He Has You

Life after Death

The blog below is adapted from something I wrote a few years ago. There are some stories for which we cannot tell them too often, and one of them is that Christ was raised from the dead, and our hope is sure when we place it in Him.

I was serving at a men’s prison, going in a few days each week to teach and preach the Word of God. One time I was invited as a guest to an event called “The Easter Social”. The Prison Chaplain had arranged a special program for over a hundred men that included serving dinner, providing worship music and delivering a message.

There was a praise band that came in from a local church for the worship music and a Pastor was scheduled to bring the message. The band was able to get through the security checkpoints, but the Pastor could not get through. It happens, the prison ministry is a ministry of inconvenience.

Ministry can be hard work. If you serve, don’t be discouraged, but encouraged, as God is still in charge. God is sovereign and all things are possible when we rely upon Him. Pray for those who serve, then start to serve yourself. You don’t need a title to be used of God. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

The Chaplain asked me a half hour before the service began if I could fill in and give the message. My friends, always be ready to give a word. You never know when you will have even one person before you that is ready to hear the gospel.

I went off by myself for twenty minutes to prepare a message. I spent most of this time in prayer. If you want to draw upon the resources of heaven, you cannot rely upon yourself. The Lord Jesus said, “…do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say” (Luke 12:11-12).

I preached from a verse that the Apostle Paul wrote, “And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile…” (1 Corinthians 15:17). The Christian faith hinges upon this truth: that the Lord Jesus rose from the dead and lives today. “…God has raised Him from the dead…” (Romans 10:9).

You are never more than a single heartbeat away from heaven. “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 4:14).

It is not a question if the Lord Jesus rose from the dead and now lives. He rose and He lives. But the great question of your life is: has His life risen in you? “… just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).

Stop hurting the Lord by questioning His ability to forgive your past and just follow Him. “Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons” (Mark 16:9).

Jesus died for you, what are you willing to do for Him? “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…” (Galatians 2:20).

As Christ sacrificed His life for us, so we should sacrifice our life to Him. “…present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1).

At the end of the service I did an altar call and two men came up and accepted the Lord Jesus as their Savior. Oh friends, it is a most humbling thing to watch a man or a woman yield their life unto the Lord. All of heaven stands still when yet another name is written in the Book of Life.  Jesus said, “…there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10).

Blessings to you,

Paul Balius

All Scripture is quoted from the New King James Version. Please use the version you prefer to review the verses shown here. The best version is the one you read.