Category: death

God awakes

Ruth Kirk

Here is a video of today’s blog: God awakes

Sing to the one who rides across the ancient heavens
(Psalm 68:33; NLT). 

God awakes the ancient heavens:
Time begins in endless space.
All creation flows within him:
Earth, light, water; life, peace, grace.
Then, he makes both men and women,
Each reflecting his dear face.

Disobedience; selfishness:
Oh, how the lust for power grows!
Watching; waiting; weeping; raging:
Still, the God of mercy shows
Unfailing love. He sends his Son:
Most precious gift, although he knows

Exactly what will happen next.
They spurned his Way, and all he said,
Scorned him; beat him; jeered, and spat,
As, hanging on the cross, he bled
And died that day, for all our sins.
Since then, his Spirit comes, instead,

To those who trust his holy name.
Shun selfishness! Take up your cross.
Put others first. Accept what comes
With thanks, and see the rest as dross.
Then, follow Christ through life’s dark vale,
Clinging to him in pain and loss.

Cling to your faith in Christ (1 Timothy 1:19; NLT).

His body [lamenting its decay] grieves in pain over it, and his soul mourns over [the loss of] himself (Job 14:22; AMP).

References

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1; NLT). 

God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them (Genesis 1:27; NLT).

The [population of the] earth was corrupt [absolutely depraved – spiritually and morally putrid] in God’s sight, and the land was filled with violence [desecration, infringement, outrage, assault, and lust for power] (Genesis 6:11; AMP).

The Lord your God is a raging fire (Deuteronomy 4:24; GW).

He loves us with unfailing love (Psalm 117:2; NLT).

God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16; NLT).

On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4; NLT). 

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12; NIV). 

Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23; NLT).

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:18; NIV).

Everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him (Philippians 3:8-9; NLT).

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me (Psalm 23:4; NLT).

What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his soul? (Mark 8:36; DBY). 

Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will leave this life. The LORD gives, and the LORD takes away. Blessed be the name of the LORD (Job 1:21; CFSB).

Rejoice

Ruth Kirk

Here is a recording of today’s prayer: Rejoice

Rejoice always (1 Thessalonians 5:17; NIV).

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior (Habakkuk 3:17; NIV).

No matter what befalls me, Lord,
May I rejoice in you;
And when I suffer pain or loss,
May I rejoice in you.

No matter how depressed I am,
May I rejoice in you;
And when I’m feeling anxious, Lord,
May I rejoice in you.

When I’m in death’s dark valley, Lord,
May I rejoice in you;
Then, when I reach your Kingdom, Lord,
I will rejoice in you.

My soul will rejoice in the LORD and delight in his salvation (Psalm 32:11; NIV).

References

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me (Psalm 23:4; KJV). 

He will remove the cloud of gloom, the shadow of death that hangs over the earth. He will swallow up death forever! The Sovereign LORD will wipe away all tears. He will remove forever all insults and mockery against his land and people. The LORD has spoken! In that day the people will proclaim, “This is our God! We trusted in him, and he saved us! This is the LORD, in whom we trusted. Let us rejoice in the salvation he brings!” (Isaiah 25:7-9; NLT). 

Hell on earth

Ruth Kirk

How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days (Matthew 24:19; NLT). 

I pray for those whose lives
Are hell on earth:
The sick; the grieving;
Those who lack self-worth;

The homeless; those in prison;
Lost; abused;
The poor; the dying;
Those who are confused;

Those with mental illness;
Lonely; sad;
And those who are rejected –
Seen as ‘bad’;

The hungry; refugees,
And those who thirst
For hope, Lord:
Help us all to put them first.

Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:42-5; NLT).

The last will be first, and the first will be last (Matthew 20:16; NIV).

References

Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, and there will be famines and plagues in many lands (Luke 21:10-11; NLT).

They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future. They will live in the barren wilderness, in an uninhabited salty land (Jeremiah 17:6; NLT).

I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him? (Psalm 42:2; NLT).

When the poor and needy search for water and there is none, and their tongues are parched from thirst, then I, the LORD, will answer them. I, the God of Israel, will never abandon them (Isaiah 41:17; NLT). 

Love your neighbour as yourself (Leviticus 19:18; NLT).

Love the stranger (Deuteronomy 10:19; NKJV).

