ONCE TO DIE

             The headline was a shocker. It boldly proclaimed, “Tommy Arthur, scheduled to die for sixth time…”

            Cats are reputed to have nine lives and can, therefore, die nine times. This myth is attributed to the natural suppleness and swiftness cats exhibit to escape life-threatening situations. Also lending credence to this myth is that falling cats often land on their feet because of an inbuilt automatic twisting reaction and are able to twist their bodies around to land feet first.
                 (Do you know why cats have nine lives -- or did you ever wonder why people say they do? This is the story. A very hungry cat entered a house one day and found a plate of nine fish that were going to be eaten for dinner by the nine starving children who lived there. The cat was feeling a little selfish that day and ate up all of the fish in nine quick bites. With no food on the table, the nine starving children died of hunger the very next day, along with the cat who died from eating WAY too much. When the cat went up to heaven and spoke with God, God was so angry with the cat that he threw him out of heaven and made him fall for nine days all the way back to earth. To this day, the cat still holds the nine lives of the starving children in his belly, which is why he must die nine different times before he will stay dead.)

                Of course, cats do not have nine lives. And no man can die six times. Closer examination of the headline and article puts it in context. Arthur has been scheduled for the sixth time to die. But his execution has not happened.

            Men die physically only once. As we are told in the book of Hebrews, “it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27)  We can be ready for the judgment by spiritually dying to self and allowing Christ to live in us. As Paul says, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20) 

Grace and peace.