Sheol's Call

Death comes to everyone. It has no favoritism between the poor and the rich, the unheard of and the famous, the strong and weak. Lately, I have two friends from my Dgroup team whose parents  passed away unexpectedly. Me and my dgroup girls were dejected by their losses. Death is also associated with Hades and Sheol. Hades is famous as an ancient Greek god of  the underworld in the Greek mythology. In the Bible, Hades is a Greek word used to denote a place or starte of departed spirits (wikipedia.com) while Sheol is a place of darkness to which all the dead go, both the righteous and the unrighteous, regardless of the moral choices made in life, a place of stillness and darkness cut of from God (wikipedia.com). Most of us fear death especially when we're not ready or we don't know where to go when we die. The Bible, which is a book about life and death and God gives us a glimpse of what happens when a person dies.In John 3:16, Jesus said, " For God so loved the world (you and me) that He gave his only begotten Son (Jesus) and those whoever believed in Him will not perish but have everlasting life." Will not perish does not mean, a believer of Christ won't die physically. He/she will die but his/her soul/spirit will live with the Lord.  For Christians, Christ's second coming is a much awaited event. They wait. And as they wait, they grow old and die. Psalms 103:15, NLT version remind us that "our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die.
  
 Our earthly body experience some frailties. We get sick, we feel weak, we deteriorate. And when we die, our bodies will return to the dust and our souls will be carried immediately either in presence of Christ (for those who accepted and believe Christ as their Lord and Savior) or it will enter into a place called Hades (for those who die with unbelief and nonacceptance of Chris). So it is important, to know where we end up when we die. When you are pretty sure of the venue of your final destination, you will no longer fear dying. Let me share with you tips on how to be prepare for death.

Preparations before you die:


1.  Be sure you have accepted and believe Christ as your Lord and Savior so when you die you will be with him. Jesus said to her, " I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

2. If you want to live a little longer, take care of your body. Have a healthy lifestyle. This body is not ours. Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God?You do not belong to yourself,for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19).We honor God if we take care of our bodies and not submit ourselves willingly to sinning and immorality.

3. Share the gospel to your love ones,friends and relatives. Share who Jesus is and what he has done on the cross. Your love ones need to hear about Christ because faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ. (Romans 10:17 NLT).

4. Save money for your funeral expenses.  If you don't want to become a burden to your family when you die, set aside  budget for your funeral. Save money. Get memorial plans if necessary. So when you die your family won't panic where to bury you, what coffin to purchase etc etc.

5.Enjoy life at the moment.Take delight in the goodness of the Lord. And while you are enjoying and having the time of your life on earth, remember God. "Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don't wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well. For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.(Ecclesiastes 12:6-7).


God has a purpose to each and every one of us. That purpose or plan  is one reason why we are still alive at this very moment. Let's not waste our lives, our time living aimlessly, selfishly. Live your life for the Lord, delight in his presence. Love God, love others. Thank him everyday and submit to His will so you won't get lost on the wrong track. As you live, remember that one day you will die so be wise enough to prepare for your death.