Are You Ready To Die? #84

Why are so many people afraid to die? Death isn't the end if you know Jesus, but it is still a scary thought for most people. We all have an expiration date and none of us get out of this earth alive so how to we make the most of the life that we have and be ready for when our end comes? Dan, Brian and Terry discuss lessons learned from death of loved ones, friends and how to finish strong.

Transcript

Dan Wheeler: 0:02

They call Duff the great separator. We're all going to face it sooner or later. We all have an expiration date. None of us gets out of here alive. That's the truth. These thoughts scare a lot of people, because many of us are not prepared to die. Let's talk about it. In this edition of fittest strong. I'm your host, Dan Wheeler, and I'm joined by two very fine gentlemen, Terry Steen and Brian Rowland. Hello, guys. This is this isn't exactly a dinner party conversation, the topic of debate, but we're going to tackle it we've all had experiences with it.

Terry Steen: 0:38

Well, yeah, hopefully we can turn it around for positive before we're done today. Hmm. I think we I think we can you know, for me, personally, I, I haven't been exposed to a lot of close death. But if I sit back and reflect probably one that's the most impacting to me was my mother. And she passed away actually, 13 years ago, yesterday, yesterday was her 13th year in heaven. And that was kind of sudden because she just got sick out of nowhere. And in two to three weeks, she was gone. So it was pretty traumatic and dramatic. And I remember my my three brothers and I we were the four pallbearers that put the casket into the car, the hearse, the Hearst, and boy that just felt like finality to me. And I walked back into the church and I just had to run down a hallway into some coat room and just cried like a baby. It was so impacting and sad and, and I've been exposed to other friends passing but that one was very dramatic. And, and something I'll never forget. But thankfully, you know where she is. Exactly, exactly. And that made it you know, all worthwhile. We know that is sad to lose him but obviously happy for where she was. Yeah.

Brian Roland: 2:15

Well, you know, Terry, speaking of death, I tried to think of a time when my experiences too with death. And I was with my mom when she passed and of course her last words are to my sister and I was I love you. I was with them with Beth when when Beth passed and but when I was in college, my, between my sophomore and junior year, three of my friends died that summer. One was killed in a car crash. The other was killed in a camping accident, and another one drowned and one each month. And I just question I couldn't understand why this would happen. And I just it just took me at a young age that I I had to identify that death was real, because I really hadn't seen too much I mean a little bits here and there but not not people that would I was really close to you know that time. So for my uncle, Uncle Harold, maybe but other net and but that really hit me hard. And one other gentleman. He had really turned his life around. And I remember asking my pastor, I said why would God take Phil right now? And he said because he was ready. I never forget that. I thought that's right. He was ready. And he died in Iowa on a highway where a truck came over and T bone. But yeah, it can be traumatic.

Dan Wheeler: 3:33

Yeah, I've lost both my parents and that was tough. But you know, you kind of expect that. And then Beth was a surprise finding out she had stage four cancer and then a three year journey. But I knew where she was and I had time to get used to the idea. But lately, I've had a couple of big surprises. One out of nowhere was my sister a little over a year ago. She had a stroke and within a couple of days she was gone. And recently just a couple of weeks ago now my best childhood friend marxnet Zia was the best man at his wedding and we we played sports all through grade school, junior high high school and boy that was a shock and I took that one hard and it makes you realize we need to be telling people about the Lord because we want to know where people are and you know Beth was clearly seeing heaven and was excited to go set it was beautiful. Yeah, so it does make a difference though Brian doesn't if people know the Lord or that don't

Brian Roland: 4:35

makes a big difference because you know, there's there's really two places you're gonna go. I mean, some people like we've met people that think you're gonna pop up in another planet. There's all different types of things that are reincarnation, everything else but there's two places and the Bible tells us that it's heaven and hell. And it's, there's a difference between a death of a sinner and a death of a saint in the way they look at death. Two examples is Steve Jobs, he had pancreatic cancer and died at 56 years old. But is in his book, he says that I realized that all the recognition and wealth that I took so much pride in, have paled and become meaningless in the face of impending death. So it was just all about what he had gained and what he feel all that it meant to him here. Whereas Billy Graham, who died of natural causes at 99 years old, he said, one round, Billy Graham has died, don't you believe it for in that day, I shall be more alive than ever before. When I take my last breath on Earth, I shall take my first breath in heaven. And I think of that, and I think about what people have said about the Apostle Paul. When he died, the they said that I did what the Lord asked me to do. And that's all I can do. Or the faith, I remember him that I've kept the faith. And that's a positive note. They know where they're going.

