"One of these days, we're all going to be the main attraction at a
funeral. Someone will say a few nice words about us, those who love
us will cry a bit, they will put us in a fancy car, haul us to a
cemetery, put us in a hole in the ground, throw a little dirt in
our face and everyone will go back to the church building and eat
chicken."
I didn't say it to be funny. It was what I call "the cornbread English"
version of the truth. Something straightforward and unambiguous dealing
with a topic none of us really wants to talk about. It is, however, a
subject all of us will ultimately face. We are mortal. We will die. We
live in a broken world in which death impacts us all. The Bible says it
even more bluntly: It is appointed for mortals to die once, and after
that the judgment. (Hebrews 9:27 NRSV) The bitter, bottom line reality
is this: One of these days, we're all going to be the main attraction
at a funeral...
God helped me relive my own words the following morning. As I was
blitzing through the newspaper, I opened the obituary section. I don't
normally visit that section of the paper. As I flipped through the
pages, however, a picture caught my eye. Sure enough, it was someone I
knew. She had attended our church for a number of years before moving
away. She was a year younger than I. The obituary said she died in her
sleep of natural causes.
Whoa! You don't die of natural causes at my age, do you?
Yes. Dying is a fallen nature's way of bringing down the curtain on our
individual lives.
As much as we would like to keep "natural causes"
from being a topic of our conversation, each of us will die. I know
this is not the bright and cheery news that we like to put in your
inbox or on the web first thing on Monday morning, but this week in
Heartlight we're focusing on telling the truth. There is no greater
truth -- we are mortal... we will die... there will be a closing time
for our life here on earth. Natural causes will rule the day. If we
don't have an answer for that one reality, then we will lose our most
important competition -- life!
That's why it is important to be a non-natural person! You see, every
person who is a Christian is a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). They
are joined to Christ and their life is tied to his future (Colossians
3:1-4). The Spirit of God leads them, not their fleshly desires that
are destined to perish (Galatians 5:16-26; Romans 8:5-25). They are
non-naturals. Their bodies will die, but their spirits will never be
separated from Christ -- not even death can separate them from their
relationship with Jesus (Romans 8:32-39; 2 Corinthians 5:1-9). Then, on
that great day of Jesus' return, they will be raised from the dead and
be given immortal bodies; they will join in reunion with other
believers from all ages, and go to be with the Lord forever (1
Corinthians 15:50-58; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). The non-naturals can
say confidently, "How we thank God, who gives us victory over sin and
death through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (1 Corinthians 15:57 NLT)
Yes, we will all die of natural causes. Death is the ultimate ending of
natural life. Our physical bodies are mortal and will die. The real
issue is whether or not we also have a non-natural life. If we do, then
we can rest assured that our lives are not lived in vain and that the
victory that matters most is ours!
So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and steady, always
enthusiastic about the Lord's work, for you know that nothing you
do for the Lord is ever useless. (1 Corinthians 15:58 NLT)


Rev. William J. Armstrong\Pastor
First Assembly of God
P.O. 274
Benton, Illinois 62812
Fax: (618)439-7491
Phone (618) 439-9175
Jesus is Lord!