What is the sense of gaining the whole world if in the end we lose our souls?

10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 1 Timothy 6:10

We live in a world that worships money. We look at our 401 K statements each week to see how we're doing. Are we on track. Will I have enough money to afford those annual trips to Europe each winter? Can I afford that brand new sports car that begs me to buy? 

We want more money so we can buy stuff to impress people we do not even know.

When our investments head south, or in some cases, bankrupt, we suddenly lose hope. We forget, thanks to the ongoing arguments of the atheist movement, to pray to our Lord who wants us to call upon His name. We're told since the 60's not to mention the name of Jesus in any public square because of the separation of Church and state.  For some, they stop going to church on a regular basis. On one secular radio station on a Sunday morning, there is this program called the investment hour where they answer questions from people calling in wondering what they should do the investments that have a poor performance? 

Today, we have whole generations of people who have walked away from God who has never seen the insides of the Church.

I look at our celebrities and I see brokenness. I see pain and with a couple of them, I see horror as their lives unravel for all the world to see. 

As I read countless article after another, I've reminded over again the evils of money. In the Gospel of Mark 10, a man ran up to Jesus and fell at his knee. "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus proceeded to remind this man of the commandments- you shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother. The man looked at Jesus and said, " all these I kept since I was a boy!" Jesus looked at him and loved him. " One thing you lack," He said, " Go sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven."

At this, the man's face fell. He went away sad as he had great wealth. 

We must never be ashamed of our Bible because in those pages is the hope we have in life- even when tragedy strikes or our investment portfolio heads south.  I'm reminded by the words of the Pastor on communion Sunday, "Christ blood shed for you", as a reminder of how much God loved me that he sacrificed his son on the cross for me and for you! 

As I watch all of the people I use to looked up to fall, I'm reminded that I must keep my eyes squarely on Jesus. I see through those people how much control money had on their lives. 

Finally, I'm reminded of this question, " how much do you have to have to be happy?"   

" Just a little bit more than what I have."

The point is we're never satisfied by how much wealth we have!

We have this hope in Christ that renews our mind from the destructive messages that make us feel we're beyond hope.

I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. Philippians 1:20

Shame is like being the aging prizefighter who finds himself on the ropes receiving the punishing blows of his much younger opponent while listening to those messages, "I'm no good, I never should have considered getting back into the ring, why did I ever do this."

As our lives become shame-based, it is easy to believe that we're beyond hope. We see ourselves as unlovable and far beyond the love of Christ. Tragedy and trauma have a way of making us feel that God doesn't love us- and if he did, then my love would still be alive.

At their recent concert, I had a hard time keeping my eyes dry listening to this song.

Here I am

All my intentions

All my obsessions

I want to lay them all down 

In Your hands

God, I need you, I want you, but you don't need me. The messages we listen to in this life can send us all down a spiral staircase of despair, as though we're sitting in the abyss of hopelessness trying disparately to reach God.

Only Your love is vital 

Though I'm not entitled 

Still, You call me Your child 

God, You don't need me

I was reminded over again in God's precious Gospels how much God truly loved me. He loved me so much that he sent his son, Jesus to die for every one of my sin's He, alone, gives me the renewed purpose for living when tragedy takes someone away from us that we've loved. He, alone, gives us hope while we grieve.

But somehow You want me

Oh, how You love me

Somehow that frees me 

To take my hands off of my life 

And the way it should go

God, You don't need me

I often wondered why God didn't just start over with our planet, especially when mankind's sins started poisoning the atmosphere. But He didn't. He promised from the beginning of creation that he would make all things new. He spoke through major and minor prophets and His story became the greatest best seller in life- his guidebook on how to live this life!

But somehow You want me

Oh, how You love me

Somehow that frees me 

To open my hands up 

And give You control 

I give You control

Somehow, shame has a way of keeping us from yielding control while listening to those messages in our mind that tell us 'we're no good' While you believe you're a failure, God is gently prodding you trying to get your attention and reminding you He has a wonderful plan for your life!

