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A couple of weeks ago, I made some comments about people going to see mediums and psychics about what happens after death. And that’s really stuck in my head. So I thought I’d bring it up again and kind of think it through.

I’ve read that the subject of What happens after we die, is something that all of us wonder about, but many people absolutely obsess over. There are all kinds of reasons why we begin thinking about it, maybe someone we care about has passed, or someone famous, or we or someone close to us has a medical crisis of some kind. Or, often, it comes about through depression, or substance abuse, and we start to have thoughts of suicide.

I know that right now, even as I speak, dozens of people, right here in Buckie and surrounding villages, are struggling with serious thoughts of taking their own life and wondering what happens then. Man, that’s hard.

First, that’s going to get worse until the end of March. All the darkness and rain we have makes our depression worse. It’s one of the hazards of living this far north. I know that’s not much help, but force yourself to get out of the house on sunny days. Take a walk, go shopping, do something, anything. If yo u can afford it, buy a daylight lamp, or get a full spectrum light bulb of one of your lamps and sit under it to do your reading or watch your television. You can’t see it, but I have one right here beside me in the office. I really believe in them.

But I digress. I was saying that for a whole bunch of reasons, from time to time, and sometimes seriously so, we wonder, what’s going to happen when we die. What about our nan or pap? What about our little son or daughter or neighbor who passed unexpectedly? Is that it? Is there no more?

We are often told by people of influence that the answer is yes. When we die, that’s it, we’re done. It’s all over. But that just doesn’t seem true, does it? First its against everything we want to be true. We want to be able to see our loved ones again. We want to think that a person who has suffered with cancer has a chance at an afterlife of peace and pain free joy. We don’t want to think that one day, we’ll just cease to exist.

And we can’t bear the thought of Hell, either. Even the possibility of that horror, will keep us awake, and fill us with fear and dread.

We want life after death, but we only want what we want it to be. And we know, that Churches and Preachers talk about hell as a real place, so we look around for other answers. More pleasant ones, like the answers provided by psychics and mediums, where all our loved ones are ethereal, and happy and watching us and wanting our happiness.

I don’t want to sound harsh, but you are just going to throw good money away by going to psychic shows, or a private consultation, or buying their books. Its not real answers their giving. There is never anything solid to hang on to.

I would encourage you to read what the New Testament writers have to say on the subject. Books like the 4 Gospels, the book of Acts, 1 Thessalonians and 1 Corinthians have loads to say on the matter.

Mat_19:29  And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.

Mar_10:30  who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.

Joh_3:15  that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

Joh_3:16  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Joh_6:47  Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.

1Th 4:13  But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 

1Th 4:14  For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 

1Th 4:15  For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 

1Th 4:16  For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 

1Th 4:17  Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

These are just a very few of the parts of the New Testament that talk about eternal life. It’s the whole teaching of Christianity. The idea that Humans were made to live forever. We messed things up through sin. We know we’ve sinned. I don’t need to prove that to anyone. And the consequences of sin are very great. But God loved us so much, that He became a man, and died to pay the penalty of our guilty verdict. But death couldn’t hold him, after all, he created life. And because of his death and resurrection, if we will come to him, repent and receive him, our eternal life is guaranteed.

Yes, there is life after death. Yes, heaven and hell are both real. We can choose today, right now, where we will spend eternity. We can end the worry, the stress, the fear.

I want to do something. Someone listening, wants to receive that assurance right now. I can feel it. I’m going to say a prayer and I want you to pray it with me.

God, I’m scared. I don’t even know if I know how to pray. But I want to stop fearing the grave. All these verses in the Bible say, you want to give me eternal life, and I want it. God, I’m sorry for all the sin that surrounds my life and I don’t want to live that way any more. I want you to drive. I give you the keys to my life , my heart, and my future. I have so much to learn. I don’t even know where to begin other than here. God I give up. I give in. Give me the eternal life you promised and the new beginning I keep hearing about. Thank you for Jesus. Amen.

If you prayed that. Please tell me about it right away. Write to me NOW. I’ll give you the next steps. If you’d rather talk to a different pastor, I get it. But go to your pastor right away. We are dying to help you.

For the rest of you, I challenge you to read the New Testament, and to take its message seriously.

I think next week, we’ll talk about who Jesus is and why he’s important. And why you can trust the Bible. That’s a tall order, but we’re going to tackle it.

 

 

Listen Here

If you use a laptop or desktop for that matter. I encourage you to go to http://www.e-sword.net. It’s a fantastic Bible study program that’s absolutely free of charge. You can download translations of the Bible free. You can also get commentaries, maps, and other tools, if you want to get really serious. I may do a video showing you how to use it. That’s MAY.

Another good place to go, is www.biblegateway.com. You can get lots of free versions there.

For those of you who use a smart phone, you have tons of apps available to you at the low low price of FREE. If you have an iPhone, go to the app store. If you have an android go to the Google Play store. The first app I recommend is, YouVersion. You can download a ton of versions to you phone, or just use them online and save the memory in your phone. Also, Bible Gateway has an app. It’s also great. I think I’ll leave it with those two apps to avoid confusion. There are others. Look around in the store and find one you like.

