Over the past months, over 200,000 people have died from the Corona virus and its devastating disease.  The numbers increase every day.  As great as the numbers are, many of us do not personally know anyone who has died of Covid 19.  But people are still dying of other causes every day.  I had a friend who suddenly and unexpectedly passed away on Monday.  Even though it had nothing to do with the pandemic, the grief is still the same, whether it comes from a virus or some other means in the providence of God.  It hurts.  But, with the death of my friend, also comes some important perspective.  The grief is different…undergirded by Great Hope.  He is a believer in Jesus.  Yes…I used the present tense…because, even though he has died, yet, he still lives (John 11:24-25), for he has simply crossed from life here to life there…with the Lord. I’ll see him again!  God’s Word tells me so.  So the big question is this: Are you ready to make that “cross-over?”  The answer to that question is: Jesus…only Jesus.

John 11:25-26

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage each other with these words.

“Those who live in the Lord never see each other the last time.”

~ a German Proverb

Blessings in His “blessed hope!”

Pastor Dave