The Second Death

The Second Death

Death is something that many people are not prepared to face. Whether it be the death of a loved one or their own death, many of us find it difficult to face this inescapable reality. What many people are more unprepared for however is, what the Book of Revelation calls, “The Second Death”.

It’s a proven statistic; ten out of ten people die. One day you will come to the end of your life. The Bible says that immediately after death you will face a holy God at Judgment (Hebrews 9:27). On that day God will expose and bring into light everything you have ever done, said, and even thought about. He will weigh your entire life against the weight of His Law (the Ten Commandments).

The Book of Revelation tells us what those who do not measure up will be cast into a “Lake of Fire” to be tormented forever. Who are these people who will endure this horrible fate? The Bible tells us.

But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars- their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.  –Revelation 21:8

Now perhaps you are not a murderer or one of those who “practice magic arts” but who among us hasn’t told a lie? That verse says that even liars shall have their part in the Lake of Fire. The Bible gives us more lists of those who will have to face this “Second Death”.

Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. -1st Corinthians 6:9-10

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissension, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.  –Galatians 5:19-21

Maybe most of these “major” sins aren’t in your life. But what about jealousy, rage, envy, getting drunk, and greed? They await the same fate as the murderers, idolaters, and adulterers. Maybe you gave your life to Christ years ago, and are still living in sin. Galatians 6:7-8 says.

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

For Christians who choose to despise and abuse God’s free gift of grace and continue to live in sin, the Bible has these sobering words…

If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and the raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.   –Hebrews 10:26-27

Don’t deceive yourself. You will have to face God at Judgment upon your death. He is so holy that He sees lust as adultery and hatred as murder. He has declared that using His name in vain is a capital offense and that all liars will have their share in the lake of fire, which is the Second Death.

BUT, Jesus said in John 10:10,

I have come that they may have life and have it to the full

God has no desire to condemn you to the Second Death by casting you in the Lake of Fire for all eternity. 2,000 years ago He sent His Son Jesus Christ to take the punishment for your sin and then He rose from the dead to give you a new eternal life. You still can be saved if you will simply repent (turn from) of your sins, and put your faith in Jesus Christ as your savior.Death may be unavoidable, but the Second Death isn’t. Choose life today.

Have You Received the Holy Spirit Since You Believed?

After His resurrection, Jesus told His disciples to stay in Jerusalem until they had been "clothed with power from on high"(Luke 24:49). Before His ascension He told them, "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you"(Acts 1:8).

After the day of Pentecost, the Apostle Peter described the coming of the Holy Spirit a prophetic anointing and charismatic empowerment as described by the Prophet Joel. Did you know there are two baptisms? Jesus said,

For John baptized you with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.  -Acts 1:5

This second experience is called the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. It is the "promise of the Father" that Jesus spoke about. The Baptism in the Spirit is a separate experience that believers can and should experience after salvation.

Read what the Bible says about the believers in Samaria…

Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. When they came down, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for still He had come on none of them. They were only baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.  –Acts 8:14-17

Notice that these people were without a doubt, saved and baptized but had not yet received the Holy Spirit… How? They received Him at new birth, but they had not yet been baptized with the Holy Spirit for the power and prophetic anointing to do God's work as the apostles were in Acts 2:1-4. That's why Peter and John came to them

When a person is baptized in the Holy Spirit, they speak in tongues as the initial evidence of this experience. That happened to the apostles in Acts 2:4,

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to speak.

We also see that in Acts 19:6,

When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in other tongues and prophesied

And most convincingly, Acts 10:44-46.

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all those who heard the word. All the believers of the circumcision who had come with Peter were astonished, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and magnifying God.

Notice that it was that these people were speaking in tongues that Peter and his companions knew the Spirit had come upon them. It was the initial evidence of the Spirit's Baptism.

When you get baptized in God's Spirit, you will be given the ability to speak to Him in a language that you do not understand as a sign that you have been anointed to speak the Gospel with supernatural power.

We are given this second blessing freely so that we may have power from God to be His witnesses, and live for Him. Do you want more power, more fervor, more fire in your walk with God? Seek the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. Your spiritual life will go from black and white to color.

Your prayer time will go from routine prayers to daily communion and fellowship with God. Your devotions will go from just reading scriptures, to feeding on the Word, and hearing God speak to you from the Word. You will be filled and overwhelmed with that boldness you have always wanted to share your faith and live the difference amongst your peers.

I know this because that was my experience when I received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. It is also the experience of countless others who have also received this second blessing.

Most importantly, I know this because Jesus promised in Acts 1:8 that we would receive power when Holy Spirit comes upon us. Do you want that? Are you hungry for that? Is something important and powerful missing from your walk with the Lord?

Ask God to fill you and baptize you in His Holy Spirit TODAY! It is His promise and free gift for you today. Just ask, and receive.

And when you ask, believe that you have received, and in faith, start speaking and praising God in the new language that He gives you. Go forth in the power of the Holy Spirit saints!

Under the Influence

Everyone says that first impressions are very important and that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. With that in mind, let’s turn our attention to the world’s first impression of Christians.

In Acts chapter 2 we read about the Day of Pentecost; the “birthday” of the Church if you will, the first day of Christianity. On this powerful day, the first Christians were gathered together in an upper room praying. The wind blew, the fire fell, and then this happened.

“They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”  -Acts 2:4

A crowd from different countries and different backgrounds gathered at the sound of this. They were bewildered at the fact that they each heard these Christians speaking in their own languages. Not everyone however, heard the first Christians speak in their native tongue.

“Some however, made fun of them and said, ‘They have had too much wine.’ Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: ‘Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I have to say. These men are not drunk as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning!’”  -Acts 2:13-15

Now Christians over the centuries have been mistaken for many things. But I think it’s interesting that the world’s first impression of the Church of Jesus Christ was that they were drunk…

Here is something I have noticed about people who like to get drunk; a lot of them do so because getting drunk makes them bold. It gives them that “liquid courage” to do what they have always wanted to do, and say what they have always wanted to say.

It’s a deceptive and destructive fantasy of course, but people for some reason feel they cannot truly be the person they have always wanted to be until they get under the influence of alcohol.

Now think about the Apostle Peter. Here is a man who on the night Jesus was arrested, denied that he knew the Lord three times. Then all of a sudden, he gets “under the influence” of the Holy Spirit, and is bold.

He speaks to the crowd, he commands a paralyzed man to stand up and walk (Acts 3:6), he tells off the Sanhedrin (Acts 4:5-20), and even his shadow brought healing to the sick (Acts 5:15). In other words, Peter had that “liquid courage”. He was under the influence, he was “drunk” on the “New Wine” of the Holy Spirit and could finally be that person that he always wanted to be, and Jesus knew that he always could be.

That’s the reason God tells us in Ephesians 5:18,

“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.”

The Word of God says, “INSTEAD be filled with the Spirit” Instead of getting drunk, get filled with the Spirit. In other words, as an alternative. You want that boldness, that courage to come out of your shell, to not be afraid to share your faith with strangers, to live the difference in an unbelieving world, and be the person you have always wanted to be in Christ? Don’t get drunk on alcohol, get “under the influence” of the New Wine. Get filled with the Holy Spirit just like Peter and the others did in Acts 2:4.

Forgiveness and Healing are a Package Deal

“Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?” –Luke 5:23

The Bible teaches that forgiveness and healing are a package deal. No clearer is this demonstrated than in the story of the paralytic who Jesus healed in Luke 5:17-25. Jesus was teaching inside of a house and many people were there listening. Some men had brought a paralyzed man with them and tried to get him to Jesus in the house.

The crowd was too large so they decided to dig a hole in the roof of the house and lower the paralyzed man through right at Jesus’ feet. When Jesus saw this paralyzed man, He said two things to him; “your sins are forgiven” and “Get up and walk”.

The religious leaders questioned Jesus’ authority to forgive sins, so in response Jesus says to them,

“‘But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins….” He said to the paralyzed man, ‘I tell you, get up take your mat and go home.’ Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God.”  -Luke 5:24-25

The Bible shows us again in the Epistle of James that forgiveness and healing are a package deal.

“Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.”  -James 5:14-15

Notice what the Holy Spirit is saying to us in this passage. The prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well, AND his sins will be forgiven. It’s a package deal. When an interview candidate is hired, they are offered a package. This includes a salary, health care, retirement, etc.
These are not “extras” or a bonus in addition to the offered salary. They are part of the hiring package. Psalm 103:2-3 says,

“Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases”

Forgiveness and healing are part of the “Salvation Package” that has been offered to you through the cross. Healing is not an extra, it is not a bonus, it is not an add on, it is part of the package the you receive freely when you come to God by faith in Jesus Christ.

