____________________________________________________ THE GOSPEL OBSERVER "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20). ____________________________________________________ October 3, 1993 ____________________________________________________ Reincarnation by Tom Edwards According to Herodotus, it was the early Egyptians who believed in not only the immortality of the soul, but also that when a man died, his soul would then be instantly transmitted into the body of a non-human creature which was at that moment being born. Furthermore, they believed that this process would continue until the soul had inhabited every type of creature on land, in the water, and in the air; and then after having completed this wide loop of every kind of animal creature, the soul would once again dwell in a human body. Supposedly, this long cycle was believed to have taken a period of 3,000 years until it came full circle. We've come a long way since the days of the early Egyptians, but still many people of our time continue to embrace similar concepts of these ancients, such as in this matter of reincarnation. Death Comes ``Once'' Does the Bible have anything to say or make any implication toward whether reincarnation is a fact or a mere fabrication of an adventurous mind? The Hebrew writer shows that ``it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment'' (Heb. 9:27). With the exception of those who had been resurrected in time's past, such as Lazarus, Jairus' daughter, Tabitha, and the widow's son, the general rule is that one lives, then one dies; and after that, one awaits the Judgment. Even in the case of these aforementioned, they did not come back as souls that inhabited other people's or other creature's bodies; rather they were miraculously revived to live again in THEIR OWN BODIES. The general rule, however, is that man is to live once and die once upon this planet. Reincarnation, to the contrary of the Bible, allows for many deaths and many rebirths. The''Second Death'' ``What about the `second death'''? someone might ask. ``Doesn't this imply that one must live twice?'' When the Bible talks about a ``second death'' (Rev. 2:11), this is not an indication toward man living twice on the earth. Rather this phrase is defined for us in Revelation 20:14 in which it is described as being that time when death and Hades will be thrown into the lake of fire, and that lake of fire is the second death. Corresponding to this is Revelation 21:8 that states, ``But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.'' Therefore, man dies once, faces the final judgment, and if he is condemned to an eternity in hell, this will be his ``second death.'' Confined in Hades Speaking of Hades, this is where the spirits of ALL the deceased go. In Luke 16:20-31, the rich man and Lazarus both died; but rather than coming back in another life form, one had gone to Paradise and the other, to Tartarus. These are the two places that make up the Hadean realm: the former for the righteous, and the latter for the wicked. Apparently, the Hadean realm is one in which the inhabitants remain confined--either in the blessings of Paradise or in the torment of Tartarus. The angels who sinned and fell from God's grace are at this time in Tartarus, and it is spoken of as being a place in which they are ``kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day'' (Jude 6). After they are brought out and stand before God for this great judgment, they will then hear their doom and be cast into hell--the eternal lake of fire--''which has been prepared for the devil and his angels'' (Matt. 25:41). Not only these fallen angels, however, but also all who pass from this life not being ready to meet God will suffer in the same punishment. From these verses, it is obvious that man does not die and then return to this earth in a different life form--rather, he goes to one of two chambers of the Hadean realm where he will await the great final judgment and then end up in either heaven or hell for all eternity. Reincarnation, therefore, is a false teaching that cannot be founded upon the Bible--nor proven by any other source. Lest we ever be shaken by the smooth words of those who can so glibly preach their message of reincarnation, we need to remember and hold fast to the word of God; and His word tells us, ``it is appointed for men to die ONCE and after this comes judgment.'' ___________________________________________ WHERE DO THE YEARS GO? I remember talking to my friend a number of years ago about our children. Mine were 5 and 7 then, just the ages when their daddy means everything to them. I wished that I could have spent more time with my kids, but I was too busy working. After all, I wanted to give them all the things I never had when I was growing up. I loved the idea of coming home and having them sit on my lap and tell me about their day. Unfortunately, most days I came home so late that I was only able to kiss them good night after they had gone to sleep. It is amazing how fast kids grow. Before I knew it, they were 9 and 11. I missed seeing them in school plays. Everyone said they were terrific, but the plays always seemed to go on when I was traveling for business or tied up in a special conference. The kids never complained, but I could see the disappointment in their eyes. I kept promising that I would have more time ``next year.'' But