Worth Thinking About What comfort does it give you to think of death, not as a roadblock to life, but as a doorway to heaven? Is death an accident that happens to us? Death came through sin, Scripture says, but our heavenly Father controls death to His glory. God promises to bring good out of our sorrow. Death, though it would appear to be our greatest enemy, would in the end, prove to be our greatest friend. Its the door through which we must go through to inherit eternal life and all the joys of heaven. That is why Christ could say, Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28). The body might temporarily be the possession of cancer or evil men, but these enemies cannot prevent the soul from going to God. Only through death can we go to God (unless, of course, we are still living when Christ returns for the rapture). Only death can give us the gift of eternity. The hope that we will overcome the grave and spend eternity with God is not a desperate longing of Christians too afraid to face death. Instead, its a rational and logical conclusion based on the compelling testimony of history. If every shred of historical documentation for Jesus rising from the dead is evidence for our own eventual resurrection, we can face the future with confident hope. Late one night in June 2001, I got up in tremendous pain. My parents drove me to the emergency at Downey Medical Center. I was fighting to stay conscious and I thought to myself, This is it. Im going to die. Ill admit it: I was scared. I was just baptized at Saddleback Church, and had given my heart to Jesus. I knew with certainty that the moment I closed my eyes in death, I would reopen them in the presence of my heavenly Father. And Jesus would put His arms around me and say to the Father, I know Matthew. I love him, and he loves Me. Ive paid for every single sin he ever committed. On the merits of what I did on the cross, he is washed clean of all wrongdoing and clothed in My righteousness. He is welcome to spend eternity in heaven. Prayer Dear Father, although death is an everyday reality, help me to see it not as the end, but the beginning of eternal life. Thank You that my death will be a glorious entrance into the joys of heaven. Help me to live like a citizen of heaven now, full of conviction that will cause others to follow Christ. Help me to trust Your timing for events that are out of my control. Thank You that it has pleased You to give me more than I could ever imagine asking for. Most of all, thank You for Christ, my Savior and Lord, to whom my service is owed. Guard my heart from spiritual pride that tempts me to forget what Christ has done for me without my deserving. Amen.
Posted on: Thu, 20 Nov 2014 01:31:42 +0000
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