Death, an unchallenged moment

Losing the one we love is definitely a heart-broken moment in our life. I felt it, 4 times. I lost my mother on Feb 2014, 2 of my baby brothers passed away when they were born, and a big brother this year. Death seems to be a friend for my family. Yes, it is a friend, I will not hate death, because it’s just a short sleep that will bring us to God’s presence.

In this painful circumstances, God changed my crying into dancing. We found our self stronger and more hopeful in Jesus.

I realize that death is not the end. Well, when I was facing my mother’s death, I haven’t come to this conclusion yet, I haven’t know Jesus deeply. But then, as my journey of faith with Him grows, He teaches me that He is bigger than death and any other circumstances that I have.

It is true, that death of our loving family or friend could tore our life and bring so much woes and sadness, but God truly understand the feeling, and it makes me believe that I can count on Him.

Jesus cried along with Mary and Martha on Lazarus’s death, He felt the sadness and the grieving with the family. Yet, He was able to call him back from death (John 11). More than that, Jesus himself conquer death with His resurrection.

Jesus resurrection is the example to those who trust Him. The people who died in His Name would rise again to glorify Him eternally. Paul wrote 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 to encourage those who grieved by death:

Believers Who Have Died (1 Thes 4:13-18)
13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14 For 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. 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

There’s a time that we will meet again with our beloved people and standing with them in the presence of The Lord. Do not live our life like a people who have no hope, we’ll meet again. So, move on, death is beyond our reach as mankind. Focus on your purpose on earth. As long as God gives us time to live, use it wisely, so when we face Him, we could proudly present our responsible life in front of Him as our living sacrifice..

Christmas Insight

On Christmas this year, I am reminded by the preacher about the important of the God's Word to face today's situation.

Many moral changes, the value of right and wrong is declining every year. It changes based on what people feel right and not. However, we need higher standard, and God already provides it for us, in the Bible.

Many temptations show up today (actually since the beginning of human's sin). Adam and Eve that created perfectly by God disobeyed Him. The result, they had to go out from the Eden and started their struggling in their everyday life.

Human still trapped in this sinful world, yet God still love us, and He want us to feel the perfect life that He gave to Adam and Eve first. That's why He gave His Only Son, Jesus Christ, to die in the cross for our sins, but His resurrection shows He is powerful beyond what man can imagine.

However, we still struggles to resist temptations until Jesus came to the world in the second time to give us eternity. Sometimes, we seek the holiness and kindness eagerly, but as human, many tumbling blocks ahead. Man today face sexual sins, fornication, adultery, porn, spiritual sins, social sins such as envy, anger, egoism, murder, and many others (Gal 5:19-21)

God wants us to know the treat, and to expose it all (Eph 5:11-13). Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will (Rom 12:2)

Facing this world today could be done with an ally: Jesus Christ and a weapon: God's Word as our light. Jesus gives us strength to live as His children, to live in the way He wants us to. His Word is our life's direction, it lights our way in what is right and wrong. His word is a treasure that full of wisdom, hope, strength, and promises.

Devotional, private time with God, helps us to grow spiritually in Him. Learn the Word everyday, obey it (immediately), and we will feel that Word Of God bring changes in our life. In how we think and react to something. In our priority of life. We learn to see what is last eternally and what is not.

God knows that to resist temptation we need strategies.

Firstly, to resist the fleshly temptation. God wants us to flee. God knows that we are unable to fight it. Just like Joseph, when Potiphar's wife asked him to sleep with her, Joseph didn't stay to fight the temptation. Instead, he ran away. He knew that if he stayed, he will fell into temptation (Genesis 39).

Secondly, overcome the world with the faith to God. Only the One who believes that Jesus is the Son of God can overcome the world. The world offers many things and luxury that can be gods. The world is trying to change our dependence to God, to earthly gods. For everything in the world (the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life) is trying to take the authority of our heart. God reminds us that "The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever" (1 John 2:15 NIV).

We are the light of the world, live as a light. Let our light shine before others, that they may see our good deeds and glorify God. Live differently with the world by living in God's Word. Be different, be bold.

May God helps us

*My summary on Perkantas's Christmas| Rev. Johan A. Luhulima| Dec 3, 2016