Yesterday was my birthday and I’ve never received as many well wishes. I am deeply appreciative and thank you all from the bottom of my heart. I distinctly remember attending my brother’s funeral and not one person outside of our family showed up at his funeral service. My young sons and others in our family served as his pallbearers.
Since that dreadful day, I’ve had a horror of dying and suffering the same fate. He committed suicide at 52 and didn’t even have a single friend that thought enough of him to attend his funeral services. It was so sad for me to observe Jim be laid to rest in this manner that I asked my wife to have me cremated and not tale a chance on putting our family through it.
I’m not my brother and have friends all over the country and feel certain I could get enough folks at my service to at least serve as pallbearers and since then I have reconsidered and instructed my family to do whatever made them feel the best concerning laying me to rest. I will have departed my temporary body and will be dwelling in paradise with a huge smile on my face and the disposal of my shell would be of little concern to me at that point.
Funerals are for the living. Yesterday I was reading about David in Acts 13:36 –
For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep. His body was buried with his fathers and saw decay. But the One whom God raised from the dead did not see decay . . .
Our bodies will be as David’s and suffer decay and we shall return to dust just as the Bible predicted; however our spirits will live on forever. We will reside in heaven or hell and thus it is incumbent upon us to think of eternity often and not put our trust in our tomorrows. Birthdays with zeros in them like mine yesterday, (70), are indicators to me that time is running out. This old world is turning and the years are churning, but soon enough the Lord will call us to our just reward.
Are you prepared? Put your faith in Jesus for your tomorrows. His salvation is assured for those who ask for it and He has stated when our time is up and our purpose fulfilled He will call us home and we will be given a new glorified body that will last forever and we will reign with Him as adopted sons and daughters. Life on this earth in these old vulnerable bodies is going to pass faster than you can imagine. Ask Jesus to come into your heart this morning won’t you . . .
Matt. 6:33
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.
November 28 2016 – Click here to listen