2016 has made its mark in our hearts.
This year has claimed
Gene Wilder, David Bowie, Alan Wickman, Maurice White, Nancy Reagan, Doris
Roberts, Merle Haggard, Prince, Garry Shandling, Muhammad Ali, Garry Marshall, Arnold Palmer,
Florence Henderson, John Glenn, Alan Thicke, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Natalie Cole, George Michael, Carrie
Fisher and others.
The only thing that connects their lives- is their deaths. How they died, was not a factor, who was with
them, how old they were, or what they did for a living, was not a factor. Their main connection was dying in 2016.
But don’t fool yourself, beginning day one...
2017 will start its own list.
When we look at the list of celebrities and performers that
have passed away this year, it is almost too much! It is not that this
year has been the only year to claim someone, it is just that there were
so many that we’ve lost. The focus on celebrities does not minimize the
personal losses that you or others may have experienced. The difference is that when someone notable
passes away, it is not just their friends and family that mourns, the world
mourns with them.
Death… it really bothers us. It kind of has a STING.
GO FUND ME!
As a result of this year’s losses, a man set up a GO FUND ME
page to protect our beloved Betty White, the last surviving Golden Girl. She has outlived all the fake death notices
that shocked us for a moment, but with just a few days left in this year, he is
not taking any chances! He has almost
reached his goal and has said if Ms. White does not want his help, he will
donate the funds to charity.
It is a noble thought, flattering even.
But if he is going to follow Betty to protect her, who will follow him?
If it was that easy, we all would have put
our money out there to protect the ones we love. It just
does not work that way.
NATURAL v/s SPIRITUAL
Somehow when we think of death, we still get it wrong. We have to be reminded that we are spiritual
beings. When we remember that, then we
know that: death is not the absence of breath, it is the absence of God.
Before Adam and Eve sinned, they understood they would die
if they ate of the tree. Well, they ate anyway, and continued to ‘live’ for years after
that. Scripture records that Adam lived
930 years! Did God lie to them to keep
them from touching the tree? We know
that God does not lie, and even though they naturally lived a long time, they immediately
died spiritually.
THE ROSE
Think about a rose bush, the moment a rose is cut off from
the vine, it dies. How long it looks
alive depends on the care it gets. How
we water, feed, trim and care for it will determine it's longevity.
But it is already dead.
I am not one who really likes to receive flowers as a token
of love. I know many women treasure it. Not me, because even though I
receive them gratefully, it soon dawns on me… I have to now take care of these flowers! How long do I have to keep them? Does aspirin in the water really help? Am I supposed to trim the bottom of the
stem? What about when they begin to smell
weird, can I discard them then? Too many questions for a flower that is
technically already dead.
This natural body is much like that rose.
No matter what we do, one day- just like that rose, this
body will see the evidence of a death that has already happened. We have been born separated from the Vine, which is God. Some of us will look
wonderful when we go, others will look haggard and tired. It depends on the care you give your
body. But after a while, it does not matter
what special water you use, or how good you are eating, the exercise you do
daily… you will fade, much like the rose.
Natural death will continue to happen until Jesus comes!
Natural death has got a bad rap, while Spiritual death is
the one that lasts forever and brings the most pain.
SPIRITUAL DEATH
“And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” Hebrews 9:27
Spiritual death is the only one that can be avoided. Life without God is not really life at
all. Death without God is tragic. We
are all born spiritually dead, and most of the time we focus on this natural
life to keep us motivated and happy. But
if we would understand and live like our Spiritual being in more important, we could
not only encourage ourselves, but we could benefit others as well.
2016 really should remind us that natural death can come at
any time. It does not respect your
status, your money, or your pleas. If
you are not connected to God spiritually, then you really die.
GO SAVE ME!
We will cry when someone we love dies, but will we cry when
they 'live' without God?
“..remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” James 5:20
If you want to support a cause that can help your loved ones
and others avoid death, in the final days of 2016, into 2017 and beyond.... EVANGELIZE! Reach out to people, introduce
them to a God who took on death, and won. We will all have to face natural death eventually, but we can prepare for and conquer SPIRITUAL death now. For believers, there is no sting in death.
NO MORE STING!
Hope for tomorrow:
I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood
cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the
imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will
all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.
For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will
be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and
the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the
imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written
will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O
death, is your sting?” The sting of
death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives
us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers and
sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the
work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:50-58
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