fear death

Psalm 23: If You Really Believe in and Follow Jesus, You Should Not Fear Death

I’m not afraid to die. Are you? For the last few years, the world has been living under an oppressive cloud of fear. I have to admit, I got caught up in it, too, at first. No one earthly government, entity, group or organization is to blame. Fear is from the devil. Yes, it’s that simple. Satan just loves to see us humans living in fear. Nevertheless, God proves to us that we need not fear death!

What happened at the beginning with the virus is that everything was unknown. We fear what we don’t know. Furthermore, the biggest unknown is death.

We have to look at death from the eyes of God. He created life and Satan gave us death. (I’ll be getting into the Book of Genesis in a few days.) The Bible tells us how we are to live and nowhere does it say that we need to be afraid of death and dying. In fact, it tell us the exact opposite.

Death is the Door to Eternity

  1. Death is not the door to purgatory because purgatory doesn’t exist. It was invented by greedy popes and church leadership. Discover the truth here.
  2. Physical death is the separation of the soul from the body. The moment we die our souls either go to Heaven to be with Jesus or to hell as far away from God as one can be.
  3. Spiritual death is our souls being separated from God. That is, no relationship with God. We are born that way. It’s not until we make a sincere, conscious decision to repent of our sins and follow Jesus, is when we’re saved from death.
  4. The Second Death is the final banishment from God forever! John explains it in the Book of Revelation

13 The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. 14 Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. 15 And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.

Revelation 20:13-15 NLT

Is YOUR name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life?

In the next chapter of Revelation, John describes our future heavenly home, but that also comes with a warning….

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

“But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

Revelation 21:1-4, 8 NLT

Do you get that? “There will be NO MORE DEATH!” Death is gone forever! However, not for the sinners, unbelievers and idol worshipers! Catholics who put Mary over Jesus are idol worshipers. As is praying to saints. They are dead people! Those who don’t repent will end up in the fiery lake (aka hell).

Why?

Paul tells us…

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23 NLT

Jesus Defeated Sin, Death, the Devil and Fear

Jesus first had to become like us — human…

14 Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. 15 Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.

Hebrews 2:14-15 NLT

Paul writes of the resurrection

O death, where is your victory?
    O death, where is your sting?”

56 For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. 57 But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:55-57 NLT

Jesus assured us in one of His “I AM” statements

25 Jesus told her, “I AM the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. 26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”

John 11: 25-26 NLT

If you are born again, you are guaranteed eternal life!

Do YOU Believe this?!

Not convinced yet? When Jesus was hanging, suffering in pain on the cross, He assured one of the criminals being crucified next to Him that death was not his final destination!

39 One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!”

40 But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? 41 We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”

43 And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Luke 23:39-43 NLT

Jesus showed us what it would be like in one of His parables in Luke 16. Read it here.

When believers die, Jesus sends an angel to escort us to Heaven where Jesus is waiting for us.

The Good Shepherd Described in Psalm 23

Another one of Jesus’ “I AM” statements was, “I AM the Good Shepherd.” The 23rd Psalm describes how He takes great care of His sheep. The author is King David. Let’s dig in…

The Lord is my shepherd;
    I have all that I need.
He lets me rest in green meadows;
    he leads me beside peaceful streams.
    He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
    bringing honor to his name.

Psalm 23:1-3 NLT

Notice that in these opening verses, David is describing the Lord Jesus and how He cares for each of us personally, as “my shepherd”. I tell you, when I was going through 2 years of unemployment, these first verses helped me endure.

Continuing… Notice how the narrative changes to an affirmation…

Even when I walk
    through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
    for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
    protect and comfort me.

Psalm 23:4 NLT

Here David is telling us that death is JOURNEY, NOT a destination! We walk THROUGH the darkest valley or the valley of death. It’s just a transition. David is not afraid because Jesus is close beside him protecting and comforting him.

Next…

You prepare a feast for me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
    My cup overflows with blessings.
Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
    all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
    forever.

Psalm 23:5-6 NLT

And, guess what? Jesus keeps His promises! Paul assures us…

For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.

So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord.

2 Corinthians 5:1-6 NLT

Points to Ponder

For true, born-again believers…

  • Death is journey, NOT a destination!
  • When we leave our bodies, we are immediately in Jesus’ presence in Heaven
  • Death is a shadow not a reality!

Picture this: You’re standing on a street corner waiting to cross the street when a huge 18-wheeler truck turns the corner. Its shadow passes over you, but you are safe on the sidewalk. Would you rather be run over by the truck or the shadow? The shadow, right.

Well, the truck ran over Jesus, so just the shadow will run over us!

Faith or Fear — It’s YOUR Choice!

Again, I’m not afraid of dying. Why? Because, the moment I die, I know that I’ll be in Heaven with Jesus. You won’t see me wearing a mask anywhere anymore. I got vaccinated. Wearing the mask aggravates my asthma.

Think about it! Unless it’s a respirator, when you wear a mask, you’re eventually breathing you’re own carbon dioxide and less oxygen. Your lungs need oxygen. Your heart needs oxygen. Your brain needs oxygen! God created us that way! I don’t know about you, but I prefer to breathe oxygen. We have the right to breathe!

I will walk out of a business establishment if they refuse to let me in without a mask. I can take my business elsewhere for good.

Salvation Through Jesus Means a Ticket to Life Everlasting in Paradise!

If you’re not sure if you’re saved or not, if you truly want to be born again and have the assurance of salvation, receive the Holy Spirit, feel His Shalom — a peace that surpasses all understanding, and get a 1-way, non-stop ticket to Heaven after you die, or that you won’t be left behind at the Rapture, which can happen at any moment, this is what you have to do…

Believe. Repent. Be Baptized. Receive the Holy Spirit.

  • Believe — have Faith — that Jesus is the Christ and He died taking your sins away forever and that He rose from the dead 3 days later.
  • Repent of your sins — stop sinning! Do a complete 180-degree turn in your life and surrender your life to Him. When you ask Jesus to forgive you He will. ALL your sins will be wiped clean — past, present, and future! And All means ALL!
  • Be Baptized by water baptism — show the world and yourself that you have died to your old life and are born again in Christ.
  • Receive the gift of Holy Spirit in your heart.

Invite Jesus into Your Heart and Receive the Gift of Grace, Joy, Peace, and the Confident Hope of Eternal Life…

Invite Jesus into Your Heart and Receive the Gift of Grace, Joy, Peace, and the Confident Hope of Eternal Life…

Break Up with Fear!


Shepherd of My Soul


In Christ Alone

The final stanza of this song says it all…


No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow’r of Christ in me;
From life’s first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow’r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—
Here in the pow’r of Christ I’ll stand.



Soli Deo Gloria! To God Alone Be the Glory!

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