Death from the Wrong Point of View
God began talking with me last night about this, and what you read are what thoughts He brings to me today. There's nothing from Dr. David Jeremiah, from Blackaby or C.H. Spurgeon here today. If you will...read on...
Its a very sad thing when people who call themselves Christians don't view death as a beautiful, wondrous, answer to prayer. Because it is most definitely that for that believer.
To be ill or impaired to one's own detriment can be a disheartening thing, yet it is also clear in Scripture that we are to consider it all joy when we encounter various trials. To be happy when even death is knocking on your door.
My Friend, death is an answer to prayer.
If a believer is in that kind of dire situation and it can be seen that death is imminent, then an answer to prayer is at hand. A disease, a cancer, will shortly be defeated.
Yes to be saddened at our own loss to such a loved one's departure is to be expected but that's on us. But for that one who's is passing from this world to the arms of Jesus, name one way where that's a bad thing!
We selfishly want people we know to be 'healed' to keep them here. What if God's Will is to come to be with Jesus? Isn't that the better thing? Any other thing is selfishness on our part.
I, personally, do not view death as the end of anything important. To me, and my understanding of Scripture, death is the next step in eternity. You step either into Heaven or into Hell.
Our world is going to Hell in a handbasket. It's seeing lines drawn in the sand between people who are truly Christians and those who are not. Lukewarm people Jesus seriously didn't like. So the temperature of this world is getting turned up. You WILL either be hot or cold.
People are most afraid of losing.
Losing a job. Losing money. Their 'team' losing. Losing something they own. Losing brings great fear. The loss of knowing what to do brings fear.
Looking for an answer from God that fits our description of an answer from God brings temporary peace. It does nothing to match His definition of an answer from Himself.
Oh something may happen that appears to be an answer from God. Satan is good at those. Look at what's recorded in his tempting Jesus. Any of what you read could be construed as an answer from God.
Death was defeated at the cross. There's no cloak covered skeleton with a stick, waiting in a boat to take you to the other side. There no mythical creatures waiting for you to make you earn your way to paradise.
Scripture is clear for the believer. Absent from the body is to be in the presence of Jesus...if you are a believer. If not, I personally think that the unbelieving are delivered to Hell by Jesus. People will know whom it is they rejected.
For everyone it's very easy to look upon ones we love who are barely clinging on to life and be selfish about wanting them to be made better. It is selfishness. We don't want to bear the loss, the separation, of us and them. My personal belief on any whom I know who have died, who are in Christ, they are only as far away as the twinkling of an eye. I may not be able to speak to them, but we aren't permanently separated. I may miss them. But they wouldn't want to be here. Not as they were. They are in the presence of Jesus. Praising Jesus. Singing to Jesus. Taking their last known prayers of their lives to Jesus personally.
Not everyone thinks as I do. But I have great peace in what I have come to understand about death and what's next.
There are countless dozens whom have gone on from this life that I miss and would love to talk to again. But I would never want to take them away from what they now have in the presence of Jesus.
For those reading this who don't have that assurance. Please take time right now to get right with God. Your next heartbeat after the end of your life will be spent in only one of two places. Your own merits in this life are not enough to obtain entry into Heaven. You could have been doing things for God from birth, could have adhered to everything you think you understood from the Bible, and without Christ...you would still find yourself in Hell.
It is essential to be born again. It is essential to obtain the forgiveness of sins from Jesus Christ alone.
It is essential that you receive the free gift of Salvation from Jesus alone.
Having all faith in God, but lacking Salvation, you would still go to Hell. The Pharisees and Sadducees thought they were living the life for God. They totally missed it.
Death is an exit from the physical into the Spiritual world. What you decide here and now determines Heaven or Hell.
You need to realize your need for happiness should viewed through the lenses of Scripture. What you feel matters little in light of Scripture.
My feelings can and will deceive me.
Your feelings can and will deceive you.
The light of Christ in the life of a believer isn't dependent upon our feelings but the truth of God's Word. Jeremiah faced great sorrows. So did Hosea and other prophets. Yet they were not separated from the love of God.
I often wondered about the 3 days Jesus spent in Paradise at what happened down there besides intense celebrations at His arrival. How many Pharisees and Sadducees died in those 3 days only to arrive on the other side not with the Prophets who believed but rather to arrive in Hades instead. To be in torment and see the Messiah they rejected across that Chasm that separated Paradise from Hades. To see Abraham celebrating with Jesus. It already can be understood that the thief who believed was with Jesus while the one who didn't was in torment looking upon the one who did.
Their transition from death to where they were was in an instant after dying. No journey to get there.
Where is your view on death? It saddens me more to hear of Christians who fear their loss more than they should be celebrating where a son or daughter of God is going next. As much as I love my family and friends, to be with Jesus rather than here would be everything to me.
I crave being held by my Savior. I long for that moment when He speaks to me and personally holds me. My thoughts of what joy is isn't even scratching the surface of what joy will be in that moment. To see His face, to have Jesus wipe away my tears, to hear Him welcoming me to His Heaven...wow. All thoughts of Earth will vanish in that moment. It will take a lot to think about where I left. To be in perfect love and joy and peace.
Our selfish desires would want those we care about to stay here rather than experience that. Our not wanting the separation. Our not wanting to know life without them in it. Our, our, our...
But oh the reward of being welcomed into the arms of Jesus.
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