Tag Archives: death

Peace at Christmas, December 24, 2018

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.

If you are listening to this on the day it’s released, it’s Christmas Eve. What an exciting time for all the kids! There is great anticipation of what tomorrow brings. What will be in those stockings hung by the fire? What will that jolly old elf pull out of his sack and put under the tree? For we adults, it’s about watching those kids and grandkids seeing those special gifts. It’s about the sparkle in their eyes and the joy they have in those special moments of surprise. Christmas morning brings with it some work for the family also as we prepare the feast for all of us to consume.

Christmas can also bring some anxiety. Family arrives that you don’t see very often and maybe some friends and family that you don’t want to see very often. You love them, but the pressure to be something or someone you’re not is pretty high. Unresolved conflict creates tension in the air and that atmosphere spoils some of the joy that should be the highlight of the celebration we should project throughout the day instead of some façade of happiness you just don’t feel.

We should remember, though, that Jesus came to bring peace. Micah’s prophecy about the coming Messiah says as much in chapter five. That’s the chapter that tells us the Messiah will come from Bethlehem, but just a three verses later, he says, ‘…and he shall be the one of peace.’

I don’t know about you, but I can use that kind of Messiah. The Israelites were not looking for one of peace at the time. They wanted a warrior who would free them from the oppressive rule of Rome. They wanted someone who would take charge and give them victory over all their enemies and they assumed that someone would be a powerful ruler with both political and military might.

God had different ideas, though. He spelled them out in many of the prophecies. Jesus would come as a suffering servant. He would bleed and die for us. He would sacrifice himself in our stead. The Israelites and their religious leaders did not want to accept those verses. They wanted to focus on the ones that talked about his kingship, his power, his strength, his sovereignty. They wanted someone who was able to judge and destroy all their enemies.

Micah’s words didn’t fit that bill. Born in Bethlehem? Some little backwoods hovel that held no importance except it was the birthplace of David and his brothers. And by the way, if you think hard about David’s family and read between the lines of scripture, they sound like a bunch of pretty bad dudes. Many of them are listed among his mighty men and leaders in his army. You only got into those position by your prowess as a warrior. They did things like kill a hundred enemy at a time…by themselves. David was no pipsqueak either. You can’t be that picture of a skinny little shepherd and kill a lion and a bear. I expect David looked a lot more like Atlas than the meek, mild shepherd boy pictures we see. Saul’s armor didn’t fit him when he faced Goliath, not because he was small, but because Saul stood head and shoulders taller than all the other Israelites.

So here was this prophecy about a peaceful Messiah born in a village that produced some of the fiercest warriors in Israel’s history. Jesus said the same of himself. When he talked with his disciples at that last Passover meal with them. He told them he was leaving his legacy of peace with them. He told them the world would hate them because of him, but despite the persecution they would face, they would face it with peace. They did not need to fear as much of humanity did and still does. They could face life with courage and determination and peace. He would assure them of it because of the hope he left behind for them.

He does the same for us. That legacy of peace extends to all who believe in him. John 3:16 sums up his purpose pretty well. “God loved the world (you and me) so much that he gave his one and only son so that whoever (that includes you and me, it doesn’t discriminate against anyone) whoever believes in him will not die but will have everlasting life. Now that’s a promise we can enjoy.

All that leads me to a sad celebration my family is experiencing at this time. As I’m preparing this, my brother-in-law is facing that final step into eternity. He is the first of my siblings or their spouses to face this milestone of life. This final step for he and his wife came so unexpectedly. At the first of December, he seemed fairly healthy, ready for their traditional early Christmas party with his children and grandchildren, and the excitement of the season. Then came December 11. He went from healthy to hospice and I expect as you are listening to this podcast, my sister is preparing his memorial service.

