GOD'S CHILDREN NEVER DIE! DO YOU BELIEVE THIS?

CHILDREN OF GOD NEVER DIE!    DO YOU BELIEVE THIS?

By Don Phillips - January 28, 2011

“You don’t have to wait for the End. I am, right now, Resurrection and Life. The one who believes in me, even though he or she dies, will live. And everyone who lives, believing in me, does not ultimately die at all. Do you believe this?”  (John 11:25, 26) (Msg.) Emphasis added.

My Oncologist said to Ruthanne and me; “Don, you have stage 2 lung cancer and the prognosis isn’t good. The tumor is close to the lining of the lungs and your heart, and there is a possibility the cancerous cells will get into the blood stream and spread Cancer throughout your body.”

We have strong faith that I will live many more years here on earth to serve Him. We deeply appreciate our brothers and sisters throughout the world who are praying for us.

Ruthanne and I were very blessed as we attended the recent Minister’s Fellowship International Regional meeting in Oakland, California. Many of our fellow minister friends told me that they and their church were praying for me to be healed of Cancer. They asked how I was doing and I reported that I haven’t had pain in a month. That night in our hotel room I was awakened several times with severe pain and Ruthanne and I prayed each time and the pain subsided.

That was on a Sunday night and Monday during a time of prayer, several people laid hands on me and prayed and I haven’t had one moment of pain since then, praise God!

“My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart and He is mine forever. But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.” (Psalm 73:26, 28) Emphasis added

“O Lord my God, I cried out to you for help, and you healed me and restored my health.” (Psalm 30:2)

We are also fervently praying now for many of our dear brother and sisters who are facing health challenges. Among them are Mario and Linda Solis, their family and especially their grandson Alex who is bravely battling cancer. We receive the updates on his condition and are inspired as we see the strong faith of Alex and his family during these critical days. We are joining our faith with theirs and others who need a miracle of healing.

Linda and Mario recently sent this note to me and with their permission I am including it here because I believe God wants to use it to build greater faith in all of us:

"Because of our faith in our Savior Jesus Christ who was risen miraculously from the dead and because of the power of His Name, we continue to pray and believe in miraculous healings and have witnessed many in our family over the past several years and continue to see them on a regular basis. This is due to our faith in a God who heals. Our peace is knowing that whether He chooses to heal us here and extend our life on earth or to heal us as we enter heaven...we win either way! We will continue to pray in faith asking for an earthly miraculous healing. We rejoice in Him always no matter what His final answer for ultimately through it all we draw closer to Him and understand the peace that only He can give us! We hope you will each join us in faith for healing and peace for Don and Alex and the many others battling cancer. Trusting always in our loving God, Linda and Mario Solis"

How is a Christian supposed to think and act in times like these? May I share with you what the Holy Spirit put on my heart during my devotional time a few mornings ago?

As I was praying for Alex and others who are facing major crises in their lives, The Holy Spirit took me back to 18 years ago when Ruthanne, our two sons Rod and Denny and I stood by our daughter Donna’s hospital bed and watched her peacefully slip from our arms into the arms of her loving Savior. Through our tears, Ruthanne and I softly said “Hallelujah!” We knew she had just received her ultimate healing and was now pain free forever and we would see her again in a much better place.

The night before she died, I was reminded of another father who had to release his child to God. Abraham was told to offer his son Isaac to God as an offering. I have tried to exercise that same kind of obedience Abraham demonstrated. Right at the last minute before Isaac was to die; God intervened and provided a substitute in the form of a Ram.

Praise God! Jesus became the Lamb of God to take away our sins and sicknesses. Through faith in Him, we have perfect access to God and His eternal home. Through our faith in Christ and His death on the cross we will never die! Worthy is the Lamb to receive, praise and worship through all eternity!

As we watched Donna die, we knew that she was not dead but more alive now than we were. We knew that, because of Donna’s faith in Jesus Christ, she would never die. No we were not, nor are we now, in denial. We knew her body was dead but we are convinced that her spirit and her soul, her true self, are alive with God in Heaven.

Children of God, those who repent of their sin and put their trust and faith in Jesus Christ, DO NOT DIE. They just go to sleep and wake up in the arms of God.

DO YOU BELIEVE THIS? If you don’t then perhaps you need to examine your personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and do what others have done. Maybe you need to repent and invite Jesus Christ to be your Savior and Lord, and then you will never die.

You may contact me at:  (408) 363-9547 LifeCoachDon@att.net You can read updates from my blog on my web site www.drdonphilliips.com or go directly to my blog: http://drdonletterofencouragement.blogspot.com/