​​Welcome  to    Joy By Surprise

There is nothing more certain in life than death. No sooner is an object made when it begins to fade, wear away, decay and die. This trend of decay and death is seen throughout the present universe: in manufactured goods, metals, buildings, plants and all living creatures. They all deteriorate and die. The only unchanging and immortal Beings are YaHuWaH the Creator and His Son YAHUSHUA the Messiah: and those who were resurrected when YAHUSHUA rose from the grave. All others are subject to death. They are mortal. Were it not for the Almighty's creative activity in upholding the universe and renewing its life forms on a regular basis, this downward trend of death would reduce the entire universe to a barren desert.

It is a proven scientific law. "All natural systems degenerate when left to themselves."

• Q: In view of this scientific fact, we ask the question: Was the Almighty's creation faulty, in that nothing He ever made seems capable of withstanding this process of decay and death?
• A: The answer is: No, the creation was not faulty: it was perfect. Genesis 1:31: "And Elohim saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good." In other words the creation was faultless.


• Q: What happened? How could one call that relentless process of decay and death - good? What about the thorns, viruses and millions of predators?
• A: The answer is: the creation became subject to decay and death, and all nature changed when something entered the system. That something was 'sin.' Sin is moral rebellion against YaHuWaH the Creator of life. Sin is turning one's back on YaHuWaH. Sin is walking away from Him - from Life! Sin is doing what the Almighty commanded men and angels not to do. The Bible simply says: Sin is disobedience to YaHuWaH 's commandments, the breaking of YaHuWaH 's commandments.

The moment sin entered the system, the moment man turned away from YaHuWaH, the source of life: at that very moment decay, deterioration, degeneration and death began. "...thou shalt surely die" said YaHuWaH : not just in the mind and body, but in every natural system over which man was put in charge. The earth, the rivers, the oceans, the air and millions of living creatures, fell under the curse! All began to deteriorate, degenerate and die. Like some malicious computer virus that slowly but sure destroys all the programs and files on a computer disk, the virus of sin began to take its toll. The plants grew thorns. Many, many species of animals, insects and birds became predators. A blight settled on the whole world: and sin, the moral stand against YaHuWaH, triggered that 2nd law of thermodynamics, the law of decay and death!

The death sentence, when it began to take its toll on the human race, was the devastating outcome of sin. Comparatively few people realize this: that decay, disease and death - in all nature - is the direct result of sin. Multiplied millions of humans and their cattle died. The 'sleep from which you never woke' swept the globe. Oh what a tragic thing is death. Few can understand it and fewer still bear it.

Man is made of the elements of the Earth and the Spirit of Elohim. At death those elements return to the Earth or to ashes and the spirit returns to YaHuWaH who gave it. It's not a case of some persons going to hell, others to Heaven and still others to purgatory or some other place. All spirits return to YaHuWaH. As the scripture says:

YaHuWaH was not taken by surprise when sin and death entered the universe. He had an emergency plan on hand should man misuse his freedom of choice. The plan, very broadly speaking, can be seen in two stages.

• To pay the price of sin and forgive repentant sinners who would avail themselves of His mercy.
• To reverse the curse, that unmerciful process of decay and death and re-install righteousness and everlasting life in a new universe.

We refer to this plan as the Plan of Salvation. The first part of the Plan of Salvation was demonstrated or illustrated in certain rituals involving animal sacrifices. It worked like this:

• The repentant sinner was to bring an animal sacrifice which was to die in his stead.
• The repentant sinner was to confess his sins over the sacrifice, which was then slain.
• The repentant sinner was then allowed to go free: being cautioned not to sin again.

These ceremonies depicted the first part of YaHuWaH 's plan to reverse the process of death. They symbolized the death of YAHUSHUA the Messiah the sinless Lamb of YaHuWaH who was to give his life in order to atone for the sins of the world. Repentant sinners, however sinful they may happen to be, can now find forgiveness by putting their faith in YAHUSHUA the Messiah. When they take that first step the process of death for that person is eternally reversed. This fact is outlined in these verses:

What did YAHUSHUA mean when He said everlasting life? Believers are still dying, are they not? Where is the evidence of everlasting life? All things continue as they did since the creation! Believers get old, they become ill, they fade away and die: some too early by any standards.

