When Our Time Comes Tee Jackson As we experience our last days, hours, and minutes on earth, let's remain focused and finish strong in the Lord! --Tee Jackson Contents Letter of Endorsement Message from the Author Chapter 1. In His Image Chapter 2. An Old Testament Truth Chapter 3. His Blessed Plan--We Matter to Him Chapter 4. Our Actions Influence Our Eternity Chapter 5. Angels Awaiting Orders Chapter 6. Promises! Wonderful Promises! How to Be Saved A Letter of Endorsement The book, When Our Time Comes, is an easy read about a difficult subject. A subject that affects all of us more often than we wish. Death is one of mankind's greatest common denominators. Hebrews 9:27 makes it clear, "It is appointed unto every person once to die." If you are holding this book in your hand, you know the sorrow and grief that come with the death of a loved one. Perhaps your father or mother, God forbid, your child or grandchild, has been taken by death. It might be a close friend or neighbor. Death is common among mankind. And it will come to all of us if Jesus tarries in His return. That is why I wholeheartedly endorse and recommend this book. I recommend it to pastors and other clergy, but also to anyone who wants to have at their disposal a simple, concise source of truth from God's Holy Word about not only the subject of death but how to live the Christ-centered life that literally takes death out of the picture. I know the author, Tee Jackson, very well. He is a devout Christian, an ordained minister with a love for people that is evident in his life and work. When Our Time Comes quotes directly from the Bible many of the verses that shed light on the reality of death. But the teachings and promises of the Lord Jesus Christ are the greater content of the book, the promises He makes to believers about abundant life now and life everlasting when natural life ends. In other words, when our time comes. I believe this book will bring comfort and wisdom to those who are in the valley of the shadow of death. It will also be helpful to those who love and care for them. As we visit with and minister to those who are in the last stages of this life, When Our Time Comes provides easy access to the rich promises of Almighty God for those who love Him. As a minister myself, I want to have this book as one of the resources I use in ministering to individuals and families dealing with final days on earth. Also, I plan to have this book in hand to give away to people who are in those final days or to family members who are supporting them and loving them. You might want to do the same. I certainly encourage you to do so. --Joe Teal, pastor West Highland Baptist Church Athens, Alabama Message from the Author Thank you for reading this book. It is my desire that you will find encouragement, joy, and challenge as you ponder these words. This text is rich in God's Word and is presented so most people can easily understand the messages shared within. This book can be shared with people of all ages. The book will become an excellent reference for you to turn to through the years ahead. Like me, you probably have had a friend, a relative, or a neighbor who has found themselves facing their last days on earth. Many times, someone has been told by their doctor or medical team that their days on earth will soon be coming to an end. That person is often left to cope with how they might spend their last days, hours, and minutes. The purpose of writing this book is to help you and others gain spiritual knowledge. This knowledge concerns how you and I can share God's promises, comfort, and peace in a most difficult season. May God richly bless you for reading this book! Chapter 1 In His Image The Holy Bible clearly tells us where we came from. God made man during the days of His creation. If we look at Genesis 1:26-27, we read, And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the foul of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them. In the book of Psalms, David recorded these words in chapter 139 and verse 14, "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works: and that my soul knoweth right well." Jehovah God had a plan for us from the beginning. He not only created us--He sustains us and provides for all our needs. Many people on earth encountered God's Son, Jesus. He came to earth and lived life as a human. God knows our thoughts, our motives, and our desires. As a human, Jesus lived a sinless life. He set a perfect example for all of mankind. He was falsely accused, falsely tried, and was put to death on a Roman cross. He was placed in a borrowed tomb, and on the third day, he arose victoriously. For a few days after He was resurrected, Jesus remained on earth and was seen by hundreds of people. He ascended into heaven and now sits in heaven at the right hand of God. When the saints of the Lord enter heaven, they will have a new body and will forever remain with the Lord. God knows the number of hairs on our heads, and He knows our hearts. We find a great promise spoken from the lips of Jesus in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Jesus goes on to say, "For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved." We were made in God's image with a purpose. That purpose is to love and serve God. Chapter 2 An Old Testament Truth We find a very special verse in Psalm 139:16, "Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being imperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance was fashioned, when as yet there was none of them." Some Bible scholars interpret this verse to speak of our appointment with death. It has been said that this verse reveals our death date. Some say our death date is determined long before our actual birth. I do not claim to know exactly what is meant by the words recorded in Psalm 139:16. However, I do know that when we read the entire passage, we can easily see that the Lord loves each one of us and He is faithful to us. It is also clear that God knows all things. We read in Psalm 90:10, "The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away." In the book titled Believer's Bible Commentary, the author, William