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THE FOUR KINDS OF DEATH

The following is a sermon on death that gives a biblical perspective on death.

1. THERE IS PHYSICAL DEATH
Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,

John 11:12 Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well. 13 However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead.

In the epistle of James, if you look carefully, you will find there the biblical definition of death:

James 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Romans 6:20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

2. THERE IS SPIRITUAL DEATH
This is the condition of the living person who does not have eternal life.

1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. 15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

3. THERE IS THE SECOND DEATH
Revelation 2:11 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.’

Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Revelation 21:7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. 8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

4. There is a fourth death that is mentioned in Scripture as well. Visit Sermon Seedbed to learn about this fourth kind of death and see in this sermon death in its completeness.

This article written by Eddie Lawrence, D.Min. who is a pastor, author and overseer of Sermon Seedbed a free resource site for Pastors and Bible teachers. There you will find lots of sermon ideas and sermon outlines.

Of late, we have been hearing about our beloved world coming to an end. Have you ever given a thought to it? They say that 12 21 2012 marls the last day of our earth, as per the Mayan calendar. The 2012 phenomenon, as believed to be, will comprise of a series of cataclysmic or transformative events that will occur on 21 12 2012; with this, will end a five 125-year long cycle and begin a New Era.

It is believed that post 21 12 2012, earth and her inhabitants will go through a positive transformation which might be either physical of spiritual. As per general beliefs, the world will undergo a major catastrophe as the earth will be in total alignment with the moon, the sun and the Milky Way’s black hole. 

Modern thinkers opine that then end of the current cycle will usher in global consciousness shift whereby the world will progress and foster a spiritual revolution. There are so many significances of this date and that’s what makes 21 12 2012 so talked about.

According to some, 2012 will end 26,000 year Precession of the Equinoxes cycle, whereas, some believe that it signifies the end of a 104,000 year cycle. With the end of a cycle, comes a new age. But you must not be scared; instead you must understand the prophecy which says that we all have to be more and more aware and we need to wake up and answer to the beckon call of the new era. Standing on the cross-road, we must enjoy the historical landmark that we witness and respond to it positively.

Mankind will be transformed into a complete harmony of nature and all her children. 21 12 2012 is going to bring one of the best and most significant moments we have ever seen!

Individuals all over the planet are deeply interested in the predictions regarding 2012 end with the planet theory. Many various theories are circulating all close to the planet. Some folks believe that humans will invoke specific events which will lead to the end with the planet while some believe that God is going to bring this planet to an end by commanding nature to become at its most violent so that you can destroy life on earth. Some popular predictions of 2012 end with the year are doing the rounds.

The most popular prediction is the one made by the calendar with the Mayans. The race with the Mayans was known to become extremely intelligent in the ancient times. They boasted of superb knowledge of astronomy in addition to mathematics. According to their calendar, it is believed that the planet will enter a new age on 21 December, 2012. Some members with the esteemed scientific community have come up with their very own theories for the predictions for 2012 end with the planet. A popular theory that seems to hold some weight is that sun storms will likely be the source of destruction of planet earth.

There’s enough evidence already that these storms have knocked out power grids and destroyed satellites so, several folks believe that this is what will happen resulting in 2012 end with the planet. The various religions being practiced close to the planet have their very own theories when it comes to predictions. The Chinese Book of Modifications holds that 2012 will likely be an critical year as a lot of alterations will occur during that time. Diverse sections of Hinduism also hint at this year being extremely critical to mankind. The holy Bible also mentions 21st of December, 2012 as the Day of Judgment or the Armageddon.

You can easily share your faith and love for Christ by giving someone a cross pendant. Sharing your conviction to someone you love is not very easy. At most, it requires plenty of courage and honesty.

However, when you do share your belief, you could possibly function as the door that opens up that person’s life to Christ.

One simple way that you can share your faith to your loved one is by getting your loved one a special cross pendant. Cross pendants have been around for a long time.

For most people, they function as a way to show their faith and at the same time help to remind them of what Christ has done for them.

Another great reason why people wear it is because it showcases their personality. People who are proud of their love for Christ are not afraid to adorn themselves with a cross pendant.

Apart from that, it is also a great way to witness for Christ. Most of the time, religious jewelry peeks the curiosity and interest of ordinary people. Hence, they end up asking about the jewelry and design.

With this opportunity comes the chance to witness for the Lord and help someone get acquainted with the faith more.

Getting someone special a great gift like a cross pendant will be worth it. You won’t regret allowing someone to get to know Christ more and also give them a chance to exhibit their faith.

