2nd Chance After Death?

Do our dead ancestors still have a chance (of salvation) though they never had the chance to hear the Gospel?

Hmmm...the answer should be VERY straight forward, right? Just in case u wonder, the answer is NO.

Yet I was surprised to hear some beloved bro/sis-in-Christ have a contrary opinion. Of course I am still trying to find out which Scriptural verses formed that opinion, or under what circumstances/pretext was this subject discussed.

First, I could TOTALLY understand why we wish our dead (but unsaved) ancestors still be given a chance to accept Jesus as LORD & Saviour. After all, hell is real, heaven is real, and MOST importantly, God is real too. And which of us true believers don't ache for the salvation of the unsaved living as much as for the unsaved dead?

And hypothetically speaking, salvation should be a ZILLION times easier for these dead souls who are literally burning in Hades now!

Have u not read the story of the Rich Man & Lazarus?

And he called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.'

(Luk 16:24)

Did Abraham answer the rich man: "Errr...son, u gotta burn a bit longer...be patient...wait for Jesus to resurrect u bodily...then u choose Him, ok? U still got a chance..."

Unfortunately NO.

Then we read the rich man begged Abraham to SEND Lazarus BACK to warn his 5 other living brothers of this 'place of torment'... And how did Abraham answer?

But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.' And he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' He said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.'"

(Luk 16:29-31)

Salvation is only possible while a person is still living.

For he says, "In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you." Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

(2Co 6:2)

again he appoints a certain day, "Today," saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts."

(Heb 4:7)

TODAY is the day.

Judas Iscariot

I was listening to a podcast on the doctrine of Perseverance of the Saints and interestingly, "Peter & Judas" were used as an example to illustrate this doctrine.

We know BOTH Peter & Judas "betrayed" our LORD Jesus Christ. Peter denied the LORD 3 times while Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 silver coins. So the question raised was - since both were "wickedly bad", how come our LORD chose to forgive Peter only?

The above reminded me of a conversation I had with a dear brother in Christ not too long ago. The question was along similar line - How come the LORD did not save Judas? The brother's logic was - without Judas' act of betrayal, Jesus wouldn't have been handed over to the religious leaders which ended in His crucifixion. So in a sense, Judas "deserved" some mercy for his "contribution" to the salvation of mankind, and not to mention the fact that he DID spend 3 years with the LORD (kinda like - at least for old time sake la)....

On a side note, I guess that's a similar logic that applies to the Mary of RC. After all, without her participation, Jesus would not have been born...and so on and so forth...and one thing led to another...the Mary of RC now is basically a Goddess all by herself...but thats another story altogether :P

So coming back to the question - How come the LORD did not forgive Judas?

Well, the short answer is - Judas deserved death a zillion times over & was foreordained so.

The Scripture is crystal clear that Judas Iscariot deserved NO MERCY. Jesus called him a devil...a son of perdition:

Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the Twelve? And yet one of you is a devil." He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the Twelve, was going to betray him.

(Joh 6:70-71 ESV)

"While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.

(Joh 17:12 NASB)

It is also crystal clear that Jesus knew loooooooooong ago (from before the foundation of time) that Judas would betray Him. In fact Jesus CURSED Judas:

"But behold, the hand of the one betraying Me is with Mine on the table. "For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!"

(Luk 22:21-22 NASB)

So case closed for Judas' end and his ETERNAL damnation.

But what about Simon Peter? O...BLESSED is Peter... :)

"Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."

(Luk 22:31-32 NASB)

BLESSED are you Saints, you Elect of the LORD... for our LORD has prayed long ago that your faith MAY NOT FAIL... Hallelujah!

Was Adam "Real"?

It is SO SAD to see men of God, theologians, self-professing Christians who DOUBT the very Word of God in the name of "science" or "worldly wisdom" despite the plain & clear teaching of the Bible. Not that I look down on "science" or "worldly wisdom"... but I do feel like bashing these men "lovingly" :)

So is Adam a true historical figure - the VERY first man God created as per described in Genesis? The Adam who was mentioned repeatedly by Lord Jesus, by the Apostles throughout the NT?

Is this belief or faith in the existence of a historical Adam important? MUCH MORE than most would realise. It isn't hard to imagine once we start to allegorise Adam, we will soon start to allegorise the accounts of Creation itself? Sodom & Gomorrah? Cain & Abel? Noah? Abraham? Moses? Jonah? Or even Jesus? Before long, the whole Bible starts to read more like a mythological book written by men who were trying to find meaning to their existence in this unfamiliar universe...

U don't think so? Look around u... there are plenty of such "churches/christians" around today...

Sometimes, child-like faith is good. Very good.

At that time Jesus declared, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children;

(Mat 11:25)

John & His Lizard

Err...not too sure what kind of lizard this is, but John knows...

According to him, this is the "biggest" yet that he has caught...

Loving Approval of Men

for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.

(Joh 12:43)

The crucible is for silver and the furnace for gold, And each is tested by the praise accorded him.

(Pro 27:21)

Guilty.

Biggest Enemy - Self

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. (Col 3:5)

Remembering 9/11

Hard to believe it has been 8 years and 1 day since.

Still can remember vividly I was home alone that evening...wife & kids in Sibu...and I was STUNNED when I turned on CNN....thinking what a MAJOR freak accident that was!

And only much later did the whole world realised - American was under ATTACK! I also remember I was on the phone with my buddy Peter and I said something like: "O man, this time FBI & CIA are SCREWED for sure."

For a short while, America was united like never before - one heart, one spirit. And there was a revival of sort rippling across the nation. The world was changed literally "overnight" by 9/11.

Shortly after 9/11, in mid of 2002, my own life was changed forever too - the LORD found me :)

YWAM & UPSR

Jane will be taking her UPSR exam this week.

Praise the LORD she had the opportunity to be prayed over by a group of American youths from Youth With A Mission (YWAM) last week.

Here are some other youths been prayed over by the rest of the YWAM team.

And here's a nice skit performed by the YWAM team for the Mandarin church youths.

May the LORD bless them & protect them as they go over to Indonesia for Kingdom's work.

Election - God's Way

According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.

(Eph 1:4-5)