Jesus Is Our Greeter

My grandfather just passed away & I will probably put up another blog post about that after this one, but....something hit me during his memorial service. The minister spoke about a personal story of someone that he knew that while they were sitting on their deathbed they looked up & started smiling.... he believed that this person saw Jesus.

I have heard stories such as this example before.... people looking at the corner of the room, smiling, laughing, etc. just before they passed.

Think about it... we joke & charicturize that the grim reaper comes for those who have passed & we often think that angels come to get the believer that passes & that they are escorted to Heaven for eternity. But what does the Word say?

The Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:8 that "to be absent from the body (physically in death) is to be present with the Lord."-- no waiting period, no room to go into & wait, no welcoming committee..no, IMMEDIATELY with the Lord!!

Jesus says in John 14:2 "I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you would be also" -- does this verse say that He will send an angel?

NO, it says that He will come & receive the believer HIMSELF!!! I just think that is AWESOME!!!

PG

Are You A Haunted House?

Jesus said a puzzling little parable in Matthew 12:43-45 about a spirit going out of a person, then it coming back in with 7 times more evil than before. WHAT WAS JESUS TALKING ABOUT?? He was talking about what the Pharisees & Scribes (the religious leaders & elite) were doing at the time & what we do today all too often. They had decided that since they no longer served idols like they used to & they kept the oral law very religously they were 'clean', 'safe', 'pure', & 'holy'. Jesus said... NO, you have swept up & cleaned the outside, but the INSIDE IS JUNK & that's not going to cut it. That is what happens to many today... they clean up on the outside, they look good, they try to be holy & righteous in their own strength, but there has NEVER BEEN A TOTAL REBIRTH & change of the heart through Jesus Christ & the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus looked at the Pharisees & said "there has been reformation, but no REGENERATION". That is what we need..that is what the person srtuggling in the world needs... REGENERATION... not reformation. That is why some will struggle with sins over & over & over again.. only to fall into it time after time after time. They usually are trying to 'clean up' themselves instead of running to God & saying "change me on the inside through your Spirit". Don't just clean up & look good on the outside... be changed from withing. The Gospel work is from inside to outside, NOT outside in. You also can't clean a fish until you catch it... so don't expect people to fix their problems & situation before they come to church.... let them come JUST AS THEY ARE to meet a Savior ready to heal them!!
Pastor G (you can listen to the sermon on this on our website odky.org)