God’s Promise—We Can “Count” On It—Forevermore!
- Most definitely, it is one thing to experience the death of a child of God, &
- It is clearly the opposite to experience the death of a person who is not!
- Most definitely, it is one thing to attend the funeral for the death of a child of God, &
- It is clearly the opposite to attend the funeral for a person who is not!
- Most definitely, it is one thing to listen to the words of a preacher speak at the death of a child of God, &
- It is clearly the opposite to listen to a preacher speak about a person who does not know Jesus Christ as Savior!
- Yes, most definitely, it is one thing to experience the death of a child of God, &
- For it is a celebration of “new” life because we know the one who is lost to this world now resides in the presence of God.
- Yes, it is one thing to experience the death of a child of God, &
- For it is a beautiful promise—we will see the person again in eternity (if we too know Jesus as LORD).
- Oh, most definitely, it will be a most glorious day when the LORD Jesus Christ returns to earth & we who believe—see our loved one coming in the clouds with Him.
- How do we know?
- Just How do we Know that this is the Truth?
- Most definitely! How do we Know that we Know that we Know we are HIS?
God’s Word says it is so & God’s Word is God’s Promise—We Can “Count” On It—Forevermore!
“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, [children of God] about those who are asleep, [already passed away from earthly life] so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope [those who remain lost & do not know Jesus as Savior].
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, and the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
(1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18)
It is clearly the opposite to attend a funeral, to speak to the family who are experiencing, who are struggling through the death of a person who does not belong to God!
Today, I encountered a crazy thought.
Once saved, once a person is God’s child, once we were saved by the blood of Jesus Christ—Would we ever want to walk through six months of a single year, or six months of any year—as though “unsaved”?
MOST SURELY NOT!!!!
Once we meet Jesus, the presence of God in our every moment is too wonderful.
So, here’s a second crazy thought.
Why then, do believers, Christians, the children of God EVERY try to go through all the moments of a single day apart from the study of God’s Word?
CRAZY! I KNOW!
- IT IS A TRUTH! WE NEED THE HOLY SPIRIT of GOD FOR ALL OUR MOMENTS!
- JESUS SAVES US—ONCE & FOR ALL!
- IT IS A PROMISE of GOD!
- IT IS A PROMISE!
Believers celebrate this truth, that death is not the end.
One day, Jesus will return with a shout, with a trumpet call, and we will be caught up in the air with our Lord Jesus Christ.
What a beautiful promise!
What a most wonderful comfort!
- Once we give our heart to Jesus,
- Once we turn toward God and seek His forgiveness for our sins against Him,
- Once we admit our lostness, believe, confess our sins, and walk in newness of life—
- Once we are His—GOD’S—
- We can NEVER be lost again—EVER!!!
God’s Salvation is forever!
Surely, the cross of Calvary was horrific!
The cross was God’s plan for humanity’s salvation from the very beginning of time.
God knew mankind was filled with sin and would need a Savior.
God knew we needed Jesus, the Son of God.
YES, Most Definitely, God knew—
- We receive Salvation through the shed blood of Jesus.
- We receive Salvation through Jesus’ resurrection to new life.
- Three days after He died on the cross of Calvary, God brought Jesus back to life!
- God’s Salvation—Once received is the only way to live, REALLY LIVE!
- Once received—the Salvation of God will carry us into eternity at our death where we will be in God’s presence—for all eternity.
- Thank You, God, for Your Promise!
- Thank You, God, for You Are Faithful to Your Promises!
With deep sadness, we may find ourselves attending a funeral of someone—who does not know Jesus as Savior! Let us be burdened today for those individuals who remain lost and without Jesus.
The Holy Spirit led me to a most beautiful passage in the Bible, one I desire to meditate upon this day. The wonderful verse that I read is found within a sometimes skipped over book in God’s Word. Yes, oftentimes, many will run past the fourth book of the Bible because who wants to read a census?!!! Maybe, like me, you have run through this fourth book. Maybe you are a numbers person. Maybe you enjoy a listing of people, numbered one after another after another after . . . .
Well, we get the picture.
Nevertheless, in this book of Numbers, in the place where God instructs the “count His children,” that is the very place we find this most beautiful passage. SEE IT WITH ME.
The competition was set: the man-made gods vs. the God Almighty.
The setting was prepared—a showdown: “then the sons of Israel journeyed and camped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan opposite Jericho” (Numbers 22: 1).
“What has the LORD spoken? . . .” (Numbers 23: 17).
Then the prophet spoke what the LORD said—A most beautiful passage in the Bible!
“God is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent;
Has He said, and will He not do it?
Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”
(Numbers 23: 19)
If God were human, He could be bought or persuaded to change His mind,
But God is not human; He is not a son from a man from this earth.
If God were human, He would be a sinner just like you and me,
But God is not human; GOD NEVER SINNED!
If God were human, He would say one thing and then do another,
But God is not Satan who is the father of lies.
- God is not fickle!
- God does not change His mind!
- GOD IS THE FATHER of TRUTH!!
If God were human, He would say one thing and not make good on what He said,
BUT GOD IS GOD! HIS PROMISES STAND FOREVERMORE!!!
If God had never sent His Son Jesus to earth, we would never know the love of God,
But God did—send Jesus, the Savior of the world!
If God had allowed Jesus to remain dead upon the cross of Calvary, to remain dead in the borrowed tomb, the salvation of God would not be true,
- BUT GOD RESURRECTED JESUS TO NEW LIFE &
- GOD RAISED JESUS FROM THE DEAD &
- GOD MADE “THE ONLY WAY” WHEREBY WE CAN KNOW HIM!!!
If God were human, there would be no hope. BUT GOD . . .
- GOD IS THE GOD of HOPE!.
- GOD IS GOD!
- GOD IS TRUSTWORTHY!
- GOD IS TRUTH!
- WE CAN CLING TO GOD TODAY & TOMORROW & THE TOMORROW AFTER TOMORROW—THROUGHOUT ALL ETERNITY!
Most definitely, it is one thing to experience the death of a child of God, &
It is clearly the opposite to experience the death of a person who is not!
THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION EVERY PERSON MUST FACE IS—
What will I do with the Son of God, with Jesus?
I know where I stand.
Do you know where you stand in relationship with God?
God’s Promise—We Can “Count” On It Forevermore!