[Biblemat] Article - "Life is Short"

[GLClair at aol.com]

LIFE IS  SHORT 
Garreth L.  Clair 
The events that take place around us each week tell us that human life is  
short.  As we examine our recent  memory we are cognizant of the frailty of life 
here in this world, our missing  friends who have gone to meet the Lord 
attest to this fact.  Whenever we gather for a family  gathering or whenever we 
attend the services of the congregation where we  usually attend we look about us 
and recognize that some are now gone to meet the  Lord.  It is a fact that 
cannot be  over exaggerated,  "LIFE IS SHORT!"  Because life is short we ought 
to  understand some facts about man's existence and his future after death, 
please  notice the following facts: 
1.         MAN IS BORN: 
Man comes into the world through natural  birth 
Job  14:1-2       "Man that  is born of a woman is of few days, and full of 
trouble. He cometh forth like a  flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a 
shadow, and continueth  not." 
No one can  choose their parents, for some the home into which one is born 
may be a terrible  place.  In some instances the child  may be unloved, abused, 
and perhaps even mentally and/or physically damaged to  such a degree that 
he/she cannot develop normally. Such circumstances are  horrible but in the real 
world such things are far too common in this later part  of the 20th Century. 
Yet, to others children are born into homes with loving,  caring, and 
concerned parents, parents that do everything that they know to do  to properly 
nurture them.   Ephesians 6:4   "And, ye fathers, provoke not your children  to 
wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the  Lord." 
2.         GROW NORMALLY INTO AN   ACCOUNTABLE, HEALTHY,     And INDIVIDUAL: 
As a  person continues to grow in mind and body through their adolescent and 
teen  years they reach a point in time that is called  "accountability."  
"Accountability" is that age that one  grown into where they become aware of 
choices and the consequence of their  choices.  You see, choices bring  about 
consequence.  The greater the  choice the greater the responsibilities and 
consequences.  At this point in life the person, if  exposed to the teaching of the 
gospel of Christ will be forced to choose between  serving Christ or serving the 
Devil - there is no middle ground.  This choice is clearly an ancient choice  
that had to be made in all ages of human existence;   Joshua 24:15   "And if 
it seem evil unto you to serve the  LORD, choose you this day whom ye will 
serve; whether the gods which your  fathers served that were on the other side of 
the flood, or the gods of the  Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for 
me and my house, we will serve the  LORD."   Ecclesiastes 12:13   "Let us hear 
the conclusion of the whole  matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for 
this is the whole duty of  man." 
3.         EVENTUALLY LEAVE THIS WORLD (i.e., "LIFE IS  SHORT!"): 
It is a fact that human life will end, Hebrews 9:27; “And as it is appointed 
unto men once to die,  but after this the judgment:"   Psalms  103:14-16;   
"For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth  that we are dust.   As for man,  his 
days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.            For 
the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall  know 
it no more."  
4.         MAN WILL EVENTUALLY IS     resurrected from the dead TO BE         
 ASSIGNED TO Heaven OR TO        Gehenna  (i.e., Greek): 
One will  surely die but after death sometime in the future all that have 
died will be  raised to meet the Lord Jesus Christ and receive their eternal  
assignment. 
John  5:26-29, "For as  the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to 
the Son to have life in  himself; and hath given him authority to execute 
judgment also, because he is  the Son of man.           
Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in  the 
graves shall hear his voice       And shall come  forth; they that have done 
good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that  have done evil, unto the 
resurrection of  damnation." 
5.         MAN'S ETERNAL SOUL WILL EXIST             FOREVER IN EITHER HEAVEN 
OR IN HELL AFTER THE  RESURRECTION: 
Rev elation 20:10-21:4 
10        And  the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire 
and brimstone, where  the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be 
tormented day and night for  ever and ever. 
11        And I  saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose 
face the earth and  the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for  
them. 
12        And I  saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the 
books were opened: and  another book was opened, which is the book of life: and 
the dead were judged out  of those things which were written in the books, 
according to their  works. 
13        And  the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell 
delivered up the  dead which were in them: and they were judged every man 
according to their  works. 
14        And  death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the 
second  death. 
15        And  whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast 
into the lake of  fire. 
CHAPTER 21 
1          And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and 
the  first earth were passed away; and there was no more  sea. 
2          And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God 
out of  heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her  husband. 
3          And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the 
tabernacle of  God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his 
people, and  God himself shall be with them, and be their  God. 
4          And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall 
be no  more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any 
more pain:  for the former things are passed away.   (KJV) 
"LIFE IS SHORT!" 
May 11, 2007 
_glclair at aol.com_ (mailto:glclair at aol.com)  





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