What Happens When We Die

What Happens When We Die – in simplicity, we actually meet God.

What Happens When We Die – Chorazin, Israel – north of the Sea of Galilee

Look at the pictures above and below of Chorazin, Israel, a Bible city, in northern Galilea. The city is a few miles from Capernaum on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee. The city is also called Korazin. Jesus talked about Chorazin in both the gospels of Matthew and Luke. Today no one lives in this ancient city, the residents (as far as we know) have all died. What happened to each of them after death?

God, on His calendar has a date for our birth and a date for our death. It is usually non-negotiable, at least I know of few who been able to change those dates. Life and death is in the hands of God. Death is unknown to us, it just happens.

Here is one of Jeremiah’s Prayer in Jeremiah 23, I know, O Lord, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.

John 5:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

Read more in the article: What Happens When I Die.

Jeremiah’s Prayer – a man’s life is not his own – picture of Chorazin, Israel – north of the Sea of Galilee

Recognizing the Sovereign Lord

God created and owns the earth. We need to acknowledge this fact in the universe.

Recognizing the Sovereign Lord – a river in Washington

After all man’s attempts to ignore God, and replace God with other things, God takes full control and restores the earth back to the owner, who is God. This is the story of the book of Revelation. Sometimes when man forgets God or ignores God, bad things happen. There are many examples of this in the Old Testament. But eventually God gets all the glory.

Eventually there will be the New Jerusalem, with God fully in control. Again this is talked about much in the last book of the Bible, the conclusion of the whole Bible, the book of Revelation. Revelation 11:15 … The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever.

Maybe one of the best Bible verses on God’s sovereignty is Isaiah 6:1-3 In the year of the death of king Uzziah, I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple. 2 Seraphim were standing above him…. 3 And one called to the other and said, Holy, holy, holy is Jehovah of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.

Pray with the Sovereign Lord

Isaiah 50:4 The Sovereign LORD has given me …

Pray with the Sovereign Lord – a California sunset

Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

What does it mean to fear the Lord, it means to recognize Him as the sovergn God who rules over all things. He created the universe out of nothing, He designed DNA and everything about us. He decided when we will be born into this world, and He decides the day we leave. He decides a lot of things we cannot even touch. He holds the calendar with the dates of our birth and death, who are parents will be, what city we are born, and what century.

God owns the universe and spoke it into being. What ever He says is significant, so we should listen. God has the ability to do anything He wants to and no one can stop Him.

God is real, He exists, He is alive. God works and God acts.

This Bible verse is from proverbs, which is about wisdom. Actually in this book of the Bible wisdom is personified. And then in the New Testament we learn that Christ is the wisdom of God. 1 Corinthians 1:30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God–that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption?

Daniel 5:21 … the Most High God is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and sets over them anyone he wishes. So pray with the sovereign Lord.

Prayer is Connecting with God

Prayer is connecting with God in reality.

Prayer is connecting with God – a river in Oregon

But prayer is hard without the Spirit. In John 4, Jesus says “God is Spirit and they that worship (pray) Him,must worship (pray) in spirit and in reality“. So we need to pray with the spirit, our human spirit, to contact God in reality. God created man with Body, soul and spirit. Notice the ‘s’ on spirit/Spirit. Upper case ‘Spirit’ refers to the Spirit of God, since He is Spirit. Lower case ‘spirit’ refers to our human spirit. God gave us a spirit to contact God who is Spirit. Prayer in reality comes when we contact God in spirit.

Prayer is simple. Prayer is just talking to God. Nothing formal is necessary.

God exists and listens, we just need to talk to Him. Prayer does not need to be formal or in some special place. Prayer is just talking to God in reality. So we don’t need make-up something, just start saying what is on your heart as you talk to God. Prayer is just a dialog between us and God. Prayer can be alone for with others. Prayer can be when we love God and when we hate God. Sometimes we are hurting because of something that happened, so tell that to God. Prayer can be what we feel when we are very encouraged and when we are very depressed and low. Prayer can be when we think we are perfect (only God is perfect), and when we are a sinner (and we all are sinners) and when we feel we are a saint. Prayer can be when we are happy and when we are sad. Sometimes after we pray we feel high and sometimes low.

The Spirit makes it easy, because He knows how and what to pray. Without the Spirit, prayer is hard. With the Spirit prayer us easy. Romans 8:26 And in like manner the Spirit joins also its help to our weakness; for we do not know what we should pray for as is fitting, but the Spirit itself makes intercession with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Look at the prayers of David in the Psalms where David just talks to God. David tells God just what he thinks and how he feels. When David is low, he says “God, I am depressed”.

When David was feeling great, He praises God. Sometimes when he is low is also praises God. Psalms 8:2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou established praise because of thine adversaries, to still the enemy and the avenger.

Also consider some of the points in the article on “Prayer is Talking to God”

Trust in the Lord

Trust in the Lord – lake in Montana

We trust in many things like food, our house, our job, our bank account, hard work, our family or society. When things do not work we sometimes drop all else and trust the Lord! But only because we have come to our end, at least we think our end. So now to try to trust the Lord everyday is a stretch for many of us. Our understanding of life and events is somewhat limited, so that’s why the verse says to not rely too much on our thinking or understanding. God knows better than us, even though we like to think we understand everything.

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; 6 think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.

Look at the story of Joseph in the Bible. Joseph had a vision to be a governor in Egypt, yet God let him through all kinds of very difficult trials. If Joseph had not been Egypt’s prisoner, he could have never been Egypt’s governor.

Every difficulty we pass through prepares us for our future work for God. So right in the middle (but this is hard to do), we need to trust in the Lord.

Prayer and Supplication with Thanksgiving

Prayer and Supplication with Thanksgiving – Seagull, Cannon Beach, Oregon

Prayer starts with thanksgiving, thanking God for all He has done. Sometimes this is hard to do, but thanksgiving helps our prayer. But this verse starts by telling us to be careful for nothing, that is, don’t worry about anything, just pray. Then it says to just let God know what’s going on, just talk to God. Then after all these items, there is the peace of God that goes beyond what we think and feel. This peace guards our hearts by filling us with the peace of God.

Philippians 4:6-7 Be careful about nothing; but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses every understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts by Christ Jesus.

Prayer is Talking to God

Prayer is simple. Prayer is just talking to God. Nothing formal is necessary.

Olive Trees In Jerusalem Israel – Prayer is Talking to God

Look at the prayers of David in the Psalms where David just talks to God. David tells God just what he thinks and how he feels. When David is low, he says “God, I am depressed”.

Also consider some of the points in the article on “What is Prayer”

More Spokane Moose Sightings

Moose Staring at Drew

Ok, so yesterday, one mile from the trailhead, as I am walking back to my car, I turned around and observed a large very black moose up the side of the hill. He was staring me in the face. I was going to change lenses on my camera, but decided to quickly get out of there. On the way back I met some other hikers, so I brought them back to the moose spot. As we turned the corner in the canyon, there is the moose, in the middle of the dirt road, looking straight at the three of us. I quicky put the telephoto lens on my camera and hid behind the other hikers and quickly took two pictures. Then I said “Bye” and headed down the trail! I just did not want to have to hide behind a tree as one is supposed to do when charged by a moose. One of the hikers was an experienced moose hunter! So did not feel bad leaving. We were near the Little Spokane River north of Spokane.

See more moose sightings. The moose below were not staring me in the face. These were photographed in the same area a few weeks ago.

Two Moose in Little Spokane River area

Christian Bible Study

Bible Study and Devotions