24 oceans

24 oceans

This title comes from the popular christian band switchfoot. Those who are fans recognize that Jon Foreman often reflects on his age in song form. I was 18 when I heard this song and remember thinking “wow, I wonder what 24 is like.” Now I wish I could have 24 back. I miss my child hood. I miss being a teen. I like the scene in Billy Madison where Billy goes back to school and gets to re-live each grade. In one scene he grabs a chubby young man by the face and says “cherish it!!”… this scene makes me laugh every time, but there is a Biblical truth is this statement.

We are told in Scripture that life is a vapor and when we were children to think like children, but as adults to put away childish things. Let’s be honest …growing up stinks. Our world is overwhelming…stress is demanding and we are constantly reminded of our failures of the past and responsibilities for today. Death is something the child never thinks about, but we adults are often reminded of its looming prescence. What do we do now? Can we makw like an ostrich and insert head into sand or is there something more.

In the song 24 Foreman states ” I am the second man now, and your raising the dead in me”. This is the power of Christ…the second life. This is the hope for the Christian that changes how we view everything. We do not morn as those who have no hope means we deal with life and death through Christ. He secured new life here and in the next life for those who believe.

This past week I lost a friend and fellow church member. Kevin was a constant encouragement to me and we all do not know how to get through this tragedy if it were not for our saviour, Jesus Christ. There is comfort in knowing he is face to face with Jesus and we will see him again. This week Pastor Terry Zeller died also. This was my pastor until I was 14. He preached the gospel which lead me to salvation and he baptized me. Both men will be terribly missed. To be honest I am devistated. How can you not be? But there is a huge difference in being devistated and devistated with hope. I have hope in knowing they are with Jesus and in knowing I will someday be there too. This is our faith to the test. Do we rwally believe what we say we believe. Is Jesus really the truth? Is Jesus really life? Is he really the way?

Spurgeon states, “The thought of this future may well relieve the darkness of the past and the gloom of the present. The joys of heaven will surely compensate for the sorrows of earth. Hush hush…my doubts! Death is but a narrow stream, and you will soon have forded it. Time, how short– eternity, how long! Death, how brief–immortality how endless!The road is so short and I will soon be there.”

“Still I am singing Spirit, take me up in arms with you”

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