What Happens to Believers Who Commit Suicide?

Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16)


The recent suicide of Robin Williams has shocked many. My heart breaks for the family and friends of Robin Williams, especially since I don't know what his relationship with Jesus Christ was at the end of his life. I once heard Robin Williams say, “I’m an Episcopal; that’s Catholic Lite. Same religion, half the guilt!” I hope he heard the gospel and put his full trust and faith in Jesus Christ.

In the wake of a high profile suicide, I often receive questions on suicide. The issue usually centers around what happens to believers who commit suicide. Some would make the argument that suicide is a one way ticket to hell, but I see only one sin in the Word that is a guaranteed ticket to hell, namely blasphemy against the Spirit (Matthew 12:31-32). That is to live your whole life and reject the gospel and the conviction that hearing the gospel brings. Believers in Jesus Christ are a people marked by hope. In the case of people who have lost hope or as the above passage says "lose heart", I would submit to you that suicide does not send believers to hell. In fact in the Old Testament, in one final act of strength Samson pulled the pillars down killing himself and thousands of his captors (Judges 16:25-30). Samson is later noted in the Hall of Faith (Hebrews 11:32). Let's not forget, Saul also committed suicide (1 Samuel 31), but King Saul is not mentioned in the Hebrew's Hall of Faith. Remember beloved, sometimes suicide is the cap stone on a life of hidden rebellion against God. Other examples of suicide in the Bible (Judges 9:52-54;2 Sam. 17:23; 1 Kings 16:18-19; Matt. 27:3-5), are all done in the context of shame and defeat. The Bible also gives us examples of Godly men who asked for their life to be taken, but God does not grant their request (Num. 11:12-15; 1 Kings 19:4; Jonah 4:1-11).

Losing heart may be related to one of two possibilities: sin and/or clinical depression. Losing heart may be sin related, I would challenge anyone who is thinking along those lines to first look inwardly and renew your mind to the examples, teaching and principles found in the word of God (Romans 12:2). But for some, the pain of depression is deeper. I once was speaking with a mental health doctor who told me, "Depression is the equivalent of cancer in our field." If someone's heart, liver, or kidneys don't function correctly, and they take a pill to help, Christians usually have no problem with that action. But unfortunately there is an inappropriate stigma with those who need medication to assist the brain in functioning correctly. The time we live in is one of the best to be alive due to all of the gifted men and women who have advanced medical science. I believe that God provides these minds and gifts as a means of help for all people, including God's people. So do not lose heart! If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or know someone who is, please do the following:

1. Pray for God's help.

2. Look to the Word of God for comfort and help.

3. Inform others who love you and you trust to pray for you.

4. See a doctor for help if the thoughts and pain remain.

Do You Want To Be Healed?

In John Chapter 5, we see that Jesus comes into a room full of crippled people. He picks one, just one from the crowd and asks a question to him that I find very strange. He says in verse 6 "Do you want to be healed?". What person in their right mind would not want to be healed? And the man said yes. Now another thing that I find puzzling is the fact that at the time of the healing, the man did not know who Jesus was; because, when asked who had healed him the Bible says,

     "Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there         was a crowd in the place."

I know that God healed this one man among many for his glory. He healed a man that was not even a believer at the time. There are several implications that could be drawn from this text. But one implication that stands out, is the fact that some claim the ability to heal in the name of Jesus, others in the name of science, and others in the name of a false God. But at the end of the day, the true healer is only Jesus. Giving life in a way that no one else can. The point is that he doesn't just make a claim, he backs it up!

I think back to all the times that people have promised me this or that, then they don't deliver. I am also remained of all the times that I have failed to deliver on my promises and it breaks my heart. One thing that we know for sure is that Christ will always deliver! Remember Jesus is the great Deliverer (1 Thess. 1:10). So let's not be upset when we are let down by men, for it is our nature. We will not find water in broken cisterns. But let us praise God for never failing.

Book Review: Is God anti-Gay?

"Summoning the crowd along with His disciples, He said to them, “If anyone wants to be My follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me." -Mark 8:34

Over the past twelve years, I have received more questions from church members about homosexuality than I did ten years ago. I think Dr. Molher captured how so many church leaders feel about the increase in this discussion when he said at the Southern Baptist Convention, "we have a bus parked on our feet." I fear that many people and pastors seeking to honor the LORD fear or are very uncomfortable with this topic. I once heard a pastor talking about this issue who just shook his head and grunted in disgust, which I found unhelpful. In a church our size, it would be ridicules to think there is not one person who struggles with this issue. If you or someone you love struggles with this issue, please read this book.

This book that Pastor Sam Allberry wrote, is an excellent read that I would recommend to anyone who has questions or struggles with this topic. Pastor Allberry admits that he struggles with Same Sex Attraction (SSA), making an important distinction from being gay. Allberry makes an important distinction, we are more than our sexual identity/desires! On page 11, he quotes Mark 8:34, and concludes, 

"It is saying "No" to your deepest sense of who you are, for the sake of Christ. To take up a cross is to declare your life (as you have known it) forfeit."

