LIFE AND DEATH

This morning at five AM my daughter answered a call from a very upset friend. Her friend had been startled awake by her mother screaming, "Dad is dead"!  He fell asleep in a favorite chair in his hobby room and his soul and spirit peacefully passed on to be with Jesus. Yes, the family were Christians with the promises of life after death, and yet it came at an unexpected time for them. Losing a loved one is difficult.

Another man has died, who was a friend in our Rest Home ministry. He played the harmonica and was a WW2 veteran. When we would play the hymn, "Are You Washed With The Blood", he would tell us of a true story from the battle of Iwo Jima. He was driving a Caterpillar tractor and beside him a soldier fell wounded from gunfire. He got off the tractor to help the soldier and by doing this, he himself was covered with his blood. An officer saw Bill covered in blood and came to help him. He said "I am not hurt, just covered in the blood".  This is also is our story, we need not fear death, for we are covered with the blood of Jesus. 

Bill lived life to the fullest . He was in his nineties and his mind was still alert. When we visited him at his home he was in bed. The doctors said that he was dying. He said, "I am not dying, I have things to do and places to go. I feel fine"!  He was a fighter. We can learn from his desire to keep on going. Love life and do now the things still undone, places to go, friends to love, and yes things to do. Live life to the fullest for Jesus gives us life more abundant and because of this we live productive lives for as long as we are able.

John 10:10  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. 

John chapter 14 has awesome promises.

John 14:1  Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 
John 14:2  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 
John 14:3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 

Joh 14:23  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. 
Joh 14:24  He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me. 
Joh 14:25  These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. 

Joh 14:26  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. 

Thank you Lord Jesus for the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, The fullness of God dwelling in the believer. His love pours out to us. When we are in need, we have other brothers and sisters in the Lord who we can go to. My daughter was a good help to her friend in need this morning. My daughter is a wonderful person, a true friend. Jesus makes us available for others and we have his abiding presence that gives us peace in all situations.

Joh 14:27  Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 

This is my verse, that means so much to me.  Be at peace for Jesus is with us always and when we leave this body we continue with him.

2Co 5:1  For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 
2Co 5:2  For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: 
2Co 5:3  If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. 
2Co 5:4  For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. 
2Co 5:5  Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. 
2Co 5:6  Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 
2Co 5:7  (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 
2Co 5:8  We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. 

Be comforted by this. We have only just begun to live.