Reflecting...

I havent written in a long time; and I have been longing to come back to my blog. I have written a couple of drafts and not completed them. But today I'd like to talk about strife..

...There is one thing that I value a lot and that is the freedom that I get from understanding scripture. Specifically the state of the dead doctrine. In the Old testament we see that Job 14:10-12 describes death as a sleep; Psalm 13:3 as well describes death as a sleep. For me this basically means that when someone dies; they are no longer in touch with me, whether through dreams, spirit mediums, ghosts or other means. Even through pastoral communication; my Bible tells me the dead are asleep and know nothing. 

This is where the freedom comes in; in the past six years I started to experience death of close family and friends, before that it had been something I saw from a distance. I have met people who worship the dead, this is masked with grief as well as not understanding the state of the dead; this worship is in many different forms but they believe that their future lies in the hands of the dead family members; that they need to perform different ceremonies in order to 'please' the dead family members. 

 I feel free from the bondage of having to please a dead family member over my God. I feel free from the fear of the wrath of the dead family members. However; although I am free from this bondage, I am not free of the grief that comes with losing a loved one. 

I am still broken about the loss of a loved one from five years ago; and one year ago and each time I find that we are on the verge of saying goodbye to another...I am reminded of the losses I have experienced over the years. 

I am reflecting on this as my family has once again gone through a season of deaths; being far away from home makes the pain even more, but I am also spurred on by that when Christ comes again, the pain of death will be conquered up in victory, not for a little while but for eternity. The Bible says, weeping may endure for a night...BUT JOY comes in the morning :). I may not know how long I will be waiting for that day but the surest thing is that there will be a day where it will all cease to be painful and there will be joy. 

I remember the mother who mourns a daughter who would have been my daughter's age, I remember the young bride, full of dreams and plans, who now sits and mourns her husband. but in all this, we know that God causes ALL things to work for the good to them that Love God and are called according to HIs purpose. (Romans 8: 28 NLT).

May we all be encouraged...