I remember visiting the funeral home where they were preparing my late daughter Celeste for burial. The director thought it would be comforting to let me know that my daughter is the only “Angel” currently in the building and it was an honor for them to take care of her.

To be frank that wasn’t comforting at all. I nodded and said “ thank you.” 

Or how about the time when I was told my deceased daughter was currently hovering over me now in the room. I instantly thought that would be a bit creepy if that was true..

If that was true..

What is the truth ? what happens to someone when they are no longer. 

Well, I pray that the Lord bless the hearts of those individuals who shared with me their beliefs, however, I don’t know where their foundation of truth lies, But I can tell you where mine is and it is found in none other than God's Holy words. Amen!

Let us Pray. 

Before I continue I want you guys to know that I am currently recording for my Youtube Channel. Thank you for tuning in to this recording. I would love to read your comments down below.

I want to Thank Elder Wray for reaching out to me for this opportunity. I’ve been wanting to address this on my channel for quite some time. So this was very timely. 

I have yet to speak about the children's book I wrote. Tech team if you would share the screen. 

The title of the book is called Until We Meet Again: A story of Infant loss. 

I wrote this during a time I was close to despair, and the Lord quickly rebuked me and said you did not go through this in vain. He said He would use my story to bring Him glory. 

I wrote this book with my children in mind to explain to them what the Bible says about when we die. But this book is for any and everyone who has ever had to bury a loved one. I just wrote it in a way where a child would be able to understand of course with some guidance from an adult. 

The real purpose of the book is to explain the state of the dead. 

I was tired of hearing people say that my daughter was currently in heaven. That is not comforting. If you didn’t know, well now you know.

Why? You may ask

Let’s dive into it. Let’s rewind to exactly a year ago. My heart was broken. So you mean to tell me that my daughter was in Heaven “smiling down on me?” Quite frankly that didn’t sit well with me.

This is what I wish I told these individuals. I want to add a disclaimer here: I know its all out of love when people say these things. So, I want to respond out of love. 

My source of truth is found in the Bible. It’s amazing how God didn’t leave the state of the dead as a mystery for us to solve. It is plainly written in His word. 

Dear Lord, Please send your Holy Spirit to give us all the understanding of what we will be studying right now, thank you Father. 

Let us go back to the beginning in Genesis. 

In Genesis 2:7 -  And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

So this verse here gives us the formula to make a living person.

Dust + God’s Breath = Living person.

Many believe that the soul is something detached from the body that can continue living. 

This lie is literally of the Devil. 

“You will not certainly die..” Do you remember this false statement in Genesis 3:4

So we now know who is behind this faulty belief that the dead continue to live. 

Quoting from Doug Bachelors book 365 Amazing Answers to Big Bible Questions.

“When a person dies, his body returns to the earth and the power of life returns to God. he ceases to be a soul (living being), and his thoughts perish. Found in Psalm 146:4

So, what about those individuals who have near death experiences?

( all in the context of their culture)

Doug once agin explains it plainly in his book

In Ecclesiastes 9:5  it says  For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

If we look at the account of Lazarus and when Jesus resurrected him from the dead. Did He have an amazing story to tell after he was resurrected? Please let me know in the Bible where that is found. 

Let’s read the passage

The Death of Lazarus

11 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. 3 Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”

4 When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. 7 Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”

8 The disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?”

9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11 These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.”

12 Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.” 13 However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.

14 Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. 15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him.”

16 Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.”

I Am the Resurrection and the Life

17 So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about [a]two miles away. 19 And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.

20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. 21 Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”

23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

24 Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

27 She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

So much to unpack in this verse. 

Lord send your Holy Spirit to help us in Jesus name

Let us discuss the points that stood out to you in regards to the state of the dead.

{{Point out how Jesus had to state it to the disciples to understand.. And what martha stated about the resurrection.}}

Read excerpt from my book folded page. 

Read 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

God leaves us with the blessed hope.

Explain the cover of my book and why I named her celeste. 

Share how my students have been studying the second coming and we examined the Blessed hope portrait.

This is our Blessed hope that we will be reunited with our loved ones who are sleeping in Christ. Now it is our duty that we will be a part of that number. 

Jesus is the resurrection and the life. So choose life today while we have the chance. 

Let us sing 

Hymn 214 We Have this Hope

Ask someone to pray …pray that we have the courage to share this good news that our loved ones are resting and that their next conscious thought would be of Christ bursting through the clouds.