John 11:24-27
Martha answered, "I know that he will be raised to life on the last day, when all the dead are raised." Jesus then said, "I am the one who raises the dead to life! Everyone who has faith in me will live, even if they die. And everyone who lives because of faith in me will never really die. Do you believe this?"
"Yes, Lord!" she replied. "I believe that you are Christ, the Son of God. You are the one we hoped would come into the world."
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Twelve years ago today, my dad left this earth for heaven. He was only 63. Not a day goes by that I don’t miss him… and others dear to me who have died and gone to Heaven. But when I think of how sick he was… how miserable his last months on earth were, and how he longed for Heaven and the presence of God, my brother and other loved ones… I wouldn’t wish him back for anything.
I hear people say, “I would give anything for one more day with my loved one.” And I understand this. But I also understand that they probably would not care to have another day with us, because Heaven is so glorious! In his book, 90 Minutes in Heaven, pastor Don Piper tells of asking God over and again, “Why did you send me back?” He “died” in a horrible car wreck and experienced the glory of Heaven… and he badly wanted to stay there. Of course, God used Don Piper in amazing ways to minister to others who had suffered horrendous injuries similar to his. Only he could understand their pain and agony, and he was able to be a great comfort and encouragement to many.
In returning to earth and serving as God desired, Don Piper was the spitting image of someone who lived because of faith in God. And he will never really “die,” because someday he truly will return to Heaven to live in opulence and great comfort with others who have passed before him.
I like to think that our loved ones are not “gone” – they are just “relocated.” We will see them again, if we put our faith in Jesus Christ, as they did. Meanwhile, we have “living” to do on this earth… faith-filled living in Jesus Christ… serving Him, loving Him, and sharing His gospel with everyone we encounter. When I say I “plan to live forever,” I don’t mean that I will never physically die. But I’m with Martha… I believe that Christ is the one we hoped would come into the world… and I plan to relocate to His heavenly home someday. Will you be joining us?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label near death experience. Show all posts
Showing posts with label near death experience. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for June 10, 2011
Luke 14:33-35
"Simply put, if you're not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can't be my disciple.
"Salt is excellent. But if the salt goes flat, it's useless, good for nothing.
"Are you listening to this? Really listening?"
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
A friend of mine posted on Facebook that she was staying up late at night reading the book Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back. I downloaded it onto my Kindle and began reading. Just like my friend… I could not put the book down. I encourage you to get a copy of this book and read it for yourself. Whether you believe that this truly happened or not, I pray that you will glean some insights into how much God loves us… the power of prayer… the reality of the Holy Spirit and His work in our lives… and how important it is to focus on the right things.
The Burpo family faced several life-changing challenges, but none more gut-wrenching than the sudden, near-fatal illness of their 4-year-old son, Colton. And in this experience, they had to wrestle with the possibility of giving Colton – literally – to God. It’s a decision we all pray we never have to make… choosing to trust God even in the loss of our child. But as Todd Burpo points out in this book, our Heavenly Father turned away as Jesus died on the cross… and Burpo surmises it was largely because He would not have been able to allow it, had He watched.
Still, we must be willing to do whatever God asks… trusting that He will be with us every step of the way. And after reading this book, I think you will have a better understanding of just how God is with us – in everything. Nobody said being a disciple of Christ was going to be easy… but more and more I am convinced that it is worth the cost, no matter what that may be.
I know it’s hard sometimes… I know that many of us face gut-wrenching challenges and struggles… and we often cry out to God and ask, “Why is this happening? Where are you?” I am confident that He is still here… with us every step of the way. He has given everything – even to His own Son – so that we can be with Him. The question is… “What are we willing to give to be with Him?”
©2011 Debbie Robus
"Simply put, if you're not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can't be my disciple.
"Salt is excellent. But if the salt goes flat, it's useless, good for nothing.
"Are you listening to this? Really listening?"
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
A friend of mine posted on Facebook that she was staying up late at night reading the book Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back. I downloaded it onto my Kindle and began reading. Just like my friend… I could not put the book down. I encourage you to get a copy of this book and read it for yourself. Whether you believe that this truly happened or not, I pray that you will glean some insights into how much God loves us… the power of prayer… the reality of the Holy Spirit and His work in our lives… and how important it is to focus on the right things.
The Burpo family faced several life-changing challenges, but none more gut-wrenching than the sudden, near-fatal illness of their 4-year-old son, Colton. And in this experience, they had to wrestle with the possibility of giving Colton – literally – to God. It’s a decision we all pray we never have to make… choosing to trust God even in the loss of our child. But as Todd Burpo points out in this book, our Heavenly Father turned away as Jesus died on the cross… and Burpo surmises it was largely because He would not have been able to allow it, had He watched.
Still, we must be willing to do whatever God asks… trusting that He will be with us every step of the way. And after reading this book, I think you will have a better understanding of just how God is with us – in everything. Nobody said being a disciple of Christ was going to be easy… but more and more I am convinced that it is worth the cost, no matter what that may be.
I know it’s hard sometimes… I know that many of us face gut-wrenching challenges and struggles… and we often cry out to God and ask, “Why is this happening? Where are you?” I am confident that He is still here… with us every step of the way. He has given everything – even to His own Son – so that we can be with Him. The question is… “What are we willing to give to be with Him?”
©2011 Debbie Robus
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)