Life on this earth is not everything. Our life is a countdown to death. Day by day the count goes down to the day when we shall finally end up in the grave. And at death, like the space rocket, we take off. What is death? It is a separation of our soul and spirit from the body. The important question at that time is "Where are we going?" Do you know your destination?
Life after death is more important than life on earth. Eternity is more important than time. Where we are going to spend eternity is far more important than where and how we spend our lives on earth. The foolish person is short-sighted and thinks only in terms of this life. The wise person looks to the future and prepares for eternity.
Consider as an illustration, a young man who has inherited a fortune of many millions of rupees and who has decided to settle down in Bangalore. On his way there he spends a couple of days in Bombay. He spends money lavishly on himself during those two days and gambles and loses his fortune completely. When he finally reaches Bangalore, he is penniless and spends the remaining sixty years of his life begging on the streets of the city, with no place to stay.
What would you call such a man? Surely, "A fool". A far greater fool is the one who thinks only in terms of this life and neglects eternity. For the length of our life on earth, even if it be a hundred years, is only a fraction of a second when compared to eternity.
The Bible says that a day is coming when each of us will have to give an account of our earthly lives to God. When we consider all the billions of people who have lived on this earth during the many centuries of man's history, we may wonder how God keeps a record of everything that every man did, said and thought, during his lifetime. This record is kept by each man's memory.
Memory is like a video-tape that faithfully records everything that we do, say and think. It also records our inner attitudes and motives. When a person dies, although he leaves his body behind on earth, his memory being a part of his soul, goes with his soul to the place of dead spirits. When the day of judgement finally comes, he will stand before God to give an account to Him of his entire life on earth.
In that day, when each person's turn comes for judgment, God will only have to replay the video-tape of the man's own memory for everyone to see the record of his life. No-one will be able to question the accuracy of that display for it will be his own memory recounting the details of his earthly life.
The outward veneer of decency and religion that people wear today will be stripped off in that day and the true inner person will then be exposed. Religion will not save anyone in that day, for it will be clearly seen that all have sinned - whatever religion they may have been born into or practiced. Good works done, money given to the poor or to church, temple or mosque also will not save anyone - for none of these religious activities can blot out the record of our sins.
There is ONLY ONE WAY by which the record of the evils that we have done, said and thought can be permanently blotted out from God's sight, so that they will not be played back by the video-tape in the day of judgement. Our good works cannot blot out our evil works. No. A just and righteous punishment has to be meted out for the sins that we have committed. The Bible says that there is only one punishment laid down in the Divine Law for sin - and that is ETERNAL DEATH. This death is what we all deserve for our sins.
It was to save us from this punishment that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came down from heaven, to earth as a man and died on a cross outside Jerusalem, over 1950 years ago. There He took the Divine punishment for the sins of humanity - for all the sins of people of all religions. He was buried in a nearby grave. But three days later He came out alive from the dead, proving that He was indeed the Son of God, and that He could conquer death - man's greatest enemy. Forty days later, while many were watching Him, He ascended up into heaven, promising to return to earth again at the appointed time to judge all men. Over 1950 years have passed by since He gave that promise and now the time of His return to earth has drawn near. One of these days we shall see Him return in the skies from heaven.
Jesus Christ was the ONLY ONE in history to die for the sins of the human race. He is also the ONLY ONE to rise again from the dead. In these two matters He is unique.
Today, our sins can be forgiven and erased from that video-tape, if we sincerely turn from our sins and repent of them, asking God to forgive us for Jesus Christ's sake, believing that He died for our sins and rose again from the dead.
But that's not all. There is more that God offers us. He also promises to come and live in our hearts by His Spirit and to give us the power to overcome our sinful habits so that the record in the video-tape of our memory, in the coming days, can be one of purity, holiness and goodness.
This is the ONLY WAY of salvation that God has appointed for the human race. Remember that the only other alternative you have, is to face the record of your sins played back by the video-tape of your memory, on the day of judgement. Knowing this truth and realizing the seriousness of eternal judgement in a lake of fire for all sinners, it becomes our duty to lovingly warn everyone of the only way of escape.
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Zac Poonen ( - Present)
God called brother Zac Poonen to a new work early on in his Christian experience. The movement is now called Christian Fellowship Churches where the New Covenant of New Testament Christianity is clearly preached.Brother Zac Poonen has written 25 books most of them being on the deeper Christian life. Many of these have been translated into a number of languages and have been circulated widely around the world. He clearly and passionately shares the narrow way of Christian discipleship that is neglected by so many modern preachers.
Recommends these books by Zac Poonen:
Through The Bible by Zac Poonen
The Final Triumph-A verse by verse study of the book of Revelation by Zac Poonen
Beauty for Ashes by Zac Poonen
Zac Poonen is a former Indian Naval Officer who has been in full time ministry in India for nearly 50 years as a Bible teacher and preacher. He holds responsibility for a number of churches in India and abroad. He currently pastors the Christian Fellowship Church in Bangalore, Karnataka.
He has written more than 25 books and numerous articles in English - which have been translated into many Indian and foreign languages. His messages are available on audio and video format.
Like the other elders in his church, Zac Poonen also supports himself and his family through what he describes as "tent-making" and does not receive any salary for his services. He does not receive any royalties for any of his books, CDs or DVDs, that are published by Christian Fellowship Centre, Bangalore.