WHEN A BELIEVER DIES (1)

‘…You will not grieve like people who have no hope.’

1 Thessalonians 4:13

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Our culture makes death a subject to avoid or to speak of with gloom. When the subject comes up, even Christians try to dodge the bullet by escaping into vague, irrelevant-sounding metaphors. But God’s Word makes death clear and unthreatening for those who trust in Christ. ‘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.’ God’s Word is direct, concrete, and encouraging on this subject. ‘Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His [godly ones]’ (Psalms 116:15 NKJV). From our heavenly Father’s perspective, death just opens the door for Him to enjoy perfect, eternal, delightful fellowship with each of His redeemed children. ‘I heard a voice out of Heaven, “Write this: Blessed are those who die in the Master…how blessed to die that way!” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “and blessed rest from their hard, hard work. None of what they've done is wasted; God blesses them for it all in the end’’’ (Revelation 14:13 TM). The Bible assures every believer that their death is not a tragedy but a triumphal entry into heaven. The Amplified Bible puts it: ‘Blessed (happy, to be envied).’ God instructed John, ‘Write this.’ Why? Because God understands that when we lose a loved one we tend to forget His perspective and adopt an emotion-driven perspective. Rejoice, believer, ‘…Whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord’ (Romans 14:8 NIV). And the Lord takes good care of what belongs to Him!

Judges 16:1 - 19:15, Mark 11:12-26, Psalm 47 , Proverbs 13:11-12

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