My Favorite Church #2 - Death is A Sleep Until Jesus Returns.

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"For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Indeed their love, their hate and their zeal have already perished, and they will no longer have a share in all that is done under the sun."  Ecclesiastes 9:6,7

Most Christian churches believe we never die. They think our spirits either go to heaven or hell. Seventh-Day-Adventists do not believe this. They believe our spirit (the breath of life) does go to God who will reunite our spirits with our bodies when Jesus returns. But our souls are unconscious, as if in a deep sleep.

Jesus, when speaking of Jairus' daughter said, "And all were weeping and mourning for her, but he said, “Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping.”

After saying these things, he (Jesus) said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.”  John 11:11

An angel said to Daniel, "And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt."  Daniel 12:2

David wrote, "As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness; I will be satisfied with Your likeness when I awake."  Psalm 17:15

"The dead do not praise the LORD, nor do any who go down into silence."  Psalm 115:17

"When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath (spirit), they die and return to their dust."  Psalm 104:29

Peter said, "For David himself never ascended into heaven, yet he said, 'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit in the place of honor at my right hand."  Acts 2:34

Paul wrote, "For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first."  1 Thessalonians 4:16  So, the dead rise when Jesus returns the second time.

If our soul (who we are) is in heaven, why would Jesus have to bring up our decayed bodies to unite with our souls? It doesn't make sense. Human beings are not immortal, as so many think. God alone is immortal.

"For at just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen." 
1 Timothy 6:16

We know that some people have risen to live in heaven before the second coming of Jesus. 

Moses: Jesus raised his "body" not just his spirit or soul.

"But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!"  Jude 1:9


Enoch and Elijah were taken to heaven before they died.

Some people were raised at the death of Jesus. "The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many."  Matthew 27:53

We don't know who these people are, but I'm sure happy for them!

Are There Accidents?

Photo by: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Alvesgaspar

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father."   Matthew 10:29

Jesus said these words as he spoke to his disciples about the dangers of spreading the Word of God throughout the world. He said many would be killed for their testimony. But he also said not to worry for God is with us and nothing will happen to us or anyone else in the world without God's permission.

This is a comfort for those who have lost a loved one. Not a little bird dies without God knowing, caring and being there. If he loves the birds that much, Jesus said, he loves us more.

"So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows."  verse 31

Here is a commentary on the verses:

And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father: some copies add, "which is in heaven"; meaning, that one of them should not be shot, or be killed, without the knowledge, will, and pleasure of God. 

The design of Christ is to assert the doctrine of providence, as reaching to all creatures and things, even the most minute and worthless: he instances not in men, nor in the beasts of the field, but in the fowls of the air, and in those of the inferior sort, and more useless, in sparrows, yea in little sparrows; as the word may be rendered; whose price was so low, that two are obliged to be put together to fetch the least sum of money current: and yet the providence of God is concerned with each of these; so that not one of them is taken in a snare, or killed with a stone, or shot flying, or sitting, but by the will of God: from whence it may be strongly concluded, that nothing comes by chance; that there is no such thing as contingency with respect to God, though there is to men, with respect to second causes; that all things are firmly ordained by the purpose of God, and are wisely ordered by his providence.

 Our Lord's further view is, from this consideration, to animate his disciples to a free, open, and constant preaching of his Gospel, not regarding their lives for his sake; for since their heavenly Father, in his providence, takes care of the meanest, even of the most irrational creatures, so that the life of one of them is not taken away without his will, much more will he take care of them; nor could their valuable lives be lost without his will and pleasure. Much such a way of arguing is used by the Jews, who (f) say, , "a bird without God does not perish, much less a man"; or, as it is elsewhere (g) expressed, 

http://biblehub.com/commentaries/gill/matthew/10.htm

Fly Away From Here.

There are a lot of songs and poems written with words describing a burning heart; but I never actually feel it physically until tonight.

I was listening to a song by Sarah McLachlan. It is called, "In the Arms of An Angel."

I was half-way through the song when I started to think about my grandson who died 4 years ago. I realized the words fit him and his life perfectly; and also his death.

As I listened to the end of the song I felt my heart burning within my chest.

After a few seconds of this, I said to God, "Lord, take this burden from my heart. It is too much for me. Take this burden of Craig's death." Immediately, the burning left. I was crying, but the grief abated.

I remembered the verse that says, "Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken."  Psalm 55:22

I've noticed lately that when I say, "God, take this burden," he takes it. He is stronger than I am and he can carry what I cannot.

I looked up the song online and found that Sarah McLachlan had written it about Jonathan Melvoin, the keyboard artist with the Smashing Pumpkins. He had died of an overdose. Craig died from drinking too much and sleeping with his face down on a plush sofa. He suffocated.

No wonder the song moved me. There is deep pain and yet comfort from God in the lyrics. There is one other thing. The day Craig died, when I went to the house where he lay and the police wouldn't let us in, I saw in my mind's eye that an angel was standing beside him as he died. He wasn't alone; God was with him and took him from a life of pain to a life forever with Himself.



