>>Announcer: It has
stood the test of time.
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God's book, The Bible
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Still relevant in
today's complex world
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It Is Written
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Sharing messages of
hope around the world!
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>>Chris: Steven Sykes was born
in 1914 in England. He is most
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well known for his work as an
artist, especially in the
Gethsemane Chapel in the
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Coventry Cathedral, also
referred to as St. Michael's
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Cathedral in West Midlands,
England. During World War 2,
Sykes joined the British army
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where he worked in the
camouflage unit. At a most
critical junction in the
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war, Sykes was commissioned to
help camouflage the building of
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a railway for the sea to
Misheifa. How would he actually
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hide a railway? Sykes devised a
plan that was ingenious. Instead
of camouflaging the actually
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railway Sykes decided to build
a false railway. The plan was
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outrageous. But the commanding
officer actually approved the
idea. Sykes and his team
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took left over wood, palm fronds
and left over gas cans to form
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this false railway and railhead.
The rails, the buildings, tanks
all were included in
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this grand scheme. On November
22, 1941 the true test came and
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enemy bombers flew overhead. And
they actually bombed the false
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railway and accessories. The
team was there and set off
flares to further the deception.
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The other railway and railhead
were built successfully. The
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entire scheme was
based on deception.
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Deception, the art of deceiving,
is often subtle. Could it be,
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that Christianity over the
centuries has been deceived into
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believing one of the original
lies of the devil. In Genesis
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3:4-5 tells us, It was a promise
to become like God. And the
devil made other promises that
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were lies. Number one, even in
disobedience she wouldn't die,
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number two that her eyes would
be opened, and ultimately that
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she would be like God, knowing
good and evil. One of the subtle
lies of the devil was the
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promise of immortality. However,
the Bible is quite clear in للل1
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Timothy 6:16للل, when referring
to God says, "16 who alone has
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immortality." God alone
inherently possess' eternal
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life. Man must put on
eternal life as promised in 1
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Corinthians 15:54, Even when we
receive the gift of immortality
from the Lord, we will still be
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ever dependent upon Him
for life. Over the last several
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programs we have been looking at
heaven and asking the question,
is heaven for real? Last week
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we began a study on what happens
when you die. If you missed last
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week's program, you can go to
our website w w w
.itiswrittencanada.ca
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or to our YouTube channel,
youtube.com/IIWCanada and there
you can watch it. In
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a thorough study of the
scriptures we discovered two
very important things:
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one, the Bible is clear that man
doesn't have a soul - he is a
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soul. Genesis 2:7, says
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Or a living soul. Secondly, we
saw over and over again that the
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Bible refers to death as a
sleep. In fact the Bible is
quite clear that death
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is like a sleep that lasts until
Christ's second coming. The
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Bible mentions death as a sleep
more than 50 times. David in
Psalms 13 verse 3, said these
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words,
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David believed death was a
sleep. Peter, in His famous
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sermon after Pentecost, speaking
of David said these words in
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Acts 2:29, David taught and
believed that death was a sleep.
Peter believed and taught
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that death was a sleep.
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What did Jesus teach about
death? Jesus taught as well that
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death is a sleep. You'll
remember Jesus' friend Lazarus
became sick and died.
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Lazarus had been dead for four
days and Jesus and His disciples
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were on their way to Lazarus's
home. As they were there Jesus
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said, in John 11:11-14,
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The disciples thought if Jesus
is going to wake Lazarus up out
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of sleep, Lazarus must be doing
pretty well because he's
sleeping and he was well
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again. I want you to notice
how Jesus uses these words
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interchangeably. First Jesus
said Lazarus is sleeping. Then
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Jesus said Lazarus is dead. So,
in Jesus mind, death was but a
sleep. Oh friend, the
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idea that the soul lives on
outside of the body is derived
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straight from Greek dualism,
which was inherited from
Egyptian mystical religions.
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Friend, I would much rather
learn about death from Jesus and
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His word, the Bible, than learn
about death from Egyptian or
Babylonian or Greek
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philosophy. I'd much rather
learn about death from Jesus. As
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we continue the story, Jesus
went to the grave of Lazarus.
