The Destiny of Man

The purpose of this article is to once and for all clarify questions about death. For example, what will happen to our body, soul and spirit after death?

My father died at the age of 63 and my mother died at the age of 80. My sister also died last year caused by a dreaded disease,  "cancer of the bone".

Different speculations surfaced starting from the death of my father.

Some said my father and mother together with my sister are now together living in heaven with the Lord. Some said, they are now one of the Angels of the Lord.

What was written in the scripture is that, only the spirits of the just men made perfect are in heaven.

Heb 12:23  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

The spirits of the wicked who died at the time of Noah up to this very day are still in prison.

1 Pet 3:19-20  By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;  Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

And the dead body will remain still in the dust sleeping and awaiting for the day of judgment.

Dan 12:2   And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

Rev 20:15  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

How I wish that my father, mother and sister spirits are not in prison. How I wish their name were also written in the book of life.

Ezek 37:5-6  Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

For what is a man, what has he got? For after your way, the way of the Lord will prevail.

♫♪♫ And now, the end is near
And so I face the final curtain
My friend, I'll say it clear
I'll state my case, of which I'm certain
I've lived a life that's full
I traveled each and ev'ry highway
And more, much more than this, I did it my way ♫♪♫

Worsening Economy

Every nation is observing the progress of its economy especially when a recession or a depression occured. It is an event that happens again and again, a recurring problem, which has yet to be solved. Every day there is news of jobs lost and businesses closing. These lost jobs and closed businesses are not being replaced by new jobs and businesses. Unemployment is increasing.

Many years ago our situation was not like this. What has changed? Why are we heading steadily into a depression?

An economy is not based on money or finance, though most people believe it is. The ultimate basis of an economy is entirely physical. An economy is ultimately based on the production of physical wealth. Without first having adequate food and energy production, none of our other economic activities would even be possible.

Though good economy or good harvest for that matter; this is not a guarantee of peace and security, for in the abundance of everything, here comes the calamity reserved for the world and is destined to happen.

Mt 24:6 And ye will hear of wars, and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 

Mt 24:7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there will be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in divers places. 

For whatever we do, the word of God will always prevail. The prophesy written in the Bible are not made to be broken.

Is 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

We have to expect the unexpected and the time of trouble is here to come.

2 Tim 3:1-7 This know also, that in the last days perilous times will come. For men will be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,  Without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,   Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;   Having a form of godliness, but denying its power: from such turn away.   For of this sort are they who creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts;   Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 

Though perilous times are already happening, the great tribulation was not yet experienced by the whole world.

Mt 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as hath not been since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 

The great tribulation is more horrible than this event that happened in the beginning.

2 Kings 6:28 And the king said to her, What aileth thee? and she answered, This woman said to me, Give thy son, that we may eat him to-day, and we will eat my son to-morrow.

2 Kings 6:29 So we boiled my son, and ate him: and I said to her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son. 

The worsening economy is just the beginning that we must endure up to the time of the end.

Jn 16:33 These things I have spoken to you, that in me ye may have peace. In the world ye will have tribulation, but be of good cheer: I have overcome the world.

Our only hope therefore is Christ whether we live or we die.

Rom 14:18 For whether we live, we live to the Lord; and whether we die, we die to the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.

God's Calling

The calling of God is for all but we set aside Him not sometimes but many times. His calling is open to all. He is the only one in power who entertains anybody. Can an elected President of one nation spend his precious time hearing the voice of the lowest citizen of his country? I doubt it! That is why God said:

Prov 1:23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit to you, I will make known to you my words.

The reason may be for some people being independent is because they still can do everything with their own power and a help is not yet needed for one may say, I can still manage. But remember this verse:

Jn 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Jesus said this because we have the tendency to become boastful, we tend to glorify ourselves especially those who are in power and those who are rich and educated.

Jer 9:23 Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:

Jer 9:24 But let him that glorieth, glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD who exercise loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.

But even those who are in power, rich and educated, time will come or I may say in their nearing end or death or calamity, when money and power can no longer save them, the least that they could do is to call God. Proverbs 1:23-28 It's too late for that time to call...

