Really, Truly Dead

TITLE: Really, Truly Dead
DATE: November 30, 2019
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Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed.

TEXT: Hebrews 9: 27-28 – ESV -  And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Ever since I got out in the ministry, and even before, I’ve seen all kinds of definition of death.

Now in literature death  can be:

• The skeleton who walks around carrying an oversize scythe.
• He is Thanatos, the fourth horseman of the Apocalypse.
• Scrooge’s last and final Ghost in A Christmas Carol.

Legally, death is a pretty ambiguous affair. Here’s one definition:

• Legal death refers to a situation where a person is considered dead under law. A person is usually considered legally dead after a legal pronouncement by a qualified person that further medical care is not appropriate. The specific criteria used to pronounce legal death are variable and often depend on the circumstances (Emphasis mine.)

Medically, you would think death is cut-and-dried. Well, it is. Sort of.  One attempt at defining says:

• Two categories of legal death are death determined by irreversible cessation of heartbeat and breathing (cardiopulmonary death), and death determined by irreversible cessation of functions of the brain (brain death).

In Christianity death is

• The separation of body and soul which can only be reversed under the direction of the Lord

Now this is important because ...
Benjamin Schreiber, a first-degree murderer who was sentenced to life in jail says he ought to be set free. He holds that opinion because in May 2015 he had septic poisoning, was rushed to the hospital and “died.” His heart was restarted five times. He maintains he has finished his sentence and completed his lifetime’s debt to society.

One Judge, Judge Amanda Potterfield has reviewedhis case and, tongue-in-cheek, observed:  "Schreiber is either still alive, in which case he must remain in prison, or he is actually dead, in which case this appeal is moot.”

The day is going to come to Mr. Schreiber as it comes to each of us, when all the Doctors at all the hospitals won’t be able to jumpstart his heart. On that day he will find out a number of things. First, he will know the feeling of helplessness and second, he will  know salvation or damnation.

That pathway will he determined  by one thing and one thing only: did he believe on the Christ as his personal Savior from sin, or did he not.  I pray he acknowledges the Christ Who can do what nobody else can. He can create in His people a new heart.”

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, when death really and truly comes, humankind is helpless. I rejoice that when man is weak Your power has no limitations. In Jesus’ holy Name I pray it. Amen.

The devotion for today was inspired by various recent news articles. For further reading you may wish to go to this address: https://www.newser.com/story/282821/he-was-serving-a-life-sentence-then-he-died.html  and the article written by Jenn Gidman  .

The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along with three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html