Death chasers; that is, those people who want to banish all thoughts and mention of death. Death, however, is part and parcel of life. It cannot be chased away for it is the inevitable end of all life on earth, unless, of course, followers of Jesus Christ are raptured beforehand.
Jesus Christ was the only one to be born, who purposely, and who's purpose, was to die. Not to just simply die for no reason because of His humanity, but that He may take away the sins of the world and the very sting of death. He set His face like a flint to do His Father's bidding, providing salvation's rescue plan for one and all of His human creatures.
It's said in Romans 4:24-25 (ESV),
"...It will be counted to us who believe in Him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification."
Praise be to God, Jesus accomplished that for us!
We learn from 1 Corinthians 15:54-57 (ESV) more of what that selfless sacrifice of Jesus effected,
"Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?"
"The sting of death is sin, the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
You know, since both my parents "passed away" last year, one at each end of the year, it seems so many others that I've known &/or had been my parents' peerage and friends, have also gone on. A lot of sadness when thought of in earthly terms.
However, when looked at from God's perspective, we can rejoice. What we call "death" and see as "sting", which is really rather like a violent slap on the face or a rough shock treatment to the system, is gone. We mourn, but feel glad we will see them again in God's good timing.
When Jesus was here on Earth, He raised certain people from the dead. Think of Jairus' twelve year old daughter. Jesus said she was, "asleep" (Luke 8:52 ESV). Everyone laughed at Him though, "knowing she was dead" (Luke 8:53 ESV). Lazarus, Mary and Martha's brother, was also "asleep" and Jesus told his disciples He was going to go wake him up (John 11:11 ESV). The disciples mistook Jesus to mean "just asleep" and that that would help the sick man get well; why would He wake Lazarus up? Jesus had to tell them plainly, "Lazarus has died" (John 11:14 ESV). This is the story where "Jesus wept" (John 11:35).
The sting was still there and we still feel that sting nowadays, yet the everlasting effect is annulled. In Jesus' death and resurrection there is victory over death. Our dearly departed loved ones will "wake up". They are only asleep.
The eternal sting is removed for those of us who have put our faith in Jesus Christ. Those of us who "fall asleep in Jesus" are/will be "with Christ" (Philippians 1:21-23). We will wake up in that good place with our Lord and Savior.
Any who die are just asleep. They will wake up to face either of two eternal destinations: heaven or hell. I pray each one reading this will have accepted Jesus Christ as Savior before it is forever too late and that I will eventually see you in Heaven with the myriad of believers who have gone to be with Jesus before us. The sting will be permanently there otherwise.
There is a wonderful promise written about in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 (ESV).
"But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord."
So, you see, whether we are alive or have already "fallen asleep in Jesus" by rapture time, we "will be caught up together...to meet the Lord...and ...will always be with the Lord".
What a marvelous and delightful future ahead. We do well to remember this, not just at funerals but each Lord's Day as we remember what Jesus has done for us as we partake of the bread and cup of wine together with the body of Christ with whom we gather.
Praise the Lord we followers of Jesus Christ can embrace our "sleep" and do not have to be chasing death away. I know my Mom did. Although she did nothing to hasten her end of life on Earth, she very much looked forward to her sleep in Jesus. What victory!!
~ERC April 2019~
It was a terrible dismal week for Jesus. From the moment of being betrayed until being nailed to the cross and dying. Some might say it appeared that Jesus hadn't gotten any victory.
To start off, just after the triumphant donkey back ride over palm branches and clothes-strewn roadway, complete with multitudes shouting, "Hosanna! Hosanna!", Jesus disciple Judas Iscariot betrayed Him. Then the rest of the disciples deserted Jesus upon His arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane; and shortly thereafter Peter, one of Jesus' inner circle of disciples, denies he ever knew Jesus. The old cliche sounds reasonably apropos, "with friends like these who needs enemies"!
Jewish leaders, who you'd think, just because they were Jewish, and Jesus was also born into a Jewish family, that, you know, "birds of a feather would stick together". No, that didn't happen. Out of jealousy and self-righteous anger at Jesus' radical-ness and ability to draw the crowds, those leaders became the instigators behind Jesus' arrest and subsequent crucifixion.
The Roman soldiers, for their own reasons and likely also following orders, trooped out under cover of darkness to make Jesus' arrest. They didn't even seem to know who Jesus was. They needed the sign' of Judas' fatal kiss of betrayal to show them who exactly they were apprehending.
Incidentally, a kiss on the cheek in those days was usually 'administered' to a guest upon their arrival at a home to which they'd been invited. It was a customary symbol of peace, and hospitality given by the host of the house. How ironic, Judas' kiss was meant for great ill.
Not to be outdone, the thieving criminals on their crosses, one on either side of Jesus, added their two cents' worth of ridicule.
Lastly, Jesus hung there on the cross in all the physical pain and agony His humanity had to endure. Then came the hours of darkness, lasting three hours. Jesus taking all our sin and shame upon Himself. Sin that separated Him from God His Father, who loved Him.
Oh the agony of soul and spirit then, accompanied by His anguished cry,
"Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani...My God, My God, why have you forsaken me" (Matthew 27:46 ESV)?
WHY?! Why would Jesus suffer all of that and more?
We are told God's plan in Romans 5:8 (NIV)...
"God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
God says He loves us and He was proving that love by this sacrificial act of His One and Only Son Jesus Christ dying on the cross and shedding His blood to make atonement for our souls.
In another place we learn,
"Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins" (Hebrews 9:22).
Jesus went through all of that for me; for you...for all of mankind...for the 'whosoever will" (John 3:16) He did what it took.
It was out of love...God's love...His love for sinners that He didn't want to see His human creation perish eternally in Hell, that place actually made for the devil and his minions; not for mankind (Matthew 25:41)!
God wanted to provide a rescue plan and Jesus' death and resurrection was how He secured our pardon and atonement for our souls.
He died, He was buried and He rose again on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:4).
Will we in turn reciprocate that love? Will we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior? Will we thank Him for all He has done for us through that mighty selfless act?
During the Good Friday service this morning the thought popped into my mind. This is one of the times of year (Christmas being another major time) in which many of our brothers and sisters in Christ especially suffer persecution perpetuated by those who hate Jesus and what Jesus stands for. Please pray for all such people around the world wherever they may be that God's hand of justice and protection will be hovering around and over all of them as they too gather to remember what their Savior has done for them. Maybe even 'program' a few minutes of quiet into your day to talk to our Father on their behalf (John 15:20-25).
Why would they suffer in those ways? Out of their love for Him.
Why did Jesus suffer for us? The Big WHY?!
Out of love, Jesus came. Out of love He died for us. He rose again triumphant. Indeed He got the victory over sin and death and Hell.
Will we in turn reciprocate that love? Will we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior? Will we thank Him for all He has done for us through that mighty selfless act?
Hallelujah, what a Savior!
What LOVE was that!!
Thank Him.
~ERC 19 April 2019~
I want to share this hymn with you all The Love of God
Who touches a coffin and halts a funeral procession? Who allows a sinful woman to wash, dry and anoint, with expensive perfume, one's feet? Who associates with such things and people and lets themselves become 'unclean' or to be seen as 'unrighteous'?
That Person was Jesus and of course, we know He could never ever become unclean or unrighteous. It is only in the perception of others as they judge from a human perspective. He often did things out of the norm and for good reason. True, these actions would go against the Jewish ceremonial laws. You touch a coffin or a dead body, you will become 'unclean' until cleansing rituals were performed to make the individual 'clean' once again. (See the book of Leviticus).
Look at Luke 7:11-17 where Jesus raises the widow of Nain's only son to life again. Jesus touched the coffin. What a shock to all who beheld! No wonder the procession came to a standstill. No one who wasn't actually involved or related to the dearly departed loved one would want to 'taint' their self, making their self 'unclean' if they absolutely did not need to.
What about the unrighteous? If you associate with them, are you not suspect to be of similar character? According to Simon, the host, if Jesus was indeed a prophet, he would not have had anything to do with that "woman of the city".
If you think back to the old/new garments/wineskins parable Jesus told (Luke 5:36-39), you could recall that indirectly Jesus was saying things were going to be different from now on; a new way to worship and glorify God and focal point from which to conduct one's life.
That would be the new way, the being "born again" (John 3:4), to live.
We all know that the New Testament of the Bible is like a new covenant. This new covenant deals more with Jesus' death and resurrection and buying our pardon and making atonement for sin, creating a new creation in Christ; that is, should any one choose to personally accept God's gift of salvation.
This is aimed at the redemption and holiness of the inner man, the soul, more than the cleanliness of the Old Testament (old covenant) with all it's rules and regulations for daily living. This equates to getting a whole new redeemed set of DNA, so to speak. The Holy Spirit of God indwells and compels to living His way. A person becomes a new creation in Christ. Take a peek at 2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV,
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."
Our Heavenly Father, God is righteous. His Son Jesus Christ is righteous. If we are His children we need to live a righteous life as well.
As Jesus was saying about the old/new garments and wineskins, the law of love is greater than the ceremonial laws. He repeatedly gave "hand's-on" lessons of this new garment and wineskin law of love. He touched and healed lepers and all other manner of sickness and had interaction with social outcasts, like the woman caught in the act of adultery (one wonders how the man came off 'clean' in this act), and the woman who had had the issue of blood for twelve years (Matthew 9:20-22; Luke 8:43-48).
To the Pharisees and other religious leaders Jesus admonished,
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean" (Matthew 23:35-36 ESV).
We can live such a "goody-goody" life outwardly, showing one and all that we are "upright"; that is, what appears as "cleanliness" and does have some advantage towards healthier living and not getting in trouble with the law of the land. However, what really matters in our inner being? Is there holiness? The holiness of God that comes from Him?
He asks us to,
"Be holy, because I am holy" (1 Peter 1:16 NIV).
Yes, the righteousness of God has been freely imputed to each and every believer in Jesus Christ through the acceptance of His salvation work. We have made Him Savior. The pre-eminent need, however, is to then make Jesus, Lord and Master in our life. As we do so, holiness will come.
Out of love and gratitude for Jesus, and what He has done for us, we manifest not just in lip-service but in holy living in obedience to Him and His Word. God's Word is brimming with His ways towards ever increasing holiness. Hearkening to God's Word and being sensitive to the Holy Spirit's gripping leading, will enable God's child to grow, not only in wisdom and stature with God and man but also in the sanctified life of holiness. This comes from the heart of mankind; inner grow and glow, not outward show.
How is one to get started on that road to holiness? A peek at Hebrews 9:22 (ESV) gives us that insight...
"Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins."
It's the blood of Jesus Christ that cleanses us from the inside out, of those sins (1 John 1:9) and then we must live a sanctified life stemming from willing, saved-by-grace sinner hearts. Jesus paid dearly for us. Honor Him with holy living.
Remember what He has done for you. Remember with a pure heart. Remember through the breaking of bread and the drinking of the cup of wine each Lord's Day, together with all your brothers and sisters in Christ, as Jesus requested of His disciples until He comes for us (Luke 22:14-29; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26). Perhaps today!
~ERC 14 April 2019~
Hannah was sick. She was seriously sick with leukemia and she was only 15 months old! Oh Jesus, heal our little cherub! Instead, she did not get well.
Could He have healed her?
I firmly believed that, YES, He could have. Through my mind raced all the miracles of healing I'd read about in the Bible in the New Testament gospels during Jesus' ministry on earth. He could and He did many, many times over then. His power is exactly the same now. He could have healed Hannah.
Then we get into, then WHY didn't He?!
I didn't really question Him. I knew He would do what was best for each of us.
We know all the "theory" of,
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9).
And...
"We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28 ESV).
Or, does He really have healing power? Doesn't He care about you? Why does a God of love allow such heart-wrenching pain to His people? Did you all do something wrong and this is your punishment? Or many other such questionings. When we don't get answers will we still trust Him with our lives?
We will never be able to answer all those questions adequately. Like I said, God's thoughts are not our thoughts.
However, when someone is so sick we don't just roll over and give up saying, oh that's my karma (which I don't believe in anyway) coming to a head and just accept our sicknesses or other physical limitations. Do something about it like going to a doctor and get as much appropriate treatment as possible and pray and ask for God's healing (which He gives free of charge). We will never know God's will or ways in any one given situation. Therefore, do your part and let God do His. Be still and wait.
There are those so-called "faith healers" that Dr. K. Sri Dhammananda in his book, What Buddhists Believe, does not have much use for, and quite rightly so in most cases, I concur. Some are just using their fan-fare of so-called healing for their own financial gain even in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ which just maligns Him and His people.
However, I would not make sweeping judgement and say all are like that. I believe there are those who, because of their sincere faith in God and their close relationship with Him, know His heart better than others do and can commune with Him seeking His will for various people's problems. They spend time in prayer and hearken to the Holy Spirit's guidance; therein is healing power.
Dhammananda alludes to the idea that many of our illnesses spawn in the mind. This is not the first time I've heard of this. Another author is in accord with that. Henry W. Wright in his book A More Excellent Way, Be In Health states this numerous times but does add in that the heart is also involved as a person harbors such things as anger and unforgiveness which can progress and solidify into bitterness and hate, causing one's immune system to become compromised and all manner of conditions could afflict a person: heart conditions; immune diseases such as fibromyalgia or even cancer and so on, will be birthed and perpetuated.
Let me interpolate here that this doesn't mean that just because someone has such diseases that they have festering unforgiveness, etc. It is good to examine oneself in all honesty and see if such exists within us. However, like Jesus said about the blind man in John 9:1-3 (NIV), especially verse 3,
"...this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life."
It seems unfair to the blind man that he should have been blind just for the sake of showing God's almighty power and give an object lesson to Jesus' critical skeptics, nonetheless, in the end that blind man worshiped Jesus (John 9:38 NIV) and God's power through Jesus was demonstrated.
Let me get back to the unforgiveness and it's consequences idea. Wright gives several testimonies of people who got healing through being able to go through the painful process of forgiving someone in their lives. Whether it was a father who had sexually abused his daughter or a woman who had had a broken and bitter relationship with her mother or sisters or mother-in-law, when they were able to forgive, that miracle of healing did eventuate.
By their selves, men and women could not overcome in most cases. When the people came to Jesus Christ and were indwelt by His Holy Spirit, they were empowered then by His dynamic power, to conquer the hard core of unforgiveness and take all their emotional and spiritual brokenness to God. They conceded it all to Him with humble and contrite hearts of faith.
I do not purport to know medical stuff but both Dhammananda and Wright hint that actual changes in the body's functions occur and as new wholesome habits are formed and new neurons are connected in the brain, that the body will function more in line with how God designed it in the first place (well Dhammananda didn't say this last bit as Buddhist's do not believe in God but he does say that when our minds are more at peace, then healing will come).
Dhammananda notes that,
"...the constant and regular practice of meditation can help to minimise, if not to completely eradicate, various forms of illnesses" (Page 416).
As followers of Jesus Christ, we know that our minds need the re-creation of and renewing that the transformation of being a new creation in Christ brings. Our minds, which are part of our souls, need salvation through Jesus Christ and His atoning, redeeming work and power.
"If anyone be in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come" (2 Corinthians 5:17)!
This is not something we can do for ourselves. Jesus suffered in our stead. He does not want us to suffer. His suffering for us made our healing possible. With Christ all things are possible. Trust Him.
We believers in Jesus Christ can also meditate on God's Word day and night (Psalm 1:2) for guidance. This will feed and renew our minds and then our hearts as we obey His Word. In many instances mental, emotional and physical healing ensue.
