Wow! It's been a while. I haven't added a blog post in about six months, but in that time I have discovered the joys of Twitter (follow me at pastortommy2). Some folks tweet some crazy stuff that isn't worth reading, but at no more that 140 characters per tweet it will not take too much time out of your day to read some of the good ones. I have found that I am often encouraged by the tweets I read. Check out the tweeters I follow and see for yourself.
Anyway, back to the blog. There are times that I have used social sites such as Facebook and communication outlets such as blogs and twitter to gripe and complain about the challenges and frustrations of serving as a pastor. But there sweet times, times where God reminds me that He is God and in control, times where I have an epiphany of sorts. God is always at work, but it seems that I live as though I am ignorant of that reality as I worry and stress and scheme. The death of a saint last week brought me face to face again with the beauty of God's love and redemption. It allowed me an up close and personal view of the peace and hope that surrounds a believer in Christ upon his death.
Many say that death is part of life, and I guess that is true. After all, surveys show that one out of one of us will die. However, I do not think that death is natural at all. In fact, I believe that death is unnatural. We were not created to die; before sin entered the garden there was no death. God created man to live. He warned Adam that if he ate the forbidden fruit he would surely die. Of course, God was not taken by surprise by sin or death, and man's salvation was not a reactionary plan by God in the face of chaos. But that is not the point here. The point is that man fights death. We do not want to die. We want to live. Death does not come easily or naturally in my opinion. It is not pretty; we try typically try to avoid death and normally do not purposely hasten its arrival.
Now to this past week: As I watched a family deal with the death of a loved one I was reminded again of the power of God over death. I was privileged to spend time with a woman who prayed a day before her death and proclaimed that she was "ready when God wanted to take her." I heard a loving husband state emphatically that they began preparing for the day of physical death many decades before when they repented and turned to Christ. I heard him say after her death that he "wouldn't have missed it for the world," speaking of the privilege of being at her side when she breathed her last breath. How could he say that; what was going through his mind, and why was she ready to go?
I think I can sum up their thoughts and the source of their peace by saying that they believe God. They believe that God loves them and sent His Son to die in their place. They believe that in Christ they have forgiveness and the hope of eternity spent in His presence. They believe that physical death is not the end and that the body will be resurrected and that the heavens and earth will be renewed. They believe that in His resurrection Jesus conquered death and the grave. They believe God...They believe what God has revealed about life, death and salvation in the Holy Scriptures. They believe God; I can't say it enough. How many go through life knowing what God has said and commanded and do not believe him?
The bottom line is that God has revealed himself to man, and this revelation requires a response on our part. He has unveiled his power, might and creativity in creation, yet men choose to ignore that revelation. He then sent His own Son who lived a perfect life and revealed perfectly the character and attributes of God and offered himself as a sacrifice for our sin as the supreme act of love and salvation. Again, the majority hear this and refuse to respond, refuse to accept this gift of salvation. But for those who have embraced this revelation and placed their faith and life in the Son's hands death has no victory; death is the doorway to eternity with God! I was reminded of this in the most beautiful way upon the occasion of a saint's death. Thank you Lord for the reminder....
