Black Spirituality Religion : Have You Ever Wondered, "What Really Happens After Death?"

[SwagII]

Am I to conclude that death is all spiritual that is, according to all the scriptures that have been mentioned here, etc. What if, death wasn't that all? What if death was just as I've always surmised, etc. Nothing at all, just a closing of one's eyes, a cessation of one's life, a ending, etc. Which isn't spiritual at all. Death is just that as nature intended for all human life to begin and end. In many ways it's a very beautiful process. Btw, thanks for all the replies, etc. I have enjoyed such an open discussion. Peace..

 

[frankster]

Well give me a scripture that speaks to us all and give me your "own" interpretation?

Jesus used scriptures. And he used parables to explain the scriptures. In fact, when in direct confrontation with Satan he used scriptures as his "sole" source of Spiritual information.

Matthew 4: 2-5, After fasting 40 days and 40 nights, he was hungry. the tempter (Satan) came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." Jesus answered, "It is written: Man does not live by bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."

Matthew 4: 5-7, Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God, "he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: "He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone." Jesus answered him, "It is also written: "Do not put the Lord your God to the test."

Matthew 4: 8-10, Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." Jesus said to him. "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: "Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only."

All Scripture is for all mankind...

God created Adam sinless.

God knew he was going to sin...and as you stated the result of sin is death.
Tree of Life
It seems that the sin was in eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge, only after eating that did man gain knowledge of Good and evil. Based on that scenario I believe Adam would not have lived for ever, the requirement for long life was that they would first have to eat of the Tree of Life. In the End God forbid it.
All Physical beings Die....Did they also eat of the Tree of Knowledge.

GENESIS
Chapter 2:9
9 the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good an evil
Chapter 3:22
And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

We also now that there was a Tree of Life which God forbid Adam and Eve to eat of as it would result in them living forever

No, there can be a requirement for a gift. If our children act good, we reward them with a gift. We reward good behavior. We don't need to make it an agreement as it a "transaction." It is just a requirement for receiving the gift.

John 3: 16, For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son (not a son like Adam who was created in the image and likeness of God, but a son who was exactly as God or was God himself in the flesh), that whoever "believes" in him shall not perish but have everlasting life."

Now isn't that simple. It doesn't cost us anything only that we believe, by faith, and act on that belief. And some do and some don't.

If you reward or have a requirement of them and if they expect a reward it becomes a transaction.
Gifts are free and unconditional....reciprocating is a choice but not a condition.

It is against boasting about what you have done. And that is pride in yourself. And yes, it is not a condemnation of doing any good deed. However, your good deeds is not a result of what you have done on your own. It is the result of God or the Holy Spirit that is now in you because of your acceptance of Christ, that you are able to do good works and deeds, not by "just" following the written law but the written law now transformed into the spiritual law that is now in your heart. So if you boast, your boasting is not about what you have done but about what God has done. By doing that you are glorifying God and not yourself.

Jeremiah 9:23-24, This is what the Lord says: "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice, and righteous on earth, for these things I delight," declares the Lord.

1st. Corinthians 1: 31. Therefore it is written, "Let him who boasts, boasts in the Lord."

Yes faith is the requirement. We can't see God. We don't even know if God exist. We have to believe. We believe by hearing the Word. Our belief become our faith.

Hebrews 11: 1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

My definition of faith is simply, believing and but now seeing.

James 2:17 is saying that you must act on your faith. Faith in Christ enables you to do good deeds and works because it comes from the love of God (Holy Spirit) that is now in you. Without believing in Christ, the love of God, Holy Spirit, will not reside in you. You are doing things on your own, thus ,as I have already stated, you give credit to yourself and not God.

1st Corinthian 13:13, And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.

You do not have to believe in God to have Faith or do Good Works.
Faith without works is dead, there is no such thing as faith with out works - you show your Faith by your works.
We see and recognize the Works of God. To Worship God is to Work for God - to serve God.
Faith and Good Works are Universal and not the sole purview of any one religious belief.

Yes, it is an act of disobedience and rebellion. God didn't force Satan to rebel against Him. Satan acted on his own. And God will put an end to Satan and all evil.

Revelation 20: 7-10, When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth; Gog and Magog to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sands on the seashore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

If I knew before hand that someone is about to commit a crime and did nothing about it...if I had the authority and power to stop that person from committing said crime and did not nothing about it but used it to further my agenda....I cannot say that individual disobeyed my wishes, when I used his crimes to further my wishes aims and goals....we are in effect partners. In such a scenario God is the only one benefiting from such crimes.

