"The Things of Death"

In a world that is itself perishing, it seems to have turned to glamorizing and idolizing the things of [I]death[/I].

Out in public, there seems to be a trend that has been growing for the past couple of years now: shirts, other
apparel, bumper stickers and various items that either have depictions of skulls/ skeletons on them, or references
to pain and suffering. While this is particularly nothing new in the overall scheme of the fallen world (and
especially as we draw near "Halloween"), it is the overall increase in this trend that is disturbing to say the least.
One brand of clothing, "Affliction", depicts the word in Gothic lettering, and even has a sub-line called "Sinful",
depicting what it's Wikipedia entry calls "a mix of spirited elements, including angels, angel wings, doves, crosses,
burning hearts, roses and skulls."

From article:

[QUOTE]" Many of Affliction's shirts bear the logo of many of the world's top-ranked MMA fighters, which they
called it Signature Series, that includes Randy Couture, Georges St. Pierre, Fedor Emelianenko, Quinton Jackson,
Renato Sobral and many world-class boxing superstars, including Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley and Zab
Judah. They have also made signature shirts in collaboration with well-known musicians like Ozzy Osbourne,
Black Sabbath, Megadeth, Pantera, Korn, Staind, Static-X, Testament, Shadows Fall, Atreyu, Behemoth,
Biohazard and many more. Most designs are angel wings, roses, skulls, skeletons, crosses, swords, etc."[/QUOTE]
[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affliction_Clothing]Affliction Clothing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/url]

With so many of our youth and young adults wearing and displaying these items, a taste for "the things of death"
is becoming more and more prevalent in our society. One can say "wearing a skull t-shirt doesn't mean you're into
death", but that doesn't particularly hold water in light of the fact that TV shows and movies in the theaters of the
past decade easily contain more gore, blood and violent depictions of the demise of living human beings than the
first 50 years of motion pictures!!! An example: the show "1000 Ways To Die" depicts the unusual, gruesome
deaths of people, re-enacted in all it's gory details, while movies such as "Final Destination", "Saw" and the ever
popular "slasher-flics" revel in blood being splashed about and body parts strewn all over the place.

Add to this some of the worst video games out there, and the media has done an excellent job of portraying death
as "cool". But scripture tells us otherwise:

[I]"But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. [B]For since by a man
came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.[/B] For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will
be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming,
then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and
all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. [B]The last
[U]enemy[/U] that will be abolished is [U]death[/U].[/B] For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION
UNDER HIS FEET. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is evident that He is excepted who put
all things in subjection to Him. When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected
to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all."[/I] (1 Corinthians 15:20-28, NASB,
emphasis mine)

Scripture calls death [I]THE LAST ENEMY[/I].

Having dealt with the deaths of my parents, the destruction and chaos caused by my brother (both physical as well
as the [I]occult[/I]), the suffering brought on by the various medical conditions my parents and I have both
suffered (and ones that I continue to deal with), I can tell you from personal experience: there is NOTHING "cool"
about death, skulls, skeletons, "affliction", "demons" "sin" or [I]any[/I] of that. What the shows, movies, printed
and TV/radio ads, internet, shirts, bumper stickers and all the other paraphernalia do NOT tell you is the suffering,
pain, anguish, guilt, remorse, sadness, depression and the just plain HURTING that death (the real thing, not their
"depiction" of it) brings. The knifing, overwhelming sorrow of losing a loved one, the agony of living each day
after their passing without them in your life as you notice their absence, the physical pain of injuries and disorders
(my spine, knee and head are constant reminders). People need to know that death is no "friend", "relief", "escape"
or anything other than what it truly is: a virulent, malevolent, ravening enemy that devours [I]all[/I]...

...that Jesus Christ defeated that enemy, and rose from it's bony grasp:

[I]"Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering
for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to
our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, but
now has been revealed by the appearing of[B] our Savior Christ Jesus, [U]who abolished death[/U] and brought
life and immortality to light through the gospel[/B], for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a
teacher. For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I
am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. Retain the standard of sound
words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. Guard, through the Holy
Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you."[/I] (2 Timothy 1:8-14, NASB, emphasis
mine)

[I]"Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands;
and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded
across His chest with a golden sash. His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes
were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His
voice was like the sound of many waters. In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a
sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength. When I saw Him, I fell at His feet
like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “[B]Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and
the living One; [U]and I was dead, and behold, [SIZE=3][COLOR="#FF0000"]I am alive forevermore[/COLOR]
[/SIZE][/U], and I have the keys of death and of Hades.[/B]"[/I] (Revelation 1:12-18, NASB, emphasis mine)

[I]"[B]Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, [U]knowing that Christ,
having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him[/U].[/B] For the death
that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to
be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus."[/I] (Romans 6:8-11, NASB, emphasis mine)

...and that Jesus Christ will destroy death [I]once and for all[/I]:

[I]"Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away,
and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and
books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the
things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it,
and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to
their deeds. [B]Then [U]death[/U] and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.[/B] This is the second death, the
lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of
fire."[/I] (Revelation 20:11-15, NASB, emphasis mine)
While we have time, we need to stand for the truth that is Jesus Christ, which includes His victory over death.
People out there need to know that Christ is stronger than death, that he has utterly vanquished it, and that they
need His forgiveness for the sin that has separated all mankind from the Father in heaven.The very thing that many
worship now is the very thing that has separated them, and make no mistake...

[I]"the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord"[/I] (Romans 6:23, NASB)

YBIC,

-Robert