bad. Some part of every person lives on after they die (error) Some act in a good way and some act in a bad way (observation/truth)Next, we add something else that is true: justice is a force in the universe. This is a spiritual understanding that flows from the person of God the Creator of the universe. Humans have an innate desire for justice because they are created in God’s image.For Christians, Muslims, Jews, this is judgment by a personal Creator God involving punishment or reward. For other religions this punishment vs. reward is an impersonal force called karma [how karma is enforced is very vague and confusing, involving the collective mind of the universe and stuff like that]. Some part of every person lives on after they die (error) Some act in a good way and some act in a bad way (observation/truth) There is justice [punishment/reward] in the universe (spiritual truth)If the human soul lives on, if some are good and some are bad, and if there is justice in the universe… you need an explanation for where all those bad people go after death that is in some way different from where all the good people go and provides payback for all their badness. Some part of every person lives on after they die (error) Some act in a good way and some act in a bad way (observation/truth) There is justice [punishment/reward] in the universe (spiritual truth) There must be a form of eternal punishment in a living and conscious state (error)The idea of the immortality of the human soul does not flow naturally out from the reading of scripture. The idea that you do not really die is found on the lips of Satan, the father of lies. It’s an idea that humans want to be true… and then desperately try to insert back into the scriptures. The immortality of the soul is the biggest lie ever told.Why would humanity want to insert such an idea into scripture? To use the obvious authority of God’s word to some how validate this wishful thinking.Opinion: it’s a lie that also serves Satan’s larger purpose by presenting the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as cruel & unfair.How Did This Idea Find it Way Into Christian Teaching?The immortal soul concept is as old as human history. But how did it creep into what we call Christianity? By that I mean Baptist, Catholic, Evangelical, or Protestant teaching. Human immortality is not part of the religion of Israel Human immortality is not part of the 1st century apostolic teachingIt crept into biblical teaching through theologians and learned men who love praise and pre-eminence. In their won culture Greek philosophy was highly regarded and offered the possibility of worldly acceptance. Leaders & thinkers who had gained control over the church wanted to make God’s word more “respectable” by synchronizing or reconciling the Greek system of thinking about life and death with what was presented in the scriptures. Greek and other humanly devised ideas about the afterlife ar

The Establishment of the Heavens and EarthWe cannot exist without an incredible array of features to operate properly… and not just properly but nearly perfectly in order for us to survive for the next 4 minutes. Elements that we consider so simple, oxygen, temperature, gravity to name a few. Take a longer view like 4 days and you might want to throw in water or solar energy. Simple… yet each of these is highly complex and moreover interact in ways that compound the complexity in a manner that can dazzle even the most jaded materialist.Where did all these elements, physical laws, atmospheric and biological systems come from? Why do they work so beautifully together to support life? With all our amazing tools: microscopes, particle colliders, and space stations, our great minds of materialist science provide us the profound answer… “well, they just do” What about the phenomenon we call life?If we were to accept the premise that the physical universe is just a lucky accident of atoms that have luckily arranged themselves into a universe of galaxies, solar systems, planets and so on… a question remains that is just a big as the origin and organization of the universe. Why would such a universe of atoms and molecules, photons and energy waves… generate living things? From simple self-replicating virus, to the more genetically complex plants, to animal life and finally sentient, self-aware humans with the capacity to love or hate, cry or laugh, to create beautiful music or deadly concentration camps…The Will to Live… All life forms from the lowly virus, plants, animals, humans share something in common, something that cannot be explained by anything that can be measured or observed in the material universe. That something is the desire to survive. A will to continue living and a goal to pass that life on to a new generation that will carry on and repeat the pattern. To anyone who has not hardened his heart and darkened his mind… this desire to live and survive found in all living creatures demonstrate will and purpose in the universe.Teachers of evolution end up explaining all the various facet of life, animal or human, good or evil, as some form of survival mechanism. Giraffes were lucky enough to be mutant antelopes with extra long necks allowing them to access new sources of food in the tree tops. Even your belief in God is seen by such people as a quirk of the human mind that helps humans to survive in a hostile environment (social cohesion, grouping together for mutual benefit