Left picture military cemetery
The Call to heaven
Here is something for you to think about. A boy and a girl grow up to be a man and a woman. The future is theirs. The world is theirs. There appears to be nothing that they cannot have. One day they go to work and witness a terrible scene. Their office building is on fire. Fire engines roar to the scene and eventually the fire is put out. What is left is a charred building, What is inside is death. This is the first time they think about death. They are shocked and appalled. They have no work to go to so they walk back along the flowery boulevard, the gleaming shop fronts, fashion shops, jewelers and cafes, and feeling weak and dispirited they sit down on a street bench. This is what they talk about:
‘Harry, I feel afraid of death. Do you realise that our friends and colleagues have just died in that blaze?’
‘I don’t understand how it could have happened so quickly. Don’t you remember all the emergency procedures?’
‘Yes, it just means that there is nothing that can save us from death.’
‘I know. I don’t think I will ever be the same person again.’
‘Why do you say that, Harry?
Because I have just realised that I am going to die.’
Silence.
‘Did you hear what I just said?’
‘Yes, of course. I heard you but what can I say? I know we are going to die but I just don’t think about it.’
‘But why don’t we think about it, Rachel? What is the matter with us? Are we not human beings?’
‘There are some things that are just too frightening to think about, and now that we have seen death there is nothing to see. Do you know what I mean? If there are any remains they are not the remains of life are they?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Just think about it Harry. My heart is breaking. I have just lost two friends and all their fun and smiles, their happiness and jokes. What has become of them? They are not there in that burnt out place of death are they? I can’t believe that they are charred bodies, can you?’
‘No Rachel, I can’t believe they are in their bodies. A body is not a spirit or a mind. It isn’t anything that survives life, is it?’
‘Don’t you mean there is nothing that survives death?’
‘No I mean what I said. There is nothing that survives life, for everything dies that is not life. The body dies because it is not life. Only life is immortal. The body is not immortal so it dies. It is a fake and there is no real life in it.’
‘So what is the purpose of life? What happens to it when it separates from the body?’
‘That is what I would like to know. Do we get a second dying body like this one or something better?’
‘I can answer that question for you. I’m Daren. May I join you?’
‘We are not very happy company, Daren’ Our friends have just been taken from us.’
‘Perhaps not but to answer your question Harry, the bible speaks of a second death.’
‘A second!’
‘That’s right but it’s not a foregone conclusion.’
‘Do you mean that it isn’t certain?’
‘We are Christians, Daren but we have never given much thought to dying.’
‘If you are Christians then I presume you believe in the resurrection of the body?’
‘Yes.’
‘So is the resurrected body mortal or immortal like the soul?’
‘I see what you are getting at now. I suppose it is immortal and won’t die.’
‘Why then does the bible speak about a second death?’
‘I don’t know,’ Rachel answered.
‘Me neither, Daren.’
‘It is immortal, like the soul,’ Daren said.
‘And so what is the second death?’ asked Harry.
‘It can die if the soul is sinful, like Adam and Eve died because of their sin. Their bodies died.’
‘So you mean it dies again like the first time Adam and Eve sinned?’
‘I think so because sin is the soul’s and the mind’s refusal to believe in God and his Word.’
‘Why then did God send Jesus to be our Saviour from sin and death?’
‘Because God loves us. He wants to call us to heaven.’ (Philippians 3:14)
‘What do you mean?’ asked Rachel.
‘I mean that anything on earth is going to pass away and there is going to be a new heaven and new earth, not doomed to pass away but to exist for ever and ever. Thos souls who have faith in Jesus Christ to save them from sin and death will inherit this immortal, eternal world and their resurrected bodies will be holy and sinless and never die. Do you remember St. Peter saying, “We are called to an inheritance incorruptible reserved for you in heaven?”’ ( 1 Peter 1:4)
‘I’m so glad you joined us. I do see what you are saying now,’ Rachel said, ‘but do know I am going to cry my eyes out. I just can’t hold the pain of death in any longer.’
Rachel smiled a little and burst into tears.
‘Death is painful,’ Harry said. ‘I feel devastated.’
‘Harry! Harry! Oh my God! Look where Daren sat.’
Rachel blinked through her tears. The seat where Daren sat was empty.
‘I don’t believe it,’ Harry gasped. ‘He must have been an angel.’
