I’ve been reflecting on such a thing that there are replacements in the world. Man under fear of suffering, which is the younger sister of death, is afraid of change, shift. We all keep talking about changes that are coming, how we need them, but deep inside we don’t want them, because they provoke both work, and suffering, and doubt, and pain.
Abraham was very strong and very wise, and with him was a measure of grace that included God’s protection, provision, and authority. Even such “dangerous” kingdoms as Egypt, they still not only respected Abraham, but feared him. God frightened them greatly when they touched Sarah – both with terrible illnesses and events.
Abraham was an integral man, and although he preferred to live in tents, because that was God’s command, he looked at the heavenly city and watched the city of heaven. He understood that his life – even if he never visited Europe or America – would not be inferior. He contemplated the heavenly city, he knew where he was going.
Many of us are discouraged if there’s no at least touching some attraction in store for us. In various social networks, they publish photos of how they are here and there … Abraham didn’t need this: he was deeply convinced that he was going to the very top.
Abraham knew that his earthly life was part of eternity. And not a part that will be forgotten and disappear, as some of us think, that earthly life is as a kind of curse that will then be forgotten – but eternity, which is already here.
Eternity will not begin – it is already here. Life is the forerunner of eternity, it is a part of eternity.
If you understand this, you will take it more seriously. The bodies will change, but the spirit – if it was wicked, bad, deceitful – it will not go there because the spirit doesn’t change in a person, therefore the Lord said that such people have no place in the kingdom. It is for this reason – because he will not change at death. If you were cowardly, deceitful, fearful, impious, sinful here, then when you die, you will not become a saint. For this reason, when you stand before Him, you will be the same as you were in life. Naturally, God will reject such people, because they are not worthy of the kingdom. Therefore, here, on this earth, it is part of eternity. Already treat life as a road to eternity. We prepare ourselves for eternity, so death doesn’t have that frightening face for those who know what true life is.
Wrong understanding of death, in particular among Christians, is not less than in the world. Fear of death. One man told how he spent a lot of time at the bedside of hundreds of dying people after his friend had passed away. He was greatly impacted by his friend’s death and decided that he would serve those dying. Can you imagine? But we all cling to life. We speak at a man’s death bed that he will get well and rise, we encourage him. In fact, the man is leaving. We come, we begin to show pity, we begin to lie that he will not die. What for?
One man told how friends and acquaintances came to his dying mother and said she would rise, that she would soon leave the hospital, that she looked good, that she would not die. But as a son – he saw it all, he saw that she looked terrible. He thought they were lying to her out of love, but they were lying out of fear. And then he was the only one who decided to talk to her about death, and not about her getting well.
We, as priests, as counselors, always tell people that God will heal them. And we are afraid to prepare a person for death. We think it’s like leprosy, and quickly run away from the hospital, leaving the dying man with the comfort that he will be healed.
Many people are afraid of death, the transition itself, and they are afraid of what will happen next, behind the threshold. And we, as Christians, we are also afraid of death, afraid even of someone else’s death. We do everything to make the man live. But still, it is inevitable for each of us. Being afraid of what is inevitable is stupid.
It is surprising to me how undeveloped prophetic theology is, when they all try in every possible way to “conquer” death – they proclaim healing by 30%, 60% … A man is ninety years old, he needs to be prepared for eternity, and they lie to him that God will heal. You are “well done” for cheating. But that man dared to talk to his dying mother about death.
Christianity removed understanding of death, that is, there is no doctrine about it, and no one knows how to face it. Many wrong ways arose because of that – occult, satanic, magical. This is all due to the fact that the Christians did not give an answer. They say there is hell and heaven, but they don’t teach the transition.
Watch what annoyance old people stir: the younger generation is torn off from the old people and show disrespect and dishonor. The Church today is called to restore that connection. Eternity is already here.
The youngest will one day become very old, if God will give such grace. You will need people around you to make your life more comfortable, easier, pleasant. If during you have not sowed into anyone else, but only into yourself, then most likely you will reap what you sow. Where you have not sowed, there you will not reap. What we sow is what we expect there.
There is a denial of death in Christianity. And everything affects this denial. What is a disease? This is a sign of death. Even in medical service there is registration of death – and always from some kind of disease, and not just from old age. Listen! People are dying. All of them. And we are all on this path. And there is no need to hide from this thought.
Misunderstanding or ignorance entails wrong paths: different cults arise around death – because the unknown attracts and beckons. But if revelation was shining there, then there would be fewer Satanists in the world. If we treated death normally, as a natural process, and were not afraid of it, then there would be fewer of these currents. As we said, there are many mystics because the church has rejected the mystical. And people want mystics.
Today I’m talking about shift of roles. Man has to prepare for him having to leave something, he must think about it.
