Comfort in The Face of Death

" 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." Revelation 4:21

It has been on my heart for a while to write about death and what happens after we die. While I am no expert, I have faced the anxiety and fear of death and dying for years. Recently I have come to peace with facing death; most may not come to peace till later in life, if at all. I have had experinces that have brought me to the place of being in so much pain physically and emotionally, I was ready to die.

Most recently, I had just woken up from surgery and was having a bad reaction to the anthesia. I woke up in the worst pain I have ever been in, and I was held in the recovery room for 2 hours. I was crying out "I want to be with Jesus, let me go!" "Please Jesus take me!" I wasn't fully with it, but I remember being so upset that I woke up still on earth and in pain. I felt homesick for a place I had never been but knew of. I knew of the promise of no more tears, crying and pain, I wanted so desprately to be there with Jesus. My subconscious, post surgery self knew what I needed and who could comfrot me eternally: Jesus. When I finally had a clear head again I still felt sad that I was here on earth suffering and in so much pain. At the same time I felt at peace knowing that when it is my time I will be free from the brokeness of this world and brought face to face with my Savior Jesus Christ.

I was on a road of self- destruction for many years. I claimed to know "God" and be a "Christian" for years but, really I had no idea what the point of being a beliver in God was until 2022. You can read my testimony on another post if you want to know more. I wanted to die wheter by my own hand or someone elses, I was ready at the age of 23, I told myself "I didn't care".

I belive the Lord saved me from my selfish death wish. He knew that when I became a "Christian" I did so out of fear, death and going to hell. That is not the Good News of The Gospel. The Good News is that Jesus came and died for everyone's sins (past, present and future). He was the eternal scarfaice that was needed to pay the price of sinning against an eternal God. Unlike the scarafice of a lamb, Jesus died and rose again 3 days later to take His place in heaven. When we say yes to this Good News it comes with promise that we too will be spared from hell and will go to Heaven to be reunited with our Savior. The even better news is we don't have to wait until death to get to know Jesus and have glimpses of heaven. The beauty of knowing and following Jesus here on earth is that we get to see glimpses of heaven through ways the Lord provides in supernatural ways and through other people. We were all created in the image of God, even those that have not or will not accept Him, they too reflect the image of their creator in some way.

All that to be said, if you too have a fear of dying and are worried about whether or not you are going to heaven or hell, here are just a few scripture to assess where youre heart is at. Maybe you need to make this decsion for yourself and you have just been half in half out. Go all in today.

" For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever belives in him should not perish (hell) but have eternal life (heaven)." John 3:16, notes added.

"..if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." Romans10: 9-10

"I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life." 1 John 5:13

"For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries." Hebrews 10:26-27

Here are the steps I took when I decided to go all in as and follow jesu

1. I surrendured the things in my life I could not control to Jesus

2. I confessed that Jesus is the one and only living Lord and King of this world and I am a blood bought daughter that has been saved by him through grace and not works

3. I invited the Holy Spirit in and asked him to lead me and guide me

4. I put on the armor of God everyday (Ephesians 6: 10-18)

5. I recgonize that following Jesus puts a target on my back and satan will try to tempt me with sin, keep me busy or lure me back to my old ways

6. I started decalring truths about who God says I am to fight the lies I have believed

7. I share the redepemtion that has occured in my life with others and I share the good news of Jesus , the Gospel, with all who will listen

8. I continue to ask for forgiveness because I sin everyday in some way or many, because I still struggle

9. I gave up drinking almost 4 years ago, due to the addiction of feeling numb

10. I read the bible, study it and am invloved in the local church

These are just a few of the steps that I have taken that have allowed me to keep my faith and freedom in Jesus. I am still learning and growing everyday as I confidently await for the return of Jesus and to be with him in heaven.