Mourning with hope

In a few days’ time it will be 5 years since our son and brother, Michael, was welcomed by Jesus into the start of the most brilliant future, far beyond the most creative imagination. It’s called, heaven.
These days before a death-anniversary weigh heavily on us.   By this time, 5 years ago, Michael (27 years old suffering with cancer of the spine) was in a deep, deep coma.  He has gone through the terrible trauma’s of pain, change and the worst news time after time, facing death, and suffering with a spirit that filled us with admiration and pride.   By this time, 5 years ago, Michael had virtually run this marathon and he was breathing with difficulty.   Humanly speaking we as his close family felt  as if we were going  to fall apart.  Our solid solace, at this stage already, was Michael’s prayer of heart-felt confession of his sins and a super-human peace came over him from the time he knew he was right with Jesus, forgiven and accepted and ready to die.
The memories, some so intimate and full of dignity, some bringing back the tears, some triggering today again deep, deep wonder and  gratitude.  Five years ago we as Michael’s family were with him every hour of his last days.  In that room, love flowed.  We did whatever human beings could for our loved-so Michael who was going through the valley of death.  And there in that room, we leaned heavily on our loving God’s mercies, which proved day after day to be new every morning.  We were physically and emotionally exhausted and almost totally drained, but driven by our love for Michael.  And by being strong in the power of God’s compassionate might.  On the dawn of our Michael’s last day and  hour, there too, our Father’s mercy and loving presence carried us.  More importantly, carried Michael all the way into the stunning glory and presence of the living God.
Yesterday, at Spicer Street church morning service, Gordon and I sat on the balcony in line with the pianist.  She played extremely skilfully, long arms stretched out in front of her.  Not showy, just given over to the music and especially to the words.  At first she led us strongly to sing softly and contemplatively – then, finally, triumphantly.   Moved to tears, and giving thanks that on a the darkest day of all, Christ was on the road to Calvary.
And here are some of many solid reasons we mourn for Michael with hope:

• Jesus took the blame, bore the wrath, we stand forgiven at the cross!
• Death is crushed to death, life is mine to live, won through your selfless love.
• This the power of the cross: Son of God – slain for us.  What a love! What a cost!  We stand forgiven at the cross.

And this is why we mourn for our Michael WITH an unspeakable, wonderful hope won for every believer by Jesus on the cross.
This link will take you straight to Keith and Kristyn Getty's rendition.  Shall we, together, listen with wonder and faith?

Oh, to see the dawn
Of the darkest day:
Christ on the road to Calvary.
Tried by sinful men,
Torn and beaten, then
Nailed to a cross of wood.
CHORUS:
This, the pow’r of the cross:
Christ became sin for us;
Took the blame, bore the wrath—
We stand forgiven at the cross.
Oh, to see the pain
Written on Your face,
Bearing the awesome weight of sin.
Ev’ry bitter thought,
Ev’ry evil deed
Crowning Your bloodstained brow.
Now the daylight flees;
Now the ground beneath
Quakes as its Maker bows His head.
Curtain torn in two,
Dead are raised to life;
“Finished!” the vict’ry cry.
Oh, to see my name
Written in the wounds,
For through Your suffering I am free.
Death is crushed to death;
Life is mine to live,
Won through Your selfless love.
FINAL CHORUS:
This, the pow’r of the cross:
Son of God—slain for us.
What a love! What a cost!
We stand forgiven at the cross.

And for something more on "Suffering is real–God’s loving-kindness is real" and you if you have another few minutes, see this link to a previous post.

A truly White Christmas all year round - no matter the weather or hemisphere

The bets are high that during the recent Christmas time you picked up packs of Christmas cards in the shop and tried to find appropriate wishes for family, friends and colleagues.   And what a variety of wishes: some illustrated with cute puppy-eyed puppies and playful kittens, angelic choristers, chubby angels, Mary with a halo, a fat baby with a halo, party scenes and champagne, holly and ivy and Christmas trees, etc.  And clever, silly, witty or wise words to match the pictures.

And – of course!  lots of Christmas cards adorned with  SNOW-scenes.   (We just could never identify with all this snow in sweltering Christmas times in South Africa!)

Here is wishing you and ourselves - a month too late - a WHITE Christmas:

"'Come now, and let us reason together,' says the Lord, 'Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow'" (Isaiah 1:18).

