Romans 15. Paul says, We, then that are strong, ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not himself, but, as it is written, reproached them that reproached thee fell on me. For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one toward another according to the Christ Jesus. This morning I want to bring some thoughts upon dying and I want to preach this in memory of Brother Bill Kagebein's mother, Roselle Kagebein, to bring some scripture that will encourage you and comfort us in times of death. Beloved, it's a picture, as we saw her laying in that casket yesterday, it's a picture of the Garden of Eden. It reminds us of the fall. The day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die. Every time we go to a funeral, God is reminding you and reminding ourselves, all of us, that one day there was a fall. In a point of history, there was the start of death. Death wasn't always on the scene on earth. There was one time, beloved, when God created the garden in the book of Genesis. There was no death. There was no sorrow. There was no sin. There was no sickness. Everything was beautiful and paradise. But there come a moment in Garden of Eden when the tempter tempted Eve, who tempted Adam, who yielded to sin, and sin is charged upon Adam because he's the head of the home. There is where sin began. And sometimes we think of sin, and I want to say this in all sincerity, God is not the author of sin. And all the tragedies, all the sicknesses and diseases that are in the world are because of sin. Not because of God. Because of sin. Sin is to be blamed. And sin ultimately goes back to Satan. who tempted our first parents, Adam and Eve. Yes, God's in control of all of this. God knew all of this, but He's not the author of it. You must always keep that distinction in mind between good and evil. God is the author of good. He's not the author of evil. So, we must keep that in mind. And as we think about this, beloved, as it says, we know the story of the tempter coming to Eve, And God told them, the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. It reads, in eating thou shalt die. Dying. And sometimes, well, they were still alive after they eat. The clock started ticking the moment they eat. Their body was dying. They died spiritually at that moment. Spiritually. They died. They hid themselves from the presence of the Lord. So we see the effects of sin. We see the wars and the rumors of wars and the tragedies, the brutal murder and all the evil that's in the world, the tragedies. Beloved, sin is to blame. Sin. S-I-N. And what is in the middle of sin? I. Oh, we have to guard against I. And as we think about this, beloved, you know the first promise in the book of Genesis. If you have a copy of God's Word, I'm just going to read this promise. It's a great promise. in Genesis 3 and verse 15. And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed. It shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Beloved, here was the promise of the coming of the Messiah who was to conquer the devil, who was to conquer death, hell, and the grave, and who was to be victorious over the enemy. And as we read, if you'll turn to Isaiah 53, I just want to read a few verses there in dealing with this I go on to the main thoughts of our message. Isaiah 53. Jesus, beloved, came to be a sin barrier. He came to pay the wages of sin. And actually, before I go to Isaiah 53, I may read you another verse. I'll just put a little, hold this here. Let's go to 1 Corinthians 15. Then you will understand this a little bit clearer. I want to make this as simple as possible. 1 Corinthians 15. I think Brother Roger read this yesterday. This is a great, great chapter. Notice in verse 51, Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep. That means not everyone will be dead at the coming of Jesus Christ. Some of the saints will be in this natural body. Some of the saints' body will be asleep in the grave. You know, they said we're asleep in Jesus. We sing that song. Beloved, only the body's asleep, the soul's with the Lord. Absent from the body, present with the Lord, as we're going to see as we go along. But I wanted to make that, it says, that we should all be changed. All the cripples, all the infirmities of the flesh, all the diseases, those who are without, like Brother Gary lost his arm in that tragedy accident. There won't be that in heaven. It'll be restored. Those who are blind now will be able to see. We all shall be changed. Isn't that glorious? No hearing aids, no eyeglasses. A lot of the things that we use because of the infirmities of the flesh. We shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed. Hallelujah. I'm looking forward to that change. For this corruption must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality." So, when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory. O death, O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin. Sin. brought death into the world. Death because of sin, beloved. I want us to know that. Sin is to blame. Oh, death, where is the sting? The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law. The day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die. They broke God's commandment and they died spiritually and the clock started and they began dying physically. You read the book of Genesis through there. So-and-so begot sons and daughters and he died. So-and-so begot sons and daughters and he died. So-and-so begot sons and daughters and he died. Death has been with us, beloved, since the taking out of the Garden of Eden and the history of mankind. We'll say from