Good Morning Friends,
“We do not want you to be ignorant about those
who fall asleep, or grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 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. According to the Lord’s own word, we tell
you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will
certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. The Lord will come down
from heaven, with a loud command, the voice of the archangel and 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. So we will be with the Lord forever. Encourage each
other with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)
One marvelous privilege that comes with being a
pastor is the invitation to sit with someone during their final minutes of
life. I’ve had that privilege once as a family member as we sat with Claudia’s
mom and several times as a pastor. In each situation there was the obvious
sadness of saying good-bye, but also a deep level of hope. Most of the death
beds to which I’ve been invited held a person who knew the Lord. The good-byes
said were not final and eternal in nature, but temporary separations.
That hope comes from the promises like Paul’s
to the Thessalonians. It’s a promise also stated by Jesus and by others
throughout the New Testament. The promise of life after death is the most
profound promise in the New Testament.
To know Christ brings the assurance that when
we breathe our last breath in this world and step out of our earthly body, we
will step into a new world, a new time, a new life. Those are encouraging
words. Nothing brings more comfort when someone you love dies than that
promise.
Cling to Christ and you will be clinging to the
only hope there is at the death bed.
His, by Grace, Steve
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