Graduating To Glory

Rudyard Kipling, author of “The Jungle Book,” has an imaginary character named Mowgli. Mowgli asks the animals what’s the most feared thing in the jungle?

He’s told that when two animals meet on a narrow path that one must step aside and let the other pass. The animal that steps aside for no one would then be the most feared. Mowgli wants to know what kind of animal would that be? One tells him it’s an elephant. Another tells him it’s a lion.

Finally the wise old owl exclaims, “The most feared thing in the jungle is death. It steps aside for no one.

We find that statement to be so true

It doesn’t matter how physically strong, financially rich, fantastically popular or overwhelmingly powerful

•Death is an absolute truth for all of us No one is exempt from death

Heb. 9:27 – It is appointed to all men once to die and after that the judgment.

Ecc. 7:2 – …for death is the destiny of every man.

Text: Rudyard Kipling, author of “The Jungle Book,” has an imaginary character named Mowgli. Mowgli asks the animals what’s the most feared thing in the jungle?

He’s told that when two animals meet on a narrow path that one must step aside and let the other pass. The animal that steps aside for no one would then be the most feared. Mowgli wants to know what kind of animal would that be?

One tells him it’s an elephant. Another tells him it’s a lion. Finally the wise old owl exclaims, “The most feared thing in the jungle is death. It steps aside for no one.”

We find that statement to be so true

It doesn’t matter how physically strong, financially rich, fantastically popular or overwhelmingly powerful

• Death is an absolute truth for all of us No one is exempt from death

Heb. 9:27 – It is appointed to all men once to die and after that the judgment.

Ecc. 7:2 – …for death is the destiny of every man.

Text: Luke 24:1-8 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” 8 Then they remembered his words.

A woman wrote J. Vernon McGee: "Our preacher said that on Easter Jesus just swooned on the cross and that the disciples nursed him back to health. What do you think?" McGee replied, "Dear Sister, beat your preacher with a leather whip for thirty-nine heavy strokes. Nail him to a cross. Hang him in the sun for six hours Run a spear through his heart. Embalm him. Put him in an airless tomb for three days. Then see what happens."

What a wonderful day this is,

• All over the world people are celebrating the resurrection of Jesus as the Son of God, King of Kings & Lord of Lords, alive forevermore!

• Good people –we celebrate the Lords Resurrection every Sunday as we gather together with fellow Christians around the Lord’s Table? Every time we take the bread & drink the cup,

I appreciate what Apostle Paul who wrote, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day & not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing." (2 Timothy 4:7-8)

One of these days we are going home. All of us love life. But as much as I love life, I, too, long for the day when I shall see the Lord, & be with Him.

I want to see my mother and my brother once again. I want to see Jim Massey, Charles Coil and my grandparents. I want to see once again some of the most wonderful Christians that I have ever known that have gone to be with Jesus. In every church I have preached –loved ones have left!

Don’t look upon death with fear, but with anticipation.