Face to Face with Death

Toays reading is 1 Corinthians 15 ver 50 - 58 and is read by Carol.

9/11 brought to light a concept foreign to the vast majority of people in the Western world – the notion of choosing to die in order to gain immediate access to Paradise. The message to the suffering church in Smyrna reminds its persecuted believers that “he who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again” knows all about their tribulations and their economic poverty. He encourages them, telling them that they are spiritually rich and that their suffering would be of short duration. He exhorts them to remain faithful, even though it may cost them their life and that their reward would be a crown of life. He promises that the one who overcomes has no need to fear the second death – eternal separation from God.

Let’s praise God that he wore a crown of thorns so that we might wear the crown of life.