[Revelation 14:13 KJV] “And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them”.
I want to exhort you today on the theme, striving to die in the Lord.
What does it mean to die in the Lord? To die in the Lord is to make sure that you finish your race in the Lord; To overcome and not backslide. You must strive to overcome to the end.
Why should this be your goal? For the simple reason that it is the ultimate blessing. With dismay I have come to observe that what the world calls blessing may not be blessing after all. The world defines blessing differently. For the world, a blessed man is someone who has built houses, bought cars, married wives, attained a high social status, and left great legacies. But in the faith, or in the church, we know that blessedness is not in the abundance of things a man possesses. We know that a man’s life does not consist of the abundance of things he possesses. Real blessedness is in dying in the Lord; To be able to overcome to the end.
Listen! Houses are not blessing, cars are not blessing, wives are not blessing, mansions are not blessings, and children are not the blessings. If these are the blessings, then armed robbers are blessed, thieves are blessed, and the unbelievers are blessed. The real blessing is to die in the Lord. This is what we have that they don’t have.
Many fall by the way, many are unable to finish; many lose their faith before they die. The really blessed people are those who die in the Lord. If you build houses or buy cars or our build industries; you will leave them here. The only thing you can carry with you to the other side is what you have done in the Lord, with the Lord, and for the Lord.
If you have been around for a while, you will know by now that not all those who begin in the Lord and in church, die in the Lord or in the church. Many backslide and many lose their faith; it is a real blessing to die — to close your eyes finally — and do so in the Lord. If there is any one thing anyone of us should desire and pray for, then it is to desire and wish that you shall rest in the Lord. I pray that I will not backslide. I pray that I will be able to press on and continue in the Lord to the end. It is a blessing to rest in the Lord. Your labour shall pay off in the long run.
Blessed are the dead, which die in the Lord! Their labour shall pay off. I pray that no one reading this message shall backslide. You shall fight and win. You will finish your race and press on to the end. You shall overcome to the end shall be given the crown of life. Only those who overcome to the end shall be rewarded. None shall fall by the wayside. We shall press on and win this battle of life. May the Lord keep each one of us from falling.
If you really want to die in the Lord:
- Hear, believe, be baptised, and be added to the church.
- Continue steadfastly in the doctrine, fellowship, and prayer of the apostles.
- Rest well, eat right, and groom well daily.
- Discover, purpose, pray, plan, prepare and step out to do the will of Him that sent you.
- Forget those things which are behind, and reach forth towards the mark of the high calling.
Be blessed, I love you!Kofi Simpe
