You Are Worthwhile!

“For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Romans 6:10-11

There are many moments in life we wish we could get back. When you threw the ball in the house and it just missed the open hands of your sister to break your mom’s favorite lamp. Those hurtful words you said to your girlfriend in anger. The brilliant plan to see if your homemade wings could actually sail you to safety as you leap from the roof. That time you put your foot in your mouth when trying to make a good first impression. All momentary lapses in reason. Quick . . . and painful. Your mom’s wrath, the crushed look on your girlfriend’s face, your broken leg(s), your utter embarrassment.

A series of better moments exist which have led to healing rather than sickness and restoration rather than shame. Moment after moment, Jesus could have made very different decisions. He could have chosen to take a side trip to Bethlehem instead of journeying into Jerusalem. He could have stayed undetected in the upper room where he presided at the Passover with His dear friends. He could have allowed His disciples to defend Him when the garrison came to grab Him. He could have protested to Pilate, hassled with Herod, fought with the Pharisees, squabbled with the Sadducees, contended with the cruel crowd. He could have begged for benevolence at the hands of the sadistic soldiers. He could have declined to carry His cross. He could have hated the horde who demanded His death. He could have given the cold-shoulder to the kleptomaniac dying beside Him. He could have heeded the suggestion of His mockers and miraculously made His flight for freedom. He could have lived.

But then, He would not have been Jesus!

The death He died, He died to sin. Your sin and my sin. His excruciating last moments have worked healing and restoration to all our many moments of epic failures.

So consider yourself also dead to sin and alive to God in Jesus! You have been redefined. All your moments have taken on significance. You are not a failure. You are not a loser. You are not second-rate. You are inestimably cherished by the God who gave you life! You are alive to God! You are worthwhile!

“I build on this foundation,
That Jesus and His blood
Alone are my salvation,
My true, eternal good.
Without Him all that pleases
Is valueless on earth;
The gifts I have from Jesus
Alone have priceless worth.”
If God Himself Be For Me (Lutheran Service Book, 724)

Tornado (Very Funny Informational Essay by my son!)

Have you ever seen a tornado? If you haven’t I’d like to tell you about tornado safety. Three ways are seeking shelter, staying updated on weather that may occur, and not getting in vehicles during bad weather that may turn into tornadoes.

Seek Shelter

First of all seeking shelter is important. Getting under a sturdy object is important because if you don’t you may get seriously injured! Also you should stay away from windows in case glass should fly and cause you harm. I didn’t know these procedures and I got injured and had to be taken to the hospital. All in all seeking shelter is very important because it may save you a trip to the hospital.

Updated

Moving right along, staying updated is important because if you are not up to date on the local weather forecasts you may end up walking out your front door and into a tornado’s path. Make sure that you are in fact looking at the local news. It would be quite useless if you don’t. In a nutshell, stay up to date.

No Vehicles

Last but not least, don’t get in vehicles. Don’t get in the grass. Don’t play in the yard. Or anything except a house. Now you know, so don’t get in a car or you might die.

In conclusion, you now know the three ways not to be gobbled up. They are seeking shelter, stay updated, and no vehicles. Now you know, so please follow them.

Not Gonna Die Again (This Should Make You Think!)

“We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.” Romans 6:9

I wonder what it will feel like to be resurrected from the dead. I don’t really care how it feels to die, but to be brought back to life . . . that’s something I’m looking forward to experiencing. To know that death can’t daunt me, sickness will never strike me, and grief will not gain a foothold over me. I’m not sure I’m presently capable of comprehending what this will feel like, but’s it’s sure fun to think about!

It is likely that I will die one day. (If Jesus returns before I die, I will never die. Cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:17) My wishes are to have my God-given body placed in a reasonably nice casket. I want a funeral in the church. I want the preacher to comfort my loved ones with words of hope. Words of resurrection hope. Words that look beyond death, beyond Good Friday. Words that proclaim the empty tomb of Jesus. Words that preach the future emptiness of the grave about to be filled with my lifeless body. I want friends and family who care about me to mourn the fact that death has taken me. (While I’m on this tangent, I dislike the poems in the funeral home pamphlets that say things like “Don’t cry for me, I’m in a better place.” I say, “Go ahead and cry for me if you want . . . I’m dead.”) I want my loved ones to mourn as those who have hope. My funeral will not be a final farewell, but a temporary goodbye.

So, I wonder what it will feel like. Will my dead ears all of a sudden be able to hear again as the blasting trumpets announce the coming of my Lord? Will my lifeless arms and fingers revive to find my own way out of the ground or will Jesus Himself dig me back out? What will it feel like when my body and soul are reunited? To feel life breathed back into my nostrils. To stand face-to-face with my Lord, having just been Lazarused out of the grave.

Jesus knows what all this feels like. He was once dead, but now lives. He will never experience the disgrace of death again. The resurrection doesn’t have an expiration date! Once resurrected, always resurrected! Once alive, always alive! What will it be like to live forevermore? I don’t know yet, but one day very soon I will find out. Jesus promises!

“O my God, my rock and tower,
Grant that in Your death I trust,
Knowing death has lost its power
Since You crushed it in the dust.
Savior, let Your agony
Ever help and comfort me;
When I die be my protection,
Light and life and resurrection.”
Jesus, Grant That Balm and Healing (Lutheran Service Book, 421)