Myth 2: God Takes People In Death To Be With Him

A 27 year - old mother who was dying and leaving three children behind told a Catholic nun: " Don't come in and tell me this is God's will for me.... I hate it when somebody else tells me this." Yet, this is what many religions teach about death - that God takes people to be near him.

Is the Creator really so cruel that he would callously inflict death on us, knowing that this breaks our hearts? No, not the God of the Bible. According to 1 John 4:8, "God is love." Note that it does not say that God has love or that God is loving, but it says that God is love. So intense, so pure, so perfect is God's love, so thoroughly does it permeate his personality and actions that he may rightly be spoken of as the very personification of love. This is not a God who takes people in death to be near him.

False religion has left many confused as to the whereabouts and condition of the dead. Heaven, hell, purgatory, limbo - these and various other destinations range from being incomprehensible to being downright terrifying. The Bible, on the other hand, tells us that the dead are unconscious; They are in a condition best compared to sleep. (Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10; John 11:11-14) Thus, we need not worry about what happens to us after death, any more than we worry when we see someone sleeping soundly. Jesus spoke of a time when "all those in the memorial tombs" would "come out" to renewed life on a paradise earth. - John 5:28, 29; Luke 23:43.




Continued-Next time: Myth 3: God takes little children to become angels.

A Closer Look At Some Myths About Death

Throughout history, man has stood perplexed and apprehensive before the dark prospect of death. What is more, fear of death has been fueled by a mix of false religious ideas, popular customs, and ingrained personal beliefs. The problem with fear of death is that it can paralyze one's ability to enjoy life and erode one's confidence that there is meaning to life.
Popular religion is especially reprehensible for promoting a number of popular myths regarding death. By examing a few of these under the light of Bible truth, see if you personal perceptions about death can be clarified.

Myth 1: Death is the natural end of life.

"Death ...is an integral part of our lives, " says the book of Death - The Final Stage Of Growth. Comments like this reflect the belief that death is normal, the natural ending of all living organisms. In turn, such a belief has fostered a nihilistic philosophy and opportunistic behavior in many.
But is death really the natural end of life? Not all researchers believe so. For instance, Calvin Harley, a biologist who studies human aging, says in an interview that he does not believe that humans "have a program to die." Immunolisist William Clark observed: "Death is not inextricable interwined with the definition of life." And Seymour Benzer, of the California Institute of technology, muses that "aging can be better described not as a clock but as a scenario, which we can hope to edit."
When scientists study the design of humans, they are baffled. They find that we have been endowed with resources and capabilities that far exceed the needs of our 70 - 80 year life span. For example, scientists have found that the human brain has immense memory capacity. Our reseacher estimated that our brain can hold information that "would fill some twenty million volumes, as many as in the world's largest libraries." Some neuroscientist figure that during an average lifetime, a person uses only 1/100 of 1 percent (.0001) of his potential brain capacity. It is appropriate to ask, 'why do we have a brain with such a large capacity when we utilize only a tiny fraction of it in an average lifetime?'

Consider also how unnaturally humans react to death! For the majority, the death of a wife, a husband, or a child can be the oust upsetting experience of a lifetime. People's entire emotional makeup is often jarred for a long time after the death of a person dearly loved. Even those who claim that death is natural to humans find it hard to accept the idea that their own death will mean the end of everything. The British Medical Journal spoke of "a common expert presumption that everybody wants to live as long a possible."

In view of man's general reaction to death, his amazing potential for remembering and learning, and his inward longing for eternity, is it not clear that he was made to live in it? Indeed, God created humans, not with death as the natural outcome, but with the prospect of living on indefinitely. Note what God set before the first human pair as their future: "Be fruitful and become multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have in subjection the fish of the sea and the flying creatures of the heavens and every living creature that is moving upon the earth." (Genesis 1:28) What a wonderful, lasting future that is!


Continue:Next time: Myth 2: God takes people in death to be with him.

