Will you die once or twice?

Good Morning Church Family:  Being a Christian in many places in our world has been proven to shorten lives.  Are we heading in that direction in America?  The church in Smyrna of Revelation 2, was suffering and their lives were shortened because they were faithful followers of Christ.  They were enduring great tribulation, slander, persecution, put in jail and even executed for their faithfulness in following Christ.  They loved Jesus and they considered that obeying and loving Him was a higher priority than living a life without persecution.  This is what Jesus calls us to… suffering.  This is also what we are called to endure as Christians in America, no matter what may come.  But the good news is that Jesus does not call us to faithfulness unto death without reminding us that we have a secured future that is absolutely true and unending and like nothing that you can comprehend.  Jesus tells His persecuted church and He tells us that our eternal life far outweighs the tribulation, poverty and slander we may endure today and tomorrow (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).  

Yes, as faithful followers we may suffer unto death but we will never suffer a second death, an eternal death, Jesus says (Revelation 2:10-11).  The Bible teaches us that there are two deaths that each of us will endure if we reject Jesus’ substitutionary death and atonement.  The “first death” is a physical death.  Unless Jesus returns before our actual physical death, we all will experience this first death.  The first death is momentary and our bodies will be resurrected in glorification to meet our souls once again in the presence of God.  The “second death” is a death that we can escape if we make Jesus Christ King of our lives.  The second death is an eternal death that Revelation calls “the lake that burns with fire and Sulfur,” also known as Hell (Revelation 21:8).  This second death is an eternal spiritual death.  The Gospel is Jesus offering us an escape from the second death.  We will never experience the second death if we receive from Jesus the crown of life, which we do not deserve, in the place of the lake of fire, which we do deserve.  Jesus is our merciful escape from experiencing the second death.  Receiving the crown of life is a guarantee of our escape and eternal life when we make Jesus King.

Jesus wants us as His Church to remember that no matter how much we may endure physically in this present life; we will never suffer spiritually in the future through a second death.  Christ followers will never experience a second death, ever.  We will live for eternity dwelling with God and He with us.  Jesus says, hey, my persecuted church, remain faithful and you will be granted the crown of life (Revelation 2:10) and you will not experience the second death.
 
If we receive the crown of life, that we do not deserve, in place of the lake of fire, which I do deserve, it can only be for one reason: Jesus Christ!  What a great exchange!   Jesus confronted the second death and conquered it, He destroyed it so that we would not have to experience that second eternal death.  Knowing that the second death died in the death of Jesus Christ, be faithful unto death!  Be faithful in tribulation.  Be faithful in the slander.  Be faithful in the poverty.  Be faithful in the imprisonment.  Be faithful in whatever may come.  Be encouraged today and be faithful in tribulation.

Revelation 2:11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.

This Sunday we will be meeting in person at the church building if you would like to join us in person at 10am.  And for those who will be staying at home, we will  be live-streaming on our Grace Community Church Topsail YouTube Channel. Push the blue link.  We can also be found at https://www.gracetopsail.com/

We have been having issues Sunday mornings with our YouTube broadcast due to the overloading of the internet at that time.  We are trying several things that will help remedy the situation.  If you do not get a good broadcast at 10am, please check back later in the day or week for a recorded version.  I am very sorry about this.  

I look forward to worshipping our sovereign God, Jesus Christ with you Sunday. - Steve