The sign outside of my office door usually makes people smile. It reads, “I ain’t from the South, but I got here as quick as I could!”
Humor diverts attention from the fact that I’m from the North. North Jersey to be exact.
When I head back for a visit, as I did recently, I tell people I don’t miss the traffic. What I miss are the places and the faces. And I saw both during a recent 40th High School Reunion.
The summer of 1969 was the end of an era--several, to be truthful. Not only were the 60’s ending, but it was also the exciting culmination of man’s amazing effort to reach the moon.
For me, though, it was more personal. 1969 was the bittersweet end of my High School days. Bittersweet because in mid-senior year, my father took a position that moved our family to South Jersey. And I went from a small town school to a large regional high school. I felt lost.
Instead of graduating with my hometown friends, I ended the year with new acquaintances. Bummer. At their 20th reunion, classmates from the new school didn’t even remember me.
For years I wished I could go back and change that decision to move so I could have graduated with my friends in my hometown. But, as they say, “There’s no going back.”
However, as I learned at this reunion in my hometown, my old classmates are still my friends. True friends. Some seem almost like family!
What’s odd about that is, for the most part, I haven’t seen some of them for 40 years. Sure, there’s been the occasional reunion, but the last one was ten years ago.
“Well, hold on just a minute. How can you feel close to people you hardly ever see?”
The Bible says, “There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” True friends are like that.
You’ve probably heard the old saying, “Friends are family you choose for yourself.” And I guess that’s true. Plus, there’s something about living through adolescence together that forges bonds deeper than we know.
Most of us have aged a little. No surprise there. Some looked very much like they did in High School. Others have changed. But the saddest thing to see was the memory board listing names of classmates who have passed away. At every reunion the list grows longer.
Sadly, the reunion was over before we knew it and it was time to leave. It was hard to say “Good-bye” because I don’t know when or if I’ll see my friends again. Tomorrow has no guarantee. And that made me think about the only friend who guaranteed he wouldn’t leave us.
Jesus told his friends, “Never will I leave you.” And if you are a friend of Jesus, if your faith is in him as your Lord and Savior—there is nowhere you can go without him. In fact he is the only friend who can walk with you through the “valley of the shadow of death.”
When a friend or loved one passes away, we still have their memory with us. But Jesus gives us more than that. Jesus said he would not abandon his followers. He said, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
How can Jesus be with us? When he returned to Heaven, he sent the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. The King James Bible calls him the “Comforter.” Other versions refer to him as the “Counselor” or “Helper.” And part of his ministry today is to bring us peace and joy.
Throughout life, friends come and go. True friends stick with us no matter what happens. But Jesus Christ is a true friend forever. He is the only one who says, “I will never leave you” and is able to keep his promise.
Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!
Showing posts with label death. Show all posts
Showing posts with label death. Show all posts
Monday, July 6, 2009
Monday, June 8, 2009
Anticipation
In about an hour from the time I’m writing this, my daughter and three granddaughters will arrive for a visit. And I can hardly wait to see them!
It’s been six months since I last saw them at their home in another state. I want to hold them in my arms, to see how they’ve grown and to just plain love them.
My wife and I have been planning things to do and places to go with them since we first heard they were coming. We haven’t told them all our plans yet. It’s going to be a surprise!
Of course it’s nothing compared to the anticipation God must have or the things he has planned for his family!
“Now hold on just a minute! God has grandchildren?”
No, according to the Bible, God doesn’t have any grandchildren. But all who come to him through Jesus Christ become his children. And he’s looking forward to our homecoming.
The Bible says, “Yet to all who received him (Jesus), to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” So through faith in Jesus Christ, everyone can become a part of God’s forever family.
And he’s looking forward to the day we’re with him in Heaven! How do I know? Because the Bible says, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his holy ones [believers].”
Now that may strike you as odd because we look at death as a separation from our loved ones. But from God’s perspective, when one of his children dies, he or she is coming home. And I imagine that he’s just as delighted as we are when our children come home at Thanksgiving!
God also has some surprises planned and exciting things for us to do. People who imagine Heaven as clouds, harps and lounging around must not have read their Bibles!
The Bible says, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” It’s wonderful beyond words!
Someone once said, “Don’t miss Heaven for the world!” Let’s face it—it’s too easy to let what Jesus called “the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth” make us so selfish that we’re no good for serving the God of Heaven. Don’t let that happen to you.
