Good day dear friends.
Here is our study guide for today:
Thursday: Read Revelation 1:17-20. What does the Lord say in these verses about life and death? What are your fears about dying yourself? Do you have the peace and assurance that comes from the Lord Himself about resurrection for us?
In the first chapter of The Revelation of John, these verses read as follow: 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he placed his right hand on me, saying, "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I was dead, and see, I am alive forever and ever; and I have the keys of Death and of Hades. 19 Now write what you have seen, what is, and what is to take place after this. 20 As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches."
Tradition has it that the disciple John of the original twelve, a member of the "inner circle" the ones who saw some things the other nine did not, such as the Transfiguration, was exiled to the Island of Patmos for his punishment in being a Christian. It was on a Sunday morning that caught up in the Spirit John was given a vision of what was to come and instructed to write all that he saw and thus how we got the last book in the Bible. In this first chapter the one he sees if the Lord Jesus and last having seen Him taken up in the clouds, is very afraid at seeing the Lord in this way. As happens in all the Bible whenever God allows mortals to see heavenly visions, John is told, "Do not be afraid." What follows is Jesus' short explanation of who He is in the order of things, first and last, the living one, dead but now "alive forever and ever;" holding "the keys of Death and Hades." What Jesus shares in this brief time is enough for us to recognize first, we serve a living God. Our God never dies. God sent Jesus, His only Son, to live among us, teach us, love us, die for us, rise from the dead never to die again. His message is one of life and freedom from fear. Echoing the words from the gospel of John, Jesus promised to prepare a place for us so that where He is we would be. And now John is given this privilege of seeing that very place that's under construction. Secondly, death and even Hades itself have come under new ownership, the Jesus management company. Jesus will decide who dies forever and suffers eternal separation from God. In all honesty, it is us who decide to accept or reject all that God offers. Many ask, "How can a loving God send us to hell?" And the answer is simple, it isn't God who sends us there, it is us choosing to live a life that rejects God's love and we live apart from God during this lifetime, so being separated eternally from God shouldn't come as a surprise to us.
Concerning your thoughts on death and dying, we admit it is not a topic of choice. It took Nellie and I many years before we were comfortable talking to our daughters about our deaths. And they were not ready to hear that. My parents bought a funeral policy in their fifties and prepared for the funeral in that way. Christ allowed a peace for us to talk to each other about this part of life and then to talk to our daughters in the same way. Death is a part of life, not something to be hated or undesired. Some deaths caused by accidents or disease earlier in the life of the one who dies do anger and confuse us, but we just add those to the list of things that we don't understand here but one day will.
It is during thoughts of this nature that we trust again in Christ Jesus and all that he shared. Read again John 11 and then John 14. Hear for the first time or for the millionth time letting them sink in about how Jesus is the resurrection and the life, about how He is going to the Father so that one day we can be there as well. And pray believing those words so that they become a part of who we are now and who we will one day be in that glorious place.
PRAYER: God of life, speak living words to us today in all that we say, think and do. Let the words of Your son Jesus be those who impart comfort and peace and the assurance we need to journey on with you. Let our living be Christ Jesus every day and our dying to be a victory. We pray in the One who never dies, Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Have a blessed day!
e.v.