I've had plans

Shattered and broken

Things I have hoped in

Fall through my hands 

You have plans

He wants to replace all of your old messages and give you the new message of hope. He wants you to know that you were worth dying for- that Jesus's death and resurrection were for you also.Through a simple prayer accepting Jesus into your heart will give you the hope you so disparately need.

To redeem and restore me 

You're behind and before me 

Oh, help me believe 

God, You don't need me

Your life doesn't need to end with the tragedy of losing someone close to you. You may not see him or her in this lifetime, but when you received Jesus into your life, God will whisper sweet messages into your soul that will give you the hope you need to go through the storms of this life.

But somehow You want me

Oh, how You love me

Somehow that frees me 

To take my hands off of my life 

And the way it should go, oh 

God You…

Jesus, thank you for coming into my life that spring day in 1974 in that little coffee house when I opened the door of my life. You replaced the old messages with new ones that gave me the hope I needed in this life! If you are missing someone who isn't here today due to a tragedy, I encourage you to consider a griefshare group near you. Griefshare will teach you how to travel through the pain of grief instead of around it. It will help you see that God will help you heal and give a new hope you need in this life. www.griefshare.org

Was there a purpose for this pain

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see Hebrews 11:1

I remember standing in Target center on April 13th with tears flowing down my face as I tried to sing this song. I remember asking God the same question that was in this song- was there a purpose for my pain?   It is often the one question that either sends mankind down a path of deeper understanding of God or a path leading to doubt and uncertainty and anger toward God.

As I walk this great unknown

Questions come and questions go

Was there purpose for the pain?

Did I cry these tears in vain?

Because we live in a fallen world, tragedy is everywhere. When it happens, one often feels they are adrift in a stormy sea wondering if they will ever survive. Fear often fills the heart of man. Fear plus anger plus rejection of God sends them down a cascading slope of despair and doubt that there really is a God.

I knew I didn't want to live in fear.  I knew I couldn't isolate myself from those around me. I knew I  had to trust my Lord and Savior that he knew what to do with my pain. and  trust  Him while finding solace in God's word.

I don't want to live in fear

I want to trust that You are near

Trust Your grace can be seen

In both triumph and tragedy

When really bad things happen in this life, it gives me peace to look back to the day I received Jesus Christ as my Savior. I had to cling to the moment I prayed to receive this Savior at a small Christian coffee house in Minnetonka, Minnesota. The day I yield control of my life to Jesus. The day Jesus came in and spoke words of encouragement to my soul. I had to hang on to all those miracle moments of my life of Jesus rescuing me.

I have this hope

In the depth of my soul

In the flood or the fire

You're with me and You won't let go

I've seen Jesus bless our family when our children were sick, and I've seen him give us the strength when death took the lives of my parents and the life of our youngest child. Yet, I was filled with the hope of Christ as I grieved- the hope that God is alive and that one day we would see not only our loved ones but our living Savior.

But sometimes my faith feels thin

Like the night will never end

Will You catch every tear

Or will You just leave me here?

Despite the deepest pain, my God never lets me go. He is there with me every scorching step of the way. He gives me peace when I had none. He reminds me of Hebrews 1 of many who clung to their faith despite tragedy.

But I have this hope

In the depth of my soul

In the flood or the fire

You're with me and You won't let go

My God is my hope no matter what comes my way in this life. He gives me the hope I need as I grieve. He assures me that I will see my loved ones again. He will never let you go no matter what happens to you in this life. 

Yes, I have this hope

In the depth of my soul

In the flood or the fire

You're with me and You won't let go

So, whatever happens, I will not be afraid

Cause You are closer than this breath that I take

You…

The all quintessential question becomes- where is God when tragedy happens in your life. We must learn how to trust God not only when good things happen, but when those painful losses occur.  If you're struggling over the death of a loved one, I encourage you to consider attending a 13-week Grief share group near you. This group will teach you to go through the pain than around it. It will give you the tools to draw near to God. www.griefshare.org

Regardless of what you're struggling with in this life, Jesus loves you and will help you recover from your pain

6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Colossians 2:6-7

A friend's post regarding asking for prayer for his depression prompted me to write this post.

