I got up this morning and the first thing that came to my mind was Caleb Meakins.

I am glad that most people here knew him and got a chance to express their condolences. I guess, once we lose such a person, that is the only thing we can do — express our condolences, am I right?

Losing loved ones is not an easy thing. When you lose a loved one, people come and surround you and cry with you as you bury your loved one, but after the funeral, everybody goes back to their home to do their own lives. Then you truly start to face the reality, the truth that your loved one is gone, never to come back.

That truth brings bone-crushing and heart-wrenching pain that spreads throughout your body and soul, and you begin to wonder what can alleviate that kind of pain.

Oh, the pain of losing loved ones!

I wish I could pray that that won’t happen to you, but it is one of life’s inevitable incidences that none of us can avoid as long as we live on this side of heaven.

And while I was thinking about this, I remembered what somebody told me yesterday.

They said that Caleb died in Christ.

Since I don’t know Caleb personally, or know anyone who knows him closely, I cannot say for sure if he indeed died in Christ, but to tell you the truth, that is what I want to believe. The Bible says:

“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. 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[IN CHRIST]. 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. 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. 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. Therefore encourage one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (Capitalization is mine)

Ah! How comforting that is!

While our tears are falling down, this gives us indescribable, unmovable and unshakable comfort, peace, and joy that runs through our souls. How comforting it is to know that it is the word of God that says that, because everything the word of God says is true and shall come to pass!

So, my beloved reader, let me ask you one quick question: Are you in Christ?

I ask because I know that there is life after death. We are all eternal beings and there are only two places for all of us to go after death to live for eternity: hell or Heaven (eternal punishment or eternal life – Matthew 25:46). There is no middle place between these two.

And no one, let me say that again, no one can go to heaven except through Christ; Christ is the Life and the Resurrection. He is an eternal life that all us sinners, children of wrath, desperately need.

When you are in Christ (that is, when you believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins and makes you a child of God), death for you will become a transportation system, like riding a train where the last stop is heaven.

If you are not in Christ, your destiny will be hell “where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” from eternity to eternity. Matthew 13:50

“Thomas said to him[Jesus], “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” John 14:5-9

There are so many people who are going to church but heading to hell because they think all they have to do is quickly say a quick prayer that they don’t sincerely mean “to accept Christ.” But the Bible doesn’t teach us that. If we are indeed in Christ, our lifestyle itself should testify that we are on our way to heaven. In fact, the word of God says,

“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 NASB

This is what I want to say in short words: Please make sure you are in Christ before you leave this world. ///