Good afternoon,
Praise the Lord for this beautiful day. I had a very blessed and beautiful day yesterday. Thank you so much for all your birthday greetings and well wishes from around the globe. I am so blessed. Sunita, along with the family in Orissa, India, visited the village and saw the ruins there. Sunita spent only 10 hours in G.Udayagiri, because of the security reasons. She was able to visit many relatives and the family. She visited briefly the children' homes and a refugee camp. I have been able to talk to Sunita few times since her arrival in India. Praise the Lord for satellites and cell phones, miracles of modern technology. She is back in Bhubaneswar currently, but she will be flying back to Washington, DC on Sunday morning, coming via New Delhi and Dubai. Thank you for praying for her.
Laureen left this morning, flying to Los Angeles where she will attend rehearsal camp, on her short term mission trip with the Continentals. Thank you for your support and prayers for her.
We extend Christian sympathy to our friends John and Lisa O'Neill, of Birmingham, Alabama. Lisa 's dad, Ron Thomas, died and went to be with Jesus, our Savior, this week. Lisa had flown to Illinois to be with her dad. Ron and Lisa are long-time Chicago Bears fans. In fact, Lisa and her dad watched the Bears game last Sunday. Best of all, Ron loved Jesus.
We have been studying the Book of Revelation where we read, “Then I heard a voice from heaven say, 'Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.' 'Yes,' says the Spirit, 'they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.' (Rev. 14:13).
This is an important verse because of where it is found. It comes from the middle of the Book of Revelation, the last book of the Bible. Revelation is the last book of the Bible because in many ways it is Heaven’s last word about the world in which we live. In particular, this verse is in the middle of a discussion about judgment, battles between good and evil, the end of history, and how the Lord is going to make everything make sense. That’s what Revelation is all about. Because this particular verse comes right in the middle of that discussion it is important.
This verse is also important because of who says it. “I heard a voice from heaven say” is how it begins. What follows is a word from heaven. It is important primarily because of what it says about life and death, the future, and our loved ones. We ponder whether life is really worth all of the struggles and hardships that can come our way.
“Blessed are the dead.” Actually that term blessed is very religious sounding. How would you react if it said, “Happy are the dead?” That’s the sense of the word. That is counterintuitive, as we associate death and dying with sickness, suffering, heartache, and tears. We associate happiness with wealth, health, fame, and power - not with hospitals, funerals and cemeteries. What’s happy about death? The Bible makes the same association. The only place where the Bible says “Jesus wept” was at a graveside. The Bible calls death an enemy, but here the word coming from heaven says, “Blessed are the dead.”
The next part of the verse helps as it states, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.” This is not referring to unqualified happiness. Death is not blessed for everyone, as is seen in the preceding verse, where there is a powerful description of the unhappy future facing those who had no room for the Lord in this life. However, our verse looks at the other alternative, insisting that a person’s relationship with the Lord makes a difference. A genuine trust in Jesus Christ, who he is, what he did for, and what he promises provides a qualitative difference in people. The Lord makes a difference how a person thinks.
A life that has purpose and meaning is not just one big accident? The Lord makes a difference in how a person lives. The Bible says that love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control all grow from the Lord’s presence in a person’s life. The Lord also makes a difference in how a person dies. I have been at the bedside of many dying people. I know that the Lord makes a difference. He also makes a difference in how a person grieves. Of course, we mourn the loss of a loved one, but their faith and ours make a qualitative difference.
The Spirit himself speaks with emphasis. “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit.” They are blessed because of what has ended. It is promised, “They will rest from their labor.” Labor is a word which indicates struggles, or wearisome toil. It pictures the kind of activities that wear us down. All of that is over. “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord …for they will rest from their labors.” Certainly the labor associated with sickness and pain is over. So are the worries and fears that are all too common in this life. The struggles with sin, temptation, and weakness end. The next to the last chapter of the Bible speaks of the same blessing. “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Rev 21:3-4).
Our verse says those who die in the Lord are blessed because of what will not be, but it also says something else. They are blessed because of what will continue. “Their deeds will follow them.” Our deeds follow us as they continue in this world. Many things end with death, but memories do not. Good times, good deeds, good words, and good works all linger in the hearts and minds of loved ones. Those who die in the Lord leave a legacy that continues to shine brightly in the lives of others for years, maybe even generations. Death does not end the legacy.
There is another reason for the blessing cited in the verse, undoubtedly the main one. The deeds of God’s people follow them into eternity. The Lord knows our lives. He sees our faith. Nothing will go unnoticed or unrewarded. That’s what makes the struggles and difficulties of life worth it all. Jesus taught us that a reward awaits in eternity. Blessed are those who are persecuted for his name’s sake, “for great is their reward in heaven” (Matt 5:12). He said that anyone who gives a cup of cold water in his name would not lose their reward (Matthew 10:42). That is promised at the end of the Bible in the words, “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done” (Rev 22:12). The greatest reward will be the simple words of the Lord, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Blessed are those who die in the Lord for the deeds will follow them.
Eternity also means reunion. Our relationships with loved ones are the most important treasures anyone has. It will include loved ones and ancestors I have heard about but never have known. The great saints of the ages will also be there. The family reunion will include notables such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Daniel, Jeremiah, John the Baptist, Paul, and Peter—and every other sinner saved by grace through faith in the blood of Christ alone. It will be a grand reunion. That’s something to look forward to!
“Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.” I hope this verse also each of us take stock of our lives, but not to make them pass more quickly. These promises should make us want to make sure the Lord is a part of our lives here and now so that the future described here will be ours as well. It can be. It should be.
In Christ,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvrBQL8swLI
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