Sunday finished with a worship service for the workers and their families, and others. The entire floor of the Lila Cockrell theater was filled and some were on the 2nd level. IT was a powerful service, capped off with the singing of "Brothers and Sisters in Christ" with Terry Dittmer on the organ. Wow! It was so great to sing that with nearly 2000 other brothers and sisters in Christ. Who would have known that when it was written back in the 80's that it would fit the 2013 NLYG in San Antonio, TX with a theme of "Live/Love[d]"? How does it fit? Listen to the word of the 3rd verse: "Lord, teach us how to proclaim, All Your goodness, Your love and Your name! Lord, teach us how to forgive, (ready for it?) And in love, teach us, Lord, how to live. Raising our voices..." Did you catch it? Live/Love[d] is in the song. In love teach us Lord how to live! Who would have known? God knew! He knew that we would be learning to Live/Love[d] here in San Antonio - even back in the 80's. What an awesome God! Kinda makes you want to sing it again, doesn't it?
Registration went great. Our Youth Group is registered, in their hotel, have eaten on the Riverwalk, swam in their pool and enjoyed being in San Antonio. Penny and I had the chance to see them last night. It was great to see people from home here. They looked good. And they looked like they were having a good time. Go Troy!
We have over 2000 staying at this hotel representing 118 churches. That is a lot of rooms! Registration went great at the Grand Hyatt. Way to go! Just a note - we have 49 states represented. Can you guess which state is not? I will tell you at the end. We have nearly 1/2 of the congregations of the LCMS represented. There are folks from 11 countries. This is the largest gathering of LCMS folks for a long time. Besides being the huge Youth Gathering that it is, this is also the largest gathering of Lutheran adults at one event. With workers, special guests, adult leaders, etc. there are over 7,000 adult Lutherans at this gathering. WooHoo!
And why are we all here? To Live/Love[d]. We are going to grow in faith. We are going to share that faith. We are going to love one another. We are going to love the folks of San Antonio. We are going to be fed from Word and Sacrament (I get to assist in communion distribution Thursday morning at the worship service! Darrell, Alex and Casey are going to be on my team! I am pumped!). The Holy Spirit is going to do amazing things here - reignite faith, renew love, build trust, overcome the devil, free from addictions, and a whole host of other things that only the Spirit can do! Holy Spirit, do Your thing! You can't ask for more than that!
Live/Love[d] is a gift to our church body from the Lord. He is giving us the opportunity to grow in faith and to share that faith. Let's do this! Let's grow! Let's share! Let's live the love of God each day. Thank You, St. Paul's, for sending our youth and adults here, for supporting our 4 YAVs and for supporting Penny and I in coming down here. While we are here, be sure to pray for us and for the Gathering. And let's all Live/Love[d]!
What state isn't represented? If you guessed Hawaii, you would be wrong. The big Kahuna of the Traffic Team, Mitch Gowan and his wife Nancy, are from Hawaii. If you guessed Alaska, you would be wrong. So what state is it? Wait for it, wait for IT...............West Virginia! Bet you didn't guess that state.
Talk with you soon! God be with you.
Monday, July 1, 2013
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Sunday - a day of transition and arrival
San Antonio, TX - get ready to have the Holy Spirit do some powerful things! What kind of things? Hearts changed, souls saved, weak strengthened, love uplifted, joy spread, fun attained and just about anything else you can imagine. I found myself outside of the hotel this morning listened to the Spirit and feeling like dancing in the street. I didn't because of traffic but boy do I know what King David felt like. The Ark of the Covenant may not be coming into San Antonio today but thousands of young people and their adult leaders are arriving and the Holy Spirit has put joy in my heart. Dance! Sing! Shout! If not me, who will be like Jesus to the least of these? Use me! I am Your servant.
Many youth are traveling today. The youth and adults from St. Paul's will be leaving from church at 8:30 this morning (Sunday). I pray that they will be safe in travels. That their flight will be smooth. And their arrival on time. Reflect the love of Christ at the airport, to TSA, to the flight attendants, to all the others that you come in contact with today. You are the Light of Christ moving through this country. May the Light of Christ shine brightly in all that you are say and do!