Relief From Stress-A Practical Remedy

"Come to me, all you who are toiling and loaded down, and I will refresh you."
Matthew 11:28


You would probably agree that too much stress is bad; It amounts to distress The Bible points out that all human creation is so weighed down with burdens that many anxiously await release from today's stressful life. (Romans 8:20-22) But the Scriptures also show how we can gain considerable relief from distress right now. That comes from following the advice and example of a young man who lived 20 centuries ago. He was a carpenter, yet his greater love was for people. He spoke to people's hearts, addressed their needs, helping the weak and consoling the depressed. Even more, he assisted many to reach their spiritual potential. They thus found relief from excess stress, even as you can.- Luke 4:16-21; 19:47, 48; John 7:46.

This man, Jesus of Nazareth, was not guided by the sophisticated learning that some sought in ancient Rome, Athens or Alexandria. Still, his teachings are renowned. They had a theme: the government by which God will successfully rule our earth. Jesus also explained basic principles for living - principles that are truly valuable today. Those who learn and apply what Jesus taught enjoy immediate benefits relief from excess stress. Would you not enjoy that?

You may have doubts. 'Can someone who lived so long ago be meaningful in my life now? ' Well, listen to Jesus' inviting words: " Come to me, all you who are toiling and loaded down, and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am mild tempered and lowly in heart, and you will find refreshment for your souls. For my yoke is kindly and my load is light." (Matthew 11:28-30) What did he mean? Let us examine these words in some detail and see how they open the way to relief from oppressive stress.

Jesus spoke to many who were desperately trying to do what was lawful but who were "loaded down" because the Jewish leaders made religion a burdensome thing. (Matthew 23:4) They focused on endless rules for virtually all aspects of life. Would you not find it stressful to keep hearing "you must not" do this or that? In contrast, Jesus' invitation was to truth, to righteousness, to a better life by listening to him. Yes, the way to know the true God involved paying attention to Jesus Christ, for in him, humans could - and can - see what Jehovah is like. Jesus said: "He that has seen me has seen the Father also." - John 14:9.

The Real Jesus And Your Future

Besides giving a real-life picture of Jesus while he was on earth, the Bible shows that he had a prehuman existence as the only begotten Son of God, "the first born of all creation." (Colossians 1:15 )Twenty centuries ago, God transferred the life of his heavenly Son to the womb of a Jewish virgin for him to be born as a human. (Matthew 1:18) During his earthly ministry, Jesus proclaimed God's Kingdom as the only hope for distressed humanity, and he trained his disciples to continue this preaching work. - Matthew 4:17; 10:5; 28:19, 20.

On Nisan 14 (about April 1), 33 C.E.,Jesus was arrested, tried, sentenced, and executed on the false charge of sedition. (Matthew 26:18-20,48-27:50)Jesus' death serves as a ransom, releasing believing mankind from their sinful state and thus opening the way to eternal life for all who exercise faith in him. (Romans 3:23. 24; 1John 2:2) On Nisan 16, Jesus was resurrected, and shortly thereafter he ascended back to heaven. (Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:6-9) As Jehovah's appointed King, the resurrected Jesus has full authority to carry out God's original purpose for man. (Isaiah 9:6, 7; Luke 1:32, 33) Yes, the Bible presents Jesus as the key figure in the outworking of God's purposes.

In the first century, multitudes accepted Jesus for what he was-the promisd Messiah, or Christ, sent to earth to vindicate Jehovah's sovereignty and to die as a ransom for mankind. (Matthew 20:28; Luke 2:25-32; John 17:25, 26; 18:37) In the face of fierce persecution, people would hardly have been motivated to become Jesus' disciples if they had been unsure of his identity. Courageously and zealously, they took up the commission he gave them to "make disciples of people of all the nations." - Matthew 28:19.

Today, millions of sincere and informed Christians know that Jesus is no legendary figure. They accept him as the enthroned King of God's established Kingdom in heaven, who is about to take full control of the earth and its affairs. This divine government is welcome news because it promises relief from world problems. True Christians manifest their loyal support of Jehovah's chosen King by declaring "this good news of the kingdom " to others. - Matthew 24:14.

Those who support the Kingdom arrangement through Christ, the Son of the living God , will live to enjoy eternal blessing. These blessings can be yours too! The publishers of this journal will be happy to help you know the real Jesus.