Dan Wheeler: 6:00

Yeah, you know, Steve Jobs reminds me of Ecclesiastes 510, that says, Whoever loves money never has money enough. Whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too, is meaningless. And he realized at the end of his death, that all of his wealth was meaningless. It couldn't save him. He couldn't buy his way out to death, and then Billy Graham at 99, and natural causes, and wow, it reminds me of Psalm 116 15. It says, precious is this in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints precious. And there's another verse in Proverbs that says, the end of a man's life is better than the beginning. That's, that's really something. Because we all have an appointment. It says in Hebrews 927, it is appointed unto a man wants to die. And after that, the judgment and boy, you've got to be ready for the judgment.

Terry Steen: 6:56

Okay. It's all perspective, isn't it? You look at the perfect perspective, gee, Steve Jobs had and then you look at Billy Graham. And it all comes back to that, doesn't it knowing if you're ready or not. And then, and, obviously, we'll talk about the importance of that and give people an opportunity. But once you know the Lord, and once you believe in Jesus and trust His Word, you can surely have that confidence, we could go back to that John 316, which everybody knows For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. And that's the key right there. ever live everlasting life, that's the comfort in knowing either, that just because we passed from this physical world, our life with Christ is going to continue forever and ever.

Dan Wheeler: 7:58

You are only truly ready to live when you're ready to die. That's That's what I believe. I think once you've settled that question, then you can move forward, we read in Philippians, two, or excuse me, Philippians. One, verses 21 through 26. That's what I want. It says, And I'm reading a New International Version For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet, what shall I choose? I do not know. I'm torn between the two. I desired to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far. But it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the face. So that through my being with you again, your joy in Christ, Jesus were overflow on account of me, but he says to die is actually gain. It's better than than living.

Terry Steen: 8:59

Does it make sense to the world does it? No, no. Yeah.

Brian Roland: 9:04

Well, this isn't that just like God does everything just the opposite of what you think he's gonna do. And it always comes out, right?

Terry Steen: 9:11

Yeah, yeah. You look at his disciples, you know. And when these disciples were around Jesus, they saw the real thing they were able to believe in Him and what his promises were. And they stepped forward. Day after day after day, even after Jesus left, they had that confidence to do what they needed to do knowing Jesus had told them they were basically going to end the way he ended, they knew that there was a good chance that they were going to be killed for their faith. And that did not stop them or deter them because they believe that exact thing that Dan just read,

Brian Roland: 9:54

it's right and over in Second Corinthians five eight, Paul wrote, We are confident I say and will And rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. So he knew. Yeah. That's why he rejoiced when he was in prison. It didn't bother him. I think the prison guards and the officials, I think he just frustrated them because he was happy. He didn't mind he was in that filthy prison couple of years waiting for a sentence, but he's just praise praise the Lord went on.

Dan Wheeler: 10:23

Yeah, you know, Paul did not have an easy life. He said he had a, a thorn in the flesh that was sent by Satan. And he said he sought the Lord three times to take it away. But he didn't, you know, and there's, there's some people that feel that God always heals. And sometimes it's not our faith. We don't have enough faith. I'm not sure I agree with that. Because, you know, I prayed for three years that Beth would be healed and believed it with all my heart. But ultimately, it's God's choice. And as you guys know, today, I've got a terrible back, I threw my back out, I've got a sore knee. And I was thinking today about wow, wouldn't it be great to have a new body to get into heaven, where we don't have all those aches and pains? You know, I remember as a kid, I'd hear older people always talking about all their aches and pains. I thought, Man, I don't have any I can run like the wind, I can jump that. I guess I'm one of those old people.

Terry Steen: 11:23

It's amazing. You can try as hard as you want. But it flat sneaks up

Brian Roland: 11:29

on my grandmother with arthritis so bad. And I told my mom when she shake it off, you know? Yeah, right. She can walk it off. And then my mom had it so bad. No, I got it. And I was like, shake it off anymore.

