The Pastor had been working on his Easter message.  As he collapsed into his bed the thoughts of the resurrection still played in his head. "There is no death for those who know Christ," He thought. "No death.." and he fell into a deep slumber. Later when others would ask, he would say that he didn't know if it was a dream or vision that night, but it was something he would never forget.

It was as if he laid his head on the pillow and awoke to another world. He was laying on a Gurney. He was on his back staring at the ceiling. Overhead was hanging a light bulb. It made a circle of light and he lay in the middle of the small circle. He tried to move and couldn't. He even tried to shift his eyes but his gaze was fixed. He continued to stare at the ceiling.

He did his best to see outside the circle but he couldn't. It was as if he was looking into the blackest black and no light could penetrate the darkness. He thought to himself, "I must be dead. I have died and I am laying in a morgue or at a hospital." Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a movement, someone was coming toward him, who was it?  

Out of the darkness stepped the most amazing man.  He was tall. He was dressed in a shimmering white gown. There was a look on his face that commanded attention. The Pastor knew that the figure was an Angel. The Angel stepped close to the Gurney and looked down at the Pastor. He stared intently into his eyes. Then the Angel spoke, "I think that this man is dead."

Out of the darkness stepped another Angel. He came close to the figure on the table. He placed his hand on the Pastor's brow. "He is cold," he said. "Cold. Yes, he is dead." A third Angel appeared. He put his head down close to the Pastor's mouth and nose. He quietly listened and felt for breath. The third angel spoke, "He isn't breathing. Yes, he is quite dead."

Then the first Angel reach down and picked up the man's hand. He moved to put his fingers on the pastor's wrist, as if he were going to take his pulse, but the Angel froze. "Wait," he cried. "Look at his hands. There are nail prints. This man has been crucified. He is not dead.  He is alive."

The pastor awoke with a start. What did this mean? He went to his Bible. It seemed to open of its own accord and his eyes fell on these words in Romans chapter six, verses six through eight, "Knowing this.. That if we were crucified with him.. If we have died with Christ.. We shall also live with Him."

The Promise of Eternal Life..

God has a plan for your life. Listen, God’s plan for you encompasses this world and eternity. We who know him do not fear death. We have a promise. We have allowed Christ to crucify our old selves, our old ideas, our old way of living and show us a better way to live. We have been crucified with him and we shall live forever with Him.

You can have this great gift. Tonight, you can lay your head on the pillow with the complete assurance of knowing that you will live forever. How? Simply ask Jesus to come into your life and make you a new person. It doesn't take some special prayer. It takes a genuine desire to change and a willingness to ask God's help. Romans 10:13 states that, "..they who call on the Lord will be saved."