Please remember that a friend of this world is an enemy of God.

Jas 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

The works of the flesh are manifest, which are these, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like: (such as smoking and drugs) those who do these things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Tit 1:16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and to every good work reprobate.

Lk 16:15 And he said to them, Ye are they who justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men, is abomination in the sight of God.

Stone

The Bible speaks of stones being hurled at the offender by the whole congregation.

Lev 24:14 Bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp; and let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him.

Lev 24:16 And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the LORD, shall be put to death.

The problem in stoning is that, when the offender is close to your heart, a relative, or a friend may be, anyone can become reluctant to execute the stoning order. It is a different scenario perhaps if the offender is your enemy.

But the commandment is very clear. It says, all of the congregation will stone that offender to death.

And in the last days, another stone was spoken of. A Stone that either gives life to the obedient or death to the offender.

Acts 4:11 This is the stone which was set at naught by you builders, which is become the head of the corner.

Eph 2:20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone;

Rom 9:33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumbling-stone, and rock of offense: and whoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

1 Pet 2:8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, even to them who stumble at the word, being disobedient: to which also they were appointed.

In either way, non compliance with the word spoken, by picking up a stone that can kill or believe that the stone can give life, the same shall judge him in the last day.

Jn 12:48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

Deliver Us

We are facing a dangerous life not everyday but every hour.

1 Cor 15:30 And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?

1 Cor 15:31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

1 Cor 15:32 If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.

1 Cor 15:33 Be not deceived: Evil communications corrupt good manners.

We need to have protection from evil. Below verse should not be written if it is not so.

Ps 34:7 The angel of the LORD encampeth around them that fear him, and delivereth them.

In fact, there are many verses in the Bible proving that the angels of the Lord really came and delivered them from fear and death.

Lk 2:9 And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were in great fear.

2 Cor 1:10 Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us:

Apostle Paul also stated in his letter to the Corinthians.

2 Cor 11:23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths often.

2 Cor 11:24 From the Jews five times I received forty stripes save one.

2 Cor 11:25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once I was stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;

2 Cor 11:26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by my own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;

2 Cor 11:27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.

2 Cor 11:28 Besides those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.

It is our consolation therefore that God the Father really cares for us He knowing everything about us.

Mt 10:29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and not one of them shall fall on the ground without your Father.

Mt 10:30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

Mt 10:31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.

Sparrows have no angels guarding them but all people of God have. Who is afraid then of temptation, sin or death if you know these assurances from God.

Lk 12:4 And I say to you, my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.

Is this not taught by Jesus in the Lord's prayer?

Mt 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Lk 11:4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

Nostrils

Are we not all lived because of the breathed made by God on our nostrils?

Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

But why did the Scripture stops us from trusting a man whose breath is in his nostrils?

Isaiahs 2:22 Sever yourselves from such a man, Whose breath is in his nostrils; For of what account is he?

Because if anyone lives according to the flesh are considered dead in the Spirit.

1 Timothy 5:6 But she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives.

These are the works of the flesh.

Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Those who continue to live in pleasure, although breathing in the nose, are all dead so we are commanded to stop trusting in them or even mingle or eat with them. So the inner man who lives within your heart will not be afflicted, overpowered or subdued.

Romans 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a miserable man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?

Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Luke 24:49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

The Victorious

We have no idea how God works. The reason why we tend to disregard things that pertains to God. We are busy on the things that pertains to us and the things that are around us and so we are likened to Satan.

Matthew 16:23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

Who can not give all for a life? Spend and sell all resources just to be saved from a dreaded disease. And worst, denounce a faith in exchange for a dear life.

Job 2:4-5 So Satan answered the LORD and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse You to Your face!”

Knowing the things of God is forgetting the things of men to the extent of accepting death for a divine cause. And Jesus forewarned the Apostles beforehand.

John 15:18-19 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

How many Satan's are in the house or in a neighborhood that offended or will offend you most of the time? In fact they are everywhere. But as Jesus said to God the father:

John 17:15-16 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

And assured us that we are victorious like Him in spite of tribulation.

