“The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” (1 Cor. 15:26)
Those words have been stuck in my head these last two weeks–and the reminders are everywhere.
As you read in last week’s beautiful post by my fellow blogger Allison about the unexpected death of her sister Jodi, death still seems to be winning. The previous week marked what would have been my dad’s 86th birthday. We lost him last July, just 8 weeks after my mom lost her battle with cancer on June 3rd. Her birthday on May 1st is not a day I’m looking forward to, nor is Mother’s Day.
And as I write, my friend and co-worker in the cubicle next to me is watching vigil with his family gathered at the bedside of his elderly mother who is slipping away into eternity. The eerie parallels to last May for my family are uncomfortably familiar.
Death stinks! I hate it. It’s a ruthless enemy. I know it’s the last enemy to be destroyed before Jesus starts making everything new. I, for one, can’t wait.
In his vision of the way things will someday be, John wrote of it this way:
“‘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.’ He who was seated on the thrown said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’” (Rev. 21:4-5)
The real deal is that someday, death will be decisively crushed under the heel of Jesus Christ, the One who tasted death for us all so that we too can share in His victory dance.
“‘Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting.’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor. 15:54-57)
So, until that day when we will dance on the grave of death with our Lord, let’s embrace one another with words of comfort, prayers of support and acts of compassion in our times of loss, sorrow and grief.
For more on facing death, check out Michael Wittmer’s The Last Enemy.
Rev 21 (not 12). It’s very exciting to me that God himself will “wipe every tear…”
Charley, I hear you there. The day that death, grief and sorrow are gone will be a day of joyous celebration.
I will not see eternal death. I will see forever; eternity; forever and ever and ever. Jesus died for me. He give’s me eternal life with him and God. ” To be absent in the body is to be present with the Lord. In the blinking of an eye we will be changed. I Love the lord>
Precious in the site of the Lord is the death of His saints…. Psalm 116:15
Growing up knowing what is right and wrong, sometimes we still make mistake in life, why it’s because we’re not perfect, we try to be like Jesus. We have to remember we can’t be perfect like him. I don’t care how hard we try, we try are best as possible we can. Sometime we have to remember we are born sinner. I know, because iam one off tham. I made a big mistake or sin, it heart me inside as well, because i cant belive why why i did that, I knew it wrong thing to do, but i still did. It hard for me to accep it. I question my self why did i do this, and that make my life miserable for 7 years.It was about 16 years ago. I realize that I have to forgive what I did because it’s scared me so much, I never did it again. I think is knowing God is part of me growing up. But I forgot to as forgiveness to God, I only forgive my self, for what i did. I did not realise to confess to God and as his forgiveness, that heart me about 3 years ago. Wen I try to do everything right and fallow his will. I bough house, nice suv, everything .But forgot to confess as forgiveness. He give me so much time, but I never did. That’s is my big mistake, he took everything I got. I lost my nice SUV, all the money that I save, even the 401K 15,000 I save, + 10,000 bail me out jail + 2,600 I barrow to my friend. God took everything to me. Now i’am about to lose my house, my family. Everything nice thing gone just like that. But I never lose hope or my fait to God. He give me all nice thing, he can also take it away if he what to. One day I have so much problem that I can’t take it no more. My mind, body, and my soul. I as God, tell me what more you want for me and let it be. If that is my fetuses let it. One thing I told him, I know I make mistake and I forgot about him. Most people only remember him when we need helf. I’am one of them. God you now that deep inside me i’ am not a bad person, I know I made a bigin sin mistake in my life. All that I try to do the Right thing never to do it again. You now deep inside me, I have good heart and i try to correct my mistake. You know me, because you create me. You know i’am not bad person. But I make mistake in my past. Please forgive me,for what big sin and mistake. I will go confess, please have mercy, coz i triad everything
Peter,
I love your honesty. And when we’re honest, we all know that we are deeply stained with sin because of who we are. But what is so reassuring is that we are also deeply loved because of who Jesus is and what He’s done to deal forever with our sin problem. Thank you Jesus!
God, continue to work inside me and keep me strong inside and out. All I want is be close to you, but I feel the more I get close the more problem I get. Please give me power to over come all I’m going true. Thank you for the need you give me.sorry for the wrong thing I’ve done. I will continue the good thing inside me. You new how I I’m, what I need, and I think I need to think what you need for me.
The final enemy is Death. We all need Jesus to deal with this. Jesus had already dealt with death and over came death for us. Now God is calling you and I to be holy. For without holiness,no one shall sée God. Friends,let’s be holy for Christ’s sake. God will deal with your enemy IN JESUS NAME,AMEN.
DEACON KOLAWOLE GBENGA SAMUEL.
I appreciate the honesty of Peter and I can relate to his story, I thought accumulating possession would bring joy and happiness to my family, a well paid job, brought a house and three cars. I never even stopped for a moment to thank Jesus for the blessing that he had blessed me with, I thought to myself that I have accumulated all this on my own, I forgot that I prayed and ask Jesus to bless me with a good job and I forgot how he brought me out of my troubles in the past…it only took one nite of stupidity when my whole word came tumbling down and only in my time of trouble that I remembered my lord, my God, my Creator…and quickly realized that the possessions that I have accumulated is really nothing if I have forgotten about God..but I thank God because he is a God who is quik to forgive and slow to anger… Lord help to never to forget to thank you on a daily basis. I was going to lose everything…
Paraka, you are so right. It’s almost human nature to “forget and not remember” what God has done, is doing, and will continue to do for us. We get busy, distracted, and frankly full of ourselves. That’s why one of the most frequently repeated commands of Scripture is “remember, don’t forget.” Thanks for a good reminder to us all.