THE MYSTERY OF DEATH IS NOT SO MYSTERIOUS (Part 2)

I’ve always been a student of death. I’m interested in the age believers die, and why they die and go home to glory, sometimes too early or way before their time. You’ll have to go back and read Part 1 to get the more complete counsel of what I’ve written.

Beyond martyrdom you can live as long as you want to and die how you want. Even martyrdom is often a choice. In other words, it’s not all up to God. Uninformed people who are ignorant of God’s Word will sometimes say things like, “God took him”, or “it was his or her time to go”, or “God works in mysterious ways”, etc. but that’s not what the full counsel of the Scriptures teach.

There are conditions for living a long life and the Lord will often show you when you will die as He did Peter.

“…knowing that shortly I must put off my tent (body) just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me.”( 2 Peter 1:14)

I could name many cases of believers and ministers that died too young, and by revelation, I can often tell you the reason why. Not always of course, because I’m not God, but often He shows me. I don’t know why He does, but I think it’s because I inquire and want to know for my benefit and the benefit of the body of Christ. You could say, I’m a student of death, and also of life.

IT IS IMPORTANT WHO YOU FOLLOW

If you live for God and your life’s purpose is to do His will and fulfill His call, there’s no reason you can’t live a long full healthy life without sickness and disease. My two greatest examples were the late Kenneth E. Hagin and Lester Sumrall. I followed them closer than any other men and ministers of the gospel. I observed their life and teaching very closely. They walked in divine health and fulfilled their calling and finished their race. I love that, and it is my own personal goal.

Don’t fool yourself, besides the Lord, it is important who you follow closely in this life. Your associations determine who you become and what you have in this life. I can measure a man’s life by his closest associations. History is littered with men who followed in the same error of those they closely followed.

When dad Hagin was in the hospital at the end of his life, the family asked him if he wanted to go home to glory, or if he wanted to stay here awhile longer, they would keep his spirit here. We have that kind of authority when there is agreement. Dad motioned to them that he wanted to go, and so they released his spirit. I don’t know about you, but that is fascinating stuff to me! That the Lord has given us that kind of choice and authority, speaks to me that it’s more up to us than Him. Of course, as I stated, there are conditions. There are principles. There are spiritual laws. There are choices people make. And then there is the Lord’s mercy. Oh, how merciful and long suffering He is! That’s why I love Him soooooo much!

AN EXAMPLE OF HIS MERCY

For example, I heard the story of a man who never lived right for more than two weeks at a time for most of his adult life. He lived in adultery and was completely unfaithful to his spouse. Dad Hagin tried to pray for him when he was sick but an invisible hand lifted his hand off the man. The Lord told him that he was going to die. Dad responded,“ but Lord, he’s too young to die!” You see, Dad knew the Word and the promise of long life. In 12 years of pastoring he never buried one church member, because he knew how to get them healed and help them live long. I’ve learned how to do the same. But he also understood that sometimes you can’t get that to work for everybody. There are spiritual laws that have been set in motion in that person’s life that sometimes cannot be reversed. That was the case with this adulterous man.

But here’s the Lord’s mercy:

The Lord instructed Dad to lead him into repentance, then lay hands on him and get him filled with the Holy Ghost, so his final days could be glorious. For the next three days this former adulterer sat up in bed and prayed and sang in tongues and praised the Lord for three days before going home to heaven. Oh, how merciful is our God! Don’t you just wish everyone knew Him this way?

ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF A SPIRITUAL LAW

Here is an example of a spiritual law that can work for good or for evil, for life or for death. And that is, your words. What you are saying is what you are sowing. And that’s what you will reap.

I know of a former missionary friend who died at 46 years old. She was married with children. It was a sudden death. She just stopped breathing. No explanation. As far as I know, she wasn’t sick or diseased. But her former pastors told us that for as long as they knew her, she would always say that her mother died at 46 and that she was afraid she would die at the same age. And it happened just as she said. You see, if you walk in fear, and you speak fearful thoughts out of your mouth long enough you will believe it and you will have it in your life.

I’m going to have to end this post here. There is much more to say on this topic. I’ll tell you what: We have recently renewed our website and blog. Please subscribe to our blog at Holy Fire Ministries so you can receive these kind of posts or articles via email. Then you’ll permanently have them and can file them if you want to. The plan is to eventually wean off Facebook and just write on my blog. Besides, I am tired of FB playing around with their algorithms and limiting the circulation of my posts. It’s annoying. My posts use to reach far more friends than they do now. The Lord told me years ago that writing is my life’s greatest work, and I am very serious about living in obedience to that word.

I am so pregnant with the anointing to write these days and want to pass these things on to the ensuing generations.

Praise God for His goodness and mercy! I fully understand that all of my writings and books are a gift to the body of Christ.

*There is no desire to sell books for my own personal benefit or to build a ministry. I could care less about that.

*But I know what this anointing does in those who can receive it. The testimonies and reviews and letters we often receive from our readers tell the story. They receive an impartation. They are helped. They are changed for the glory of God.

I love you all so much and desire that you prosper and be in health even as your soul prospers (3John 2).