Death. It’s not a pleasant thing, nor is it something which to look forward to with anticipation. It is something to be hated, despised, abhorred. Yet, most people, when asked the question, “What happens to you when you die?” they would quickly answer, without even pausing to consider, “I will go to heaven when I die.” Even people who marginally believe that there is a God, believe that heaven is where they will go upon their death.
Going way WAY back into some old-school literature this week with a pamphlet that is 65 YEARS OLD! This one-time radio sermon was broadcast just a few months after the close of World War II in November of 1945! I thought I would bring this sermon tract into the digital age and give it new life as it is a great explanation of how Paul’s famous expression is NOT a support for the immortal soul belief - but is instead a Resurrection truth like all of Paul’s other writings.
Enjoy!
PAUL’S DESIRE TO DEPART AND TO BE WITH CHRIST
by
VICTOR L. HARRISON
Radio Pastor and Evangelist
Program of “The Advent Christian Church of the Air”
Station WAYS, Charlotte, N. C.
November 24, 1945
This post is by Dr. John Roller, an expert on the doctrine of Conditional Immortality. You can visit his blog at johnroller.com and hear an interview I (Sean) did with him on Truth Matters or download his e-book about the historical development of the doctrine of hell. The following question and answer was sent out as part of the “Roller Update.”
Coming to you live from Anthony Buzzards’ 19th Annual Theological Conference in Atalanta GA… I’m on the laptop and wirelessly connecting to the web. Yeah, isn’t technology great!
Anyway, here’s an article I’ve been trying to write forever it seems. Finally, I got around to getting it done over some downtimes over the past couple of days. The subject is the 11th Chapter of John and the wonderful truths I believe that can be learned from it.
Life after death – according to Martha & Jesus
By Ron Shockley
With last Sunday being “Resurrection Day” or “Easter,” it has caused me to take the time to reflect upon Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, and ponder the question, “Where did Jesus go when he died on the cross?”
Here’s another old conditional immortality pamphlet from my father’s collection that I’m bringing into the digital age. I searched the internet for this particular piece and never found it. Although I did find out that the author (Horace Lorenzo Hastings) lived back in the 1800’s (1831-1899). This little track was published by Adventist churches for decades after - my particular copy by Advent Christian Publications & then hand stamped from the Advent Christian Church of Shamrock, Texas (probably in the early 1970’s). Enjoy!
Forty Questions on Immortality
by H. L. Hastings
1. Who is immortal?
“The King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God.” 1 Tim. 1:17.
2. Are not all men possessed of immortality?
“The blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords; who only hath immortality.” 1 Tim. 6:15, 16.
Posted in Death is Sleep, YouTube on February 3rd, 2010 5 Comments »
I found the following six-part video by the noted Baptist author Warren Prestidge. Pastor Prestidge is the one who wrote Life, Death, and Destiny: one of the best books on conditional immortality around. Click here to check it out.
Today I’m continuing in my quest to post more works from my collection of old theology writings that are now out of print and as far as I know are not yet out there in any digital form among the “ether” of the internet.
The following little poem is from a very old newspaper clipping that my parents had saved in a theology file they had put together over the years. I truly do not know just how old it is, though from the looks of it it very well could be from the era of the 1940’s - 1950’s. The author is listed as “H. A. Owens”. But I have not been able to find any information about that person anywhere.
I stopped adding new shows/podcasts to Truth Matters months ago when I went back to school. However, before I left I had recorded this show with David Burge of New Zealand. I finally found the time to edit it and so you can now download it (if it interests you) by going to www.truthmattersradio.com or clicking the link below. Also, please add David to your prayers as he is currently fighting cancer (see note at the bottom).
to listen to “Objections to Conditional Immortality Answered with David Burge” click here
David Burge is the pastor of the Takanini Church of Christ in Auckland, New Zealand. He also leads the Advent Christian Conference of New Zealand and the Conditional Immortality Association of New Zealand (www.afterlife.co.nz). He has researched, written, and spoken extensively on the topic of conditional immortality (the belief that dead people are asleep until the resurrection at the return of Christ).
More Common “Proof Texts”
The parable of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16 is probably the primary passage that on the surface appears to support the popular notion that judgment, with resulting punishment and reward, is meted out before the resurrection. But this would contradict the rest of Scripture, which says that judgment will take place after the resurrection at the return of Christ (Daniel 12:2; John 5:28,29; Revelation 20:11-15).