McDonald, recorded these words: "Some it is true, live their allotted span of seventy years, and some even as much as eighty. But even in their case, life is a weariness. One ailment follows another. The smallest tasks are an effort. And soon the pulse beat has stopped, and another one becomes "the missing face." There are many truths about death written in the Old Testament. We read in Genesis 3:19, "In the sweat of thy face shall thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it was thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shall thou return." In Ecclesiastes 3:1-2, we read, "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted." We see by reading these verses that God has a plan for you and me. The Bible clearly tells us that we have a voice. We read in Psalm 107:2, "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so." In Psalm 120:1, we read these words, "In my distress I cried unto the Lord, and he heard me." In Psalm 55:22, we read, "Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He will sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved." When we, or one of our loved ones, is facing a physical challenge or even a life-threatening diagnosis, we have an anchor, we have a rock! In Isaiah 41:10, we find comfort for us and comfort to share. Verse 10 reads like this, "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." Then in the New Testament, we read in John 14:27, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." If ever you are not certain what path to take or what to do next, pray and wait. Be patient and diligent in your prayer life. Be alert to God's answers and listen for God's directions. There is power in His name, and there is power in His Word. Psalm 9:9 records this message, "The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble." In Psalm 33:20, we read, "Our soul waiteth for the Lord: He is our help and our shield." Psalm 46:1 says, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." In Proverbs 18:10, the Scripture records these words, "The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe." One of the most loved and most quoted passages in the Bible is Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thy own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and he shall direct thy paths." When we are stressed or disheartened, we can find peace and comfort in God's Word. We serve the God of all creation. He knows our names. He knows what we have need of before we ask. He loves us even when we are unlovely. Praise be to God! Chapter 3 His Blessed Plan--We Matter to Him My mother and father lived a splendid Christian example before me. I learned many important lessons in Mother's lap and on Daddy's knee. Some of my very vivid memories of my mother's wisdom would be learned when she would tell me stories and give me examples of how a follower of Christ is supposed to live and act. She often spoke of God the Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ. More than once, I heard my mother say, "God has blessed each person with many blessings and in many ways. Two of God's great blessings are that all our faces are different, and we do not know the date of our death." She would follow up on those topics by saying, "Only God can make so many people, and yet no two are exactly alike." Then she would explain that it is a wonderful blessing to not know the date of our death. Those two thoughts, among others, have remained with me throughout all my life. Both statements are true. It is a great blessing that no two people are just alike and that we do not know the date of our own death. We learn from the Scriptures that it is important to follow God's plan for our lives. We know that today is the day of salvation. We know that God has provided salvation for us through Christ, His Son. It is not God's will that any should perish. We know that God loves us and that Jesus gave His life for us. We are told that we can be called the friends of God. We know that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes unto the Father except through Him. I preached a sermon years ago titled "God Didn't Make No Junk!" Among other topics, the message spoke of how we are created by God with a purpose for our lives. I remember sharing an example of how everything has a purpose. I told the congregation, as I took my wristwatch off and held it up, that the watch I was wearing had the purpose of helping us to know what time of day it was. I took the ink pen from my breast pocket and held it up, saying, "This ink pen is for writing with." I went on to say, "You would not try to write with your wristwatch just like you would not look at your ink pen to see what time it is." Then I asked, "Why?" I answered my own question by stating, "Because that is not their purpose!" The message thought ended with these words: "You and I were crafted special, just like the watch and the ink pen. We were created special and crafted special with a purpose! That purpose is to love and to serve God." We know that we are sinful by nature and that all have sinned and have fallen short. But we also know that while we are yet sinners, Christ died for us. We know that the gift of God to us is salvation. The Holy Scriptures tell us in the book of Romans, If we confess with our mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in our heart that God has raised Him from the dead, we will be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. This tells us that God has a blessed plan for each of our lives and that we certainly matter to God. Chapter 4 Our Actions on Earth Influence Our Eternity It has been said, "What matters most here on earth is, What will I do with Jesus?" The opinion of this author is that the most important question ever asked on the face of the earth was not "Will you marry me?" or "What school will I attend?" or "Which house will I purchase?" or "What job will I apply for?" Rather, it is my opinion that the most important question ever asked on the face of the earth is found in Matthew 16:13-16. The passage reads like this: When Jesus came into the coasts of Caes-a-re-a Phillip'pi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some