Title: Faith and Dying

Date: Jun 26, 2009
Topic(s): Faith/Trust
Scripture: John 16:33, John 14:27, John 11:25-27

Is the name Jean-Francois Gravelet familiar to you? Better known as The Great Blondin, he was the first man to cross Niagara Falls on a tightrope, an event he repeated many times. The story is told that once he pushed a wheelbarrow across the Falls and then returned with the wheelbarrow loaded with a 100-lb sack of flour. He subsequently asked the crowd if they thought he could push a man across.

When they shouted, "yes," he asked for a volunteer. Silence.

Faith is more than just assent. When you face death, you do not want to guess, hope or speculate. You want to know. And that's where Jesus comes in.

What Does God Say?

"Jesus told her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?" (John 11:25-26, NLT).

Martha's brother had just died. Jesus was asking Martha if she believed that He could raise her brother from the dead.

* Why would Jesus ask Martha that question?
* How do you think Martha responded?

"Yes, Lord," she told Him, 'I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God'" (John 11:27, NIV).
My Thoughts

Do you think that Jesus was teaching not only Martha but also us through His question?

Did Martha really believe in her heart that Jesus could and would raise her brother from the dead?

What about you? When it comes to death and dying, where is your faith? Notice that Jesus does not say that everyone has the hope of never perishing, but only those who believe in Him--those who have taken Jesus to be their Savior, taken God to be their Heavenly Father and have taken the Holy Spirit to be their guide. To those people, Jesus promises eternal life and declares that death is only a brief doorway to resurrection and the beginning of eternity with Him.

My Part

Watching someone cross Niagara Falls on a tightrope would be scary. Riding in a wheelbarrow while someone pushed it over a tightrope strung across the Falls would be terrifying. But facing death and having no assurance would be even more dreadful. In fact, dreadful beyond words. That's why the truth Jesus teaches here is so significant and can affect our lives for eternity.

"Jesus told her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?'"? (John 11:25-26, NLT).

Do you believe? Do you trust Jesus with all your heart; do you have the assurance that He will keep His Word? Then you can face death and dying knowing that you will live eternally with your Savior.
"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world" (John 16:33, NLT). "I am leaving you with a gift--peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid" (John 14:27, NLT).

Take a moment to thank Jesus that you can have such an assurance.

Precious Gift

Once upon a time, when God had finished making the world, he wanted to leave behind a piece of His own divinity, a spark of His essence, a promise to man of what he could become, with effort. He looked for a place to hide this precious gift because, He explained, what man could find too easily would never be valued by him.
"Then you must hide this gift on the highest mountain peak on earth," said one of his counselors.
God shook His head, "No, for man is an adventuresome creature and he will soon enough learn to climb the highest mountain peaks.

"Hide it then, O Great One, in the depths of the earth."
"I think not," said God. "for man will one day discover that he can dig into the deepest parts of the earth."
"In the middle of the ocean then, Master?"
God shook His head. "I've given man a brain, you see, and one day he'll learn to build ships and cross the mightiest oceans."
"Where then, Master?" cried His counselors.
God smiled, "I'll hide it where every man and woman will be able to find it if they look sincerely and deeply enough. I'll hide it in their heart."

BLESSED ARE THE MEEK…

“BLESSED ARE THE MEEK…” (Matt. 5:5a)

In the marketplace of power and control, the very thought of meekness comes off as insipid and ineffectual. After all, it is the assertive types, not the docile, compliant, and timid that make things happen in the commercial center of ideas, action and leadership!

