The Death of Chadwick Bozeman in Biblical perspective - Todd McCauley

On August 28th, 2020. Actor Chadwick Aaron Boseman died of complications due to Colon cancer. Boseman achieved international fame for his role as the Black Panther. You know, even as a follower of Christ, I will NEVER get used to this death thing. One day a person you love is here and the next day they're gone. It’s crazy. What helps me make some sense of the craziness experienced in this life is to ask myself, “What does God’s word have to say about this”? And you know what? There is a word from the Lord. In the Book of Hebrews, chapter nine, verse 27, the writer states, “And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment” (NLT). In order to make sense of this “death thing,” we MUST understand God’s perspective on death. Before I dig any deeper, I must say that what you read here may not bring you immediate comfort or encouragement. This exposition may not alleviate your fear or angst about the subject of death. But, what I hope happens is that you gain some clarity on what takes place when a person you love dies. Hebrews 9:27 uncovers for us FOUR (4) important realities about death that we all need to know. Reality #1 Death is CERTAIN (“And just as each person is destined….”) The word “destined” means something that is reserved, certain, and appointed. Therefore, the writer declares that death (physical death) is reserved, certain and mankind’s destiny. Folks, there is no surer reality in life than physical death. Someone asked me, “Why do people have to die? The Bible is clear. The reason why mankind is subject to death is because of SIN. Because of sin, death is reserved, certain and destined for all humanity. Why did Chadwick Boseman die? Because he had Colon Cancer right? Well, Cancer may have been the Catalyst, but the true cause is because he like you and me, was a Sinner and therefore subject to the curse of sin, namely death. Everybody is NOT guaranteed to die quietly in their sleep like my grandfather, many of us will die kicking and screaming like his passengers. Again, the point is NOT how we die, but WHY we die. The Bible clearly states, "the wages of SIN is death"(Rom 3:23). You ask, what is Sin? The Bible tells us that Sin is lawlessness (1 John 3:4). In other words when we break God’s Law (i.e. His 10 Commandments) we sin. Reality #2 Death is certain FOR ALL People (“….each person…”) Because of sin, every human being regardless of gender or age is subject to physical death. Friends, death is no respecter of persons, death is not racist, death doesn’t play favorites, death is not politically correct……….. EVERYBODY IS GOING TO DIE. Reality #3 Death is an ONE TIME event (“…to die once...”) Folks, concepts like reincarnation are FALSE. We don’t get several shots at this life, men and women are not born with 9 lives. In light of this fact, we should take the Apostles Paul’s advice seriously, “make the most of your time” (Eph 5:16). Reality #4 Death leads to CERTAIN judgment (“…….and after that comes judgment”) Physical death is NOT the end. When people die they don’t cease to exist. The Bible is clear because of our sin we all experience death and following death comes judgment. This is the divine judgment carried out by Christ. May I ask you a question? That’s right YOU, the one reading this article. “If YOU were to die today, where would you go? I can hear you and you said, “The good place” (i.e., Heaven). Okay, my next question is, “You’re standing at the pearly gates and God asks you, “Why should I let you into MY Heaven”? What would you say to Him? A lot of folk respond, “Because I’m a good person”. Hey reader, would you consider yourself a good person? So, as a good person, have you kept God’s perfect moral standard of goodness, the Ten Commandments? Well let’s see. Have you EVER told a lie? Have you EVER stolen anything regardless of size or value? Here’s a good one, have you EVER lusted after someone of the opposite sex? Jesus calls this Adultery of the