My husband and I just came back from a funeral service.
One of our church worship leaders’ husband went to be with the LORD and today was the day that his body was laid to rest.
You have no idea how sad we are but at the same time, we are rejoicing because the funeral service was one of those uplifting and comforting services we have ever attended. Praise God!
We also heard the passing of former NBA superstar Kobe Bryant (41 years old) with his 13 year old daughter and others, 7 people, in an helicopter crash.
May the LORD comfort their families and friends!
I don’t know about you but for me, the idea of death, or the fact that we all have an appointed day and time to die and be buried, intrigues me.
The Bible says,
“A good name is better than fine perfume,
and the day of death better than the day of birth.
It is better to go to a house of mourning
than to go to a house of feasting,
for death is the destiny of everyone;
the living should take this to heart.” Ecclesiastes 7:1-2
and the day of death better than the day of birth.
It is better to go to a house of mourning
than to go to a house of feasting,
for death is the destiny of everyone;
the living should take this to heart.” Ecclesiastes 7:1-2
The living should take this to heart” – what to heart?
Death is what we all are heading into.
So, when we know and realize that death is in store for all of us, we look up and seek hope because hope is nowhere to be found in this world.
Hope is found, not in religion, not in our fasting and praying, not in our kind and religious activities and works or all that but, in Jesus Christ.
Jesus one day posed a question to Martha:
“Jesus said to her[Martha], “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”” John 11:25-26
So, my reader, let me ask you: Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Resurrection and the Life?
Do you know that there is no one who can raise you up from death to give you a new life after death except Jesus Christ who died for your sin?
No, you don’t have to do anything to believe in Christ. Just call on His name and you will find out that He’s always been there waiting to hear you call His name.
For the Bible says: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13
Call His name, thank Him for dying on the cross for your sin and receive His free gift, eternal life, which begins right here and continues on after death.
Wow! Those who died in Christ, what a joy!
“13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
The key phrase from the above passage is found at the end of verse 14, “in him[in Christ].”
If you are “in Christ,” encourage yourself and others who are in Christ with this word!
If you are not in Christ, be in Christ today because you cannot call up on Christ after death. ///