1. End of Life Counseling “Tucked inside a sweeping House bill to overhaul the health system is a provision that would require Medicare to pay physicians to counsel patients once every five years. During those sessions, doctors could discuss how patients can plan for such end-of-life decisions as setting up a living will, obtaining hospice care or establishing a proxy to make their health decisions when they are unable to do so” (WSJ, 8/13/2009).

2. NT Gospel: Divine Counsel Death is Certain Heb. 9:27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment. 2 Sam. 12:23 "But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me."

3. NT Gospel: Divine Counsel Time of Death: Uncertain Jas 4:15 Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.“ Living Unprepared: Foolish Luke 12:20 But God said to him, “Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?”

4. NT Gospel: Divine Counsel At Death: Opportunity to Obey God Ends Luke 16:26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us. John 9:4 We must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

5. NT Gospel: Divine Counsel After Death: The Judgment Heb. 9:27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, Rev. 20:12-13 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 2 Cor. 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

6. NT Gospel: Divine Counsel Time To Prepare is Now! 2 Cor. 6:2 For He says: "In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you." Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. Preparation is Simple Matt.7:21 Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

7. NT Gospel: Divine Counsel Wise Counsel 2 Cor. 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.