2/1/16

Thanks to my good friend, Alan Ahlgrim for this thoughtful and challenging piece of truth that I had to share with the people I love!  Pastor Ken

A Good Day To Die…

News flash – you’re gonna die! Does that sound too blunt? If so, it’s time to face it and even to prepare for it. After several recent funerals, I’ve been thinking more about death. In addition, my reading of late keeps highlighting the brevity of life.  I just devoured a thought provoking book: “Preparing for Heaven” by Gary Black. Gary was a student of Dr. Dallas Willard and was given the privilege of interviewing Dallas during the final months of his life. Dallas talked often about a “good” death or a “radiant” death. By God’s grace, that’s exactly what he was granted. Dallas was even given a glimpse into what was awaiting him. He was deeply gratified to realize that “the huge crowd of witnesses” mentioned in Hebrews 12 was real and that they were ready to lovingly welcome him. What a gift to be given a peak behind the curtain!

 For believers , it’s always a good day to die because heaven is ahead. We have everything to look forward to and nothing to fear. That’s why we often ought to “press pause” and consider our own end. This is what Thomas a Kempis advocated centuries ago when he wrote: “Happy is he that always hath the hour of his death before his eyes, and daily prepareth himself to die… when it is morning think that thou mayest die before night; and when evening comes dare not to promise thyself the next morning. Be thou therefore always in readiness, and so lead thy life so that death may never take thee unprepared.”

I certainly don’t know when my end will come and I doubt that you know yours. That’s why Moses said, “Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12)  It has also been said…”The two greatest mistakes in life are both mathematical – misjudging the brevity of life and miscalculating the length of eternity.”  So, might this be a good time to give some careful thought to the following questions and writing down a response to each?

• Here’s what I want others to know about my journey of faith …
• Here’s what I would like to be remembered for …
• Here are some scriptures special to me …
• Here are some of my favorite songs …
• Here are the friends closest to me …
• Here’s what heaven means to me …

It’s never too soon to anticipate your own end.  As C.S. Lewis said: “If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for this present world were just those who thought most of the next.”

I’m thinking more about heaven all the time, how about you?

Grace and Peace,
Dr. Alan Ahlgrim
Director of Pastor Care
Blessing Ranch Ministries