How?

I here quote you:

"God created Satan, through which sin would originate, to show his power, glory, and love to all he has created, especially man. How else could we know God and his goodness unless their was some opposing spiritual opposite."

That being the case, then some being had to do this work which means, that being knowingly or unknowingly is doing that which God wanted done. If God knew before hand that that was going to happen, then he is party to it happening....in essence they are accomplices in it together.

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. It is turning away from God after you have experience Him in all his full righteousness and holiness through his Holy Spirit by believing in Christ as Lord and Savior. It is like a person who has been freed from slavery and then wanting to go back to being a slave again. It is like as the scriptures state:

2nd Peter 2: 21-22, It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: "A dog returns to its vomit (Proverbs 26: 11), and, "A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud."

Proverbs 18:21
Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof

 

[Fireman]

[

I believe Adam would not have lived for ever, the requirement for long life was that they would first have to eat of the Tree of Life. In the End God forbid it.
All Physical beings Die....Did they also eat of the Tree of Knowledge.

No, the requirement for long life wasn't that they would first have to eat of the Tree of Life. In the end God forbid it.

The penalty for sin is death. Without sin their is no death.

Revelation 20: 14, Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.

After man had sinned, he couldn't just eat from the Tree of Life. It was barred from him.

Genesis 3: 22, He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the Tree of Life and eat, and live forever.

Genesis 3: 24, After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the Tree of Life.

He (Adam) was now a sinner and had to pay the price of his sin. In other words, the price of his sin must first be paid. But God would provide a way for man to eat from the Tree of Life. It would be through Jesus who would pay the price for man's sin. And all those who believe in Him (Jesus) can now eat from the Tree of Life which is Jesus and live.

John 1: 4, In Him (Jesus) was life, and that life was the light of men.

All living physical things weren't created in the image and likeness of God, only man. All living physical things can't decide between what is good and what is evil, only man.

If you reward or have a requirement of them and if they expect a reward it becomes a transaction.
Gifts are free and unconditional....reciprocating is a choice but not a condition.

Go back and reread my previous post to you. I think you forgot to read the part that deals with gifts and requirements. Or better still post what I stated to you, then prove your case.

ou do not have to believe in God to have Faith or do Good Works.
Faith without works is dead, there is no such thing as faith with out works - you show your Faith by your works.
We see and recognize the Works of God. To Worship God is to Work for God - to serve God.
Faith and Good Works are Universal and not the sole purview of any one religious belief.

You show your faith by doing the works of God who is in you or lives in you because of Jesus (the Tree of Life) whom you have accepted as your Lord and Savior. It not you who is doing those works, but God (Jesus) who is in you through the Holy Spirit by your faith in Him (Jesus). So you, as I have stated in the last post, give credit and glory to him, and not yourself. Without having faith in Jesus, you are just doing good things (the works of your own hands) on your own accord without the aid of God in you. So you give credit and glory to yourself and not God.

Have you ever notice how Jesus gave willingly, all the people he healed, brought from the dead, and finally giving up his life and dying for us? Yet, he always gave honor and glory to God and not himself. Without faith in God who was in him and he in God, Jesus couldn't have done those things.

If I knew before hand that someone is about to commit a crime and did nothing about it...if I had the authority and power to stop that person from committing said crime and did not nothing about it but used it to further my agenda....I cannot say that individual disobeyed my wishes, when I used his crimes to further my wishes aims and goals....we are in effect partners. In such a scenario God is the only one benefiting from such crimes.

Now you are trying to compare your actions to that of God's. You are trying to question God's judgment or way of doing things as compared to yours. Oh, you would do things different from God as if you know more than God. Well Job had a similar problem. But God got Job straight.

Job 38: 1-3, Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said, " Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you will answer me."

Job 40: 1-2, "Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him. Let him who accuses God correct Him!"

Job 40: 8, "Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself?"

After God got through with Job, Job couldn't say a thing. You know what Job did?

Job 42: 3, "Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know."

Job 42: 6 Therefore I despise myself and repent in the dust and the ashes."

That being the case, then some being had to do this work which means, that being knowingly or unknowingly is doing that which God wanted done. If God knew before hand that that was going to happen, then he is party to it happening....in essence they are accomplices in it together.

God isn't a party go anything. Satan is responsible for himself and his sins, not God. As you and I are responsible for our sins, not God or even Satan. And God knew that we would be sinners.

