Quoting promises about Heaven will always be easier than keeping commands about Earth. Trusting God with life after death will always be easier than trusting him with life before it. Yet how could I say that I trust Jesus with forever, then turn around and ignore everything he says about my life here and now? Wouldn’t this be proof that I haven’t trusted him at all? 

The longer I live on this planet, the more I’ve been forced to learn the art of dealing with death. There were no classes on this in school, but I have a teacher who refuses to be ignored: Experience. Attendance is mandatory. One after another, with increasing regularity, the funerals come. During the service, those of us who remain remind each other of God’s promises, eternal life and resurrection, Heaven and perfect rest and happiness for all eternity. The crowd pauses to make time for prayers and Scripture while death is in the room, before life moves on. But life does move on, and then many of the same people who spoke of the promises go back to ignoring death. Along with him, many also ignore the God who made the promises.

There’s no question that death is our greatest enemy. He takes everything, and eventually, everyone. He does not negotiate. He makes no exceptions.

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