By: Mitch DeCanter Guntown Mississippi
Welcome to Faith Hope and Love Ministries!
Faith Hope and Love Ministries is a Christian Fellowship of Believers assembling together weekly where we greet each other in Christian Love, we share events and concerns in our lives, we collect prayer concerns from all that want to share, we then take those prayers to God through Jesus Christ. We join together in hand to hand brother / sister fellowship voicing our prayers. Often we will greet and share Christian Hugs, handshakes, and special hand on the back love jesters. After all this, while in a Christian Spiritual excitement we share a meal or snacks. While relaxing with the food and in Christian Loving Fellowship, we enjoy being in the presence of each other.
At a Spiritual Led moment, Bro. Mitch begins a Bible Study. At our inception, we studied The Acts looking for the ways and effective ways that God Led the Leaders of the first Churches conduct and teach their Assemblies, the Church. Now, Bro. Mitch or guest speakers will teach preaches with the entire circle of Believers taking part, God Led and Directed lessons. Most often, we become so spiritually excited that we forget the time. Our most recent study has been on the Books of Psalms.
Our mission and purpose is to learn to share Jesus Christ to everybody we meet on a daily basics. We want to Touch Lives by allowing the LOVE of Jesus Christ radiate out of our faces and eyes and smiles so strongly that the person departs with a warm loving smile on their faces. And if the Holy Spirit allows us to witness to the person, we take time out to share Jesus Christ is simple terms, FAITH HOPE AND LOVE. This web site is designed to share through the electronic media.
SPECIAL NOTE: OUR BROTHER AND FRIEND HAS BEEN CALLED BACK TO NORTH VIETNAM ON THE MISSION FIELD. REUBEN CLARK IS ASKING THAT IF YOU FEEL LED TO SPONSOR, OR CONTRIBUTE TO HIS FUNDS FOR THIS TRIP, PLEASE DO AS GOD LEADS: YOU MAY CONTRIBUTE TO HIS PAY PAL ACCOUNT: GO TO HTTP://WWW..PAYPAL.COM AND UNDER “TRANSFER” SEND MONEY TO REUBEN’S PAYPAL ACCOUNT rjc38photo@yahoo.com. THANK YOU AND MAY GOD BLESS!
DEALING WITH DEATH
By Mitch DeCanter
Death seems to us to be the end. But is it the end? Our loved one, say our mother is alive and sharing with us, the smiles, the giving, the hugs, the enjoyment and fellowship as Mom in her warm breathing talking, laughing, crying, and just being alive. Suddenly Mom is no longer breathing, her body grows cold, she is taken to a funeral home where she is prepared for burial and her final resting place. Everyone gathers and someone speaks over her body, everybody cries and hurts so very badly. We go through a process of morning, as time easies the pain and hurt. But for some reason we still feel the empty of Mom not being with us alive. On special days, the hurt and misses come roaring back.
Death to most of us, especially if it is someone we are close to, just does not seem fair. Therefore, what is DEATH?
Death being a separation of body and soul
Nature of man Conscious life after death…
Death
may be simply defined as the termination of life
It is represented under a variety of aspects in Scripture:
- “The dust shall return to the earth as it was” (Eccl. 12:7).
- “Thou takest away their breath, they die” (Ps. 104:29).
- It is the dissolution of “our earthly house of this tabernacle” (2 Cor. 5:1); the “putting off this tabernacle” (2 Pet. 1:13, 14).
- Being “unclothed” (2 Cor. 5:3, 4).
- “Falling on sleep” (Ps. 76:5; Jer. 51:39; Acts 13:36; 2 Pet. 3:9.
- “I go whence I shall not return” (Job 10:21); “Make me to know mine end” (Ps. 39:4); “to depart” (Phil. 1:23).
The grave is represented as “the gates of death” (Job 38:17; Ps. 9:13; 107:18). The gloomy silence of the grave is spoken of under the figure of the “shadow of death” (Jer. 2:6).
Death is the effect of sin (Hebrews 2:14), and not a “debt of nature.” It is but once (9:27), universal (Gen. 3:19), necessary (Luke 2:28-30). Jesus has by his own death taken away its sting for all his followers (1 Cor. 15:55-57).
There is a spiritual death in trespasses and sins, i.e., the death of the soul under the power of sin (Rom. 8:6; Eph. 2:1, 3; Col. 2:13).
