I just hope she has found some peace.

.
The death a celebrity always interests me quite bit; especially because the Bible says that only a small percentage of the world's elite— the movers and shakers —have been making it to safety when they cross over to the other side.

†. 1Cor 1:26 . . Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world's eyes, or powerful, or wealthy when God called you.

One of my all-time favorite heroes was Audie Murphy. What I found out only recently is that Audie suffered with post traumatic stress syndrome his whole life after the war; sometimes waking up in the middle of the night with horrible nightmares. He also slept with a loaded .45 automatic pistol under his pillow; plus he had a gambling addiction.

As a growing, impressionable young boy, Audie seemed to me to be the perfect face to put on a box of Wheaties to depict the so-called breakfast of champions. But in reality, Audie was a tragic man who belonged in therapy.

I know of the Protestant pastor who was asked by Audie Murphy's widow Pamela to speak at her husband's funeral. Audie Murphy, as you may already know, was a 32nd degree Scottish Rite Mason and a Shriner; but he wasn't a Christian; and I guess you know what that means without my having to say so.

In amazement, the pastor asked Mrs. Murphy why she chose a Christian to speak at her husband's funeral. Though Audie himself wasn't a Christian, his widow was; and she explained that the Hollywood crowd would be there the day of his funeral, and having hob-nobbed with them during her husband's acting career, she was fully aware that many of them rarely listened to something on the afterlife related to Jesus' crucifixion. Well . . that day they did, and were very indignant because they were expecting the usual sappy, feel-good kind of liberal bombast to which pampered celebrities are accustomed.

†. Ecc 7:4 . . The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

Some may feel that hell and eternal suffering aren't appropriate topics at a funeral. But I think that, other than Xmas and Easter, you couldn't pick a better time to bring them up, especially since Jesus said that the majority of the human race is ending up there. (Mtt 7:13-14, Mtt 22:14, and Luke 13:22-24)

†. Ecc 7:2 . . It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of gaiety, for death is the destiny of every man: the living should take this seriously.

As I watched some of the splendor and pomp of President Gerald Ford's funeral back in January of 2007, I couldn't help but wonder if he was in a position to really appreciate it; as I suspect people in hell (if perchance that's where he went) would certainly no longer really care anymore whether they were given an unknown pauper's disposal in a city incinerator, or reverently placed in a grand tomb in the National Cemetery with world-wide television coverage. I experienced the very same kinds of feelings when Michael Jackson passed away.

 Cliff
/

May 3, 2012 -- 7:59AM, jesusfreakgal wrote:

I don't believe we have the right to judge anyone (regarding where, heaven or hell, they went after death), except to say that if they were truly a Christian that they went to heaven, and if not they didn't go to heaven (they went to hell). Once a person died, where they went (heaven or hell) won't change, or trying to determine that (if we are not sure), makes little difference (the only difference it can make is if we want assurance that the person went to heaen). Its not trying to determine if the person went to heaven or hell would change their final destiny. I'd love if Whitney was in heaven, which would mean that at once point, she truly wanted Christ in her life, and hopefully was living for Him. If not, that is sad, but there isn't anything anyone can do to change that.

JFG

jesusfreakgal,

I just want to comment that while you say you are not judging, the statement you make, "if they were truly a Christian that they went to heaven, and if not they didn't go to heaven (they went to hell)," seems judgmental to me.

Jesus said do not judge. And He certainly had harsh words to say to those He observed around Him doing the judging. See Matthew 23.

I think that among Christians today we have unfortunately succumbed to an us versus them type of thinking very much like the Pharisees and the Sadducees engaged in. I was reading an old book that said that group of Jewish leaders made up only about 1% or less of the population in Palestine when Jesus lived there as a man, with the masses essentially making up the rest of the people, who they looked down upon.

I hope Whitney had a personal relationship with God and is in Heaven now. In the very exact and same way, I hope the Palestinian prisoner on Day 66 of his hunger strike and on the verge of death, also has a personal relationship with God, and I hope and pray if he dies in the next few days,which is extremely likely as noone has been known to survive beyond 70 days without food on a hunger strike, that he goes to Heaven, too.

Jesus calls us to share the Gospel, and He also calls us to love one another as He loved us, His life and death the example to follow. He did not single out a people called Christians and choose to love only them, He said He came to save that which was lost.

Sherri

May 4, 2012 -- 10:33PM, smcisaac wrote:

May 4, 2012 -- 6:19PM, SherriMunnerlyn wrote:

I hope Whitney had a personal relationship with God and is in Heaven now. In the very exact and same way, I hope the Palestinian prisoner on Day 66 of his hunger strike and on the verge of death, also has a personal relationship with God, and I hope and pray if he dies in the next few days,which is extremely likely as noone has been known to survive beyond 70 days without food on a hunger strike, that he goes to Heaven, too.

That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.  I Timothy 4:10

smcisaac,

For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

John 3:16

He loved "the world," whosoever believeth in Him (Jesus or God?, or does it matter as Jesus and God and the Holy Spirit are One), believeth in Him (could it mean not only believing in Jesus and who He was, but also believing in God, and could it not even encompass one who God shows Himself to in ways we do not recognize, one who lives out the teachings of Jesus in their lives)

We do not have to read/interpret the words of the Gospels in ways that exclude nonChristians from Heaven.

And Jesus said, do not judge one another.

I cannot say I believe every person will be in Heaven, but our God is so amazing, if there is a way, He can do it, and how I would love to see that come about.

And finally, tonight, I have peace myself over Muslim hunger strikers who may die any moment choosing nonviolence and an act of self sacrifice to take a stand against Injustice.

I cannot visualize a better way to die, like Gandhi, like the Prophets, like Jesus Christ, like all the Christian martyrs who have died the past 2000 years.

I hope I see them in Heaven one day and can hug them and tell them how much I admire their acts of self sacrifice and how much I love them.

We love those we pray for.

Sherri