Saturday, August 13, 2016
I am both shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of my beloved Aunt Lea. But from the moment I heard about her passing this morning my thoughts and heartfelt prayers have been with my Uncle Wayne and my cousins Wayne and Steve and their wives and children.
I am broken over Aunt Lea's passing as you all are as well. I have of course known her for just about my entire life. But the Bible teaches us to have hope.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 says
13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.
As a church deacon within the Assemblies of God, I am torn between two concepts as I type. First is the loss of my Aunt Lea from this world and the sadness that this loss brings. Secondly is the knowledge that I have that Heaven is absolutely real, true and trustworthy. So in death of a loved one, I find myself torn between loss and the pure joy that my Aunt Lea is experiencing the joy of being in the holy presence of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior.
1 Corinthians 15:50-57
50 I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 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. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 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.” 55 “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Again Kelly and I and my boys Joe and Matt give you our utmost in love and heartfelt condolences.