Through these couple of tragic weeks, though, my sister and brother-in-law have been pillars of strength. No fear. Sadness of course because we don’t understand why life should be cut short at 55. That’s way too early these days for disease to take over and decimate life so quickly. But their witness to their children, caregivers, family, and friends shows the legacy of peace that comes with knowing life doesn’t end with our last breath. He knows he will go to sleep very soon and will awake in another realm. He will step foot in paradise and be with his savior forever.

When we believe in the son of God, we can have that same assurance and like him, we face the worst life has to offer without fear. We can know the final outcome and understand that peace can be the predominant emotion even when the world would expect something far different. My brother-in-law has expressed no fear in this next step. Sadness? Some, especially for my sister and their children and grandchildren, knowing he leaves an emptiness that will be filled. Anxiety? Only in regard to making sure everything is in place to ensure my sister is taken care of at his passing.

Joy? Yes. Joy. Can it be true? Joy in dying? Yes. He knows his destiny. He knows his wife will not be alone for long, but will join him in just a short while. What’s a few years in terms of eternity? He knows her faith and she shares the same hope and peace and joy in seeing Jesus that he does. Even in this time the world expects deep sorrow, anger, denial, and a host of other emotions, they have that legacy of peace Jesus said he would leave with us. It is real. It is ours for the asking.

Would I ask for this situation? Absolutely not. Have we prayed for healing? Yes. Did it come? Yes, but not the way we wanted. He will soon have no pain, no tears, no disease. He will soon be perfected in every way. It’s not what we wanted, but God is answering prayer. And we accept that God knows what’s best in every situation. Are we sad? Yes. We will miss him.

We also celebrate with him, though. We will see him again. We will join him one day because as he knows his destination, so do many of us. We have peace and know that one day each of us will wake up on the other side of life. We will see all those who have gone before us and we will see Jesus.

Micah prophesied more than 2500 years ago the Messiah ‘…shall be the one of peace.’ I’ve watched it in the conduct, actions, and bearing of my sister and her husband. Their witness of his peace in their faith is remarkable. Their love for each other is overshadowed by their love of God and their realization that he is with them through every moment of this journey. His legacy of peace is real. We can have it, too.

Merry Christmas to all.

You can find me at richardagee.com. I also invite you to join us at San Antonio First Church of the Nazarene on West Avenue in San Antonio to hear more Bible based teaching. You can find out more about my church at SAF.church. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed it, tell a friend. If you didn’t, send me an email and let me know how better to reach out to those around you. Until next week, may God richly bless you as you venture into His story each day.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

What do you do with fear? (Revelation 1:17-20), May 11, 2017

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Franklin D. Roosevelt is famed with saying, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” But how well do we do that?
Scripture
1. Revelation 1:17-20
2. The One: This is not the time for fear; I am the First and the Last, and I am the living One. I entered the realm of the dead; but see, I am alive now and for all the ages—even ages to come. Amen. I possess the keys to open the prison of death and hades.

Now write down all you have seen—all that is and all that will be. Regarding the mystery of the seven stars you saw in My right hand and of the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the heavenly messengers who preside over the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches themselves.

Devotional
1. Fear is rampant in our society
  1. Fear of physical harm
    1. Terrorists
    2. Robbers, murderers, assault
  2. Fear of disease
    1. Cancer
    2. Heart disease
    3. Diabetes
    4. Communicable diseases
  3. Fear of failure
    1. Work
    2. Relationships
    3. Life
  4. Fear of death
2. What do we do with fear?
  1. Wikipedia – Fear is a feeling induced by perceived danger or threat that occurs in certain types of organisms, which causes a change in metabolic and organ functions and ultimately a change in behavior, such as fleeing, hiding, or freezing from perceived traumatic events. Fear in human beings may occur in response to a specific stimulus occurring in the present, or in anticipation or expectation of a future threat perceived as a risk to body or life. The fear response arises from the perception of danger leading to confrontation with or escape from/avoiding the threat (also known as the fight-or-flight response), which in extreme cases of fear (horror and terror) can be a freeze response or paralysis.
  2. We all experience it as a natural emotion, but Roosevelt tells us we have nothing to fear but fear
  3. Jesus tells us now is not the time to fear
  4. He has already conquered the thing we fear most – death
  5. He holds the keys to the prison of death
3. Follow Him and He can release us from that prison
  1. Knowing He holds the keys to the worst that can happen to us
  2. We do not need to be afraid
  3. Our greatest failure is overcome by the one who holds the solution to our biggest problem – death
  4. He takes us through the veil to life everlasting
  5. There really is nothing to fear – not even fear
4. Go show a little courage
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