heart. Have you EVER dishonored or disrespected your parents? One more, have your EVER misused the name of God. In other words, have you ever used God's name as a four letter cuss word. If you’ve answered yes to any of these, then by your OWN admission you have broken God’s law by lying, stealing, adultery, dishonoring parents and blasphemy. So WHEN, not IF, but WHEN you stand before God on Judgment day and He judges you by His perfect, moral standard will He pronounce you, “Innocent or Guilty”? If you said “guilty” then you answered correctly. Therefore, when He pronounces you “guilty”, will He sentence you to “Heaven or Hell”? That’s right, Hell it is. So reader, does this concern you? It should because your soul (i.e., life) is precious. Reader, God does not want you to die and go to Hell. This is why God the Father sent His son Jesus to the earth in order to suffer and die in our place. Jesus rose from the dead defeating death. So simply put, “You broke God’s law, BUT, Jesus paid your fine on the cross”. What you MUST do now is Repent of your Sin (i.e., Change your mind) and Turn to God by placing your total trust in Jesus for Salvation. When Jesus said, “Believe in Me” what He was saying is that we should trust him in the same way you would trust a parachute to save your life when jumping out of a plane. You don’t merely “believe” in the parachute, you put it on!!!! My dear reader. Please don’t jump out of the plane of life without Jesus. I can’t emphasize this enough, If you die in your sins, there will be NO second chance and you will experience the full weight of God’s Justice meaning you will end up in Hell, Forever. Again, I plead with you to repent of your sins and turn to God by placing your total trust in Jesus for Salvation. The Bible promises that if you do this, you will pass from death to life. Are you ready to repent and turn to God? Then Pray right now and place your faith in Jesus. The following is a suggested prayer - Dear God, I understand that I have broken Your Law and sinned against you. Please forgive my sins. Thank you that Jesus suffered on the Cross in my place. I now place my total trust in Him as my Savior and Lord. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen Dear reader, please understand that this prayer doesn’t save you, it merely expresses the desire of your heart. Reader, if you have truly repented and trusted in Jesus, rest assured your sins are forgiven and you can now partake in the blessings of being a follower of Christ Jesus. Here are just ten of God’s exceedingly great and precious promises: 1. You have passed from death into life (Jn. 5:24). 2. God will supply all of your needs according to His riches (Phil. 4:19). 3. Jesus will be with you in trials, promising never to leave nor forsake you (Heb. 13:5). 4. The Holy Spirit will lead you into all truth, and give you the power to live a holy life (Jn. 16:13). 5. You are cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ—God has removed your sins as far as the East is from the West (Ps. 103:12). 6. As you abide in Christ, you will see the “fruit” of His Spirit begin to manifest in your life (Gal. 5:22-25). 7. As you read the Bible daily, it will come alive to you and cause you to grow in your faith (1 Pet. 2:1-3). 8. When you pray, God will hear you and answer your prayers (1 Jn. 5:15). 9. The cross will be continual evidence of God’s love for you (Rom. 5:8). 10. God “is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy” (Jude 1:24). My dear “New” Brother or Sister in Christ. God teaches in His word that as His follower He wants you to do the following: 1. Search the Scriptures daily and see what He has in store for those that love Him. 2. Honor Christ’s command to be baptized, 3. Find yourself a Jesus-centered, Bible-teaching church and commit yourself to it. May God continue to bless you as you obey Him. In His Eternal Grip, Rev. Todd P.S. If you’ve committed your life to Christ, I’d love to hear about it. My email address is ToddMccauley@outlook.com

