[Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Your eternity is serious business [1]

By Oke Chinye

Read: Revelation 20:11-15

Meditation verse:

“And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15).

“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). After death, everyone, small and great will stand before God and face ‘The Great White Throne Judgment’. The books would be opened, and we will be judged according to our works, by the things written in the books and “anyone not found written in the Book of Life will be cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15). The bible refers to this as the second death. This is a spiritual death signifying an everlasting separation from God. For your name to be written in the Book of Life, you must have trusted and accepted Christ as your Lord and Saviour, for “except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).

After salvation, the Holy Spirit comes to reside in you, and through His help, you put to death the former deeds of the flesh (Rom 8: 13-14). The Holy spirit helps you to keep God’s commandments, live a righteous and holy life to the end. “Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie” (Rev 22:14-15). We do not know the day or hour of Jesus’ return neither is the date of our death known us. So, we must be always prepared.

I narrowly missed an appointment with death several years ago. I had gone to a hospital for what was to be a simple surgical procedure. After the surgery, I was told that I would be ready to leave the hospital in 24 hours. Unfortunately, this was not to be. Shortly afterwards, I began to feel severe pains and my abdomen began to swell up. The most terrifying part of my ordeal was the knowledge that neither my surgeon nor any member of his team had a clue as to what had gone wrong. After 10 days of intense suffering, the surgeon requested for an abdominal scan, claiming that it was likely I had developed post-surgical abscess, which would require a second surgery to drain. The scan revealed two large collections of pus and blood in my abdomen. And I was told I would be taken back to the theatre the following day.

IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Dcns Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

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