You can’t go (John 13:31-35), March 24, 2017

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
My grandson had the thrill of his life last week. This year he is finally tall enough to ride “The Rattler”, the big roller coaster at Fiesta Texas in San Antonio. He’s wanted to ride for a long time, but just wasn’t quite tall enough. His plight reminded me of today’s words from Jesus.
Scripture
1. John 13:31-35
2. Jesus: Now the Son of Man will be glorified as God is glorified in Him. If God’s glory is in Him, His glory is also in God. The moment of this astounding glory is imminent. My children, My time here is brief. You will be searching for Me; and as I told the Jews, “You cannot go where I am going.” So I give you a new command: Love each other deeply and fully. Remember the ways that I have loved you, and demonstrate your love for others in those same ways. Everyone will know you as My followers if you demonstrate your love to others.
Devotional
1. When you were a kid, do you remember those times when your mom or dad or big brother or sister left you behind? “Sorry, you can’t go with me, kid.
  1. Not this time.
  2. You’re not big enough.
  3. You’re not old enough.
  4. You’re not ready.”
  5. How did you feel?
2. I imagine that’s how the disciples felt when Jesus talked to them about going away.
  1. Closest friends.
  2. Went everywhere with Him
  3. Enjoyed His teachings, His miracles, His company
  4. Wanted to protect Him from the crowds and His enemies
  5. Wanted to be wherever He was
3. What did they feel
  1. Disappointment
  2. Rejection
  3. Abandonment
  4. Fear
  5. Anger
  6. Confusion
4. We look back and understand
  1. Know where He was going
  2. Know we can join Him one day
  3. Know how to get to the place He went
  4. Ask His forgiveness
  5. Accept Him as Lord
  6. Follow Him each day
5. We can’t go there yet, but one day it will be time and we can be with Him forever
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

That was no magic show (John 11:43-44), March 15, 2017

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Do you like magic shows? I’m always fascinated by them and like to see if I can catch the magician in some mistake that reveals his secrets. 2,000 years ago, that was no magic show at Lazarus’ tomb, though
Scripture
1. John 11:43-44
2. After these words, He called out in a thunderous voice.

Jesus: Lazarus, come out!

Then, the man who was dead walked out of his tomb bound from head to toe in a burial shroud.

Jesus: Untie him, and let him go.

Devotional
1. A couple of months ago, I saw the Illusionists. It’s a group of magicians that do a variety of tricks on stage that really boggle the mind.
  1. A couple of the acts were pretty weird, like running sharp objects through his body. I didn’t care so much for that.
  2. Escape from a water chamber similar to Houdini’s water chamber, but without the straightjacket
  3. One that really fascinated me was a man who just manipulated playing cards.
    1. Hidden in pockets
    2. Appeared from thin air
    3. Thousands of cards
2. We enjoy watching things we can’t figure out
  1. Enjoy trying to catch the magician in his tricks
  2. Try to find the wires or hidden pockets or figure out the strange technology they used to fool you into thinking something magical has happened
  3. Their skills are sometimes incredible
3. 2,000 years ago those around the tomb didn’t see a magic trick
  1. No incantation
  2. No technology, wires, or mirrors
  3. No double to take Lazarus’ place
  4. Jesus prayed, thanked His Father for hearing His prayer
  5. Called in a loud voice
4. The dead man walked out of the tomb bound from head to toe in a burial shroud
  1. Jesus brought life into a dead body
  2. Arms bound to sides
  3. Legs bound together
  4. Enough life to get up, walk out of the tomb wrapped from head to toe, probably hopped out
  5. Took away the stench of death, too
  6. Untie him, and let him go.
  7. Free him from the shroud as I freed him from death
  8. No magic, just power over death
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

