Job refers to death (Job 18:14) as the King of Terrors. That is exactly what it is for the lost people, every individual who has rejected God’s mercy and salvation. Mercy rejected becomes Judgment received by personal choice. But, for born again Christians, death is the gateway, which opens to allow the angels to enter (Luke 16:22) and transport us to heaven. After the angels have delivered us to heaven the gate will close behind us in a final farewell to every form of death forever.
There is no such thing as soul-sleep. While our bodies sleep temporarily in the grave, our souls and spirits will be rejoicing in heaven and waiting for the trumpet call which will signal the Rapture of the church. Then, right then, we will come to join our bodies (1 Corinthians 5:51-55) which will be resurrected and glorified, just like the risen body of Jesus.
The Son of God was always totally God and always will be, but when He clothed Himself in humanity, He became for us the God-Man, the only God-Man who ever died and always will exist. The last thing Jesus did just before he ascended to heaven (Luke 24:51) was to bless His disciples. If He had gone into heaven as the Son of God, He would have gone alone – BUT – He went as the Son of Man and so He left the door of heaven open for us.
We have absolute and rock-solid assurance that (John 14:19) because Jesus lives, we shall live also forever with Him. For those who reject God’s free grace and gift of mercy, forgiveness, salvation and eternal life, physical death will mean the slamming of the prison bars on a (Revelation 20:15) forever jail cell furnished with torment and unrelenting bitter memories.
While our earth visas are still in effect, it is critical that we witness to the Lord Jesus and to the Truth of His salvation. This is why we are here, to be involved in God’s redemptive purposes. (Oswald Chambers) “If God has made the circumstances of your life unpleasant or disagreeable, make those very circumstances an opportunity (1 Corinthians 15:10) to manifest the Son of God in your mortal flesh.” This is the secret of enjoying the disagreeable by God’s grace with gratitude for the good purpose the Lord has in everything He allows in our lives. God always knows the end from the beginning, and He is weaving the details of our lives into a magnificent tapestry to adorn us in eternity.
If you think you are insignificant and that you have always played second fiddle, you are just the instrument God can use. Take a look – David, a teenager, (1 Samuel 17:51) killed the big enemy giant Goliath. Gideon, with 300 (Judges 7:7) defeated the enemy army of thousands of soldiers. God always uses the insignificant to accomplish His marvellous, lasting, significant works. (Dr. Swindoll) “Tragedy is transformed into triumph when God steps in.” There is no limit to what God will do if there is no limit to my/our obedience.
Nothing is small and insignificant, nothing is too weak, nothing is unimportant, nothing can be defeated - IF – God is in it. (Major Ian Thomas) “Any old bush will do (Exodus 3:4) as long as God is in the bush”. Focus on what God is doing, not on what is happening to you or going on all around you. In Christ (Philippians 4:13) we are invincible.
The trees of the field (Isiah 55:12) clap their hands in praise to God for all His wonderful works. Do you ever stop to think that if God had not created trees – we would not have toilet paper! Do we short-change the Lord with our low-level or often absent thanksgiving? Is heart-felt gratitude practically a stranger to us? It is so easy to take for granted God’s numberless blessings. Or do we join in the applause of the hand-clapping trees in sincere spontaneous loving thanksgiving to our God.
Oh, magnify (Psalms 34:3) the Lord with me and let us exalt His Name together. I want my heart to be an altar of incense so that the fragrance of gratitude will ascend continually to my all-glorious giving God. Through the faithful obedience of Christians (Ephesians 3:10) the infinite manifold wisdom of God, is revealed and made known to the demonic powers and authorities in the heavenly spheres. Human logic is silenced before (Romans 8:35) the eternal promises of God.