I wonder—is God looking forward to your homecoming in Heaven with anticipation and delight? Or is he hoping that you’ll finally see the light and start following him before it’s forever too late?
The Bible says, “I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” It also warns us: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”
Has God been trying to get your attention? Sometimes he speaks through the words of a concerned friend. Other times it may be through a crisis.
One reason our lives can be such messes is because God is patient with us. He lets the consequences follow our bad decisions. He hopes we’ll learn something and turn back to him.
Here’s advice from the prophet Isaiah: “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.”
If you do that, one day God will have a “Welcome Home” party planned just for you.
Now don’t get me wrong. I want to live my life here as long as God allows. But when my time comes, I’m ready to go. The Bible says, “To depart and be with Christ…is better by far.”
Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!
It’s been six months since I last saw them at their home in another state. I want to hold them in my arms, to see how they’ve grown and to just plain love them.
My wife and I have been planning things to do and places to go with them since we first heard they were coming. We haven’t told them all our plans yet. It’s going to be a surprise!
Of course it’s nothing compared to the anticipation God must have or the things he has planned for his family!
“Now hold on just a minute! God has grandchildren?”
No, according to the Bible, God doesn’t have any grandchildren. But all who come to him through Jesus Christ become his children. And he’s looking forward to our homecoming.
The Bible says, “Yet to all who received him (Jesus), to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” So through faith in Jesus Christ, everyone can become a part of God’s forever family.
And he’s looking forward to the day we’re with him in Heaven! How do I know? Because the Bible says, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his holy ones [believers].”
Now that may strike you as odd because we look at death as a separation from our loved ones. But from God’s perspective, when one of his children dies, he or she is coming home. And I imagine that he’s just as delighted as we are when our children come home at Thanksgiving!
God also has some surprises planned and exciting things for us to do. People who imagine Heaven as clouds, harps and lounging around must not have read their Bibles!
The Bible says, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” It’s wonderful beyond words!
Someone once said, “Don’t miss Heaven for the world!” Let’s face it—it’s too easy to let what Jesus called “the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth” make us so selfish that we’re no good for serving the God of Heaven. Don’t let that happen to you.
I wonder—is God looking forward to your homecoming in Heaven with anticipation and delight? Or is he hoping that you’ll finally see the light and start following him before it’s forever too late?
The Bible says, “I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” It also warns us: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”
Has God been trying to get your attention? Sometimes he speaks through the words of a concerned friend. Other times it may be through a crisis.
One reason our lives can be such messes is because God is patient with us. He lets the consequences follow our bad decisions. He hopes we’ll learn something and turn back to him.
Here’s advice from the prophet Isaiah: “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.”
If you do that, one day God will have a “Welcome Home” party planned just for you.
Now don’t get me wrong. I want to live my life here as long as God allows. But when my time comes, I’m ready to go. The Bible says, “To depart and be with Christ…is better by far.”
Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!
Monday, February 9, 2009
Goodbye, Hello
Last week we said goodbye to our cat. She died Thursday, old and well loved.
Bria was faithful. She met us at the door with a meow. She sat in our laps while we watched TV. She lay on the floor near my feet while I worked on my computer.
She didn’t ask for much but gave a lot of love in return. She was a comforting companion.
It hurt to see her suffer. It hurt that we could do little to help. At least she didn’t suffer long.
If you’ve ever lost a pet, you know what we’ve been through. There’s an empty place in our home. I keep expecting to see her out of the corner of my eye.
On top of that, a special aunt also passed away last week. She was my dad’s closest sister.
I remember visiting in Aunt Jean’s home as a child and playing with my cousins. My uncle Joe was a preacher, too. Just like my dad. Now all three of them are gone.
My aunt’s passing reminded me of how much I miss my father. And my heart went out to my cousins who have had to say goodbye to both mother and father.
Losing a relative or a pet we love hurts. Every other time we said goodbye, we hoped to see them again. But last week we had to say the final goodbye. Twice.
The Bible compares death to a sting. At first the loss of a loved one can be almost unbearable. But with time the pain lessens. Eventually the heart heals. Until the next sting.
One thing about life I wasn’t prepared for. The longer you live the more you see death.
My dad came home from a funeral once and, from what he told me, it was one of the most difficult he ever had as a pastor. A man in his early forties had died in a hunting accident. His family was so distraught that they literally tried to pull him out of the coffin. True story.
Now while I miss my dad and others who have passed on, I have a sure hope I will see them again. And that helps me cope with grief.