the history of mankind, death has been on the scene ever since. It's a picture of God's judgment upon fallen humanity. of the wrath of God, the judgment of God, the faithfulness of God. God makes a promise, beloved, it comes forth. The day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. But he goes on to say in verse 57, But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast Unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord for you as much as you know that your labor is not vain in the Lord. Beloved, Paul is encouraging those saints there of the immortality of the soul. We're going to be changed. He's saying about the grave and sin, but Jesus has conquered sin because He fulfilled the law. There's no staying in the law no more. The law cannot give strength to sin because Jesus fulfilled the law for His people. Now, we go back to Isaiah 53, and I believe you'll understand the context a little better. This is talking about Christ. Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, as a root out of a dry ground. He hath no form nor countenance, and when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of man, a man of sorrows and a cranny with grief. And we hid as there were our faces from him. He was despised and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs. and carried our sorrows, yet we did esteem him stricken of God and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, and the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed." Beloved, every one of God's saints, every one of God's saints who who die, beloved, have the hope of everlasting life because of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Jesus bore our sins in His body on the tree. Here the wrath of God, as it speaks about, were on us, on Him, for our sake. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Beloved, isn't it wonderful to know that Jesus bore His body on the tree, our iniquities? That's the only hope that we have as sinners. Our only hope is in Christ. He was oppressed and He was flicted, yet He opened not His mouth. He was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shears is dumb, so He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who shall declare His generation? For He was cut off out of the land of the living, for the transgressions of My people was He stricken. Beloved, there is where our hope It's based upon Jesus being stricken, smitten of God and afflicted, and the wrath of God was poured upon Him. Beloved, He became a curse for us. He said, Cursed is everyone who hangeth upon a tree. He bore our curse and removed that curse from the family of God. That's why Brother Bill can confer in his family and all the young people of their grandmother and mother is because we know that Jesus bore the curse of the law for His people. Oh, beloved, thank God for the Lord Jesus. He goes on to say, we'll go down to verse 10, Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him. He had put him to grief when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin. He shall see his seed and shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hands. Beloved, Jesus didn't fail when he died on the cross. He saved his people from their sins. He goes on to say, he shall see the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied. Beloved, when Jesus went to the cross, he saw his people. All the loved ones, all the elect, all the believers, all of God's people, he saw them and was satisfied. He went willingly to the cross. He goes on to say, by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many. We've been justified by Christ, beloved, this morning. Justify means acquitted. I find no fault. There is no fault in God's people. When we stand before our holy God, one day we'll stand complete in Christ. All of us, in a sense, we fear dying. Most people do. You think about death. We looked at that precious sister yesterday, and she was coming to the hour when God took her home. But all of us are just a few moments away from that hour. Some more, some less. As we get older to my age, we're getting closer. Some of you that are young have many years to go, but no matter as a day is a thousand years, a thousand years a day with the Lord, beloved, all of us are as nothing compared to a God who's infinite, whom there is no time, all is eternity with God. So we're going to finish off this chapter here. Therefore, will I divide him a portion with the great And he divided the spoiled with the strong, because he had poured out his soul unto death. And he was numbered with the transgressors, and he bare the sin of many, and made intercessions for the transgressions, and he bare the sin of many." Beloved, the reason we can take comfort from the Scriptures is because Jesus has fulfilled the law. Jesus has removed sin from us as far as the east is from the west. It says the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin, all sin, nothing exempt. So when we look at our loved ones who have passed on, our hope is in Christ. Our hope is that they were in Christ, which is their hope, which is our hope, and which is all that redeems hope. Beloved, I'll tell you why. I'm glad. to be in Christ. I'm glad to be in Christ. You know, it says in Ephesians that we were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world. How did we get in Christ? We were in Christ by election. But God brings it down to where you live. We're in Christ experimentally by regeneration, being born of the Spirit of God, becoming one with the Lord by the new birth. We've been implanted in Christ. We're one with the Lord. That's a