Monday, October 29, 2012
To the family of Thomas Gannon: Please accept my sincere condolences for your loss. Death affects everyone on the face of this earth, yet when it touches us personally, few seek the comfort they search for. The unscriptual doctrines that are taught concerning death do not leave those grieving with comfort or a hope, but they do leave many with unanswered questions. The response that "God works in mysterious ways", does not satisfy the spiritual needs of those who are grieving (Matthew 5:3). However, many have found comfort in the pages of God's word the Bible (2 Corinthians 1:3, 4). In God's word we find the promise that we can be reunited with our loved ones (John 5:28, 29, Acts 24:15). The Bible tells us where this happy reunion will take place (Psalm 37: 11, 29, Matthew 5:5). We are told why we die (Genesis 3:17-19, Romans 5:12), and that the God of the Bible will end death forever (1 Corinthians 15:26, Revelation 21:3, 4). In the model prayer, also called the lord's prayer, readers are taught to pray for God's Kingdom (Matthew 6:10). Learning the truth about the God of the Bible (Psalm 83:18, Revelation 4:11), God's Kingdom (Daniel 2:44), and the state of those who have died (Ecclesiastes 9:5), is the start to finding true comfort concerning loved ones who are sleeping in death, as well as satisfying answers to many other questions (John 8:32, John 11:11).