One minute after you died

I have been listening to Dr. Erwin Lutzer videos about heaven, death, sickness, suffering, suicide, etc. One in particular caught my attention – “One minute after you died”.

The purpose of the video was to help the listeners to clarify what the Bible has to say about death, heaven, hell, eternity, etc. He focused in the Word, and not in merely ideas or misconceptions.

It also caught my attention when he quoted Shakespeare – Hamlet play:

This quote from the play Hamlet, “To be, or not to be? That is the question—Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And, by opposing, end them?” 

“It seems to that Shakespeare himself", Dr. Lutzer continues, "did not mind the thought or the act of suicide. He talks more about how society brings misfortune more than it does fortune and that it would be okay to end it since it was indeed very frustrating and unfair. “

 “To die, to sleep—No more—and by a sleep to say we end the heartache and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to—’tis a consummation devoutly to be wished! To die, to sleep.”

“My assumption about how Shakespeare views death through this play is sleep. He views death as a constant sleep in which you can never awaken from. He also continues the concept of suicide and how it could be an alternative to dealing with all the hardships life has to offer.”

“To sleep, perchance to dream—ay, there’s the rub, for in that sleep of death what dreams may come when we have shuffled off this mortal coil, must give us pause. There’s the respect that makes calamity of so long life.” 

“What he is really saying is, When I die things could be a lot worse than they are now.”

Pastor Lutzer continue: “But we can see the great contrast between Hamlet and the Apostle Paul:

Hamlet in the state of contemplation, in effect says, – “Live or die, I lose” –

Paul says: “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain” – “Live or die, I win” –

What a difference Jesus Christ makes in the life of a believer!

“So to the person contemplating suicide, God has still a purpose for your life, you may going to a time of depression and hopelessness and discouragement; but if you know God as a Savior, God is on your side! There is Hope!”

“Here, on this world, life is just a blur, a fog that disappear when the sun shines.“

Eternity on the other hand is forever, pastor Lutzer explained like:

“Imagine moving a whole desert, each grain of sand one by one, then travel to Mars and deposit the grain of sand, then go back to earth and grab another grain of sand and travel to Mars, and repeat this over and over.”

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If this life in comparison with eternity is nothing, then the time we suffer here is just a mist in comparison to what we will experience on eternity. Eternity in heaven or eternity in hell. I choose Heaven!

In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while,

if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the

proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable,

even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory

and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

(1 Pet. 1:6-7 NASB)

I know it sounds weird to many, but when I look the suffering on others, it helps me to put my suffering into perspective.

Yes! Reading, watching or hearing about other people’s suffering helps me!

It helps me to shake out the pity attitude I get into sometimes.

With the words of this hymn “Christ leads me through no darker rooms, than He went through before”; Jesus knows first-hand all the suffering we humans experience. He is a God that suffered as a human, while on this earth. He is no stranger to our sufferings, He understands.

I had experienced many set backs on my life, like everybody else, but being separated from Joshua is the hardest thing I have been trough.

A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12

Joshua and I were like a triple-braided cord, our love for each other; I could conquer anything with him by my side.

I felt like the cord was broken, when he left my side. However, I am not alone. God is by my side!

He knows how I feel and He knew in advance how my heart would be broken into pieces every day by missing my boy, but He surrounds His strong and kind arms around me, not like a person, but like God. With the power to protect me, to comfort me, to sustain me and to keep me from falling apart.

I choose Jesus! I choose eternal life!

I also find myself many times during the day, thinking on heaven. I repeat to myself “Jesus will come for us on the clouds and on the blink of an eye (1 Cor. 15: 51-53); I will be in heaven with a new body, with Jesus, Joshua, my mom, my dad, my aunt!” I will hug and kiss them all.

Then I will understand what the feeling of full joy is.

When I experience the presence of God just for few moments, it is so beautiful. I cannot imagine being literally in the presence of God, feeling His Spirit all around; to the full extend experiencing It with a perfect body with no limitations and no sinful nature!

The Apostle Paul experienced the Third Heaven (2 Cor. 12:2). He saw many things that he could not reveal to us. How he managed to keep grounded? Knowing what was in Heaven and be able to wait.

How he managed to wait in a terrible world, full of suffering, persecution, trials?. He has to face every day death, being stoned, ignored, ridiculed or beaten.

- I will be impatiently waiting for Jesus’s return or my time to go Home! -

I know I have a “long way to go” regarding patience, regarding waiting on the Lord timing.

Maranatha! – Yes, Lord Jesus come!

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Christ Leads me Through No Darker Rooms (Sturges)

Christ leads me through no darker rooms

Than He went through before;

And he that in God's kingdom comes

Must enter by this door.

…….

My knowledge of that life is small;

The eye of faith is dim;

But 't is enough that Christ knows all,

And I shall be with Him!

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7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this:
8 ‘I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have followed My word, and have not denied My name. 9 Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept My word of perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of the testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who live on the earth. 11 I am coming quickly; hold firmly to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12 The one who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name. 13 The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ Revelation 3: 7-13

14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Origin of the creation of God, says this:
15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have no need of anything,” and you do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked, 18 I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to apply to your eyes so that you may see. 19 Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. 21 The one who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat with My Father on His throne. 22 The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ Revelation 3: 14-22

The Fourfold Hallelujah
19 After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying,
“Hallelujah! Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God, 2 because His judgments are true and righteous; for He has judged the great prostitute who was corrupting the earth with her sexual immorality, and He has avenged the blood of His bond-servants [a]on her.” 3 And a second time they said, “Hallelujah! Her smoke rises forever and ever.” 4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped God who sits on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” 5 And a voice came from the throne, saying, “Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.” 6 Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters, and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns". Revelation 19:1-6

Marriage of the Lamb
7 Let’s rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has prepared herself.” 8 It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
9 Then he *said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.’” And he *said to me, “These are the true words of God.” 10 Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he *said to me, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brothers and sisters who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Revelation 19: 7-10

The Coming of Christ
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many crowns; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. 13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. 15 From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written: “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” Revelation 19: 11-16

“I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people; and there will no longer be heard in her the voice of weeping and the sound of crying. “No longer will there be in it (lit.: from there) an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out (lit.: fill out) his days; for the youth will die at the age of one hundred and the one who does not reach the age of one hundred (lit.: the one who misses the mark) will be thought accursed. — Isaiah 65:19–20