1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 13 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.
15 We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 18 So encourage each other with these words.
When we are concerned for those who have passed on: I believe 1 Thessalonians 4:14: I believe that Jesus died and rose again and so I believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him."
Fix this truth in your hearts, peace will fill you.
John 11:25 I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies.
Death-
Ecclesiastes 7:1-4 A good reputation is more valuable than costly perfume.
And the day you die is better than the day you are born.
2 Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties.
After all, everyone dies—
so the living should take this to heart.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter,
for sadness has a refining influence on us.
4 A wise person thinks a lot about death,
while a fool thinks only about having a good time.
Be mindful of mortality. Let bereavement bring times of sober self assessment.
From me:
Well death is a topic we all would like to avoid, but ultimately have to face....whether that of a loved on or of our own. I can only say that the Lord doesn't see death as a curse, but a blessing...Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. After my Mom died in late 2013, even though I mourned deeply, I felt and saw so much comfort given to me and my family by the Lord. And that I believe is the point of Mom's entry today. That yes, we face death, but as the Scripture says, not as those who have no hope. For the believer, death is an entry way to God's presence and therefore a joyous occasion. Death also, as stated in Ecclesiastes, is something that should keep us aware, focused on the eternal and not living for a party in the here and now.
Lord thank You for the hope we have as believers. We know that Jesus opened the way to heaven through His death on the cross, and resurrection from the grave to all who accept and believe. And I am so blessed to be counted among that number. Thank You that death has lost it's sting to the victory of Jesus Christ. Help us to remember that the here and now is not the all and all. Give us an eternal perspective, being sober minded about this life, not given to worldly attachments. While I find joy in the blessings You give here on earth, let me not become so attached to them, that I lose sight of the eternal joy of being in Your presence.
I say this as a believer in Jesus Christ. If you don't have that same assurance, the hope of heaven when you die, then maybe it's time to do something about that. Open up your heart, dear reader, to the redemptive and saving work of Jesus on the Cross. We all have sinned, and we all mess up and fall short of perfection. None of us deserve to go to heaven, but God loved us too much to leave us in that state. So He provided the way through Jesus the Son. If you can admit that you need Him, and accept His gift of salvation, you can be assured of eternal joy and peace when you leave this earth. It's not an easy walk once You make that decision to let Christ into your heart and life, but it is so worth anything and everything you have to face. Making Him Savior is easy, making Him Lord takes hard work. I am praying now, for those of you who may have happened on this page, those who don't know Jesus as Lord and Savior, that you will open your heart to Him now. And I pray that You will go forward in this newness of life, growing in the knowledge of His love for You.
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