When you die! (1)

After AD 616, the first Christian missionaries came to the courts of King Edwin in Northumbria, England. In his great hall, ablaze with the light of numerous torches, they presented the gospel. The king listened, then consulted his advisors. One nobleman said, “Life is like a banquet hall. Inside is light…fire…warmth and feasting, but outside it is cold and dark. A sparrow flies in through a window at one end…and out through a window at the other end. That is what life is like. At birth we emerge from the unknown, and for a brief while we are here…with a fair amount of comfort and happiness. But then we fly out into the cold…dark…unknown future. [Can] this new religion…lighten that darkness for us[?]” We who believe in the resurrection can answer, “Yes!” A faulty heartbeat, a malignant cell, or a tragic accident can end life as we know it. But that’s not the end. And unless you believe that, here is what you’re left with: “If Christ weren’t raised…all you’re doing is wandering about in the dark, as lost as ever. It’s even worse for those who died hoping in Christ and resurrection, because they’re already in their graves. If all we get out of Christ is a little inspiration for a few short years, we’re a pretty sorry lot. But the truth is…Christ has been raised up, the first in a long legacy of those who are going to leave the cemeteries” (1 Corinthians 15:17-20 MSG). For the believer, the end of life on earth is the beginning of a glorious life with Christ in heaven!