The “second death” (Rev. 2:11) is the everlasting perdition of the wicked (Rev. 21:8), and “second” in respect to natural or temporal death.
THE DEATH OF CHRIST is the procuring cause incidentally of all the blessings men enjoy on earth. But specially it is the procuring cause of the actual salvation of all his people, together with all the means that lead thereto. It does not make their salvation merely possible, but certain (Matt. 18:11; Rom. 5:10; 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 1:4; 3:13; Eph. 1:7; 2:16; Rom. 8:32-35).
Justin Martyr: The resurrection is a resurrection of the flesh which died. For the spirit dies not; the soul is in the body, and without a soul it cannot live. The body, when the soul forsakes it, is not. For the body is the house of the soul; and the soul the house of the spirit. These three, in all those who cherish a sincere hope and unquestioning faith in God, will be saved.” (Justin Martyr, Chapter X.—The Body Saved, and Will Therefore Rise)
177 AD Athenagoras the Athenian, Chapter XVI—Analogy of Death and Sleep, and Consequent Argument for the Resurrection. And let no one think it strange that we call by the name of life a continuance of being which is interrupted by death and corruption; but let him consider rather that this word has not one meaning only, nor is there only one measure of continuance, because the nature also of the things that continue is not one. For if each of the things that continue has its continuance according to its peculiar nature, neither in the case of those who are wholly incorruptible and immortal shall we find the continuance like ours, because the natures of superior beings do not take the level of such as are inferior; nor in men is it proper to look for a continuance invariable and unchangeable; in as much as the former are from the first created immortal, and continue to exist without end by the
simple will of their Maker, and men, in respect of the soul, have from their first origin an unchangeable continuance, but in respect of the body obtain immortality by means of change. This is what is meant by the doctrine of the resurrection; and, looking to this, we both await the dissolution of the body, as the sequel to a life of want and corruption, and after this we hope for a continuance with immortality, not putting either our death on a level with the death of the irrational animals, or the continuance of man with the continuance of immortals, lest we should unawares in this way put human nature and life on a level with things with which it is not proper to compare them. It ought not, therefore, to excite dissatisfaction, if some inequality appears to exist in regard to the duration of men; nor, because the separation of the soul from the members of the body and the dissolution of its parts interrupts the continuity of life, must we therefore despair of the resurrection. For although the relaxation of the senses and of the physical powers, which naturally takes place in sleep, seems to interrupt the sensational life when men sleep at equal intervals of time, and, as it were, come back to life again, yet we do not refuse to call it life; and for this reason, I suppose, some call sleep the brother of death, not as deriving their origin from the same ancestors and fathers, but because those who are dead and those who sleep are subject to similar states, as regards at least the stillness and the absence of all sense of the present or the past, or rather of existence itself and their own life. If, therefore, we do not refuse to call by the name of life the life of men full of such inequality from birth to dissolution, and interrupted by all those things which we have before mentioned, neither ought we to despair of the life succeeding to dissolution, such as involves the resurrection, although for a time it is interrupted by the separation of the soul from the body.
Excerpt from
The Journey of the Soul
By Rev. Simeon Stefanidakis
Death: The Opening of the Way
“Death is the only event which we can predict with absolute certainty, and yet it is the event about which the majority of human beings refuse to think at all until faced with the imminent and personal issue. People face death in many different ways; some bring to the adventure a feeling of self-pity, and are so occupied with what they have to leave behind, what is about to end for them, and the relinquishing of all they have gathered in life, that the true significance of the inevitable future fails to arrest their attention. Others face it with courage, making the best of what may not be evaded, and look up into the face of death with a gallant gesture because there is nothing else they can do . . . Still others refuse altogether to consider the possibility; they hypnotize themselves into a condition wherein the thought of death is refused all lodgment in their consciousness, and they will not consider its possibility, so that when it comes, it catches them unawares; they are left helpless and unable to do more than simply die.”
From Bethlehem to Calvary by Alice A. Bailey
Thus spoke The Tibetan, through the mediumship of Alice A. Bailey. He also referred to death as The Great Adventure. And, indeed, it is. The words above are so true, and they speak to us all. How we actually experience death depends, to quite a large degree, upon how we perceive this great adventure while living upon the Earth plane.
What is death? How do we experience death? Does it hurt? How quickly does it happen? What about life after death; do we survive? If so, in what capacity? Do we meet loved ones who passed before, or do we lose all sense of personal identity and recognition? What is the after-life like? These are just a few of the questions surrounding death which people have asked and pondered over since the beginning of earthly time.
