Dear Friend and visitors to our site, I want to share a message with you that is very near to my heart. I hope this serves as an encouragement to anyone who has suffered the loss of a love one, friend, or fears death itself. It’s a story of a wonderful young Christian man I once new. This young man was known throughout the community as a very funny, polite, and talented musician. He had a very special gift with the guitar and could always be seen with it in his hands. He could also be seen wearing t-shirts around that had scripture and Christian messages on them like “Friends don’t let friends go to hell” or “Get Nailed. He had a sincere love for God and was burdened by others problems. When he wasn’t writing or recording music he could be found in his bedroom reading God’s Word. As wonderful as this young man was, he was a teenager with real teenager problems. He struggled with the stress of work, college decisions, relationships, harassment and bullying. While all of these things are issues that we have all have to deal with, it seemed to affect him more than others. As the stress and feelings of being a failure grew this young man started to be influenced more easily by others. At first it was small compromises like the choices in musicians or music. His music started to become very dark and depressive. At one of his darkest moments he even took a razor blade and cut on his arms. He had told his parents that he couldn’t take the pain of being a failure anymore. He felt so ashamed he could barely stand it. Then it became the friends he hung around and the very truths that he held dear became blurred. He began to spiral out of control and turned to ways to take away his pain. One hot summer afternoon this young man and his friends headed out to Arbuckle Island for a day of swimming. While out there some of the boys began inhaling compressed air. For those of you who haven’t heard of this, it’s becoming one of the fastest growing addictions in our youth today. Inhaling or huffing is when people take an ordinary household product such as an aerosol type dispenser and inhale the contents of it to achieve a quick high. Those who have tried this say it gives them a feeling or sense of euphoria. What most of the kids that do this don’t know is that it is very dangerous and even deadly. In this case the kids were inhaling compressed air out of an air duster can that is commonly used to clean computer keyboards. After jumping into the water a friend threw that that young man the can and encouraged him to inhale it. He did and when he came up out of the water his eyes were rolled back in his head. His lifeless body than sank back into the dark quarry waters and never resurfaced alive again. Some kids tried to look for him but were not able to find him. It took divers several hours to find that young man’s body. That once young and wonderful Christian man who had his whole life in front of him was gone. As many of you already know, that young man was my son. At age 18, Anthony died because he made a few poor decisions. But his poor decisions were no worse than ones all of us have made in our lifetimes. Some people are quick to think or even say, “Well he shouldn’t have been doing those things, or he should have known better. Their right, he should have known better. But I would caution all of us to examine ourselves and if you come up sinless in your life, then by all means cast the first stone. While this story is very sobering, I didn’t share it with you to generate sympathy or even pity. I wanted to share it with you to remind you that we are all under attack. Satan would have us believe that there is no hope for tomorrow and that all we can look forward to is death. I’m here to tell you that there’s a lot more to the story. As you can imagine that week is one that my family and I will never forget. I wish I had the time to share all the things that I remember all to well. But I don’t, so here are the ones that hurt the most. I can remember the day after his death going into the bathroom and weeping like I have never wept before. I had tried to put such a brave face on and to be strong for my family and friends. But the emotions were overwhelming. I remember that in between this very intense grieving I would ask God to take away my pain. It was unbearable and I quickly realized that I couldn’t make it without God’s help. I never felt closer to God than I did that morning when he gave me peace. I realized how badly I needed him. Talk about being brought to your knees spiritually, I was also brought to my knees physically. I can also remember the morning of the funeral when I put on my uniform with full medals and drove over to the funeral home to be alone with my son one last time. At the time I didn’t realize why I felt the need to wear my uniform until I stood before my son’s body. It donned on me that I was paying my final respects to a Christian soldier who had fallen in battle. I can see myself standing there looking at the lifeless body that was once my son’s and realizing that he would never come back. Oh how I would do anything to bring him back. I can remember feeling regret for not hugging him more or telling how much I loved him or even how proud I was of him. If I would have only known how he was feeling, maybe I could have made things different. Hear me friends, we don’t know when that day will come, but we do know that it will. My question to you is how will you face your tragedies