the higher up the corporate ladder I climbed, the less time there seemed to be. Suddenly they were no longer 9 and 11. They were 14 and 16. Teen-agers. I didn't see my daughter the night she went out on her first date, or my son's championship baseball game. Mom made excuses, and I managed to telephone and talk to them before they left the house. I could hear the disappointment in their voices, but I explained as best I could. Don't ask where the years have gone. These little kids are 19 and 21 now and in college. I can't believe it. My job is less demanding, and I finally have time for them. But they have their own interests, and there is no time for me. To be perfectly honest, I'm a little hurt. It seems like yesterday that they were 5 and 7. I'd give anything to live those years over. You can bet your life I'd do it differently. But they are gone now and so is my chance to be a real dad. -- author unknown ___________________________________________ THE INFLUENCE FACTOR by G. Coles ``Who, me? Nah! Nobody cares what I do.'' This is the mistaken conclusion that many of us have drawn concerning ourselves. Too many of us have surmised that people are only watching the elders, preachers, and deacons of a congregation. This erroneous notion may well be a factor in congregations' inability to grow as they should. It is at this time that I would like to call your attention to four areas of influence. PARENTAL INFLUENCE As parents, many of us ignore the awesome responsibility God has delegated to us. The children placed in our care will be under our guidance for only a short time. What they will become largely depends upon us. It is vitally important for us to remember that these little gifts from Heaven watch our every move and listen to every word we utter. Often, this will occur without us even being aware of it. But make no mistake, they are like a sponge soaking up everything--good or bad. Someone said, ``till a boy is fifteen he does what his father says; after that he does what his father does.'' MARITAL INFLUENCE Husbands wish their wives to be submissive, God-fearing women who take their role as wife and mother seriously. Wives desire their husbands to be loving, compassionate leaders of the home who are emotionally and spiritually mature. Wives want husbands who can support and protect them. Unfortunately, our spouse will often fall short of our expectations. This in turn will cause us to become discouraged and begin to become negligent in our responsibilities. Thus, beginning a long downward spiral, resulting in the demise of the relationship. As husbands and wives, there is one thought we must always keep in mind. Regardless of the deficiencies of our spouse--we must continue to discharge our responsibilities as faithfully as possible. The eternal destiny of your soul depends upon this! Individuals married to an unbelieving spouse will often ask me this question, ``How can I lead my companion to Christ?'' My answer is always the same. ``Aspire to be the best Christian you can possibly be!'' This is by far the most effective means of leading an unbelieving spouse to Christ. Notice what Paul says in 1 Cor. 7:17, ``For how do you know, O, wife, whether you will save your husband? For how do you know, O, husband, whether you will save your wife?'' ADOLESCENT INFLUENCE ``Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe'' (1 Tim. 4:12). ``I am a sixteen year old Christian, who pays any attention to what I say or do?'' You would be surprised! What about all those young children who have a tendency to idolize teen-agers? What about your friends? Sure, they may poke fun at your religious convictions. They also may be wishing they possessed the courage to follow your good example. CHRISTIAN INFLUENCE ``Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your father who is in Heaven'' (Mt. 5:16). Is our light shining? Or is our light dampened by our fears and apprehensions? Our spiritual light should be a beacon of light for those who are groping for salvation from a depraved world. Our neighbors, co-worker, and even the checkout lady at the grocery store could very well be scrutinizing our every move. We never really know who is watching us. In fact, most of us will probably go to our grave never really knowing to what degree we have influenced those around us. Our society is in desperate need of role models. Individuals who can lead the way to decent moral behavior. Unless more of us find the courage to swim upstream against the flow of moral decadence, the church that we know and love will continue to grow weaker and weaker. In conclusion, let us remember the good advice Paul gave to the brethren in Philippi: ``That you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world'' (Phil. 2:15). ___________________________________________ It takes an honest man to tell whether he is tired or just lazy (selected). Giving advice to the poor is about as near charity as some people get (selected). ________________________________________ Tri-State CHURCH OF CHRIST 1314 Montgomery Avenue, Ashland, Kentucky 41101 Sunday: 10:00 A.M. Bible class 10:50 A.M. Worship 6:30 P.M. Worship Wednesday: 7:30 P.M. Bible study evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (606) 325-9742 e-mail: tedwards@zoomnet.net Gospel Observer web site: http://www.zoomnet.net/~tedwards/go ________________________________________