Sunday 4/19/15 When the Graves Open!

Dear Father in Heaven: Blessed again today, thank You for that, and all of our blessings each day. Thanks for safe passage for Art and Elaine. Thanks for the neighbor You sent to help today. Thanks for The Cross on which You died, Jesus, and thanks for living in me. I know I can be a mes. I am so excited about what You planted on my mind today. I want to get started right away. Please help me with that message and then to get it dispatched. I love You, Jesus, and I know I really need to do a better job of repenting, and it seems I just need to hold onto You tighter each day. Lord, please be with Pastor Larry and all those going to the Church of God conference. All honor and glory to You for all things. In the Name of Jesus, I give thanks and pray. Amen.

Brothers and sisters, while sitting in our living room having church, we were talking as we waited for the service to start. We were talking about how the graves are going to burst open when the Lord returns. I do want to get to the message, but I ask that you keep us covered with prayer this coming week. And starting Thursday I will more than likely be taking a rest. I am going to have the rest of my teeth taken out and being put to sleep to have it done. I mentioned it before, and I really would appreciate your covering me with prayer. Also, please keep the Church of God conference covered in prayer this week.

Okay, let me get to the message:

Sunday: April 19, 2015: When the Graves Open! (Day One)

1 Thessalonians 4:13 - Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep with Him. 15 According to the Lord's own Word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will come down from Heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. (NIV)

Brothers and sisters, over the last decade or so, I have had the honor of pastoring some funeral services and some of those military services. As one who loves the Lord ABOVE ALL ELSE, also loves our veterans and our military, I love using the example at graveside of how when that bugle (or trumpet) is used to play taps the body of a fallen warrior is lowered into the ground. I tell those gathered that some sweet day the TRUMPET OF THE LORD SHALL SOUND AND THE DEAD IN CHRIST SHALL RISE. Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord.

Anyway, Dolores and I were discussing this as we were waiting for our church service to start and we were talking about those whose bodies were cremated and the ashes placed in small containers called urns. I have been asked what my opinion was about cremation compared to the burying of the body in a casket. Will it make a difference when the Lord returns? My answer was no, as we are going in a flash to meet the Lord in the clouds. (See the scripture above.)

Now we talked a tad about this and then I started to laugh, and that is when God gave me this message. Now if you are saved you will have nothing to worry about, but think about this. Not only will the graves burst open in the cemeteries,  but some highways are going to be broken open. How do I figure that? Think about it, how many highways have been placed over graves? Look at Route 83 North and the Colonial Park exit. I can remember when they tried to move caskets so to widen the road, but they broke open spilling bones all over the place. Yes, some were gathered, and some were not. Paved over, they were. The old Salem Chapel on the Carlisle Pike in Mechanicsburg more than likely has graves that have been paved over.

So moving on, I started to laugh, and this really is not funny. Think about this, the ashes of a loved one from long ago are sitting on the shelf beside the television and those shes have been passed down from generation to generation. Well, if those ashes in that urn were of someone who was "Born Again" will burst open, yes, burst open and if those in the room were NOT Born Again, they will not have a clue what is going on, or if they had heard, now it is too late.

So let me ask you this today, if that Trumpet of the Lord should sound right now, will you be seeing those graves broken open? Those highways coming apart? That urn sitting beside your television splitting open? Have you come to Christ? It is Sunday, or maybe until you read this it will be Monday, but I am asking right now, are you right with the Lord? It is either yes or no, there is no maybe. Are you on one side or the other or sitting on the fence between? Sitting on the fence does not cut it. Are you ready to go to Heaven? Or are you ready to go to Hell?

Brothers and sisters, I am very serious about this. Please, if you have not asked Jesus to come into your heart, will you please do it right now? Will you pray this in faith?

Dear Father in Heaven: I love You and I confess I am a sinner and I want to be saved. Right now I confess my love for You, Jesus, and I invite You into my life and into my body. I believe You were born of a virgin, died on the Cross, were risen from the dead, walked the earth again and then rose to Heaven to sit with God our Father to judge us. Please, Lord, place my name in the Lamb's Book of Life. Please save me, Lord. In the Name of Jesus, I ask this and pray. Amen.

Now if you are saved either before or just now, it is time to go to work for our Lord. Spread the Good News.

So pray first and then help get the WORD out about Jesus. Please, let's get it done for Jesus. Love ya. More on the same scripture tomorrow.

Pastor Dan