To those that are in right standing with God; the first death at the end of natural life is a temporary sleep before being resurrected into a new spiritual body. Those who have died are not even aware of death; the dead do not know they are dead; their cycle of awareness is over. God explains that the natural life of the unsaved as being little different than being dead. We are encouraged to make wise choices before our time runs out (not just leaving it to the last moment). No one knows how long they have to live. For those of us who have the Holy Spirit, we are encouraged to keep our perspective and be mindful for the lives of others.

There is an intriguing scripture in the gospel of John that alludes to our works surpassing that of Christ's. John 14:12. It is interesting for two reasons... the first is the statement that we will have the potential to do the works of Christ (miracles)... and the second, which is the most amazing, reveals that we have the potential to do even greater works then Christ.... how can that be? What is something that Jesus did not do, or could not do while he was on the earth as opposed to what we can do while he is in heaven? The best way to solve this question is to look at the changes that occurred after he left. We do not need to go too far into the book of Acts to find the answer.

The sign of the prophet Jonah is only one of approximately 350 prophecies fulfilled by Jesus Christ that were recorded up to 4000 years before he was born. Prophecies act as signs and proof of the credibility of God and of his ability to save people from certain death. The salvation message that Jesus made possible, is also built upon prophetic signs, miracles, and wonders. The sign of speaking in tongues is the confirmation of being anointed by the Spirit. The sign of the prophet Jonah is a precursor of the salvation message that Jesus provided and described.

When it comes to the things of God, most people have no understanding of what they are dealing with. God is trying to save people from permanent extinction (death), but most are blindly adhering to lifestyles that are more appealing to their human nature. God is not demanding a life of permanent denial and abstinence of all pleasures. He is trying to save people from certain death. Our natural perspective is short term and certainly devoid of any spiritual awareness. Spiritually speaking, the human is brain dead, they are devoid of any potential and they are powerlessly living out their time; spiritually crippled... awaiting permanent death. On the other hand, God is offering us the power to be saved.

The church is filled with volunteers from all walks of life, all having differing skills and abilities. All of us are filled with the Holy Spirit with the same evidence of speaking in tongues, with all spiritual gifts available.

Much has been said and made of the Thief on the cross. Many people have taken comfort from the story of the thief to whom Jesus makes the famous quote, "Verily I say onto Thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise." Unfortunately for the people who quote or rely on this scripture, the meaning of this verse is not what they believe. Before we discuss this scripture, we need to understand why people have placed so much significance on these words. Many today want to take the easy way out (with little responsibility or commitment), or they are looking for Godly hope and they find it very comforting to think, that when they are on death's doorstep, they can simply say sorry and all will be well. They are wrong! The other concept which comes forward is the appreciation that when you die, you go straight into heaven to be with the Lord. That also is error. Let us have a closer look at the words of Jesus and see what He is truly saying.

The Bible describes a series of events which define the return of the Lord. One such line of prophecy is called "birth pangs", being likened to the onset of human birth. This is a very interesting metaphor, because many of the events of human labour are easy to identify, and by their nature, continue to intensify and are irreversible.

The following is a brief outline comparing the old and new temples of God, both physically and spiritually.

Many Christians feel obliged to prioritize their service to Christ by telling him through prayers, music, public speaking and testimony; how much they love him. This is often promoted and perceived as one of the greatest and most rewarding deeds of the Christian life. Sadly, this is wrong, and ill conceived. Many would be surprised how few times Christ or God mentioned their love for each other. It is not that it wasn't there, it is just that they preferred to display their love for each other through actions and deeds... rather than words. Jesus lived by faith and wants us to imitate his love towards others through deeds and actions, not just words.

All sciences have tools or documented comparisons so any device or formula can be calibrated against a proven measure or standard. The reality of bible salvation is based on a series of promises and actions which God has promised through His Holy Spirit, of which He confirms. God is well aware of human failure and has thus calibrated His word and blessings with signs and evidence outside of intellectual and emotional factors alone. Like the Prime Meridian (the 0 degree line of longitude) used for all charting and travelling on the earth's surface, the church needs a fixed starting point of reference, or natural wisdom will corrupt spiritual truths.