Here are the lyrics to, "In the Arms of An Angel."

Sarah Mclachlan – Angel Lyrics

Spend all your time waiting
For that second chance,
For a break that would make it okay.

There's always some reason
To feel not good enough,
And it's hard, at the end of the day.

I need some distraction,
Oh, beautiful release.
Memories seep from my veins.

And maybe empty,
Oh, and weightless, and maybe
I'll find some peace tonight.

In the arms of the angel,
Fly away from here,
From this dark, cold hotel room,
And the endlessness that you fear.
You are pulled from the wreckage,
Of your silent reverie.
You're in the arms of the angel,
May you find some comfort here.

So tired of the straight line,
And everywhere you turn,
There's vultures and thieves at your back.

The storm keeps on twisting.
Keep on building the lies
That you make up for all that you lack.

It don't make no difference,
Escape one last time.
It's easier to believe in this sweet madness,
Oh, this glorious sadness,
That brings me to my knees.

In the arms of the angel,
Fly away from here,
From this dark, cold hotel room,
And the endlessness that you fear.
You are pulled from the wreckage,
Of your silent reverie.
You're in the arms of the angel,
May you find some comfort here.

You're in the arms of the angel,
May you find some comfort here.

Songwriters: CUNNIFF, JILL/GLASER, GABRIELLE/SCHELLENBACH, KATHERINE A

Angel lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Die Looking Up.

by Dwight L. Moody

A TIMELY CONVERSION. 

A minister in Edinburgh tells a story of the conversion of a young man who was working in one of the mining districts. When the meeting at one of the churches was over on a particular evening, he saw him standing by a pillar in the church, the rest having gone out, all but two or three, and they asked this man if he was not going home. He said, “I have made up my mind that I will not leave this church till I become a Christian”; so they stopped and talked and prayed with him. It was the best thing he could do.

I would like every man here to do the same thing. Make up your minds that you won’t leave till you have settled about your soul for eternity. Well, the next day, while this young man was working in the mine, the coal fell in upon him, and before he died, he had just strength enough left to say to his companions, “It’s a good thing that I settled it last night—a very good thing.”

Young man, I will leave you to answer the question, Was it not a good thing he settled it that night? A young man, who was in the army during the Civil war, told me that when he heard that his brother, from whom he had never been separated, had joined a certain regiment, he went right away and put his name down under his brother’s. They messed together, marched together, and fought shoulder to shoulder.

At last his brother was struck with a Minnie ball, and he fell mortally wounded by his side. He saw too plainly that he must die, and as the battle was raging, and he could do nothing to save him, he put his brother’s knapsack under his head, and made him as comfortable as he could, and bending over him, kissed him, bade him good-bye, and left him to die.

 As he was going away, his brother said, “Charlie, come back, and let me kiss you upon your lips.” “As I bent over him,” said the young soldier who told me the story, “he kissed me on my lips, and said, ‘Take that home to mother, and tell her that I died praying for her’; and as I turned away from him, I could hear him say, ‘This is glory,’ and as he lay weltering in his blood, and I wondered what he meant, I asked him what was glory. He said, ‘Charlie, it’s glorious to die looking up—I see Christ in heaven.’"

DYING LOOKING UP.
If you want to die looking up and seeing Christ, seek the kingdom of God. You may never hear the call again. Do not leave this place without making up your mind to settle the solemn question of eternity at once

Psalm 49 - Wealth is Worth Nothing.

Psalm 49 deals with what happens after death for those who ignore God and those who follow Him.

People, despite their wealth, do not endure;

they are like the beasts that perish.

This is the fate of those who trust in themselves,

and of their followers, who approve their sayings.

They are like sheep and are destined to die;

death will be their shepherd

(but the upright will prevail over them in the morning).

Their forms will decay in the grave,

far from their princely mansions.  Verses 12-14

It is very sad that so many will choose selfishness and independence from God only to die an eternal death. (For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even their name is forgotten. Eccl. 9:5) It says here they, "trust in themselves" and not God. 

But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead;

he will surely take me to himself.

Do not be overawed when others grow rich,

when the splendor of their houses increases;

for they will take nothing with them when they die,

their splendor will not descend with them.

Though while they live they count themselves blessed—

and people praise you when you prosper—

they will join those who have gone before them,

who will never again see the light of life.

People who have wealth but lack understanding

are like the beasts that perish.  Verses 15-20

In the eyes of God, wealth is worthless unless you use it to help others. The trouble with being rich is it gives one a feeling of security and some happiness. It would be hard for a person to learn to sacrifice if they are wealthy. It is easy to trust in riches and be proud of prosperity. That is why Jesus said it was hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.

A Life.

They came to the funeral. Kids who had known Craig in elementary school. They posted on Facebook about all the times Craig had helped them with homework or lifted them up when they were down.

The teens and twenty-year-old's that Craig had hung around with told the same story. How great Craig was and how he had helped them. This was a surprise to us adults because we had spent years trying to help Craig.

His father left the family when Craig was 18 months old. One day soon after his father left, a friend of ours bent down and asked Craig how he was. He lifted his little arms and said, "Daddy? Daddy?" He missed his dad then and missed him all his life.

