News Flash: "Every person you meet today is really dying, but..."

Stories of God’s Glory

I decided to drop this section in now before I got into the story of yesterday!

By the way, I have some reports for you.

• Our Pennsylvania friends continue to be a blessing as we see our Atlanta IE friends investing in a new marriage small group as well as mentoring another couple who attended the conference back in March.
• Plans for Honduras are coming together and we leave in just a few weeks:  May 22-28 includes travel and the conference for the missionary couples.
• We have two weddings to attend and officiate over the next two weekends.  Great stuff!  What a thrill to see couples prepare for an abundant marriage as well as for a beautiful wedding.
• Another $2000+ came in from some dear friends, as God directed them to share with us for the benefit of others.

The Story of Yesterday:  May 10, 2011       News Flash!  “Everyone we meet today is REALLY dying, but….”

On my way to meet a friend for breakfast yesterday, I realized that our discussion was probably going to turn to the cancer he has been fighting with the support of his family and friends for the last several years.  He is not an old man, at all. 

Our conversation started off “light” but turned quickly to life, death, preparation for both – either –neither.  As I discussed my Dad’s untimely death at 66 after open-heart surgery in 1977, we talked about the breakthrough techniques that were developed after my Dad died.  Had they been made just a few years earlier my Dad may still be alive at 100+ years of age rather than being gone from us for over 34 years.  That ripe old age does not seem so far-fetched seeing that my Mom is 98+ and going strong.

My friend’s comments about “wishing cancer had been licked by now” generated a long conversation that ended in a discussion of Jesus Christ.  I find that Jesus’ claim to be the “way, the truth, and the Life” is true.  I believe He was crucified to be “sin for us” even though He’d never known sin personally, then He died as the sacrifice needed for payment for sin before a Holy and Righteous God.  Oh, how He loves us.  What other possible explanation can be reasonably concluded for Jesus Christ to suffer and die as He did.  My friend and I talked for a long time and very deeply.

We came to the News Flash mentioned above – this time I will finish it!

“Everyone we meet today is REALLY dying, but how many are REALLY living?”

                 

Hebrews 9:27 is clear – we will die, we are dying, we will face a judgment, but we don’t have to face death alone or judgment on our own merit.  John 3:16 was our next point of discussion.  My Dad had hope prior to his death because of his faith in Jesus Christ.   His hope was not just that God could heal him, but that God would heal him either hear via doctors or other miracle or in heaven where he would receive a new body that is eternal…just as Jesus received upon His resurrection. My Dad trusted God’s promises that we have hope not just be healed here because – truth is – even if we got a healing from a physical malady here, we are still one day going to die and make God’s Word in Hebrews 9:27 come alive.  Consider Lazarus in John 11 - he was raised from the dead then eventually died again.

We shifted gears then to describe what “REALLY living” means.  Really living means really loving God will all your heart and everything you have and loving others and loving yourself. John 13:34, 35 came into our conversation and we determined (OK, I determined, he listened) that REALLY living is loving well those God places in your life, while you can, giving away to others the love God has given to you/us.   

I left that meeting renewed in my resolve to quit trying to love and just love, let God’s love - given to me as a gift from His heart to mine - be freed to come in and go out as God planned.

My next meeting was with a great man of God who leads Ministry Ventures based in Roswell, GA.  What a pleasure meeting Boyd Bailey.  We took time to review some of the TBI story and hear some of his.  What an impact God has made on family, friends, church, and community through this man!

My final scheduled meeting of the day was with the husband of one of our participant couples.  He came with good news to share about progress in their relationship as a couple and his relationship with God.  He is coming to grips with the fact that Jesus’ love for Him IS his identity not what others think of him.  He helped me form the thoughts to deepen my understanding that my identity and your identity are not what labels we used to wear:  sinner, pornography addict, drunk, liar, immoral, or etc.  Our label, true identity, is what God says and knows about us.  He knows all that stuff I mentioned, but He knows far more.  He knew what I did before I placed faith in Jesus as my Savior and after.  He gave me a right standing with Himself through the payment given for me by Jesus.  He said that payment could be applied to my massive debt if by faith I would accept and receive Jesus Christ’s death as death in my place for what I had done and would do. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

We spoke about the “basis of truth” being what God says/feels about us rather than what we believe about ourselves.  His love for us is stable, passionate, and pure. I have a hard time maintaining that kind of love for me, others, or God; but by His grace I am making progress in revealing His love to the world ….starting at home.

And then after being blessed by a friend coming by for a visit and sitting on the deck just to talk about the Lord and life, my girls came home and we had a great evening together.

I would say that it was a great day all around.  

Question to ponder:  Are you REALLY dying and are you REALLY living?