By Michael E. Brooks

“For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (James 4:14).

In March, 1999 Lamar Plunket and I visited the village of Mauda, in Makwanpur district, Nepal. This is a region of the “middle hills” of Nepal, which reach an altitude of six to eight thousand feet, or perhaps a little more. Though only “hills” in that nation of the massive Himalayas, they are rugged and often quite inhospitable. We spent several days as guests of Tek Bahadur, a Nepali Christian with a family of eleven children who farmed a small area of land at the base of one of the higher hills.

In the summer of 2001 Makwanpur was struck by heavy rains, which in turn led to landslides. Mauda suffered extensive slides, one of which buried Tek Bahadur’s home, killing Tek and all of his family except for one young daughter. Death is not uncommon, and we all experience its sorrow as it takes family members and friends. But death on this scale, so sudden, still surprises, shocks and saddens us. Events like this also cause us to reflect upon our own mortality and the importance of proper priorities.

Death is certain. It is only the timing which we do not know. The Hebrew writer states, “it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Death is impartial and the fact of death does not constitute judgment against us, or any form of prejudice or discrimination. We see it as unfair and evil. It is not. We are mortal in this flesh and we must all die, except for those who are alive when Jesus returns. Yes, there is something tragic about the simultaneous deaths of whole families or villages in natural disasters. And the deaths of the young offend us with the loss of untapped potential. Yet death itself is not the enemy.

Perhaps I should point out that I am speaking here of physical death, the end of life in this earthly body. There is another way in which the word death is used and that is another subject entirely. John describes the actions of God following the second coming of Christ and the judging of all the dead. “Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death” (Revelation 20:14). Spiritual death is the separation of the soul from God who made it. It is an eternal agony in darkness, with only evil and hopelessness as companions. This death is not certain for everyone. This death may be avoided, by faith in God and righteous living, for the second death is only for “those who know not God and …obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 1:8).

As shocking and saddening as the sudden deaths of Tek Bahadur and his family were to me personally, I was comforted by the knowledge of their Christian faith. Their deaths were only of the physical body, that which was certain to come at some point. Though I am not their judge, I have every reason to trust the promises of Jesus who assured us, “whoever confesses me before men, him I will also confess before my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32). Tek Bahadur, his wife, and their responsible children had confessed faith in Jesus. We are greatly comforted.

by Tim Hall

While growing up in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky, my cousins and I occasionally enjoyed the thrills of cave exploration. "The Water Caves", as they were known, were a vast network of underground passageways, complete with a subterranean river, blind fish and a colony of bats. Hours were spent inside those caverns, and it's a wonder no one was ever seriously injured.

The most dangerous part of our treks was in the last few yards leading to the mouth of the cave. The opening was located on the side of a sheer cliff, and scaling that ledge took patience, agility and the guidance of an observer. The guide would call out where to place your foot, how to reach around for a better grip, etc. A fall from that cliff was a real possibility. Flawed advice could have resulted in someone being seriously injured (or worse).

In John 7, we read of people who were seeking to enter the kingdom of God. This man Jesus who had recently burst upon the scene was the subject of many conversations. Some were getting close to developing genuine faith in Him. John enables us to eavesdrop on some of their discussions.

Many, for example, were saying, "'Truly this is the Prophet.' Others said, 'This is the Christ,' but some said, 'Will the Christ come from Galilee? Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?'" (John 7:40-42, New King James Version). Obviously, some were on the verge of concluding that Jesus of Nazareth was actually the Messiah. But then someone interjected flawed guidance. "Check this Man's pedigree," they said. "He doesn't fulfill the prophecy about the Messiah's home town."

They were so close to the entrance of the kingdom. But because they trusted someone they thought was an authority, it appears they were thrown off course. What should these seekers have done? They should have objected, "How do you know Jesus was not born in Bethlehem? Why don't we go ask Him." The question of where Jesus was born was indeed significant. Why leave such vital information to someone else? Why not make absolutely sure you have the truth?

It happens again later in the chapter. Nicodemus, who had already shown an inclination to faith in Jesus (John 3), spoke up on behalf of Jesus: "'Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?' They answered and said to him, 'Are you also from Galilee? Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee'" (John 7:51,52). Again, a good opportunity for further questioning: "How do we know He's from Galilee? Has anyone asked Him about His birthplace?" But it seems most people were intimidated by "the experts", and chose to accept their erroneous conclusions rather than go straight to the source.

"The experts"; they're still among us today. There's no need for us to study for ourselves, we're told. These guys have advanced degrees and have gone beyond the meager understanding of the past. Our ancestors in the faith were well-intentioned, but we now have deeper insights. Convictions we held a generation ago are no longer valid. Or so we are led to believe.

Acts 17:11 is as crucial today as ever: "These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so." Search the Scriptures; don't be content with what others tell you. That formula would have prevented many from being derailed in Jesus' day. It will keep us on track in the 21st century.