Jesus has some weird ways to think about sleep (John 11:9-11), March 11, 2017

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Jesus makes us think about sleep in some ways you might have never thought about sleep before. Some may even think it a little weird.
Scripture
1. John 11:9-11
2. Jesus: There are 12 hours of daylight, correct? If anyone walks in the day, that person does not stumble because he or she sees the light of the world. If anyone walks at night, he will trip and fall because he does not have the light within. (Jesus briefly pauses.) Our friend Lazarus has gone to sleep, so I will go to awaken him.
Devotional
1. I wish I could face the reality of death as easily as Jesus did. Of course, He knows the other side of that curtain and we don’t. He tells us about it. We hear reports of near death experiences from some, but we really don’t know what lies on the other side of the grave until we actually go through that process. I don’t know about you, but I’m not anxious to go through it.
  1. Not necessarily afraid of death
  2. But not anxious to go through it to face that unknown
2. Lazarus experience help us face that unknown better
  1. Just sleeps
  2. Waiting to wake up
    1. Most wake up on the other side of this life
    2. He woke up again on this side
3. Sleep is the time our bodies heal
  1. Minds organize the day through dream process
  2. Cells work their hardest to repair the damage done through the day
  3. Empties themselves of toxins and sends them to the liver and kidneys
  4. Body mends and prepares for the next day
4. Jesus looked to the tomb and saw something besides decay and death and finality
  1. He saw life and vitality
  2. He saw joy and renewal and continued relationship
  3. He saw beyond the grief of the moment and looked into the future where He would receive His friends in heaven
5. We all need sleep in this life and Jesus knows we will sleep before we move into the next one
  1. He did not call it death because He doesn’t want us to fear it
  2. He wants those who believe in Him to recognize it for what it is, transition from one state of life to another
  3. When we follow Him we don’t need to fear death
  4. It will be like Lazarus experienced and Jesus described
  5. “Our friend Lazarus has gone to sleep, so I will go to awaken him.”
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

Only one purpose (John 11:4), March 10, 2017

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Why do you ask God for the petitions you raise to Him? Jesus had only one purpose for every request. You know what it was?
Scripture
1. John 11:4
2. Jesus: His sickness will not end in his death but will bring great glory to God. As these events unfold, the Son of God will be exalted.
Devotional
1. Wouldn’t it be nice to go into every hospital room and announce these words to every family member of every patient there? Wouldn’t that bring joy to your heart to tell everyone on their deathbed because of cancer or some traumatic injury or heart attack or stroke that they would get up from their bed and have a rich full life?
  1. Our world doesn’t work that way very often
  2. Sickness often ends in death
  3. Graveyards attest to the finality of this life
  4. We are all destined to die
  5. Even Lazarus went back to a tomb one day
2. Medicine has gotten better
  1. Life has been extended
  2. Life expectancy reaches toward centennial years
  3. A few decades ago, 60 was old
  4. Social security set at 65 because government didn’t expect to have to pay very long when it was established. Average life span was 67.
3. Jesus had something else in mind
  1. Wanted those around Him to know He had power over death
  2. Wasn’t the first time
  3. Centurion’s daughter
  4. Widow’s son in Cain
  5. None had been dead four days
  6. Practice was to bury the dead within 24 hours
4. Lazarus would have already begun to decay and smell in the heat of the middle east, even closed away in a cave
5. Shows us anything is possible for God, He is the creator of life
  1. He can take it and He can give it
  2. He did the same with His own life, yesterday’s words, no one can take it from Him, He willingly gives it up and has the authority to do so
  3. But not for show
  4. Not as some circus act
6. Why do we ask for the impossible?
  1. Do we do it for ourselves
  2. Do we ask for our convenience or because of our grief
  3. Do we ask so that God will be glorified
7. Jesus’ sole purpose was to glorify His Father and delayed His coming to Mary and Martha so that God would be glorified and for no other reason. He loved them and Lazarus.
  1. Didn’t want to see them grieve
  2. Didn’t want to see their pain and anguish
  3. Wanted to glorify His Father more, though
8. What is your motivation for the petitions you raise to God
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