transformation when we become a new spirit. a new man, a new creation. You're one with the Lord. And as we think about this, I want to give you a little background as we get into this subject this morning. I'm going to answer a few questions and give you some answers. The first question is, where do the spirits of believers go at death? Where do they go? Where do the believers' spirits go? Now, there are some groups that say, well, when you die, you're like a chicken, you're dead. You know, you just... that's it. Non-existent. The Word of God is our final authority upon all subjects. The Word of God is true. The Word of God is pure. And the Word of God is holy. And everything in this book has never failed. Every promise has been kept and performed to our good. Philippians 1.19-24, it says, For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain, but if I live in the flesh, That is the fruit of my labor, yet what shall I choose? I will not. Five and a straight betwixt two, having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless, to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. Beloved, to depart and be with Christ. When we die, we are with Christ. 2 Corinthians chapter 5, verse 6 through 9 says, Therefore we are always confident Knowing this, beloved, there's some things that we should know that we can receive comfort from the Scriptures. You can't receive comfort from the Scriptures if you don't know it, if you don't read it. I want to encourage you, no matter what your age, to read the Word of God. It's not going to save you again. You're already saved by Jesus Christ as one Savior, but it will give you comfort and hope, beloved. Therefore, we're always confident knowing that. Whilst we are at home in the body, talking about this physical body, we are absent from the Lord. Now, He's everywhere present, but this absent is saying that you are earthly bound now in this body, but you're not heavenly bound. You're not in heaven. He goes on to say, for we walk by faith and not by sight. Our Christian walk today is by faith. It's by faith. For we are confident I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. But I love it at death, when that separation came to Sister Roselle, when that death came, her body ceased functioning and her spirit went to be with the Lord. Her body is asleep in the graveyard until that great day of the resurrection as we're going to close the service this morning in 1 Thessalonians 4. But her body is asleep. So those who teach so sleep, beloved, are in error. Only the body is asleep in the heart of the earth. But what a wonderful thought. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. And Jesus said in Luke 24, verse 43, talking to one of the thieves, Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt be with me in paradise." Today. Today. And in Hebrews 12, 23, it says, "...to the General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect." If you've been made perfect, you're not in this earth. You're in heaven. "...and to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than of Abel." And this is a wonderful verse. As we're on this one thought here, Revelation 14, 13. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth. Die in the Lord. Beloved, that's the hope of every one of us who die. That we die in the Lord. That we're one with Him in life and we're one with Him in death. The Bible says whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. So beloved, you're as safe in death as you are when you're alive. To close your eyes and go to sleep into waking glory is no tragedy. Beloved, that's a jubilee, you know. That's an experience. Most of us probably, you know, I was talking to a brother this morning. I said, you know, it speaks in the book of Revelation that there was silence in heaven for 30 minutes. I said, brother, you know what calls that, don't you? He said, what? I said, that's when the Baptist came in. You know, Baptists are so quiet. They don't say amen. Some of them don't. They're so, you know, but we were having a good fellowship this morning. But beloved, blessed are the dead which die in the Lord. God says they're blessed. There's nothing wrong with mourning for the loss of a mother, loss of a grandmother. That's natural. But at the same time, you're mourning of her loss because you miss her, the love, the affections, the good memories that were brought out yesterday. But beloved, think about this. She's blessed because she died in the Lord. Oh, that's something to encourage you to take strength when you start missing your loved ones and when they're gone. Many of you have lost loved ones. Our dear brother Al Whitfoot, who is gone, and we can say the same thing concerning him and others who have died. Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, for it is for the age of the Spirit that they may rest from their labors." No more labors for them. It's all over for them. The battles of life, the spiritual conflict between good and evil, the sorrows of life. They love it. Life has many sorrows. Life has many disappointments. Why? Because of sin. The plague of sin is everywhere. In our nation, in our government, in our families, in our friends, In our churches, the plague of sin. You can see the effects of sin all around us, beloved. The wages of sin is death. Many people are dying in one stroke. I don't know how many were killed over there when that tragedy happened. 8,000 or 50,000 or 200,000. I forget exactly how many it was. Were killed in one moment. What's that reminding you and I about? Life is transitory. Life is just temporary. Life is just for a moment. Oh, beloved, that they may rest from their labors. You know, there is a spiritual rest. Jesus says in Matthew, Come unto Me, all you that live in heaven, and I will give you rest. There's a spiritual rest to the family of God in the gospel church and in believing in Christ. And oh, that final day, when our bodies are laid in the graveyard, when death comes upon us, then we cease from all labor. And it says, that you may find rest from their labors, and their works do follow them." Beloved, the things that we do for the Lord Jesus Christ will follow us. Your life will follow you. So there's a few thoughts there on being with the Lord. Now, the foundation assurance of the Old Testament believers, as God began to reveal the mysteries of life and death to them, was that death could not break their relationship with the covenant God. See, God said He's the God of the living, not the God... He's the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Living! He said they were dead. No, they were dead. Their bodies was in the grave, in the tomb, but their spirit, their soul was with the Lord. He's the God of the living. They were still alive. How could they be alive? Because they were with the Lord. See, the Old Testament saints gradually was understanding this revelation that His covenant people When they died, they were with Him. Remember, some of the old prophets said, I'm going to die and go be with my fathers. They knew that they were still alive. He wasn't talking about the graveyard. Who wants to go to the graveyard to visit with anyone? There's nothing in there but death, corruption. In Genesis 5, verse 24, "...and he walked with God, and he was not, for God took him." God took him, translated him, brought him to glory. He pleased God. Psalm 236, it says, Surely in goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. He wasn't talking about the congregation of Israel. He was talking about that house who builder and maker is God. I will dwell in that house of the Lord forever and forever and forever. See, they had glimpses of life after death. You remember the story of Joseph when he died. He said he made a commandment concerning his bones. Don't leave my bones over there in Egypt. Take my bones out of there. Because he knew what? There was a resurrection. And it says in the book of Hebrews when the Lord commanded Abraham to slay Isaac, when he took that knife and was ready to slay his son, it says over there in the book of Hebrews that he knew that if he slew his son that he would be resurrected. Beloved, that took faith. To slay your Son, your only Son, knowing that God of glory would raise Him back to life. Psalm 73, 24 says, Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. I like that. Receive me to glory. When death comes to His people, they are received up to glory. Beloved, It does bother us. Death puts fear into us at times. That's why we need the comfort and hope of the Scriptures. Read the Scriptures. They comfort you. Psalm 69, Therefore, my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth. My flesh also shall rest in hope. There's hope. What did Job say? That he believed that he would see his Redeemer one day. after he turned to dust and ashes, after the worms that eat him, that he would see his Redeemer. That is not the exact quote, but that's basically what he was saying. It says in verse 10, For thou shalt not leave thy soul in hell, neither shalt thou suffer thy Holy One to see corruption, referring to our Lord Jesus Christ. Thou wilt show me the path of life, and thy presence is fulness of joy. I want to tell you something this morning. The dear sister has more joy today than she ever had in her life. Joy unspeakable and full of glory. All the saints that have died, our loved ones who died in the Lord, are having joy unspeakable and full of glory. At that right hand, there are pleasures for evermore. We don't even understand the pleasures that God is giving His saints. Psalm 49, 15 says, But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, for He shall receive me, Selah. O beloved, God is so good to His people. And another thought I want to bring out, the basic assurance the Old Testament is brought to full revelation in the New Testament, and I want to bring a few thoughts to your mind, that death shall not be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Turn to Romans chapter 8. Most of you know this verse, but we'll read it. This was mentioned yesterday. I'll read this again. "...that death shall not be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Death does not separate from God. He's the God of the dead, God of the living. He's over all and above all. See, God sees everything present tense. And I know it's hard for us to comprehend that. The past, as we know past, the future, as we know future, is all present with Almighty God. That blows our mind, doesn't it? God doesn't learn because He knows everything. He doesn't forget. He's infinite. God is so above us, beloved, that we are as grasshoppers, the Bible says, in some of the Old Testament books. We are as nothing, it says in the book of Isaiah. Nothing compared to such an infinite, holy majesty of God Almighty, who cannot be contained. Solomon says, what house will you build for the Lord? There is no house that can contain God. The heavens of the heavens cannot contain God. That's how infinite God is. And oh, at times, beloved, when we think of dying, we think of sickness, we think of death, we get our eyes off the greatness of God and we get among the problem. And the problem becomes greater in our thoughts and minds than the greatness of our Jehovah God. God is greater than any problem we have. God is greater than death. You know, when Lazarus died and his mother and sister were crying and weeping, And they said, Lord, if you'd have been here, he wouldn't have died. And Jesus says, I am the resurrection and the life. He didn't believe it's a niche. I'll never die. Then he cried out those famous words, which I know shook the world. Lazarus, come forth. Beloved, he came out of the grave. He came out. One day, as we're going to see in a few moments, I'll say that to the last. Say the 1 Thessalonians for last. All that one day, when that does come again. when He speaks again, and all the graves are going to be opening. All the dead in Christ shall rise. Oh, why did you believe that's going to be? In going back to Romans 8, just read the text. Comfort of the Scriptures. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword, And it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long, we are encountered as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, death is called the last enemy that we face in this world. nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor heart, nor death, nor any other creature. He didn't want to leave nothing out. Paul wanted to encourage the saints that there's nothing, nothing in time, no creature, not anything that can separate one of God's children from the love of God. It began in eternity, it ends in eternity, and nothing in time can stop it. That's the greatness of God's love. An everlasting love, an eternal love, which didn't begin with you, it began with God. If it began with God, it ends with God, and you have nothing to do with it. Amen? Amen. So you can't lose it, beloved. Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Where is the love of God at? In Christ Jesus our Lord. Those that die, they die in who? They die in the Lord. They die in the love of God. And the Bible speaks about that they are asleep in Jesus. He even preserves the body until the great day when He calls it forth. Beloved, I tell you, that's encouraging. Believers die in the Lord. I read this earlier, but we'll read it again. 1 Thessalonians 4, verse 14, For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also would sleep in Jesus. You know, we sang that song. which is a beautiful hymn, what God brings with Him. See, there's a comfort, beloved, of our loved ones who have died before us. If we are here at the coming of the Lord, we are the ones that are still in the body. Don't worry about those that are in the graveyard. He's going to bring them with Him. What does that mean? That means their soul is with Him in glory, and when He comes in His second coming, He brings the Spirit, and when that body is resurrected, that soul is going to go back to that body. Then they're going to be a complete person, glorified. The day of the resurrection. Oh, hallelujah. What a day that's going to be. Sister Lorraine, will we all be shouting during that time? Will we all be shouting? You know, sometimes I get excited, you know, I feel like just praising the Lord, you know, because of the goodness of God. And reading this verse again, I read before Revelation 14, 13, And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, from henceforth, yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors, and their works do follow them. Jesus said in John 14, 2, In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you 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 unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also." Where Jesus is, is where the saints go. He's in heaven. When we die, When each one of us dies, we take that journey. We leave this world and we enter that world. Oh, beloved, there's no death. There is no death in heaven. It's all joy. You know, Jesus prayed the Lord's Prayer in John 17, 24. He prayed this prayer, Father, I will that they also which Thy has given me be with me where I am. that they may behold My glory which Thou hast given Me, for Thou lovest Me before the foundation of the world." Where is the sister this morning? She's beholding the glory of the Lord. And all our loved ones, beloved, they're there in heaven in the presence of God. They're there in a tangible place like Chicago. There's New York. Heaven is an actual place, beloved, that occupies Cupid's space. It's there. It's a city whose builder and maker is God. And our loved ones are there beholding the glory of the Lord. And all their labors have ceased, they're at rest, they're at peace with God. Oh, beloved, what a wonderful, wonderful thought. And as Paul said, we read this earlier, therefore we are always confident, knowing this, that we are at home in the body. Whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord. We are confident, I say, willing whether to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. And Paul says in Philippians, he was in a quix between two, having desired to depart and be with Christ, which he says, is far better. We look at death as a tragedy instead of a blessing. Beloved to the child of God, death is a blessing. As we grow older, we think about how soon we're going to face the last enemy, which is death, and it is an enemy. But beloved, death is our exodus from this world to that world. You need a way out. And the only way out of this world is to die. or be changed in the moment and the twinkling of an eye of the coming of the Lord. There's many more things I could say on this subject. I'm going to close by reading 1 Thessalonians. If you turn there, I kind of hinted on it already. I just want to read that text. It's so beautiful. This again is for the comfort of those who have lost a dear loved one and for others who have lost dear loved ones and for the future of us who will lose loved ones. And we don't know if even we'll be alive. There's no promise of tomorrow. You know not what a day should bring forth. The Scriptures is very clear on that. We should say, if the Lord's will, we should do this or that, the Lord willing. 