Craig had a step-father who was cold and self-involved. I guess he did his best, but he didn't understand children and what they needed.

When he was a teen, he started getting into trouble. First came drinking and then drugs. He became addicted to ecstasy and then cocaine. He would get jobs and quit jobs. He would get into fights and have to go to emergency. He was nice when he was sober but angry when he was drunk or on drugs. He got into trouble with bad people and the police.

But he believed there was a God. He told me he prayed. He tried to stop drugs. He said when he was clean he wanted to go to schools and warn kids about drugs. The last year of his life he got a good job and was doing well but then he fell back into the old ways. When he died he had drank a lot of alcohol that night. He lay down to sleep on the sofa and never woke up. He drank too much. The sofa was soft and his head was face down. He was too deeply asleep to turn over and he was smothered.

I felt God wanted me to share with everyone about Craig's life and death. I'm not sure why. When his mother was crying alone in her bedroom the day after Craig died she said she felt God touch her left shoulder. She said she smiled and said, "Hello, God." Then, to her surprise, she felt Craig touch her right shoulder and say, "I'm happy, Mom."

I think God took Craig that night because he was headed for more terrible trouble; also, as I said in my last post, "God loved him." His was a life. A life God touched but couldn't help, so he took it to Himself.

Death Can Be Love.

My husband and I were talking about our grandson, Craig, who died a year and a half ago. I said something about not understanding why Craig had to die when so many other of his friends who had the same problems haven't died. My husband said, "When I pray, God says, 'Because I loved Craig. He died because I love him.' "

I have to say, that thought never crossed my mind and it gave me peace. It shows how little I know God because I rarely think that he loves people. I say it all the time, but I don't think I really believe it. When I pray for my daughters and grandchildren, I feel I have to convince God to love them as much as I do and save their souls. I've realized that deep down I don't really believe God loves me either.

I remember once Craig said to me, "God couldn't love me. I've done too many bad things." I said, "Craig, God loves you more than I do." I said it because the Bible says it, but did I really believe it? I don't think so. I feel sad about that and I've talked with God about it.

I guess in a world where people only love you when you are lovely it is hard to believe God's love. The Bible says it is an "unfailing" love. Everything in this world is conditional and it is hard to grasp this unconditional love of God. But I am trying.

Murder at Christmas.

When I heard about the killings at the elementary school I wished so much that this world would be over and done with. Tragedy, death, sickness, and suffering are all around us.

"Oh, that you would burst from the heavens and come down! How the mountains would quake in your presence!"  Isaiah 64:1

I read this verse this morning and thought, "Yes, come down God, come back Jesus and rescue us from this dark place."

I pray God will give comfort to all who were devestated by these murders. I know what it is to lose those you love. Even though God gives comfort and strength which is needed so very much- you miss those you love, especially at Christmas, on their birthdays, Thanksgiving dinner. Every time you hear or see something wonderful you think, "Oh, how I wish they could see this. How I wish things had been different."

I want to give thanks and praise to God for how he has helped us through the tragedies in our family. I used to wonder how I could ever cope with losing a child or grandchild. Now I know. God makes it possible - God grace is sufficient. 

Why God?

I took my mother and her friend to Walmart today. Over lunch we started talking about death. I told Mom's friend that I missed my grandson. She told me she missed her sister, who died in 2001, and still asks God, "Why did you have to take her?"

This lovely lady works in a nursing home. Along with other residents, she takes care of a woman who is 101 years old. The woman is sickly and is now losing her mental abilities. My mother's friends says she asks God, "Why don't you take her? Her life is awful."

I've asked these questions myself. My daughter says if we knew the answers to these questions we would be God. Very true. Besides, I know we have to learn to trust God in this world of sorrow.

Psalm 31:15  says, "My times are in your hands..." I like the explanation of this verse by Barnes Notes on the Bible:

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

My times are in thy hand - That is, I said this in my trouble; when my friends forsook me, and when my enemies came around me and threatened my life. The meaning is, that all that pertained to him was under the control and at the disposal of God. He would "live" as long as God should please. It was His to give life; His to preserve it; His to take it away. All in relation to life - its origin - its continuance - its changes - its seasons - childhood, youth, middle age, old age - all was in the hand of God. No one, therefore, could take his life before the time that had been appointed by God, and he might calmly commit the whole to him. This we may feel in all seasons of life and in all times of danger; of sickness; of feebleness. We shall live as long as God has appointed; we shall pass through such changes as he directs; we shall die when and where and how he chooses. In the faithful discharge of our duty, therefore, we may commit all these things to him, and leave all at his disposal.

Blessed Are They.

And I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on."

"Blessed indeed," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!"

Revelation 14:13

I read this verse this morning and it gave me peace and joy. I think about my grandson, who recently died, and I think about how his deeds of kindness have followed him. I think of how he can now rest from this life, which was difficult for him.

God and the Holy Spirit say Craig is blessed. Who am I to argue? He is blessed and I will see his smiling face again.