The fear of public speaking (John 10:25-30), March 7, 2017

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
So what’s the greatest fear you face? Many say it’s speaking in front of a crowd. I’m not so sure that’s right, though.
Scripture
1. John 10:25-30
2. Jesus: I have told you, and you do not believe. The works I am doing in My Father’s name tell the truth about Me. You do not listen; you lack faith because you are not My sheep. My sheep respond as they hear My voice; I know them intimately, and they follow Me. I give them a life that is unceasing, and death will not have the last word. Nothing or no one can steal them from My hand. My Father has given the flock to Me, and He is superior to all beings and things. No one is powerful enough to snatch the flock from My Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.
Devotional
1. Studies say that people are more afraid of speaking in front of a crowd than they are of dying.
  1. Might be true until people actually face death
  2. We really don’t know what lies beyond that last breath, that last heartbeat
  3. Something inside us tells us there is more than just the few years we have in these mortal bodies
  4. We want to have assurances of the next step after we pass from this life to whatever we face next
2. Some want us to think there is nothing beyond this life
  1. Our heart tells us that is not true
  2. God’s word tells us it’s not true, too
  3. If we listen to Him we can find out something about what is next
  4. He tells us something of heaven
  5. Feast with Him
  6. No darkness, God is light
3. We only get there through Him
  1. Some don’t want to believe that either
  2. Everything people try to disprove turns out to be right in God’s word
  3. Why would we think Jesus’ words about the way to God to be any different?
  4. Listen to what He has to say
  5. Pay attention to the sound of His voice in your heart and do what He says
  6. Ignore the other voices that vie for your attention and focus on the words Jesus tells you
  7. He is the Good Shepherd and takes care of His sheep. He will do what is best for those under His care. That means us if you have accepted Him as the Lord of your life
4. Death doesn’t have to be the most frightening thing you face. Let speaking in front of a crowd scare you more than anything else. He will walk with us through that shadow that separates us from the next step that takes us into eternity
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

Do you fear death? (John 5:24), January 29, 2017

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Do you fear death? I’ve seen too much death in my lifetime, but I’ve seen those who are incredibly afraid of death and those who accept it as just the passage from life to life with no fear in their countenance at all. What’s the difference in them? Stick around and we’ll talk about it.
Scripture
1. John 5:24
2. Jesus: I tell you the truth: eternal life belongs to those who hear My voice and believe in the One who sent Me. These people have no reason to fear judgment because they have already left death and entered life.
Devotional
1. A few years ago I was suffering from some physical symptoms that scared my wife pretty bad. I couldn’t walk more than thirty or forty feet without stopping to suck in all the air around me. I just couldn’t get enough air to satisfy the needs of my body.
  1. Check for asthma
  2. Check for pulmonary edema or other lung problems
  3. Check for cardiac problems
  4. Check for neurological problems
  5. Found nothing except I couldn’t get enough oxygen
2. Family feared for me
  1. Several mechanical problems to be labeled as a disabled veteran
  2. Nothing life threatening
  3. Now I couldn’t get enough oxygen to pass into my blood to satisfy my body
3. For me, no fear, overwhelming peace
  1. Knew the status of my heart
  2. Knew my destination
  3. Knew the next step if i took my last breath
  4. Pain but comfort in pain
4. Eternal life belongs to those who hear My voice and believe in the One who sent Me. These people have no reason to fear judgment because they have already left death and entered life.
  1. Did I want to die
  2. Too much left to do and see
  3. Not anxious to get to the other side
  4. But not afraid of death
5. Good feeling to know death is not as frightening an experience as Satan tries to get us to believe.
  1. A lot of unknown
  2. Watch the faces of believers and non-believers
  3. Peace versus fear and anguish
  4. Personal experience from what should have been frightening experiences
  5. Death approaching is okay when God’s spirit is in you
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