John 16:33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

OMG, thanks Jesus, I was healed and relieved.

The Word

We can not stand firm and take hold of the word passed by a mouth coming from men. Peter deny Jesus three times though he firmly swears not to deny Him.

Mark 14:29-31 Peter said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be.” Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” But he spoke more vehemently, “If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And they all said likewise.

Such were some of us. We are fast in saying things that we don't mean and if we mean it, we have no capacity or power to do so. Though we have the capacity, we are afraid of the outcome of the implementation.

1 John 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

What do I mean to say. It is but the word of God that we can stand firm and take hold for we have the assurance that it will happen in his time.

Jeremiah 1:12 The LORD said to me, "You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled."

Ignorance

Job is a man who is blameless and upright that fears God and shuns evil. The reason why he was tempted by the devil until his wife ask him to denounce his faith.

Job 2:10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

Job erroneously think that the adversity he accepted comes from God. Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else.

James 1:14-15 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.

God never gives his Children anything bad.

Luke 11:11-13 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

Job mistakenly accused God of giving him the adversity but still committed no sin in the eyes of God for the sin is spoken out of ignorance.

It's the opposite of the law of man where ignorance of the law excuses no one.

Multitude Of Sins

The soul that sins is the soul that dies.

Ezekiel 18:20 The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.

Let us therefore be wise in choosing whom to follow because following a blind leader does not exonerate the blind soul. Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch?

Matthew 15:14 Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.

Do what is lawful and right, and must kept all God's statutes and observed them, that we may surely live.

Luke 9:25 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

James 1:15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

But, Woe to the man that cause people to sin.

Matthew 18:6 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

Blessed is he who brought back someone who wanders away from the truth.

James 5:20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.

Without Faith

There are three (3) kinds of sins committed by man.

First: The sins of commission - Those who walk not in spirit and fulfilling the lust of the flesh.

Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Second: The sins of omission - The coward whose works are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot.

Romans 12:9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.

Finally: The sins committed by unbelievers - like Cain whose offerings are done without faith.

Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.

Hebrews 11:5 By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

Hebrews 11:8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.

Hebrews 11:11 By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised.

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

What is then the gravest sin among the three (3)? They are all sins with the same destination - the fiery lake of burning sulfur.

Revelation 21:8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

The Unforgiven Sins

The prayer of the faithful will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

James 5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death.

1 John 5:16 If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that.

If the sins are committed before we come to the knowledge of the truth, the sins can be forgiven.

Hebrews 5:13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.

For even adults are considered babes in faith if they have no knowledge in the word of righteousness.

Hebrews 5:12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.

For if anyone who come to the knowledge of the truth and again If we give up and turn our backs on all we've learned, all we've been given, all the truth we now know, we repudiate Christ's sacrifice and are left on our own to face the Judgment

Hebrews 10:26-27 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.

Those are the sins leading to death - the unforgiven sins!

The Savior

The basic step to salvation is, whoever believes in Christ Jesus should not perish but have eternal life. But the only way to be sure we're in God, is to keep His commandments.

1 John 2:4-5 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. It will save us from His wrath to come.

1 Thessalonians 1:10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

Romans 5:9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

Jesus Christ therefore is the savior of those who are inside the Church.

Ephesians 5:23-24 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.

But those who are outside the Church God judges. 1 Corinthians 5:13

1 Timothy 4:10 For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.

If you then found something good, don't delay, don't hesitate, do it - for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave you are going.

War Shock

This is the term called for a war Soldier coming home with a different attitude far from normal.

As an infantry Army Officer serving my country for a continuous tour of duty of six (6) years, I was a living witness that such condition was not the end result of having experienced a cruel war. For if this reason is to be taken into consideration, we can readily conclude that all Soldiers assigned in war zone has a war shock.

Opposite of bravery, war shock is the result of a failure by any soldier to overcome the fear of death.

The basic manifestation of fear is, when at the first burst of gun fire, the Soldier just hide and tremble not firing his gun. The most fatal one is when he goes out of his mind for he will stand up & open fire recklessly. You are lucky if you are not in front of him for at that stage he can no longer distinguished the enemy from an ally. A simple flash back of any previous encounter with the enemy can trigger his uncontrollable behavior.