Wow, all this technology. Isn’t it awesome? Let me recommend some actual translations of the Bible for you. First, I’ll recommend the Good News Bible. Sometimes known as Todays English Version. It’s written in very simple English.

When it first came out, it was called, “Good News For Modern Man”. I remember loving it. I was pretty young, and it was so refreshing to read the Bible in words I understood. This translation has been through many editions over the years. At first, it struggled, but as the years have passed, it has just gotten better. I highly recommend it for new Bible readers, and for anyone for whom English is a second language. I use it all the time. It’s one of the translations I find myself returning to.

Next, I want to tell you about The New Living Translation. This is also very good, especially if you’re new to the Bible. The Language is simple, but the translators were solid Bible Scholars. Personally, I don’t love the way it flows, but my wife does. In fact, it’s her absolute favorite translation. I have one edition of it, called, “The Jesus Centered Bible”, that is awesome. In the New Testament, it’s a typical Red Letter edition, meaning the words of Jesus are written in red. But in the Old Testament, it marks all of the stories and prophesies about Jesus in Blue. And it has lots of good notes about those places. If you’re going to spend money on a new Bible and want a kind of study Bible, I recommend this one above all the others. Again, that’s the New Living Translation.

Thirdly, I want to tell you about the English Standard Version. This is a strong translation. The language is a little more formal than the Good New Bible, or the New Living Translation, but it’s used in many Churches these days. Again, it’s not my favorite, but it’s the favorite of a lot of Christians. I use it in my sermon preparation and occasionally for my personal devotions.

There are lots and lots of good translations of the Bible. If you have one you want to ask me about, write to me, My email is radiofreebuckie@gmail.com. Or ask me via the comments section of the radiofreebuckie.com website. Or through the rfb facebook page. I’ll give you an honest evaluation.

Now, if you prefer the Authorised Version, the KJV. That’s fine. That’s the version I grew up reading. There is nothing wrong with it. In fact, because a lot of my early memory verses came from that translation, I still find myself quoting it for things like the Christmas story, and the 23^rd psalm. I just think you’ll have fewer problems if you read a more modern English translation.

Before we leave the subject of translations. There are two I want to disrecommend to you. And frankly, I can’t dis recommend them enough. First is the New World Translation. It’s unlikely you’ll come in contact with this version because it isn’t sold to the public. This is the Jehovah’s Witness Bible. It has been changed dramatically, to fit the doctrinal position of the Jws. That’s why regular bookstores won’t sell it. Avoid it like the plague. The same advice goes for “The Passion Bible” or “The Passion Translation.” This one is done to promote the teachings of a group of American Churches. I’m guessing it has twice as many words as a regular Bible. The guy kind of included his interpretations and commentary right into the translation. I don’t know for sure if it’s even available in the U.K. Except on Bible Gateway. Just avoid it.

Like I said earlier, please write me with any questions at all about translations.

Now, for the heart of this episode. I believe the reason most people get confused, or give up on the Bible is because you read it in the wrong order. Most people, naturally, start right at the beginning with Genesis and try to read straight through. If they manage to make it to Leviticus, they give up. It happens all the time.

The Bible has two main sections, The Old Testament, then The New Testament. The old has 39 books, the New 27. So there are 66 books. It’s like a library, or a set of encyclopedias, in one volume. Would you go into our local library, and start reading the first book and then try and work your way around. Of course not. The same with encyclopedias. You wouldn’t start with the As and read through it to the last volume. You would look up your subject in the catalog or alphabet and go there.

The best way to understand the Bible is to read the New Testament first, then the Old. And… I wouldn’t recommend reading even the NEW testament in order. The first 4 books of the NT are what we call Gospels. They tell us who Jesus is. Then we have the book of Acts which tells you what to do about it. Its the only book of the Bible that tells us how people became Christians and how churches were formed. Then we have 21 letters to give us instructions on the best way to live as followers of Jesus. Finally, we have the book of Revelation that explains how it will all end. I recommend that you read the Gospel of Luke first, followed by the book of Acts. Luke wrote both of them, so it’s easy to follow his flow. First you’ll learn who Jesus is, then what to do about it.

Next Go read I and II Thessalonians. I’m going to give you a suggested order for the whole New and Old Testaments. I’m not going to give it all over the broadcast because I’ll lose you. I will include it with the show notes at www.radiofreebuckie.com. You can also write to me and I’ll give you the reading plan.

What I’ve done is try and keep themes together and to give you the thoughts in the Bible’s text generally in an easier to harder order. It will truly help you grasp the teachings better. Make sense?

Just a couple more suggestions for you. The first is that you read the New Testament twice before moving to the old. It will really make a difference. Then read the Book of Hebrews again before you read the old testament. That is a key in unlocking the OT. When you have a good understanding of Hebrews, the Old Testament will make so much more sense to you. I promise.

Wow! We covered a lot of ground. I want you to read the Bible and understand what you’re reading. It will change your life…forever. Don’t be afraid if you have questions about things you don’t understand. As them. If you don’t have someone you trust, ask me. I’m here to help.

