Are you ready to meet your Maker?

Most people do not like to think about death, myself included.  You have probably heard the old saying, "Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die." I would add to that quote that it's not so much that people are afraid of death, but of what awaits them after death. Of course, the idea of any kind of non-painful death is frightening, but what should be even more intimidating is the idea of facing God Almighty the very moment your life on this planet ends. Yes, it will be a glorious day more amazing than any of us can imagine when we see Jesus face to face, but do not be fooled, we will stand before God's throne of judgement, and this should indeed should give us awe and fear of the Lord.

Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences. II Corinthians 5:9-11

I know there are some who believe we fall asleep after death, and although this is not really my focus today, I do want to point out that there several verses in the Bible that dispute this theology.  Jesus tells the criminal dying on the cross next to him that after death, the new believer will be in paradise that very same day. (see Luke 23:43) And, there is the parable in Luke 16:19-31 where Jesus tells of a rich man and a beggar in heaven and hell and they are both instantly in their final destinations after death, not sleeping in the grave.  We know this because the rich man begs for an angel to go to his family to give them the gospel message.  If he were to be sleeping until after the last trumpet call, his family would not still be alive. 

So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body [when we are alive] we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body [after we die] and to be present with the Lord. II Corinthians 5:6-8

 My purpose for this blog is not just to remind us all that life is short, with all the strange happenings this year, we should be more aware than ever of this fact.  I do not want people to live in fear, but to have a hope for their eternal future.  And if you ever lost a loved one, I want you to be able to have comfort in knowing it is possible to see him/her again.
However, there are conditions that must be met in order to have hope for a joyful eternity. We must strive for a holy life, daily repent of our sins, and treat others with love and kindness.  We can walk in confidence knowing hat Jesus died for our sins and, when we live a clean life for Him, we will spend eternity with our Lord and Savior! 

I feel like that is all I am to say this subject for now.  My message is simple, remember that each of us will be judged according to our works (actions), so be very careful in all you do if you want to spend eternity with your Maker and be reunited with loved ones.

For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. Matthew 16:27

And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Revelation 20:12-13

And I also want to remind you of what a beautiful place Heaven will be and that God is gracious for preparing such a place for us.  After this blog, I will also post a short story I wrote that I pray will give you hope titled, "Streets of Gold."

 But someone will say, “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?” Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain—perhaps wheat or some other grain. But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body. So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power.  It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

 “O Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?”

The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

I Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-44,50-57