One of my favorite quotes from the book is on page 32 when he goes on to say,

"All of us have desires that are warped as a result of our fallen nature. Desires for things God has forbidden are a reflection of how sin has distorted me, not how God has made me."

Pastor Allberry is right on the mark biblically. I don't think that God hates any one sin more than any other, Christ died for all. There is tremendous pressure to change the word of God to suit present desires of this age (see 2 Timothy 4:3). He also gives help to those who have come out, and those who have had someone come out in this lifestyle. The book helps us think sensibly, sensitively, and biblically. I applaud Pastor Allberry for having the courage and strength by God's grace to fight his sin and to write about his struggle for all to see. I give this book two thumbs up! Way Up!

What Happens When Believers Die?

"we are confident and satisfied to be out of the body and at home with the Lord." -1 Corinthians 5:8

"I am pressured by both. I have the desire to depart and be with Christ—which is far better—" -Phil. 1:23

I recently received this question from a church member on what happens to believers when we die? Do we go to be with Jesus or does our soul sleep? The Bible makes multipule references to "sleep" or "falling asleep" such as (Matt. 9:24; 27:52; John 11:11; Acts 7:60; 13:36; 1 Cor. 15:6, 18, 20, 51; 1 Thess. 4:13; 5:10). And if some passages were all we had on the topic, one would believe the dead do not have a conscious existence (see. Ps. 6:5; 115:17-18; Eccl. 9:10; Isaiah 38:19). But when the scriptures represent death as "sleep" it is simply a metaphorical expression used to indicate that death is only temporary for Christians, just as sleep in temporary. It may also be an expression to help explain what the transition is like from life to death back to life, which feels instantaneous to us. In John 11:11, Jesus say, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awake him out of sleep". Jesus does not says "the soul of Lazarus is sleeping" nor does any passage in Scriptures say that the soul of a person is sleeping or unconscious. The passages that seem to indicate that the dead do not praise God, or that there is a ceasing of conscious activity when people die, these authors are writing from what the world observes. There are other examples in Psalms, where the author is working through what appears to be reality from our perspective instead of what is reality from God's perspective (see Psalm 73).

I believe the Bible teaches believers go immediately into God's presence rejoicing. In the above passage from 1 Corinthians 5, Paul believes that he will be removed from the body and immediately at home with God. He goes on and shares the same thought in Philippians 1:23, he desires to depart and be with the Lord, seeing the departing dovetailing with being with Christ! Paul does not say, "my desire is to depart and be unconscious for a long period of time."

In addition to these verses, Jesus says to the thief on the cross dying next to him, "Today you will be with me in Paradise" (Luke 23:24) Jesus' statement indicates that after they both die on the cross, they would be immediately ushered into paradise, not fall asleep. We also see the author of Hebrews instruct us that when Christians come together to worship, we come not only into the presence of God in heaven, but also into the presence of " the spirits of righteous people made perfect (Hebrews 12:23)." Be encouraged beloved of the Lord, the dead in Christ are with Him and praising his name right now!

Missional Communities

The above video is a snapshot into the life of a Missional Community. Below you will find a Q & A about Missional Communities at our church, and a short more simple explanation of MC's. If you would like more information please fell free to contact me! 

What are Missional Communities?

A smaller groups of Grace Baptist Church from six to twenty people who are united, through Christian Community around a common service and witness to a particular neighborhood and/or a network of relationship.  With a strong value on life together, the group has the expressed intention of seeing those the group impacts choose to start following Jesus, through this more flexible and locally incarnated expression of Grace Baptist church.  The results often are that the group grows and ultimately multiplies into further Missional Communities.  They are networked within Grace Baptist Church.  These mid-sized communities are “lightweight and low maintenance.”  These groups gather formally and informally numerous times a month in the group’s missional context.

What is the Goal?

The end goal of the groups is christian growth and multiplication for the kingdom of God.  So these uniquely flavored mid-sized groups are designed with missions/disciple making as their target!

When and Where?

The groups will gather formally and informally as best accommodates the needs of the community and the leader of the group.  A list of active Missional Communities will be avaible for the church to pray over, plug in new members, and assist as needed.

Who Can Come?

Anyone.  With the exception of those who fall under 1 Corinthians 5:11.

Saying Good-Bye: Practical Help for Talking to Preschoolers about Death.

Death is all around us in movies, video games, and the news. We cannot shelter our kids from it for very long. That is why it is very helpful for you to speak to your children openly and honestly about death, particularly when a loved one passes away. You may be tempted to think that they will not remember or be impacted, but what they will recall as an adult may surprise you. So here are a few tips from a pastor/former preschool teacher with a minor in Human Development and Learning on how to talk to them about death.

1. Walk Them Through the Cycle of Life.

Movies like Lion King and All Dogs Go to Heaven, introduce children to death, but preschool children often don't understand it. They need to be told the truth about it from their parents. You talk to them about dead plants or a dead pet fish as an introduction. They need to understand from you that birth, growth, decline, and death are all part of life.

2. Remind Them of How Much the Deceased Loved Them.

This is simple but important. They need to know that they are loved by the one who has passed away. Remind them of examples of this:

"Remember when your uncle gave you that special _______?" or " when your grandma cooked you that special cake?"

3. Create a New Category in Their Heads for Death.

Small children don't/can't make a distinction between sick with a common cold and terminally ill. Therefore, you need to create a new category for death in their young minds. They understand sleeping and going away somewhere, but this is different than death. You need to be very clear that death and being dead is not the same as going to sleep or going away. If you are not clear, children may be afraid to go to sleep at night or go away on a trip. Our efforts to shelter them from the harshness of the separation of death can backfire in a terrible way! Tell them things like:

"They are dead so that means they cannot talk to us anymore, they can't play anymore, they can't cook anymore, etc… Because their body does not work anymore."

4. Give Them Hope in Jesus Christ.

God's Word tells us to grieve differently than those who have no hope. If there is a clear testimony from the departed, let the child know that they are now in heaven with Jesus. Give the child hope that Jesus has conquered death, so we don't have to be afraid of death anymore!

5. Be Patient.

Being patient with young children can be a task any time, but it is especially true when we are grieving. When children ask questions like "do they breath anymore or do they go to the bathroom anymore?" They are not being insensitive, they are usually trying to understand what has happened to the person they love. They may even play games and use words like death and die as they play, to try to understand the concept. Their minds are sponges and they are taking all of it in, and believe me they are thinking about it.

6. Follow Up.

Don't forget to follow up with them in the coming days and weeks after you tell them. Ask them what they are thinking and how they are feeling. Be prepared for anything they may say, and above all love them!

Remembering Aunt Karen

“I thought I could describe a state; make a map of sorrow. Sorrow, however, turns out to be not a state but a process.”

― C.S. Lewis, A Grief Observed

Aunt Karen entered into eternal rest in the arms of her Savior, Jesus Christ, Friday morning, July 11, 2014, after a long battle with cancer.  Karen was 54 years old. Karen loved her Savior and family. She loved us all through her amazing country cooking skills! As she sipped on her Mountain Dew, she would fry eggs to perfection, make amazing sausage gravy, cook the best peas you've every tasted  or beat you at a game of Rook. She was a long time member of Willow Springs Baptist Church. Former employer of Levi Strauss for over 20 years. She was beloved by the Lord and will be deeply missed by her family.

Preceded in death by mother, Norma Sue Severs.

Survivors: ex-husband, Steve Beeler of Luttrell; daughter, Keyla Beeler of Knoxville; father, Everett W. Severs; and sister: Deborah  and Jack Tyler, Fall Branch; brothers, Chris and Lisa Severs of Karns, Jeff and Linda Severs of Powell; special friend, Shirley McLain;  Nephews, Travis and Becki Tyler of Elizabethton, Ryan Severs of Knoxville, and Christopher Severs of Jacksonville, North Carolina, Luke Severs of Powell; Nieces, Tiffiney Tyler of Kingsport, Jessica Severs of Powell and cousins; She is also survived by several beloved great nephews and great nieces.

I wanted to write about my aunt as part of my process of the grieving.  Our family will dearly miss her, because we had spent so much time with her over the last five years especially.  Over the last six years or so, due to unfortunate events, Karen lived with my parents.  During this time she became very close to my children like a second Mamaw. She made many trips to Indiana for all the major events in our lives like my seminary graduation, the birth of all my children, holidays, birthdays, and baby dedications.  In addition to this she also came up many times to help us, for example when Becki was on bed rest before and after Asher was born.

I loved her dearly, and the grief is more than I thought it would be.  I find great comfort in hearing her tell me about how she repented and placed her complete trust in Jesus Christ for her salvation.  She told me that she was "saved during a regular Sunday Morning at a little baptist church off Unaka Avenue in JohnsonCity, Tennessee".  We all tried to prepare ourselves for what is coming, and I knew that she was going to pass soon.  Being in the ministry for nearly 12 years now, I have stood by many bedsides and watched people slip into eternity.  Karen fought her cancer hard, she had stage four lung cancer for two years!  The average life expectancy rate is about 9 months for stage four lung cancer.  I want to share with you what I learned from my Aunt.  Without her help I would have no idea how to make homemade sausage gravy, dice veggies with ease, or make peas that taste amazing.  I learned from her and I thought I would give a little window into what she taught me/us.  Here goes:

Karen you taught us how to…

     Love passionately,

    Forgive completely,

    Work Happily,

   Cook correctly,

    Laugh heartily,

    Serve sacrificially,

   And fight fervently!

"Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints." -Psalm 116:15

I love you, Aunt Karen and will miss you always, until we meet at Jesus' Feet!