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

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Kevin_M._Byrne

"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!

The Sea and its Waves: A Sign of the End.

My blogger friend Kal wrote about "sea foam" that was on the beaches of Australia after a cyclone hit. I'd never heard of it before so I looked it up. Here is a picture:

It is an amazing sight. As I looked at this I thought about the recent trouble on the Eastern Seaboard and how the sea came inland. The terrible storms at sea are becoming worse each year. Tidal waves and storm surges are happening all over the world.

I remembered what Jesus said when speaking of the end of the world, "There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and there will be distress on earth among the nations that are confused by the roaring of the sea and its waves." Luke 21:25

I used to read that verse long ago and think, "This has not happened in the sea yet." But now it has. The nations are concerned about the sea and its waves. The storms at sea have been the cause of hundreds of thousands of deaths in the last few years.

We don't know what will happen when the heavenly bodies will be shaken. That is yet to come, but it will come.

Jesus went on, "Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory."

Now Jesus tells us to look up and be glad,  "When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."

The End of the World.

Picture found at:

http://www.jonathanselby.com/pg25pics.html

I remember as a little girl being taught about the end of the world and Jesus coming back to take us to himself. At our church and in our home we had pictures of this event and I would stare at them and wonder when he would return. This teaching never frightened me because of Jesus. I wanted to see him, and many times I would look up to the sky and hope this was the day he would return. I still look up and imagine him coming and look forward to that day with hope and joy

`Look, He is coming with the clouds and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him. And all the families of the earth will mourn because of him. So be it! Amen.`
Revelation 1:7

Àfter he had said these things, he was lifted up while they were looking on and a cloud took him out of their sight...An angel said, `This same Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come back the same way you have seen him go to heaven.`
Acts 1:9-11

Jesus said, `See, I have told you ahead of time. If anyone tells you, `There he is, out in the desert!` Do not go. Or, `Here he is in the inner rooms!` Do not believe it. For as the lightening flashes from the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man comes.
`Matthew 24:25-`27