Saturday, August 18, 2018

Death


Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet

After I became a Christian, I was reading Bible and noticed Moses didn't have to be sick to die.  I thought that was very interesting.  Moses wasn't even ill or deteriorating physically.

At the time Moses died, we read:

Deuteronomy 34:7   And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.


*** 

God told Moses the time had come for him to die.

Deuteronomy 32:48-52     And the Lord spake unto Moses that selfsame day, saying,

Get thee up into this mountain Abarim, unto mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, that is over against Jericho; and behold the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel for a possession:

And die in the mount whither thou goest up, and be gathered unto thy people; as Aaron thy brother died in mount Hor, and was gathered unto his people:

Because ye trespassed against me among the children of Israel at the waters of MeribahKadesh, in the wilderness of Zin; because ye sanctified ME not in the midst of the children of Israel.

Yet thou shalt see the land before thee; but thou shalt not go thither unto the land which I give the children of Israel.


***

By these examples I saw a Christian did not have to be ill to die.

Elijah wasn't ill when he was taken off the earth.

When the time came for Elijah to die, God took Elijah up off the earth in a whirlwind.


***

The apostle Paul reveals to us the "secret" that not all die.

I Corinthians 15:51-53  Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep (die), but we shall all be changed,

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

***

Yesterday I noticed a headline of a story printed on CNN ... Life expectancy drops in US and UK ...

It seemed to me the writer of the story wanted to avoid giving the statistics which would show the current expected age for death in USA among men and women.  I kept skimming the article until finally I got to the numbers.

In 2016, men in USA  lived an average of 79.04 years  and women 81.4.

(That may sound like a long time depending on your current age.  For me, I'm within 3 months of being 81.)

And according to Bible, our "normal" life expectancy is three-score-ten.  (70-years)  Some of us have already gone past normal life are on "borrowed time", by strength.

Psalm 90:10    The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

***

I have often mentioned death to men who have been working at my house, telling them I will likely not be on earth more than about 3 years.  I was trying to tell them how much longer I would likely need that object on which they were working!

When I say this, most of them are very shocked, begin to argue with me.

Why are they so unrealistic to think an 81 year old woman will be on this earth much longer.

I told this to my car mechanic to alert him to the likely number of years my car will need to run.

I did same thing to man who takes care of my sound equipment.

I also do this with medical people, telling them to view any medical treatment based on my age for I cannot be expected to live many years so no need to do a lot of things to me.

(I'm always surprised at the individual reactions.)


*****

What is death?  

It is simply falling asleep.  

John 11:1-3   Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.

(Then Jesus said to His disciples:)

11-14    Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.

Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.

Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.

Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.

(Jesus was going to raise Lazarus from the dead as HE will raise us from the dead if we die before HE returns for the church.)


***

Every night we fall asleep.  Each morning when we awake don't we wonder at the time?  at all the hours that have passed while we slept?

Paul has been asleep for 2000 years.  Yet it will be as a few hours when he awakens as he will do when Jesus returns for the church.

Paul tells us not to sorrow over death as the world does.

I Thessalonians 4L13-18    But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep (dead), that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.

For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (precede) them which are asleep.

For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 



Wherefore comfort one another with these words.


***

We will not live on this present earth after Jesus gathers us to Himself.  Notice, we meet Jesus and those who died before us, "in the air."  I Thessalonians 4

This present earth will be destroyed by God.

II Peter 3:10-14   But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 



Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless. 


***

The place where we will live forever.

Revelation 21:1-5    And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and HE will dwell with them, and they shall be HIS people, and God HIMSELF shall be with them, and be their God.

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

And HE that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.


***

Based on the life expectancy shown in Bible, how many years do you have left on this earth?

Psalm 90:10    The days of our years are threescore years and ten (70-years); and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years (80-years), yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.


*****