E-li'-as; and others, Jer-e-mi'as, or one of the prophets. He (Jesus) saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God. (Emphasis mine) The most important question ever asked on earth was asked by Jesus Himself. Every person on earth who has knowledge of Jesus has to answer the question, "But whom say ye that I am?" The apostle Peter answered well. We can ask ourselves the same question. Who is this man named Jesus of Nazareth? Our life will never be the same after we acknowledge Christ as our Savior and Lord. It is then that we are heaven bound. If we choose to reject Christ as the Son of the Living God, then we are doomed to eternal separation from God in a place of torment known as the lake of fire or hell. It is very true that our actions and the decisions we make while here on earth do influence our personal eternity. We often make many deposits and withdrawals to and from our "spiritual bank account" each day. Christians earn crowns while here on earth. We read in James 1:12, "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him." The apostle Paul spoke of how our life on earth can affect our eternal reward when he wrote to Timothy. In 2 Timothy 4:7-8, we read, I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing. Yes, we will all face Jesus in the judgment. Jesus is the righteous judge. We are saved by grace and not of works, lest any man should boast. However, Jesus told us, "If you love me you will keep my commandments." The Christians on this planet have much work to do. We are to be about our Father's business. The message is plain and easy to understand. As Christians, we are to "love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind." We are to forgive seventy times seven, and we are to be kind to one another. We are to share the Gospel of Christ with all the world, and there is so much more. The Bible tells us to in Luke 12:16-21, where Jesus is speaking, And He spoke a parable unto them saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?' And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there I will bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, 'Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. Later in verse 31, we read the words of Jesus, where He said, "But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you." In verse 34, Jesus said, "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." In the book of Psalms, we read more about our Father in heaven, The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide: neither will He keep His anger forever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him. There is a wonderful message for all Christians found in Psalm 103:12, where we read, "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us." It is the opinion of this author that it is of great importance that we seek forgiveness through repentance while we are here on earth. True heartfelt repentance and seeking God's forgiveness are actions that will surely have a positive influence on our eternity. May God bless us through His Holy Word! Chapter 5 Angels Awaiting Orders There is a popular old hymn of the faith titled "I'll Fly Away." Some of the words of that great hymn go like this, "When I die hallelujah by and by, I'll fly away." We read in Psalm 90:10, "The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away." I have often thought to myself that I have, from time to time, had a front-row seat to death. I have worked with senior adults. I have worked in a nursing home. I have met with numerous families for a time of prayer at the bedside of their loved ones. There have been times that a person has passed into eternity as they held my hand, or maybe I was the last voice on earth a person heard before their passing away. I was present at the bedside when my older brother passed into eternity. I held my daughter's hand as she took her last breath on earth. There is comfort in knowing the person who is facing death is a Christian with a certain destination. Their best days are certainly ahead. On the other hand, the person who does not know the Lord as their personal savior is one to be pitied. You, like me, can probably recount occasions when a person you know, or a person you knew, is or was facing death. As a minister, it has been my role to officiate or participate in many funerals. There was once a time when I had five funerals in a matter of eight days. Often, people will ask years in advance if I will speak at their funeral. Through the years, I have heard many stories concerning spiritual happenings at or around the deathbed of the passing of a saint of the Lord. Some report the sighting of an angel of the Lord or a visitation by the deceased. There is a popular trio known as the Ruppes. They sing a song titled, "Angels in the Room." The song tells of deathbed experiences. One verse has these words, She's close to death, but she is not afraid, angels waiting for the order to carry her away, they are gathered round her bedside, she's the only one who sees, she'll draw her final breath and away with them she'll leave. I know of a lady who lived in a nursing home who reported seeing two angels walk past the foot of her bed. She told the worker from the desk that the two angels had walked past her bed and went through the wall to the room next door. She asked the employee if she would please go check on the man who was in the room next door. The worker told the lady that she had checked on him just a few minutes before and that he was sleeping well. When the lady insisted, the worker agreed to check again. When she got to the man next door, he was not breathing, but his body was still warm. The man had just passed away moments before the worker checked on him this second time. I would not have a problem with a Christian lady telling me that she saw two angels pass by the foot of her bed. God is on His throne, and He rules the world. My own daughter spoke of a visitor to her room just hours before she passed. Her friend in the room was told by my daughter that a nice man had come back into the room and was standing by the window. Her friend looked but saw no one