""O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?""-1Corinthians 15:55Lately (alas: daily) I've been utterly awed by God's undeniable movement in the world (and in mine) and Satan's undeniable increasing rage against that. If you're abiding in Christ you see it too.
"I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." -John 15:5~What does that mean to be "abiding in" Christ? What might the "fruits" we bear look like?
In the past year or so I have heard/read several stories of people who'd lost a loved one in some completely unexpected and very tragic way...people who "abide in Christ", some rather public people. Consequently, because their faith had been growing through sound biblical teaching, by the Holy Spirit they were discerning; placing their trust fully in Christ and His promises throughout their tragedy, not in the systems and pratices of the world. So what we see come out from their lives is a sovereign, holy God magnified and glorified! -rather than the predictable, resulting train-wreck of lives that the world indulges us with.
You won't normally see the following types of stories given any real exposure in the MainStreamMedia (read: tool) let alone credence, just think of the bunk we are fed and flooded with day-in-day-out.. Why? Because where God is being glorified the "world" typically
anyway..If you abide in Christ then you have been paying attention and know the difference.
"And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment," -Hebrews 9:27There were four particular stories that really struck me..graphically illustrating the sovereignty of a very real, deeply loving and living God and the truth of the scriptures...the Creator of this universe working His fore-ordained providence through the relationships of mere humans to eachother, that by our relationship to Jesus we would show the world His Glory! That is what good fruit looks like. "...and they'll know we are Christians by our love" means so much more than what most people think.
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"For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." -Philippians 1:21The first "story" is one I posted in my blog awhile back..it comes from two year old Bronner "Cornbread" Burgess, who accidently fell and drowned in the family pool on Jan 19, 2008. I highly recommend viewing the videos of Bronner's dad giving a "speech" at his son's memorial service, it will leave you at least breathless, at best, changed. Probably the best quote (and there were many golden ones) from this grieved father went something like this: "the devil didn't know what he was doing to be messin with this family" - why would he say that? Because people got saved listening to the Gospel that Rick Burgess spoke forth at his son's memorial..and we know that saving souls from hell is the very antithesis of what Satan is "looking for".
And then there was the tragic death in April 2008 of Steven Curtis Chapman's daughter, Maria Sue, who was accidently run over and killed by her 17 year old brother. To the credit of the MSM (mainstream media)and The Larry King Show, for what it's worth, Larry had the Chapman family on to discuss their story in it's aftermath. On his website: "Between Two Worlds" Justin Taylor put the videos up of the Chapman's appearance with Larry King. As you can imagine Larry was just, well, Larry. Despite the Larriness of the show the Chapman's God-glorifying Christ exalting testimony came through loud and clear. ..ok Larry's not so bad..he does ask good questions and has had John MacArthur on several times..gotta give the guy points just for that :)
Perhaps the most riveting "family wreck" of a story (by the worlds' standards) occured on September 26, 2008, the story of 14-year-old Emily Joy Stauffer. Her father, Terry Stauffer, a Pastor in Canada has a blog called:"New Lumps", and on the morning after his daughter's murder he posted a notice for his readers. Many, Gospel-soaked posts have followed.. The next day he told a CTV Edmonton reporter: "We are realizing from the inside the value of good, Gospel theology right now,"
Indeed....the words of Terry Stauffer should send a sharp wind of..something alerty!
anyway,
I want to be clear: I am not implying that the reason to be well taught of "good, Gospel theology" is about self preservation in this life -at all! Anything given or taken from us this side of heaven is God's working in us for His will to be done: "for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure."-Phl 2:13 -it is a kindness..a mercy! Each breath we take is a mercy.
The one and only thing that is at stake for each of us when it comes to understanding good, solid biblical theology is our eternal life, where we will spend that.
"as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient,[temporary] but the things that are unseen are eternal" -2Corinthians 4:18There was one more "public" story brought to my attention just this week..perhaps it was the last straw for this kind of post I'd been wanting to write for some time. The story of 27 year old Andrew Mark. Andrew passed away this past Saturday, Feb. 7th from a truly horrid ordeal with cancer, leaving behind a wife and two young children.. Andrew along with his wife, Grace, kept a blog of the experiences throughout this battle..reading the stories of this man's ordeal as it unfolds is like being in the same room.
"And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever." -1John 2:1
The stories I linked here for your delving and edification are excellent examples of what it looks like to "abide" in -to literally lean-in on Him! But they are just a few grains of sand in an ocean of the things God has done, is doing, and will do.
My heart and prayers go out to each of these families, the impact of re-visiting their stories still grips me.
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Good fruit, both inward and outward, never fails to come-forth of good Gospel theology, ..outward as it is shared and spreads among people with ears to hear (Luke 8:8)...everyone has ears but not all will hear and do. (Matthew 7:24)
"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." Phl 1:6
To God will be the glory, forever and ever, amen.
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