I would like to talk about a very important decision. As a matter of fact, this is the most important decision you will ever be faced with.
This decision is more important than where you chose to go to school, your career choice, who you decide to marry, or where you decide to live. This decision concerns eternity.
Think about it. Forever is a long, long time.
So many people are only concerned with today or a few months down the road. At best, some are concerned with retirement. I want to go beyond that. I want to talk about “life after death” Are you making any provision for that?
Did you know that you are not just a body made of flesh and bones, blood and muscle? You are a spirit being, you have a soul and you live in a body. When you die – which everyone does sooner or later – your physical body will be put in a grave. It will decay and turn to ashes and dust.
But what about “the real you” – the inner you, your personality, your mind, will and emotions?
The spiritual part of you can be thought of as the part of you that cannot be seen with the natural eye. This part of you will live forever. And where the “spiritual you” lives depends on the decision you make as you contemplate this message.
There are two forces in the world – good and evil, right and wrong. We have a “knowing” of that inside of us even without being told. There are two forces in the spirit realm – God and the devil; good angels – which are spirit beings created by God to help Him carry out His business – and bad angels, called demons.
These bad angels were once good angels who made a choice to rebel against God. Lucifer, an archangel (also called Beelzebub, Satan, or the devil), led these angels in this rebellion, and God threw them out of heaven and created a place for them and their master called hell (See Rev. 12:7-9).
God and the good angels have their home in heaven. Satan and the bad angels have their home in hell.
Between heaven and hell is the earth and the atmosphere above the earth. Good and bad angels patrol the earth at all times. Satan also roams about “seeking whom he may devour.” The Bible tells us that in 1 Peter 5:8.
The Holy Spirit of God (God’s own Spirit) also dwells on the earth as well as in the heavenlies, and the job God has given Him is to seal, keep, preserve, and protect God’s people (those who have chosen to serve God).
The Holy Spirit also has the job of wooing and winning people who have not yet chosen God and His way of living.
Have you made your choice?
No one can make it for you. God created you with a free will, and He will not force you to choose Him. He did not force the angels. Part of them rebelled and He let them do what they wanted to do. But remember, bad choices bring their own penalty.
The choice is yours.
(Tulsa: Harrison House, 1998) All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Joyce Meyer is one of the world's leading practical Bible teachers. A New York Times bestselling author, her books have helped millions of people find hope and restoration through Jesus Christ. Through Joyce Meyer Ministries, she teaches on a number of topics with a particular focus on the mind, mouth, moods and attitudes. Her candid communication style allows her to share openly and practically about her experiences so others can apply what she has learned to their lives.
Joyce hosts a TV and radio show, Enjoying Everyday Life, which broadcasts worldwide to a potential audience of 4.5 billion people. She has authored 100 books, which have been translated into more than 100 languages. More than 12 million of her books have been distributed free of charge around the world, and each year millions of copies are sold.
Joyce conducts close to a dozen domestic and international conferences every year, teaching people to enjoy their everyday lives. For 30 years, her annual women's conference has attracted more than 200,000 women from all over the world to St. Louis for specifically themed teachings by her and guest speakers.
Through her teachings, God has provided opportunities to meet the needs of the suffering and bring the Gospel in a practical way. Joyce's passion to help hurting people every day is foundational to the vision of Hand of Hope, the missions arm of Joyce Meyer Ministries. These outreaches around the globe include feeding programs, medical care, homes for orphans, and programs combatting human trafficking. In her hometown of St. Louis, Joyce and Dave, her husband, founded the St. Louis Dream Center (SLDC) in 2000. The SLDC serves the inner city through hands-on programs targeted at reaching the lost and hurting with the love of Christ.
Over the years, God has provided Joyce with many opportunities to share her testimony and the life-changing message of the Gospel. Having suffered sexual abuse throughout her childhood, as well as just dealing with the struggles of everyday life, Joyce discovered the freedom to live victoriously by applying God's Word to her life and in turn desires to help others do the same.
Joyce is and continues to be an incredible testimony of the dynamic, redeeming work of Jesus Christ.