The Brief Exchange

When your car breaks down, you are not interested in the technical mechanical reasons why it is not running. All you really want is for it to run smoothly and get you from point A to point B. There is a technical mechanical reason why cars run and do not run. Emotionally, we just want them to run well all the time. In the back of your mind, you realize a car or motor does not last forever; eventually, it wears out.

A funeral last week and another one coming up reminds me that we will not last forever. At funerals, we do not want to hear spiritually technical language about whether our friend, relative and loved one is in a holding place until judgement or if they have a new body or if they have to wait someplace in some body-less state until a certain time.At funerals we want to know that the person we care about is in a better place. We may feel confident if they attended a church, read their bible and prayed. We may feel anxious if the person disregarded church, prayer and the bible.

The bible does tell us that after death there is a brief exchange with the Lord. Some will point to amazing things they did, but the lack of a true relationship with Jesus prevents them from entering.
Matthew 7:21-23
 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

The real deal is a relationship with God.
1 Corinthians 8:3
But whoever loves God is known by God.

What do you think the Lord will say to you in that brief exchange?
Why will the Lord say that?

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