Show love to foreigners (Deuteronomy 10:19; NLT).

Love your enemies (Matthew 5:44; NLT). 

When you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me (Matthew 25:45; NLT).

My body is yours

Ruth Kirk

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself (1 Corinthians 6:19; NLT). 

My body is yours, Lord,
To use as you please.

My mind, your domain:
I embrace each disease.

My heart is your home, Lord,
From birth until death.

My spirit is yours,
For my soul is your breath.

My strength comes from you, Lord:
May your will be done,

For though life brings sorrow and pain,
We are one.

Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him (Philippians 3:8-9; NLT).

References

Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them” (John 14:23; NLT). 

This is what the sovereign LORD says to these bones: Look, I am about to infuse breath into you and you will live (Ezekiel 37:5; NET). 

The LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul (Genesis 2:7; KJV).

The LORD is my strength (Exodus 15:2; NLT).

I want your will to be done, not mine (Luke 22:42; NLT). 

Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows (John 16:33; NLT). 

My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever (Psalm 73:26; NLT).

The LORD gives, and the LORD takes away. Blessed be the name of the LORD (Job 1:21; CSB).

Part of God

Ruth Kirk

Everything comes from him; everything happens through him; everything ends up in him (Romans 11:36; TM). 

We’re part of you
Before our birth.

We’re yours in exile
Here, on earth.

You live in us:
Our souls, your breath,

Then, one with you, Lord,
After death.

The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7; NIV).

God never meant us to experience the Retribution, but to win salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that, alive or dead, we should still live united to him (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10; JB).

References 

I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb (Jeremiah 1:5; NLT).

Although I have scattered you in the countries of the world, I will be a sanctuary to you during your time in exile (Ezekiel 11:16; NLT).

There is… one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all (Ephesians 4:5-6; NLT). 

We are the temple of the living God (2 Corinthians 6:16; NLT).

The LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul (Genesis 2:7; KJV). 

The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life (Job 33:4; KJV). 

God will redeem me from the realm of the dead; he will surely take me to himself (Psalm 49:15; NIV).

I give my life to you

Ruth Kirk

O LORD, I give my life to you (Psalm 25:1; NLT). 

O Lord, I give my life to you:
Please make my mind your dwelling place,
Where I can walk with you each day,
And gaze upon your face.

I dedicate my life to you:
Please make my heart your house of prayer,
When I can talk with you each day,
And know your loving care.

I consecrate my life to you:
Please make my soul your holy house,
For you are my beloved King,
And I, your humble spouse.

I sacrifice my life to you:
May you, Lord, be my resting place,
Where I will reunite with you,
Beyond all time and space.

You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory (Psalm 73:24; NIV).

The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7; NIV).

References 

Verse 1:
How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of Heaven’s Armies (Psalm 84:1; NLT).
We are the temple of the living God. As God said: “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people” (2 Corinthians 6:16; NLT).
Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them” (John 14:23; NLT).
I will see you face to face and be satisfied (Psalm 17:15; NLT).

Verse 2:
My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations (Isaiah 56:7; NLT).
Pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done (Philippians 4:6; NLT).
Then a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to him” (Mark 9:7; NLT).

Verse 3:
Because I delight in the house of my God, the [personal] treasure that I have of gold and silver, I give to the house of my God, in addition to all that I have already provided for the holy house (1 Chronicles 79:3; AMP).
My beloved is mine and I am his (Song of Songs 2:16; NIV).
Your Creator will be your husband (Isaiah 54:5; NLT).

Verse 4:
You have not yet come to the resting place and the inheritance that the LORD your God is giving you (Deuteronomy 12:9; BSB). 
God’s promise of entering his rest still stands (Hebrews 4:1; NLT).
All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen (Jude 1:25; NLT).
When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead. And He placed His right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last [absolute Deity, the Son of God], and the Ever-living One [living in and beyond all time and space]. I died, but see, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of [absolute control and victory over] death and of Hades (the realm of the dead)” (Revelation 1:17-18; AMP).

Prayer for the dying

Ruth Kirk

He was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became as white as light (Matthew 17:2; RSV). 

Lord,
I pray for all the dying:
May they see your shining face.
May they hear your gentle voice,
And feel your touch, so full of grace.

