John Matthews Retired Professional Singer, Conductor and Seeker

According to scripture, John 14:6 - No one comes to the Father except through me. 

That's pretty plain. An elderly person has had the chance to believe in the saving grace of Jesus Christ. If they refuse Him, then they are not in the Kingdom of God. As far as those who have never read or heard the Good News, I am unsure as to their fate. Are they like children to God? Some fundamentalists believe that unless one accepts Christ, they cannot enter heaven, adult or child. I will not stand in judgment along side God. It is not my place.

Little children, or all those who cannot understand or grasp the concept of a saving Lord, are protected by God. Jesus said to have the little children come to Him. He offers protection for those who cannot understand. Matthew 19:14 This saving concept has given consolation for anyone losing a child. They are with God. Jesus has said so.

November 27 2020 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Tim Maas Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

1 John 3:2 indicates that, when Jesus is revealed to us, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. In my opinion, this could be applied not only to the immortal nature of our glorified bodies, but also to an unchanging age that we will be, which I think will correspond to the age of Jesus during His earthly ministry, and as He appeared following His resurrection (that is, approximately His early thirties). (I have faith that God will still make it possible under those conditions to recognize people we knew on earth, even if we did not know them at that age, or if their earthly lives ended before reaching that age.)

August 03 2020 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Dale Casselman Christian/Circus Clown

Our time is not the same as it was for David. So, as he said "he would go to be with his lost child" that child would have been temporarily atoned for by the Passover lamb. He would have gone to the bosom of Abraham, to be comforted. Likewise David would have gone there also, in his time.

That was the dispensation of the law. Things were different, in the sense that it was truly the time for only the Jews. Note here that it will always be the time of the Jews. But, after they crucified their Messiah, they were put on hold for a spell.

We are now in the dispensation of God's grace. This is when the wild olive branches are grafted into the vine. We Gentiles, are the wild bunch, as I like to say... lol.. And Christ Jesus is the true vine.

A great example of this transition in time can be seen in who each of the gospels is for. Matthew is for the Jews. Mark for the Romans. Luke for the Greeks, and John, of course to everyone.

So, we Gentiles do not go to the bosom of Abraham. Those souls that were there are all in Heaven now, because Jesus took captives, captive. This should be a whole other question, so without getting sidetracked let's press on.

But, when we die, we go directly to Heaven. (2 Corinthians 5:8) says to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Those of us that are saved, that is. The rest go to Sheol/Hades/Hell, and await the judgment (Luke 16:19-31). Note that many believe Hell is Gehenna/the Lake of Fire, but Hell actually gets cast into the Lake of Fire.

So in David's day, each family would kill a lamb, and the blood would have been sprinkled on the entire family. (1 Cor 11:25). It served to signify the new covenant of grace.

The High Priest would place both hands on the head of a goat, confessing all of the sins of the people of Israel. Then it would have been released into the wilderness, and it carried away their sins from the past year. It was called a scapegoat (Lev 16:21-22).

My suggestion is the second you know you are pregnant, start reading an easy version of the new testament as loud as you can so your baby while still inside the womb, gets to hear the word. (2 Corinthians 5:17) says "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God". After birth, keep reading it to him/her every day, eventually having them read and teach you. 

If you miss those first impressionable years, then you don't need to ask where your child is if it dies. You will know. If you just include Jesus in everything you and the family do, there will be no doubt that your child will just continue in that intimate relationship into the ever after.

Where any of us end up, is as far as Jesus is concerned, just a matter of kicking these filthy rags off at the door as we enter into our eternal state. If Jesus is no part of our's or our children's lives, then it will be the same after death, at any age, as we are all either the children of God or children of the devil at any age.

One of my favorite pastors, John MacArthur, doesn't even tell people the truth, because he cannot face them. Let me tell you what: If we started telling the truth, more folks would be more attentive to getting the word into their kids. In doing so, they too will get it into them.

I have strangers ask me all of the time about this, or what about those hermit tribes in Africa. They never like the answer. I wanna scream at them and say, "You live like there is no God, and then point your grubby little mitts at the Ancient of Days. You know nothing.” “It is by grace alone" that we even wake up each day, and then at some point, we are gone. No 10 second countdown to blast off.

If you are truly born of God, you will not have to ask where your kids are if they pass. They will just continue along the same path they are on, straight through that narrow gate up ahead. They won't even know that their withered old garments have fallen away. It will be as though you breached the womb.

Long answer, yes. But, truthful and from a repentant heart.

November 28 2020 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report