February 11, 2021February 4 was World Cancer Day and I must admit that I did not think much about it, besides thinking about a friend whose wife died three days earlier. A few weeks ago, I wrote in this space about Dianne and David, asking prayer for them as cancer spread in Dianne’s body. Our precious sister in Christ fought cancer (and multiple sclerosis) valiantly over the past few months and is now with the Lord. Please pray for David as he grieves the passing of his dear wife.
Karen and I were also saddened to learn that Rev. Stephen Casey, the husband of Karen’s cousin in Pennsylvania, and Bob Blackwood, a friend in Buffalo, completed their earthly journey, leaving family and friends to mourn. I was reminded of the need to value each day and not take anything for granted. If you would like to consider what God’s Word says about death, please visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xpm9BzJCQY where Pastor Brad Mellette examines this.
In his book “Count It All Joy,” Dr. David Jeremiah tells how Josef Tson, pastor of the largest Baptist church in Romania in the 1970s, published a document that described how the communist government had obstructed religious freedom in his land. After being threatened with torture and death, Tson responded: “Your supreme weapon is killing. My supreme weapon is dying. Here is how it works. You know that my sermons on tape have spread all over the country. If you kill me, these sermons will be sprinkled with my blood. Everyone will know I died for my preaching … So, sir, my sermons will speak ten times louder than before. I will actually rejoice in this supreme victory if you kill me.”
The apostle John wrote about future events in the last book of the Bible. In Revelation 19, John reports what he heard – “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God” (v. 1) and saw – “And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written: ‘KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS’“(v. 16). Are you ready to meet the Lord? If not, why not?
Scripture for the weekend: “Therefore also we have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:9 (NASB)
Thought for the weekend: “The best argument for Christianity is Christians: their joy, their certainty, their completeness. But the strongest argument against Christianity is also Christians – when they are somber and joyless, when they are self-righteous and smug … then Christianity dies a thousand deaths.” – Sheldon Vanauken (quoted in “Count It All Joy” published by David C Cook, Colorado Springs, CO)
By His grace,
Steve