Well guess what? Jim Collins in his monumental work, Good to Great discovered in his research that the best CEOs – what he calls “Level 5 leaders” – combine extreme passion for a cause with deep humility and a sense of teamwork. Without humility a man cannot learn, because the first step to learning is the realization of our own ignorance. Perhaps a paraphrase of “Blessed are the meek…” (Matt. 5:5a) could be, “Blessed is the man who has the humility to know his own ignorance, his own weakness, and his own need.”1 The biblical concept of meekness does not connote weakness. It is power put under control. Powerful King Solomon reminded us that a person without meekness is “like a city that is broken into and without walls” (Pro. 25:28). “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit, then he who captures a city” (Pro. 16:32 ). An unbroken colt is of little use. Wind and people out of control prove to be destructive. Meekness appropriately measures out its resources.

It would serve us well to keep in mind that poverty of spirit (Matt. 5:3 of last week’s “Facts”) focuses on our sinfulness, while meekness (Matt. 5:5) focuses on God’s holiness, and that the basic attitude of humility underlies both virtues.

Frank and Sarah come to mind when I think of meekness. Frank has a PhD from one of our blue chip universities and masterfully leads a mid-sized company of excellence. I first got to know Frank many years ago when he helped me put up a basketball hoop for my 9 year old son, the day our family moved to town. He was hungry for discipleship. Sarah, now in her late 80’s, has for many years been the quintessential business leader in her city, and continues to quietly influence leaders to practice excellence, ethics and good governance. Years ago I remember discovering Sarah on her knees at her church, cleaning toilets that she observed had been overlooked, in preparation for a one day conference. Both Frank and Sarah reflect their deep inner core of biblical values as they speak with passion and conviction in measured tones. Both, by their powerful, “meek” presence command monumental respect and influence in their community.

Biblical examples of powerful leaders embracing the quality of meekness would include:

Christ who twice drove out the money changers (Jn. 2:14, 15; Matt. 21:12 , 13), yet meekly sacrificed himself for others, serves as an example for us to follow: “...Christ, who suffered for you, is your example. Follow in his steps…He did not retaliate when he was insulted. When he suffered, he did not threaten to get even. He left his case in the hands of God” (I Pet. 2:21a, 23). This gentle Jesus, the One who spoke the worlds into being, humbly rode a donkey into Jerusalem as the coming King (Matt. 21:5).

Moses who in righteous anger smashed the tablets upon learning of the golden calf, was “… more humble than any other person on earth” (Num. 12:3; Exo. 32:19).

David who had the opportunity to kill Saul but refused stating, "The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord's anointed, or lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the Lord" (I Sam. 24: 5, 6).

QUESTION: What answer would I receive if I were to ask those closest to you if you are perceived as kindly, patient, moderate, humble, and measured? What would they have to say about being pushy, manipulative, easily irritated, in a hurry, wound tight, arbitrary, harsh, proud or supercilious? The reason we need to ask these difficult questions lies in the gravity of Jesus’ statement: “Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:3b, 4).

1 Barclay’s Daily Study Bible (NT)

R. Dwight Hill

Our Legacy

June 21, 2009
Our Legacy
Children are a heritage from the Lord. —Psalm 127:3

A friend of mine wrote recently, “If we died tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of days. But the family left behind would feel the loss for the rest of their lives. Why then do we invest so much in our work and so little in our children’s lives?”

Why do we sometimes exhaust ourselves rising up early and going late to rest, “eating the bread of anxious toil” (Ps. 127:1-2 esv), busying ourselves to make our mark on this world, and overlooking the one investment that matters beyond everything else—our children?

Solomon declared, “Children are a heritage from the Lord”—an invaluable legacy He has bequeathed us. “Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth” (v.4) is his striking simile. Nothing is more worthy of our energy and time.

There is no need for “anxious toil,” working night and day, the wise man Solomon proclaimed, for the Lord does take care of us (Ps. 127:2). We can make time for our children and trust that the Lord will provide for all of our physical needs. Children, whether our own or those we disciple, are our lasting legacy—an investment we’ll never regret. — David H. Roper

Our children are a heritage,
A blessing from the Lord;
They bring a richness to our lives—
In each, a treasure stored. —Fasick

Time spent with your children is time wisely invested.

