Preparing To Enter Glory (Part 4)

Preparing To Enter Glory (Part Four)

Proper Thinking At The Time Of Death And / Or At Funeral Of A Loved One

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Many times when I attend funerals or I am told of the death of family or friends my mind races with how I am to think in times such as these. For example: It happened when my mother died and again when my father passed away and now again today when I was told a gentleman passed away whom I graduated with from school days. I have found some things that help me. These I share with you from the heart. Take them read and use them as needed in your life in the future. As always in the spirit to help in times of need I submit this to you my dear friends and may God bless you ..............Steve

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Remember These Words of Comfort:


I AM the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord: hethat believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall helive: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall neverdie. St. John 11:25, 26.I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall standat the latter day upon the earth: and though this body bedestroyed, yet in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall seefor myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another.Job 19:25, 26, 27.We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain wecan carry nothing out. The Lord gave, and the Lord hathtaken away; blessed be the Name of the Lord.1 Timothy 6:7; Job 1:21.He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sentme, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation;but is passed from death unto life. St. John 5:24.I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded thathe is able to keep that which I have committed unto himagainst that day. 2 Timothy 1:12

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The Lord Our Hope:


THE LORD is my light and my salvation; whom thenshall I fear? * the LORD is the strength of my life; ofwhom then shall I be afraid?.One thing have I desired of the LORD, which I willrequire; * even that I may dwell in the house of the LORDall the days of my life, to behold the fair beauty of the LORD,and to visit his temple..For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his tabernacle;* yea, in the secret place of his dwelling shall he hideme, and set me up upon a rock of stone..And now shall he lift up my head * above mine enemiesround about me.Therefore will I offer in his dwelling an oblation, withgreat gladness: * I will sing and speak praises unto theLORD..Hearken unto my voice, O LORD, when I cry unto thee; *have mercy upon me, and hear me..My heart hath talked of thee, Seek ye my face: * Thyface, LORD, will I seek..O hide not thou thy face from me, * nor cast thy servantaway in displeasure..


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The Lord My Delight from Psalm 116.


MY delight is in the LORD; * because he hath heardthe voice of my prayer;.Because he hath inclined his ear unto me; * thereforewill I call upon him as long as I live..The snares of death compassed me round about, * andthe pains of hell gat hold upon me..I found trouble and heaviness; then called I upon theName of the LORD; * O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver mysoul..Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; * yea, our God ismerciful..The LORD preserveth the simple: * I was in misery, andhe helped me..Turn again then unto thy rest, O my soul; * for the LORDhath rewarded thee..And why? thou hast delivered my soul from death, *mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling..I will walk before the LORD * in the land of the living.I will receive the cup of salvation, * and call upon theName of the LORD..I will pay my vows now in the presence of all hispeople: * right dear in the sight of the LORD is the deathof his saints.

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The Lord My Shepherd And Provider from Psalm 23A. My Shepherd:.THE LORD is my shepherd; * I shall not want.He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: * heleadeth me beside the still waters.He restoreth my soul: * he leadeth me in the paths ofrighteousness for his Name’s sake..Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow ofdeath, I will fear no evil: * for thou art with me; thy rod andthy staff they comfort me..B. My Provider:.Thou preparest a table before me in the presence ofmine enemies: * thou anointest my head with oil; my cuprunneth over.C. My Conclusion:.Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the daysof my life: * and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

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Assurance Of the Resurrection From 1 Corinthians 15



NOW is Christ risen from the dead, and become thefirstfruits of them that slept. For since by man camedeath, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. Foras in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterwardthey that are Christ’s, at his coming...Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up thekingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put downall rule, and all authority, and power. For he must reign, till he hathput all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shallbe destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under hisfeet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it ismanifest that he is excepted, which did put all things underhim. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, thenshall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put allthings under him, that God may be all in all...But some man will say, How are the dead raised up?and with what body do they come? Thou foolish one, thatwhich thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: and thatwhich thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be,but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some othergrain: but God giveth it a body, as it hath pleased him, andto every seed its own body. So also is the resurrection of thedead: It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: It is sown inweakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; itis raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and thereis a spiritual body...And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a livingsoul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit,that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural;and afterward that which is spiritual...The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man isthe Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they alsothat are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they alsothat are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of theearthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannotinherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inheritincorruption...Behold, I show you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, butwe shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of aneye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and thedead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortalmust put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have puton incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality;then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death isswallowed up in victory.O death, where is thy sting? O grave,where is thy victory?The sting of death is sin; and the strengthof sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victorythrough our Lord Jesus Christ...Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable,always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye knowthat your labour is not invain in the Lord...

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God’s People Cannot Be Separated From His Love From Romans 8.


