This world is not any man’s home, for we are pilgrims and strangers on the earth—Isaiah 57:1-2. Everyone that has come into this world will one day leave this world one way or another for his eternal home according to the life lived—Daniel 12:2. But we know that the saved, washed, the perfect man, the saint and the redeemed never dies. The saint is that sinner who once was involved in wickedness and at a time in His life came into the knowledge of the Grace personified, who defeated sin, death and hell and rose on the third day after death. Those whose holiness, purity, righteousness is in the Lord and not in vanity, will end peaceful and joyfully as they are aware of where their end will be. There are so many whose names are in the Book of Life and whose lives speak volumes in the radar of heaven. They have given their all over to the Master and are prepared to live and die in Him. The deaths of such people, I tell you, are more precious than gold, silver, and diamonds to the Lord and He is always ready to welcome such triumphant soldiers’ home. 

           Many a time on this earth, when a man (or woman) dies, his family mourns and then rejoice as they believe he has gone to rest from the world’s troubles and sorrows, negligent of the kind of life such a soul lived while on the earth, and then ask that he REST IN PEACE- forgetting that no sinner can enter into the rest of God. Many so called believers have left the path of God to follow routes that seem much more pleasurable to their flesh. These obviously would love to end in heaven after their toil on the earth, that is, without living for God, of course. They desire the death of the saints, the righteous, and the redeemed but still they love to continue in the ways that defy the God of Heaven. Prophet Balaam was one of such people. Balaam was a prophet ordained by God over Israel. This man in the beginning refused to heed to the appeal of Balak, King of Moab to curse the children of God as this king feared that if they continued in their way, they would get to his land and conquer too—Numbers 23:19-23. Balak was desperate to find measures to be put in place so Israel will be destroyed and so didn’t stop seeking ways to convince Balaam to help curse the Chosen of God so they become powerless. Balaam, who though was an Israelite yielded to the enticements of Balak and though he couldn’t help curse the Israelites, yet he gave counsel on how to cause the Israelites to bring curse and death on themselves. To all these, Balak obeyed and made preparations which became one of the great downfalls of Israel. Balaam succeeded in aiding iniquity’s entrance into the camp of the Holy God, bringing His wrath upon the children of Israel and this prophet who desired to die in the Lord, died a sinner’s death—Numbers 31:15-16, Joshua 13:22. And many are like Balaam, they want to make heaven and so yield ALMOST ALL to the Master, leaving little for their soul’s pleasure. Balaam gave little way to the devil and he became a puppet in the hand of the puppeteer, who is the devil—Revelation 2:14. This man’s end therefore was without hope and salvation. He lost all the moment he began to live for the flesh, neglecting the soul’s end and he was doomed.

            The greatest enemy of man is death; even those in faith do not desire this inevitable end but it will happen to all descendants of Adam. Apostle Paul wasn’t interested in dying at a certain stage of his life and so he fled the face of death in a basket cast at the side of the city wall- Philippians 1:21. Jesus also made it known that the power to live and to die was in His hand and though His will was that death pass Him by, yet the will of the Father alone was to be done in His life. The end of the righteous is always pleasing to the Almighty. Abraham was assured by God that he would end well and at a good age—Genesis 15:15. Moses too ended well, despite the enemy’s attempt to drag him to hell for mistakes God had forgiven him for-Jude 1:9. Stephen, at the point of death (which came due to his love for Christ), saw Heaven open and the Son of God stand to welcome him. So before he slept, he prayed for his murderers—Acts 7:54-60.

           Covid-19 has put the world’s leaders on their knees while defiling the efforts of man to curb it. Each and every day, the increase in death rates due to this virus is announced and fear has been instilled in the lives of the believers and people of the world. The redeemed must understand that they are peculiar people WHO HAVE HOPE IN CHRIST even after death! Lazarus was said to be dead by those around him, but Jesus explained that he was asleep and so He (Jesus) went to wake him—John 5:24-29. This signifies the resurrection power of Christ; it shows that those who die as followers of Jesus, just like Lazarus will resurrect again after sleeping- John 11:11-14, 38-44; John 6:40

            Death is a passage to the true life. If a man dies in Christ, he experiences joy everlasting-1 John 3:2. Only those who have actually accepted Christ as Lord and personal Saviour will inherit His kingdom and not sinners or the unsaved. But that grace that brings salvation is still available to all men- Titus 2:11-14. All who die without Christ will only end in eternal damnation.

Do you know that death is an important appointment that MUST BE KEPT by all man? Hebrews 9:27. After death is judgment! And if the Lord should call you now or if the ROLL BE CALLED UP YONDER, WILL YOU BE THERE?

REMAIN RAPTURABLE!!!