R.I.P.--Rest In Peace?

by Frederick Hoehn, copyright 2013, all rights reserved.

Chapter 1

When people die, there are usually two options:  cremation or burial.  But Osama Bin Laden was buried at sea, however that doesn't happen very often.

We've seen it on TV many times.  Or, you could visit a graveyard, when people are buried, the families often place a tombstone at the grave.

It will have the person's name, year of birth and death.  And something like, "Beloved sister."  Or, "Beloved Father."

And some families include, "R.I.P.," which stands for "Rest In Peace."

I can certainly understand that the family wanted their departed one to be in peace.  But is that really what's happening there at the grave?  Is someone resting in peace?

Uh, well, no, that's not what is happening.

Do you remember what Jesus said about the rich man and Lazarus?

In Luke chapter 16, verses

19 There was a certain rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen, and feasted every day.

20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, who laid at his gate, full of sores,

21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table, also the dogs came and licked his sores.

22 And the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom, the rich man also died, and was buried.

23 And in hell he lifted up his eyes, being tormented, and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

24 And he shouted, "Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, so he can dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in these flames."

25 But Abraham said, "Son, remember that in your lifetime, you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things, but now he is comforted, and you're tormented.

26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a large gulf fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you can't, nor can they pass to us that want to come from there."

27 Then he said, "Please, therefore, father, send him to my father's house,

28 For I have five brothers, so that he'll testify to them, so they won't also come into this place of torment."

29 Abraham said to him, "They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them."

30 And he said, "No, father Abraham.  But if someone went back to them from the dead, they'll repent.

31 And he said to him, If they won't listen to Moses and the prophets, they won't be persuaded, even if someone rose from the dead."

Now this is not a parable.  Parables often start off like this, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like..."

No, this is a historical event.

Jesus said, "There was a certain rich man..."  Jesus didn't tell us the rich man's name, I expect we'll find out his name on Judgment Day.

The beggar's name was Lazarus.

Jesus said the rich man died and was buried.  Then in hell, he lifted up his eyes...

Do dead bodies lift up their eyes to see something far off?  No, they do not.  The rich man was in hell without the dead body.

The rich man died and was buried, and in hell he lifted up his eyes to view, and so he could speak with Abraham, who had the recently died Lazarus in his bosom.

He looked up with his eyes from hell.

Hell is a place of torment, where their worms don't die, and where the fire is not quenched, where there's weeping and gnashing of teeth, says Jesus in the New Testament part of the Holy Bible.

The rich man died and was buried.  Then in hell, he lifted up his eyes.  What happened to the body that was buried?

The body that was buried was still right there in the grave.  The rich man, when he died, came out of that body that had been his house during his life on earth.  It was only his body that died.

When they die, everyone comes out of their bodies that had been their houses during their lives on earth.  The body might get buried or cremated, but as for that body, it's an empty house.  Nobody home.

When people die, and come out of their bodies, they go to one of only two places.  They either go down to hell, or they go up to heaven.

They go to heaven if their names are written in "The Lamb's Book of Life," a book that God keeps in heaven. (Rev 13:8)

So then, how does a person get his name written in the Lamb's Book of Life?

The angels write your name in that book when you get born again, when you become a Christian. (John chapter 3, Romans 10:9,10)

But God can also blot names out of the Book of Life, if a former Christian goes back on God and quits being a Christian. (Matt 7:22) (Rev 3:5)

Howard Pittman had an out-of-body experience.  He told the story one evening to a group of people at my apartment in Houston, Texas.

Something broke inside of Pittman's body.  He knew he was dying.  So, he prayed a prayer asking God for the right to stand before God's throne in heaven and present his petition for an extension of his life on earth.

The medical people pronounced Pittman dead.  Pittman said that when his spirit left his body, he passed through a dimensional barrier.  He passed into the spirit world.

The spirit world exists, but we don't normally see into the spirit world with our natural eyes.  Having passed into the spirit world, Pittman could see some demons and angels.

God opened Kenneth E. Hagin's eyes to see into the spirit world when Hagin was dealing with a woman who was dying from lung cancer and needed healing.  Hagin then saw the demon that was causing the cancer and he cast it out of the woman.

She recovered, and lived another twenty years.

God promised Pittman another three years, and he went around giving his testimony and telling some things God gave him to say to the listeners.

God told Pittman to tell the people that we are now in Noah's second age, like Jesus talked about in Matthew chapter 24, verses

37 But as the days of Noah were, so also shall the coming of the Son of man be.

38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark,

39 And didn't know until the flood came, and took them all away, so also shall the coming of the Son of man be.

The flood of water killed everyone except Noah and family.  But God has given us the rainbow to signify he will not again destroy the earth by water.

This time, instead of water, the Lord will catch away his church, as in

1 Thessalonians chapter 4, verses

16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first,

17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we always be with the Lord.

When the Christians have been caught away, great tribulation will come on the earth, worse than has ever been before that.

The Lord also told Pittman to tell the people that God is putting together an army of his people.  I believe I'm part of that army.

So then, was the rich man resting in peace?  No, he was not resting in peace, he was in torment in hell.

Chapter 2

So then, why do we say, R.I.P., Rest in Peace?

Well, it's a tradition.  It's someone wishing well to the recently departed one.  But it's an unrealistic wish, because that body in the grave is just an empty house.  The person is either already with Jesus in heaven, or being tormented in hell.

And if they're in hell, that is certainly not resting in peace.  And Jesus said most people go to hell.

In Matt chapter 7, verses

13 "Enter in at the restricted gate, because wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and there are many that go in there,

14 Because the gate is restricted, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it."

I guess it does no harm to place "R.I.P." on the tombstone, but the issue has already been decided.  The recently departed one is either already in heaven, or already in hell, and what is placed on the tombstone doesn't change their status.

I know of a false religion where they look up their genealogies so that they can pray for their dead ancestors.

That does no good.  Those who've died are already in heaven or hell.  Praying for them won't change their location.

I've seen in one or more movies where someone died, and the pastor or priest who is conducting the funeral prays a prayer that includes, "And have mercy on their soul."

That prayer might give some comfort to family members at the funeral, but the matter has already been decided.  If the person's name was in the Lamb's Book of Life when they died, they went to heaven.

Otherwise, they went to hell, so asking for God's mercy at that point is a wasted prayer.

Hebrews 9:27 tells us,  "And as it is appointed to men once to die, but after this the judgment..."

We must get ourselves straight with God during this life.  After we die, the matter has already been permanently decided.

The Bible tells us, "Now is the hour of salvation."  If we put it off until later, we may not have another opportunity.

But the Jehovah's Witnesses will try to tell you that it's just a parable about the rich man and Lazarus.

No, it really happened.  Jesus said so.

Jehovah's Witnesses is a false religion that says there's no hell.

I rode a bus one time from Dallas to El Paso.  There was a Jehovah's Witness man on the bus.  I said to that man, "You people say there's no hell.  But Jesus said there is a fiery hell.  Now someone is lying, and I know Jesus doesn't lie."

I have also heard a false teaching that there is a third option to heaven and hell, a place called Purgatory, a place where if you didn't make it to heaven, you might somehow work it out, and eventually get to heaven.  But that teaching is a lie.

Hebrews 9:27 tells us you either get straight with God during this life, or if you don't, you'll go straight to hell when you die.

Now the Muslims have been taught that if you die a Muslim martyr, you'll go to heaven.  Some Muslims have also been taught that Muslim martyrs go to a heaven where they get 72 virgins to be their wives.

But Jesus taught us that there is no marriage in heaven. (Matt 22:30)

And 1 Jhn 3:15 says no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.  You don't go to heaven by murdering people, as Muslim martyrs are doing.

Major Hasan of the Ft. Hood massacre saw Muslim martyrdom as a short cut to heaven for himself, and killed about 13 people.

Whoever it was that told Hasan that would get him to heaven lied to him.

The Muslims say that Jesus is one of their prophets.  How then could they swallow the lie that they'll get 72 virgins in heaven, when Jesus said there's no marriage in heaven?

Well, you see, you have to read the Bible if you want to know what Jesus said.  But the Muslims read the Koran, so they don't know what the prophet Jesus said.

Others think that by doing penance, that will help them get to heaven.  No, you must be born-again, Jesus said. (John chapter 3)

You don't do penance, you get God to forgive your sins.  You confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and you believe in your heart God raised him from the dead. (Rom 10:9,10)

Scriptures quoted are from the Holy Bible, Hoehn Version and the New Testament, Hoehn Version, both available as ebooks for the Kindle readers from Amazon.com.

The Lord bless you.  Frederick Hoehn

www.FredHoehnMinistries.com

___James chapter 1

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes that are dispersed around, greetings.

2 My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various temptations,

3 Knowing this, that the testing of your faith works patience.

4 But let patience have its perfect work, so you'll be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives to all men liberally, and won't find fault, and it shall be given to him.

6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.  For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.

7 For let that man not think that he'll receive anything from the Lord.

8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted,

10 But the rich, in that he is made low, because as the flower of the grass he'll pass away.

11 For the sun has no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and the flower of it falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes, so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

12 Blessed is the man that endures temptation, for after he's been tested, he'll receive the crown of life, that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

13 Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God can't be tempted with evil, nor does he tempt any man,

14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.

15 Then when lust has conceived, it produces sin, and sin when it's finished, produces death.

16 Do not err, my beloved brothers.

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning.

18 He chose to father us with the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

19 So, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,

20 For the anger of man doesn't accomplish the righteousness of God.

21 So, lay apart all filthiness and the unnecessary naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man seeing his natural face in a mirror,

24 For he sees himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

25 But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues in it, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

26 If any man among you seems to be religious, and doesn't bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is for nothing.

27 Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

___James chapter 2

1 My brothers, don't have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

2 For if a man with a gold ring comes to your assembly in fancy clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes comes in also,

3 And you have respect to him that wears the fancy clothes, and say to him, "Sit here in a good place," and say to the poor, "Stand there, or sit here under my footstool,"

4 Aren't you then partial in yourselves, and have become judges with evil thoughts?

5 Listen, my beloved brothers, hasn't God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?

6 But you have despised the poor.  Don't rich men oppress you, and bring you before the judgment seats?

7 Don't they blaspheme that worthy name by which you're called?

8 If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor like yourself," you do well,

9 But if you have respect of persons, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as sinners.

10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

11 For he that said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not kill."  Now if you don't commit adultery, yet if you kill, you've become a breaker of the law.

12 Speak in such a way, and do, as those who'll be judged by the law of liberty.

13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has shown no mercy, and mercy rejoices against judgment.

14 What does it profit, my brothers, though a man says he has faith, and doesn't have works?  Can faith save him?

15 If a brother or sister needs clothes, and lacks daily food,

16 And one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you don't give them the things that are needed for the body, what good is that?

17 Even so faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead, being alone.

18 Yes, a man could say, "You have faith, and I have works, show me your faith without your works, and I'll show you my faith by my works."

19 You believe that there is one God, you do well, the devils also believe, and tremble.

20 But don't you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

21 Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son on the altar?

22 Do you see how faith worked with his deeds, and by works faith was made perfect?

23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God."

24 You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

25 Likewise also wasn't Rahab the prostitute justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

26 For like the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

___James chapter 3

1 My brothers, don't be many masters, knowing that we'll receive the greater condemnation.

2 For in many things we offend all.  If any man doesn't offend in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

3 See, we put bits in the horses' mouths, so they'll obey us, and we turn around their whole bodies.

4 Look also at the ships, which though they're so large, and are driven by fierce winds, yet they're turned around by a very small helm, wherever the captain wants.

5 Even so, the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things.  See how great a matter a little fire kindles!

6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of sin, so is the tongue among our members that it makes dirty the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell.

7 For every kind of animals, and of birds, and of snakes, and of things in the sea, gets tamed, and has been tamed by mankind,

8 But no man can tame the tongue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

9 With it we bless God, the Father, and with it we curse men, who are made after the likeness of God.

10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing.  My brothers, these things ought not to be.

11 Does a fountain send out at the same place sweet water and bitter?

12 Can the fig tree, my brothers, produce olive berries?  Or a vine, figs?  So no fountain can yield both salt water and fresh.

13 Who is a wise man, possessing knowledge among you?  Let him show out of a good lifestyle his works with meekness of wisdom.

14 But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, don't glory, and don't lie against the truth.

15 This wisdom doesn't descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be reasoned with, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

18 And the fruit of righteousness is planted in peace by those who make peace.

___James chapter 4

1 Where do wars and fightings among you come from?  Don't they come from your lusts that war in your members?

2 You lust, and don't have, you kill, and desire to have, and can't obtain, you fight and war, yet you don't have, because you don't ask.

3 You ask, and don't receive, because you ask wrongly, so you can consume it on your lusts.

4 You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God?  Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world is an enemy of God.

5 Do you think that the scripture says for nothing, "The spirit that lives in us lusts to envy?"

6 But he gives more grace.  So he says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he'll run away from you.

8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded.

9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and cry, let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he'll lift you up.

11 Don't speak evil about each other, brothers.  He that speaks evil about his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil about the law, and judges the law, but if you judge the law, you're not a doer of the law, but a judge.

12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy, who are you that judges someone else?

13 Go on now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we'll go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and make a profit,"

14 Actually, you don't know what will happen tomorrow.  For what is your life?  It is a puff of steam, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.

15 For you ought to say, "Lord willing, we'll live, and do this, or that."

16 But now you rejoice in your boastings, all such rejoicing is evil.

17 Therefore to him that knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin.

___James chapter 5

1 Go on now, you rich men, cry and howl for your miseries that shall come on you.

2 Your riches are corrupted, and your clothes are moth eaten.

3 Your gold and silver are rusted, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh like fire.  You've heaped treasure together for the last days.

4 See, the wages of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which you've kept back by fraud, shouts, and the shouts of those who've reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath.

5 You've lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton, you've nourished your hearts, like in a day of slaughter.

6 You've condemned and killed the just, and he doesn't resist you.

7 Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.  See, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain.

8 You also be patient.  Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is getting near.

9 Don't grudge against each other, brothers, so you won't be condemned, see, the judge stands at the door.

10 Take, my brothers, the prophets, who've spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.

11 See, we count them happy that endure.  You've heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

12 But above all things, my brothers, don't swear, not by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath, but let your yes be yes, and your no, no, so that you don't fall into condemnation.

13 Is anyone among you afflicted?  Let him pray.  Is anyone merry?  Let him sing psalms.

14 Is anyone sick among you?  Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord,

15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he has committed sins, he'll be forgiven.

16 Confess your faults to each other, and pray for each other so you'll be healed.  The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man is does a lot of good.

17 Elijah was a man subject to the same kind of passions that we are, and he prayed earnestly that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't rain on the earth for three years and six months.

18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

19 Brothers, if any of you strays from the truth, and someone converts him,

20 Let him know, that he that converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.