The facts of life-spans and mortality

Here are Gordon (dad) Isabelle (one of Michael's sisters) meeting Michael (guitar on his back and chemo hairstyle), at Heathrow, having  arrived from South Africa – end of 2005.  So happy to see one another! 
A month later the oncologist-team at Royal Marsden in London confirmed the South African oncologist’s diagnosis:  there was sadly (tragically) no further medical help for our so-loved Michael.

By the way, Michael loved life and he was weighing up whether he should bring his guitar or bring his surfboard.

Life-spans…………..some die so young!   Others wish they could die… 

The commonality of our mortality.

• Life-spans vary as many seconds as there are in over a 100 years. 
• The length of our womb-to-tomb existence is unpredictable.  
• How a life-span ends is unpredictable.  Some people die with absolutely no warning - in an eye-wink.  Others leave us as a prolonged whimper. One in the prime of life  another a creaky octogenarian.
• We have one life-span – not 7 cat-lives. Longevity is limited  and life is death-bound.  It’s common knowledge that the race against death is one that none of us will ultimately win. Our lives are a wispy dream.

• The death-rate is 100%.  You and I ARE going to die.  It’s no secret that our bodies don’t  last forever.  No matter how strong I’m at the “Never-say-die spirit”  - none of us can ultimately avoid some things that will ultimately kill us.
• Earthly immortality is not on offer or for sale.
• Us perishable people cannot pull off eternal life.  God can. Jesus walked out of his own grave.

Does God randomly circle a date on a calendar – or is your birth-day and death-day more calculated?  Consider this book of numbers and days…..

Psalm 139: 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place,  when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;    all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Psalm 139
You may say:

1. after death there is nothing but sinking into oblivion..…………..so I’ve nothing to fear. 
2. What’s the stress, I believe in  endlessly dying and endlessly returning.
3. I’m banking on a death-bed conversion - a last minute manoeuvre.
4. At least  I will get half-way to heaven.

 But.................. what if you’ve got this wrong?

Are you not taking the ultimate risk and what are you going to do when you find out you were wrong?

What if the Bible is true? Hebrews 9:27 “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment…”

Here’s a starting point on how you can live forever:  One last click.

Psalm 90:12 Teach us to number our days aright,        that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Rev 1: 18I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.  

Death is crushed to death.

This, the pow'r of the cross:
Son of God—slain for us.
What a love! What a cost!
We stand forgiven at the cross.