Beyond Today
Unless some of you who read these words stop and think and plan and start to execute essential goals, indifference, passivity, and procrastination will win another victory.
The death of a loved one can sneak up on you and surprise you unaware. Other times, you may know it’s coming and have time to prepare for it. Either way, the result is the same...the outcome is final. That person you love is now missing from your life. Jesus assured us in John 11:25-26 of eternal life in heaven for all those who belong to Him. Those comforting words give us hope for the future...but in the short term, grief can feel overwhelming.
It’s possible you may even be reeling from the after-effects of someone who chose to take his or her own life. If so, you may be dealing with anger toward the one you miss so much—as well as struggling with many lingering, unanswered questions.
You can be assured that Jesus Christ will never leave you. He sees every tear and hears every desperate cry, and His love and comfort are everlasting.
Unless some of you who read these words stop and think and plan and start to execute essential goals, indifference, passivity, and procrastination will win another victory.
How can we be so certain that we will be resurrected? What is the source of our assurance? What gives us unshakable confidence in the face of death? The fact of Christ’s Resurrection.
When John arrived, he stopped at the entrance and looked inside. Peter ran straight into the tomb and was shocked by what he saw. Joining Peter inside the tomb, I like to think that John whispered, “He’s alive!”
Does this mean that since a Christian who commits suicide won’t go to hell we can relax and not worry so much about it? No. We need to understand the factors, especially depression, which can lead to suicide even for Christians.
Christ’s Resurrection means believers too shall be raised—there is unimaginable dessert coming! But some believers may not be aware that’s not all it means. There’s more than just pie in the sky when we die.
When the rapture occurs, 1 Thessalonians 4 tells us that Christ is to bring the souls of those who have died from heaven to earth. He’s going to resurrect their bodies, and their souls will re-enter their bodies permanently in resurrection.
Since organ donation was not done in Bible times, the Bible says nothing about it. So, we find some Christians in favour and some against it as they try to decide how to answer this question by applying biblical principles.
If there’s no hope, there’s no spring. But because there IS hope, the winter you’re enduring will end.
Peter’s transformation from a rash fisherman in the Gospels to a bold witness for Christ in the book of Acts boils down to one Person—the Holy Spirit.
When it comes to caring for widows, it’s easy to be pulled by emotions into unwise decisions. That’s why Paul’s instructions are so helpful. And so are his practical reminders.