blog - posted on September 19, 2020 by Rip

Eternity

Sitting here eating lunch (my breakfast lol) and one of the containers my food was in reminded me of my Dad and the baked mostaccioli he would always bring me. And for a minute, I missed my Dad. Then I got to thinking: We were able to mentally and emotionally prepare for his death (as he’s been in hospice care and declining cognitively for months prior.) And he had a pretty full life even after his massive stroke in 2003 (he lived to 83.) I realized I’ll see my Dad soon enough and my heart started to think: I CAN’T EVEN IMAGINE the pain and emptiness those who lose parents young, and even their own siblings and children, have to go through every day of their life. It’s an empty ache that’s there and never goes away.

But then, my heart grew even sadder when I realized …once some people pass…that really is the last time they’ll ever see their loved one again.

This is something that’s been eating at me for a while to address:

I’ve witnessed time and time again over the years, non-believer friends who blatantly deny Jesus Christ as The One True way to The Father and Heaven (John 14:6) say “Heaven gained another angel” or “so and so is looking down on us now/is at peace” or “I’ll see you again.” My mind can’t comprehend how you’ll see them again or how they’re in Heaven as an angel if: You deny the existence of God and don’t believe in God/Heaven yourself (I may never know where their deceased friend’s heart laid with God ..but I do know my friends current words, actions & fruit rejects Jesus Christ.) This hurts my heart and I can’t be quiet anymore:

The Truth is…if you don’t put your trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, you won’t see them again. If they didn’t put their trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior as well, you won’t see them again. In fact, worse than that…those who deny Jesus have a place prepared for those who choose to be apart from Him for eternity. God doesn’t send us there…WE CHOOSE to go there by rejecting God and all that’s good. Hell isn’t “punishment ” Hell is the absence of everything God is: Good.

This is hard for me to write. And it’s going to be even harder for some to read. But the reason it’s hard is because it is the Truth. I’ve been called all the things in the book with my delivery style: too intense, intolerant, ignorant, insensitive, crass, dogmatic. But when it comes down to it…it is still Truth no matter how it’s delivered. And the real problem isn’t my delivery…It’s the pride in our hardened hearts that don’t want to hear the Truth. I’ve been there. My whole life I had family members and such “shoving Jesus down my throat” telling me how I needed to live my life and make my music. And I HATED it more than anything else. I wanted to live my life for me. I knew what was best for my life…not them! Guess who ended up being right?? Them.

I started asking my friends who were turned off to the message of Jesus I was bringing them…”what kind of delivery would make my truth more acceptable and receptive to you?” Their answer is always the same: “that’s a good question.” As in…there is no right way for me to deliver Truth. Cuz it will always always ALWAYS cut and sting a hardened heart that doesn’t want to receive it.

Know I bring you this message in love. I WANT to see you all again. I want you all to see your loved ones again. I WANT to enjoy eternity with you and bask in the glory of God and all of the sick and pain-free glory that all of Heaven promises for all of eternity. I do not wish for any soul to perish.

I woke up to 2 Timothy 4 today – about sharing your Faith and preaching The Word of God. “For there is going to come a time when people won’t listen to the truth but will go around looking for teachers who will tell them just what they want to hear. They won’t listen to what The Bible says but will blithely follow their own misguided ideas.”

Listen, we can’t follow our own misguided ideas. Just because we think we’re “good” or someone is “good” by our earthly standards doesn’t mean we’ll “see them again” in Heaven. Romans 3:23 tells us ALL have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God (a PERFECT Judge.) That means, if we sin one time…we don’t uphold the standards of a Judge Whose grade scale and standards are. Welp…perfection. This is why we NEED Jesus Christ to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Please don’t wait another moment. I hear friends say all the time “I’m not ready yet.” All this means is…you know The Truth, but you’re not ready to accept it and start living a more righteous life that isn’t so prideful, lustful, and greedy. You’re clinging to those worldly sins too much, much like I was. I wasn’t ready yet. But that’s a very VERY slippery slope and dangerous game of Russian roulette. Don’t wait. Turn from your sin (repent) and put your trust and faith in Jesus Christ and let’s celebrate the fact that we will truly indeed see each other all once again! And once you do that, go and spread the good word to the rest of your friends and family so they can all be sure they will join us in eternity as well!

If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)