In short, if you are a soldier with a war shock, you are the previous coward who can now shoot hastily at anybody with or without provocation.

To all the Soldiers in the battlefield, I am talking by experienced, I know it's hard out there.

Luke 12:5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!

God Is Hatred

This evil thought comes to mind while reading some of the verses in the Bible.

Matthew 2:16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.

Likewise, Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, suffered the vengeance of eternal fire including their children thereof.

What if God killed only the wicked parents, who will take care of those little children? Will Lot & his two daughters can take care all of them?

Luke 18:16 But Jesus called them to Him and said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.

At first, you may think poor are those little children but on the second thought they are the luckiest ever, never have to face judgment anymore. In the end I may conclude, God is Love. How I wish I died when I'm still a child.

Isaiah 55:9 “ For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.

Fall By Calamity

The righteous died at younger age but the unrighteous are hard to fall. I often heard this saying when I was still young from folks in our locality that one survived in an accident because he is a bad guy and one did not because he is good & kind - with matching shaking of the head.

But reading the Scriptures proved otherwise.

Proverbs 24:16 For a righteous man may fall seven times And rise again, But the wicked shall fall by calamity.

Certainly, people judged on the outside of a man compared to God who search the heart and mind of every man.

Jeremiah 17:9-10 “ The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.

Knowing therefore that for being righteous, one may fall seven times and rise again, can we not persevere to become such & not fall by calamity?

All Souls Day

It's All Souls Day again for the devotees and I just want to mention few things to remember.

First, the prayers and offerings for the dead has nothing to do with their salvation.

Ecclesiastes 9:5 For the living know that they will die; But the dead know nothing, And they have no more reward, For the memory of them is forgotten.

Second, the dead don't have a day and visiting them to show your love and compassion is something the dead will never know.

Ecclesiastes 9:6 Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished; Nevermore will they have a share In anything done under the sun.

Third, the dead shall be judged according to the works done while still living.

Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.

Knowing that we shall be judged for our own sin, we can do nothing for the salvation of the dead.

Deuteronomy 24:16 “Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their fathers; a person shall be put to death for his own sin.

What is All Souls Day then? Perhaps, a picnic, a gatherings or a family get together that can be done with or without the dead under.

No Fear

All the people that I know said that the best way to die is to never wake up from a sound sleep.

One never stand to the idea of spending a lot of money, time & effort for anyone you love so dearly while under medication & hospitalization when the end result is still - death.

Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,

Who are afraid to die? May be, all of us except when you know where you're going to or may be, you lost your faith that you entertained the idea of killing yourself.

Luke 12:4 “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.

When your senses are gone, it doesn't matter whether they chop you in two, three, four or burn your body thereafter, It is still the same - you're dead. Therefore, whether the death is tragic, horrible, cruel, sudden or premature, there is nothing to fear.

Luke 12:5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!

People Of God

Matthew 23:34-35 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and [some] of them ye shall kill and crucify; and [some] of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute [them] from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.

The killing and persecution of prophets, wise men, scribes and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, I thought, is just a thing of the past as devotees and fanatics are already matured. But, this prophesy is yet to come.

Revelation 6:9-11 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they [were], should be fulfilled.

The people of God are ready to fight, having with them the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. But, this is not a fight against flesh and blood.

Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].

This is a fight against whose deeds are like their father Satan.

John 8:44 Ye are of [your] father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

For if God is their father, they will definitely love anyone who is telling the truth.

John 15:20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

Unrighteous Law

Violators of the law don't understand neither what they say or do for although looking they can not see, and although listening they can not understand, so they may not repent and be forgiven.

1 Timothy 1:9-10 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;

Not looking back, after we have received the knowledge of the truth being saved by grace through faith, we all learned that the spirit giveth life. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made us free from the law of sin and death.

Romans 8:1 [There is] therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

For they that are after the flesh and doing the things of the flesh, they will still remain under the law purposely made for the unrighteous.