I heard this story from a revered elderly preacher. He told of a king who had jesters in his palace. Back in the days, jesters were regarded as silly people who bring entertainment and pleasure to the king through their silliness. The king was old and near his death. The king requested the silliest of his palace jesters to go round his kingdom to look for the most foolish person apart from him. Once found, he was required to present a particular rod to the fellow. 

This jester looked round the entire kingdom but couldn't find anyone who was more foolish than him. At long last, he came back to the king frustrated. He expressed regret for not finding anyone more foolish. While the conversation was on, he suddenly asked the king regarding his near-death state. He requested to know if the king has any information about where he is going in death. The king said “No”. He also asked if the king had made any preparation regarding where he is going after death. The king said, “No”. He also asked if the king has made any consultation with anyone who has died before who can at least assist him with information or how to navigate the realm of the dead. The king said, “No”. On the spur of the moment, he presented the rod to the king and added regretfully that the king is the most foolish person that he has been looking for all these whiles. He just didn’t know until now. 

How on earth could the king be journeying to a realm he has not visited before without making any preparation - no contact, no arrangement, no idea. The king must be the most foolish person. He seemed to be saying.

I think the conclusion of the jester is logical. A lot of people in our world today don't care about the afterlife yet they appear to be wise and successful in the current realm. They assume everyone is confused about life after death and that we will all die anyway. They leave it to chance and say things like, “Well, it's not going to be only me.” “Nobody is sure about the afterlife.” “No one has died before to come tell us what's the certainty”. “People just die, and they are cremated or turned to dust after decaying and that ends it.” “I can do whatever I want with my life, it all ends with death.” How wrong can they be!

The Bible confirms categorically that after death comes judgement. The judgment here connotes your placement in either heaven or Hell. Anyone whose name is not in the book of life is thrown into the lake of fire. A lot of people have heard that but chose to doubt it. “How scientific is that?” They queried. “How can that be proven?” Well, I don't understand science and I don't even understand how man can fly in the air when he is not a bird. Man could not fly some 120 years ago but can fly now. That man doubted then did not stop it from happening. That man doubts the afterlife provision of the creator will not stop the reality when it dawns on man after death. The fact that man, with its limitations, continues to discover dwarf planets including being able to land in the moon should ordinarily caution a reasonable man to suspect there may be more that we have not discovered yet. I tell you, most honestly, there is more, and there is more that man will not discover even at the height of his technological advancement. But so that no one is without excuse, I believe God has allowed all these discoveries to clear our doubt. Consider what the bible says in Romans 1:20:

“For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.”

I ask you most sincerely, have you made preparation for the afterlife? Are you leaving it to chance or evading the question even when it tugs at your heart every now and then? God has made provision for mankind to escape the damnation foretold. His words captured in the bible shows us it doesn't just end in death. There's more afterwards. God showed love to mankind by making the provision for salvation through Jesus Christ because he does not take pleasure in anyone separated from him eternally even though we have sinned and deserve to be separated from him. If you believe in Jesus, you will have eternal life. The consequence of rejecting Jesus is damnation. John 3:16-18 provides as follows. 

“16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”

The consequences are not left to our feelings or emotion to judge but the written word of God. I have said this before: you lose nothing by believing in Jesus, you only gain - you gain eternal life, freedom and peace. Don't let your pride or rigidity or willful ignorance keep you away from eternal life. Don't doubt the word of God because it is not logical to your limited mind. God has given every man the ability to believe. The foolishness of God, as it were, is wiser than the wisdom of men. Think about this and decide without delay to secure your afterlife. 

Say this if you are ready to surrender to God: Lord Jesus, I believe that you're the saviour of the world. I accept you today as my Lord and saviour. Save me and grant me eternal life. When I close my eyes in death, I know I will be with you in glory!