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What happens after you die?
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What happens after you die?
This is the most important question you could ever ask yourself. The problem is most people wait until it’s too late. Lets look at Steven Jobs, the founder of Apple, he had the world in the palm of his hands, he developed one of the most profitable companies in history, his success is what people dream about. Yet, he died at the age 56, in the prime of his life. He attempted to use his wealth to save his life, he was one of only 20 people on the earth to have his
DNA[1] mapped out in the hopes of fighting off cancer, but he died despite these efforts on February 24th 2011. His money, genius and fame could not save him. Steve Jobs is not that much different than most people, it’s easy to be caught up in doing things. We forget what the most important thing is not material success but eternal success.
Jesus summed this up when he said,
Mat 16:26
(26) For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?
Imagine being so successful that you gain the whole earth, it’s all under your control, then you die, losing your soul. What a loss, what a failure you would be! From the world prospective you are great and celebrated, but spiritually you are the biggest failure.
Our goal should be what happens after we die, and how to attain it.
The Bible makes it very clear if you are believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you are saved, you are going to be in Heaven after you die. Let me repeat that, as a believer when you die you go right into Heaven having a complete conscious awareness of your past, being fully aware of where you are!
Believers in Jesus Christ go to Heaven
Here are the verses in the Bible that back up this point:
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Philippians 1:21-25 (21) For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (22) If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. (23) I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.
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Paul clearly teaches the two options of his life to live or to die. His death would be his gain, because he will be with Jesus Christ in Heaven, but his continual living in this world was to the benefit of the church he was directing. Death would selfish for him, because it would relieve him of the pressure and stress of this world. Life was fruitful labor in the “Flesh”. Paul knew he was going to be with Christ. Points to Remember:
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Rev 6:9-11 (9) When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. (10) They cried out with a loud voice, "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" (11) Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.
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Here in the book of Revelation, we see people killed for their faith in Jesus Christ. So what happened to them? Where are they? They are in Heaven, under the altar of God. John said he saw the “Souls” of those who had been slain, so they are killed on the earth.
They cried meaning they had full awareness of their past life, they were aware they were killed on the earth. They were told to rest a while longer until their fellow servants would also be killed. Points to remember:
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Jesus died on the Cross so you can go to Heaven
I really don’t know where Steve Jobs stood with God, if he ever accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior. I hope he did, I would love to meet him in Heaven. However, without Jesus Christ there is no way to get to Heaven. Jesus died on the Cross to pay for your sins, if you reject Christ that means you must pay your own way. The problem is no amount of money on earth could ever pay the penalty for your sins. Jesus came because there was no other way.
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John 14:5-7 (5) Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" (6) Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (7) If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him."
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Jesus was asked this very question, and Jesus clearly explained Christianity was exclusive, meaning there were not multiple ways into Heaven, only one way!
Jesus told Thomas, NO ONE COMES to the Father EXCEPT through Me. So that means you cannot get into Heaven by being a good person. You must be a follower of Jesus Christ, it only THROUGH Him, you will be able to enter Heaven.
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[1] http://appleinsider.com/articles/11/10/21/steve_jobs_had_his_dna_sequenced_for_100k_to_fight_cancer