The Real Jesus

The Gospels- the four Biblical accounts of Jesus' life-portray a man of great empathy. Pity and compassion moved Jesus to help people who were suffering from illness, blindness and other afflictions (Matthew 9:36; 14:14; 20:34) The death of his friend Lazarus and the grief this caused to Lazarus' sisters moved Jesus to 'groan and give way to tears.' (John 11:32-36) In fact, the Gospels reveal the wide range of Jesus' feelings - sympathy for a person with leprosy, exuberance over his disciples' successes, indignation at coldhearted legalists, and sadness over Jerusalem's rejection of the Messiah.

When Jesus performed a miracle he often focused on the recipient's part in the process: " Your faith has made you well." (Matthew 9:22) He praised Nathanael as "a real Israelite," saying: "There is nothing false in him!" (John 1:47, Today's English Version) When some thought that a woman's appreciative gift was extravagant, Jesus defended her and said that the account of her generosity would be long remembered. (Matthew 26:6-13) He proved himself a real friend and affectionate companion to his followers, 'loving them to the end.' - John 13:1; 15:11-15.

The Gospels also show that Jesus quickly identified with most people that he met. Whether talking with a woman at a well, a religious teacher in a garden, or a fisherman by a lake, he went directly to their heart. After Jesus' opening words, many of these people revealed their innermost thoughts to him. He struck a responsive chord in them. Although people of his time might keep men in authority at a safe distance, in Jesus' case people crowded around him. They liked being with Jesus; they felt comfortable in is company. Children felt at ease with him, and when using a child as an example, he did not merely stand the child before his disciples but also "put his arms around it." ( Mark 9:36; 10:13-16) Indeed, the Gospels portray Jesus as a man who had such charisma that people stayed for three days just to listen to his absorbing words. - Matthew 15:32.

Jesus' perfection did not make him hypercritical or arrogant and overbearing toward the imperfect, sin-laden people among whom he lived and preached. (Matthew 9:10-13; 21:31, 32; Luke 7:36-48; 15:1-32; 18:9-14) Jesus was never demanding. He did not add to people's burdens. Instead, he said: "Come to me, all you who are toiling...I will refresh you." His disciples found him to be "mild tempered and lowly in heart:" His yoke was kindly, and his load was light. -Matthew 11:28-30.

Jesus' character comes through in the Gospel accounts with a decided ring of truth. It would not be easy for four different individuals to concoct an out - of -the-ordinary character and then present a consistent portrait of him throughout four distinct narratives. It would be nearly impossible for four different writers to describe the same person and consistently paint the same picture of him if that character never really existed.

Historian Michael Grant asks a thought-provoking question: "How comes it that, through all Gospel traditions without exception, there comes a remarkably firmly drawn portrait of an attractive young man moving freely about among women of all sorts, including the decidedly disreputable, without a trace of sentimentality, unnaturalness, or prudery, and yet, at every point, maintaining a simple integrity of character?" The reasonable answer is that such a man really existed and acted in the way the Bible says.


Continues-Next time: The Real Jesus And Your Future

In Search Of Jesus

What about non-Biblical references to Jesus Christ? How are they assessed? The works of Tacitus, Suetonius, Josephus, Pliny the Younger and a few other classical writers include numerous references to Jesus. Of them, The New Encyclopedia Britannica (1995) says: " These independant accounts prove that in ancient times even the opponents of Christianity never doubted the historicity of Jesus, which was disputed for the first time and on inadequate grounds at the end of the 18th, during the 19th, and at the beginning of the 20th centuries."

Sadly, modern scholars, in their quest for the "real" or "historical" Jesus, seem to have hidden his true identity behind layers of baseless speculation, pointless doubts, and unfounded theorizing. In a sense, they are guilty of the mythmaking of which they falsely accuse the Gospel writers. Some are so eager to feed their own reputation and to link their name to a startling new theory that they fail to examine honestly the evidence about Jesus. In the process, they create a "Jesus" that amounts to a figment of scholarly imagination.

