The word forgotten, to many of us, is often a sad word. It seems every day most of us forget something even though sometimes it is very important. When I get to church I may find I’ve forgotten my glasses. While driving my car, at times, I realize I’ve forgotten my billfold with my license. I remember one time many years ago I went to church and took my little boy with me. When I got home his mother asked where he was. I had even forgotten my own son and left him at church. So I suppose most, if not all of us, have forgotten something sometime or another.

One time I went with a preacher friend to a state fellowship meeting at the beach and at the end of the meeting late that evening, we were all going to a fish house to eat together. All the preachers began to get into their cars, and some were sharing rides with one another. Somehow that day another preacher and I were left stranded alone at the church when our ride unexpectedly rode with another. After nearly an hour someone missed us and sent back to see where we were. We had been forgotten for a while. Needless to say we did not feel very good about that experience. Have you ever been forgotten? Someone forgot your birthday or maybe an anniversary? Someone forgot to do something for you? Well, it can and does happen and it is not a pleasant feeling. To be forgotten is bad.

Does God Forget
Do you sometime feel like God has forgotten you? People do feel this way sometimes. The Psalmist felt that way;

I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? Psalms 42:9

Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Psalms 77:9

Of course God does not forget his people. He knows about everything that is going on in every person’s life, everywhere. If we ever feel forgotten by God and think he is not listening to our prayers, it just may be he has delayed his blessings because we are not listening to him. Sometimes he just allows people to do their thing for a while. But no! God does not forget. But, we do. We sometimes forget God, don’t we? In fact, we may forget him more than we want to admit. We forget to pray. We forget to read God’s Word. We forget to live by God’s Word. We forget to tithe and support God’s work, as we should. And, we forget to love one another. Yes, we forget and forgetting can be costly.

Folks, we just simply should not forget how dangerous these types of sins are. For those people who live the habitual lifestyle of forgetting about God, I can only say what the Word teaches us. And that is, He refuses to bless those who forget him and think he does not know of their evil ways.

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. Hosea 4:6

Forgetting God is not good and far too many, I am afraid, are forgetting about God and the time when they will stand before him to give an account for every word, thought, deed, blessing and opportunity they have had in their lives. 

The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked. Nahum 1:3

That simply means God will not forgive or forget on judgment day. Have you forgotten you will stand before your Creator one day? There is no way around it! Remember when you went to school and the teachers taught you many subjects? What if we could have remembered all we were taught? WOW!!! Some of what we learned we have forgotten, right? We live in a forgetful world which brings me to this thought. If time goes on you and I will be forgotten about by everyone eventually. It is only a matter of time. We feel so much like part of the crowd today. But one day we will leave this life and as the years pass on people will start to forget about us and before long, no one will even remember us. We will then not be important to anyone. There will be no one to even grieve over our departure from this life. In fact, it will reach the point if time goes on when people won’t even know we lived here. That helps the ego doesn’t it?

I have read that it is believed there may have been about 60 billion or so people who have lived since Adam was put in the garden of Eden. Of that 60 billion or so, over 7 billion are alive today. All the rest have died. Now let me ask you a question. Of the 60 billion people who have lived, how many do you know? Probably very few, but think of this, there are some who you knew and you have even forgotten them. We know about very few of the world’s population of the past, or present for that matter. Most people are dead and forgotten, and if times goes on we will be included in that LARGE group. 

Some of the dead have been buried in great luxury. Fine clothes, expensive coffins, special burial plots, and the like. Others were buried more modestly in less choice places. Some were buried as kings, some queens, princes, presidents, senators, congressmen, judges, generals and on and on the list goes for this world’s so called important people. In God’s sight no one is any more important than me and you. Some may have had a big funeral with many dignitaries attending with much pomp and expense just because of who they were. But! Now they are dead and gone and no one even knows who they were. They have been forgotten. Isn’t that sad? All they accomplished was left behind, and most of what they did no one even knows anything about it now. Oh, I know there are some whose name and labors are still remembered. But compared to the multitude who have lived they are few and far between. Still, much of their life is forgotten except maybe for one thing that they are known as, or known for. 

