BLESSED ARE THE DEAD,
WHO DIE IN THE LORD

Revelation 14:13

Henry Mahan


This is the message from heaven. It was a voice from heaven which COMMANDED JOHN TO WRITE, Blessed are the dead, who die in the Lord"

The world will take you into a lavish country club where wealth, power, and success abound. These people are laughing, singing, drinking, and merry. Nothing on this earth is beyond their reach. The best is none too good. The world will take you to a university where the scholars of the world delve deeper into the wisdom of the world; or to the olympic games where men and women in excellent health vie for prestigious, precious medals; or to the field of battle where officers win a place in history; or to the halls of legislature; for the doctrine of men is "blessed are the living who are rich, wise, healthy, and powerful."

The voice from heaven takes you into a darkened room. There is complete silence except for the breathing of a weary pilgrim. A loving husband and grateful children stand at the foot of the bed as tears flow silently down their cheeks. In a moment, with a deep sigh, her eyes open and a smile crosses her face as she says, "I am ready to go and be with Christ which is far better; for I KNOW WHOM I have believed and am persuaded He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him FOR THIS VERY DAY." She breathes for the last time and she is gone; and the voice from heaven says, "blessed are the dead who die in the Lord that they may rest from their labors." The world may try, but they cannot write BLESSED where God has Written CURSED; and try as they might, they cannot write CURSED where God has written BLESSED! It is so sad that what the world calls rich, God calls poor; and what the world calls poor, God calls "rich in faith and heirs of His kingdom" (James 2:5).



BE STRONG IN THE GRACE
THAT IS IN CHRIST

II TIM. 2:1

Henry Mahan



Be strong inwardly and outwardly in the grace of our Lord. Be rooted and grounded in His gospel, have a full persuasion of the truth of it and your interest in Him! Preach it boldly and defend it bravely. But also be strong in His providence and dealings in grace with you and yours. Don't profess sovereign grace and then complain about sovereign providence. Pity parties make poor platforms for the preaching of sovereign grace. God's servants are here to "comfort," not to be comforted and coddled.



Henry Mahan is pastor of
Thirteenth Street Baptist Church
Ashland, Ky.





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