For those who want to find him, the real Jesus can be found in the Bible. Luke Johnson professor of New Testament and Christian origins at the Candler School of Theology at Emory University, argues that most research on the historical Jesus misses the Biblical objective. He says that it may be interesting to examine the social, political, anthropological, and cultural contexts of Jesus' life and era. Yet, he adds that discovering what scholars call the historical Jesus " is hardly the point of Scripture," which is "more concerned with describing the character of Jesus, " his message, and his role as Redeemer. So, what was Jesus' true Character and message?

Continued-Next time: The Real Jesus

Well-Founded Doubts?

But can we really have confidence in the Gospels' version of Jesus? Do they portray the real Jesus? The late Fredrick F. Bruce, professor of Biblical criticism and exegesis at the University of Manchester, England, stated: " It is not usually possible to demonstrate by historical arguments the truth of every detail in an ancient writing, whether inside or outside the Bible. It is sufficient to have reasonable confidence in a writer's general trustworthiness; if that is established, there is an a priori likelihood that his details are true... The New Testament is not less likely to be historically reliable because Christians receive it as 'sacred' literature."

After examining doubts about Jesus as portrayed in the Gospels, James R.Edwards, professor of religion at Jamestown College, North Dakota, U.S.A., wrote: " We may affirm with confidence that the Gospels preserve a diverse and significant body of evidence of the actual truth about Jesus.....The most reasonable answer to the question why the Gospels present Jesus as they do is because that is essentially who Jesus was. The Gospels faithfully preserve the memory that he left on his followers, that he was divinely legitimated and empowered to be God's Son and Servant."

The Real Jesus

After learning from his apostles what people thought about him, Jesus asked them: " You though, who do you say I am?" The Gospel of Matthew records the apostle Peter's answer: " You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." (Matthew 16:15, 16) Others were of the same opinion. Nathanael, who later became one of the apostles, told Jesus: "Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are King of Israel." (John 1:49) Jesus himself spoke of the importance of his role: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6) On various occasions, he referred to himself as "the Son of God." (John 5:24, 25; 11:4) And he backed up this claim by miraculous works, even raising the dead.

Continue-Next time: Well-Founded Doubts?

Blessings For All Nations

Abraham and Sarah were exemplary in enduring tests and in exercising faith in God's promises. The fulfillment of such promises has a bearing on mankind's eternal prospects, for Jehovah assured Abraham: "By means of your seed all nations of the earth will certainly bless themselves due to the fact that you have listened to my voice." - Genesis 22:18.
Of course, Abraham and Sarah were imperfect, even as we are. When God's will became clear to them, however, they promptly complied with it - regardless of the cost. Abraham is thus remembered as "Jehovah's friend" and Sarah as a 'holy woman who was hoping in God.' (James 2:23; 1Peter 3:5) By striving to imitate the faith of Abraham and Sarah, we too can enjoy precious intimacy with God. We can also benefit from the precious promises Jehovah made to Abraham. - Genesis 17:7.

Implicit Trust In God's Promises

Jehovah identified Isaac as the long awaited heir. (Genesis 21:12) So Abraham must have been stunned when God asked him to sacrifice his son. Yet, Abraham had sound reasons to trust God implicitly. Was Jehovah not able to raise Isaac from the dead? (Hebrews 11:17-19) Had God not proved his power by miraculously reviving the reproductive powers of Abraham and Sarah in order to bring about Isaac's birth in the first place? Convinced of God's ability to fulfill his promises, Abraham was ready to obey. True, he was prevented from actually slaying his son. (Genesis 22:1-4) Nevertheless, the role Abraham played in this regard helps us to see how difficult it must have been for Jehovah God to 'give his only begotten Son, in order that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.' - John 3:16; Matthew 20:28.

Faith in God made it plain to Abraham that the heir to Jehovah's promises could not marry a false worshiper of the land of Canaan. How could a godly parent approve of his child's marriage to anyone not serving Jehovah? Abraham thus sought a suitable wife for Isaac among his relatives in Mesopotamia, more than 500 miles away. God blessed that endeavor by indicating that Rebekah was the woman he had chosen to become Isaac's bride and ancestress of Messiah. Yes, Jehovah "blessed Abraham in everything." - Genesis 24:1-67; Matthew 1:1, 2.



Next time: Blessings For All Nations