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Aug 01, 2022 18:30pm

What Happens When You Die?

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What happens when you die?

Have you ever thought about this question? For centuries, people have sought ways to prolong life, but have always come up ended handed. The fact is, death is a part of every life.

The answers vary from person to person.
“I think you just don’t exist anymore.”
“I believe you come back as someone or something else.”
“I think you leave your body and watch over the people you love.”
“I think you go to heaven.”
“I honestly don’t know.”

The unknown is what fuels our fear of death. I have a need to be in control and the idea of not knowing something or not being able to plan terrifies me.

We look at death as an ending, gathering together to share fond memories of the one we loved. Sadness fills our hearts as we grieve the loss of our family or friend.

Most of us don’t know when we are going to die, we just know that it will happen someday. For some, they’ve been given a diagnosis and they might have an idea, but even the best calculations can’t be exact. We know it will happen one day; we just don’t know when. But Moses, the leader of the Israelites, was told his time was coming to an end.

“And the LORD spake unto Moses that selfsame day, saying, Get thee up into this mountain Abarim, unto mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, that is over against Jericho; and behold the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel for a possession: And die in the mount whither thou goest up, and be gathered unto thy people; as Aaron thy brother died in mount Hor, and was gathered unto his people: Because ye trespassed against me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah-Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin; because ye sanctified me not in the midst of the children of Israel. Yet thou shalt see the land before thee; but thou shalt not go thither unto the land which I give the children of Israel.” (Deuteronomy 32:48-52)

Death had come for Moses. No matter how many great things he had done for the Lord, he would still face death. You know, I used to be sad when I would read these verses or think about Moses not getting to go to the Promised Land. This was the land they had worked so hard to get to that God promised to them. He had faced Pharoah and led the Israelites out of bondage and crossed the Red Sea. He led them through the desert and provided the 10 commandments for them, and dealt with their disobedience and rebellion. He led them through the wilderness and finally to the land which they were to call home. Their own land. But Moses wasn’t allowed to step foot into the land.

I felt bad for him. But as I read it this morning, I realized what Moses would be going to. It was something far greater than the promised land. It was his eternal home.

“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, after this the judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27)

Death is certain, but you have a choice in where you will spend eternity. To know the answer to the question, “what happens when we die?”, we first have to look at what you did with the offer of salvation.

There is a debt of sin owed, and its payment is death. The creator of the world, the very one who decided you should be born, made a way for you to be free from the debt you owe. See, when you die, there are two places that you could spend eternity: Heaven and Hell.

In this life, while you still have breath, Jesus offers you salvation. What is He saving you from? His wrath that is to come to be poured out upon sin. When you accept His gift of salvation, you are surrendering your life to Him. He bought you with a price. He gave His own life so that you might live.

Eternity is a long time, my friend. And we are not given second chances after death. What we choose today is where we will live eternally. And deciding not to choose, is still a choice.

Death is one thing we all know we will face, but today, you and I both have the opportunity to decide what happens when we take that last breath.

What will you see the moment your body dies? Will it be glorious? Or will it be torturous?

Today, we must decide.