"And she will bring forth a Son and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." (Matthew 1:21).

To further explore the ultimate fresh start in Jesus and two Christmas loves, we encourage (even urge!) you to to listen to a short sermon by Greg Strain from our Spicer Street Church in St Albans.  Just click on this link to hear more about Christmas love,  and how to have a White Christmas every day of the year – even if you’ve never seen snow in your life!



By the way, the above link will take you to Spicer Street Church Audio.  Please enter "The two loves of Christmas" to title-search - the extra effort will be well worthwhile.

^{John 3: 16, 17} For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

"Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow." Psalm 51:7.

Suffering is real–God’s loving-kindness is real

 

 

Soon it will be 5 years since our son,  Michael died (physically) 15 months after his diagnosis with inoperable Ewings Sarcoma of the spine.  He just had his 27th birthday. Some days we still cannot believe it.  Gordon and I can truly identify with Matt Chandler's complete trust in his Heavenly Father – also and especially in the most trying times. 

Christians do not have to act all brave – our sighs and sorrow and laments and yearnings are real, our God’s powerful  and  loving-kindness and His ultimate plans are real. 

He is our and our children’s Faithful One in the storm, Who holds us tight.  He has given us a very loving  son and brother – He has taken Michael – to share in HIs joy.  Could we have any higher wish for our son than being perfect in God's presence?

How  merciful our  Father Who gives us space to say:  “we yearn and long for our Michael!” and at the same time resting in HIs purposes which are infinitely supreme to ours – secure.

Matt Chandler (who suffers with brain cancer) says about suffering: ““There’s a purpose in it; there’s a limit in it; and in the end, God is not going to give to us what He will not sustain us in. And I believe at that moment, the Holy Spirit gives you the power to stand. That’s exactly what we found out. And I’m rejoicing in what He’s doing in it.”

Does comparing explored London to unexplored Tokyo throw light on unknown Tokyo? And what about heaven?

These Lonely Planet guide-books are really full of practical and graphical information about far-away places.  Even so, for my life, I can’t get my head around Tokyo.

So I revert to the London we know – and wonder about the Tokyo we don’t know.  One example:  is Roppongi Hills in Tokyo anything like a cross between the Canary Wharf and the West End shopping centres in London?

Of course there’s no comparison! 

And so we think about heaven in terms of the known:  will our Michael be surfing in heaven?

Of course there’s no comparison!

Till then, like the Lonely Planet's introductory information for the traveller, so the Bible throws light on teh reality of heaven and gives us quite a lot of clues  – to whet the appetite and spur us on.

LONDON

  

TOKYO

My hope is that this short post

will send us to the Word of God

to get more  informed and more excited about heaven. 

A little more about Tokyo and heaven....

Coming Clean

Our fridge/freezer packed up on New Year’s day.  I plummeted into denial even though the fridge/freezer interior-temperature stayed constantly at “room temp”.  Very soon  the urgent unpacking of the defrosted foods became rather essential.   Then the OVERALL cleaning of both fridge and freezer.  Yesterday the spanking brand-new fridge/freezer arrived.  I took the opportunity to clean the fridge-occupied corner of our  kitchen THOROUGHLY before the strong delivery men pushed the beautiful, working, new appliance in the place of the old. 
Great!
It’s impossible not to think of how radical the Christian new birth is:  how radical and revolutionary the cleansing and the forgiveness.  Jesus was on a mission to save us from the worst predicament, i.e., God’s condemnation of those who are so fond of, who are attached to darkness. Those who are – without this life that is in Jesus – walking dead men, walking dead people.   Jesus came from heaven and it is called Christmas-love.
Of course, it is not as if we do not need our feet to be washed between our great salvation from condemnation in Jesus and that wonderous moment when we see Him again.  Sin and temptation are daily realities for Christians.  And God communicated to us (in His Word by His Spirit) what we are to do about it.  It’s all there for the reading, implementing and changing.

Here’s one of our absolute favourite master-painting  in one of  London’s treasure houses of art. Of course the original true story is not of Ford Maddox Brown’s imagination but from the history-rooted John 13.
Don’t you also just love the expression on Peter’s face!?
Jesus, our role-model.

Ford Madox Brown. Jesus Washing Peter's Feet. 1852-56. retouched several times up to 1892. Oil on canvas 46 x 52 l/4 in. Tate Britain Gallery, London.