What happens when I die?

Look what I found, shepherd - it's red but not a worm.

What is it?

I don’t know shepherd.
It looks like the morning sky turning the tops of the hills rosey.
Before the sunrise.

Show me, lamb.

Here.

O yes, scarlet thread.

What is it shepherd?

Shall I tell you of scarlet threads?

O yes shepherd.

A long long time ago
A red thread in a window
Signaled
That a family
Would be rescued.

Who did it, Shepherd? Put up a thread?

Rahab
Who lived in a wee house
Built into the wall
Of Jericho.
She changed sides.
She hid some spies.

Why did she change sides, Shepherd?

She was afraid
Of My People
who walked around
Jericho
And saw its walls
Come down.

Shepherd, why were they afraid?

When folks are bad,
My Father allows
Bad times to come
To help them turn
And find Him.

Why find Him?

He wants no one to perish?

What is perish?

Die forever.

But shepherd, we all die.

My children don't die
Instead they sleep
Until I raise them up
on the last day.

Is granny sheep, who died last week, asleep?

For the moment.

Who will raise her?

I will.

Really?

I proved it.
I raised myself.
And others.

Wow.

Will you wake me up again, after I am gone.

I will.
I have promised.
Your name is written
In the book of life.

Thank you shepherd.

You are welcome,
lambkin.
Always.

---------------------


[As you pray, address yourself sincerely and with all your heart to God, as best you can. Best to say out loud, be still, and see if He says anything back to you, or changes the way you feel.]


DEAR Shepherd,

I put out my red thread.
I want to be on your side.

Thank you for your gift
Of you.
Thank you that when I die
I will sleep.
Until you wake me up
Perfect.

For your amazing stories
I thank you.
Help me learn
About you through them
Even when I don't understand
I know you will help me.


You are my sunrise.
Your words
Are precious.
I will remember them.

I love you shepherd.
In Jesus’s name

Amen. Hurrah for God. Hallelujah!

----------------

References (from the Bible)

Joshua chapter 2 and chapter 6 verses 22-25
[Rahab's story]
[Rahab is speaking to the spies whose lives she saved.]
Swear to me by the Lord, that you will... spare my father and mother and my brothers and sisters, with all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death. So the men said, our lives for yours if you do not tell this business of ours...tie this cord of scarlet thread in the window through which you let us down.
...
Rahab sent [the spies] away and she tied the scarlet cord in the window.
...
Rahab... and her [extended family were allowed to live] in the midst of Israel, for she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. They found her house because of the red thread.

Isaiah 43 verse 25
I, even I, am the one who wipes out your sins for My own sake
And I will not remember your sins.

Matthew 5 verse 23-24
If you are presenting your offering upon the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go.
First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.

John 11 verse 20-44 (here verse 25)
Jesus said to [Martha, who was mourning the death of her brother Lazarus],
"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live."
..
[Jesus] cried with a loud voice,
"Lazarus, come out [from the cave-tomb]!"
And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with grave-clothes, and his face was wrapped in a cloth.

Acts of Apostles 1 verse 3
to [the apostles, Jesus] presented Himself alive after His suffering,
by many infallible proofs
being seen by them during forty days
and speaking of ... the kingdom of God.

Acts 15 verse 11
[Peter is speaking]
We believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved

Romans 8
If anyone is in Christ,
though the body dies because of sin
yet the spirit is alive because of [His] righteousness.
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead
dwells in you,
He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead
will also give life to your mortal bodies
by His Spirit Who dwells in you.

1st Corinthians chapter 15 verse 12-19, 20, 35-49
How do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen.
and if Christ is not risen then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.
Yes, and we are found to be false witnesses of God,
because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ...
If Christ has not risen, your faith is useless, you are still in your sins.
Then also those who have fallen asleep [died, expecting to rise again] have perished.
..
But, now Christ is risen from the dead,
and has become the first fruits [first resurrected to immortality] of those who have fallen asleep.
For since by man [Adam] came death,
by Man [Jesus] also came the resurrection of the dead.
.. in Christ all shall be made alive.
Christ the first fruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming [as Jesus returns to earth].

Someone will say,
"How are the dead raised? What sort of body will they have?
Foolish one, what you sow [like a seed] is not made alive unless it dies.
What you sow [a seed] is not the body that shall be [the plant], perhaps wheat or some other grain...
So also is the resurrection of the dead.
The body is sown [into the ground, dead] in corruption [it rots, being physical],
it is raised in incorruption [a body that cannot die, immortal]...
It is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory.
It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power.
It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.

Numbers 19
[the red heifer, burned to ashes and kept in water]
shall keep as water to [sprinkle over people to] remove impurity

[Jesus said, not one bit of the scriptures, our Old Testament, the ancient Israeli texts, shall disappear until they are fulfilled.]

Hebrews 9 verse 13-14
For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a red calf
sprinkling those who have been made 'dirty' allows them to be set apart for God (sanctified) again
how much more with the blood of Christ, who
through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God
cleanse your conscience ...
[The blood sacrifices of Ancient Israel were fulfilled in Jesus, who was perfect, and was killed instead of us.]


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Bible version - New American Standard Version with some difficult parts transliterated and commented by me.