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Daily message of hope...
For Friday, November 18, 2022:
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 NLT: “The Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.”
Yesterday I promised to answer the question: “What happens when we die?” Here we go!
We only need a body because we live on earth. But in the spiritual realm, what matters is your eternal essence, your soul; nefesh in Hebrew. Interestingly, nefesh can also be translated as “life.” So your soul is what is life to the Lord; your body is just an accessory. Your body can die and be put in the ground, but your soul cannot. Heaven is not concerned with the demise of your body, but the Bible says, “Absent from the body, present with the Lord.” When you die, your soul finds God right away! The soul of a believer is very important to our Lord!
In the end times, Jesus will come to earth again, with much ceremony, riding on a white horse signifying purity. Graves will open and fully restored bodies will be reunited with their souls, joining Jesus in the sky! After that, believers who are still alive will be raptured, joining Jesus and the others. The best news ever is that believers will then be with the Lord forever!
Salvation is permanent!
Pastor Norton Lawellin
Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406
