Life and Death

Someone asked me early this year how my 2010 went.  My reply was simple, blunt, and maybe morbid.  I stated that I had attended too many funerals.  Most would understand what I meant but for the Christian whose faith is founded on the work of Jesus Christ on Calvary's cross, perhaps, I could have phrased it better.  I need to remember that physical death is not spiritual death and even though the physical body is gone, the person's Spirit is resting with their Savior until the resurrection at which time they will be given their gloried bodies which will remain for all eternity.  After rethinking my reply, a better thing to have said was something like:  "I am missing interaction in this life with more and more of my friends and acquaintances as the days, weeks, months, and years go by."

May of last year included the funerals of Bob Trousdale (my step-nephew-in-law or something like that) (his wife sang at my wedding in June of 1966) and Mark Fullerton (Shannon), my good friend and golfing buddy for 20+ years.  Later in the year, I attended funerals for Dorothy Hearn from Faith Bible Church and Paul Cowen (ex-FBCer whom I had know since the early 1980s).  This year has not included quite that many funerals yet but does include Juanita Rice from FBC and my niece's husband, Travis Boles, who died in June.  I had presented the gospel several times across the years to Travis and his daughter's preacher led him to Christ and baptised him during the final week of his life on this earth.

I just returned from visiting my long-time friend and sometimes golfing buddy, Laymond "Bo" Loyd who has been in Mercy Hospital since Monday, August 15.  Bo would tell you that his life has been marked by, humanly speaking, more tragedy than triumph yet God has been faithful through the good and not so good times.  Bo always maintains that warm grin especially when talking about spiritual things.  He loves God's people and God's word but most off all he loves his Savior, Jesus Christ.  R. C. Sproul is one of his favorite theologians and I'm not too sure Bo hasn't switched from dispensationalist to covenant theologian but in the light of eternity, neither position will matter.  Here is a picture of Bo and his wife Joann.  They celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary in Room 421 at Mercy Hospital on August 18.

Bo survived a near-fatal automobile crash in his 20's and has been through numerous reconstructive surgeries including knee replacement, lung and brain cancer, and heart problems.  His current most serious malady is a brain tumor for which he has been receiving "Cyber-Knife" treatments at St. Anthony hospital in OKC.  He was scheduled for five treatments but something went awry during the fourth treatment, he was sent home, and then suffered a seizure and was rushed to Mercy Hospital where he remains.  From an earthly perspective, the outlook is not good; from a heavenly perspective, the outlook is wonderful.  Bo settled long ago his final destination and that will be living together forever with the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ.  Please pray for Bo and Joann during this difficult period of their lives.  Joann is also disabled with a chronic lung disorder that requires her to be on oxygen at all times.  They are some of my favorite people in this world and I pray daily for God's will and for his glory to shine brightly in the days ahead. 

Have you settled your destination for all eternity?  Bo has and here are a few verses from Romans which is the book that Bo has been studying most recently.

Rom 1:17  "The just shall live by faith."

Rom 5:1-5  Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;  and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Rom 8:1-2  Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

Rom 8:18  For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

Rom 8:28-30  And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

Rom 8:38-39  For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.