What Happens to Believers When They Die?
March 14th, 2013 Posted in sermonsDeath is no respecter of persons.
Believers and nonbelievers both die. Believers as well as nonbelievers get cancer, have auto accidents,
have heart attacks. But, as believers, we have the promise that we will go straight into the presence of God at death. Paul writes,”To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord”.(2 Corinthians 5:8.)
In Luke 16:22, we are told that when the believer Lazarus died, he was “carried by the angels to
Abraham’s bosom.”
My son Christopher left this world almost five years ago. It comforts me to think he was carried by
angels into God’s presence. If only we could have the veil peeled back and see this glorious world we will go to.
When young Stephen was being martyred, he was given a glimpse of glory. “Stephen, full of the Holy
Spirit, gazed steadily upward into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the
place of honor at God’s right hand” (Acts 7:55–56).
Stephen told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor
at God’s right hand!” At this point Stephen’s face “became as bright as an angel’s” (Acts 6:15). Stephen was given a “glimpse of glory,” which awaits all Christians on the other side.
When the great evangelist D.L. Moody was on his deathbed, he said, “Is this dying? Why, this is bliss.
There is no valley. I have been within the gates. Earth is receding; heaven is opening; God is calling; I
must go.”
I as a believer in Christ have always had a hard time seeing myself as worthy to stand in God’,s presence. Lately though through reading your devotionals,it has helped me to catch a glimpse of what the glories of heaven are like. With events happening in the world as they have been lately, I have longed so much more to be with the Lord & I have been able to actually see myself with Him. I am not afraid of death from this body, only the type of death I may face. I have had to live with so much pain, that I personally hope & pray that it will be swift & painless. I am actually starting to fear more the events that are happening & will continue to happen until the Rapture of the Church & during the tribulation through to Jesus’ second coming. I fear for my children & grandchildren, who are not living for the Lord. I know in my heart how close it really is. Oh how I long for the coming of the Lord!,& to see heaven for myself.
Lately, you have written many short snipets about heaven and the future. Do you have all of this truth explained in a book? If so, would you please tell me the name of it? I find after each of your little blog entries, I want to know more and wish it was longer with more information in the simple format that you write that makes it easy to understand. Please let me know if you do have a more extensive writing/book about end times and heaven. Thank you.