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Death
April 28, 2012

I went to a funeral recently for a person who lived to be nearly 100. I looked around, and saw mostly older people at the funeral. There were few young people at the funeral, and those who were there were related to the deceased. There is a time for everything in life, and sometimes those who are young forget that one day they too will be old, and sometimes those who are older, forget what it is like to be young. Sometimes you will hear older people say that youth is wasted on the young. And while this may be hard to understand by those who are younger, what the older people are trying to get across is that if they were young again, they would be able to use their life experiences to have a better life. The Bible shows that there is nothing wrong in being young or old as long as we obey God and are true to his calling. There are many different verses that show the difference between young and old that we can apply in our lives today.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

>As we go through life, there will be times when we will do certain things, and there will be other times when we will do something else. Throughout our life there will be times when we are happy and there will be times when we will be sad because of death. There will be times when we get something and there will be times when we give something. So many things will happen to us in life. It will not always be happy, but it will not always be sad. Some of us live lives that are happier than how others feel. Perhaps we live in a family or in a community where it is easier to be happy because our needs are being met. Some of us live lives that are much less happy. Maybe our family or community gives us reason to have concerns and the concern causes us to be sad. Whatever our life may have for us whether good or bad, it will not be forever, because there is a time for everything. And at the funeral, and then at the cemetery, it was normal to consider death. So what does the Bible say about death? The Bible uses the term resurrection to describe what happens to believers after death, and this term is used in the New Testament.

John 11:25
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

This verse shows that the dead will live. Most Christians think that this happens immediately at death because of verses like this, but if you were to look at verse 24 immediately before and other passages from the New Testament, you might begin to understand why there are many like me who believe that at death our spirit returns to God, and that the conscious awareness of our surroundings is awakened at the return of Christ. So for those who think like me, it is sort of like the dead are asleep until Jesus returns and then at the resurrection, our conscious awareness is awakened.

1 Corinthians 15:51-57
Behold, I shew 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 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. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

We know from this passage that the resurrection occurs at hte last trump, and some may not know when this is. This refers to the end of time and the trumpets are warnings given through the Book of Revelation. What we can tell from this passage without knowing the time of the last trump is that at the time of the last trump, those who are believers will be changed into spirit beings, will be incorruptible, and will not die, and up to that point there will have been believers who died who have not been resurrected, but will be like they are sleeping. While sleeping, we are not dead; we are just notaware of what is going on around us. So as confusing as this may be, this is how death will be for us, if we believe.

All verses are from the King James Version.
This site provided by Tom Laign. To all who may believe differently, I also extend peace and love.
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