Buying a cross pendant for someone special means taking several things into thought before ultimately buying. Here are some things that you need to remember when you look for pendants.

First, do your research properly and diligently. It is important that you first research on the kind of design you want to buy and whether you think the person receiving it will like it.

Consider the kind of jewelry that they are already wearing and look for a similar kind of style. This will increase the chances of them liking your gift better.

Second, only purchase from qualified stores or dealers. There are times that stores purposely deceive customers when it comes to selling jewelry. Make sure that the materials that it says are used are really used in the pendant.

The only way that you can do this is to buy from genuine and legitimate dealers only and not through shady places.

Third, even though you may be looking to save up money, it is important that you do not compromise the quality of the jewelry. If you find something that is worth it, but just a little higher than budget then go for it.

However, if you think that it would be too much for you to handle then it is best that you look for an alternative. This way, you will not be compromising your budget.

Looking for a cross pendant as a gift is certainly a challenging endeavor, but if you stick to the guidelines and know what you want, then you won’t have any big problems with it.

There are more Christian pendants available in the market other than cross pendants, but if you are not much of a jewelry type of a person, you may consider sharing your love of Christ by Christian watches instead.

The topic of free sermon outlines is one I love to talk about. Just over a year ago I launched a site to be able to give away sermon outlines to pastors and Bible teachers around the world. Wow, I never dreamed of the impact that SermonSeedbed.com would have globally. In the first year, visitors from over 180 nations came to the site registering over  three million hits and the site continues to grow.

This in itself demonstrates the hunger there is among pastors and Bible teachers to access materials that will help them in their preaching. Amazingly, my site is just one among hundreds and hundreds of others also providing materials and many of them free of charge.

Here are three pointers of how to quickly locate a free sermon outline on whatever topic you may be studying.

1. Use Your Search Engine Wisely
Learn to type in more than just the word sermon. Type in “free sermon outline on love” or whatever the topic may be. Type in “sermon on” plus the scripture reference you are studying. This will provide you with a ton of material in a nano second.

2. Visit Sermon Sites
Take some time to visit several of the free sermon outline sites and bookmark your favorites. I hope you will consider Sermon Seedbed as well. Most sites have some way to search for a specific site. My site is categorized plus has a master index to consult.

3. Visit Audio Sermon Sites
This one will require more time. But you can actually listen to sermons preached on the topic you are studying. Download the MP3 into your ipod or to a CD and listen to it while you drive and do visitation. You are bound to get some good input to inspire you and give you ideas for your own sermon.

Use these three ideas and you will be waist deep in good preaching material. Pray over what you find, feed your own soul, and out of the overflow, feed others.

Eddie Lawrence, who wrote this article, is an author, pastor, and oversees Sermon Seedbed, a resource site providing free sermons for pastors.

Christian fiction books are becoming more and more popular every day. However, there are many people voicing out their concerns that Christian fiction is not what it used to be. To make it easier, let’s define what Christian fiction means.

Christian fiction is a lot more difficult to define than contemporary fiction books since most of the time the themes are not always obvious. However, as a general definition, it is any writing that showcases a Christian theme and incorporates the whole Christian world view or belief.

These kinds of books not only help the readers become enlightened about the Christian faith, but some authors have also used it to further explore their faith; asking philosophical, moral, and ethical questions in hopes of finding answers.

For example, C.S. Lewis’ books were considered to be Christian fiction books because of the allegorical references made in his stories. Of course, there is the argument of whether Christian authors automatically churn out Christian writings. This depends entirely on the reader.

Even though there are plenty of critics when it comes to the content of Christian fiction books and novels, there is no denying that it serves one important and powerful purpose which is to share the Christian idealogy.

Ultimately, the foremost Christian book would have to be the Bible. For believers, it is more than just a book about stories, but it is one of the most important pieces of their belief.

Christian fiction books can create a huge impact on the reader and change their perspective and point of view for the better.

If you are looking for great classic Christian fiction books to read, here are some that you might want to check out.

The Screwtape Letters

This is considered to be C.S. Lewis’ most popular outside of the books of Narnia. This was considered to a favorite among evangelical writers. The book is about an exchange of conversation and advice, mostly from the administrative assistant of hell, Screwtape, to his young assistant, Wormwood.

Wormwood is assigned to corrupt a young man and is getting advice and admonitions from Screwtape. Lewis’ witty presentation, taken from the perspective of hell and devils, makes the bookinteresting to read.

It is packed with great insights into the depth and rationalizations of sin.

The Lord of the Rings

Most young people might be surprised that this book is classified as Christian fiction. The truth is that J.R.R Tolkien was a key instrument in influencing C.S. Lewis as a Christian.