to come? My only son is now in the presence of his Lord and Savior. God was there on that hot summer day when Anthony fell in battle, God was also there to catch him. I’m reminded of King David’s reaction at discovering the death of his infant son. In 2 Samuel 12:23, King David said these amazingly insightful words; “Now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.” I wouldn’t dare ask my son to return to this world even if he could. He is in the hands of a much more capable Father. So like King David I’m left with the knowledge that my son is gone, and shall not return to me. To be completely honest there’s not a day that goes by that I’m not reminded of him. It still hurts to look at his face in family pictures or to listen to his music that he wrote and recorded. But I do so with the knowledge that one day we will meet again. I believe it’s alright to grieve, but a believer’s grief should be different than an unbeliever’s grief. It’s a chance from God to show the world where your hope really is. In times of loss and grief where does your hope lie? Paul tells us this in Thessalonians 4:13-14, 18 13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, Brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who sleep in Jesus 18 Wherefore, comfort one another with these words I've titled this message “Hope Remains”, because for believers, hope does truly remain. In this scripture Paul is addressing the church of Thessalonica. There were many false doctrines being taught throughout the region and in the church, which is not unlike today where many other religions and cults and even Hollywood is trying to explain what happens after death. During those days leading up to our son’s funeral many folks trying to comfort us would say things such as “He’s an angel now” or “God must have needed a good guitarist”. Some say we will come back as another person or even an animal. Others say nothing happens after death you’re just gone. People are just as confused about death now as they were in Paul’s time. This text deals with a subject matter that the vast majority of people don't want to talk about. That is the subject of death. At this point you’re probably thinking “wait a minute, I thought you were going to talk about hope”. Have you ever noticed that when people talk about death it sounds so final? Either they talk and act as if they are immortal, or they tremble at the thought of death. Eventually we all will have to face death, some sooner than others. For me death has been something that I knew we would all face someday, but not so soon and definitely not one of my own children. Death is something we all have in common; no matter how rich or poor, old or young, we all have an appointed time. But why do we have to die? The Bible says Just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned. [Romans 5:12] Death is the result of sin. When Adam sinned, he brought death into this world. Because we are sinners, one day we are going to die. But what is death? Although we have loved ones and friends who have died, they have not come back from the dead to tell us what death is like. The only source of information we have on death is what the Bible tells us. The Bible says that we have a mortal body and an immortal soul. Our body is made up of flesh and bones. We can see it and feel it. Our soul is spiritual. It is invisible to our eyes. From the moment of conception our soul and body have been united. They remain united until the moment of death. Then the soul leaves the body. The Bible states that when a person dies the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. [Ecclesiastes 12:7] What happens when a believer dies? The first thing our text tells us about a believer's death is that A Believer Falls Asleep in Jesus. Brethren, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. Ignorance causes fear. We are afraid of things we don't know or understand. We all have been afraid at one time or another. Maybe it was an operation, a treatment, or a hard decision, and you just didn’t know how it would turn out. Let’s say it was a surgery and when the surgeon takes the time to explain to us exactly what he will be doing, we aren't as afraid as we were. Death may also fill us with fear because we have never experienced it before. We don't know what it is like to die. God has given us his Word to remove the ignorance and fear from our hearts as we face death. The Bible calls death a sleep. Jesus called death a sleep. When Jesus came to the home of Jairus and was told that his daughter was dead, Jesus said to Jairus and the others “The girl is not dead but asleep”. [Matthew 9:24] When news was brought to our Lord that his friend Lazarus was dead, Jesus told his disciples “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up”. [John 11:11] After a hard day of work or school we all look forward to a good nights sleep. As little as we fear sleep, so little we should fear death. Martin Luther had this to say about death. What is our death but a night's sleep? For as through all the weariness and faintness pass away and cease, and the powers of the spirit come back again, so that in the morning we rise, fresh and strong and joyous, so at the Last Day we shall rise again as if we have only slept a night and shall be fresh and strong. If death is merely a sleep for a believer, than there is no reason for us to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. This does not mean that we