" O Death, where is your sting? "

As we prepare to bury my dearly loved father-in-law, a man who lived faithfully for God and 'fought the good fight' - there is sadness at his passing on but also great hope! His body may be "deceased" but he is alive in Christ. His suffering is over for all eternity - He will NEVER suffer again! His hope has now also become reality! Death has truly lost its sting! It is not darkness he has entered but glorious light! 

God is so merciful - even in this time. The day after we lay him 'to rest', we celebrate new life as seven people are baptised and give testimony of Jesus Christ's life-giving miracle in their lives! From death to life... the perfect picture of what is illustrated through baptism. 

God is glorified - in death and in life! What a Saviour! What a God!

A Firm Foundation...

In this uncertain time of earthquakes in New Zealand, especially in Christchurch, my thoughts immediately turned to one surety in life - Jesus Christ - a sure foundation. As I saw pictures of people walking around damaged or destroyed homes, my heart cried out for them. And yet, I wonder how many eyes were turned to God - the One who uses nature to proclaim His greatness but to also warn people to turn to Him and not presume on His mercy! He is the one constant when all around us in life is in turmoil. And yet, how easily don't we as people want to look past God to our own resources and efforts...
The other thought that came to mind was the suddenness with which it all happened. Just past 4am, when no one was suspecting anything, the first violent quake hit. There was no warning. No instruments could warn of something that hadn't happened yet. There wasn't even an indication that it could happen where it did. There was peace and then it struck. Reality.
The sad thing is that the Bible has long been warning that Christ is going to come to earth again - suddenly - unexpectedly - while we are still about our everyday business. And yet, knowingly, people turn off the alarm sounded by Scripture and walk straight towards their judgement...
"Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts..." (Ps 95:7b)

Life and Living... at full tilt or full drag

Quote from Michael Wells' book 'Heavenly Discipleship' - "Is life living you or are you living life?"

So true - we often allow life to get the better of us instead of getting the better of life and living life to the full. This applies especially on Monday mornings and when the sky is grey and it's raining constantly...
How can we live life to the full? God's answer - "The Truth will set you free...". Once you have God's gift of a new nature instilled in you, you can start to really LIVE!! As a friend of mine always says, when asked how he is doing, "I am riding life with loose reins and at full tilt - and loving it!!" I know what he means because he is a Christian who is living his life IN Christ. Christ has lived his old life already and paid the debt oweing on that life 2000 plus years ago and now he can live this life to the full because Christ is living IN him and THROUGH him. Christ now has become his life - his old life has been crucified! There has been a supernatural takeover! Now, instead of going through life like an unwilling dog being taken for a drag by an enthusiastic owner, you and I can be the enthusiastic one - seeing life through new eyes of boundless and exciting opportunities - and life will be the slipstream created and the wake left behind us...

"I came that they may have life and have it abundantly..." (Jesus Christ - John 10 verse 10)