Tolkien was a devout believer and spent much of his time developing his books. Of course, one of them would be the ever popular Lord of the Rings. This story tells the tale of Frodo Baggins inheriting a ring from his uncle, Bilbo Baggins. This ring can control the world, but it also has the power to take over its bearer.

A great council has decided that the ring should be destroyed, but only the fire where it was created can destroy it. It lies beyond the evil plains of Mordor. Although Frodo is determined not to use the ring, he is weak and struggles to overcome the rings power on his personality and behavior.

This has allegories about Christ as well as the lesson that goodness cannot come from evil.

These are just some of the famous classic Christian fiction books that you might want to cuddle up and read.

If you are not much of a reader but still wants to know what the book is all about , there are christian bookstores that sell Christian Audio Books. This serves as an alternative way to enjoy Christian readings for those who are quite busy with work and always on the go.

Three Marks of an Effective Short Sermon

Short sermons are in short supply. Rare is the pastor who has mastered the art of preaching shorter sermons.  I think most of us who are pastors may be guilty of thinking that a shorter message indicates we are slacking on the job. The truth is that it is much easier to preach a long sermon than it is a shorter one. Consider the following thoughts concerning the three marks of an effective short sermon:

1. It is a well prepared sermon.
Short does not mean you have to prepare less. Actually, it requires more sermon preparation time to keep it concise, on point, and moving effortlessly. A short sermon requires the same structure as a longer sermon, just less content. This means the content that is shared needs to be high quality and containing less superfluous material.

Be sure to study through your outline and notes several times. This will make it much easier for you to flow through the message. It will also keep you unchained from the pulpit if you wish to move around a bit.

2. It is a full meal sermon.
By this I mean that it leaves the people full and satisfied. A preacher has to cut a lot of fluff out of a good short sermon; hence, there is good lean meat to eat for those who are served.

For all those sermon ideas tumbling in your head, there can be a great teaching to help people. Work harder to present it in an unboring way in more palatable amount of time.

Short sermons can easily have three to five main points without sacrificing quality. Make sure your points are all explained in simplicity, illustrated with clarity, and applied with practicality. This will ensure a fulfilling experience for your audience.

3. Start and End with a Punch
A good introduction and a solid conclusion that calls people to action will help you start and stop while keeping people’s attention.

Be willing to be unorthodox in your introductions to grap people’s imaginations. Be slower, more calm, and very confident as you bring your preaching to a close. This is when you want to lead people to make the right and good decision.

These are three among many thoughts concerning a how to preach an effective short sermon. Now, you have been briefed, so be brief.

For more info like this written by Eddie Lawrence, visit Sermon Seedbed which is a dot come site that provides free sermon outlines for pastors and Bible study teachers.

The moment Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert died in 1861, she set a new trend. Her lengthy mourning paved the way for oppressive rituals that funeral directors were to carry on until she died forty years later. The whole court was required to dress in mourning clothes and the Queen herself remained in full mourning attire consistently until three years later. Grieving was no longer enough. Inner feelings were to be on full display through the full-on grieving that had now become fashionable.

Following their Queen’s example, those who could afford to do so indulged in expensive funerals, built complex monuments at the grave and adhered to the new etiquette of grieving. Along with specific clothing came an entire set of rules restricting the way people could act. Popular household manuals gave comprehensive instructions about the correct etiquette to adopt for each period of mourning. Queen Victoria’s poorer subjects had to make do with mixing their clothing in a large vat of black dye.

Compared to the adults, children were exempt from the traditions and were usually not required to wear mourning clothes, although sometimes girls wore white dresses. Many of their mothers, on the other hand, were nearly always in black, thanks to the many deaths that Victorian families suffered. The mourning time for males was shorter. Unrestricted by the curtailed social requirements, it was allowable for them to return to work and continue their daily lives. They simply wore black suits, or even just dark suits accompanied by black gloves, cravats and hatbands.

For females, however, mourning was a serious business. Although they could still attend church services, during full mourning they were not to be viewed in places linked with entertainment or amusement. The lengthiest period of mourning, which usually lasted at least two years, was after the death of a spouse. The required periods then dropped down a level, considering what the relationship with the deceased was. For first cousins, for instance, the period of grieving was only for a month.

Full mourning lasted for at least one year and a day. During this period women were required to dress in all black or in dull dresses with no sheen, trimmed with crepe. Bombazine was an often used material, being cheaper compared to non-reflective silk. Petticoats were made with black ribbon attached to their hems, to protect them if glimpsed. Then there were lace handkerchiefs with black borders, specially designed caps, bonnets and veils, even large “weeper” cuffs on dresses designed for mourners to wipe their nose during times of particular grief.