I’m sorry this is coming out late. It’s just been one of those weeks. Have a great weekend. Talk to you soon. Tell your friends about this show. Please like the facebook page and save the link to the website. Chow. I’m out.

Here is the reading plan:

New Testament:

Luke, Acts, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, Matthew, James, Mark, 1 and 2 Timothy

John, 1,2,3 John, Galatians, Philippians, Titus, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Ephesians,

Colossians, Philemon, Hebrews, 1 and 2 Peter, Jude, Romans, Revelation

Old Testament: Genesis, Joshua, Psalms, Isaiah, Exodus, Judges, Proverbs, Jeremiah, Leviticus, Ruth, Job, Lamentations, Numbers, I Samuel, Ecclesiastes, Ezekiel, Deuteronomy, 2 Samuel, Song of Solomon, Daniel, I Kings, Hosea, 2 Kings, Joel, I Chronicles, Amos, 2 Chronicles, Obadiah, Ezra, Jonah, Nehemiah, Micah, Esther, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi

 

 

 

Episode 1 Click Here

Wow, I can’t believe it. I’ve finally got this site up and running. Ok, maybe up and limping, but we’re moving forward. As you’ll see, this first episode is very short. And that’s probably a good thing. Some episodes will be very Buckie focused, and some will be much more general. I think this one is pretty much for Buckie people. I hope you’ll make this your home for spiritual thought. I hope you’ll ask questions, share your thoughts and become part of the family. Anyway, below are the ‘show notes’. They are not edited or corrected for spelling, etc. Do take note of the ways to contact us and stay in touch. You rock. Here we go… O, to listen to the episode, you’ll find the link at the top where it says Episode 1 Click here.

“One of the things that really disturbs me, is how few people never attend Church. I mean, it never even crosses your mind. But I know you think about things like, What happens when I die? I know that because of how many people went to see the show when the psychic came to town. Hmm. Think about it. People pay money to go see a psychic, but Church is free. What’s up with that? I’m going with, Church is boring. Hey, I’m a preacher. I know these things. Churches in Scotland are boring. I mean, people still think they have to dress up, put on a pair of shoes that crushes our feet, go to sit in a building that smells mouldy, on a pew that was designed by a torturer, sing songs that are old, or that we don’t know, then listen to a guy, often dressed in a robe, babble on for a half hour about things from in a book we never read that never relates to our real life. Oh, then they pass a box for us to put some money in. We think, no thanks, I’m saving up for the psychic.

You know you that’s a pretty realistic picture of what you think you’ll experience. And that’s partly because it’s what you’ve always experienced.

I have some good news. It’s not all like that. At least not everywhere. Ok, a good number of our buildings are old, and some of them smell pretty musty. Can’t help that. At our Church, we’ve been having movie nights and we’re making a great deal of popcorn and candy floss. We’ll kill that musty smell eventually. Eventually we’ll smell like Peter Fair, but at least it won’t be musty.

I know several churches have banished those uncomfortable pews. Hallelujah. We have chairs. Padded chairs. You’re welcome. We still sing. That’s never going to change. There are reasons why we sing, and some day I’ll explain it, but not today. Frankly, most of us are terrible singers. We have out of tune instruments. I know it. Some churches these days, have bands. Some of them are great. Some are terrible. But we have fun singing the old songs AND learning new ones. In our church, for example, we have no one to play instruments. So we use videos. The thing about using them that’s positive is the bands and musicians in the videos are always fantastic, so if you don’t like to sing, you can always just enjoy the video. And don’t say you don’t like videos. I know you’ve got YouTube. And you learn new songs all the time off of there, or that old fashioned radio in your car.

As for the dress code, we’re just glad you’re actually wearing clothing. That’s pretty much our only expectation these days. This time of year, trying to leave the house naked, will put your health in jeopardy. Oh, and it will probably get you arrested. Come casually, just come.

Preaching is changing too. Most of us know speak modern, rather that King James, English. If you go to a Church where you can’t understand the preacher. Try another one. And many of us, try and share the message of the Bible in a way that’s helpful in real life. Some are better than others.

Look around. Find a Church where you fit in. Just make sure they stick closely to the Bible. We’ll talk about the Bible next week. If you don’t have a Church home, you’re more than welcome to visit us at the Church of Christ on West Church Street. We may smell like popcorn and candy floss, but you’ll sure
be welcome. Wherever you are, I’d love to help you find a good, Bible Church. If you write to me at radiofreebuckie@gmail.com or write a comment on the website, www.radiofreebuckie.com or on the radiofreebuckie Facebook page, I’ll help you find a good church, wherever in the world you are.

And… if you have any questions about the Bible, Jesus, Church, money management, just about anything, send them to me at on the comments page of the website or email me. I’d love to hear them. Maybe your question will provide us a topic for the show. And…stick around, because in two or three weeks, I’m going to address that topic about what happens after you die. But next week, I’m going to teach you to love reading the Bible. Yep. Cause you’re probably doing it wrong. Uh huh. Have a great week everyone. And…. attend Church somewhere this weekend. I dare you.”