Ready To Die?

“To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2). In 1994, Christopher Wallace (aka Biggie Smalls) dropped a hip-hop album entitled READY TO DIE. It was a raw album, full of dope lyricism and dark stories about childhood poverty, violence, drug selling, multiple sexual relations and just rough life growing up in the inner city of Bed-Stuy Brooklyn. Biggie talked a lot about death. Even shares some deep and dark emotions on a song called “Suicidal Thoughts.” Let’s hear if Biggie was ready To die:“When I die, F*** it, I wanna go to Hell, cause I’m a piece of s*** it ain’t hard to tell. It don’t make sense, going to Heaven with the goodie- goodies, dresses in all white. I like black Tim’s and black hoodies. God will probably have me on some real strict s***, no sleeping all day, not getting my d**** (oral sex) hanging with the goodie-goodies, lounging in paradise f*** that s***, I want to tote guns and shoot dice”. - Biggie Small  “For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). Some would say, it’s just entertainment! But you see, in God’s word, it says that our words and thoughts come from our heart’s desires. Let’s see how the Apostle Paul diagnoses all of humanity: after God created man and women in His image, they (and us too) rebelled against God our Creator (go to Genesis 3:1-24). Read this in Romans 1:28-32: “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,  undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.” So you see, Biggie and everyone in humanity deserves DEATH because of our rebellion (sin) against God. Because God is Righteous and Judge, He must punish sin, which resides in the sinner’s human heart. BUT GOD is also rich in MERCY. And made a WAY that you and I can be FORGIVEN through His Only Begotten Son Yeshua (Jesus). “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God” (John 3:16-21). We are not made right with God by doing good deeds for people on the block—feeding homeless, walking ol ladies across the street or even going to a church. Its only BY FAITH in Yeshua.  “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).  Now we aren’t saved by our works BUT we are saved to work for God’s glory and the good of our neighbor. The next verse says: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). Christopher Wallace is gone. We can’t do anything bout that, but my question now to you is…  ARE YOU READY TO DIE?“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Are you READY to meet God?—the true Boss on the block and all the universe. Turn to Yeshua TODAY! Be 100% with Him, pour out your heart and confess and forsake your rebellion against Him. “But what does it say? ‘The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’ (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For ‘whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved’” (Romans 10:8-13). Also it is important that you connect to a local community of believers (The Church) where the truth of the Gospel and God’s word is being taught faithfully.