In following the journey of the soul, death truly becomes a great adventure in which the way is opened for the soul to pass from one realm of life into another. It marks a point of transition. How we each get to that ubiquitous state of transition varies with circumstances. What we experience after we cross that elusive threshold, known as death, also varies with the individual. But the actual experience; the actual crossing over the threshold, between one realm of life and another, is amazingly quite similar for most people.
Life, in many ways, is a series of deaths. We are always moving from one experience to another. The point is: we are always moving! Thus it is with death. The point is: we are always living! Death, then, becomes a very natural part of life. We move from one room into another. Depending upon which side of the doorway we happen to be in comparison to the one crossing the threshold, we label that transition either death or birth. Please note this last statement. Death and birth are basically the same process. Both involve passing through the same doorway. The only difference is the direction of movement. What is death on the Earth plane is birth in the Spirit world. And birth onto the Earth plane can be considered death in the Spirit world.
In these next few lessons, we shall discuss the first of several death processes that the soul experiences between one incarnation and another. Yes, physical death is but one of many deaths which we encounter as we move from one earthly life to another. We could settle, once and for all, the question of death by saying that death does not exist; that there is only life; that death is but one of countless experiences found in life. But that would be quite a lot to ask you to accept, without some further instruction.
Therefore, let us look at this wonderfully great adventure, known as death. Before we examine the process of physical death, we need to look at the question of survival. Nobody can deny the existence of death. The vital question surrounding death is: do we survive the experience; if so, how? Once we understand that we do survive death, we can then look at the process of death itself and what follows.
The Death Process: Preliminary Remarks
Regardless of how one approaches death, the process itself is quite similar for most people. If death comes suddenly and the person does not believe in any form of after-life, then the conscious mind is most likely not prepared for the experience, and there could be a period of confusion after death. Thus, the importance of understanding death, before we meet it face-to-face.
If, on the other hand, death comes upon the individual gradually, let us say after a lengthy period of illness, then the personality is given an opportunity to prepare for the experience. This can be very helpful for a person who has never thought about death, or who does not believe in any form of after-life. This period of preparation can last for a few days, up to several years, depending upon:
- The needs of the spirit. What did the incarnating personality plan for this period of earthly transition? For most people, the general time and condition of death are planned prior to coming onto the Earth plane.
- The resistance of the personality to let go of the form aspect of life. This is a very powerful force; one which may cause a person to linger upon the Earth plane well after his or her planned time of death. If the person is strongly body-oriented, he or she will consider that letting go of the body means letting go of life. We are all subject to the attractive powers of the Earth plane, and we tend to cling to the body with great tenacity.
Finally, with modern-day technology, there is the issue of life support systems. Who makes the decision for whom concerning death? Is the spirit ready to leave, while family members insist on keeping the body alive? How does this affect the spirit? What is the definition of death, and who decides that all criteria for that definition have been met? These are complex questions which run right to the roots of what we are attempting to teach in these lessons.
Regardless of influences that may cause one to cling to the body, physical deterioration and other factors will eventually bring about permanent separation from the earthly form, and death will ensue.
“Definition of Spiritual Death”
From Kirsti A. Dyer MD, MS, FT, former About.com Guide
Created: August 24, 2006
About.com Health’s Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board
Definition:
Spiritual Death is the separation of the soul (spirit) from God.
More Complete: Spiritual death is “a state of being in which the human soul is separated from God and has not been enlivened by his Spirit.”
In the religious context, this is often considered to be of greater significance than the physical death.
One biblical passage used to explain spiritual death is Ephesians 4:18 as a state of being “alienated from the life of God.”
Contrast Definition Physical Death is the separation of the soul (spirit) from the body.
Source: Keating C. 2002. Death: A Theological Position Statement. Available at:http://www.ntgreek.org/SeminaryPapers/systematic/Death.pdf
My summary of all this: Death is about the body giving up the Soul. The body becomes “remains” and the Soul moves to another location. Christians (Believers in Jesus Christ) Soul goes back to God where it came from anyway. The fear that most have is not the where, but the how and speed of the transition, leaving our earthly physical body, and the trip. For me I don’t fear, just hope that I will be able to enjoy. However, I believe the trip is so rapid that we will not have any time to think as we do in this physical body.
Faith Hope and Love Ministries 
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