Dan Wheeler: 11:42

Take it off. Well, you know, dairy what you said about the disciples too. I mean, Paul was willing to pay the price. Yeah, the disciples, you know, when Jesus was with them, they were always making mistakes. And they were kind of afraid. And you know, Peter, denied Jesus three times on the night that he was betrayed. Judas betrayed them. And then after Jesus left, he said, I will send you the comforter, when the Holy Spirit came on those guys, the day of Pentecost, they turned into these heroic, bold figures. Yeah. And you think about all of them paid the price with their very lives. Except for John. That's amazing, John,

Terry Steen: 12:23

amazing. Yeah, yeah. And we need to obviously live by that same example. And sometimes, you know, being here in America, we've got it so easy that I don't think we have the eye of the tiger, like other places in the world do when you think of the Christians today, in Muslim countries that have accepted Jesus, and are willing to confess Him with their mouth, right, knowing that they could easily be drugged out of their home, they could be killed, they could be forced to watch their family be killed, all those things are very real in this world right now. And yet, their faith is strong enough, because they see and know the reality through the help of the Holy Spirit of what God's Word says.

Brian Roland: 13:17

You know, I look at the disciples and, and they were when Christ sent them out, and said, You're going to, you're going to do these things that I do, and more, and they were starting to the set of the different areas, and they were laying hands on people and healing them casting out demons. But yet, when he came back, that's they still didn't get it. They were still kind of iffy on it. But like you said, when the Holy Spirit came that and they saw Christ we after his return, I mean, was 40 days, he was popping in and out he was there. And I think that just that just put a bow or you know, right around right around the ribbon around the bow is always a ribbon on baggage. It just did that it tied it all together to them. And they saw that, look, he was gone. He's back. He's still alive. And that's what's going to happen though, is no matter how we die, it's going to happen to us, we just have to keep proclaiming that He is our Lord and Savior, just like he said to do.

Dan Wheeler: 14:09

You know, we need to live with our feet on the ground, but our eyes toward heaven. We need to keep our eye on the prize. Paul talked about it. And you know, guys, we all like to use sports analogies. That's why we came up with the title finish strong like a runner, or any player wants to be stronger at the end of the game than at the beginning of the game. You got to be stronger at the end of the race than at the beginning you go harder and that's what we're trying to do. So as we look at what we've been discussion, discussing, how does it help us to finish strong Well, number one, I think guys, we've got to be ready to die. And when I went through the three year journey with Beth which I was in contact with both of you guys during that time, my perspective on everything changed. God got a hold of me Key never had before, because I saw that I knew Beth probably wasn't going to make it. And I mean, she was my wife, she was everything to us and realizing, when it hits that close, we've all got that time that day. God knows the date. We don't, but it's our appointment, right? Our Appointment with Death. So, boy, that should affect the way we live today.

Brian Roland: 15:26

I really, really should, and that we need to look at it that way. People nowadays though they they don't look, I don't know, if they don't look at just death. Or they're just thinking that death isn't when it comes upon them. It's not, it's either going to be the end, or there's something else that they're going to come back to, you know, that's, it just seems like they get it in their mind. Because there's there's no Bible teaching going on, that they're getting into right now, to realize that they, they don't understand that they have this, they're sinners and need to confess sin. And that God can save any center. But they it's too simple. Like we said before data when we saw the New Age movement in that, and Christianity was too simple. And it's too simple for them they that they think there's got to be more to it. And it isn't that it isn't that at all. It's it's asking God, forgiveness of sins, and like, like the Bible says, John 316, Whosoever believeth just believe in Jesus, that He did come to die for your sins, and then recognize that you are a sinner and confess them. And that's that's what that's what it's about. And it's a left there at the cross. And you're set for eternity. And I just want to just say, except Christ just as your ticket to get into heaven, it with Christ in your life and the Holy Spirit in you and you accept Christ. Your whole perspective changes. Its daily, it just gets you through the day. I don't know how people go through tragedy and go through circumstances without him. I don't I I think about an NGO how empty that would be. And that would be eternity to without him would just be that empty. And they had that right now, but they can change that. Just like that.

Terry Steen: 17:03

Yeah, that reminds me, you think about Paul, we hear all the things that Paul went through. And he talks about how many times he was beaten almost to death, he was stoned, he was almost killed. He was shipwrecked. He was out in the ocean for days. It all these things happen to him. But yet, when you listen to what he says in Philippians, you see where his faith is coming from. And if you remember that third chapter, it's the 13th and 14th Verse. And Dan just alluded to it on keeping your eye on the prize, it says brother and I do not count myself to have apprehended. But one thing I do forgetting those things that are behind and reaching forward to those things ahead. And that's what we have to do reach forward to the things ahead, not look at the things we've done wrong. And then he says I press toward the goal. This is his goal, for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus, that's, that's the prize. And that's if we're all looking for that prize of eternity with Jesus. Think about if we just could grasp what heaven's gonna be like, it just makes it all worthwhile.

