LIFE IS A JOURNEY: BE HEAVENLY MINDED

Our life here on earth is a very short journey compared to the eternity that awaits us after death. We came to this world as sojourners, and one day we shall all go back to where we came from. It will be very wise, therefore, if we live this life with eternity in view. Our prayer should always be like this: “So teach us to number our days so that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12). 

For this reason, our lives should be characterized by good works and Christ in us, who is the hope of glory (Col. 1:27). Because when we pass on, that is what will follow us (Rev. 14:13). It is what we do here on earth that will determine where we will spend eternity, not after death, because it is written, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Heb. 9:27).

In these end times, in particular, many are living their lives carelessly. They do not care about life after death. They believe that once they die, that is the end of their world, and that there is nothing like life after death or judgment. 

For this reason, they spend the time they have here engaging themselves in evil deeds. Some even sold their souls to the devil just for material things. All these things happened because they did not know that there is life after death and that everyone of us must be judged and rewarded according to our works. 

 Moreover, they do not also believe that there is hellfire for the disobedient people who will be tortured forever and heaven for the obedient ones who will live joyfully with the Lord as a result of their good works on earth. According to the Bible, hellfire is real and heaven is real, and only one of them is the destiny of every man. Hell was not created for man in the first place (Matt. 25:4). It was for the devil, but man decided to join the devil through evil deeds. This means it is our choice, not God’s, if anyone finds himself or herself there. God has given us his word to save us from the deceptions of the devil and hellfire. 

So, it is our choice, and making the right choice depends on the knowledge we have. No one will ever know the existence of hell and its horrors and wants to be there. It is just because they were deceived, and in the end, they found themselves regretting it. No wonder that the Bible says, ‘’ My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hebrews 4:6). However, the problem is that many do not want to know because they do not believe in the Bible, which is the source of knowledge. As a result, they fall for all the pranks of the devil and end up in hellfire. The truth is that there is life after death. 

If anyone understands this revelation, he will surely know how to live his life on this earth. Life does not end when the body is dead and buried. We have two entities that live in the body. Man is a tripartite being that consists of the body, the soul, and the spirit. The body is our physical entity. The soul is that inner part that generates thoughts, desires, feelings, consciousness, etc., while the spirit is our invisible entity, like the image we see in the mirror or shadow without flesh and blood.

 It is the one communicating with God because God is a spirit. Both the spirit and the soul are encapsulated in the body. On the other hand, the soul is encapsulated in the spirit, and these are the immortal parts of our being. They are knit together just like bones and flesh in the body. For this reason, it is always difficult to treat spirit and soul separately (Heb. 4:12). When the spirit departs from the body, it departs with the soul (Matt 10:28).

For example, when we sleep, many times we still remember the things we did or saw in real life. We also see our body. As we interact in our dream world, we feel pain, happiness, fear, weakness, strength, etc. This is the result of the spirit and soul we have in the body—that though we are asleep, we still see ourselves as if we are in the real world. 

The spirit is that body we saw in the dream, while the soul is that part that generated our consciousness and feelings while we were there. Now what makes us return to the body is the spirit, not the soul, because one cannot perhaps tell how he always woke up. The spirit returns back into our body (the heart) with the soul, and we regain consciousness of our real world. 

How the spirit leaves the body completely is still a mystery that only God knows. It is in the dream world that the enemies come to attack the spirit, and if you are strong in the Lord, you conquer them. They leave their bodies and travel in the spirit to carry out their evil agenda. So, you see, some people have sold their souls to the devil for evil purposes. And if I may ask , where do they think the soul they sold to the devil will go to after death? It mean your soul will still be  surviving with the devil and this is why the devil have bought it!  Selling your soul to the devil means making a covenant to serve him and be with him forever after death. It is irreversible pact with great consequence. ” For shall it  profit a man if he shall gain the world and lose his own soul?” Mark 8:36.

Again, tell me how God will communicate with or receive such a spirit. In death, the spirit and soul will leave the body completely, while the body will decay and be buried afterward. 

When this happens, there is only one destination that awaits the spirit, and that is heaven or hell. The devil will appear immediately, and his cohorts will receive him, while the angels will appear for the righteous to lead him to heaven, as we are told in the case of Moses (Jude 1:9). The spirit of Moses was defiled by sin, making him look like a mad man in the sight of God. Remember that he disobeyed God, and his spiritual garment was dirty (Deut. 34:4). Because of this, the devil appeared to claim him. 

From this example, we can see that, contrary to the belief of many, not all spirits go to God after death. Some are received by the devil after being rejected by God (Exodus 32:33). God is holy, and if anyone is not holy, he cannot see God (Heb. 12:14). 

It is important to know that defilement comes from the soul while we are alive. When our soul desires things and we want to gratify them by all means, we will surely get out of our way to do this and eventually sin against God and defile our spirit (James 1:14–15). 

Because of this, while we are alive, we ought to be renewing our minds through God’s word. God’s word will help us to live a spirit-controlled life. Everything starts in the mind before it manifests (Proverbs 4:23).

 So our body, our achievements, and our spirit are expressions of what we have been harboring in our minds. What really makes a madman be seen that way is his mind! Once this is changed, every part of him is changed immediately. One can now see why the devil has been targeting our minds to keep them captive through deception. 

“There was a certain rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day; and there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, who was lying at his gate, full of sores. And desiring to be fed with the crumbs that 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 lifts up his eyes, being in torment, 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 those who would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he said, I pray therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house, for I have five brethren, that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham, but if one went unto them from the dead, they would repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead” (Like 16:19–31). 

 Another instance is the story of the rich man and Lazarus above. It is more of a real story than a parable, as we know. Jesus cited it to teach us the reality of life after death. This is because Abraham’s name is mentioned, which we all know. And this alone invalidates it for just being a parable. 

According to the story, Lazarus died and was buried. He was carried away by the angels to heaven. The rich man also died and was buried. However, though the Bible does not tell us who carried him to Hell, from what we learned, we know it was the devil. They met themselves and still recognized themselves and remembered all that happened in their lives. 

They were now spirits, not humans, and their spirits were clothed { now spiritual bodies}. They still had feelings of pain and joy while there, and they remembered their family members. This is because their spirit and soul went out together. Unlike in the world where the body houses both, there it is the spirit that houses the soul.

 So, do not be deceived by the devil; there is life after death. Even Jesus said to one on the cross that today he would be with him in paradise (Luke 23:42–43). Peter also tells us how Jesus appeared in hell to the spirits of those who died (1 Peter 4:6). 

Apart from this, many people have shared their near-dead experiences to confirm that this is real. For this reason, what we need to do is repent now, like the thief on the cross. Life is a journey. Though many things are calling for our attention, one thing is very necessary, which is our salvation.

We have a very short time here on earth; we will go back to the world beyond. Each and every one of us will surely leave this world one day. But the big question is, where will we spend eternity? Oh God, teach us to number our days so that we may apply our hearts to wisdom. You can contact us here for spiritual help.  

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