This past Friday evening I treated my wife to a happy birthday celebration by taking her, along with my son and his girlfriend to the Tenth Avenue North/Mercy Me concert at the Target Center. This concert comes on the heels of the 'I can only imagine' movie which was the story of a tumultuous upbringing by an emotionally and physically abusive father who was disappointed by the choices he made in life. In an article by Brad Schmitt for the Tennessean are these words: His dad switched from a razor strap to a wooden paddle halfway through the beating.

Bart Millard, only 8 or 9, was terrified. He’d been beaten before, often. But this time was different.
His father ambushed him and grabbed the boy with one arm, wailing away with the other with a growing rage his son hadn’t seen before.

“He beat me like a dog on a leash,” Millard said.
“When I made eye contact with him, I thought: He’s going to kill me.”
After that, the boy missed two days of school — it hurt too much for him to put on clothes.

Bart's mom could not stand his father's emotional rage and left Bart and his dad.Again, I turn to the Tennessean article for more about his dad.

Millard’s dad wasn’t always a monster. In fact, Arthur Wesley Millard Jr. was a beloved high school football hero, one of only two All-Americans from his rural Texas town of Greeneville, about 45 miles northeast of Dallas. Everyone called him “Bub,” and even though he was a big bear of a guy, he was more teddy than a grizzly. Until the accident.

While flagging cars for the Texas highway department, Arthur Millard got hit by a diesel truck, a collision that put him in a coma for eight weeks.When he regained consciousness, “Bub” was a different guy. His attitude and temperament darkened. Combative with orderlies, crude with nurses, Arthur Millard eventually was restrained.

Three years later, the couple’s second child, Bart, was born. The tension in the house grew, and Millard's parents divorced when the boy was only 3. In his youth, Bart started going to Church at the invite of friends. His life began to change on the inside, but on the outside, he continues to suffer the beatings of his father.

When I did a Wikipedia search on Bart Millard, it gave me none of this information. But, what would expect from a culture that still believes 'God's dead?'

After his dad's deadly cancer diagnosis, his dad began listening to Church services on the radio. The messages so penetrated his dad's soul that the former rage he had was supplanted by the true peace that only God provides. 

Bart Millard learned that he had to forgive his father before his Christian band could really get started.

What I learned from Bart's story is that every one of us struggles with dark periods of the soul and that the only way to recover from this human condition is through a loving relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

At one point in my grief journey, it occurred to me that every one of us is just one traumatic life event from succumbing to a mental health condition. 

I also discovered the importance of giving people in such a crisis permission to tell their story with someone willing to listen without offering opinions about what they think they should do.  Allowing people to share their stories and praying for them opens the door for Jesus to restore their soul.

For anyone who might be in the painful throes of grief and loss, I encourage you to consider getting involved in a Grief Share group near you. This 13-week group will teach you how to go through the pain instead of around it. If you go to this link www.griefshare.org you can find a group near you.

Finally, no matter what happens in your life, or whatever traumatic event that has occurred, our God is always there for you. He will help you win the fight you've been battling. Those words from Isaiah 145 give me great comfort:


"I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name forever and ever. Every day I will praise you and extol your name forever and ever. Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. ...

Some observations of a Palliative nurse on the top regrets of dying patients.

Be filled with the Spirit; speaking one to another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father. Ephesians 5:18

We live in a civilized culture where our lives become center around work. Young people with their freshly minted degrees step into a world with dreams of being successful.  Somewhere along the way, just as their parents did and their grandparents did, they forget to take time to smell the roses and enjoy life to the fullest.  The purpose of this blog isn't to make anyone feel guilty they're working too much, but encourage people to take time away to recharge their batteries. 

God knew the importance of 'rest' when he made the Sabbath. He wanted us to step away from work to spend time with our loved ones as we give thanks for all that God has done in our lives.  The feedback from this palliative nurse in her years of working with the dying, I hope, inspires all of us not to make the same mistakes.

This nurse has recorded the most common regrets of the dying, and among the top ones is 'I wish I hadn't worked so hard'.

 What would your biggest regret be if this was your last day of life?

There was no mention of more sex or bungee jumps. A palliative nurse who has counseled the dying in their last days has revealed the most common regrets we have at the end of our lives. 

Bronnie Ware is an Australian nurse who spent several years working in palliative care, caring for patients in the last 12 weeks of their lives. She recorded their dying epiphanies in a blog called Inspiration and Chai, which gathered so much attention that she put her observations into a book called The Top Five Regrets of the Dying.

Ware writes of the phenomenal clarity of vision that people gain at the end of their lives, and how we might learn from their wisdom. "When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently," she says, "common themes surfaced again and again."  https://bronnieware.com/regrets-of-the-dying/

Here are the top five regrets of the dying, as witnessed by Ware:

1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
"This was the most common regret of all. When people realize that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honored even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made. Health brings a freedom very few realize until they no longer have it."
2. I wish I hadn't worked so hard."This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children's youth and their partner's companionship. Women also spoke of this regret, but as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence."
3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.
"Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result."

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends."Often they would not truly realize the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying."

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier."This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realize until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called 'comfort' of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content, when deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again."

What's your greatest regret so far, and what will you set out to achieve or change before you die?'''

What Grieving People Wish You Knew

He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me. Psalm 144:2

Grief is like tackling this huge beast that just won't quit attacking you. It wears you down, day after day, night after night, months after month, and onward.  Grieving people are often told to just move on with their life while at the same time no one brings up their loved one's name in case it makes them feel bad.

 It's as though friends who encounter the person in grief are walking on eggshells hoping they can exit the encounter unscathed from any possibility of being splashed by their emotional pain. In general, grieving people are allowed the courtesy 6-8 months to let it all out but after that, they're expected to return to their normal life's activities.  

This is regardless of the known statistic that it takes an average of 5-8 years to recover from the loss of a loved one.  Yet, when I quote that statistic, I hear some say, 'It takes that long?' 

Most people in the civilized world do not want to take that long to recover from a loss.  They would rather get the pain over by putting all of their yucky emotions in a bottle and put a cork in it, hoping it would never rear its ugly head.  

Yet, when we try to circumvent the grieving process, the cork usually becomes unplugged and we face the intensity of those emotions all over again.   Some of them are grieving as heavily 15 years later as they did the week their loved one died. The real danger is the reality that many will try to self-medicate with alcohol, drugs or both just to get rid of the pain. 

That is why when loss happens and we face all of the cascading emotions we ought to go through those emotions, one wave at a time. 

 Journaling is a highly recommended practice for anyone who is caught in the storm of loss.  Grieving people need to be allowed to share stories of the loved one who has died.  In other words don't be afraid to ask the grieving person what their loved one was like, or what do you most miss about them or tell me what was it that made you smile about your loved one.

 In your mind, their loved one is dead, but in reality, they spent many years with the person who has died and those memories linger on in their mind with stories that need to be told.

The good news is as Christians we can grieve with the hope that one day we will see them again. Jesus wants to walk with you every step of the way on your grief journey!

Finally, I highly recommend that you consider getting involved in a Grief share group near you! This group is a 13-week group that teaches you how to go through the journey of loss while giving you the tools to help you navigate it. 

Here is the link to help you find such a group.www.griefshare.org

You can change the world, one conversation at a time..God's word is abundant with verses of encouragement!

29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:29-30

I'm reminded of those words in Ephesians and contrast that with what I see in social media, I see-

Flaming arrows coming from every direction.

causing pain to anyone on the receiving end

I see political leaders on both sides of the fence

setting poor examples for the rest of us to follow

I see heartache

I see hopelessness

I see depression

in some cases I see suicide taking the lives of loved ones

Truth be told, God calls us to a higher standing,

a standing calling for edifying speech

a speech that doesn't hurt others,

a speech that doesn't harm

a speech that encourages thoughtful debate 

with respect for others opinion

Through Jesus Christ,

you can be the power of one

the one person who encourages another person

the person who pulls the one tossed under the bus

the person who becomes the cheerleader

telling others "you can do it, I know you can"

Through Christ,

you can be the conduit that can extinguish the 

flaming arrow

before you respond to someone's post,

wisely choose your words

so they encourage the other person

In Christ,

you have the power to make the world a better place,

one conversation at a time!