How useful is that money now? (Luke 12/14-21) November 15, 2016

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Ezra 1-5

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 12:14-21
Jesus: Since when am I your judge or arbitrator?
Then He used that opportunity to speak to the crowd.
Jesus: You’d better be on your guard against any type of greed, for a person’s life is not about having a lot of possessions.
(then, beginning another parable) A wealthy man owned some land that produced a huge harvest. He often thought to himself, “I have a problem here. I don’t have anywhere to store all my crops. What should I do? I know! I’ll tear down my small barns and build even bigger ones, and then I’ll have plenty of storage space for my grain and all my other goods. Then I’ll be able to say to myself, ‘I have it made! I can relax and take it easy for years! So I’ll just sit back, eat, drink, and have a good time!’”
Then God interrupted the man’s conversation with himself. “Excuse Me, Mr. Brilliant, but your time has come. Tonight you will die. Now who will enjoy everything you’ve earned and saved?”
This is how it will be for people who accumulate huge assets for themselves but have no assets in relation to God.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

I hope you’ve never been part of those inheritance squabbles. I’ve seen a few in my lifetime. I think my family on both side through several links are smart enough and genteel enough not to get into those kinds of brutal arguments. But I’ve seen some of those battles. No one comes out well when a wealthy or even a not so wealthy family member dies and siblings or children and grandchildren start fighting over who should receive what portions of the estate. People come out of the woodwork demanding their part. Court battles erupt and there is anything but respect for the deceased’s last will and testament, especially if a large portion is given to a charity. It seems people just don’t want to work for their money anymore.

Jesus addressed the man who wanted arbitration about an inheritance, but that wasn’t the case for the wealthy person in Jesus’ parable. The subject of the parable was a man who earned his fortune through hard work, but then decided it was time to retire early. He built his estate and accumulated more than he could ever spend. He was ready to sit back and enjoy the good life.

That sounds just like the pitch all our financial planners give us, doesn’t it? Start saving your money at a young age. Set aside all you can as soon as you can. Then by the time you’re 55, you’ll have enough to retire and do what you want. You can quit working and travel the world. Put your money in the right stocks and watch them grow at enormous rates and then just sit back with your toes in the sand and do nothing but enjoy the fruits of your short life of labor. Doesn’t that sound good?

Only that’s not God’s plan for us. He never talks about retirement. God never gives us a date to quit working on His plans. He never tells us to sit back and do nothing. And there are some important reasons for that. I haven’t looked lately, but a few years ago, there were some interesting morbidity mortality rates concerning military retirees. Those were the only ones I was researching at the time because at the time I was looking at my own retirement. The research showed that the average life expectancy for someone retiring from military service was just under ten years.

That was a little scary to me. There were several reasons given. Many stopped their daily exercise routine the military sort of forces us into and so gained enormous amounts of weight in the first several months out of service that never came off. That contributes to lots of other problems like diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, etc. Many stopped getting routine medical care because they weren’t required to as they were while on active duty so those underlying problems weren’t found soon enough to take care of them. But one of the astounding reasons given for many died so quickly after retirement was their lack of purpose for living. The just quit feeling useful to society and gave up on life. So if any disease popped up they didn’t fight it, they just died. The flu killed them. Pneumonia killed them. A heart attack killed them. Because they didn’t have the will to fight to live.

