WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

We've all heard the saying "In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes" and we live our lives knowing that we will die one day, but that day is so far away that we can forget about it for now - push it out of our minds.

 Cancer or other serious illness forces each one of us to face up to our mortality and with it comes the very real fear of death, but we still get on with our lives as though it will never really happen. Perhaps you haven't given much thought to what happens next (after you die) or have a vague idea of some sort of "heaven" that will be your future home. Talk to a dozen people with ideas about "heaven" and you will find that they are all very different! They can't all be right. You might believe that you will just cease to exist altogether and, for some people, that might be a comforting thought. Does it really matter what you believe so long as you are happy with your particular theory? If it makes you feel better then surely that's good, isn't it?

Your death is the second greatest thing that will ever happen to you - the first was your birth - and so surely it makes sense to give some careful thought to what your life is about and what will happen when you die. Maybe you are happy with your own particular theory, but what if you are completely wrong? What if you don't either cease to exist at death or find yourself in a "heaven" of your own imagination? What then? If either of those options are true then what is your life here and now all about? Why are you here and does your life matter in any way or is everything just random chance with no meaning or purpose? You are born, you live and you die - end of story.

Imagine a world without love, compassion, beauty, kindness, peace and joy. If these things were totally absent then life would be unbearable and it would be "hell" on earth. Places like Auschwitz came close to this picture, but even there some people were able in small ways to show love and kindness towards each other, and it was these tiny acts of love that allowed chinks of light into the terrible darkness of that place, making it just bearable.

Imagine then a place where those qualities are not just present but are the norm in every part of life. What would it be like if you could live forever in a place where you have an open, loving relationship with the One who created you and with all the other people there? A place where there is no pain or suffering of any kind, where the kind of love that you have longed for here and never quite grasped is freely given and experienced. This is the true picture of heaven that Jesus spoke about and it is the future home of anyone who chooses to follow Him. He is the source of all love, light, beauty, and all those other attributes that make life worth living. To know Him and to follow Him in this life results naturally in us following Him into the next life and living in His heaven with Him for eternity.

It is also possible to choose not to follow Him, and the natural consequence of this would be that when we leave this life behind we leave all that comes from Him behind too. Surely that IS hell. Not the caricature that we are used to of demons with horns and pitch forks, but the absence of light, of love and all that is good, lovely and worthwhile.

What if it is true that there is a God who created YOU for a particular purpose, and what if that God takes a deep interest in your life, knows you intimately and loves you completely. What if the truth is that your life is all about getting to know this God and finding out how much He loves you? Wouldn't that be something! What if that same God wants you to spend eternity enjoying being with Him and getting to know Him better?

Test this out for yourself and see if it is true. If it's just rubbish then you have nothing to lose by talking to a "god" who isn't really there. If what Jesus said in the Bible is true then you have everything to gain or lose, depending upon how you respond to Him. Jesus said 'I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life…The light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil….God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.'*

Am I scared of dying? Yes, of course I am - especially pain and the process of dying - but am I afraid of death?  No, I'm not, because my relationship with God now convinces me that I will be so much closer to Him in His heaven.  Is that because I'm holier or better in some way than you? Definitely not!  The same Jesus that offered eternal life to me offers it freely to you - it's there for the taking.  His hand is stretched out to you in invitation and all you have to do is put your own hand into His. Ask Him to come into your life and make you His own and He will do the rest.

Jesus says today 'Come to Me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls'.**

* John 8:12, 3:19, & 16.

** Matthew 11:28 - 30