Proverbs 18:21
Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof

Matthew 15: 18, "But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart (spirit), and these things make a man unclean (unrighteous).

 

[SwagII]

What actually are truths here? I am still looking for facts, as what exactly is the truth, etc. Can it be found it? I hear a lot of talk regarding spiritual religion, etc. I see your debates, etc. What happens to after one's death?

 

[frankster]

[


No, the requirement for long life wasn't that they would first have to eat of the Tree of Life. In the end God forbid it.

The penalty for sin is death. Without sin their is no death.

Revelation 20: 14, Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.

After man had sinned, he couldn't just eat from the Tree of Life. It was barred from him.

Genesis 3: 22, He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the Tree of Life and eat, and live forever.

Genesis 3: 24, After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the Tree of Life.

He (Adam) was now a sinner and had to pay the price of his sin. In other words, the price of his sin must first be paid. But God would provide a way for man to eat from the Tree of Life. It would be through Jesus who would pay the price for man's sin. And all those who believe in Him (Jesus) can now eat from the Tree of Life which is Jesus and live.

John 1: 4, In Him (Jesus) was life, and that life was the light of men.

All living physical things weren't created in the image and likeness of God, only man. All living physical things can't decide between what is good and what is evil, only man.

Adam did not become Knowledgable until after he disobeyed and ate of the Tree of Knowledge, similarly Adam would not have lived forever until after he ate of the Tree of Life.

Since most if not all other physical life experience death, then it is reasonable to assume, that Adam was not initially meant to live forever.

Just as how they had no Knowledge (of Good and evil) before eating of the Tree of Good and Evil, Eternal (physical) Life would not have been conferred up on them until after they eat of the Tree of Life.

Hence it is my opinion that they were not initially made to live forever, that would be given them only if they ate of the Tree or was allowed to eat of the Tree of Life.

Go back and reread my previous post to you. I think you forgot to read the part that deals with gifts and requirements. Or better still post what I stated to you, then prove your case.

It is best if you repost your own post as I might select the wrong post, if you do it then there can be no mistake.

You show your faith by doing the works of God who is in you or lives in you because of Jesus (the Tree of Life) whom you have accepted as your Lord and Savior. It not you who is doing those works, but God (Jesus) who is in you through the Holy Spirit by your faith in Him (Jesus). So you, as I have stated in the last post, give credit and glory to him, and not yourself. Without having faith in Jesus, you are just doing good things (the works of your own hands) on your own accord without the aid of God in you. So you give credit and glory to yourself and not God.

Have you ever notice how Jesus gave willingly, all the people he healed, brought from the dead, and finally giving up his life and dying for us? Yet, he always gave honor and glory to God and not himself. Without faith in God who was in him and he in God, Jesus couldn't have done those things.

So when you do Good its not you who is doing the work but God?
So when you do evil who is doing the evil work?
If someone does not believe in Jesus (faith) does good work...is it in any way less valuable?

Now you are trying to compare your actions to that of God's.

No....I am questioning your belief and the type of God you believe in...
To me it seems you believe in a God who will work with evil to achieve his ends....I do not believe in such a God. Though you may not admit this to yourself.
Maybe it is a misunderstanding on my part but most religious individuals has this type of cognitive dissonance....where in knowing of evil and benefiting from evil and having the power to stop it and not doing so is being a part of that evil.

You are trying to question God's judgment or way of doing things as compared to yours. Oh, you would do things different from God as if you know more than God. Well Job had a similar problem. But God got Job straight.

Job 38: 1-3, Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said, " Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you will answer me."

Job 40: 1-2, "Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him. Let him who accuses God correct Him!"

Job 40: 8, "Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself?"

After God got through with Job, Job couldn't say a thing. You know what Job did?

Job 42: 3, "Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know."

Job 42: 6 Therefore I despise myself and repent in the dust and the ashes."

So is God above his own Law?

Is there things about God, I do not Know or will ever be able to understand - yes I am sure they are. But that will not stop me from asking the relative question given my limited understanding that I have.

God isn't a party go anything. Satan is responsible for himself and his sins, not God. As you and I are responsible for our sins, not God or even Satan. And God knew that we would be sinners.

So what do you call some one who knows of a crime about to go down, has the ability to stop it and allows it to happen, so as to benefit from it or to allow others to benefit from it?

Matthew 15: 18, "But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart (spirit), and these things make a man unclean (unrighteous).

True