TERMINAL ILLNESS
HOW CAN I EVER LET GO?
“For the living know that they will die.”
(Ecclesiastes 9:5)
Facing Death
Death Is Designed.
Embracing the God-given gift of life means accepting death as part of life’s package. The moment you are born, you take the first step toward death. One of the characteristics of spiritual maturity is recognizing death as a natural part of God’s design.
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot”
(Ecclesiastes 3:1–2).
Death Is a Doorway.
Death can be a doorway to a more abundant (eternal) life, or it can be the gateway to eternal misery. Death is not an end to life, it is a beginning. We are born with a heart’s desire to live forever, and only through faith in Christ can we reach out and embrace God’s promise of eternal life.
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
(Matthew 7:13–14)
Death Is Divine.
The reality for all Christians is that you have already died! God’s desire for you as His child is death to self and submission to the divine life of Christ living within you, expressing His life through you.
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).
Facing Eternity
The Reality of Heaven
“It [heaven] shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.”
(Revelation 21:11)
Heaven Is ...
- The place where God lives (1 Kings 8:30)
- The place of no hunger or thirst (Revelation 7:16)
- The place of no crying or pain (Revelation 21:4)
- The place of no death or mourning (Revelation 21:4)
- The place of no impurity or evil (Revelation 21:27)
The Reality of Hell
“Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”
(John 3:18)
Hell Is ...
- A place of weeping and torment (Matthew 13:42)
- A place of wrath and anger (Romans 2:8)
- A place of eternal fire (Mark 9:47–48)
- A place of confinement and conscious separation from God (Luke 16:26)
- A place of condemnation and punishment (2 Peter 2:3)
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’”
(Matthew 25:41)
Prayer of Salvation
“God, I admit that I have sinned. Many times I’ve gone my own way instead of Your way. Please forgive me for all my sins. Thank You, Jesus, for dying on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins. Come into my life to be my Lord and Savior. Take control of my life and make me the person You want me to be. Thank You, Jesus, for what You will do in me, to me, and through me. In Jesus Name Amen.”
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Whatever you’re facing, your life matters, and God wants you to live in victory. Today is a great day to begin.
Preparing for Reality
- Record Your Will.
“A will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living”
(Hebrews 9:17).
- Express Your Desires.
“By faith Joseph, when his end was near ... gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones”
(Hebrews 11:22).
- Arrange Your Affairs.
“David gave his son Solomon the plans for the portico of the temple ... ‘All this,’ David said, ‘I have in writing as a result of the Lord’s hand on me, and he enabled me to understand all the details of the plan’”
(1 Chronicles 28:11, 19).
- Leave a Legacy of Love.
“I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy”
(2 Timothy 1:3–4).
- Identify Your Fears.
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea”
(Psalm 46:1–2).
- Trust Your God.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight”
(Proverbs 3:5–6).
- Yield Your Heart.
“However, as it is written: ‘What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived’—the things God has prepared for those who love him”
(1 Corinthians 2:9).
Hospice Care—An Angelic Alternative
Hospice care is a desirable option for many families— providing a caring environment for the terminally ill as they travel to the end of this life.
- Home team effort
The hospice care team leader supervises a unified plan that includes nursing, physician calls, family counseling, homemaking services, volunteer help, and spiritual support.
- Overall approach
Hospice care provides a coordinated system of physical, emotional, and spiritual care for the terminally ill and their families.
- Specialized services
Physical therapy, medical equipment and supplies, nutritional counseling, meal planning, and other similar services are supplied as needed.
- Pain control
Hospice care tries to prevent pain from occurring rather than just giving relief on demand. All medical knowledge is used to keep pain under control.
- Involvement with family
Hospice teams assist and educate the family members or caregivers in ways to make their job easier. Follow-up, support and counseling are also provided for family members for up to one year after the patient’s death.
- Cost effectiveness
Hospice care is between 20 and 40 percent less expensive than staying in a hospital. The percentage of savings can be even greater during the final weeks of life.
- Emphasis on quality of life
The main goal of hospice care is to allow the patient to die with dignity and self-respect in a worry free, loving environment.
“We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth.”
(3 John 8)
Preparing the Way to the Lord
- Start with prayer for God’s blessing on your time together. (Psalm 37:30)
- Seek to be alone with the person who is dying. (Mark 4:34)
- Speak directly about judgment and eternal life. (Hebrews 9:27)
- Share the problem of sin in simple terms. (Romans 3:23)
- State the consequences of sin. (Romans 6:23)
- Specify God’s solution to sin. (Romans 5:8)
- Set forth the purpose of Jesus. (John 3:16)
- Single out Christ as the only way to be saved. (John 14:6)
- Suggest a prayer of salvation. (Acts 16:31)
Prayer of Salvation
“God, I admit that I have sinned. Many times I’ve gone my own way instead of Your way. Please forgive me for all my sins. Thank You, Jesus, for dying on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins. Come into my life to be my Lord and Savior. Take control of my life and make me the person You want me to be. Thank You, Jesus, for what You will do in me, to me, and through me. Amen.”
Key Verse to Learn
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
(Psalm 23:4 )
Key Passage to Read
2 Corinthians 4:16–5:5
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God desires to give you hope as you face life challenges, problems and difficult trials. The good news for us, God specializes in redemption and transformation. He takes that which was lost and restores it. He takes that which was dead and gives it life. He takes that which had no hope and rewrites its story. This is our God! As you pray today, ask God boldly to transform the thing inside you that you want to see changed forever!
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