By Pastor William Y. K. Brown Ph.D
(Resident Pastor)
Seventh-day Adventist Church
Osu-Bethel.
Tel: 0244165628/0243310773.
wykbrown@gmail.com
THEME: EVEN IN DEATH, GOD REMAINS OUR SAVIOUR
SCRIPTURE: 2 Timothy 4:6-8
[6]For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. [7]I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. [8]Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
REFLECTIONS
One topic that most people do not expect to discuss is death. There is hardly any family on earth that has never experienced the death of a member. It began with Adam’s family when God’s word was realized to be true (Genesis 4:8). Death as a topic arouses emotions and, therefore, is considered a “no-go area” – a taboo if you please. Yet the reality of death is indisputable and, in some situations, desirable or necessary. We have experienced the pain and the void that death creates. We have experienced the impact of the loss, and we wish death had never happened in our time. But as long as day follows the night, and as long as Christ has not come, we shall continue to exit from this earth one after the other. That is the painful reality of life, and we must brace ourselves for it. However, we have an onerous duty not to fall prey to the second death, which is the destruction of the wicked (Revelation 20:6).
Let us establish that as long as we live, God has the power to save, protect, and heal us if He so chooses and if we cooperate with Him. Therefore, we must call upon Him and depend on Him for life. We only wish that the time of the occurrence of death could be deferred to a later time. Death is the wages of sin (Romans 6:23), but thank God Jesus has changed the narrative and the outcome. He announces, in John 10:10 – “. . . I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” He further emphasized in John 11:25, “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.”
In biblical history, only Enoch and Elijah did not experience death. But everyone, including our Lord Jesus, has faced or will face death one day. The good news, however, is that Jesus Christ describes present death as sleep. We sleep with the hope of rising again. Therefore, death cannot just be the end of our lives. There is hope even in the face of death. Throughout the millennia, those who have walked with God and known Him have died with this assurance that a day of resurrection is coming when the righteous will be raised, never to die again. Whoever goes to sleep waits until the fulfillment of this promise. When death stares in the face of a loved one, the opportunity is to surrender one’s life into the Savior’s loving care, and they will be raised again. Anyone in Christ does not fear death. Death is a gain. When God deems it fit and necessary for any of His children to sleep, we can only accept what He has allowed and not query because it is not in our interest/capacity to know what God thinks.
Do not fear death, but long for the glorious hope in Jesus Christ. Hebrews 11:13 states, “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” Even Job believed in the resurrection. Job asked and answered in Job 14:14-15, “[14]If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait, Till my change comes. [15]You shall call, and I will answer You; You shall desire the work of Your hands. Paul announced his readiness to die in 2 Timothy 4:6-8 – “[6]For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. [7]I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. [8]Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
Beloved, if you or a loved one gets unwell and it persists or does not receive healing despite numerous prayers, ask that the Lord’s will be done. When death stares at any loved one, what is important is to know whom they are dying for. If you “Fight the good fight of faith, you will lay hold on to eternal life” (1 Timothy 6:12). If you walk with Jesus now, at the resurrection, you will be there. Jesus is your savior now, and He will be your resurrection then. He will remain your coming King and eternal Lord. We are a people of hope – 1 Thessalonians 4:13 -18.
MY SONG OF COMMITMENT
SDAH 181 – “Does Jesus Care”
LET US PRAY
– Praise and thank God for His constant presence when we lose a loved one; thank God for consoling you and your family in death situations; pray not to fear death but be ready for it, and take hold of the promise of resurrection;
– Pray for families that are mourning the demise of a loved one; pray for orphans and widows/widowers; pray for families that are in debt due to the death of their loved one;
– Pray for Christians to be positive about death because resurrection follows; pray that we do not behave as people without hope but trust God in our grieving period;
– Pray for children whose lives have been negatively affected by the loss of their parents; pray for the country to have measures to protect lives; pray for Christians to love and support bereaved families.
