What Happens After Death Part 5

Dr Victor Pearce

'Arise, shine for your light has come and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See darkness is on the land and deep darkness on the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.' We live in days when this scripture is beginning to be fulfilled. But the time of darkness and light together, will bring about a greater time of 'spiritual warfare' and will necessitate a deeper call to prayer. To help us get a sense of the power of prayer and the revealing of God during warfare we need look no further than WWI and WWII. These were extraordinary days in our nation to live through. Dr Victor Pearce (now 94) lived in both wars and chronicled the amazing stories of the revealing of the power of prayer and the intervention of the Lord during warfare. This is the fifth in a series of articles revealing these stories. I think you will be moved and inspired, and I pray the Spirit of God will speak into your spirit through what you read - Jonathan Bellamy, Cross Rhythms CEO.

Concern for Loved Ones

One day I was visited by a young lady who had a very anxious question. It was about her older sister who had died of polio two or three years earlier. Now she was very anxious. It only just started to worry her, she said, because she had been converted only recently. She had given her heart to the Lord; she had received the free gift of salvation and she was full of joy. Then she thought of her sister who had died; did she die unsaved? Then she remembered that I had been there at the side of the iron lung which was keeping her sister breathing. She remembered me talking with her and reading a passage of Scripture. So now, two years later, she came with her urgent question.

'Oh please, oh please could you tell me. Do you remember whether she responded and did she accept Christ's salvation?'

Fortunately, I could remember the girl and her name quite clearly. So it was with great relief that I was able to say, 'Yes, your sister came to the Lord easily and readily. She did not know that she would not recover but she heard the way of salvation with great appreciation and joy. She thanked the Lord most earnestly and accepted full salvation through the cross.'

This news was received with tremendous joy. She said, 'You see, before I was saved, I did not know how important it was.'

Reflected Glory

Perhaps I am speaking to one who is holding back from giving his life to the Lord Jesus. O friend, if you think of no one else, think of your family. They have probably been praying hard for you. So many think with great sadness of their loved ones who have died. Why? Because they cannot be sure that they were saved.

It is quite illogical that anyone should hold back his life from God who loves him. God loves you. The Lord Jesus has paid the price for forgiveness of your sins. He would guide you into the ways of blessing and eternal life if you would let him. I have known some people who have held back for years and then have come to Christ and so regretted that they did not do so before. Did you know that it is part of your fallen nature which keeps you from God? As soon as Adam sinned he hid from God and God said, 'Adam, where are you?' You are a child of Adam.

Don't grieve your loved ones any more. They have been praying for you and if you died unsaved they would be very greatly saddened. But what if your loved ones aren't saved either? We pray they will be.

A believer in West Lothian describes two occasions when the face of a dying Christian lit up as they were passing over to the Lord. The first was a relative who loved the Lord and was a help to many. As he died, his face reflected the glory of Jesus. The second was a sister who saw the Lord as she died and glory shone in her face. In Acts 6:15, the face of Stephen shone like the face of an angel before he was martyred. Paul saw it and no doubt it prepared him for his conversion. Afterwards, he saw the Lord Jesus himself on the road to Damascus.

Disabled in Body or Character

We have spoken of the beauty of heaven. We have spoken of the need of the cleansing blood to admit you there. But what of your character? Will that be lovely or will it spoil everything. And what of your body? If you are crippled, disabled or arthritic, will your joints still creak?

Billy Graham tells of his grandmother in his book, Facing Death. As she was dying she sat up in her bed, smiled and said, 'I see Jesus and he has his hand outstretched to me and there is Ben and he has two eyes and two legs.'