No Fear of Death!
Jesus told us that there would be days like these, days of unrest, but He also encouraged us with His perfect truth.
“These things I have spoken to you,
(The Gospel According to John 16:33 NASB)
[the hour of Jesus’ arrest, of His betrayal, of His dishonor and crucifixion,
& of His resurrection and the coming of His Holy Spirit]
so that in Me you may have peace.
In the world you have tribulation, but take courage;
I have overcome the world.”
- We will face trials in this life.
- We will face tribulations and struggles, and up and down days.
Late yesterday evening, I was heading to bed. There were two or three items I needed to put in their proper place, there was a lamp to switch off, and there was a cell phone to carry to its charger. Daily, these are necessary steps I do before bed. However, last night, my routine was suddenly interrupted. After placing certain items in their proper place & after switching off the lamp light & after picking up my cell phone to carry, a text displayed on my screen.
See the scene. See the darkness of a home. See the open stairway that leads down to the basement. & Finally, see me (unknowingly) step toward that first step. It does not require a physic’s instructor to know what occurred next: I began to stumble/fall down the stairs in the dark. What seemed like eternity only lasted four steps because I was able to grab the banister railing before I descended too far, but that was far enough to turn my ankle and scare me.
Last night, I saw my life flash before my eyes for a heartbeat of a moment. I saw the end, or what I truly felt was the VERY END because in those split-seconds of time, I feared a broken neck, a demise of my time here on earth, & I was stumbling down in fear of the pain that was sure to come when I reached the bottom of the staircase and slammed into the basement wall.
However, what I did not fear was what came after death, for the truth of Jesus had been revealed to me, and I accepted the truth. As I stumbled down, and even as I feared the pain to come, STILL, I did not fear where I would land when my life was suddenly over. Thank You, Jesus. I knew (even in my fear of falling, in my fear of pain) that I did not have to fear death, for I knew with assurance that I would come face-to-face with my Redeemer—Jesus Christ—because while alive on earth, I gave my heart to Jesus.
- I confessed Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord, & I accepted God’s free gift of salvation.
- I believed in what Jesus did on the cross and in the grave.
There is a saying: Born one time (on earth), die twice. Although a sinner does not die in hell, every person must make a decision here on earth regarding his eternal destination. So, the saying continues: Born twice (once physically and once spiritually), die ONCE (here on earth).
- May we realize the extreme truth: All have sinned & the wages of our sin is separation from God.
- May we accept the extreme gift: Christ Jesus died for all sinners & the gift of God is eternal life shared with Him in Jesus Christ.
We may face troubles and trials, persecutions and pain, but may we receive joy in our hearts as we realize: Challenges can be faced in God’s help. Let us focus upon God’s power today to help us when troubles of life seem to overwhelm us, when we suddenly find ourselves falling and falling and falling. We can know HIS Peace, even during the fall, even during the challenges and struggles, during the trials and tribulations.
BECAUSE NOTHING IS GREATER THAN THE POWER OF THE LORD!
The Bible tells us when God raised Jesus from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in heaven, Christ Jesus waits there, awaiting the day when Jesus will come again to earth, in all power and in all authority. On that day, every name will confess Jesus and every knee will bow—to Him. We do not need to EVER fear death if we have given our hearts to Jesus.
“but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus,
(The 2nd Letter of Paul to Timothy 1:10 NASB)
who abolished death and brought life and immorality to light through the gospel,”