PLANNING MY FUNERAL

FUNERAL PLANNING

Unless the Lord Jesus returns before I die (which He might), I am going to die.

I won't go into detail now about what I want said and done at my funeral.  I plan to write a will, including funeral plans,  making my wishes clear to my wife and kids.   Some people are superstitiously afraid that writing a will might hasten or in some way cause their death.  Many people are also afraid of planning their funeral for the same reason.   But, at almost 60, I think the time is right for me.

NO FEAR OF DEATH

I have no fear of death.  The Bible says "Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil."  Death is indeed an evil thing brought on by sin.  Yet I don't fear death because Jesus conquered death for me with His death on Calvary's cross.  I fear God, who has the power to cast into Hell.

I don't like pain, so like most people,  a painless death seems most appealing to me, but I really don't care about that either.  It is up to the Good Lord to decide how I go.  And when.  Meanwhile I make my plans, in accordance with scripture.  Nearly every aspect of our lives should be planned if we want to truly be successful.  Our finances, our spiritual lives, our vacations, and yes, even our wills.  Planning is good. But...... 

DON'T BOAST

James 4:13 - 16 says:

  Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:

Whereas ye know not what [shall be] on the morrow. For what [is] your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

For that ye [ought] to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.

James is saying that we must not boast of our plans.  He seems to be addressing his comments to people who plan  and then boast about their plans, particularly concerning earning a lot of money.  Such boasting is evil.  We can plan, but we don't know what is going to happen tomorrow.  Such boasting is smug and arrogant, and lacks humility.

We can exercise, diet, be careful, be prayerful, get check ups and preventive tests on schedule, and still be dead tomorrow, if it is the will of God.

IF THE LORD WILL

So with true humility, we should prayerfully plan, and THEN say, in accordance with scripture "IF THE LORD WILL, WE SHALL LIVE, AND DO THIS, OR THAT".

Daily Bible Reading and Study Report

AUGUST/31/2013

READ:
2 Kings Chapter 5
Lamentations Chapter 1
1 Corinthians Chapter 14

Bible Study:  30 minutes

Daily Prayer Report

AUGUST/31/2013

Morning Prayer:  30 minutes
Noon Prayer:       15 minutes  

(DEER)

Daily Exercise Report

AUGUST/31/2013

Pull Ups - 19
Crunches - 100
Ab Work (Crunches, leg lifts, bicycling legs) - 4 minutes

Push Ups - 64