"Just Believe Him"

"Thou wilt prolong the king's life: and his years as many generations." (Psalms 61:6) Beyond just thinking that you believe in God, there needs to be this personal relationship, the kind that actually confirms what you believe. I think that before you can actually take God at His word, you must first have an encounter with His Word; His Word being none other than Jesus Christ, the Redeemer. Yesterday was a pretty interesting day in radio land, because there was some pretty tough subjects that were discussed; one that stands out the most was about eternity, and whether or not we all have eternity whether it is in heaven or hell. Some believe that those who go to hell are consumed in the fire, while others believe that they are not consumed, but that they burn forever in eternal judgment. Based upon the word "perish" that Jesus uses in John 3:16, it would appear that it means "to be done away with", or "be destroyed"; but looking further into the meaning, there is this phrase, "to devote or give over to eternal misery". The question then becomes, Do we have an eternal soul? Because if we do have an eternal soul, then it must be placed somewhere for eternity. I like to always go back to the beginning when faced with such questions, the beginning being Genesis 2:7, where we see God breath into man's nostrils the breath of life, and it says, "and man became a living soul". So I guess it really comes down to what "living" means, and how that might effect a "soul", if soul is anything other than just a person, or a personality brought to life. I am under the impression that man was designed in God's image, based upon Genesis 1:26, and in that sense we would have an eternal spirit, which is something that is part of God's image. Now the question might become that of a spiritual nature, and whether or not the body is consumed, but the spirit continues on for eternity. As I was pondering this yesterday, I had something that came to mind, which was also another topic for the day; it was the fact that Peter was not looking for Jesus to return in his lifetime, because Jesus had told him that he would be crucified. It's an interesting thought, don't you think? Right after Jesus told him that, Peter looked over to John, saying, "And what shall this man do?" I guess what the Lord was trying to tell me, is that I needn't worry about where the lost end up, as to whether or not it is the end or forever, but to just focus on the my own eternity with Him. It's bad enough that the lost will be eternally separated from God, that much is sure; so just believe Him that He has given you eternal life with Him, and be eternally thankfull...
"God, the LORD, created the heavens and stretched them out. He created the earth and everything in it. He gives breath to everyone, life to everyone that walks the earth. And it is He who says, I, the LORD, have called you to demonstrate My righteousness. I will take you by the hand and guard you, and I will give you to My people, Israel, as a symbol of My covenant with them. And you will be a light to guide the nations. You will open the eyes of the blind. You will free the captives from prison, releasing those who sit in dark dungeons. I am the LORD; that is My Name! I will not give My glory to anyone else, nor share My praise with carved idols." (Isaiah 42:5-8)