Penny and I have been in training. All day yesterday - from 8:30 a.m. -6:30 p.m. - we were in the Convention Center, learning what our roles are and how to help out in whatever way we can. So many pieces to the puzzle are coming together. Thank the Lord for the Youth Board of the Missouri Synod. They are a powerful part of what the Holy Spirit is doing in the lives of the youth and in the lives of the folks in San Antonio. I know that there are those in our church body who look down on them but my friends, those folks are wrong. The ministry they are doing is amazing and the Spirit is doing great and powerful things through them. Thank You Lord! (OK, I almost got going on the political climate in our church but the Spirit stopped me. It would have been me, my feelings, not His that would have been spouted.)
So here we go. Half a day of training in specific duties today. And then back at the hotel from 1-6 to greet youth and adults at the Grand Hyatt. We have 2180 youth and adults staying in this hotel! 2180! That is a lot of people in one hotel. Only the Marriott River Center has more - over 2400. The team here - Penny and myself, Tom and Trudy Heren, Nancy Gowan and Shirley Smith - rocks! I have the best CLB team of any hotel! It is great.
More to come. I am pump! Holy Spirit, use me! Let's rock this town. My prayer at the start of every service is "Holy Spirit, rock this place!" I pray that now for San Antonio. Holy Spirit, Rock this Town! Rock these kids! Move mightily! Strengthen us! Fill us! Empower us! Amen.
Many youth are traveling today. The youth and adults from St. Paul's will be leaving from church at 8:30 this morning (Sunday). I pray that they will be safe in travels. That their flight will be smooth. And their arrival on time. Reflect the love of Christ at the airport, to TSA, to the flight attendants, to all the others that you come in contact with today. You are the Light of Christ moving through this country. May the Light of Christ shine brightly in all that you are say and do!
Penny and I have been in training. All day yesterday - from 8:30 a.m. -6:30 p.m. - we were in the Convention Center, learning what our roles are and how to help out in whatever way we can. So many pieces to the puzzle are coming together. Thank the Lord for the Youth Board of the Missouri Synod. They are a powerful part of what the Holy Spirit is doing in the lives of the youth and in the lives of the folks in San Antonio. I know that there are those in our church body who look down on them but my friends, those folks are wrong. The ministry they are doing is amazing and the Spirit is doing great and powerful things through them. Thank You Lord! (OK, I almost got going on the political climate in our church but the Spirit stopped me. It would have been me, my feelings, not His that would have been spouted.)
So here we go. Half a day of training in specific duties today. And then back at the hotel from 1-6 to greet youth and adults at the Grand Hyatt. We have 2180 youth and adults staying in this hotel! 2180! That is a lot of people in one hotel. Only the Marriott River Center has more - over 2400. The team here - Penny and myself, Tom and Trudy Heren, Nancy Gowan and Shirley Smith - rocks! I have the best CLB team of any hotel! It is great.
More to come. I am pump! Holy Spirit, use me! Let's rock this town. My prayer at the start of every service is "Holy Spirit, rock this place!" I pray that now for San Antonio. Holy Spirit, Rock this Town! Rock these kids! Move mightily! Strengthen us! Fill us! Empower us! Amen.
Friday, June 28, 2013
Live/Love[d]
This morning, I head out for San Antonio, TX. Vacation? Nope. This is the National Lutheran Youth Gathering that takes place every 3 years. From July 1-5, 25,000 Lutherans will converge on San Antonio, TX to grow in their faith in Jesus Christ and to learn how to live our that faith as one who is loved by God. We will Live/Love{d]. We live in faith as one who is loved by God. We love others as ones who live in Christ.
St. Paul's is sending a total of 15 people to the Gathering: 7 youth participants, 2 adult leaders, 4 Young Adult Volunteers (known as the Orange Nation) and to Community Life Builders (Yellow Shirts). Penny and I are the CLBs. What is a CLB, you ask? Thanks for asking. The CLB is a group of about 250 volunteers who travel to the Gathering to work as hotel contacts for the Adult Leaders, lead morning Sunshine Stops (adult leader meetings to give updates, information and help the adult leader feel comfortable and knowledgeable about the day), work as traffic (how do you get 25,000 people form one place to another, quickly, safely and efficiently - the CLBs are the ones on the roads, in the Convention Center, Alamodome and hotels making this happen), nightlife (after hour events in Alamodome and hotels). They wear yellow shirts to identify them to all who are there as people who are "walking information booths." CLBs either know the answer, can look the answer up or can call EVENT BASE for answers to questions that come up. Are CLBs vital to the Gathering? In New Orleans, following the NLYG 3 years ago, the people that run the Superdome, watched how our CLBs moved people in and out quickly and efficiently and told Mark Kiesling, the organizer of the CLBs, that they are going to rethink and rework what they do based on what they saw from the Gathering. What does that tell you?
I am pumped! I am ready to go! I have served as a CLB since the inception of this type of worker in 1995 at (ready for this?) San Antonio, TX. The first time we were used we didn't have yellow shirts. We had orange polo shirts. So it is interesting to head back to San Antonio for this Gathering. Much has changed. The size of the Gathering has grown. The role of the CLB. But the message has remained the same. Jesus Christ is still the Lord of all, the Savior of the world, the only hope for eternal life for any and all of us. Youth still need to learn how to Live/Love[d] (though that theme was "River of Light"). The proclamation of the Gospel is still front and center and the ONLY message that we have to share.
So it is time to go! It is time to grow! It is time to head out to become an active part of the Yellow Shirts. I look forward to giving you regular updates (if I have the time - we work from morning to night!). Pray for all who travel, all who attend, all who participate and all who work at Live/Love[d]. And I will see you when I get home!
St. Paul's is sending a total of 15 people to the Gathering: 7 youth participants, 2 adult leaders, 4 Young Adult Volunteers (known as the Orange Nation) and to Community Life Builders (Yellow Shirts). Penny and I are the CLBs. What is a CLB, you ask? Thanks for asking. The CLB is a group of about 250 volunteers who travel to the Gathering to work as hotel contacts for the Adult Leaders, lead morning Sunshine Stops (adult leader meetings to give updates, information and help the adult leader feel comfortable and knowledgeable about the day), work as traffic (how do you get 25,000 people form one place to another, quickly, safely and efficiently - the CLBs are the ones on the roads, in the Convention Center, Alamodome and hotels making this happen), nightlife (after hour events in Alamodome and hotels). They wear yellow shirts to identify them to all who are there as people who are "walking information booths." CLBs either know the answer, can look the answer up or can call EVENT BASE for answers to questions that come up. Are CLBs vital to the Gathering? In New Orleans, following the NLYG 3 years ago, the people that run the Superdome, watched how our CLBs moved people in and out quickly and efficiently and told Mark Kiesling, the organizer of the CLBs, that they are going to rethink and rework what they do based on what they saw from the Gathering. What does that tell you?
I am pumped! I am ready to go! I have served as a CLB since the inception of this type of worker in 1995 at (ready for this?) San Antonio, TX. The first time we were used we didn't have yellow shirts. We had orange polo shirts. So it is interesting to head back to San Antonio for this Gathering. Much has changed. The size of the Gathering has grown. The role of the CLB. But the message has remained the same. Jesus Christ is still the Lord of all, the Savior of the world, the only hope for eternal life for any and all of us. Youth still need to learn how to Live/Love[d] (though that theme was "River of Light"). The proclamation of the Gospel is still front and center and the ONLY message that we have to share.
So it is time to go! It is time to grow! It is time to head out to become an active part of the Yellow Shirts. I look forward to giving you regular updates (if I have the time - we work from morning to night!). Pray for all who travel, all who attend, all who participate and all who work at Live/Love[d]. And I will see you when I get home!
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Tell It On the Mountain
Vacation Bible School 2013 is just about over. We have spent this week at St. Paul's with over 100 children, many, many teachers and helpers and the Word of God. The theme is "Tell it on the Mountain": Jesus Christ is Lord!" It has been a good VBS. The lessons were strong, the music was great, the crafts (designed by our director) were fun and the games were exciting. We will have our closing service tonight (Thursday, June 20) at 6:30 p.m. It is a chance for moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas to come and hear the children sing out the songs they have been hearing all week when the kids comes home. It is also the chance for the families to hear the children "Tell It!" They will tell the good news that Jesus Christ is Lord.
At the same time we have our youth getting ready for the National Lutheran Youth Gathering in San Antonio, TX on July 1-5. There is a little over a week till they leave to join 25,000 other Lutheran youth in a spiritually uplifting event that will feed their faith through Word and Sacrament. It is an exciting time. I know that I am looking forward to going to the Gathering, not as a participant but as a volunteer worker, a Community Life Builder. Penny and I are excited that we were selected again to serve in this capacity. We will reconnect with folks we get to see every 3 years at the Gathering and also have the opportunity to help out the adults and youth in our hotel and in the areas that we are to work.
I will be writing during the Gathering to keep you up to date on what is going on - hopefully I will have Internet access and the time to do a daily blog. We'll have to see when we get down there.
So Go! Tell the Good News that Jesus Christ is Lord!
At the same time we have our youth getting ready for the National Lutheran Youth Gathering in San Antonio, TX on July 1-5. There is a little over a week till they leave to join 25,000 other Lutheran youth in a spiritually uplifting event that will feed their faith through Word and Sacrament. It is an exciting time. I know that I am looking forward to going to the Gathering, not as a participant but as a volunteer worker, a Community Life Builder. Penny and I are excited that we were selected again to serve in this capacity. We will reconnect with folks we get to see every 3 years at the Gathering and also have the opportunity to help out the adults and youth in our hotel and in the areas that we are to work.
I will be writing during the Gathering to keep you up to date on what is going on - hopefully I will have Internet access and the time to do a daily blog. We'll have to see when we get down there.
So Go! Tell the Good News that Jesus Christ is Lord!
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Summer Instruments
Summer is upon us. School is out. Vacations abound. Families will be traveling here and there, hither and yon. Perhaps you are getting ready to leave on vacation right now. Or maybe you are just looking for something to do today. Go to the zoo. Enjoy the day with the family. Grill some burgers. Take a walk. Sit on the porch. Do whatever causes you great enjoyment.
That last line is one that raises my eyebrows. "Do whatever causes you great enjoyment." That sounds so nice on the surface but when you think about it, the statement needs to be tempered a little. It needs to be clarified. "Do that which causes you great enjoyment" - that is according to the will of God! There are many things that might bring enjoyment (of a form) and yet are not according to the will of God. I was readying in Romans this morning and it caused me to think: "Let not sin therefore reign in our mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members as instruments for unrighteousness but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members as instruments for righteousness." (Romans 6:12-13 ESV) There are many things in this world that do not lead us closer in our walk with the Lord. In fact, they lead us further away from Him.
What are some of the temptations in your life that might cause you to offer your members, you body or your mind, as instruments of unrighteousness? What are some of the areas of your life where you allow sin to take over? Is it your thoughts? Your time in front of the computer? Your desires for another person? Your sinful coveting of some things? Your tongue? Your eating? Your drinking? What temptations are you facing today that if you were to give in to it would find that you are "offering your members as instruments of unrighteousness"?
This is the challenge of living the life of a Christian. The good we know we should do, we struggle to do. The evil/sin that we know we should avoid, that is what we find ourselves doing all over again. Like Paul writes, "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" (Romans 7:24 ESV) The harder I try, the less good I do! At least it seems that way to me.
Who will help me? The Holy Spirit will help me. He works in me each and every day. He is with me day in and day out. How do I know the Spirit in my life? He comes to me through Word and Sacrament. In the Word, He daily and richly helps me to overcome the temptations to sin. As I recall the day of my Baptism, the day when He claimed me, gave me faith, I find that I repent of my sins and receive the wonderful gift of forgiveness. As I regularly receive the Lord's Supper, I am strengthened in the daily walk. All of this is through the power of the Holy Spirit working in me! It is as we are told: "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 7:25 ESV)
So I come back to the thing that has been running through my mind since I read this section of Romans: Whose instrument will you be today? Will you be a instrument of righteousness or an instrument of unrighteousness? Summer is here - may your life, whether at home, work or play, be an instrument of righteousness.
That last line is one that raises my eyebrows. "Do whatever causes you great enjoyment." That sounds so nice on the surface but when you think about it, the statement needs to be tempered a little. It needs to be clarified. "Do that which causes you great enjoyment" - that is according to the will of God! There are many things that might bring enjoyment (of a form) and yet are not according to the will of God. I was readying in Romans this morning and it caused me to think: "Let not sin therefore reign in our mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members as instruments for unrighteousness but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members as instruments for righteousness." (Romans 6:12-13 ESV) There are many things in this world that do not lead us closer in our walk with the Lord. In fact, they lead us further away from Him.
What are some of the temptations in your life that might cause you to offer your members, you body or your mind, as instruments of unrighteousness? What are some of the areas of your life where you allow sin to take over? Is it your thoughts? Your time in front of the computer? Your desires for another person? Your sinful coveting of some things? Your tongue? Your eating? Your drinking? What temptations are you facing today that if you were to give in to it would find that you are "offering your members as instruments of unrighteousness"?
This is the challenge of living the life of a Christian. The good we know we should do, we struggle to do. The evil/sin that we know we should avoid, that is what we find ourselves doing all over again. Like Paul writes, "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" (Romans 7:24 ESV) The harder I try, the less good I do! At least it seems that way to me.
Who will help me? The Holy Spirit will help me. He works in me each and every day. He is with me day in and day out. How do I know the Spirit in my life? He comes to me through Word and Sacrament. In the Word, He daily and richly helps me to overcome the temptations to sin. As I recall the day of my Baptism, the day when He claimed me, gave me faith, I find that I repent of my sins and receive the wonderful gift of forgiveness. As I regularly receive the Lord's Supper, I am strengthened in the daily walk. All of this is through the power of the Holy Spirit working in me! It is as we are told: "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 7:25 ESV)
So I come back to the thing that has been running through my mind since I read this section of Romans: Whose instrument will you be today? Will you be a instrument of righteousness or an instrument of unrighteousness? Summer is here - may your life, whether at home, work or play, be an instrument of righteousness.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
How Great Thou Art!
This morning there is word of the death toll in Oklahoma from the devastating tornadoes that ripped through that area. Lord have mercy! I say that not as a way of cursing or being shocked but I am asking that the Lord have mercy upon us all. It is a terrible thing to have happen. No one should have to go through such terrible and total devastation that comes from such a mean storm.
Really? No one should go through such a thing? There but for the grace of God go I! That actually should be me facing that kind of terror. What I want to face is blue skies and sunny weather and smooth sailing. The desire of my heart is to not have to face such terror (and I pray that don't ever have to face such a terror!) I pray that none of you have to face such devastation. But the reality is that we face that every single day. "We face death all day long. We are like sheep lead to the shearers." (Romans 3)
This is the terrible world that we live in. Because of sin, because of what Adam and Eve did in the Garden of Eden those 6,000 years ago, this world is tearing itself apart. It is man against nature, nature against man. Man against man. Man against himself. Suffering, pain, rejection, sickness, devastation, and the whole gamut of things are our lot in life. We should face those situations each and every day. There, but for the grace of God...
This is where the message of the Gospel comes into play in our lives and in our world. The Almighty, who should have nothing to do with sinners like you and me, steps into this world, into our pain of our lives, the pain of the devastation in Oklahoma, the suffering in our illnesses, the grief of our loss, and He carries us (and it). He comes to our lives and brings hope in the midst of hopelessness, peace in the midst of suffering, joy in the midst of grief, love in the midst of loveless situations. He comes for us!
He takes our burdens, our sorrows, our griefs, our pains and our loss and replaces them with hope, life, a future and His love. How great He is! I thought of that hymn this morning as I read about the destruction. Why? Because He is the only One who can bring to the people of Oklahoma any sort of consolation. It is that message that you and I need to proclaim loudly and clearly in the face of such destruction. It is that which we should lay before those who are struggling in their lives because of whatever situation they are facing.
We have nothing more than the hope given in Christ Jesus. We NEED nothing more than the hope given in Christ Jesus. Let us not forget to share the gospel hope with one another and with those in need: "How Great Thou Art!"
Really? No one should go through such a thing? There but for the grace of God go I! That actually should be me facing that kind of terror. What I want to face is blue skies and sunny weather and smooth sailing. The desire of my heart is to not have to face such terror (and I pray that don't ever have to face such a terror!) I pray that none of you have to face such devastation. But the reality is that we face that every single day. "We face death all day long. We are like sheep lead to the shearers." (Romans 3)
This is the terrible world that we live in. Because of sin, because of what Adam and Eve did in the Garden of Eden those 6,000 years ago, this world is tearing itself apart. It is man against nature, nature against man. Man against man. Man against himself. Suffering, pain, rejection, sickness, devastation, and the whole gamut of things are our lot in life. We should face those situations each and every day. There, but for the grace of God...
This is where the message of the Gospel comes into play in our lives and in our world. The Almighty, who should have nothing to do with sinners like you and me, steps into this world, into our pain of our lives, the pain of the devastation in Oklahoma, the suffering in our illnesses, the grief of our loss, and He carries us (and it). He comes to our lives and brings hope in the midst of hopelessness, peace in the midst of suffering, joy in the midst of grief, love in the midst of loveless situations. He comes for us!
He takes our burdens, our sorrows, our griefs, our pains and our loss and replaces them with hope, life, a future and His love. How great He is! I thought of that hymn this morning as I read about the destruction. Why? Because He is the only One who can bring to the people of Oklahoma any sort of consolation. It is that message that you and I need to proclaim loudly and clearly in the face of such destruction. It is that which we should lay before those who are struggling in their lives because of whatever situation they are facing.
We have nothing more than the hope given in Christ Jesus. We NEED nothing more than the hope given in Christ Jesus. Let us not forget to share the gospel hope with one another and with those in need: "How Great Thou Art!"
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
What world do you live in?
I sit here this morning listening to the birds sing away, feeling the warm morning breeze blow through the windows, look at the clear blue sky and wonder, what world do I live in? Is it the same one that you live in? Of course it is, you might say. We live in the same world, with the same birds, the same warm breeze and the same blue sky. We hear the same cars go by as people are on their way to work, school, the store or Dunkin' Donuts. This is the world we live in. Peaceful, tranquil, just a plain nice place to live.
But that isn't the way it always is, is it? This world isn't tranquil. It isn't peaceful. It isn't all sunny skies and thornless blackberries. This world is a mean place to live. We like to think that living in the world today means that everything is all right and occasionally something terrible breaks into the tranquility. But the opposite is actually true. Ever since the Fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden, tranquility is not the way of the world. This world is filled with pain, suffering, heartache, fear, anger, bitterness, frustration, sickness, and death. Each day shows that to us. Open the news on your I-phone and you will read about the terrors and atrocities that we do to one another. Stop by the hospital and see the pain and illness that isn't being cured. Look into the eyes of someone who has faced the death of a loved one and you will see what I am talking about. That is the reality of the world. Sitting on the porch and feeling the peace of the world is a brief respite. It isn't reality.
What a "downer" way to think. Perhaps you should just go curl up into a ball and hide from this world, withdrawing into the corners of your mind. No, that isn't what needs to happen. What needs to happen has already happened. Into this world and the terribleness of daily life, stepped the Son of God. God became man and dwelt among us (John 1:14) He came not because we merely needed a little help to go in the right direction. He came because we are totally and completely helpless in the face of all that we are going through. You and I cannot stop the progression of an illness in a loved one. We cannot immediately make the heart stronger or the effects of the stoke go away. We cannot turn the heart of a loved one from the bitter path of destruction. We cannot stop the abortion doctor from performing a procedure that will kill another baby. We cannot take the pain from the heart of the neighbor that is struggling with the situation of life.
But there is One who has already - that One is Jesus Christ. He tells us, "In this world you will have tribulation. But take heart, I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) If He has overcome the world, why do I still suffer? Why do I still hurt? Why is my loved one still sick? Why does that person have to die? Why? Because we are still in the world. The mistake we make in our thinking is that we believe that because of Jesus' life, death and resurrection, because we believe in Him, we will never have to face another problem in our lives. We will never again have to see a loved one suffer. We will never again have to have a parent, a spouse, a child, a neighbor, or a fried die. Jesus has overcome that means those things aren't going to happen.
Wrong. They will still happen. There will still be unexplained events, illnesses and deaths. There will still be fear and sorrow. Jesus tells us that those things are not the ultimate outcome. Even death is not the ultimate outcome. Why? Because He has faced death and the grave and has risen victorious. He died and came back to life, to overcome death and the grave. The loved one may go to the grave, your heart might be broken, you might be struggling with grief and sorrow, but there is One that is there to carry that burden for you. "Come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest, " Jesus says to you. The rest He gives is the rest in His loving arms where He allows you to cry, while drying your tears. He allows you to rant and rave and while listening and loving. He allows you to become angry and never loses His cool with you. He soothes you feverish brow and holds you.
Then He reminds you, "All will face death. All will face the grave. It is never at the 'right' time or when you are ready. It might be an elderly person or a young child. It might be your wife or your son or daughter. It might be your best friend from childhood or a casual friend from work. But know this one thing: Believing in Me, that death is not the ultimate end. Life is the ultimate end. You will grieve for him/her but he/she will no longer be suffering or causing you suffering, for they are living with Me forever in paradise. This world is not the ultimate end or the place you will stay forever. Heaven is your home."
In the midst of our struggles, we don't want to hear that. We want the pain to go away. The only One who can take the pain away is our Lord Jesus Christ. The only place we will be free from any struggles is in heaven. The only way that we will get there from here is - through the grave. But know this, Christ has overcome the grave. Remember Easter? Remember their grief? Remember the sorrow when they saw the empty tomb? Al that changed in a moment - when they encountered the risen Christ.
He has overcome the pains of this world. There is tranquility, even in this world that is tearing apart. That tranquility is found in the risen, living and ascended Lord. In this world - pain. In Christ - peace. Don't let the pain overcome the peace that He brings.
But that isn't the way it always is, is it? This world isn't tranquil. It isn't peaceful. It isn't all sunny skies and thornless blackberries. This world is a mean place to live. We like to think that living in the world today means that everything is all right and occasionally something terrible breaks into the tranquility. But the opposite is actually true. Ever since the Fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden, tranquility is not the way of the world. This world is filled with pain, suffering, heartache, fear, anger, bitterness, frustration, sickness, and death. Each day shows that to us. Open the news on your I-phone and you will read about the terrors and atrocities that we do to one another. Stop by the hospital and see the pain and illness that isn't being cured. Look into the eyes of someone who has faced the death of a loved one and you will see what I am talking about. That is the reality of the world. Sitting on the porch and feeling the peace of the world is a brief respite. It isn't reality.
What a "downer" way to think. Perhaps you should just go curl up into a ball and hide from this world, withdrawing into the corners of your mind. No, that isn't what needs to happen. What needs to happen has already happened. Into this world and the terribleness of daily life, stepped the Son of God. God became man and dwelt among us (John 1:14) He came not because we merely needed a little help to go in the right direction. He came because we are totally and completely helpless in the face of all that we are going through. You and I cannot stop the progression of an illness in a loved one. We cannot immediately make the heart stronger or the effects of the stoke go away. We cannot turn the heart of a loved one from the bitter path of destruction. We cannot stop the abortion doctor from performing a procedure that will kill another baby. We cannot take the pain from the heart of the neighbor that is struggling with the situation of life.
But there is One who has already - that One is Jesus Christ. He tells us, "In this world you will have tribulation. But take heart, I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) If He has overcome the world, why do I still suffer? Why do I still hurt? Why is my loved one still sick? Why does that person have to die? Why? Because we are still in the world. The mistake we make in our thinking is that we believe that because of Jesus' life, death and resurrection, because we believe in Him, we will never have to face another problem in our lives. We will never again have to see a loved one suffer. We will never again have to have a parent, a spouse, a child, a neighbor, or a fried die. Jesus has overcome that means those things aren't going to happen.
Wrong. They will still happen. There will still be unexplained events, illnesses and deaths. There will still be fear and sorrow. Jesus tells us that those things are not the ultimate outcome. Even death is not the ultimate outcome. Why? Because He has faced death and the grave and has risen victorious. He died and came back to life, to overcome death and the grave. The loved one may go to the grave, your heart might be broken, you might be struggling with grief and sorrow, but there is One that is there to carry that burden for you. "Come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest, " Jesus says to you. The rest He gives is the rest in His loving arms where He allows you to cry, while drying your tears. He allows you to rant and rave and while listening and loving. He allows you to become angry and never loses His cool with you. He soothes you feverish brow and holds you.
Then He reminds you, "All will face death. All will face the grave. It is never at the 'right' time or when you are ready. It might be an elderly person or a young child. It might be your wife or your son or daughter. It might be your best friend from childhood or a casual friend from work. But know this one thing: Believing in Me, that death is not the ultimate end. Life is the ultimate end. You will grieve for him/her but he/she will no longer be suffering or causing you suffering, for they are living with Me forever in paradise. This world is not the ultimate end or the place you will stay forever. Heaven is your home."
In the midst of our struggles, we don't want to hear that. We want the pain to go away. The only One who can take the pain away is our Lord Jesus Christ. The only place we will be free from any struggles is in heaven. The only way that we will get there from here is - through the grave. But know this, Christ has overcome the grave. Remember Easter? Remember their grief? Remember the sorrow when they saw the empty tomb? Al that changed in a moment - when they encountered the risen Christ.
He has overcome the pains of this world. There is tranquility, even in this world that is tearing apart. That tranquility is found in the risen, living and ascended Lord. In this world - pain. In Christ - peace. Don't let the pain overcome the peace that He brings.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)