Solomon learned the hard way, and wrote in Ecclesiastes for us, life is meaningless unless lived for the right reasons. We can dabble in lots of stuff, earn lots of money, have our names in lights and be known around the world. None of that matters. Unless we are working out God’s purpose in our lives, life is truly meaningless. All the riches in the world don’t matter and don’t do anything for us. Besides, ask all those rich folks lying in those neatly mowed graves and polished mausoleum, how useful is all that wealth to them now?

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Living forever (Luke 7:13-14) October 10, 2016

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Numbers 33-36

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 7:13-14
As soon as the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her.
Jesus: Don’t weep.
Then He came to the stretcher, and those carrying it stood still.
Jesus: Young man, listen! Get up!

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Can you imagine what that funeral was like? The town follows a poor grieving widow as she walks behind the bier of her only son. She couldn’t afford professional wailers, but many of them felt sorry for her and accompanied her anyway. She’s on her way out to the cemetery with the somber group and the people she meets on the road bow their heads in respect and grieve with her.

But then Jesus meets the small party of mourners as He comes into town. He doesn’t bow His head like the others on the road. He stops the procession. He lifts her face, looks in her eyes, and tells her, “Don’t cry.”

What a thing for a stranger to tell a grieving widow. You just lost your only son. You just lost your only means of support. You just became totally dependant on the kindness of others for your survival. Don’t cry. Sounds pretty harsh to say those things at a funeral, doesn’t it.

Of course we know the rest of the story. He went to the stretcher, and talked to the young man. Those around Him must have thought He was crazy talking to a dead man. But nonetheless, Jesus said, “Young man! Get up!” And to everyone’s surprise, except Jesus’, the young man sat up and looked around. Got up off the stretcher and went home with his mother.

There are two important points to this story. First, it shows Jesus has power over death. He showed it by raising the young man. Just by telling him to get up off the stretcher on his way to his grave, Jesus shows his spoken word brings life to the lifeless. He conquers death in hopeless situations. This event and a few other stories like it in the gospels showed His disciples before the resurrection He had power to heal even at the point of death. It should have been little surprise when as He told them He would rise from the dead, that He would. He had the power to do it.

Second, death was not part of God’s plan from the beginning. It came as a result of our disobedience. Death entered the world because of Adam’s sin and affected all creation ever since. We all die because death made its entrance and until Jesus returns and the new heaven and earth come into being, death remains a part of the curse of that first sin.

Jesus recognized the flaws created by that first sin in our world. He saw death for what it was a penalty that must be paid for the sins of man, but one that God never wanted us to have to pay. He wanted us to live. He wanted us to enjoy this world and all that is in it. But we corrupted it with our selfish desires and disobedience to Him. We brought death into the world and He is the only one who can remove it. So He showed us in this one event what He wanted for all of us. Life.

So how should we live knowing that God wants life for us and not death? How should we approach every day if we understand that God intended death never to be part of what we experience, yet we face it every day just the same? Is God unjust because death is here even though He didn’t want it to be? Should we blame God for the predicament we’re in having to face death?

Certainly, we can’t blame God for something that is our fault. We brought sin into the picture. It is our self-centeredness that is at the heart of every sin. We want what we want instead of what God wants and that’s the beginning of every sin. So when God tells us what the outcome will be when we don’t make Him first in our life, can we blame Him for the result when we don’t put Him first? I don’t think so. He tells us the rules and even shows great mercy and grace and forgiveness when we ask.

And the question of how should we live? That depends on whether He is Lord of your life. If God is not Lord of your life, death is real and continues. The cessation of this physical life means eternal separation from God and eternal punishment for the sins you’ve committed. Real death begins. If He is, death holds no power over you. You have the assurance that the cessation of heartbeats and breath just passes you from this physical world into the presence of God, but life goes on. It is in a different place, a different body, a different environment that we cannot yet understand, but life continues with God eternally. We cannot understand or imagine what it will be like. But life continues.

Jesus knew what the Father intended and showed us by raising the young man to life again. His hope is that all of us will choose life, which means choosing Him as Lord. It’s the best way to live both now and forever.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.