there. She did say that she knew that my daughter really saw him. The friend told my wife and me that our daughter had seen an angel in the room. Again, I share with you that my mother used to tell me, "When our mansion is made ready, Christ will call us home." It very well could be that angels await the order to bring God's children home. Chapter 6 Promises! Wonderful Promises! All believers can take solace in the fact that God has made many promises to His people. Promises that bring comfort and peace of mind! Promises we can call wonderful promises! When a believer in Christ knows his or her time is expected to be short on the earth, that believer can claim the many and mighty promises of God. These can be promises that refer to his or her passing from death into life everlasting. The prophets of the Old Testament made it clear that a Messiah would come into the world. The prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz, wrote about the birth of Christ approximately seven hundred and forty years before Christ was born. In Isaiah 7:14, we find these words, "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." In Isaiah 9:6-7, we read these words, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, angels from heaven announced His birth to some shepherds who were keeping watch over their flocks by night. In Luke 2:9-11, we read these words, And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shown round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. Later, Jesus told His followers that He had come to earth to seek and to save the lost. When we look at John 3:16, we see how these verses tie together. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) Believers can claim that as a promise. Jesus has told us that "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the father except by me." We can accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, and we will gain heaven for eternity. Jesus promised us in John 10:27-29, My sheep hear my voice and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. In John 11:25-26, we read these words of promise and comfort, "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die: Believest thou this?" We certainly can believe what Jesus tells us. In John 14:1, we read these words of encouragement and of promise, "Let not your heart be troubled: ye 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, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." When a Christian is aware that he or she is likely facing his or her last days on earth, that Christian can find great comfort and peace in God's wonderful promises! Another example of a wonderful promise of God is found in Acts 4:12, "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." The writer is speaking of Jesus Christ. We read in Nahum 1:7, "The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in Him." God promises us in Hebrews 13:5, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." In John 6:47, Jesus said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life." In Romans 10:9, we read, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." In the book of John, we find several great promises from the lips of Jesus. To mention a few, And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. (John 6:35) In John 6:37, Jesus said, "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." In John 6:47, we find a wonderful promise from Jesus: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life." It was the apostle Paul who recorded in Romans 8:31, "What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?" In verse 35, we read these words: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?" Then in verses 38 and 39 of chapter 8, Paul records, For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. The Bible tells us that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. This author believes when we take our last breath here on earth, our next breath is in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. In Psalm 116:15, we read, "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." I have heard someone say, "God is never blind to our tears, never deaf to our prayers and never silent in our pain." This statement says to me, What matters to us also matters to God! What a blessed thought! In Psalm 129:23-24, we read these words, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." When we read 2 Timothy 1:7, we find these words, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear: but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." In 2 Timothy 1:12, we read, "For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day." God is aware of the kingdom work we do. There is an old hymn that has a line saying, "Every work for Jesus will be blest." In Hebrews 6:10-1,1 we read, For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have showed toward His name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end. We find great assurance and comfort in 1 John 5:11-13: And this is the record, that God hath given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; He that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. It was Dr. Billy Graham who once said, "Someday you will read or hear that Billy Graham is dead. Don't you believe a word of it! I shall be more alive than I am now. I will just have changed my address. I will have gone into the presence of God." May God richly bless you! How to Be Saved In the book of Romans, we find five verses that clearly state what we must do to be saved. They are: For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23) But God commended His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ die for us. (Romans 5:8) That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9-10) The Bible is very clear on this topic. God would not have anyone miss heaven! However, we have been given a choice. We can accept Jesus and spend eternity in God's heaven, or we can reject Jesus and spend eternity separated from God in a place of torment. Satan votes that we reject Christ, and God votes that we accept Christ. Each person will cast the deciding vote! Don't miss heaven!