Second mourning went for nine months. Although women’s clothes would still need to be drab – generally grey – the crepe could be removed and the mourning veil was allowed to be lifted. A little jewellery was allowed, but the limit of this was hard black jet. It was popular for locks of the deceased’s hair to be built into brooches, lockets or watch fobs.

At the time of the half mourning stage, which went from three to six months, there was a gradual introduction of colour, with clothes moving on to brighter greys, mauve and a small amount of white. Jewellery wasn’t any longer restricted to jet and any kind was allowed to be worn.

Whichever level of mourning they were in, individuals had in order to buy the particular necessary clothes, or the materials to create them with, together with all other trimmings, the jewellery and headwear etc. Not surprisingly, a whole industry was created to cater for this fashionable new trend. Jay’s of Regent Street started up in 1841 as a type of one-stop shop, providing everything the mourning family could possibly need. Death was a big seller, as keeping mourning attire and crepe in the house after the mourning had stopped was considered to be bad luck.

When Queen Victoria passed away in 1901, the grieving fashion she had introduced began to disappear and the funeral director’s rituals surrounding grief changed drastically once more.

Love may be an unrestrained emotion which provides no assurance. If a weak person is madly in love, then he or she may lose all the wisdom and may act blindly. When someone is deeply and madly in love with someone without knowing anything, then the repercussions may be quite devastating.         

Powerful love spells should be used cautiously and not regularly. They must be used at the right place and at the right time. There are instances of such powerful love spells coming with severe damage which can be avoided. One should always analyze such powerful love spells and chalk out their motives. Attempting to break up a loving relationship to acquire egocentric love necessitates a powerful love spell, as the intense energy to break up the immense loving relationship between two adults has to be much stronger and greater than love.

The consequences that the energy administered by a stronger love spell generates can never be predicted. At times, the repercussions may be quite harmful, resulting in tragic deaths and casualties. Even when the powerful love spell is victorious in attaining the love he or she desired, supporting the love against the free natural wish of an individual requires a massive constant effort.

At times, when an individual feels that the love spell targeted to a specific person is not the perfect person, then in that case the spell has to be diverted to avoid the unwanted love. A powerful love spell may be good or bad, depending upon the current situation.  

One integral part of that helps in reaching different people in different places and winning them for God are portable communion sets.

The Holy Communion is part of an important Christian tradition.

Normally, when you hear of Communion, it is different from Baptism wherein the latter is done once while the former is a practice done all throughout a Christian’s life.

Catholics mainly follow the Communion simply because the Lord said so. During communion, Christians are expected to remember Christ and his sacrifice and suffering for humankind.

In this holy practice, there are several essential elements. However, the top two would include the bread and wine.

There are three essential views that Christians hold regarding the bread and the wine.

One view is that there is transubstantiation that occurs and the bread and wine actually becomes the real body and blood of Christ.

Another view that is held is that the bread and the wine remain unchanged, but the Lord’s presence is made spiritually real through their faith.

The last view that most Christians hold is that the bread and wine are used as merely symbols. It represents the body and blood of the Lord and remembers the sacrifice that he has done for the people.

Anybody can go ahead and participate in a Communion. Normally, you will find this done in regular churches, but there are also priests that are assigned in remote places where there is no proper church.

People who live in these places and want to participate in a communion can now do so since there are portable communion sets available.  Hence, a priest can go ahead and conduct it to them.

Portable communion sets are necessary tools for a priest or any member of the clergy in any denomination to have especially if he is visiting a remote place or region.

There are many places that a clergy might make use of these portable sets.

For instance, it can be used in a hospital, a nursing home or even during the battlefield. This makes it easier for people to join and participate in this sacred worship without having to attend the church.

There are four main elements that make up communion sets. There is the cruet, paten, chalice, and pyx. There are small as well as large communion sets that you can use.

There will also be a carrying case for the set. Some pieces in the sets are ornate while others are simple and made of silver.

Each piece also has a specific function during the service. The cruet is a small container or bottle that is used to hold the wine during the service. The Paten is a small disk or plate that is used to hold the communion bread during the service.

Then you have the pyx, this is a small, often round, container that holds the host inside. Finally, you have the chalice. This is also known as the communion cup, where the wine is poured onto and drank from.

All of these help to make up the elements that are part of portable communion sets.

When shopping for communion sets, you may also consider customizing your own set by choosing what design of Communion plates you wanted or the style of communion cups you prefer, thus making it even more personal.