“DEATH, BE NOT PROUD!”

By Ben Berto

²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.” John 11: 25 NKJV

Yesterday, we got the greatest shock of our lives. Luke, the son of our only son Terly and his wife Crystal, perished in a motorcycle accident in New Brunswick. They were just with us for the past two weeks for which we are very thankful to have a short time with him which we enjoyed very much. He was 17, a few days shy of his 18^th birthday on the 28 of July. He was a vivacious young man, who loved life, his mom and dad, his only sister Sophie, and all his relatives (cousins, aunts, uncles, grandpas, grandmas. He also loved motorcycling just like the Easy Rider in the movies. We are going today, this evening, to pay our last respects to a beloved young man.

When news of his passing broke, we were all crying, knowing that we will never see him alive on this earth again until the Lord Jesus comes again the second time in clouds of glory. Satan’s chief delight is causing misery to the children of God. He loves to destroy God’s creation, but let us not worry because his time is short and God will destroy him with finality in the flames that won’t be extinguished until every part of him will be burned to a crisp. Escape before it’s too late.

Let us go to two texts in the Bible for our assurance and comfort. 1 Corinthians 15: 50- 58, NKJV ⁵⁰ Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. ⁵¹ Behold, I tell you a ^[a]mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— ⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. ⁵³ For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

⁵⁵ “O^[b] Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?”

⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.⁵⁸ Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

In 1 Thessalonians 4: 16-18, we read, ¹⁶ For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore comfort one another with these words., 

We put our trust in God’s Word.  We will see our nephew, Luke, again in the Second Coming of Jesus.

To contact us: Our website is www.abundantlifeadventist.ca. Worship with us every Saturday Sabbath, the seventh day of the week. Genesis 2: 2, 3, Exodus 20: 8-10, Isaiah 58: 13, 14; Isaiah 66: 22, 23; Matthew 5: 17-19; Revelation 22: 14

John 14: 1-3, 1 Corinthians 15: 50-58, 1 Thessalonians 4: 16-18