This week's text is Matthew 13:40 - 14:7. Pastor explores several more parables of Jesus; there will be a judgement and evil will be destroyed, only things of God will remain; the narrative of the entire Bible holds together from beginning to end, the Old and New Covenants, ending with the story of Herod, Herodias and John the Baptist.

This is a question Pastor has received over and again throughout the years, "Will our bodies be resurrected?" The answer is "yes!" Even through there is biblical teaching and a recognition of the resurrection by believers throughout the centuries, there are still many questions from believers and non-believers when it comes to the future resurrection.

Resurrection:

• Doubt and Denial existed among the educated elite (Acts 17:32), religious elite especially the Sadducees (Matthew 22:29), and church members (1 Corinthians 15:12)
• Old Testament does not say a lot about the resurrection, but there are mentions of it and people did look forward to the resurrection. Job is one who looked to the resurrection (Job 19:25-27), as did Solomon (Ecclesiastes 3:11), Isaiah (Isaiah 26:19) and Daniel (Daniel 12:2)
• Jesus' Teaching in the New Testament - Jesus was clear that resurrection was what was ahead for believers. Jesus talked of the resurrection of both the good and the evil (John 5:28-29), the resurrection comes on the Last Day (John 6:40), Jesus talks about His identity being tied to the resurrection (John 11:25-26). The clear declaration of Jesus is that we will be raised!
• There is a tie between Jewus' resurrection and the resurrection of those of us that follow Him. There are consequences if we don't believe (1 Corinthians 15:13-14), the implications of the resurrection - our salvation is dependent on the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus' resurrection guarantees that we also will rise (1 Corinthians 15:16-18), and Jesus is the "First Fruits" of those who will rise from the grave (1 Corinthians 15:20-23),
• What Kind of Body are we going to have? The New Testament gives us only a glimpse of what our bodies will be like, God has not yet revealed fully what it will be like (1 Corinthians 2:9), there is an analogy of the seed that is used to describe the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:35-36), we also learn that our bodies will be transformed from a perishable body to an imperishable body and that it is beyond our ability to comprehend (1 Corinthians 15:43-44), Continuity will continues as we will be able to recognize each other, irregardless of the change that will happen. What it it will all be like is not yet known, but we know we will be like Christ and will see Him as He is - risen! (1 John 3:2-3), and because of Jesus we have the Final Victory (1 Corinthians 15:55-57)

When we realize the resurrection is what is ahead for us as believers, the outcome is that we want to serve the Lord even more faithfully, to concentrate on the things that are important to eternity, to be immersed in the things of God, to love our Creator, to love Jesus, love the Holy Spirit and to love others (even our enemies).

Knowing what we know about resurrection, calls us to a dedicated life as a follower of Jesus. We are not called to sit back and wait for the end, we are called to be people of faith and prayer, a people of goodness and generosity, of faithfulness and kindness. We are to be a people who mirror the very nature of our Jesus in the way we deal with one another and the world.

Our victory through Him is what we hold on to and eagerly anticipate. We will be raised to be in God's presence forever!

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In today's message, we see that it was God who gave Daniel the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream -- a dream sent to show that God alone knows the future and that though empires crumble, God's Kingdom will be established forever over the entire earth!