hope

With the pressures and pain that can come in this earthly life, we can sometimes think it might be better to leave this world and go home to be with the Lord. Paul shares his feelings in Philippians 1:21, “For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.” He goes on to say, however, “But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live.” (verses 22-24).

Losing a loved one can be tough, and it usually brings various challenges with it. But as tough as those times can be, Scripture promises us a way through. No matter what challenges we face, we can overcome them because we are in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 2:14).

One thing that brings encouragement in those times is the assurance that when a loved one who knew Jesus goes to be with the Lord, the Bible offers us hope for the future. We may have a temporary sorrow, but nothing like that of those who have no hope, or who are burdened with guilt.

The difference is that faith is now; hope is always in the future. And there’s a reason for that.

Romans 8:24-25 states, “We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)”

Hope is that expectancy that keeps our faith alive until what we’re believing for comes.

Kenneth Copeland has not taught extensively on the subject of the Rapture of the Church. However, through his personal study of God’s Word, he adheres to the doctrine of Jesus coming to catch away His Church before the Great Tribulation.

God is love. The answer to where babies spend eternity when they die is not hard when you consider the nature of God. His love in relation to the innocence of young children is expressed in Deuteronomy 1:39, “Moreover, your little ones whom you said would become a prey, and your children who at this time cannot discern between good and evil, they shall enter Canaan, and to them I will give it and they shall possess it.” It is plain to see that God did not hold children responsible until they were old enough to recognize the difference between good and evil.

The Bible certainly teaches there is an unpardonable sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit. But fearful thoughts of whether you have committed this sin are designed by the devil to keep you out of fellowship with God. Think about it: if you’re concerned about having committed the unpardonable sin, you’re proving by your concern you have not!

But what about others? Time spent trying to judge whether another has committed the unpardonable sin removes you from the proper place of love and intercession for that person.

The Bible does not say what happens to animals when they die. What we do know is animals have a special place not only in man’s past and present, but also in his future. God cares for them and not one dies without His noticing (Matthew 6:26, 10:29). God created animals and saw that they were good (Genesis 1:20-25), brought them to Adam to see what he would call them (Genesis 2:19-20), and assigned man the responsibility of taking care of them (Genesis 1:28).

After the crucifixion, Jesus’ body was placed in a tomb, and His Spirit went to hell. There Jesus suffered all the torments of hell that we would have suffered. Jesus’ submission to death was complete. He experienced it to the ultimate degree so mankind would never have to be punished (2 Corinthians 5:21).