February 10 - Safe

“He will swallow up death for all time, And the Lord GOD will wipe tears away from all faces, And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For the LORD has spoken”.
Isaiah 25:8

You all know the feeling of loss when someone who, over the years, you have grown to love, and respect, dies. At the moment our church members here in Netherfield are grieving the loss of our oldest member – Eleonore Stoltz.

Death of a loved one seems to sneak up on us and surprise us unaware – even when in our hearts we know it’s coming and have time to prepare for it. Either way, despite our self-denial, the result is the same . . . the outcome is final. That person we love is now missing from our lives. So, we mourn.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Eleonore's family at this time, and also with the millions of grieving people in every country, race, and creed around the world who today, are united by their mourning at the death of a loved one. May they be comforted in the knowledge that their loved ones are resting for just a little while until the day of the resurrection when they will be reunited, never to part again.  As a church, and individual members, we give thanks to God for Eleonore's life, and the years as together we worshiped Him.

Jesus promised us that He WILL return again:

“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord”. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 ESV.

In the New Testament's 260 chapters, Christ's return is mentioned no less than 318 times. Statistically, one verse for every 25 pages of the Bible refers to the return of Jesus Christ in some way, shape, or form. Combine that with the pointers in the Old Testament making no mistake about it: Jesus Christ WILL come back again.

Jesus assured us in John 11: 25-26 of eternal life in heaven for all those who belong to Him. Those comforting words give us hope for the future . . . but in the short term, grief can feel overwhelming.  We can be assured however, that Jesus Christ will never leave us. He sees every tear and hears every desperate cry, and His love and comfort are everlasting.

We never know the day, time or hour when we will be either called to our rest, or when Jesus will return – our lives are as long or as short as our next breath, or His appearing. Regardless. Eleonore was ready. She loved her Lord passionately and looked forward with great anticipation to the new heaven and earth. Let us look forward as confidently that when that day arrives, we too are prepared and ready.

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever" – Revelation 21:4

“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” - 1 Corinthians 15>55

Click here to listen to today's music sung by Tanya Goodman Sykes - Look for me (LIVE)