1 Thessalonians 4, begin reading with verse 13. Paul says, writing to those churches to comfort them, says, But I will not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep. Now again, only the body is asleep in Jesus. That ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus." Notice how the Scriptures make it, those that are in Jesus. Even before the foundation of the world, we've chosen to be in Jesus. We are living in Jesus. We live by His faith, Galatians 2.20. We walk in Him. We are filled with the Spirit to have His Spirit in us. And then we die in conjunction with the Lord, in the Lord. Don't lose sight of that. "...who sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him." There's talking about the saints when they come back, their soul is coming back. We'll go on and read this verse so you can understand what I'm saying. He says, "...for this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, His revelation shall not prevent or precede them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God. Beloved, that's going to be a day when all the world will hear that trump. In Revelation it says, every eye shall behold Him and those that perish Him. Beloved, that's going to be the day of all days, the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and His glory, His manifestation. When the Son of God comes in the power and glory of His majesty, when He comes to bring His children, His soul is to the graves opened, the body comes up, and the Spirit unites back to that body, and we go up to be with the Lord. And Scripture says, we forever shall be with the Lord. Beloved, this is the hope of the Old Testament saints, and this is the hope of the New Testament saints. There's no breaking the covenant bond of God. Death does not separate us from God or His love. And that's what Paul was saying here. He says, for the Lord Himself, remember when He cried out, Lazarus, come forth. Beloved, in that day when He shall come forth, all the graves are going to open. Some will be resurrected of the unjust and the just. Yes, there's a resurrection of both in that day. Then he goes on to say, the dead in Christ shall rise first. So don't feel sorry for the dead, they're going to rise first. Then Paul says, we which are alive shall be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye, just a blink, and you're changed too. Then he goes on to say, then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up. You know, I've always wanted to fly, you know, be able to fly like a bird, you know. Beloved, one day is coming when I'm going to fly up. I'm going up. And you're going up. That's going to be a wonderful day. Then we which are alive remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And every loved one who has died before us, we will meet them in the air." We're all going to meet at one time. Can you imagine that? Since the beginning of time until the end of time, all saints are going to meet in the air with the Lord at the same time. Boy, that's going to be a jubilee. You're talking about a glorious, glorious display of God's power. You're talking about something that's going to just be greater than we can even imagine. And that day of the coming of the Lord, when all the saints of all time are meeting together in the air with the Lord to go to His house. Oh, beloved, I'll tell you something. That's good. Not me preaching it, but the truth is so good. To meet the Lord in the air, and He goes on to say, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore, comfort one another with these words. Beloved, people talk about so many different things in the Last Coming, the Last Doctrine, the Last Things. I'll just say this, we're going to forever be with the Lord. What He has for us, amen. Amen. I don't have all the insights until when we leave this world what's going to be for us, but I'll tell you what, to be perfect, no sin, no corruption, no sorrows, no heartache, No disappointments, no crying, no tears. As it says in the book of Revelation, the former things are all passed away. This life as we know it will be over. There will be new heavens and new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. I pray this morning that you receive some comfort from these words, beloved. We have hope. We have a blessed hope. And every child of God who dies has a blessed death. A blessed death. Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord. May we pray. A gracious and loving Father, Jehovah God, we thank you for this blessed hope we have, the hope of the resurrection, the hope knowing that when we die, we die in the Lord. We're not separated from the love of God, but we're ushered into the presence of the love of God. Oh, in that presence, Lord, as you just said in your word, it's the fullness of joy. Oh, we long for the day when we'll be with you. And Father, we pray that you'll use us, as it says in 1 Corinthians 15, that we shall always be bounding in the work of the Lord as we know that our labor is not in vain in the Lord, that we will be laboring in the Lord's work until you call us from this earthly existence. In the name of Jesus Christ, we give you the praise and the glory. Amen.