THERE is therefore now no condemnation to themwhich are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh,but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in ChristJesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are thesons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondageagain to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption,whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit himself bearethwitness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: Andif children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs withChrist; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be alsoglorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of thispresent time are not worthy to be compared with the glorywhich shall be revealed in us...And we know that all things work together for good tothem that love God, to them who are the called accordingto his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also didpredestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, thathe might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreoverwhom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whomhe called, them he also justified: and whom he justified,them he also glorified...What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us,who can be against us? Who shall separate us from the loveof Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, orfamine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Nay, in all thesethings we are more than conquerors through him that lovedus...For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, norangels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present,nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any othercreature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God,which is in Christ Jesus our Lord...

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Some Prayers Always Befitting For Times Such As These



The Lord's Prayer

OUR Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thyName. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, Onearth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Andforgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespassagainst us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver usfrom evil. Amen...


A Prayer For The Bereaved:

ALMIGHTY and most merciful God, the Consolation ofthe sorrowful, and the Support of the weary, who dostnot willingly grieve or afflict the children of men; Lookdown in tender love and pity, we beseech thee, upon thybereaved servants, whose joy is turned into mourning; Sothat, while they mourn, they may not murmur, or faint underthy chastening hand; but, remembering all thy mercies,thy promises, and thy love in Christ, may resign themselvesmeekly into thy hands, to be taught and comforted by thee,who bringest life out of death, and who canst turn their griefinto eternal joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen...


O LORD, our God, who art the disposer of human events,in whom we live and move and have our being; Webeseech thee to grant us that sense of thy presence, whichwill enable us to see that thy wisdom and love are involvedin this dispensation of thy Providence. May we rememberthat thou art all wise and canst not make a mistake; thatthou art also all love and canst not be cruel to any of thychildren. Help us to believe that all things are workingtogether for our good, and that what we know not now, weshall hereafter fully know and understand. Sanctify to usthis ordering of thy Providence. Comfort and uphold thyservants in this hour of their sorrow. Impart to them thysufficient and sustaining grace, distilling in every woundedheart the solace of thy Holy Spirit; And when thy summonsshall come to us, vouchsafe, O Lord, that, having trusted inthe atoning work of thine only-begotton Son, our Saviour,we may be received into thy presence, where there is fullnessof joy for evermore; through the same our Lord JesusChrist. Amen...


Thanksgiving and Prayer for Grace


ALMIGHTY and everliving God, we yield unto thee mosthigh praise and hearty thanks, for the wonderful graceand virtue declared in all thy saints, who have been thechoice vessels of thy grace, and the lights of the world intheir several generations; most humbly beseeching thee togive us grace so to follow the example of their steadfastnessin thy faith, and obedience to thy holy commandments, thatat the day of the general Resurrection, we, with all thosewho are of the mystical body of thy Son, may be set on hisright hand, and hear that his most joyful voice: Come, yeblessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for youfrom the foundation of the world. Grant this, O Father, forthe sake of the same thy Son Jesus Christ, our only Mediatorand Advocate. Amen...


When Visiting the Grave Site Here Are Some Appropriate Thoughts and Prayers Directed By Holy Scripture:


MAN, that is born of a woman, hath but a short timeto live, and is full of misery. He cometh up, and iscut down, like a flower; he fleeth as it were a shadow, andnever continueth in one stay..In the midst of life we are in death: of whom may weseek for succour, but of thee, O Lord, who for our sins artjustly displeased?.Yet, O Lord God most holy, O Lord most mighty, O holyand most merciful Saviour, deliver us not into the bitterpains of eternal death..Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts; shut notthy merciful ears to our prayer; but spare us, Lord most holy,O God most mighty, O holy and merciful Saviour, thou mostworthy Judge eternal, suffer us not, at our last hour, for anypains of death, to fall from thee...Or this...ALL that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and himthat cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. Father,I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with mewhere I am; that they may behold my glory. Ye now havesorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice,and your joy no man taketh from you..Also This .IF the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the deaddwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shallalso quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwellethin you...And This..FORASMUCH as it hath pleased Almighty God of hisgreat mercy to take unto himself the soul of our dearbrother (or this beloved child), here departed, we thereforecommit his body to the ground; earth to earth, ashes toashes, dust to dust; in sure and certain hope of the Resurrectionto eternal life, through our Lord Jesus Christ; at whosecoming in glorious majesty to judge the world, the earth andthe sea shall give up their dead; and the corruptible bodiesof those who sleep in him shall be changed, and made likeunto his own glorious body; according to the mighty workingwhereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself...And This..I HEARD a voice from heaven, saying unto me, Write,From henceforth blessed are the dead who die in theLord: even so saith the Spirit; for they rest from theirlabours...O LORD Jesus Christ, who by thy death didst take awaythe sting of death; Grant unto us thy servants so tofollow in faith where thou hast led the way, that we may atlength fall asleep peacefully in thee, and awake up after thylikeness; through thy mercy, who livest with the Father andthe Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen...


Hebrews 13:20, 21: - The God of peace, who brought again from the deadour Lord Jesus Christ, the great Shepherd of the sheep,through the blood of the everlasting covenant; Make youperfect in every good work to do his will, working in youthat which is well pleasing in his sight; through Jesus Christ,to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen...AMEN!!!