“The righteous perish, and no-one ponders it in his heart; devout men are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death” Isaiah 57:1

Taken many years ago, this is a picture of Jude and the wee dogs walking in the direction of St Malachi’s, Hillsborough Parish Church. It hangs on my living room wall and has recently took on a whole new meaning of the journey we are all taking as believers to heaven. Notice the door open in the church, when the time comes we enter from time into eternity & into the presence of The LORD.

A few days after Jude’s promotion I received a letter from a friend in Scotland quoting the above scripture from Isaiah. I have often pondered on this because the days are waxing worse, The LORD is shaking the heavens & the earth once more. (Hebrews 12:26-29). Chaos in the Middle East lies at the root of biblical prophecy for instead of Shalom their is war. But one day there will be peace in Jerusalem and we are to pray for it. (Psalm 122:6-7). The LORD is about to return and His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives.(Zechariah 14:4).

In a way, Jude has been blessed by going away before the end time events really kick in and spared from any further evil. My friends realise that all those you love in Christ who have gone before you are spared the evil to come. Whatever their condition when they breathed their last breath be assured their days of suffering & pain are over.

Just to cement these comments, I have been reading the autobiography of Elizabeth Elliott, the wife of Jim Elliott who was martyred for his faith. While a student she wrote about the death of her science teachers brother at twenty five years of age.

“……when Betty’s science teacher learned that his twenty-five-year-old brother died of a pulmonary embolism they believed to be connected to his Army Air Corps training she said, “it was a great shock”. She wrote to her family, “but the Lord has a perfect plan, and we never know what He may have been saving him from”. Elizabeth Elliott A Life Pg32

So my friends, your tomorrow is not promised, there is a Gospel to live & preach so I close with a final word for you today;

“Be very careful, then, how you live, not as unwise but wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15)