Here is something for you to think about. A boy and a girl grow up to be a man and a woman. The future is theirs. The world is theirs. There appears to be nothing that they cannot have. One day they go to work and witness a terrible scene. Their office building is on fire. Fire engines roar to the scene and eventually the fire is put out. What is left is a charred building, What is inside is death. This is the first time they think about death. They are shocked and appalled. They have no work to go to so they walk back along the flowery boulevard, the gleaming shop fronts, fashion shops, jewelers and cafes, and feeling weak and dispirited they sit down on a street bench. This is what they talk about:
‘Harry, I feel afraid of death. Do you realise that our friends and colleagues have just died in that blaze?’
‘I don’t understand how it could have happened so quickly. Don’t you remember all the emergency procedures?’
‘Yes, it just means that there is nothing that can save us from death.’
‘I know. I don’t think I will ever be the same person again.’
‘Why do you say that, Harry?
Because I have just realised that I am going to die.’
Silence.
‘Did you hear what I just said?’
‘Yes, of course. I heard you but what can I say? I know we are going to die but I just don’t think about it.’
‘But why don’t we think about it, Rachel? What is the matter with us? Are we not human beings?’
‘There are some things that are just too frightening to think about, and now that we have seen death there is nothing to see. Do you know what I mean? If there are any remains they are not the remains of life are they?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Just think about it Harry. My heart is breaking. I have just lost two friends and all their fun and smiles, their happiness and jokes. What has become of them? They are not there in that burnt out place of death are they? I can’t believe that they are charred bodies, can you?’
‘No Rachel, I can’t believe they are in their bodies. A body is not a spirit or a mind. It isn’t anything that survives life, is it?’
‘Don’t you mean there is nothing that survives death?’
‘No I mean what I said. There is nothing that survives life, for everything dies that is not life. The body dies because it is not life. Only life is immortal. The body is not immortal so it dies. It is a fake and there is no real life in it.’
‘So what is the purpose of life? What happens to it when it separates from the body?’
‘That is what I would like to know. Do we get a second dying body like this one or something better?’
‘I can answer that question for you. I’m Daren. May I join you?’
‘We are not very happy company, Daren’ Our friends have just been taken from us.’
‘Perhaps not but to answer your question Harry, the bible speaks of a second death.’
‘A second!’
‘That’s right but it’s not a foregone conclusion.’
‘Do you mean that it isn’t certain?’
‘We are Christians, Daren but we have never given much thought to dying.’
‘If you are Christians then I presume you believe in the resurrection of the body?’
‘Yes.’
‘So is the resurrected body mortal or immortal like the soul?’
‘I see what you are getting at now. I suppose it is immortal and won’t die.’
‘Why then does the bible speak about a second death?’
‘I don’t know,’ Rachel answered.
‘Me neither, Daren.’
‘It is immortal, like the soul,’ Daren said.
‘And so what is the second death?’ asked Harry.
‘It can die if the soul is sinful, like Adam and Eve died because of their sin. Their bodies died.’
‘So you mean it dies again like the first time Adam and Eve sinned?’
‘I think so because sin is the soul’s and the mind’s refusal to believe in God and his Word.’
‘Why then did God send Jesus to be our Saviour from sin and death?’
‘Because God loves us. He wants to call us to heaven.’ (Philippians 3:14)
‘What do you mean?’ asked Rachel.
‘I mean that anything on earth is going to pass away and there is going to be a new heaven and new earth, not doomed to pass away but to exist for ever and ever. Thos souls who have faith in Jesus Christ to save them from sin and death will inherit this immortal, eternal world and their resurrected bodies will be holy and sinless and never die. Do you remember St. Peter saying, “We are called to an inheritance incorruptible reserved for you in heaven?”’ ( 1 Peter 1:4)
‘I’m so glad you joined us. I do see what you are saying now,’ Rachel said, ‘but do know I am going to cry my eyes out. I just can’t hold the pain of death in any longer.’
Rachel smiled a little and burst into tears.
‘Death is painful,’ Harry said. ‘I feel devastated.’
‘Harry! Harry! Oh my God! Look where Daren sat.’
Rachel blinked through her tears. The seat where Daren sat was empty.
‘I don’t believe it,’ Harry gasped. ‘He must have been an angel.’