He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. ~ Revelation 21:4 (NIV)
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They say that there are only two things certain in this life: death and taxes. And even some are able to weasel out of taxes, if they don't get caught. But no one can weasel out of death. No one.
And no one is free from the pain of losing a loved one while they walk this earth, either. We all have the common bond of having to attend funerals and suffer the grief of laying someone in the ground, someone we knew and loved. It's a terribly sad thing, and the pain can be excruciating and long-term. For those of you currently undergoing the grief process, I pray God's healing hand on your heart and mind -- let Him in, so that the "missing" is lessened while the memories remain.
Jesus declared in Revelation that a time is coming when this traumatic grief process of death will be no more, this process when we hate getting older because it means our family and friends -- or us -- have to die. For those who choose God in this life, that future Day is coming, and we look forward to a grief-free eternity, where we dwell with God in perfect peace. But for those who don't want to have anything to do with God in this life, the choice is not good. They choose to relegate themselves to an afterlife without God, and if you think the pain of funerals and losing loved ones is excruciating, think about an eternity without the goodness and love and joy and peace that is only available through God. You wanna talk about hell?!? That, my friends, is pain that we can't even imagine.
There's a new movie out, called, "Drag Me to Hell," where a girl is cursed in this life somehow and the spiritual forces are ready to take her. All I can say is that the film trailer paints a VERY SCARY portrait of hell. And I say, "Good!" God wants people to understand it's not a picnic by any stretch of the imagination. God wants people to know there is a spiritual dark side to the course of the universe and eternity is a long time to spend in the absence of everything good, with only evil. A long time...
People want goodness, but they don't want God. But because goodness comes from God, you get the whole package. And although God does send the sunshine and rain on the righteous and the unrighteous (Matthew 5:45) on this earth, so that people are blessed by His goodness even though they choose to have nothing to do with Him, when the Day of Judgment comes, that season of blessing is over. Sin will be judged and sorting will take place. Though we all sin, those who have chosen God and sought Jesus as the payment for their sin will live with God. Those who have rejected God and refuse Jesus, are left to be separate from Him -- and all goodness -- forever. If it sounds harsh, it is. But choosing to reject God and His love is harsh, too. We can't have our cake and eat it, too.
This might sound like scare tactics, but it's really not. I'm simply speaking the reality as presented in God's word. Death in this life is mandatory due to sin. But death in the next life is not mandatory. You don't have to spend eternity in grief. Where God is, is joy and love. So I beg of you to choose God now, in this life. Not only will you know the joy of eternal living with God in heaven, but you will know the joy of God's dwelling in your heart in this earthly life.
A relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ, changes everything. How we live, how we grieve, how we die. Everything.
Love,
Joelene
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