Abraham thought about it from the very beginning: what he would leave behind. It was his suffering, it was his prayer, it was his faith. It was for this that he was “sharpened” – what he would leave. And in Isaac he put all his faith. He was going to heaven, but he understood that a great nation must rise up and become the cause of redemption of all the sons of Adam. He thought about Christ.
Subconsciously or not, but all the prophets, I think, realized the need for a Messiah, because it is impossible for a person to save himself. Abraham was to prepare a people from which the Messiah would later arise. It was a great responsibility, so he lived in tents and did not envy castles. What a man! And everything is inside him. This weathered face – by sands, winds and the sun – looking into the distance, seeing the God of Heaven.
Having communed from Melchizedek, who gave him bread and wine, and Abraham accepted and gave him a tithe. Such things happened to him – just unbelievable! And when it happens – wonderful, wondrous things – it speaks that eternity is here. So I won’t just say: don’t be afraid of death. I simply open this portal and invite you to this platform – those who dared to enter the road of eternity and brave heroes.
David. Solomon. David got old. He poured out his whole soul in the psalms, was shed like water before God – it was he who prophesied about Christ, but with that he also spoke about himself. Revelation has no power until it is personal. Only then does it have power. Someone else’s prophecy has no power. But when it becomes one’s own – there is power, because it is in truth. David took all this through his heart.
Maiden Abishag was given to David in his old age, to keep him warm. And so you think that David didn’t see in his old age the “vanity” around the throne? – He understood everything perfectly. Solomon ascended the throne. It’s a role shift. It was conscious, planned, strategic.
Think about it: when the roles change. Are you ready for it? Roles will change. Role shift has consequences. David gives Solomon everything: the drawing of the temple, the order about the people. And he leaves. That is David, the sweet singer of Israel. Beauty! Here are such strong men as an example to us.
We know that it is Christ who speaks now. But He also spoke in David. Maybe not one hundred percent David was Christlike. This, of course, is so. Nobody was like Christ. But the Ancient God was not a “different” God. God is eternal and unchanging. What God was, so He is, So He will be, and is to come.
Christ came with the mercy of God, He gave us the mantle of mercy and put it on. And he said to us: “Now do the same.” Because if you hate your enemies in the same way as in the Old Testament, then you have not appreciated the mercy given to you. It is not God who has changed. But because mercy has come, and now you do it in such a way that you are worthy of heaven. Because it was the Father who had in His heart to give us Christ.
There are changes for each of us – current, related to age, health or social status. Changes can be spontaneous, when a man of chaos rushes in different directions. I do not advise doing this, because the Lord is the Leader, He doesn’t want it to be “how it goes”. There is already a lot of chaos around. There are crisis changes – for example, a person has a stroke – he lies down or sits down, and he already looks at the world in a horizontal position. And there are conscious changes when we change things consciously. For example, we are moving into the field of education on a social elevator.
We are talking about conscious change. David passed over the throne – that is, we create change. I encourage you to do this, that change and role shift should not be spontaneous or caused by crisis, but that it be conscious, that you have strategically planned and ascended. And the next type of change is uplifting change that will uplift you. Conscious up-leading things that we create. For example, you begin to seek the Lord more strongly – this will surely elevate you. If you make the decision to get closer to Him, it will bring about change. It is a conscious, uplifting change. Your life will change for the better.
You can complain all you want – but what are you doing to change something? Someone does feats, rushes to megacities, sometimes falls to the very bottom, and the other becomes, on the contrary, a star. It is important here what principles you held and what kind of dream you had. People do serious things, break the circles of “darkness”.
I inspire us to think seriously: to take the road of eternity and think whether you are “carried” simply by inertia. What are you doing with your life? Raising children is not the meaning of life. Insects also protect their children.
What worries me is this – am I turning into a man of God? Am I growing in wisdom? Do I ascend, as a man of God, into the Deity of the image of Christ? My dream is to see the greats around me. Raising and building great people is my dream. To make people around me, who become great. And this is an expensive business.
So get ready for a role shift. Feel free to change roles. And this is the point of eternity already. You won’t change when you die, you’ll be the same. If you are now far from Christ and don’t love Him, then you will be just as far from Him then. It won’t simply fall on you. If you didn’t love Him here, how will you love Him there? If you liked to lie here, liked cunningness – all this will remain there. You loved iniquity – how will you be with Him?!
Make changes for yourself that will be conscious, uplifting. Let it be education, business, spirituality. But start with the spirit – get closer, try to take one step closer and “dig in” there. And there you live – in this light. Maybe it is still burning, but you will not burn, do not be afraid. Yes, you have to endure the fire, His legs are like fine brass. If you stand on holy ground – your legs will become like fine brass, legs walk in fire. This is why Angels of high rank came to Daniel.
The church today must stop comforting. She must be disturbing. Do not put a “pillow” under the head of a dying man, but resurrect him. Stir up yourself! I came for this. To awaken! Shake! No boredom! That’s my topic today – role shift.