OK, hold it right there for just a minute. Why is it that Christians talk about seeing their dead loved ones again? Isn’t that a little weird?
Not if you’re a student of the Bible.
The Bible teaches that there is life after this life. But it also says that decisions we make in this life affect our destination in the next.
God doesn’t want anyone to be surprised in eternity. So he tells us the facts of eternal life.
The Bible says people have eternal souls. It tells us that eternal life is available to everyone through faith in Jesus Christ.
What must you believe? That you are a sinner and you need a Savior. That Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for your sin. And that if you trust in him, Jesus will save your soul and take you to Heaven.
The Bible tells us that Heaven and Hell are real places. Just like New York City or Chicago.
For the Christ follower, the Bible says, “To be away from the body” is to be “at home with the Lord.” Reincarnation? No. With the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus once told a story that explained how we would one day join those who have died in faith before us. He said we would recognize them and be able to communicate with them. So while it’s “Goodbye” now, it will be “Hello” soon. Heaven is an amazing place!
So while saying a final goodbye is difficult, for the Christ follower it is an exercise of confident hope. Because we know that, one day soon, we will see our loved ones in Heaven.
Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!
Bria was faithful. She met us at the door with a meow. She sat in our laps while we watched TV. She lay on the floor near my feet while I worked on my computer.
She didn’t ask for much but gave a lot of love in return. She was a comforting companion.
It hurt to see her suffer. It hurt that we could do little to help. At least she didn’t suffer long.
If you’ve ever lost a pet, you know what we’ve been through. There’s an empty place in our home. I keep expecting to see her out of the corner of my eye.
On top of that, a special aunt also passed away last week. She was my dad’s closest sister.
I remember visiting in Aunt Jean’s home as a child and playing with my cousins. My uncle Joe was a preacher, too. Just like my dad. Now all three of them are gone.
My aunt’s passing reminded me of how much I miss my father. And my heart went out to my cousins who have had to say goodbye to both mother and father.
Losing a relative or a pet we love hurts. Every other time we said goodbye, we hoped to see them again. But last week we had to say the final goodbye. Twice.
The Bible compares death to a sting. At first the loss of a loved one can be almost unbearable. But with time the pain lessens. Eventually the heart heals. Until the next sting.
One thing about life I wasn’t prepared for. The longer you live the more you see death.
My dad came home from a funeral once and, from what he told me, it was one of the most difficult he ever had as a pastor. A man in his early forties had died in a hunting accident. His family was so distraught that they literally tried to pull him out of the coffin. True story.
Now while I miss my dad and others who have passed on, I have a sure hope I will see them again. And that helps me cope with grief.
OK, hold it right there for just a minute. Why is it that Christians talk about seeing their dead loved ones again? Isn’t that a little weird?
Not if you’re a student of the Bible.
The Bible teaches that there is life after this life. But it also says that decisions we make in this life affect our destination in the next.
God doesn’t want anyone to be surprised in eternity. So he tells us the facts of eternal life.
The Bible says people have eternal souls. It tells us that eternal life is available to everyone through faith in Jesus Christ.
What must you believe? That you are a sinner and you need a Savior. That Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for your sin. And that if you trust in him, Jesus will save your soul and take you to Heaven.
The Bible tells us that Heaven and Hell are real places. Just like New York City or Chicago.
For the Christ follower, the Bible says, “To be away from the body” is to be “at home with the Lord.” Reincarnation? No. With the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus once told a story that explained how we would one day join those who have died in faith before us. He said we would recognize them and be able to communicate with them. So while it’s “Goodbye” now, it will be “Hello” soon. Heaven is an amazing place!
So while saying a final goodbye is difficult, for the Christ follower it is an exercise of confident hope. Because we know that, one day soon, we will see our loved ones in Heaven.
Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!
Monday, August 18, 2008
Fatal Error
The Blue Screen of Death. Have you ever seen it?
We saw it at church last Sunday morning. Why? Because our church has a computer operated video projection system. It’s just the tool to connect with today’s media savvy generation.
The Blue Screen of Death is what a Windows computer displays when it suffers OS death. The OS (Operating System) is the computer program that runs the computer.
When you see the Blue Screen of Death your computer has “crashed” or “died.”
After the Blue Screen of Death appeared the first words I noticed were “Fatal Error.” I thought to myself, “That can’t be good! The service isn’t over yet—What now?”