“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.”  -Isaiah 53:5

Yes, Jesus was crucified (pierced) for our sins, but just as His wounds brought us forgiveness, they brought us healing. He carried them both; our infirmities and our diseases (Isaiah 53:4). How would you feel if you were paying for your health insurance out of your own pocket when all along part of your benefits at work, part of the package of your job was to fully cover your health insurance?

You would feel cheated right? That is exactly what you are doing when you only accept half of the package of the cross. There is another part of the package you are cheating yourself out of; the part that includes healing. Heed the words of the Psalmist today to Praise the LORD and “forget not ALL his benefits…” Forgiveness and healing are a package deal.

Jesus Died for Your Forgiveness, AND Your Healing!

My prayer list grows almost daily with those who are in serious need of healing. It feels like almost every week I learn that someone else has cancer. Almost every day, someone I know is in the hospital either for an operation, tests, follow up, or being rushed to the emergency room. We need a major healing touch from the Lord!

Now, either the Bible is true or it is not. Either the Bible is the Word of God or it’s not. If the Bible is indeed God’s Word, then we must believe and trust what it says, or else we call God a liar. The Bible says in Psalm 103:2-3,

Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not his benefits- who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases

We know that forgiveness of sin is a guaranteed promise from God thanks to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. If you don’t know that, let me assure you that no matter what you have done, no matter how far you have gone, because of the death of Jesus on the cross, God can and will forgive you of any and all sins if you will simply turn to him, and put your faith in Jesus Christ.

Healing is just as much a benefit of the cross as forgiveness. You can trust and believe God for your healing TODAY just as much as you can trust Him for forgiveness. How do I know that? Because the Bible says that Jesus carried your infirmities and diseases.

This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.”  -Matthew 8:17

That’s right! Jesus took up and carried your cancer! Jesus took up and carried your arthritis! He took up and carried your heart condition! He took up and carried your back problems, joint and bone conditions! He took up and carried your eye condition! Jesus took up and carried your pain! Jesus took up and carried ALL your sickness and disease!

Just as you believe that you can come and find forgiveness through Jesus, you should also believe that you can come and find healing through Him! Healing is not a “maybe one day” possibility. It isn’t an add on or footnote to the Gospel. It is a FINISHED promise accomplished at the cross!

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.   –Isaiah 53:5

We ARE healed. Not will be, not “maybe one day”, not as a possibility, we ARE healed! The Bible says we are healed by His wounds. If you are a Christian, I am sure you are thankful for the forgiveness that Jesus purchased for you with His death.

You can also receive healing through that same sacrifice. Jesus died for your forgiveness, AND healing. Your body was not created to get sick. It is not, never has been, and never will be God’s plan for you to be sick. Sickness, cancer, and all disease are a result from The Fall.

They are works of the Devil. And 1st John 3:8 tells us that Jesus came to “destroy the works of the Devil.” All you need to do is have the same attitude as the woman with the issue of blood. Have faith in God’s promises, then reach out and claim your healing!

Do You Have the Power?

The person of the Holy Spirit has been described in many ways; the third person of the trinity, the Comforter, a dove, etc. What about as "power"? Jesus called the Holy Spirit, "The Promise of the Father"(Luke 24:49). He described the Holy Spirit as being clothed with power from on high, and as power to witness(Acts 1:8).

When the Holy Spirit did come in Acts 2:4, listen to how the Apostle Peter describes the gift of Holy Spirit...

 

These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke.    –Acts 2:15-19

 

Read that passage carefully… The Apostle Peter says that what Joel is describing, is the coming of the Holy Spirit. Now does that describe the work of the Holy Spirit in your life? Prophesying, dreams, visions, signs and wonders, POWER? Also notice that the Gift of the Holy Spirit is not limited to spiritual leaders, older believers, or a particular gender. The “Promise of the Father”, the “power from on high” is for everyone; men, women, young, old, those in leadership, and the common man, and they will ALL prophesy.