God of Questions

I don't always understand God. Thankfully, he always understands me.
Dawn Zemke
Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Sometimes I revel in the mysteries of God. That he's always existed and always will exist. That he's Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three yet one. That he created our amazing planet—oceans, mountains, deserts, and the incredible variety of wildlife, not to mention people—from nothing. How do I possibly wrap my brain around that? The indefinable, enigmatic part of God's nature sends a shiver down my spine and reminds me how truly big he is—and how blessed I am that he not only cares for me, but knows me intimately (Psalm 139).

Sometimes, however, that mystifying, inexplicable side of God drives me crazy. Because all too often, I just don't understand why he allows the things he does. Why do wonderful, loving couples remain childless while others conceive, and throw away, babies seemingly on a whim? Why does a man who never touched a cigarette die of lung cancer while a two-pack-a-day smoker lives to a ripe old age? And why must a faithful, godly woman such as my mother bear the death of both her husband and an infant daughter while others remain untouched by such tragedy?

I know, I know—we're living in a fallen world experiencing the consequences of its sin. I recognize that God is always in control, even when it feels as if he's missing from the equation. And I believe his promise that his plans are "to prosper [me] and not to harm [me], plans to give [me] hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11).

That doesn't mean I have to like it. And it definitely doesn't mean I don't experience moments of doubt, when I cry out, "Why, Lord? How could you? What were you thinking?"

I used to feel guilty about such thoughts. After all, God is … God. His ways are supposed to be beyond my comprehension, right? It's my job as his child to have unwavering faith in him. To believe without question.

Or maybe not.
In chapter 11 of his Gospel, John tells the story of Jesus raising his friend Lazarus from the dead. For years I was so caught up in the miracle—I mean, Jesus brought the man back from death—that I never noticed the drama behind the scenes.
John tells us that Jesus loved Lazarus and his two sisters, Mary and Martha. Yet when he received word that Lazarus was sick, he didn't race to be by his side. In fact, he waited two whole days before hitting the road. By the time he reached Lazarus's hometown, the man had been dead four days.
Now here's where I find the story gets interesting. When the news came that Jesus was near, Martha went to meet him. But not Mary. This woman who dearly loved Jesus, who bought expensive perfume to pour on his feet and dried them with her hair, stayed home. Jesus had to ask for Mary. And though she immediately responded to his call, the first words out of her mouth tell me a lot about her state of mind: "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died" (John 11:32). Or in other words, "How could you take so long to get here, Jesus? What were you thinking?"

I so relate to Mary here because I'd be asking the same question. How terrible it must have been for her, watching her brother get sicker and sicker, finally dying, and Jesus never came. Talk about feeling let down!

What I really love about this story, though, is Jesus' reaction. He's deeply moved by her grief. And he gets right down to the business at hand—raising Lazarus. What he doesn't do is scold her for questioning his actions.

And that gives my doubting, questioning heart comfort. Just as Jesus understood Mary's question, I believe he understands all of mine. After all, he created me and he knows me—as Psalm 139 says, he "perceives my thoughts from afar."
I've come more and more to believe that while God wants my obedience, he doesn't require that I give it without thought. Like any good parent, he patiently listens to my questions and does his best to answer them. And like any child, I'm not always going to have the ability to understand those answers.

But looking at the Bible, I'm in good company. Moses gave God a real run for his money before agreeing to head back to Egypt. Jonah not only questioned God's plan, he ran from it. And even Jesus, perfectly committed to his Father's will, double-checked to be sure there wasn't some other way of accomplishing his task.

Someday I'll trade this finite body for the infinite, and with it I'll gain complete understanding of God's perfect plan. But until that day comes, it's good to know God's patience won't run out. That he not only understands and accepts all my questions—he loves me in spite of them.

This article first appeared on Today's Christian Woman'sblog post. Dawn Zemke is an associate editor with Today's Christian Woman.