When Death Comes Knocking

In the New Testament we read the words of Jesus in Luke Jesus also told the thief on the cross in Luke As Stephen the first Christian martyr was being stoned to death, he cried for Jesus to receive his spirit.

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The apostle Paul relayed the following as he contemplated his own death. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. We also read in 2 Peter 1: For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

As we consider our text we find Paul offers several aspects of our future hope in Jesus Christ. It is his glorified body. Paul was a tentmaker Acts A tent is a weak, temporary structure, without much beauty; but the glorified body we shall receive will be eternal, beautiful, and never show signs of weakness or decay see Phil. Paul saw the human body as an earthen vessel 2 Cor. How do we know? Because we trust the Word of God. No Christian has to consult a fortune-teller, a Ouija board, a spiritist, or a deck of cards to find out what the future holds or what lies on the other side of death.

God has told us all that we need to know in the pages of His Word. We know that He is alive; therefore, we know that death cannot claim us. The body is only the house we live in. When a believer dies, the body goes to the grave, but the spirit goes to be with Christ Phil. When Jesus Christ returns for His own, He will raise the dead bodies in glory, and body and spirit shall be joined together for a glorious eternity in heaven.

Paul was not expressing a morbid desire for death. In fact, his statement is just the opposite: This is in contrast to our mortal bodies which came from the dust of the earth. He was groaning for glory! This explains why death holds no terrors for the Christian. We can be sure because the Spirit lives within us. Paul mentioned the sealing and the earnest of the Spirit in 2 Corinthians 1: Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ can be found in one of two places: Because he had this kind of confidence, Paul was not afraid of suffering and trials, or even of dangers. He walked by faith and not by sight.

He looked at the eternal unseen, not the temporal seen. Heaven was not simply a destination for Paul: Like the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11, he looked for the heavenly city and governed his life by eternal values. As we review this section of 2 Corinthians, we can see how Paul had courage for the conflict and would not lose heart.

He had a glorious ministry that transformed lives.

He had a valuable treasure in the earthen vessel of his body, and he wanted to share that treasure with a bankrupt world. He had a confident faith that conquered fear, and he had a future hope that was both a destination and a motivation. Moody caught a glimpse of the glory awaiting him. If this is death, it is sweet!

There is no valley here. God is calling me, and I must go. I have been within the gates: An Indiana cemetery has a tombstone over a hundred years old that bears this epitaph:. An unknown passerby had read those words and scratched this reply below them:. I would ask this morning are you as sure as Paul concerning what will happen to you when you die? You will spend eternity in heaven. There however are two avenues we may take when we die. We will all stand before Almighty God to be judged. The righteous will be judged according to their deeds and received rewards for their service for God.

The unbelievers will stand before God at the great white throne judgment. The VA advocate can help the family determine what help is available and get that process underway. Make sure to have multiple copies of the death certificate. Many people will request it as proof before they proceed in helping the family execute the estate, close bank accounts or receive survivor benefits.

Locate and Deliver the Will: If the deceased had a will, it needs to be accepted for probate by the appropriate entities.

Bring the document to the county or city office responsible. Begin Handling the Estate: Sometimes, a bank account for the deceased's estate will need to be opened. Contact or Hire Lawyer s: It is highly advised that a lawyer be contacted regarding the death so that the loved ones can have the proper resources to help guide their financial actions moving through the after-death process and beyond. Contact Tax Preparer or Accountant: Depending on the breadth of the estate, an estate-tax return may need to be filed.

Additionally, a final income-tax return may be necessary as well. Particularly if the deceased received social security benefits, the agency needs to be informed. Payments must be stopped, and at this time, the family can request information regarding survivor benefits. The same is true for pension service providers. All relevant financial institutes need to be informed, as does the post office, utility companies, doctors' offices and loan issuers mortgage, student loans, car loans, credit card lenders, etc.

Make sure a is filed and inform those entities who need to know that the individual is deceased. While the bureaus will find out eventually, it is best to make sure they know shortly after the death, so that any credit lines which may be attempted to be altered can be flagged. Particularly if you are young, make sure your affairs are in order long before you think you will need them. As explained by a recent Forbes article, "The older you get, the more expensive your life insurance is going to become.

You're less of a liability at a younger age because you're more likely to be healthy and without pre-existing conditions […] Ultimately, you make the decision about what type of policy is best for you, but you should have at least some coverage.

Hopefully you won't need to use it for many years to come, but it's better to be safe than sorry. Please, take the necessary steps today to ensure that your loved ones are prepared for the unthinkable. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. Membership is Free What are you waiting for? Free Account Login Click here to access your premium account. February 28, 6: View the discussion thread. Barron's Picks And Pans: Reaction Depends on the Fed a