Dan Wheeler: 18:28

Yeah, you know, so many people are afraid to die. I read a quote today by Woody Allen. And let's see, it goes something like this. He said, he said, I'm not afraid of death. I just don't want to be there when it happens

Terry Steen: 18:54

if he only understood that he would have a new body, you know, we're all in pain, we're gonna have a new body. Right? And his saints not going to be there. We're not going to be tempted. We're not going to be sending we're not going to be in guilt. It's going to be a brand new paradise. There's, there will be no gulf between the spiritual and the physical. You know, right now, there's all this mystery to life. There's that veil. There's the spirit world. And there's our physical world. And we're always wondering what's going on in the spiritual world, and we're just living in the physical world and we can't sort it all out. But when that day comes, that's gone. Yeah,

Dan Wheeler: 19:38

yeah. Paul says in first Corinthians 13. Now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face, but you know, I mentioned that, that Woody Allen said, I'm not afraid to die. I just don't want to be there when it happens. A lot of people are afraid to die. I feel like there's a lot of people listening right now. Maybe you're one of them. You're saying Wow, guys, I don't know if I'm Ready, I'm not prepared for death. Remember, in the beginning of the program, we said, You're not really prepared to fully live until you're ready to die. Yeah, you've got to settle that question. Terry, could you speak to those people that need to settle the question? Help them settle it tonight right now, today, whenever it is that you're listening to this podcast, you can know that when you die, you will immediately take your first breath in heaven.

Terry Steen: 20:29

Yeah, if there is anyone listening, if you if you are just somewhat fearful, if you're uncertain, if you don't know in your heart, what would happen if you were to die, and that would create fear for anybody, wouldn't it? Sure, you don't have to be fearful. You can believe in the word of God, like the three of us believe in the word of God, and believe in the Son of God, Jesus, that He literally came to this earth walked on the earth. And he did it to die for you and for me that our sins would be forgiven, that the separation between us and God is gone in direct relationship. And you can have that right now. And he makes it so easy. He did all the work. Yeah, he went on the cross, He took all the pain he suffered, he died for you and for me, and all we have to do is believe it and accept it. All we have to do is say, Jesus, thank you, for nine on that cross for me. So I didn't have to go through that pain, you shed your blood Lord, and I believe and I accept that that was for me, my sins are forgiven. And now I know that you're my savior. And I want to follow you, I want to do what you want me to do out of love for you. I want to be obedient to Your Word. And if you believe that, and confess that right now, it's settled. The greatest miracle that could ever take place in your life. Just happened right now that your sins are gone. And you when you pass to this next world will immediately be in Jesus present, just like Billy Graham said in his quote.

Brian Roland: 22:27

You know, I just think of guys. Oh, and you were saying that, Terry. I was thinking of the thieves on the cross on the crosses, and how one didn't want to die. Take yourself off this cross and take us with you. Remember who he was he wanted to live. He wasn't he wasn't ready to die. But the other one said, you know, he believed he was a son of God. And He said to be with Me in Paradise, and he was ready to go. I just thought of that when you're when you're speaking I'm going. It's that simple. It's either. No, I'm afraid I'm not going to her. Yes. I don't care. I'm ready to go at any time. Whenever God calls me home.

Terry Steen: 22:59

And that was a criminal worthy of death. Right? And God didn't care

Brian Roland: 23:04

just like we are. Exactly right.

Dan Wheeler: 23:07

Right. Well, guys, this this really is the ultimate question. You know, are you ready to die? Do you know where you're going? And we've learned a lot today we've learned that we've got to keep our eye on the prize so that one day we will hear our Lord and Savior say, Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Wow, what a day that will be. Hey, thanks for joining us. It's been another great edition of finish strong and we hope you'll join us next time.

John Matarazzo: 23:34

Thank you for listening to finish strong. For more information about finished strong and fearless faith. Check out their website eth faith.org. Make sure that you rate and review this podcast to help more people accomplish their God given purpose so that together we can finish strong