Jesus is the Reason!

2 Timothy 1:9 (The Message)

8-10. So don't be embarrassed to speak up for our Master or for me, his prisoner. Take your share of suffering for the Message along with the rest of us. We can only keep on going, after all, by the power of God, who first saved us and then called us to this holy work. We had nothing to do with it. It was all his idea, a gift prepared for us in Jesus long before we knew anything about it. But we know it now. Since the appearance of our Savior, nothing could be plainer: death defeated, life vindicated in a steady blaze of light, all through the work of Jesus.

Words are not adequate enough to express how thankful I am and I know you are to that, death is defeated! Thank you precious Father, your power has saved us and made us sit in heavenly places with Him. The Redemption Story is the greatest story of all. As we are in this Christmas Season, let us remember the real purpose and celebrate Jesus. My prayers are with you, Have a Wonderful Monday!

Shadow of Death!

Psalm 23:4 (New International Version)

4. Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, [a]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

Are there really any words to comfort someone as they are dying? Are there any "right" words to say to the family? Psalm 23:4 is such a comfort to me because I know that it is not possible for us to do what only God can do. I am so thankful for all the provisions that God has made for us. He is still with us even at the end making sure we are comforted in death. As I was visiting with a dear friend who is watching her husband slowly dying, I was reminded again of how fragile life is and that we should never take our loved ones for granted. We should love them and lift them up in prayer daily, always encouraging them. This time will come to all of us, of course the most important thing is that we are saved and ready to go. I pray blessings on you this Lords Day! Enjoy and be so thankful for all God has done for you!

Death of His Saints!

Psalm 116:15 (New International Version)

15. Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints.

Why did God take him (or her) away? I don't understand why people have to suffer. These are just a few of the "whys". To see a loved one slowly die from disease is probably the hardest thing in life we will experience. It is heartbreaking! We want to help them, but it is out of our hands. I am sure you have felt this way, I know I have. I lost my mother at the age of 49 from lung cancer. She was so young and so was her children. Myself, my sister and brother, and of course our dad. We must understand first of all this was not Gods plan, only when sin entered through Adam and Eve, did death arrived. And we have been trying ever since then to figure out how to feel, what to do, and what to say. We see death as the end of a journey, but God sees it as a beginning to a better life. We do not have to be afraid, that is of course if you are a Christian. It just means we are going home. I am reminded today of a cousin of mine who has lost someone dear. It has been a year, but the pain is still deep. How do we convey to someone the empathy and love we feel for them? What do we say? We must never rush the grieving process, it is necessary for recovery. For Gods children it is an entry to heaven, and they are truly home. So we just say, "I love you, and I am praying for you."

The Last Visit!

Psalm 116:14-16 (New International Version)
14 I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.
15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.
16 O LORD, truly I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant you have freed me from my chains.

Death is a certain thing, the Word says it is appointed once for a man to die! We will all face this, of course if we have experienced salvation then death is not a scary thing to us anymore. We are just moving on to a better place. Now we know all these things, but when a loved one dies, we just feel the pain and loss. Depending on how close we are to them will determine our level of loss. We never want to deal with this issue unless we have to, so by now you have figured out that someone did pass away in our family. The sadness that I am dealing with is the fact I never got to know this person very well. The other thing I am so thankful for is a couple of months ago, we were coming back from Decoration Day (this is once a year we pay tribute to our families that have passed away by taking flowers to their graves) and I just felt like we should stop by their house and visit for just a bit. I had not seen them in in a long time, but he had been sick and was getting on up into years. Anyway, we did stop and I was so happy to see them, we caught up on the past, talked about his family and mine, then it was time to go. Oh, how upset at myself I would have been if we hadn't stopped, there won't be another time to visit with him on this earth. There are some things we just can't go back and fix, times when we will not have another opportunity. I just want to encourage you to call or go see someone if you feel like you should. I truly believe the Lord is so good and because He knows how we are, He just doesn't want us to live with regrets. I will always be so thankful for that brief visit, this kind gentlemen will be missed by many people, including me!