will not weep at the death of a loved one. Such weeping is only natural. Death has destroyed the bond of love that existed between us and our loved one. Death fills our heart with sorrow. Our sorrow over the loss of a loved one is entirely different from the grief of the unbeliever. The unbelievers weep and wail as those who have no hope for they have no hope. To the unbelievers, death is the final end. To them there is nothing after death. They mourn and express their sorrow in words that are empty and without any trace of hope. Not so for the believer. We have hope. We know that death is but a sleep and that one day the Lord of life will come and wake us up from our sleep. A poet had this to say about a believer's death: He is not dead; he only sleeps, Safe in the arms of him who keeps His lambs secure from earth's alarm, From grief and sin and foes that harm. He is not dead; through tears may flow, Faith whispers: "It is better so." With joy we'll meet on that fair shore, When God's own children weep no more. When a believer dies, he not only falls asleep in Jesus, he follows In Christ's Path. Our text says we believe that Jesus died and rose again. The death and resurrection of Jesus are fundamental to our faith. Everything that we believe and hope for centers in the death and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus suffered and died in our place. We are the ones deserving of eternal death because we are the ones who break God's law. Jesus paid that debt so that “whosoever shall believe in him shall not perish but have everlasting life‘. John 3:16. God took his anger out not on us but on his Son. He sent his son to suffer and die so that you, me, my son, your daughter can escape eternal death. Let’s just say that Jesus led a perfect life, suffered and died in our place, but had not risen from the dead, we would have no Savior. There would be no hope. We would be no better off than the unbelievers in this world. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. [1 Corinthians15:20] As a believer we know that the grave is not our final resting place. Christ has defeated death and the grave. As we follow Christ into death so we shall follow him into life. One day Christ will return and wake us from our sleep. Jesus himself says “A time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out”. [John 5:28-29] On the day that Jesus Christ returns the Believer Will Return with Christ. God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. In [1 Thessalonians 4:16] Paul describes for us what will take place when Jesus returns on the last day. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. When Jesus returns it will not be as quiet as his first coming. He will not come as a child. He will come with all the host of heaven. A loud voice will announce his coming. When he arrives, he will raise up all the dead. It will make no difference how long they have been dead, or where they were buried. At that moment the soul that had departed the body at death will be reunited with the body. The body that was subject to decay will be changed. Jesus will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. [Philippians 3:21]. That means my son’s body, your grandparent’s bodies, or anyone else you might have lost that has died a believer. Jesus will change our bodies from a sin infested one to glorified one. We will have a perfect body, free from sin and all its effects. With such knowledge how could we not live different lives than those who do not believe? How could we not grieve differently than those who have no hope? And finally verse 18 “Wherefore, comfort one another with these words”. Knowing what happens when a believer dies, we are to encourage each other with these words. We are to comfort one another with the knowledge that Jesus has destroyed death and will on the last day raise up all the dead. We can comfort one another with the assurance that the soul of the believer is now in heaven and on the last day it will be reunited with the body and together enter into the presence of God and all the glory of heaven. With this knowledge we should live our lives knowing that no matter what battles are lost the war has already been won. Closing Dear friends, many times folks have confided in me that they are amazed at how my family has dealt with the loss of our son. They’ve even went on to say that they didn’t think they could handle such a tragedy. Some don’t, turning to alcohol, drugs, or other forms of destructive behavior. Some chose to hold on to the pain because if they stopped hurting they would feel like they no longer love the person they lost. I can tell you that it’s not been easy, but God’s mercy and grace have done more than sustained me, they have strengthen me also. He words have done more than comforted me, they have changed me. I grieve no more as one who has no hope, but that God has shown me through my trials that “hope does remain” I wonder if you have that same hope. If you don’t then I would encourage you to seek God through his Word. Stop trusting what the world says and put your faith in Jesus Christ. For me and my family, we do trust the Lord and I’ve got to tell you that even though I still miss my son, I have joy in my life. He won’t return to me, but I am going to him someday. If you’re a believer and get there before me, do me a favor, tell my son I love him and I’ll see him again soon. May God bless you for taking the time to read this. Jason | 
