“For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!”
Ezekiel 18:32 NIV
Death
Of the 37,742,157 residents in Canada, thousands of centenarians are dispersed across the country. As of 2020, 8,546 Canadians lived over the age of 100. A U.N. report, which studies 190 nations, showed that between 2000 and 2020, the population of Canadian centenarians grew from 3,356 to 8,766, for an increase of 76.07 per cent. The number of centenarians could also increase rapidly between 2046 and 2065, when many Baby Boomers will turn 100. By 2065, there is projected to be over 87,500 centenarians in Canada.
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Death is horrible. It leaves a huge hole in the heart of individuals, families, and communities. It always leads to grief, a process that can take years to work through. Death was never a part of God’s plan in the creation of the world. It only came about when sin entered into the heart of our first parents and through them impacted everyone and everything. God understood the pain that death brings – the Gospels record Jesus standing outside of the tomb of his friend Lazarus, weeping. Centuries before, the prophet writes this in Ezekiel 18:32: “For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!” God is the author of life, and has sent Jesus to offer hope beyond death. When Jesus burst from the tomb on resurrection day, he defeated death. Those who repent and put their faith in Jesus Christ immediately come alive spiritually, and physical death holds no fear because through it we enter into the presence of Jesus. God’s desire is for you to live – spiritually and eternally. He calls you to put your faith in Jesus Christ. Do so today, and live.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley