For we know that when this earthly tent we
live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we
will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not
by human hands. We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our
heavenly bodies like new clothing. For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will
not be spirits without bodies. While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan
and sigh, but it's not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that
clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies
will be swallowed up by life. 2 Corinthians 5:1-4
Wow! Here we are in February! Winter is
still with us…so watch out for colds and the flu. But after a study was done
several years ago by David
Phillips, a sociology professor at the University of California in San
Diego, we can rest assured that we are less likely to die this month from
natural causes than we were in January. After examining 57 million death
certificates he found that the most natural deaths occur on New Year’s Day. Ah.
For those of you who are afraid to die, does that make you feel better? There
are still 335 days left in this year. Rejoice and live it up—for we don’t know
what tomorrow brings!
 |
| We will be changed. Wings? |
Can you imagine how the statistics will
look after millions of Christians are snatched from earth in the rapture? I’d
consider rapture a natural occurrence, but it is not death. In death our bodies
are changed—even when there is embalming, the earthly bodies decay. In rapture
our bodies will be changed dramatically into new bodies.
It is the same way with the resurrection of
the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they
will be raised to live forever. Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they
will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised
in strength. They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised
as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also
spiritual bodies. ... It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when
the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died
will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed.
For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our
mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. Then, when our dying
bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture
will be fulfilled: "Death is swallowed up in victory." 1
Corinthians 15:42-44, 52-54
So, rejoice. Know that whether you live or
die…and statistically you will still live for a long time…you can someday have a
new body. A perfect body that will live forever with Jesus. What a glorious day
that will be!
Prayer
~ Jesus, we look forward to the day when we will be raised into a glorious
spiritual body. For now we’ll groan and sign…but we will sing and dance into
glory one day with You.
©
2020 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
Unless
otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation,
copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of
Tyndale House
Publishers, Inc. Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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