Pickle Heaven Press-James R. Johnson

something to help you laugh and think about life with Christ

Tag: cell phone

the journey of the soul — April 24, 2024

the journey of the soul

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I bought a new cell phone.  My old one was having memory issues, it garbled messages and it was having a rough time recharging.  Which ironically is also how my wife describes me.

The girl at the store opened the phone case and took out the SIM card.  That card contains the essence of my virtual identity.  She slipped the card into the new phone, and I was good to go.

Hooray, my virtual identify was not lost, it was just transferred to a new home.

Believe it or not, this helps me to understand a big existential question – What happens to a person when they die?

Well let’s discuss the soul.  When your parents put your birth on the calendar, God did not withdraw a soul from an existing repository.  Your soul was conceived right along with the rest of you.  It came into being at that moment, but it became an everlasting entity from then on. 

Your soul essence was placed in your body.  I am somewhat disappointed because I feel like my soul should have been placed in athletic body.  But the Lord knows best. 

Anyway, the soul remains in the body until death occurs.  At that time, the body is vacated, and the soul of the Christian goes to be with the Lord.  Like a hermit crab that seeks a bigger shell to inhabit, our soul longs for bigger things.

Paul wrote, “Therefore we are always full of courage, and we know that as long as we are alive here on earth, we are absent from the Lord for we live by faith, not by sight. Thus we are full of courage and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” – 2 Corinthians 5:6-8

He argued that the Christian can only be in one of two places – either on earth confined to our mortal bodies, or in heaven with the Lord.   There is no “time out” in Purgatory for bad behavior, nor does the soul ever sleep.  It’s either fixed in our functional earthly body or in heaven.  Jesus said to converted thief on the cross as he was dying, “Today you will be with me in paradise.”  – Luke 23:43.

The soul of the person who fails to trust in Jesus is also separated from their body at death and immediately placed into a situation that the Bible describes as being one of eternal torment. 

Jesus described it when told the parable of the rich man and Lazarus.  Both men died.  Humble Lazarus was pictured as being carried off to a blissful heaven, whereas the miserly rich man was carried to a painful place.  From there he cried up to heaven, “…send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue because I am in anguish in this fire.”  – Luke 16:19-31

So, what happens to the soul after all this?   

One day Jesus will return to this earth, and the souls of the faithful will return with Him.  Paul wrote, “God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep as Christians.”  – 1 Thessalonians 4:14. 

Then their interred bodies will be raised and be made new and imperishable – an eternal body fit to house an eternal soul.   Paul went on to say, “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.” – 4:16

And that is the journey of the soul.  When our bodies fail us, the essence of who we are does not die.  It just gets inserted into a new eternally fit habitation.  It’s a little more complicated than transferring a SIM card, but God gets the job done.   

So be warmed if you belong to Him.  Be warned if you don’t!  

A prayer: Lord this truth enables us to face the future without fear.  Thank You

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you!

Scripture passages are from the NETBible ®

cell phone engagement — August 3, 2022

cell phone engagement

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My friend was anticipating it – and seriously excited about it.  She loved the guy with all her heart.  The day finally came that he popped the question.  On bended knee, he presented a small box containing an expensive gift.   She opened it and found a brand-new sparkly cell phone.  He then asked her to marry him.  She said yes. 

The box contained an engagement ring of another kind.  But at least it came with unlimited data.  Hey, I bet it even helped with their communication skills.

Hmm?  At the wedding – after they did the vows – I wonder if they exchanged Otter Boxes!

Either way, I am happy to report that they have lived happily ever after. 

______________

On the topic of marriage.  A couple is not truly married until vows are exchanged.  A cell phone is not necessary or even a wedding ring – but vows are.  The vows spiritually and legally bind a man and a woman together.

These days a couple may look like they are married and act like they are married and even think like they are married – but are not. 

And it may not make a difference to them until there is a death.  In my work as a hospice chaplain, I have seen it demonstrated several times.  A couple chooses to live together, sometimes for decades.   Then he dies, but the house was in his name, it goes to his kids, and she ends up homeless. – losing husband and home at the same time. 

That is probably not your worry, but yours may be similar.

Some of us were raised in church.  We did Sunday School, VBS, sat in the pew every Sunday, laughed at the preacher’s corny jokes.  We memorized the verses and could beat most anyone when it came to the Bible drills. 

We had church in us, around us, beneath and over us – so we have assumed all along that we are true believers.

But it’s possible that we are not – if we haven’t given ourselves to Jesus at some point.  Like the marriage vows, there needs to be a point of commitment to Christ. 

The apostle John put it this way, “But to all who have received him—those who believe in his name—he has given the right to become God’s children.”  John 1:12 NET Bible ®

The word “receive” is a verb – an action word.  It is something that a person does.   When they do it, God reciprocates by making them His children. 

But what does it mean to “receive?”   It is a hardworking verb in the New Testament.  It was used to describe the taking and grasping of something with your hand.   With salvation we take and grasp the message with our hearts. 

Elsewhere it was used to describe John who invited Mary into his home. (John 19:27).  With salvation we invite Christ into our lives.  

It also carries the idea of recognizing and responding to the authority of another.   This is precisely what we do when we receive Christ. 

My first job was doing fast food.  I did not like the manager much.  Consequently, I quit that same job five times, and was fired another four.  I was young and stupid for sure.  I failed to properly respond to his authority. 

Jesus told us that He had the authority to forgive our sins.  (Matthew 9:6) This is because He died for those sins and was raised again.  To receive Him, is to submit ourselves to Him and His authority.

Have you done that?  Have you ever stopped and made a conscious decision to receive Christ and the gift of forgiveness He died to provide for you?

If you haven’t, please do it now!  The blessings and benefits of truly knowing and belonging to Christ are superb. 

A PRAYER: Jesus thank you for allowing me the opportunity to receive you.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.