The death of Prince in Biblical perspective.

I was driving earlier today to pick up two of my children when on the radio comes the report that Prince was dead at the age of 57. At first, I couldn’t believe it.  What Prince is he talking about? He can’t be talking about the recording artist Prince?  I guess what shocked me was the suddenness of it.  Was he killed?  Was he in an accident?  Was he sick?  You know, even as a follower of Christ, I will NEVER get used to this death thing.  One day a person you love is here and the next day they're gone. It’s crazy.

What helps me makes some sense of the craziness experienced in this life is to ask myself, “what does God’s word have to say about this”? And you know what? There is a word from the Lord. In the Book of Hebrews, chapter nine, verse 27, the writer states, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment”. In order to make sense of this “death thing,” we MUST understand God’s perspective on death.

Before I dig any deeper, I must say that what you read here may not bring you immediate comfort or encouragement. This exposition may not alleviate your fear or angst about the subject of death. But, what I hope happens is that you gain some clarity on what takes place when a person you love dies. 

Hebrews 9:27 uncovers for us FOUR (4) important realities about death that we all need to know.

Reality #1
Death is CERTAIN (“And as it is appointed….”)
The word “appointed” means, something that is reserved, certain, and destined. Therefore, the writer declares that death (physical death) is reserved, certain and mankind’s destiny. Folks, there is no surer reality in life than physical death. Someone asked me, “Why do people have to die? The Bible is clear. The reason why mankind is subject to death is because of SIN. When Adam violated God’s righteous standard (Gen 2:15-17) the Bible states sin thereby entered the world of humanity followed by death (Rom 5:12). Because of sin, death is reserved, certain and destined for all humanity. Why did the 9 people in that Charleston South Carolina A.M.E church die?  Because they were black? Well, their ethnicity may have been the Catalyst, but the true cause is because they like you and me, are sinners and therefore subject to the curse of sin, namely death. Why did Prince die?  Because like the rest of us, he was a sinner (Rom 3:23). Let me add this.  Everybody is NOT guaranteed to die quietly in their sleep like my grandfather, many of us will die kicking and screaming like his passengers. Again, the point is NOT how we die, but WHY we die.  The Bible clearly states, "the wages of SIN is death"(Rom 3:23).

Reality #2
Death is certain FOR ALL MEN (“….for men…”)
The word “men” here is a generic term which speaks of “ALL humanity”. Every Human being regardless of gender or age is subject to physical death. Friends, death is no respecter of persons, death is not racist, death doesn’t play favorites, death is not politically correct.
   
                                                        EVERYBODY IS GOING TO DIE. 

     The Book of Hebrews, chapter 11 verses 36-38 states, “Still others had trials of mocking’s and scourging’s, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— 38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth”. 

Reality #3
Death is an ONETIME event (“…once to die...”)
Folks, concepts like reincarnation are FALSE. We don’t get several shots at this life, men and women are not born with 9 lives. In light of this fact, we should take the Apostles Paul’s advice seriously, “make the most of your time” (Eph 5:16).

Reality #4
Death leads to CERTAIN judgment (“…….but after this the judgment”)
Physical death is NOT the end. When people die they don’t cease to exist. The Bible is clear, following death comes judgment. This is the divine judgment carried out by Christ. The Bible speaks of judgment for BOTH the believer and unbeliever when they die.

Allow me to briefly explain what happens to a person when they die.

FIRST, what happens when the BELIEVER dies?
A. His/her, soul/spirit goes to Heaven to be with Christ (2 Cor 5:8).

B. At the Rapture of the Church the believer’s soul/spirit is reunited with his/her resurrected body (1 Thess 4).

C. All believers are reunited with each other and the Lord in Heaven during the time of Tribulation on the earth (1 Thess 4; John 14:6). It’s in heaven that the believer’s works are judged in order to determine his/her degree of reward (2 Cor 5).

D. At Christ’s Second coming all the saints return from Heaven with Him to live and reign on the earth during His Millennial Kingdom reign (Rev 20:4-6).


SECOND, what happens when the UNBELIEVER dies?
A. His/her, soul/spirit goes to Hell where in conscious torment they await the Judgment of God (Luke 16:19-31); Rev 20:11).

B. After the Millennial reign of Christ, the Dead are brought before the “White throne” of judgment where their works will be judged, not to determine whether they go to heaven, but to determine their degree of punishment in the “Lake of Fire” (Rev 20:11ff).

When I think about the death of Prince my hope is that he truly knew Christ as Lord and Savior. What I mean is this.  I hope that at some point in his life he was able to REPENT of his sin and put his whole weight upon Christ. Because if he did, the Bible assures us that he is more alive today than he ever was in his life on earth. Jesus put it this way, “...I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies” (John 11:25).  The plain truth is that many folks are not ready to die.  How about you?  Are you ready?  If you died today, do you know where you would go?

Listen, the real tragedy is NOT Prince dying.  The real tragedy is if he died NOT having trusted Christ as Lord and Savior.

It's not too late, Trust Jesus Now.

Todd.