The Apostle Peter in Acts 2, the Prophet Joel in Joel 2, along with the Lord Jesus in Luke 24 describe the Holy Spirit as a prophetic anointing with charismatic power. Now, since we are all different, the work of the Holy Spirit in each person will look different. That being said, it cannot be overstated, that Jesus said that a believer's life should be one marked by supernatural power…

 

“And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will recover.”       -Mark 16:17-18

 

After Jesus left this earth in this ascension, we see that “those who believe” engaged their community with the power of God on their lives.

 

Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.    –Acts 2:43

 

When was the last time you saw the Holy Spirit at work like that in your life? Would you describe this precious third person of the trinity as being “clothed with POWER from on high”? Take an honest look at your spiritual life. Is the work of the Holy Spirit in your life a true fulfillment of “what was spoken by the prophet Joel” as Peter said it should be?

Jesus wants more for you than to just be saved. He wants to clothe you with power from on high so that you can do what He has called you to do on this earth.

 

“For John baptized you with water, but in a few days you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit.  –Acts 1:5

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you….    –Acts 1:8

If your relationship with the Holy Spirit is not one of charismatic power with a prophetic anointing as described by the Prophet Joel, seek Him today. He is the “Promise of the Father”, “The Gift”, and He is just waiting for you to receive

Ending Gun Violence

It has happened again. Another mass shooting has come to what should be the safest country in the world. As usual, Americans on all sides of the political spectrum are having knee jerk reactions.

Some Americans point to this repetitive pattern of gun violence as clear evidence for gun law reforms or even stricter gun laws. There are renewed calls for an assault weapons ban, mandatory universal background checks, a national gun owner registry, and even gun owners insurance.

Other Americans maintain that this tragedy is just another reason to relax current gun restrictions. The call for banning "Gun Free" zones is gaining momentum as these tragedies take place where citizens have been prevented from protecting themselves. Shooters pick these gun free zones because they know that they will be “gun free” and therefore have no defense.

Our nation hasn't always had this gun problem. As a matter of fact, from 1927-1990 there were less than 10 mass shootings in our schools. Then from 1990 on there has been at least one school shooting every year, most recently, multiple school shootings every year. So what was different about our society back then? Certainly there weren't more gun free zones. In fact, decades ago you could carry guns in more places than you can today.

I remember my grandfather telling me of a time when everybody had a gun and sometimes, kids even carried them to school. He told me that "back in his day" you could wake up early, go hunting, go to school after hunting and leave your gun in your truck in the school parking lot with no problem. Yet, there were hardly any schools shootings back then like there are every few months today.

So what was different? Consider America's attitude to God, faith, and the Bible back then. Our society embraced faith back then. We were a people of faith. We upheld the teachings of the Bible and at least tried to govern with its guidance. And we honored God. Morals and right living were not seen as antiquated, restrictive, and "judgmental" as they are today. Immorality was condemned, shunned, and spoken against from the highest office. Not encouraged and legislated like it is today. If we want to stop the cycle of mass shootings in our nation, we need to return to that.

The answer to ending gun violence is neither more gun control nor more relaxed gun laws. The only way to end gun violence is for America to return being a nation of faith, that is committed to biblical principles, and honors God. We have taken prayer out of school, the Ten Commandments out of the courthouse, and the name of Jesus out of our prayers. We have allowed society to degenerate into corruption and to drift away from God, and we wonder why we see a mass shooting on the news every few months. 

The increase in mass shootings in not because of more gun laws neither is it because of the NRA. It is because our nation has abandoned the practice of teaching people what is right and what is wrong. The violence we see today is a direct manifestation of our neglect to encourage each other to live righteously, ethically, and within certain moral boundaries.

We, as a society, have been conditioned to flinch and cringe at the very thought of "moral boundaries". That was from a different time, an oppressive time... It was also from a time where 7 year olds weren't being slaughtered in their classrooms...  Not because of political and ideological control and manipulation, but because our culture reflected our values. So these atrocities were the tragic exception not the routine.

Gun control will not stop this, neither will the NRA. Only the Gospel of Jesus Christ can stop this. The lifechange that comes from the Gospel will change the direction of our society in numerous ways including gun violence. Sadly, it may take a generation to get back to where we need to be. But we must start today. Let's start today. Not in book of the law in the house of Congress, but in the book of the Bible in the House of God.