A good example is Adam. Some of the things we know about him is he talked to God, married Eve, had children and sinned. Have you ever thought about why people put tomb stones on graves? It is to mark where someone special to someone was buried. Take a walk sometime in an old cemetery and notice the older markers. Some are faded, dirty, and maybe even broken. That marker may have been there so long until there is no one anywhere that knows, or even knew the person buried there. That marker now only serves to inform us someone is buried there. Think of all the unmarked graves in the world. Did you realize this whole world is a grave yard? The earth is filled with the dead. Tens of thousands no doubt have been buried at sea in one form or fashion. The fields, woods and mountains also have myriads of unmarked graves where death has claimed someone. Who are all these people, no one knows? Some were wealthy, but they died. Some were educated, but they died. Some were famous, but they died. Some were brave and some were cowards. But they died. Some were honorable and some were wicked. But they all have died and others are joining them every day. One day it will be your time and mine.The following scripture declares!

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: Hebrew 9:27

The important thing is to be ready when our time comes. During the times I have walked in a cemetery I often wondered about the people buried there. I wonder if they were ever saved? Did they trust Jesus as their savior before it came to this? How many of them wasted their lives living just for the things this world of vanity could give them? The grim reaper is not going to allow anyone to escape his grasp. So the wise will prepare before it is too late. Are you wise, my reader friend? Why People Die Why do people die? The wages of sin is death. Romans 6:23 Death is proof we have sinned! Why doesn’t someone break this cycle? Actually, Someone did! Jesus! He broke the cycle first by dying and paying for our sins on the cross. Then, of his own volition, he arose from death and now lives forever. All who believe in him will also live forever. Does that excite you? Live forever without problems! It does me.

Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. John 14:19

God did not forget about our greatest need: salvation from sin. So he sent Jesus to die in our place. What a horrible death Jesus experienced so that we could be saved. Have you trusted him today?

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
2 Corinthians 5:21

This is the hope we have who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. One day though we will die physically, we will be raised to live forever, our bodies transformed into a paradise of eternal bliss with the Lord himself. What a glorious future!

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Revelation 20:4

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 1 Thessalonians 4:16

Here the Apostle Paul tells us about the future for those who the Lord saved during the church age. Remember Jesus told the disciples also;

In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
John 14:2-3

We will be taken to a special prepared place which most likely is the New Jerusalem which is revealed in Chapter twenty one and twenty two of the Book of Revelation. The Old Testament Saints At the end of the tribulation the Old Testament saints and the tribulation saints will be raised.

And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Daniel 12:1-2

Apparently at the end of the millennium, those who died as believers will be raised to receive their glorified bodies at that time. Not one saved person who ever lived in any age will be forgotten anymore. My friends, isn’t that a Blessing! Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection (see Revelation 20:6)

All the Unsaved

And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. Revelation 20:11-14

It is not only all the saved that will not be forgotten by the Lord, but the unsaved as well. That’s right, not a single unsaved person who ever lived will be forgotten either. But they will be at the Great White Throne judgment to be judged for the sins they committed in the life they lived here. Then every one of them will be cast into the lake of fire. And remember, Jesus paid for their sins so they could avoid this fate, but they would not repent and trust him for salvation which was free. At this time in eternity, the unsaved will be forgotten by those who are saved. No love, no hope, only eternal loneliness for the unsaved forever. But for the saved, the Lord is going to reward his people for what they did for him and how well we lived for him. He will not forget one kind word or deed.

Today, life may be hard and discouraging for Christian people, but the Lord has not forgotten a single one of us. He is aware of all our struggles in this sin cursed world. So keep living for him and praising him. Give thanks unto the one who loves us so much. He promises to come and get us one day and what a day that is going to be, folks, and it could be at any time. Alleluia!!!

Father, how good and great you are to love such people as we are. Thank you for Jesus who died so we can live with you forever. Help us to get others to love and serve you, I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen. Preacher

Reference: Life Application KJLB 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 

“Christ for You” Bible History For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Ecclesiastes 9:5 Our Bible lesson in this newsletter talks about being forgotten. We are reminded in the Word of God of a great truth in the verse above. It is common knowledge that we all will die. Eat the right kinds of food, proper exercise, the best medical care, etc. and still death will come to all at some time. One might become the most famous, powerful, or wealthiest person but this will not keep the Grim Reaper away. There is an appointed day for all to die. The wisdom writer knows this, and he has lived long enough to learn the dead know nothing more about this life. When life ends here, that person does know where they are, but they do not know anything about what is continuing on here, or with those they left behind. And, yes even they will be forgotten by those who still live. Though man may forget man, the Almighty Eternal God of Heaven will remember every person who came into this world. He has a record of everything each one has thought, said or done. How wise the person is who repents of their sins, and trusts the Lord Jesus Christ as their own personal savior.