Think for a few minutes.  Suppose you knew that you had exactly twenty-four hours, and then you would die.  You don’t need to be afraid or frantic, it would not be that you had a disease, or that you were going to be killed.  It would just be that in twenty-four hours you would close your eyes, go to sleep, and then never wake up- all heart and brain activity would cease totally.  For that twenty-four hours, you may not leave your home, watch TV, or use the computer.  You could eat, drink, etc. but other than that, all you could do would be to ‘think’.  What would you think about?  Of course, I don’t know, but let me offer a few things that may be thought about.

Maybe you would think back over your life.  Maybe you remember some things that made you happy or sad.  Maybe you remember some things you are proud of and glad you did.  Maybe you would remember some things you wish you had done better, and maybe a few that you wish you hadn’t done at all.  Maybe you would wander if you had done enough to prepare your family for their future.  Maybe wander how people would remember you.  Maybe you would wander what the future would hold for those you were leaving behind.  Maybe you left plenty of money behind not to worry about their future.  Then maybe if you taught them enough wisdom to manage it.  What if they wasted it and were left destitute?  What if the stock market crashed and left them destitute?  Oh, well- it’s not like you would be around to worry about them.  Then again, they could get killed in a horrible traffic accident, so then there would be no need to worry about them.

Then maybe you wander about what death is like.  The brain is no longer working, so you couldn’t be thinking about much, right?  Just nothing- no thoughts, no feelings, no emotions, just nothing.  Then you would be left wandering, what was it all about to begin with?  Would it have mattered if I lived a good life or a bad one?  Would it have mattered if I had an easy life or a hard one?  Depending on how your life was, you could be wandering why so many hardships and heart-aches.

Then maybe you believe in reincarnation.  So you start to wander about what the world would be like when you have a new body.  Well, it wouldn’t be like the cave men, right?  Would they finally have found an end to war?  What if while you were dead, the world totally destroyed itself- nuclear holocaust with widespread destruction?  What kind of world would you return to?  What would your next life be like- easy, or decidedly worse?  Then again, after so many thousands of years of people being born, and reborn, maybe the population grew so much that there wasn’t any pregnant that they (whoever ‘they’ are) could send you back to, and you had a waiting list that might be several thousand years.  Where would they put you while you waited?  What would you do while you waited?  Then, suppose they found somewhere to put you, and the mother had an abortion- would they put you back at the end of the line on the waiting list?  Then if people did eventually destroy themselves (and it certainly seems they might), or suppose the earth finally exploded in earthquakes and volcanoes (and that seems to be a real possibility)  then there was no one life alive to reincarnate you- what then?

Then, suppose you die and discover that there really is a Creator.  Suppose He has a wonderful magnificent new world for those who are qualified to enter.  How would He determine who qualified?  This new world is to last forever, and He wouldn’t allow anyone who might do anything at all that would take away its wonderful nature.  Maybe there is a judgment seat and you will come face to face with every little detail of your character here as lived here on earth.  Is there any little flaw that might interfere with your qualification?  Have you ever become irate about anything that didn’t have an exceptionally good reason?  Have you ever wished to harm anyone in any way with word or deed?  Who could imagine how detailed such a judgment might be.

Many people who have reportedly died and come back to life speak of a place of indescribable beauty and another place of indescribable horror.  If such were true, then which place would you choose (that is supposing you had the option to choose)?  But let’s not forget where we are.  You are waiting to go to sleep and never wake back up (at least not in this body) ever again, and now have less than twenty-four hours left to make peace in your own mind.  So what if these people who have already died and come back were telling the truth about this glorious place and this horrendous place?  Do you think you would be ready to face a judgment seat?  Do you wish someone had warned you and maybe found a remedy for this situation?  During this last few hours before you take that long sleep, do you wander why you never contemplated this notion before?

Oh well, there are plenty of religions to choose from, or one could choose no religion.  Then you could think, what if those who called themselves Christians were right?  But why couldn’t they be more loving?  Why couldn’t they have been more understanding with me in explaining themselves?  But then, each of those who call themselves Christians may have to discover whether they truly are Christian or if they were only putting on a face for others, and when it’s time to face the judgment, then each will have to explain for himself.  Personally I know that I haven’t been nearly as perfect or loving as I should have been, and will probably continue to fall short.  I can only say that I believe that Jesus came to provide a way for me, and I can claim nothing for myself except, “Lord, have mercy on me a sinner.”  If I have ever hurt you or offended you (and I know that I have done that in plenty of ways), then I humbly apologize and ask you to forgive me.  But I believe in all honesty, we have all fallen from that perfection on many occasions, and each one has to decide for himself if he/she can forgive, and also ask for forgiveness for themselves.