What’s It Like To Die?
Today I was restless and unsettled and wondered why. Normally I’m sort of a laid back guy. When I feel uneasy I’ve learned over the years to stop to meditate on God’s words, “Be still and know that I am God.” Then my mind becomes attuned to the whispering of the Holy Spirit in my ear. What did He say? Don, write what I tell you about death. Some of my people, saint and sinner, need to hear this message. Obedient to His leading, here goes.
Doctor Peter Marshall (1909-1949), Chaplain of the United States Senate, emigrated from Scotland in 1927 and was ordained a Presbyterian minister in 1931. On January 13, 1947, as Chaplain of the U. S. Senate he spoke these words to Americans:
“The choice before us is plain: Christ or chaos, conviction or compromise, discipline or disintegration. I am rather tired of hearing about the rights and privileges as American citizens. The time is come---it is now---when we ought to hear about the duties and responsibilities of our citizenship. America’s future depends upon her accepting and demonstrating God’s government.”
On the first Sunday in December, 1941, Dr. Marshall was to be guest speaker at the United State Naval Academy. On arrival at Annapolis, seeing the activity on the academy grounds, he had an uneasy feeling that the sermon he had prepared was not appropriate somehow. The Academy Chaplain told him to just speak from the heart and the Holy Spirit would guide him. As he took the podium and looked out over the audience of fine young Midshipmen he told the story told to him by a mother in his congregation. Her little boy had an incurable disease and as time passed it just got worse. One evening she was reading the tales of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table ending in the climactic battle in which so many brave Knights died. Then her boy asked, Mommy, what’s it like to die? Without a word she walked away from the boy fighting back the tears as she entered the kitchen. She knew the question had to be answered there and then. She prayed for a way to answer his question. In a moment she returned to the boy and said, “Donnie, do you remember when you were younger you played hard all day and you were so tired that you would fall asleep on mommy’s bed? Daddy with his strong arms would pick you up and put you in bed in your own bedroom and when you awakened the next morning you wondered how you got into you own room. Well dying is like that; you fall asleep in one room and our loving God picks you up and puts you in another room”. With war clouds on the horizon that was just the message the young would be officers needed to hear. Leaving the academy he offered a young Lieutenant on leave a ride to the train station. As they drove, a musical program was interrupted by a special bulletin: the Japanese had just attacked our naval base at Pearl Harbor. Dr. Marshall had heard the voice of the Holy Spirit and now he knew why.
At church last Sunday my Pastor spoke briefly about death when he said, “Death is the anesthesia God uses when He takes you from your earthly body and puts you in your heavenly body.”
We as Christians don’t fear death, we do fear pain, so we hope we will die peacefully in our sleep. As Queen Victoria said, “I so look forward to placing my crown at the feet of Jesus.” Who wouldn’t want to leave this world behind and take up residence in Paradise where there is no sickness, no crying, no darkness, no worries and only joy for all eternity.
An epitaph I read said, “Barbara doesn’t live here anymore: forwarding address, Paradise.”
Children, before the age of reason, will go to heaven. Those who should fear death are those who think there are other ways to heaven than by Jesus; they have sentenced themselves to an eternity in torment. Don’t procrastinate, decide now to take Jesus into your heart and begin storing your treasure in heaven. Compared to eternity this life is a pop quiz.
Let Go And Let God
Happy Announcement
I started Donald’s Blog to draw traffic to my Web Mall.
Also, I chose keywords to help. Money On Line Made Easy.com was not
meant to mislead you. As Ben Franklin wisely said “ A penny saved is a penny
earned.” However, I’ve spent many months researching affiliate programs that
could make dollars for you.
Finally, I discovered Millionaire Society which in confidence I can describe in one word:
incredible. You’ll be happy you
checked it out. http://millionairesocietydlw.com
