Wednesday, January 22, 2014
John 14:1-6 "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know." Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
THERE IS AN AFTERLIFE!
Is there anything beyond this life? Anything other than evaporation of the life-force, disintegration of the corpse and annihilation?
The child of God goes to God Himself for the answer--which means searching His Word, the Bible, about the afterlife. Let's take a quick review of what we know from God's Word on the subject of the afterlife:
+ Jesus died but came through OK and then ascended to heaven, alive and well--as has been competently verified by many eyewitnesses.
+ Jesus does not deceive us about these realities.
+ Jesus went on ahead to finalize preparations for our arrival.
+ He vowed to come back to Earth to take us after our death to His/our home in heaven.
+ There IS life after bodily death for all who trust in Christ and His redeeming work -- and Jesus plans on having us with Him in heaven, to live with Him and our Father, as long as eternity lasts. When your soul departs for the far shore, Jesus will be standing to receive you. When He returns to judge the living and the dead, your body (perfected and glorified) will be re-united with your soul. When the heavens roll up like a scroll and the elements melt with terrible heat, Jesus' blood and righteousness makes you fire-proof.
God grant us the grace to persevere through hell and high water -- as we come to the Father and the eternal home awaiting us -- through Jesus, only Jesus! Amen!
-- Adapted from the Lutheran Spokesman, January 2006
