Pastor's Corner

for Sunday Nov 21st
And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!” (Rev 14:13)
Wednesday was a sad day for us at CCC. What a shock it was for all of us when Kendall Smith passed away so suddenly that morning. It is on occasions such these that the above scripture holds such promise and hope for us who believe in Jesus.
There are several things promised here to the believer. One, even though they have died they are blessed! Notice this blessing is on those who are “in the Lord”, because, when they die they go to be with their Lord and will be with him forever more! The second thing the apostle John tells us is that they will rest from their labors. Life for Kendall was not easy. He had a muscular illness that made life really difficult. Well, now he can rest from all that labor. What joy! What peace is his now! Then the third thing the apostle John tells us is that there is life beyond death! John says their deeds follow them, this means that those who die in the Lord are going somewhere; deeds can’t follow someone who isn’t going anywhere. Death is not the end it is the beginning. Kendall has not been absorbed into the “great cosmic energy” of the universe; he is with Jesus at this very moment. He has left here and gone there. He is still alive, he is simply living in another place. This is the blessed hope of all believers. And this is why we grieve but we do not despair for we will see our loved ones again on that glorious day!
Pastor Don