Do you go to hell or heaven depending on whether you accepted Jesus while you were on earth? If so, wouldn't that imply that God has already judged them therefore there wouldn't be any need of having Judgement Day? I mean what would be the purpose of God sending someone to hell when they die, only to bring them out of it then put them back in there?
Or when people die, do they go into a deep sleep? As in their bodies turn into dust again but their spirits are sleeping awaiting Judgement Day so they know where they're spending eternity?
Permalink Reply by RoyW on October 22, 2010 at 8:08am
Angel,
I just now noticed this question you put up here several months ago and no one has given any answers or thoughts. I also, saw your other post and became concerned. That is how I found this one.
Yes, when a person that believes in Jesus dies, it is spoken in the Bible as being asleep. However, that does not mean that we are not conscious. Paul spoke of what happens when a Christian dies. He said:
2 Co 5:6-8
6 Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7 We live by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. NIV
To be in this body is to be away from the Lord. When we leave this body, which is the physical death that we are all so familiar with, we go immediately to be with Jesus. The faith that we have in Him completely saves us from all of our sin. We are ushered into His presence fully acceptable to Him simply because He died for our sins. We no longer have to pay for our sins. He paid for our sins by His death on the cross.
However, before that event happens, He has much for us to do. He is preparing you for what He has for you in your future. There are many things you are not understanding right now that you will understand later in life. I struggled with certain issues when I was a young guy. I couldn't understand why I had to go through those tough times. Today, I understand much better.
I am going to pray for you that God will help you through these tough times. I know He will. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Angel, I am a school teacher and have been with many, many young people. I know the Lord will help you in these times. Do you have a good church with a youth group? I hope so as that will be a big help.
In my school all the kids call me Pastor Wilson. Everyone around here just calls me Roy.
Permalink Reply by RoyW on October 23, 2010 at 9:52am
You are very welcome, Angel
I have had the joy of working with many young people over my years. Sometimes adults tend to trivialize the very emotional problems that young people face. Over the years, we forget how emotional those years were for us. I would strongly recommending to you to talk to your parents. I am sure they have love for you or they would have never adopted more children. It is important for them to know everything you are going through. They know you better than anyone else in this world other than God. I know sometimes you feel your parents have become too busy in life to pay a lot of attention to you. I sense that some of your feelings are coming from that.
God has put a structure in place and it is very difficult to circumvent that plan of His. God wants you to include your parents in all your decisions. He does expect you to give them the opportunity to respond to your difficulties. They have been in the same place you are.
I do encourage you, if possible, to find a good youth minister. Most have a focus and keep in mind the perplexed world you are facing as a young person. The world you face is more complex than the world I faced as a young person and it was very difficult for me. Unbelievable pressures, especially on young girls, are being forced upon them and sometimes it just becomes impossible to cope. You do need the support of adults as well as God. God will meet your needs but He usually will use someone in your life to help. I hesitate to recommend your high school counselor unless he or she is a godly person. Adults will have a much different perspective on things simply because of experience.
God bless you and your posts tell me you are going to make it fine. You have an excellent presentation in your writing. I couldn't believe I was reading the writing of a sixteen year old and actually understanding it. You are already well-educated. I can you that you have been paying good attention in your grammar classes. You have much potential.
God bless you and be encouraged,
Pastor Wilson (You have a good mom who is doing a great job training you).
Permalink Reply by RoyW on October 23, 2010 at 5:05pm
Angel,
Now the teacher in me is coming out. Your last sentence should be:
We may not be close but I've learned much from her character. I think it's mainly to do with our culture. :) ha ha
However, I would give you and "A" for your writing. I have a granddaughter your age that sends me texts quite often. I struggle to read them but I usually can figure them out. She is also experiencing some difficulty even with a great amount of support from her parents and grandparents. She gets to worrying about her feelings and wonders if God still loves her. She knows He does but what a difficult time young teenage years are.
I know you have some very good adult influence in your life but I really do hope you can find someone that you would trust and could communicate with them. I am praying for you that God will send an adult in your life that you can talk to. Have you ever made an appointment with your counselor? You just might be surprised. Most school counselors that I know really do care for young people. I can tell you that if your parents are sending you to a private Christian school they really do care for you more than you probably realize. I have a feeling they would like some help to be able to communicate with you.
God bless you. He loves you more than you could ever realize.
Pastor Wilson