THE BENEFITS OF DEATH - (PREAMBLE)



A FRIEND OF MINE: Please, God let me live long enough to take care of my kids before I passes on

GOD:  I do not necessarily need you to take care of your kids.

This soul soothing response came to the floor of conversation during one of my family visits to my friend’s home some few months ago. 

As the conversation ensured between my friend, myself and my wife, he told us about how he has been growing in his walk with God and shared with us one of his prayer encounters he had with God; he talked about how God had given him this assurance as an answer to the torment that the fear of death was waging on his mind.

 This visit  and time of fellowship was very encouraging and also assuring to me because I sometimes ask myself those similar questions- who will take care of my kids should I pass on from this world; this time of fellowship  was one of the beneficial engagement I have had in recent years, it was a case of “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend” Proverb 27:17 (KJV). 

This assurance gave me deeper and better worldview about death and has consequently transformed the way I live. My fear of death has dwindle and is continually diminishing as I look into the pages of scripture. Jesus Christ said “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” John 5:24 (KJV).


Some few months later, I decided to visit another friend that I have not set me eyes on for more than two years, but have been in touch with him on phone. Finally, we met at his house and we had a long chat that lasted for more than four hours; we talked about many issues especially how to fulfil our God-given assignment on this earth since both of us have become Pastors. We talked about our specific callings in ministry, how to fulfill them and how to impact our generation among many others things. 

This encounter reminded me of how we were growing up in the Lord at BUILDERS’ CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP at Kanda Estate, Accra Ghana. I really enjoyed this time of fellowship with one of my closest friends, we did a lot of catching up and encouraging one another and I finally drove off from his house that fateful day. As I waved a good bye to my friend on my way home, little did I know, that was my final good bye to him;  I never had the clue that day was my last meeting I was having with him in this material world. 

Death never gave me a sign that he was coming for him because he looked his usual funny, sunny and happy go self-person that I have known for years. So I was shocked to have been told that this colleague pastor friend of mine had passed on to a higher calling. I received the news with shock and sadness, but I had so much consolation in the scriptures in 1 Thessalonians 4:14 “We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will take back with Jesus those who have died believing in him.” 

This scripture gave me so much hope and comfort that even though I had lost a friend physically, eternally he has moved to a better place because he was a believer. Prior to the demise of my friend, God has being giving me certain understanding about death and the fear that it inflicts on the human soul as well as the facts that death in itself has some benefits that accompanies it. The demise of my friend has moved me to share my thought about the fear of death and it’s benefits in this forum.

Please leave a comments if you have been inspired by this message!

TO BE CONTINUED....


Location: Accra, Ghana

Comments

  1. Unknown2 January 2017 at 16:58

    Waiting for the next part! Want to learn more about the BENEFITS OF DEATH!

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  2. Unknown26 January 2017 at 22:48

    Great! Very illuminating. One thing that i have come to understand is that if you in true connection with God, your heart, mind and spirit is also at peace, you fear nothing, not even death. Just as a seed get into the soil, decompose and germinate, become a beautiful plant, so shall believers be.

    But pastor, can you clarify this for me? There are people saying they died and came back to life, some said they saw great pastors, musicians, lawyers, politicians and others suffering terribly in hell. I believe you might have also come across such audios. Now my question is since the judgrment day has not come how you they be in hell?
    When a believers dies where is the waiting place if the story above is false?

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  3. wisdom afawubo27 January 2017 at 06:27

    I think everything that we hear or people say should subjected to the litmus test of the scripture. Let us look at what hell and heaven is. From the original translation the word HELL which also means HADES means a very dark, obsecure and disorderly place full of terror and pain according to Job 10:21-22 “Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death; A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness” and Isaiah 14:9. HEAVEN on the other hand represent the Kingdom of God, the bible describes the kingdom of God as “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” according to Romans_14:17 a typical example of the kingdom of was the garden of Eden before the fall of man in Genesis 1.
    Having this understanding let us look at the question of going to hell and heaven before the judgement, but before I answer this question we must take note of the fact that there are people already experiencing Hell (pain, obscurity, disorder coupled with pain) and others also experiencing Heaven (righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost) here on earth before they even die; remember this nothing to do with material possession or physical poverty. Going forward the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:20 – 26 “And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us,that would come from thence.” Clearly tells us that there’s heaven and there is hell. I believe that the hell is where the wicked go after dying without Christ, it is just temporary place of punishment before the real one comes, because the bible to talks about how HELL itself would be cast into the lake of fire according to; HELL with it content will be cast in to the Lake of fire according Revelation_20:14 - 15 “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” I also believe those who died believing in Jesus Christ will also be in a place that is more of like the Heaven(God’s Kingdom) some call it “Paradise” before we get to our final abode which is the new earth according 2Pe 3:11 -13 “Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat” and Revelation 21:1. I am tempted to believe that the new heaven and earth will have a symbiotic relationship where man on the new earth can easily access the new heaven easily; remember the prayer Jesus taught the disciples in Mathew_6:10 “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven”


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