Wow!

And the sound of weeping and crying will be heard in it no more. No longer will babies die when only a few days old. No longer will adults die before they have lived a full life.
Isaiah 65:19b-20a NLT

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

Philippians 3:20 NLT

In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.”

Isaiah 2:2-3 NLT

My oldest brother passed away 6 weeks ago. However, I was privileged to spend the last few days of his time here on Earth in his home with him and with his immediate family. There are sweet, sweet memories to be held close, but as I was thinking about Ron today, I wanted to share a couple, and one in particular. 

It has been my experience with those I've had the privilege of being with in the days before their transition from this world to the next, that they often seem to have an eye on both places. They often 'see' or 'talk' to family or loved ones who have gone before. I can't explain that, I won't even try, but I know what I have witnessed. With Ron, he greeted Mom several times as though she had walked into the room - in the hospital, and again when he came home with hospice care... (Mom passed away 25 years ago.) He would be talking to us one minute and greeting her the next...and that was before he gave permission for pain medications. He told us he had to go. 

Two nights before he died, he woke up from a sound sleep and was looking beyond his daughter, his face animated as he exclaimed, "Wow! Wow! Do you see that? It's so beautiful! Can you see the mountain?!? Wow!! It's just so beautiful!! " The next morning, we were talking with him and he said we had to get dressed for the wedding and he was concerned that not everyone had the right clothes on to go to the wedding. I am convinced he was seeing Heaven and referring to the wedding garment of Matthew 22. Yes, I'd say 'Wow!', too!

Prayer:

Father,

         Thank You for the comfort You bring to us with the promises in Your Word. And thank You for the proof and Truth You provide of our loved ones' place in eternity. Send people to water the Word that has been spoken and planted and Father, give the increase as You have also promised. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Free-falling

Who among you fears the LORD? Who obeys the voice of His Servant? Who walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD and rely upon his God.

Isaiah 50:10

You may have heard the story of the mountain climber who was so good at climbing, that he would often climb alone. He trusted his own ability and was confident that his competency would see him through any tests or challenges that might arise while climbing.

One late afternoon, while climbing down a mountain, a freakish winter storm blew in and caught him unaware. Temperatures dropped below freezing so quickly that the climber initiated emergency measures to save himself - turning on the automatic tracking beacon, and then free-falling at break-neck speed to try to get to the bottom of the mountain. In the speeding spiral downward, he lost the backpack that had his flashlight and extra rope in it. And when he jerked to a stop at the end of his rope, there was no daylight left, no ground beneath his feet, no flashlight, and no more rope. He dangled for a while, feeling his body go numb in the extreme temperature that resulted from the freak storm.

Finally, he cried out to God, "God, if You're out there, I need Your help."

God's response was immediate. "I'm here. Will you trust Me above all else?"

"Yeah, sure...anything just get me down."

"Okay," God replied. "Cut the rope."

"I can't cut the rope," the man bellowed. "I have no idea how far up I am, at the very least, I could break my ankles or my legs, then where would I be?!?"

"Trust Me. Cut the rope."

The man argued, "The first rule of mountain-climbing is to trust the rope. Never let go." 

God countered with, "Without faith, it is impossible to please Me. Cut the rope."

"I can't." the mountain climber replied, tightening his grip on the rope. "It goes against everything I know. If I can hang on, they'll track me." And he did not cut the rope.

Thanks to the automatic tracking beacon, the search party did find him the next morning... Frozen to death, clinging to the rope...six inches above where his backpack lay on the ground, ten yards from his SUV.

Are you free-falling in a speeding spiral because of something that occurred unexpectedly in your life? Will you trust God no matter how overwhelming the odds appear to be?

Prayer:

Father,

         We commit our hearts and our heads to trust You over everything and anything else we see hear or know. You alone are God and we worship You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Reflections

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
Ephesians 5:25-27 NKJV

I'm always on the lookout for beautiful, scenic photographs because one of my friends really enjoys them. Recently, another friend sent me some terrific pictures via email. One photo was an incredibly majestic landscape that was perfectly reflected in the body of water in the foreground. Mountains with snow caps and grand pines, the brilliant blues of the sky and the matching hues in the lake. It was idyllic and serene, and so identical were the reality and the reflection, that it looked as though you could turn the picture upside down and see the same image. I thought how fortunate that the photographer was across the lake and able to take the shot. Had there been no water, the real thing itself would still be magnificent, but there would have been no reflection.

The other day, I was tinkering around the sink when a sparkle of light like glitter caught my eye. It was on my forearm and I thought, "Where did I pick up glitter?" knowing full well that I had not been around anything like that. As I brushed it off, I realized it was miniscule droplets of water reflecting the light above the sink. Immediately, God brought today's passage to my mind. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

When the sunlight shines on them, the mountains can cast shadow, but without water, there is no reflection. I can see signs of light on dry skin, but the sparkle of the light is only reflected through the water. Our lives as Christians are supposed to reflect Christ, but how can we do so if we are dry? How can Christ present us to Himself as a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, unless we are reflecting His perfection? Jesus is the living Water - He sanctifies us and cleanses us with the washing of water by the Word!

Just like we shower or bathe daily to be clean, we must daily be washed by the Word of God, not just on Sunday. The winds of adversity blow and dry up the water. If there is no water, there is no reflection. What will He see when He shines His light on us? Let's reflect on that.

Prayer:

Father,
           Birth in us a great desire to know Your Word. Grant us wisdom and understanding to rightly divide its Truth. Shine Your light on us, O God, and cut away what does not reflect You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen