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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2010-09-16, Page 15THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2010. PAGE 15.By Pastor Ernest Dow,Living Water ChristianFellowship (EMC), BlythJesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” On Aug. 14 my mother died at the age of 84; while not totally unexpected, such a demise still comes as a shock and plunges us into mourning. When you’re mourning a loved one, it may not seem like much of a blessing. How can mourning be something positive? St. Francis of Assisi said, “Blessed be God for our sister, the death of the body.” Heh? Ought we to bless God for even the phenomenon of death, which is so much feared among humans? What kind of ‘spin’ can turn death around into something to praise God for? But as we consider what the Bible reveals about our human condition and God’s great promises, death too can be transformed by the victory of Jesus Christ into something framed not by fear, but faith. Ecclesiastes 7:2 offers an unconventional perspective: “It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart.” Mark this – you and I are bound to die, sooner or later. That’s the human destiny ever since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden; how are we going to prepare for that, adjust our lives accordingly? “The wages of sin is death,” the Bible says – and divine justice demands that God’s wrath ultimately be revealed against godlessness and wickedness (Rom 6:23; 1:18). Woe to us if we remain in that state! Jesus depicted hell as a place of darkness, agonizing pain, fire and miserable isolation – nobody wants to go there (Mt 8:12, 13:42, 22:13, 25:30, Lk 16:24). Yet that’s the justly-deserved fate of sinners who reject God. How then can this be turned around, so death is actually a GOOD thing? It all hinges on what we make of Jesus and His promises. For example, John 5:24 - “I tell you the truth, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” Note the perfect tense - for a believer in Christ, it’s a ‘done deal’. Eternal life comes from hearing Jesus’ word and trusting God, who was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ through the painful cross, not counting our sinsagainst us (2 Cor 5:19). That’s thecure for our terminal eternal disease.Once you’ve taken that step – everything changes! No need to fear death’s outcome anymore. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him...” (1Cor 2:9). God has something much better waiting for believers beyond this earthly existence. Early on in his ministry, Paul wrote to encourage folks in Thessalonica who were feeling sad about fellow believers who had died. They would see them again! “We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him... And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage [or, comfort, console] each other with these words.” (1Thess 4) What happens after death for the believer is not some indefinite vagueness; our next awareness will be of awaking with Jesus in a new, un-perishing, glorified body! What could be bad about that?! James Dobson writes, “The final heartbeat for the Christian is not the mysterious conclusion to a meaningless existence. It is, rather, the grand beginning to a life that will never end.” Death can help us put things in perspective in life and answer the question, what ultimately matters? What’s the point? What’s of real lasting value? What’s life all about? The book of Ecclesiastes (‘the Teacher/Preacher’) ponders deeply such questions. He reflected, “I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.” (2:3) So, he experimented – with pleasure, with work, with vast building projects, with higher learning. What did he conclude?First, he found that riches inthemselves are not of lasting value.“Those who love money will never have money enough. How absurd to think that wealth brings true happiness!” (5:10f NLT) The vanity of wealth is echoed by Jesus’ teaching: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.” Jean Jacques Rousseau wrote, “When a man dies he clutches in his hands only that which he has given away in his lifetime.” Instead of riches, Ecclesiastes determined that a good reputation has lasting value: “A good name is better than fine perfume...” (7:1) It’s also important to appreciate God’s good gifts in life through believing. In Ecclesiastes 5(19f) the person who understands work and wealth are ‘a gift of God’, who allows God to “keep him occupied with gladness of heart” is the one who truly ‘gets it’ in life. It’s ‘to the man who pleases Him’ that God gives wisdom, knowledge, and happiness...’ (2:25f) So the key is receiving these things in relationship to God, connected to Him by faith’s perception. This makes all the difference in the case of deaths such as my mother’s. She had a deep faith - as a young boy I remember passing her bedroom at night and seeing her kneeling in prayer. She and Dad used the daily upper room devotions and attended church regularly, plus each week she’d read my sermon Dad would print off for her from the internet. In her later years she was part of a women’s Bible Study group. Her notes for her funeral listed nearly a dozen favourite hymns - so, in a way, even though she had died, she continued to testify through her selection of music. Faith recognizes God’s gifts, especially Jesus, and that makes allthe difference for eternity.Athanasius wrote, “For man is bynature afraid of death and of the dissolution of the body; but there is this most startling fact, that he who has put on the faith of the cross despises even what is naturally fearful, and for Christ’s sake is not afraid of death.” Good works flow from faith and also matter long-term. The Preacher concluded in 3:12, “I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live.” Paul wrote that, being saved through faith, we are “created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Eph 2:10) At judgment, God will give to each person according to what he has done (Rom 2:6). Ecclesiastes observed, “Sorrow is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart.” (7:3) Sorrow can certainly become an occasion that draws surviving family members and friends closer together. At such times of grief, the God of compassion causes His comfort to overflow from your life to mine; so, somehow, even at a time of mourning, we experience God’s goodness through other believers. “A wise person thinks a lot about death,” the Preacher says (Eccles 7:4a). Even writing a sympathy card can become an occasion to stop and praise God for the significance of a life. A friend wrote in the card shesent: “Your mom was an inspirationto me... She exemplified powerfuldetermination and deep devotion to a friend... I feel blessed to have known her and will carry that memory in my heart – something to reflect upon whenever I feel a task is too daunting.” When we die – what impression will we leave upon the next generation? Is it a memory that blesses and inspires? Tyron Edwards notes, “Death has nothing terrible which life has not made so. A faithful Christian life in this world is the best preparation for the next.” Youre Invited to come worship with us Sunday, September 19 Brussels Public School at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. 6:30 pm - DVD series on the Book of Revelation by James MacDonald Sunday School for children 4 to 11 years of age (mornings only) Childcare provided for infants and toddlers Coffee & cookies after the morning service For additional details please contact: Steve Klumpenhower 519.887.8651 Rick Packer 519.527.0173 Chris McMichael 519.482.1644YOU ARE WELCOME 9:45 a.m. Sunday School for all ages 10:30 a.m. - Sunday Morning Worship Mid-week Bible Study C H U R C H O F G O D ,ANDERS O N , I N D I A N A Timeless Truths For Today 308 Blyth Rd. E., Blyth Pastor Les Cook ~ 519-523-4590 Blyth Community Church of God 119 John’s Ave.,Auburn 519-526-1131 www.huronchapel.org 9:30 a.m. Sunday School 10:30 a.m. Morning Worship Service Guest Speaker: Rev.Eugene Neudorf Olympians is Underway! If you have children in grades JK-6 then this Bible-based program is for them. Lots of music, fun, snacks, games and teaching time combined into one night. Wednesday evening from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Come on out and register your children. Please join us for worship SUNDAYS Morning Service 10:00am Evening Service 7:30pm BLYTH CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH Pastor John Kuperus Hwy. 4, BlythHwy. 4, Blyth THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA Welcomes you to come and worship with us Trinity, Blyth 9:15 a.m. 519-523-9595 St. John's, Brussels 11:15 a.m. 519-887-6862 Sunday, September 19 MELVILLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH BRUSSELS SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 Wheelchair accessible ~ Nursery care available 519-887-2664 10:00 am - Sunday Morning Worship - Sunday School BRUSSELS - ETHEL PASTORAL CHARGE UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA Sandra Cable, Worship Leader Church Office 519-887-6259 E-mail - beunitedchurch@gmail.com Sunday, September 19 Ethel United Church Worship Service and Sunday School - 9:30 a.m. Brussels United Church Worship Service and Sunday School - 11:00 a.m. Celebrating our Christian Faith together in worship Corner of Dinsley & Mill Street Blyth United Church Sunday, September 19 Worship Service and Sunday School Kick-off at 11:00 a.m. Office: 519-523-4224 Rev. Gary Clark All Welcome getlivingwater.org Pastor: Ernest Dow ~ 519-523-4848 Living Water Christian Fellowship 10:30 a.m. ~ Worship & Sunday School at Blyth Public School, corner of King & Mill Christ-centred, Bible-believing, Fellowship-friendly, Growth-geared Sept. 19 Bible and Koran: Different Versions or Visions? From the Minister’s StudyWhat impression will we leave after death?