Charleston S.C in Biblical perspective (Hebrews 9:27)

Whether you live in Charleston or not, everyone has been impacted by the tragedy that took place on Wednesday evening at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. Nine people including the Pastor lost their lives in a senseless attack by 21 year old Dylann Roof. The responses to these killings shoot the gamut from anger to forgiveness, to debates as to whether churches should now “arm” the Ushers. My response as a follower of Christ is always to ask, “What does God’s word have to say about this”? And you know what? There is a word from the Lord. In the Book of Hebrews, chapter nine, verse 27, the writer states, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment”. In order to make sense of this senseless tragedy, we MUST understand God’s perspective on death. Before we dig deeper, I must say that what you read may not bring you immediate comfort or encouragement. This exposition may not alleviate you anger and frustration. But what I hope happens is that you gain some clarity on what took place in Charleston.
Hebrews 9:27 uncovers for us four (4) important realities about death that we all need to know:

Reality #1
Death is certain (“And as it is appointed…..”)
The word “appointed” means, something that is reserved, certain, and destined. Therefore the writer declares that death (Physical death) is reserved, certain and mankind’s destiny. Folks there is no surer reality in life than physical death. Someone asked me, “Why do people have to die? The Bible is clear. The reason why mankind is subject to death is because of SIN. When Adam violated God’s righteous standard (Gen 2:15-17) the Bible states sin thereby entered the world of humanity followed by death (Rom 5:12). Because of sin, death is reserved, certain and destined for all humanity. Why did the 9 people in this Charleston South Carolina A.M.E church die, because they were black? Well their ethnicity may have been the Catalyst, but the true cause is because they like you and I were sinners and subject to the curse of sin, namely death.

Reality #2
Death is certain for all men (“…….for men…….”)
The word “men” here is a generic term which speaks of “ALL humanity”. Every Human being regardless of gender or age is subject to physical death. Friends, death is no respecter of persons, death is not racist, and death doesn’t play favorites. Everybody is going to die. But here’s the deal, there is not a set prescribed way that people are going to die. For example, everybody’s not’s going to die at 88 yrs. old peaceably in their bed. The Book of Hebrews, chapter 11 verses 36-38 states, “Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— 38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth”. This also includes churches.

Reality #3
Death is a onetime event (“…..once to die……”)
Folks, we must understand that based on this verse concepts like reincarnation are false. We don’t get several shots at this life, men and women are not born with 9 lives. In light of this fact we should take the Apostles Paul’s advice seriously, “make the most of your time” (Eph 5:16).

Reality #4
Death leads to certain judgment (“…….but after this the judgment”)
Physical death is NOT the end. When people die they don’t cease to exist. The Bible is clear, following death comes judgment. This is the divine judgment carried out by Christ. The Bible speaks of judgment for BOTH the believer and unbeliever when they die.

First, what happens when the believer dies?
a. His/her, soul/spirit goes to Heaven to be with Christ (2 Cor 5:8)
b. At the Rapture of the Church the believer’s soul/spirit is reunited with his/her resurrected body (1 Thess 4)
c. All believers are reunited with each other and the Lord in Heaven during the time of Tribulation on the earth (1 Thess 4; John 14:6). It’s in heaven that the believer’s works are judged in order to determine his/her degree of reward (2 Cor 5).
d. At Christ’s Second coming all the saints return from Heaven with Him to live and reign on the earth during His Millennial Kingdom reign (Rev 20:4-6).

Second, what happens when the Unbeliever dies?
a. His/her, soul/spirit goes to Hell where in conscious torment they await the Judgment of God (Luke 16:19-31); Rev 20:11).
b. After the Millennial reign of Christ, the Dead are brought before the “White throne” of judgment where their works will be judged, not to determine whether they go to heaven, but to determine their degree of punishment in the “Lake of Fire” (Rev 20:11ff).

When I think about the deaths of these folks in Charleston S.C. my hope is that each of these nine precious souls knew Christ as Lord and Savior, because if they did, they are more alive today than they ever have been in their entire lives. The plain truth is that many of us who name the name of Christ are not ready to die because we either have a non-existing or underdeveloped theology of death. Listen, when one knows the truth of God's word related to death, no matter what the circumstances we can and will experience the hope that's ours in Christ.

Amen.