The Unknown & The Known
Now Think On This
Steve Martin
"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know." (John 14:1-4, NKJV)
Billy Graham went home to be with the Lord Jesus Christ on February 22, 2018, from his earthly home in Montreat, North Carolina. Those who are believers know that is where he went. He himself knew this destination beforehand, whereupon at his death, at this appointed time when he crossed over from this life to the next, he would be with the Lord. He based it on his belief in the Lord Jesus’ promise of resurrected life.
Those who do not believe in Jesus, in heaven, in that glorious life hereafter, have no such hope. The unknown brings fear as death is faced. But they can know.
Since his acceptance of the Lord’s offer of salvation and forgiveness when he was 19, Billy Frank Graham knew where eternity would find him. In the 80 years that followed, he never let go of that eternal promise, to be there also where the Lord had prepared a place for him. In faith, he too was faithful to share that promise to over 200 million worldwide. The ones who also believed in the Gospel message will join him there someday if they haven’t gone on already.
Billy didn’t make it to heaven based on his good works. He too had to acknowledge that sin keeps us from the God the Father, and only through the sacrificial shed blood of Jesus on the cross is there forgiveness of the multitude of sins each of us have committed. Though we may not fully comprehend this chosen way of the Lord, in order to cross over into His heavenly realm, we must believe that what the Bible says holds true, even to this day.
“Now, brothers, we want you to know the truth about those who have died; otherwise, you might become sad the way other people do who have nothing to hope for. For since we believe that Yeshua died and rose again, we also believe that in the same way God, through Yeshua, will take with him those who have died.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, Complete Jewish Bible)
Whenever I can, I like to visit gravesites and read what is written on the tombstones. The short inscriptions typically reveal whether the person whose body lies in the grave had eternal hope or not. What they professed on earth is often, or not, memorialized in granite, and engraved in a few words. My spirit rejoices with those who proclaimed the Lord as Savior and Lord. I can only hope that the others met their Creator in mercy and forgiveness here, before they met Him on the other side. For it is true that each of us will face our Maker for judgment.
Ruth Bell Graham, Billy Graham Library Charlotte, NC
Settler's Cemetery, uptown Charlotte, North Carolina
Derek Prince gravesite in Jerusalem, Israel May 2017(All photos by Steve Martin)
At times like these, when a person known to us dies, it is good to stop and confess our eternal hope, reaffirming our belief in the known. No fear of death, no doubts of that beyond the grave need to reside with those of us who believe. Along with those who have gone on before, we too can look forward to the time when our glorious reward awaits us in our heavenly home.
See you there Billy!
Shalom and ahava (peace and love in Hebrew).
Now think on this,
Steve Martin
Founder/President
Love For His People, Inc.
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Now Think On This #343 - in the year of our Lord 02.22.18 – “The Unknown & The Known”, Thursday, 1:15 pm