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Along the way He stopped at the
home of Mary and Martha. These
two sisters, the sisters of
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Lazarus, were crying. They'd
lost their brother Martha, in
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her distress in
John 11:21 tells Jesus,
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And Jesus reassures Martha
with these words of John 11:23,
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Martha learned directly from
Jesus. Martha learned from the
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Bible. How did she answer about
her brother's death? In verse 24
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she replies, Martha did not
speak of Lazarus being in
heaven. She did not speak of the
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joyful bliss he was
experiencing. She looked forward
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to the last day when Jesus would
raise Lazarus from the dead. The
Jesus responds with these
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powerful words,
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Jesus reassured Martha,
that death is temporary. It is a
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temporary pause. It is a sleep
that Jesus will wake us from and
we will live again. Jesus was
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clear with Martha that even
death cannot snatch away our
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assurance of eternal life.
Martha knew her brother would
rise. But, she knew that he was
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going to rise in the
resurrection at the last day.
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Martha learned her religion
directly from Jesus. She didn't
say, 'Oh, Jesus, my brother is
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up in heaven. Oh, Jesus, my
brother is looking down at me
now. Jesus, I'm not
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going to worry about his death.'
She said 'Jesus, I know my
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brother's going to rise again at
the last day. She believed that
Lazarus was sleeping until
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the day that Jesus Christ would
come and raise him from the
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dead. That my friends is what
the Bible teaches. Jesus holds
the keys to the tomb. He is
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the only one who can hit resume
from that temporary pause. Jesus
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knew that He would go into the
grave, but He would come out.
Death cannot hold Him. And
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He assured Martha if the tomb
couldn't hold Him, it certainly
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will not be able
to hold your brother.
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Then Jesus did something
amazing. As a testimony that He
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could raise the dead, as a
testimony that millions will be
raised when He comes again, as a
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testimony that the grave
can't hold those people who have
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dedicated their life to Him, He
said, "I'll raise Lazarus from
the dead." So with that
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Jesus went to Lazarus' tomb.
Lazarus had been dead for four
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days and listen to the
Bible in John 11:38-43,
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This leaves little doubt my
friends, Lazarus was dead.
Martha was concerned
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that he was already decomposing
and there would be a smell. But
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reading on in the text,
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Jesus said, 'Lazarus, come
forth'.And Lazarus came out of
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the tomb. He came out. Jesus saw
him there. And as Jesus saw
Lazarus coming out of the tomb,
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all the people that gathered
around were absolutely stunned
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because Jesus Christ had raised
Lazarus from the dead Let's be
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very clear today, if Jesus
raised Lazarus, He can raise
your husband, your wife, your
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son or daughter, brother or
sister, aunt or uncle - Jesus
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will raise those committed to
Him from the dead. Are you
feeling alone? Is there
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disappointment in your soul?
You retired and your wife died
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suddenly. You're lonely. You're
alone. You lost that little
child and you long to hold him
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or her in your arms again. Jesus
Christ raised Lazarus from the
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dead. He can raise that loved
one. Death is not the end. When
we die, we rest; we
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sleep until
Jesus calls us forth.
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Friends, I also would like to
point out from this story that
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if what a lot of people believe
was true that we go straight to
heaven or straight to
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hell.well.you think that Lazarus
would have had a lot more to say
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than he did. Think about for a
moment, if it were true that we
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went straight to heaven or hell,
Lazarus would have been up in
heaven for four days. Now,
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if I were up in heaven four
days, and the Lord would have
00:15:34.26\00:15:38.56
said, 'Chris, come forth!' I
would have said, "Lord, you
called the wrong name. I'm up
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here in heaven now and I'm not
coming back." If Lazarus really
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had been in heaven for four
days, he would have told the
Lord, 'Lord, I'm not coming
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back. Lord, I want to stay up
here in the glory land and eat
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the fruit of the Tree of Life. I
just can't return. Lord, I want
to stay with the fellowship
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of the angels.' If anybody could
have written a best seller it
00:16:03.56\00:16:11.56
would have been Lazarus and his
tale of the afterlife. But there
was nothing not one
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mention of what heaven was like.
He didn't share any stories of a
00:16:19.46\00:16:24.70
near death experience. Nothing.
Absolutely nothing. Why didn't
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he share any stories? I'll tell
you why. It's because he was
sleeping, because he
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didn't know anything because the
Bible says in Ecclesiastes 9:5,
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The resurrection of Lazarus
is proof that Jesus" Christ will
00:16:51.76\00:16:58.63
someday resurrect "our believing
loved ones, too. Death is simply
a sleep until Jesus
00:16:58.63\00:17:05.60
comes again. The grave could
not hold Lazarus and the grave
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cannot hold your believing loved
ones. And most of all, you need
not fear death because the
00:17:12.86\00:17:19.33
grave cannot hold you. The Bible
goes on to say in Job 14:21,
00:17:19.33\00:17:32.23
Friends, Lazarus didn't know
the pain of his sisters and his
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friends, because he was
sleeping. The reality is that
when we die those events on
00:17:46.56\00:17:55.00
earth that continue
on are unknown to us.
