Sooner or later

No one can live forever; all will die. No one can escape the power of the grave. – Psalm 89:48 (TLB)

It was just a month or so that I received a phone call early in the morning from a former co-worker and friend at Guilford Technical Community in Jamestown, North Carolina that had me reeling and rocking with some strange news. Margaret said, “Fred! I’m glad to hear your voice. Let me tell you why! The art department staff was all messed up along with just about everyone else at GTCC because the word had gotten out from the Greensboro News & Record as well as the High Point Enterprise that you [a long time resident of High Point] were declared dead at 67 years old. Yeah! I told my folks that I was going to call you directly regardless of the rumors I heard. You’re talking to me right now; so you aren’t dead - that’s all that matters!” Well! I was rattled for a moment, but realized that the Frederick Jones of High Point {even though his age and mine are the same} wasn’t me. On the other hand, it felt good especially to chat with an old friend that I hadn’t heard from in a long while. Before hanging up, we talked about getting together over lunch to reminisce a bit about the good old days. Sooner or later…by and by our paths would cross.

Sooner or later. There is something worth exploring from this. Perhaps the best place to begin is by asking the question, is there anyway to align it with the Scriptures? I reached a conclusion based on two findings. First of all, Hebrews 9:27, 28 point out that “And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ died once for all times as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.”

From this, I see that I [like you] will die a physical death; there is no escaping it, just as there will be not escaping judgment. As sure as death is itself, judgment awaits. At God’s judgment there will be no higher court of appeal should the verdict not be to our liking. Yet if one should hope for a favorable verdict in God’s court, he or she should hope entirely on Jesus. This is [or should be] the ultimate cry or prayer for the unsaved – for the freedom and pardon Jesus has won for them. Reality truly sets in! Then there is reason to rejoice that God’s judgment of them will be based on the perfect life of his Son, Jesus. So when this comes full circle spiritually, they can tell others. For many will face an unfavorable judgment without Jesus.

The second result grew out Hebrews 9:27,28 regarding the inevitability of death, God’s judgment against those who refuse to accept Jesus atoning sacrifice for sin, and Jesus’ second coming. This led to the issue of transformation. How important is this? Check out what 1Corinthians 15:51-53 has to say about it.
But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.

Give attention to such phrases as “we will not all die,” “we will all be transformed,” “when the last trumpet sounds,” and “for our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die.” Mercy! The Reverend John Love, Pastor of Webb’s Chapel United Methodist Church in Denver, North Carolina, opened my eyes to this (the significance of dying, eternal life, etc) on April 25, 2010 – the fourth Sunday of Easter. His sermon was entitled “2012,” which was taken from Revelation 7:9-17. As Rev. Love pointed out, the year 2012 is none other than Hollywood’s interpretation of what the end times will unfold – it is a fear inducing thing based entirely on the “sci-fi Method,” which always has an element of terror or fright.

There were several points that he brought out: (1) God will be with us regardless of our circumstances, (2) define yourself by the promises of God and not your own predicament, (3) life is linear; first there is birth and then there is death, (4) this is God’s world. He is in control of what is and what is to come, and (5) whenever it become difficult to understand life’s perplexities, put whatever it is into God’s mystery bank. He knows the past, the present, and the future. Hey, I like this! Reverend Love can put it together!

For the Frederick Jones that died and was not I, my prayer is that he met God in Christ before leaving this earth. As for me, the real Frederick N. Jones, Sr. who is living right now, my goal is to anticipate that sooner or later I will be transformed from death into life and to be with Jesus through all eternity. Selah