Eternal life

Made For Life

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Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. Revelation 22:1-2

It seems strange, though it shouldn’t at my age, to think that so many of my family and my friends have gone into eternity while I remain here. That sobering thought turns me to wondering what it will be like in my own last moments here and first moments before God. How brave will I be when I put my foot into the boat that will take me across God’s great river?

Though for the Christian there is no fear in death, it still seems so wrong – so unnatural – so contrary to the joy of life that is seated deep within our hearts no matter our age. One day it came to me; that, it feels unnatural because it is. God made us for life!

Everything in heaven is about life. Jesus is the way the truth and the LIFE. The words He spoke were Spirit and LIFE. He offers a a drink of LIVING water and whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal LIFE. There is nothing in God’s plan that has anything whatsoever to do with death. We must choose to live every day with our focus on life, because that is what He created us for. We may no longer be strong, but the strength of the life of Christ is greater in weakness. We might not be able to do certain things easily, but we can do all things through Christ. Then one day, in the words of the Apostle Paul, when death has been swallowed up in victory we will be changed from this life to the next. Depression and the fear of death lose their grip when we remember that Jesus has a life to give us that is more abundant and overflowing that we could ever imagine!

This wonderful video from the Mullett family is not just a well filmed piece – it is their story. Their son Austin passed away in 2010 after17 years of battling through one serious medical condition after another and yet they have turned their grief into a ministry of the joy of life that Jesus gives. I hope you will be as blessed as I was to watch. Maybe you will shed a happy tear when you are touched by the mystery of the joys and sorrows we pass through on the way to eternal life. Have a blessed week-end everybody!

What Am I Worth Today?

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But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. Matthew 10:30-31 ESV

I remember the day when we brought our first child home. We just held him in our arms, amazed by everything about him. From his tiny toes to the softness of his skin every detail to us was beautiful. We were discovering the delight of experiencing that life is God’s first gift. It is not something to throw away, treat cheaply or forget. Even if no one else was impressed with our baby we were entirely convinced that he was a treasure.

So if we as imperfect parents loved our son so much, imagine how much God values every one of us. He isn’t impressed by how much money we have in the bank; our family’s status or the color of our skin. He isn’t worried if we are beautiful, smart or strong or even if we can do all sorts amazing things. In fact the good news is that no matter what anyone else in the universe thinks God values us because we are His creation. He has specially designed us and has chosen to give us life. He is busy counting even the hairs on our head because He loves us. He sent Jesus whose own hair was covered with a crown of thorns to show how much we are worth to Him. Remember the words of Jesus “Don’t be afraid. You are of far more value than you know.” Jesus valued us more than His own life so that we could trust Him with ours and be with Him forever!

The Miracle called Life

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It is easy to be fearful about how many are dying of the Corona Virus around the world. But the uncomfortable truth is that no matter what we do: one day all of us will die of something.

What matters most is not the form of death that awaits but how we choose to live. Every time the sun rises God is giving us another day in the miracle called life. What will you do with the miracle God has given you today?