Lord,
I pray for all the dying:
Comfort them, and hold them tight.
Lift them; carry them today,
And fill their darkness with your light.

Lord,
I pray for all the dying:
Bear them to the Father’s breast.
Beg him to forgive and heal them,
Granting them eternal rest.

He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies (Psalm 103:3; NLT).

References 

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me (Psalm 23:4; KJV). 

The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7; NIV). 

God will redeem me from the realm of the dead; he will surely take me to himself (Psalm 49:15; NIV).

God never meant us to experience the Retribution, but to win salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that, alive or dead, we should still live united to him (1 Thessalonians 5: 9-10; JB).

God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10; NLT).

Sharing with God

Ruth Kirk

Introduction
Human beings are made up of five distinct, inter-related elements: body, mind, heart, soul and spirit. When we choose to share these parts of ourselves with God, we can move into an ever-deepening relationship with him, for: We are the temple of the living God (2 Corinthians 6:16; NLT). 

Every night, just before settling down to sleep, I silently open these five aspects of myself to God, sharing them with him one by one. This process is a journey to the deepest part of myself. It’s not easy to describe, but I will do my best.

Body
The body I live in belongs to God, who made it (Isaiah 64:8; BBE). He has lent it to me for a limited time, during my exile on earth, so I begin my journey by sharing it with him in stillness and silence.

Mind
Then I go a step further, sharing my mind with God. I don’t need to say a single word, because he already knows all my thoughts (Psalm 139:2; NLT). There is nothing I want to hide from him, and nothing I can hide from him.

Heart
Next, moving a little further on my inward journey, I share the emotions in my heart with him, though, once again, he already knows them in full (1 Samuel 16:7; NLT). Essentially, I am opening my whole self more and more fully to God, step by step.

Soul
Sharing my soul with him takes me still deeper, for I become acutely conscious that my soul is his life-giving breath within me (Genesis 2:7; KJV).

Spirit
Finally, at the deepest level of all, I reach my spirit. There is no need for me to “open” it, or to “share” it. Neither is there any “me”. There is only oneness with God. As St. Paul writes: The person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him (1 Corinthians 6:17; NLT).

Conclusion
At my death, when I leave behind my earthly body, my mind, heart and soul will cease, but my spirit will continue to be one with God forever: The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7; NIV).

So, may my last words be the same as those of Jesus: Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands (Luke 23:46; NLT).

Prayer for all souls

Ruth Kirk

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them (1 Timothy 2:1; NLT). 

He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive (Luke 20:38; NIV). 

We pray for everyone –
Alive, or dead,
Because, to you, Lord,
All souls are alive.

So, please forgive us,
Heal and save us all;
Call us by name,
And draw us to your side.

Crown us with mercy;
Let us see Christ’s face;
Show us your faithful love
For evermore.

Lord, may all souls
Be one with yours again,
Just as we were at birth,
And long before.

The LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul (Genesis 2:7; KJV).

I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb (Jeremiah 1:5; NLT). 

References 

He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies (Psalm 103:3-4; NLT). 

I am the LORD, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name (Isaiah 45:3; NLT).

They will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads (Revelation 22:4; NLT). 

He loves us with unfailing love; the LORD’s faithfulness endures forever. Praise the LORD! (Psalm 117:2; NLT).

Everything comes from him; everything happens through him; everything ends up in him (Romans 11:36; TM).

The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7; NIV). 

He died for us so that, whether we are awake in this life or asleep in death, we will live together with him (1 Thessalonians 5:10; GWT). 

Dying (#2 of 2)

Ruth Kirk

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me (Psalm 23:4; NLT). 

May dying draw me
Closer to your side;

Your Spirit, guide me
In these barren lands;

Your mercy, bring me
Safe through this dark vale,

And death, Lord, bear me
Straight into your hands.

Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last (Luke 23:46; NIV).

References 

Let your good Spirit be my guide into the land of righteousness (Psalm 143:10; BBE). 

This is what the LORD says: “Those who survive the coming destruction will find blessings even in the barren land” (Jeremiah 31:2; NLT). 

Turn to me and have mercy on me, as you always do to those who love your name (Psalm 119:132; NIV).

Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:42-3; NLT).

The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7; NIV).