Quote of the Day

"Ruby... Do you know why you can't get to heaven in a rocking chair? Because if you tried, you would just keep going and going and going... You would only be in Space.  You wouldn't get to Heaven.  You can only get to heaven by Death... Dying is the only way, because it's like Heaven is a whole different world, and death is just the only way.  And sometimes I'm scared of dying, because what if I had a heart-attack... it might hurt.  I know it wouldn't hurt for long, because after I died then I'd go to Heaven."

- Luther, 7 years old.  It's amazing to me to hear him ramble on about what he thinks.  He's got potential to be a great thinker, and I am so excited to see his character and his mind develop!

Speaking of Death (it's so morbid, isn't it?) here's a quote by a Presbyterian minister who lived during the Great Awakening (he was preceded by Jonathan Edwards as president of Princeton University.

Samuel Davies -

 "The greatest number of mankind beyond comparison are sleeping under ground.  There lies beauty mouldering into dust, rotting into stench & loathsomeness, and feeding the vilest worms.  There lies the head that once wore a crown… There lie mighty giants, the heroes and conquerors… the Caesars of the world…  There lie the wise and learned, as rotten, as helpless as the fool."

It is amazing to me to think about this... Everything in this world passes away.  Everything dies.  Everything decays and disintegrates. It's depressing and almost sad to think upon.  The greatest of men die, and then... they're dead.  Dynasties fade.... well, the quote says it all.

Ever since sin entered into the world, and death by sin, this earth has been a vast grave-yard…  for her children.  In every age, and in every country, that sentence has been executing, Dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return (1.493).

No matter what we do, or how great we are, we return to dust.  We rot in our graves.  It sounds gross, but hey, it's what happens.  We're only humans, that's what we are, and we decay just like everything else.

But Christ... We have a beautiful mental image here.  Christ died the most humiliating death of his time.  He was buried.  He continued in the state of Death for three days... But did his earthly body decay and rot and return to dust? No! He was resurrected! And it's in this way that he defeated death!  There's a chapter in Isaiah about God "swallowing up Death forever."  It's a glorious thought! If Christ had not been resurrected, then death would still have dominion.  (Not like there was ever a time when Christ DIDN'T have dominion, but by his blood we are redeemed, and yet what good would it be if he remained dead?) Man, I'm not sure how much sense that makes... I'm getting all confuzzled, so I'll stop now before I confuse you any further!! Would anybody care to share their thoughts?? I love to hear other thoughts/ideas, so PLEASE respond because quite frankly you people who read this blog are bad at replying with comments or anything! :)