A Christian's Story

What would you write if you knew you were about to die?  David Bowie recorded a song: a Christian friend of one of my friends wrote this on her IPad:

If this is being read in public domain that means I have passed from this life and entered into eternity- into the presence of the Almighty God- the maker of Heaven and of earth. WOW... Hold on- a human, a mortal can stand and not only stand but live in the presence of this Almighty Lord?! Yes. My life on earth has been leading up to this point- the point where I see His Glory! Where I meet my precious Saviour who died for me before I had been born and while I was still in my sin. The Lord, when he formed me in my mother's womb, knit together my body, chose my eye colour, my personality, gave me talents and knew ALL about me, even what would make me laugh (all unknown to my earthly parents)... He also knew my whole life, he knew each day I would be breathing oxygen in my lungs, he knew every decision I would make, including whether I would choose to follow Him or not.

[...] So what then comes after? Nothing? Do you really believe that because my organs have ceased to work- that the life in me, just died too?! We are more than just flesh, than an animal... We are different and higher than a mere animal because we were granted a soul. A Soul that will live on forever. The question is- where? I believe as this is read I am in the presence of God, and it is here I will spend eternity. No pain, no sickness, no hurt, no disappointment, fully satisfied with my creator, in full joy and fullness of life. So why can I say this with confidence before I have even departed?? [...]

Here is my story... I grew up hearing of Jesus, God and going to church, I knew it all, and I do believe I made a profession of faith as a child; however I don't think I knew enough about what I had actually decided. I am thankful for my parents who instilled in me godly morals, which kept me on many occasions from doing really silly things... That being said, when I turned 18- I wanted to break free from what I thought was an oppressive upbringing.. So I rebelled...[...]

I was literally running in the opposite way from God..but as I woke up on the Friday morning after little sleep, too much alcohol and partying... Before I felt hungover or tired I felt an overwhelming sense of emptiness. In his great mercy God came to me that morning and not audibly, but in my soul I heard him loving whisper 'what are you doing and where are you going?' . . .[...]

For those of you who know Jesus... I will see you on the other side. Please don't mourn for me... I am free from cancer, free from seizures and more fulfilled and happy than any moment I ever had on earth. As I write this I can't even imagine how amazing this will be, because I've had many, many wonderful times and experiences in my life! I am sure there will be days when you miss me...but please please, please don't let those moments take away from each precious moment that you have, don't let my passing cause you to stumble in your faith. Let it strengthen your faith that God IS real and HE has a purpose for you on this earth!! Enjoy each moment you have and try to keep an eternal perspective, how can you bring God more Glory?

For those of you who are suffering, I feel one of the purposes of my illness was to teach me about suffering. Firstly, no matter how bad, it will never compare to the suffering Jesus faced on the cross, being separated from that father connection, not to mention the physical suffering...because Jesus experienced that suffering He can identify with you as you struggle, so cling to Him. And Trust him no matter what. He is in control despite our lack of understanding.... Be patient, one day when on this side of eternity you will understand. . [...]

ME

We began our Church's week of prayer last evening.

We're using the chapters of John's gospel set in the Upper Room and this brought us to the very familiar words of John 14.  Or so we thought.

But more than one of us was struck by the simple phrase said by Jesus to his disciples, "You believe in God; believe also in me."  It is so simple and yet so profound.  How easy it is to associate the Christian faith with a great deal of activity or an accumulation of knowledge or family connections or heritage or musical inclinations or local meetings in a community.

It is about Him.  It is about trusting Him.  It is as available on the deathbed as the Sunday school, in the workplace or the clinic on the aircraft in the pulpit.  

You can be a Christian if needs must without almost everything - just not without Him.  The disciples' Passion Week mistakes centred on the catastrophic decision they each made to dispense with Him.  Running away they chose safety instead or in Judas Iscariot's case money.  When they got there - that is, away from Him - they found they had nothing really.  We'll find the same.

Trust in ME.

Ivy

I have been pulling out ivy.  I have never planted ivy at any house I have lived in but it has been a constant companion, appearing in just about every garden I have tended.

 

To be honest, I think this is s natural judgment because many years back while living in a bedsit I was given an ivy plant which I planted (undoubtedly contrary to regulations) outside the building.  A few years later I noticed the building façade had turned wholly green and only God and I knew why . . .

 

Ivy is allegedly in some danger of death during English winters but that has never been my experience (unless I do the killing).  It just stays and gets ready to take over more of the garden than it had previously done.  It clings.

 

Edward Bickersteth noticed that too:

 

Ivy, which unsupported would lay on the ground, by clinging can rise high in the air. The more the wind blows, the more it clings to its support and so is safe.  Similarly Christians are linked to God.

Disaster's Song

 November 22nd 1873.  A November night in the Atlantic gives us a great hymn from an awful family disaster couples with a deep faith.

 

 

Trust or Rust

How brilliant it was to think about these words on Sunday. 

Yesterday I was waiting for a bus.  Maybe my eyes played tricks on me but I thought I saw one coming in the far distance of a straight road where I was waiting.  I was wrong.  It wasn't a bus but a truck.

 

So did I stop waiting?  Of course not.  I trusted that, with no sight of it, a bus would come.  We must learn to trust if we are to wait upon the Lord and be made new.