As I look out over the horizon on this beautiful April 3rd morning, I see God's beautiful cleansing majesties

We put our hope in the Lord.
He is our help and our shield.
21 In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
22 Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord,
for our hope is in you alone. Psalm 33:20-22

Most of us in Minnesnowta are growing tired of seeing increasing accumulations of white powder this time of year. A time where we're accustomed to rain-'April flowers brings May flowers.' Since we just celebrated the resurrection of our Lord Jesus, I'm reminded of the cleansing power of our Lord in the lives of those who trust Him. Pure, white snow. Cleansing snow.

Think of the significance of that statement!  No matter what you've been through in this life- the suicide of a loved one, sudden death from a medical complication, financial ruin- Jesus wants to cleanse you in the power of his blood, a blood that restores, a blood that heals, a healing blood that brings you back from a brink. I remember that children's song I use to sing with all the others in Church.

"Jesus loves me, yes I know, for the Bible tells me so"

That sweet, sweet song gives me a visual of our Lord Jesus wrapping his arms around me when life isn't going so well.

Then there is that verse from Psalm 18:2-6:

The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer;

my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,

my shield[a] and the horn[b] of my salvation, my stronghold.

When I think of a rock, I think of something that is immovable, something that is secure to stand on! In this age of social media where there are competing voices all trying to grab our attention- some positive and more that is negative, it is refreshing that we have our Lord Jesus to give us a secure foundation, a positive voice to counter all of the rest!

Little ones to Him belong;

They are weak, but He is strong.

Refrain:

Yes, Jesus loves me!

Yes, Jesus loves me!

Yes, Jesus loves me!

The Bible tells me so.

Don't let anyone tell you that the Bible is irrelevant today, that it's a made up fairy tale.  I can assure you from my own life of many upheavals that my Savior, Jesus, hears the cry of my voice an utters the right words of encouragement at a time I needed them!

Jesus loves me! He who died

Heaven’s gate to open wide;

He will wash away my sin,

Let His little child come in.

That white cleansing snow, a symbol of God's love for us!  A simple truth worth sharing with others in your life!

When I'm weak, He is strong

Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. 6 He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. 7 Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”

Jason had hidden in the bushes just outside the area where they laid this Jesus. He was just 12 years old when he snuck away from his house because he couldn't sleep. The images of what they did to him on that hillside were too much for his imagination. 

He stood on the hillside the evening they watched this Jesus being laid on this cross. He watched as the guards nailed these stakes into his feet and hands and tied this very prickly rope around his arms to the cross. 

Then, he remembers watching them lift this cross into the hole and drop it in with a thump that he knew must have sent slivers of pain throughout this man's body. He hadn't done anything worthy of this type of death. 

He couldn't help but feel the humiliation of what this Jesus was going through as some in the crowd were casting insults toward him. He remembered walking across this courtyard when this woman was about to be stoned- when Jesus seemed to have the right words for the right time. He remembers those words: " “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Then he watched one by one, as each person in that angry mob threw their stone to the ground and walked away.

 Jason also remembered being with his parents on the hillside listening to this Jesus talk about great truths on many subjects. He remembers how intrigue his parents were as they sat all day listening to this man. He also remembered how hungry he was as the day grew and witnessed the miracle of the loaves and fishes as he lifted the two trays and witnessing an abundance of food to feed the thousands, like him, who sat on that hillside.

Jason could see that this heavy stone had been rolled away from the entrance of the cave where his body was laid. In the corner of his eye, he saw one of Jesus's followers, Mary standing by the stone when he thought he heard a voice saying to her. "Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified.  He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.  Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”

Jason remembered when he saw this man Jesus, angry at the merchants on the temple steps when he overturned their tables because they were trying to profit from the people. Then he recalled Jesus saying, " "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days." At the time, Jason didn't really know what he meant but standing here the truth of what Jesus said meant the resurrection of his body.

What Jason had witnessed was good news- Jesus was the savior of the world!

Over the course of time, there have been millions of people positively impacted by the truths of God's word, just as they were during his brief ministry before and after his return. 

He has quite literally taken the sting out of death by giving us the assurances of God's word and giving us the hope as we grieve.

Jesus has risen, He has risen, He has risen indeed!