I believe that you will have great joy. That this joy of the Lord can be your strength (Nehemiah 8:10) and further your healing in areas where the Lord knows your need. Proverbs 17:22 (NIV) says,
"A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."
Look at one of God's promises from the book of Job. One of Job's dubious comforters did speak some truth to him during the time of the bombshell of life that hit him. This supposed comforter consoled,
"He (referring to God) will yet fill your mouth with laughter, and your lips with shouting" (Job 8:21)...
...with joy, I believe.
I want to leave you with two songs. One is sung by Don Moen who sings Jesus You Are My Healer, and the other singer, Michael W. Smith who sings Healing Rain. Close your eyes, open your ears, minds and hearts to God and to the words that these Christian men sing. May each and every one of you find this healing in Jesus and His almighty power be demonstrated in your life. All glory be to God!
Amen.
~ERC 6 April 2019~
Merrily we go along, go along, doing okay, we think to ourselves, believing we are making some progress in spiritual growth, maturity and in what some like to call, progressive sanctification. We're doing pretty good.
Then, WHAM-O! We lose our temper, say some hurtful or foul words, or have some very unholy thoughts skitter across, or even lodge in, our minds. All our belief of progress shattered to pieces.
Ever feel like that!?
Then it's down on ourselves with discouragement and kicking ourselves, "Why, oh why!!!???"
Those of us who know Jesus Christ as Savior certainly have this struggle. We are still human and have that soul that still wants to exert its own mind, will and emotions even though we have the Holy Spirit of God indwelling our spirit.
We forget that we have the dynamic power of the Holy Spirit's ever ready and willing help at our disposal. We forget to rely on the Lord, focusing instead on what we consider "achievement".
We need to confess (1 John 1:9) our failings and feelings to the Lord and seek His help to overcome.
Praise God, though! He is our Rock and Fortress. The Psalmist David has that as a reoccurring theme in many of his writings. A Rock. A Fortress. Strength. Unmovable. Protection. Take each of those metaphors and meditate upon how they characterize our God and in relation to how He helps us.
I like the musings of Psalm 92:15, which incidentally, according to the caption of my downloaded ESV, records that this is a "song for the Sabbath". The Jewish holy day. We can appropriate that for ourselves any day of the week and especially on Lord's Day. Here's how it reads,
"...to declare that the LORD is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him."
The idea that our Heavenly Father, God, has absolutely NO UNRIGHTEOUSNESS in Him makes one step back and ponder.
Link that surety with what He did for us through Jesus Christ's death on the cross and subsequent resurrection three days later. He provided a way of atonement and pardon for all of our unrighteousness.
What a colossal contrast!! He who was/is without a single iota of sin and unrighteousness took all of ours upon Himself and paid the price with His life and then God imputed His righteousness upon His children!
Try to fathom that!!
We become speechless in His presence. How awesome and mighty is our great, loving and merciful God!
Don't be mute for too long. BURST out in praise and gratitude for God our Rock and Redeemer; our Fortress and Deliverer!
In God's sight we are made righteous; that's known as justification. That's God's sovereign part. Our part in the equation, of course, is NOT to earn righteousness to gain salvation, as that's impossible, but to live in gratitude, a life of progressive sanctification holiness. Live to become more Christ-like; others will take notice.
God's Word in 1 Peter 1:16 (ESV) exhorts,
"You shall be holy, for I am holy"
Our character, as children of God and followers of Jesus Christ, should exemplify Him. Remind yourself of all this. Let it melt and cheer your heart each Lord's Day as we remember what Jesus Christ has done for us. As we partake of the bread and cup of wine, symbols of His overwhelming selfless sacrifice for us, worship and adore Him for His righteousness and that which He has imputed to us (Romans 3:21-26; 10:3; Philippians 3:9; 2 Corinthians 5:21 and 1 Corinthians 1:30-31 ESV).
This is "solid ground" we can count upon despite the ups and downs in our journey of life. Then we can truly be merry hearts.
~ERC 5 April 2019~
