1. In the late 1800s, the city of Pikeville, Kentucky was shaken with an unknown disease, and the most tragic case of all was that of Octavia Smith Hatcher. After her infant son Jacob passed away in January 1891, Octavia went into a bedridden depression where she gradually became very ill and slipped into a coma. On May 2 of the same year, she was pronounced dead of unknown causes while still in her bed.
Embalming was not yet a practice, and Octavia was buried very quickly in the local cemetery due to the sweltering heat. Barely a week after her burial, many of the townspeople had been stricken with the same debilitating illness and fallen into a comatose state. The difference? After a time, the townspeople began to wake up. Octavia’s husband began to fear the worst and worried that he had prematurely buried his wife while she was still breathing. He procured an exhumation of her grave only to find that his worst fears were in fact true. The lining on the inside of the coffin had been scratched and torn to pieces. Octavia’s nails were bloodied and broken, and her face was contorted with horrific fear. She had died in the ground after being buried alive.
Octavia was reburied and her husband erected a lifelike monument over her grave site. The monument still stands today. It was later speculated that the mysterious illness had been caused by a Tsetse fly, an African insect that can cause a disease known as sleeping sickness.
2. In July 1893, a farmer named Charles Boger and his wife were living in Whitehaven, Pennsylvania when Mrs. Boger suddenly died of unknown causes. Doctors confirmed her death, and she was promptly buried. That should have been the end of the story, but sometime after her death, a friend told Charles that his wife had suffered from hysteria before Charles had met her, and it was possible that she hadn’t actually been dead. The very thought of Mrs. Boger having been buried alive haunted Charles until he became hysterical.
Unable to live with the thought of his wife dying in her casket, he employed friends to help him exhume her body for confirmation. What he found was shocking. Mrs. Boger’s body was turned over. Her shroud and robes were shredded to pieces and the glass of her coffin lid was broken all over her body. Her skin was bloodied and scratched, while her fingers were missing entirely. It was presumed that she chewed them off while attempting to escape. Nobody knows what happened to Charles Boger after the discovery.
3. Some of the most horrifying tales of premature burial are horrifying because the victim miraculously survived the ordeal. Such is the case of Angelo Hays. In 1937, Angelo was a free-spirited 19-year-old boy residing in St. Quentin de Chalais, France. One day, Angelo was riding his motorcycle around the village when he was suddenly thrown from his bike and tossed headfirst into a brick wall. Without hesitation, Angelo was declared dead by doctors and was promptly buried three days after his accident. In the nearby town of Bordeaux, an insurance company became suspicious after realizing that Angelo’s father had recently insured his son’s life for 200,000 francs, and an inspector was sent to investigate the claim.
The inspector had Angelo’s body exhumed just two days after he had been buried to confirm the cause of death, only to find a surprising answer. Angelo wasn’t actually dead! When the doctor removed the death shroud, he found Angelo’s body warm and his heart barely beating. He was immediately taken to a hospital, where he endured several operations and extensive rehabilitation before making a full recovery. As it happens, he had only been in a state of unconsciousness due to his severe head injury. Angelo went on to invent a security coffin with all the bells and whistles to ensure survival of a premature burial. He toured with his invention and became somewhat of a celebrity in France.
Sadly, many times in the past people were often buried alive due to the fact they appeared as if they were dead. Many of the appearances were due to an illness that struck the victim. The church is not too much different. The church has been struck by an illness called ‘worldliness’ and the church appears to be dead. This has often caused the world to give the church up for dead.
There are many Christians who are trying to claw their way out of the casket that they have been buried in, and are getting weary of it. That would be one reason the Bible tells us in Matthew 24:13, "He that endures to the end, the same will be saved."
In the last days, we are warned to "take heed to yourselves" and "watch . . . and pray always” in Luke 21:34-36. A large part of the church is lulled into worldliness because they are concerned with secular pursuits that satisfy the flesh.
From studying people closely, psychologists know that those who face frequent, stressful hardship become apathetic. In other words, a person reaches the point where finally he just rolls over, plays dead, and says, "Who cares?"
What are some signs that the church is spiritually alive? If we find ourselves on the negative side of these signs, maybe it is time to question ourselves and our relationship with The Lord.
Those who are spiritually alive, often…
1. Creation is Intensified
Those who are spiritually alive in Christ begin to see things in a wondrous way that a child would see things. They notice the majestic beauty of creation that other’s take for granted. The sounds of nature and the beauty of the unknown and discovered fascinates them as they see another side of God in all of Creation (Romans 1:20). They are also enamored by the complexity of the human body and all living organisms. They are captivated by nature. They are enthused and enthralled every time they see God at work. This intensity can also appear to be overwhelming and it can often leave it’s admirers at a loss for words despite noticing more.
2. Essence of Time is Intensified
When a person is spiritually alive, they are more aware of what is happening right now. The present becomes their focus and the past is realized to be gone while the future they acknowledge is yet to be determined. They spend less time worrying about what happened in the past. The devil will try to remind you, but when you are spiritually awakened you realize that is an act of the enemy.
Time begins to open up as it slows down and the present becomes appreciated.
3. Presence of God is Intensified
Those who are spiritually alive often become aware of the presence of God. They often recognize God at work in their lives and in all of creation. God suddenly pervades all things. The magnificence and the ordinary are noticed (Romans 1:19-20).
4. Praise of God is Intensified
Those who are spiritually alive feel alive. They notice God’s creation as a living creation that praises Him (Psalm 148). They recognize the power of God’s creation as is shines with a radiance that is so powerful it eclipses even the darkest of pain. They recognize how everything is ok because God is in control.
5. Compassion is Intensified
Empathy is defined as the ability understand another person. When we are spiritually alive, we are able to sense and feel what others are feeling. When someone else suffers, we suffer. When someone else is excited, we get excited. When we are alive, we begin to see others as God sees them and we have a true love for other people. We learn to love people, in spite of the sins that are rampant in the world.
6. Identity as a Child of God is Intensified
We no longer identify as a republican, a democrat, a libertarian, or any other political identity. We no longer identify as a member of a small body of believers. When we are dead to Christ, we attempt to gain a sense of purpose by tying ourselves to a label to give us an identity. When we are alive, we recognize our worth in God and identify as a Child of God. We forsake all others, holding only unto Him.
7. Presence of Others is Intensified
Those who are spiritually alive recognize other people exist. They are no longer feeling as if they have to be the center of the universe. They are no longer preoccupied with their own problems. Not only do they recognize others, they also extend an olive branch to other’s regardless of their faith or lack thereof. They are also aware of how their decisions affect everyone else and how their personal decisions impact another. They make it an effort to make sure not to cause a brother or sister in Christ to stumble (Romans 14:13-23).
8. Biblical Morality is Intensified
What God has declared immoral, man has no power or authority to declare moral. Just because it may be legal according to man, does not mean is it right in God’s eyes (1 Cor 10:23). Those who are spiritually alive are more responsible and their lives line up with God. They may also be willing to sacrifice their own personal well-being in order to be an example for God and to stand up for what is right in God’s eyes. They recognize what is temporal vs what is eternal…and the benefits of storing up treasures in heaven.
9. Idle Time with God is Intensified
Those who are spiritually alive relish the idea of being in solitude, the enjoy quietness without being caught up in commotion, the also enjoy inactivity because it gives them a chance to reflect on life and on God. King David wrote many of his Psalms while sitting on the hillside as he was watching over the sheep, or even after his was through with many of his battles.
*With all the information that is available for consumption, some of my sermons may be influenced by what i have read or heard. Anything that is posted is available to be used by all. The Lord gives abundantly and may you be blessed!