and protection etc). Clever explanations like this are still built upon the assumed existence of will in the universe, but don’t even attempt to explain how this will came to be. Because it’s simply not measurable… like the spirit we can see the effects of it but we cannot see the power or force I am calling will.A fish develops a fin that allows it to crawl out of the ooze to seek new sources of food… a better chance for survivial… what drives it… what moves it forward to preserve and pass on its life… why does it desire to continue living, and where does it come from?The only answer you are going to get from science is… “they just do”How Would Life Emerge From Non-Life?Prebiotic Soup theory – the idea that the earth was covered with warm lakes filled with enzymes and proteins simmering away at just the right temperature until SURPRISE they are struck by lightning! This random spark triggers freak combinations of enzymes, proteins etc that build and snowball, combine and recombine until they produce… XXXXXThe statistical probability of such a sequence of events… are astronomical. The mathematical improbability of that happening it so huge that some credible scientists ave turned to alternate theories such as the idea that life came from out-space… mars, asteroids whatever. However, the soup theory remains the most popular and still finds itself in school text books. The soup theory has problems:For one, it cannot be reproduced in a laboratory setting. I

Do you value loyalty? Are you loyal to others? Are you loyal to communities? How do you show loyalty? Are there people or groups you should not be loyal to? Are you loyal to those who have authority over you? Are you loyal to God?Loyalty definition: unswerving allegiance to a person or institution. To support, or align your priorities in accordance to… to look out for and have concern for their well being… someone who is loyal who will treat you right even when they have reason not to… maybe you’re inconvenient, maybe siding against you would be to their personal advantage. For example; imagine a loyal friend who will pick you for their team even though you’re not the best player because they don’t want to see you embarrassed. A person who can be trusted and relied upon in small things and with regard to the big things.Is loyalty a biblical concept?The Hebrew word would be hesed. In English bibles hesed is generally rendered “faithfulness”, although you will occasionally see it translated as loyalty, kindness, friendship, even mercy.God’s loyalty to us: Hesed, or faithfulness is one of the many ways God describes Himself to us. He is faithful to His promises. He is faithful and loyal to His people. Looking out for them, concerned about their well beingOur loyalty to God: When hesed [faithfulness] is used to describe how we respond to God it means we are committed to, we support, we are aligned with Him. When describing our relationship with our Creator loyalty also includes obedience.So, if loyalty is unswerving allegiance to a person or institution... the scope of that definition changes depending on the relationship of the parties involved.For example; a person put in charge of a department at work can [and should] be loyal to those who work under him But that loyalty does not involve obedience. If I am one of the persons working under the department head loyalty for me would include obedience. Loyalty is also possible between two peers where obedience is not part of the equation.. although mutual submission would be essential. My point is: loyalty is not identical to obedience.A person might be obedient through fear of punishment and have no trace of loyalty.Loyalty is an Attitude of the HeartActs 13:20-22 to many, God’s love for David is a riddle. David committed adultery, he orchestrated a murderer, he was a warrior who had killed many men, elsewhere God calls David “a bloody man” and because of that wouldn’t let David construct the Jerusalem temple.We too struggle with the enigma of David. There were other men who come off as very righteous, scrupulous people, Noah, Job, or Daniel. Why did God love him so?Yet God saw qualities in David such that He called him a “man after my own heart”. One of the traits God saw in David was loyalty… to commitments, to people, to Israel and all it stood for in God’s plan. Loyalty matters because it is a basic attribute of God’s own character. And as any Father would, God delights in seeing himself reflected in His children: in you… in me… in David. The Importance of LoyaltyGod’s plan is to grant everlasting life, position, and authority to those who are in Christ at His return. Does it make sense that He would give all that to someone who does not demonstrate the character trait of loyalty? How do you prove your loyalty except through a life of temptation, trial, testing, even suffering? Consider your own life experiences: how would you ever REALLY know your friend is loyal except by seeing and experiencing what he or she does when they have compelling reasons not to be loyal? Loyalty is proved in response to challenges.The Loyalty of DavidI found loyalty abstract and difficult to define. God helps us understand concepts through the written example of others… such as the example of David. One way we learn about David’s loyalty is through the contrast drawn between him and Saul. David was loyal and devoted to God Himself; did what God askedDavid was a loyal and subject to his superiors;