Fatal Error means the CPU (Central Processing Unit or “brain”) stopped processing data. Any data not saved is gone forever. And you have to “reboot” or restart the machine.
Computer experts all say that sooner or later every computer will crash. The solution is to prepare in advance for that day by backing up your data. Save your work or you will lose it.
What’s sad is that many computer owners don’t believe it will ever happen to them. So they don’t invest the time or money to save their data.
I guess it stands to reason because most people act like they’re never going to die either.
Now hold on just a minute--What do computer crashes have in common with people dying?
Good question. The answer is that sooner or later both computers and people die. If we don’t think about saving the contents of either one, both our data and ours souls will be lost forever.
Many people don’t think they’ll die in the foreseeable future. And that could be a fatal error.
I once spoke to a man who was very ill and asked him this question: “When you die, what do you think you’ll find on the other side?”
He said he had never really thought about it. And he’s not alone. It’s a common response.
Now why wouldn’t you think about the one thing in life that is absolutely certain? Everyone who lives will die. And everyone who dies spends eternity somewhere.
Many people spend huge sums preparing for retirement. Others spend a good deal of time and money preplanning their funeral. And both are a good idea.
But God’s warning in the Bible to people like that was, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?”
What an oversight--planning for life but failing to prepare for death! You lose twice. You lose all the stuff you worked for and you lose your soul in hell.
The Bible says, “Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” Which by the way rules out reincarnation since it says we will die only once, not many times!
A Christian is simply someone who believes what the Bible says and trusts Jesus Christ to do what he said he would do--save his or her soul.
When you become a Christian, it’s like backing up your computer. You no longer have to worry about death. You’ve prepared for it because Jesus is your backup. He saves you.
After we die God will “reboot” us at the “resurrection.” Jesus did it first to show it could be done. He will raise us all to face judgment or reward in a new body.
So if you want to avoid a fatal error in life, put your faith in Jesus Christ to save you. He will give you eternal life now and Heaven forever.
Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!
We saw it at church last Sunday morning. Why? Because our church has a computer operated video projection system. It’s just the tool to connect with today’s media savvy generation.
The Blue Screen of Death is what a Windows computer displays when it suffers OS death. The OS (Operating System) is the computer program that runs the computer.
When you see the Blue Screen of Death your computer has “crashed” or “died.”
After the Blue Screen of Death appeared the first words I noticed were “Fatal Error.” I thought to myself, “That can’t be good! The service isn’t over yet—What now?”
Fatal Error means the CPU (Central Processing Unit or “brain”) stopped processing data. Any data not saved is gone forever. And you have to “reboot” or restart the machine.
Computer experts all say that sooner or later every computer will crash. The solution is to prepare in advance for that day by backing up your data. Save your work or you will lose it.
What’s sad is that many computer owners don’t believe it will ever happen to them. So they don’t invest the time or money to save their data.
I guess it stands to reason because most people act like they’re never going to die either.
Now hold on just a minute--What do computer crashes have in common with people dying?
Good question. The answer is that sooner or later both computers and people die. If we don’t think about saving the contents of either one, both our data and ours souls will be lost forever.
Many people don’t think they’ll die in the foreseeable future. And that could be a fatal error.
I once spoke to a man who was very ill and asked him this question: “When you die, what do you think you’ll find on the other side?”
He said he had never really thought about it. And he’s not alone. It’s a common response.
Now why wouldn’t you think about the one thing in life that is absolutely certain? Everyone who lives will die. And everyone who dies spends eternity somewhere.
Many people spend huge sums preparing for retirement. Others spend a good deal of time and money preplanning their funeral. And both are a good idea.
But God’s warning in the Bible to people like that was, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?”
What an oversight--planning for life but failing to prepare for death! You lose twice. You lose all the stuff you worked for and you lose your soul in hell.
The Bible says, “Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” Which by the way rules out reincarnation since it says we will die only once, not many times!
A Christian is simply someone who believes what the Bible says and trusts Jesus Christ to do what he said he would do--save his or her soul.
When you become a Christian, it’s like backing up your computer. You no longer have to worry about death. You’ve prepared for it because Jesus is your backup. He saves you.
After we die God will “reboot” us at the “resurrection.” Jesus did it first to show it could be done. He will raise us all to face judgment or reward in a new body.
So if you want to avoid a fatal error in life, put your faith in Jesus Christ to save you. He will give you eternal life now and Heaven forever.
Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