00:17:55.00\00:18:01.86
Now some people will say to me,
but I like to think of Mamma up
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there looking down at me. I like
to think of Daddy looking down
00:18:08.06\00:18:12.03
at me. I like to think dead
loved ones who are looking down
on me. While I understand you,
00:18:12.03\00:18:18.60
let's think through this
further. Think it through all
00:18:18.60\00:18:24.43
the way. Here's a young boy
playing with his friends, and
the baseball is knocked over his
00:18:24.43\00:18:29.23
head. It's going out into the
road. He runs after it. Then
screech.the tires on
00:18:29.23\00:18:35.46
the car, he's hit. He's knocked
down. He's a paraplegic and who
00:18:35.46\00:18:41.86
lies in pain for the rest of his
life. If what some want to
believe were true, Mamma
00:18:41.86\00:18:47.63
will be looking on her son lying
in pain for the rest of his
00:18:47.63\00:18:54.60
life. Would she be happy up in
heaven if she did that? Or maybe
that soldier who gets caught
00:18:54.60\00:18:58.66
behind enemy lines. He's
captured. They gouge out his
eyes. They torture him
00:18:58.66\00:19:04.56
mercilessly. If what some
believed is true, Daddy would be
00:19:04.56\00:19:11.83
watching all that. Is that what
the Bible teaches? Isn't God's
way so much better? The
00:19:11.83\00:19:19.16
Christian father doesn't see his
son who has gone astray addicted
00:19:19.16\00:19:24.50
to drugs shooting things in his
veins in some back alley Those
00:19:24.50\00:19:28.36
who have died in Christ are
protected from all of that.
Jesus' way is so much better
00:19:28.36\00:19:33.53
than man's way. We die. There is
no suffering. No pain. We rest.
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We sleep and are protected from
the pain of life that continues
around us. We sleep from all the
00:19:42.00\00:19:49.00
agony and disappointment. We
sleep. There is no passage of
00:19:49.00\00:19:55.10
time. It is like a mere moment.
There is no consciousness of the
time. We are unconscious
00:19:55.10\00:20:00.33
to everything. The next thing we
know is Jesus Christ coming for
00:20:00.33\00:20:07.83
us.Death is a state of perfect
rest or sleep until the
resurrection when Christ
00:20:07.83\00:20:13.53
wakes you up and says, now all
the sorrow is over, now all the
00:20:13.53\00:20:19.86
pain is over. He does not allow
a mother to see her daughter in
a car wreck. He does not
00:20:19.86\00:20:24.03
allow a father to see his son
dying of some terrible disease
00:20:24.03\00:20:29.03
in some hospital. Jesus' way is
so much better. He lets us sleep
until the storm is over.
00:20:29.03\00:20:36.33
He lets us sleep until the
heartache and sorrow of earth is
00:20:36.33\00:20:43.43
over. Friends, David described
when he would receive his new
body, in Psalm 17:15,
00:20:43.43\00:20:56.36
When will he awake at the last
trumpet of God. Paul describes
00:21:03.90\00:21:12.13
when that day will
be in 2 Timothy 4:7-8,
00:21:12.13\00:21:25.13
Friend, we don't have to fear
death. It is a temporary pause
00:21:46.26\00:21:51.96
in life. Jesus
promise in Revelation 22:12,
00:21:51.96\00:21:56.86
That reward isn't at death.it is
when he comes again. Next week
00:22:08.16\00:22:16.00
we will continue this study and
look at some misunderstandings
00:22:16.00\00:22:20.23
on this issue. We will study
the thief on the cross, Samuel,
00:22:20.23\00:22:26.36
other Bible texts and look at
near death experiences. But
today, I'm thankful, that in
00:22:26.36\00:22:34.63
death we don't experience the
sorrows of life. I'm thankful
00:22:34.63\00:22:40.46
that the friends I've had that
died of cancer no longer suffer
but they are sleeping,
00:22:40.46\00:22:44.73
resting until the glorious day
of the resurrection that Jesus
00:22:44.73\00:22:52.56
comes. Your loved ones aren't
suffering, they sleep awaiting
00:22:52.56\00:22:57.23
the return of Jesus. I'm
thankful that death is not the
end. You can see that husband
00:22:57.23\00:23:06.33
that died. You can see that wife
that died. You can see that son
00:23:06.33\00:23:11.93
that died. Christ is going to
come again. They'll be a
glorious resurrection
00:23:11.93\00:23:16.80
morning and they will be raised
from the dead, if they've been
00:23:16.80\00:23:23.26
believers and followers of
Jesus, with immortal bodies.
00:23:23.26\00:23:27.73
We who are alive will receive
the immortal bodies and caught
00:23:30.10\00:23:35.06
up together with them to meet
Christ in the air. Death is but
00:23:35.06\00:23:40.93
a sleep the Bible writers teach
that Jesus will wake us from
when He comes again. Wouldn't it
00:23:40.93\00:23:48.13
be a tragedy if your mother were
therelooking for you and you
00:23:48.13\00:23:53.90
weren't there? Wouldn't it be a
tragedy if your brother were
therelooking for you
00:23:53.90\00:23:59.63
and you weren't there? Wouldn't
it be a tragedy if your son,
00:23:59.63\00:24:05.26
your daughter were there looking
for you and you weren't
there-lost for all eternity?
00:24:05.26\00:24:12.10
But, the greatest tragedy would
be if Jesus were looking for you
00:24:12.10\00:24:20.00
and you weren't there? Where's
John? Where's Mary? Where's Tim
Oh friend, He wants to
00:24:20.00\00:24:27.80
save you. He wants you to be in
His kingdom forever. They'll be
00:24:27.80\00:24:34.46
an emptiness in His heart if
you're not there in heaven with
Him. One day soon Christ will
00:24:34.46\00:24:41.66
come. The sky will be
illuminated with the glory of
God. The earth will
00:24:41.66\00:24:46.33
shake. The graves will be open.
Death will be defeated forever.
00:24:46.33\00:24:51.90
God will give us immortal bodies
and we'll ascend through the
00:24:51.90\00:24:57.06
sky. And Jesus is looking for
you. The gleams of the golden
morning will come. Don't
00:24:57.06\00:25:03.80
miss it. Don't sell out cheap.
Do you want to be there? Why not
00:25:03.80\00:25:12.33
pray now and say, "Jesus, I want
to be there. If I die before you
come, Lord, I want to
00:25:12.33\00:25:20.33
rest in the security of knowing
that the grave will be opened. I
00:25:20.33\00:25:25.40
want the next voice I hear to be
Jesus' voice. I want the next
scene to be picture
00:25:25.40\00:25:31.20
of Jesus' face. Lord, I want to
be reunited with my family and
00:25:31.20\00:25:38.10
friends. I want to see Jesus."
Why not think about that scene
when He comes and give
00:25:38.10\00:25:48.20
your heart to Him and
life to Him right now.
00:25:48.20\00:25:54.43
Dear Lord, we give our lives
to you right now. We want to be
00:25:56.13\00:26:01.03
raised from the dead. We want to
be transformed with immortal
bodies when you come
00:26:01.03\00:26:04.80
again. Today in this decision,
we rest securely, knowing, with
00:26:04.80\00:26:10.10
the assurance that you are
coming again to take us home. We
00:26:10.10\00:26:14.30
pray this in Jesus' name, amen.
00:26:14.30\00:26:16.63
The subject of heaven, and
especially, the subject of what
happens when you die,
00:26:34.80\00:26:38.70
is an important topic in
the Bible. Sometimes it requires
00:26:38.70\00:26:45.23
even additional reading and
resources and study. I'd like to
offer to you today the Discover
00:26:45.23\00:26:50.16
Bible series. The Discover Bible
series guides will help you to
00:26:50.16\00:26:56.30
further your relationship with
Jesus. I also want to encourage
you to go to our website,
00:26:56.30\00:27:01.20
www.itiswrittencanada.ca, and
there you can find additional
00:27:01.20\00:27:11.26
resources for study on this
topic and many others. You can
also go to our youtube channel,
00:27:11.26\00:27:14.90
youtube.com/iiwcanada, and watch
a number of programs that will
00:27:14.90\00:27:24.00
help you develop your spiritual
life and your relationship with
Jesus. If you would like
00:27:24.00\00:27:30.00
to receive those Discover
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that you need. I hope you
enjoyed today's program. Heaven
is a real place that Jesus wants
00:28:09.03\00:28:14.23
to take us that we can spend
eternity with him. Please join
00:28:14.23\00:28:19.70
us for next week's program.
Until then, remember, it is
written, "Man shall not live by
00:28:19.70\00:28:25.93
bread alone, but by every word
that proceeds from the mouth of
00:28:25.93\00:28:31.03
God." $$$$$$
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