Death is wrong!

“I’m finding it hard to breath lately” she said.

How do you continue to breath after such a big part of your life….. is gone? When someone you love dies it seems so wrong that your heart just keeps on beating.

 I remember the morning my dad died. As we drove home from the hospital the sun was coming up and I was shocked…. shocked that the world was continuing to turn after the death of my rock the night before.

Why is death so shocking to us? Why does it leave us spinning and reeling and grasping for stable ground when it’s the most stable thing in this world. Death is the most consistent occurrence in human lives throughout history.

 It’s a promise for each of us until the coming of the King.

 There will be one generation that will not experience death but except for them everyone has the promise of its visit.

 You would think that we would have gotten used to this by now. You would think that after thousands of years of death we would understand it a little better and come to terms with it at least a little bit more but no… death leaves everyone shocked, utterly broken with its sense of wrongness.

Death is wrong!

 It’s not supposed to be this way. If you simply read the first three chapters of Genesis you see that it was really not part of Gods plan. And that’s why it feels so wrong, that’s why we still don’t get it, we still don’t understand with every fiber of our being why someone had to die.

It was not meant for us.

We chose to fall.

We chose to receive the knowledge of good and evil.

We chose to know death.

We made something that was so right, so wrong. We told perfect love, “you are not enough!”. And now we have what we so desired. We have the world that we wanted.

Oh… this is not what you want?

You don’t want children dying of hunger, and disease plaguing thousands. You don’t like the idea of children being orphaned and dismembered by machetes?

You don’t want death?

Ok, but what about your white lies and your gossip? Yeah those are not so bad right? After all, we all have to make eachother happy. What about your self praise and your vanity, it’s ok to have a little pride right? What about control, I mean everyone wants to be in control of their own life. Really you should be able to have everything you need to be comfortable. You shouldn’t have to sacrifice. That’s totally normal and ok. It’s ok to be your own master… to be King.

….but then Jesus is not King.

But then, you and death reign.

We cannot have one without the other. King Self equals death, equals murder.

“But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.” James 1:14-15

But King Jesus….

King Jesus gives us a second chance. Just as impossible as the reversal of death is a second chance at life

and King Jesus provides.

But now, this is what the Lord says—
  
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
    I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters,
    I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
    they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
    you will not be burned;
    the flames will not set you ablaze.
 For I am the Lord your God,
    the Holy One, your Savior;
 Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
    and because I love you,
 Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
    and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring my sons from afar
    and my daughters from the ends of the earth—
everyone who is called by my name,
    whom I created for my glory,
    whom I formed and made.”

 Lead out those who have eyes but are blind,
    who have ears but are deaf.
 “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord,
    “and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe me
    and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
    nor will there be one after me.
 I, even I, am the Lord,
    and apart from me there is no savior.
 I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—
You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “that I am God.
     Yes, and from ancient days I am he.
No one can deliver out of my hand.
    When I act, who can reverse it?”

 This is what the Lord says—
  I am the Lord, your Holy One,
    Israel’s Creator, your King.”

This is what the Lord says—
    he who made a way through the sea,
    a path through the mighty waters,
 “Forget the former things;
    do not dwell on the past.
 See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland.
 The wild animals honor me,
because I provide water in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland,
to give drink to my people, my chosen,
     the people I formed for myself
    that they may proclaim my praise.

But you have burdened me with your sins
    and wearied me with your offenses.

 “I, even I, am he who blots out
    your transgressions, for my own sake,
    and remembers your sins no more.

He remembers our sins no more. He is doing a new thing, a thing without death, a thing to overcome it.

Oh let Him have His way.

Give up your way,

trade death for life. Proclaim Jesus as King!

Where He is King there is no death, there is no suffering there is no murder or illness. Where Jesus is King there is only light and it’s brighter than the sun. It is the Son. His purity is blinding and bleaching, cleaning every crevice of the soul and body. He is making us new. He is making us new by His glorious light.

Oh that we might live in a world where death is a lie,

where death is just not true,

Death is not understood……. because it was never meant to be.

 Thank God for Jesus! Thank God that he sent his Son to right our wrongs, to change history and abolish hideous death.

 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.  I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell 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 21:1-5

This was the sky the morning my dad went to heaven.