Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  2024  Day 59

February 28;        Acts 25:11;         114/260;        ‘No Fear of Death’

Acts 25:11 For if I am an offender, or have committed anything deserving of death, I do not object to dying….

Paul was in Caesarea, addressing Felix the Governor.  The religious leaders had accused Paul of many things, none of which they could prove.  Once again the religious leaders had plotted to kill Paul, but their plan was thwarted.  As Paul was speaking to Felix, he calmly told him that he had no fear of dying.  Paul, was a Christian, serious about the Lord, knowing what the Word says about physical death just being a means of our spirit immediately going to heaven to be in the presence of the Lord. Paul was not intimidated by death.  The Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write in 2 Corinthians 5:8 when our spirit is absent from our body (physical death), we are present with the Lord.  Paul also penned in Philippians 1:23 that he desired to depart (die physically) so that he could be with Jesus, which he said was far better.  He went on to say that he still had work to do here on the earth so he knew he would not die at that time.  Later, in 2 Timothy 4:7, just before Paul was martyred, knowing his time to die was at hand,  said that he had fought the good fight, finished his race and kept the faith.  In other words he would soon get his desire fulfilled to leave this world and go to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus.  The fear of death is a terrible, continual nightmare for so many.  Jesus, by His death, as a Man, enabled us to be released from the bondage of the fear of death.  This makes sense, we ‘have a ticket’ to heaven if we are a Christian.  We finish the ministry the Lord has for us and then head home forever.