So what did YAHUSHUA mean when He said: "whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die." Where then is the promise of everlasting life?

The answer is: When a true believer dies, YaHuWaH looks upon him/her as being <><>Not dead and gone forever: but asleep awaiting the resurrection. The word resurrection means 'to rise from the dead.' <>

The resurrection will take place at the second coming of YAHUSHUA the Messiah: an event which is very near.

The idea of being "raised from the dead" and living for ever is not new. It was held in Old Testament times by the children of Abraham and other nations. Life after death in one form or the other is taught by many of the world's popular religions. This article contains a record of what the Bible teaches about the resurrection - and living for all time! Here are some Old Testament verses concerning the resurrection.

However, hoping in, believing in or even prophesying about the resurrection are quite different from being able to demonstrate a resurrection. YAHUSHUA the Messiah did just that. He has the power to demonstrate a resurrection. Here is the record of one such demonstration.

When the Savior demonstrated the power to raise the dead, the people he raised later died. They were not raised immortal beings. They grew old and died. His own resurrection, however, which His Father performed (Acts 2:24) was quite different. YAHUSHUA was raised, never to die again! He was raised incorruptible, immortal. He was the first person ever to be raised to immortal life: the first born from the dead. Carefully note these passages.

When the Savior was raised from the dead He was seen at the same time by hundreds of people. So there was no hallucination or deception involved. It really happened. He rose from the grave and hundreds of people saw him. What's more He is alive at this very moment.

When the Savior was raised from the grave and ascended to Heaven, His Father handed all authority and power over to him - all power! This means power to raise people from death, never to die again!

When a person decides to becomes a believer, his/her name is entered in a heavenly register called the Book of Life. From that moment onwards, that person has everlasting life. Let me repeat that thought. Once a person decides to become a believer, from that moment onward - he/she has everlasting life. And when they die, YaHuWaH looks upon them as being asleep. Death as we know it, in YaHuWaH 's sight, is just a sleep. Of Jairus' daughter YAHUSHUA said: "She is not dead, but sleepeth." Those words are on my mother's grave.

• YaHuWaH created a perfect universe. But the virus of sin entered the system: and with it came disease, pain, suffering and death. Now all natural systems - if left to themselves - degenerate and die. This includes all metals, materials and the people of all nations. This is the 2nd law of thermodynamics, the law which says: "All natural systems degenerate when left to themselves."

   

• When people die they do not go to hell, heaven or any other place. The material that their bodies was made of returns to the Earth whether they are buried or cremated. Their spirits return to YaHuWaH - awaiting the resurrection. Both the old and the new Testament teach that there is going to be a resurrection of the just and the unjust. The first resurrection takes place at the return of YAHUSHUA the Messiah. That day is very, very near.

   

• When sin entered the universe the Almighty's emergency plan, the Plan of Salvation, swung into action. The plan was pre-figured by the animal sacrificial system. It pointed to YaHuWaH 's Son YAHUSHUA the Messiah - the Lamb of YaHuWaH. He paid the price for sin at Calvary.

   

• Repentant believers are forgiven their sins when they place their faith in the Lamb of YaHuWaH. When they die they are considered by YaHuWaH as being 'asleep.' "She is not dead but sleepeth." At the resurrection they will rise to live again; this time in imperishable, immortal bodies. No more pain, sickness, suffering or death. They will live for all time.

   

• YAHUSHUA demonstrated His power to raise the dead by raising His friend Lazarus who had been dead four days.

   

• When the Savior died He was raised to life by His heavenly Father. He was later seen by some 500 people at the same time. It was no delusion or figment of their imagination. It was real.

   

• It now remains for us to decide what we are going to do about this inevitable sequence of facts.

"I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen and have the keys of hell and of death"