Why Dying is Gain for the Christian

“For me to live is Christ and to die is gain”. That’s the bold declaration Paul makes in his letter to the Philippians. In essence Paul was saying, in life or in death his life is not his but Christ’s. Therefore, in life, he will live recklessly abandoned to the cause of Jesus Christ and do His bidding and in death he gains eternal fellowship with Christ himself! A Christian cannot faithfully live his life without a biblical perspective of death. And yet it is those who live well, who die well. Living in light of our death is something the bible encourages, for it appointed for man to die and afterwards judgement (Hebrews 9:27), teach us to number our days (Psalm 90:12) or what is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and vanishes (James 4:14). For those who live for Christ, dying will always be gain and here are some reasons from scripture why death is gain.

We will be with Christ forever

As it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Philippians 1:20-24

Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be. John 14:1-3

Our Spirits will be finally perfect

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Romans 8:18-25

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect. Hebrews 12:22-23

We will know everlasting joy

And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Isaiah 51:11

We will be rewarded for all our labors

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:6-8

The fear of dying can cripple you and cause anxiety in your soul but for the one who lives faithfully for Christ- To live is Christ and to die is gain. Live well so you may die well. 

3 PROBLEMS WITH MISSING CHURCH

It first begins as an occasional habit and it soon degenerates into a way of living. I am talking about Christians missing church! It may seem innocent and excusable but it is actually very dangerous for one’s spiritual well-being and I can at least think of four problems with a Christian habitually missing church.  

You disobey God

The Lord exhorts us through the writer of Hebrews when he says “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:24-25). Here the Lord commands us to stir and encourage one another as we meet corporately. Meeting together will look different from church to church, however that looks like in your church? Be sure to attend. Missing church is refusing to obey God’s word and that is both unwise and dangerous.

You set yourself up for a fall

Despite our best efforts to appear strong and independent we all need people in our lives. Two are better than one the bible says (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12). Whenever you chose to neglect meetings of the church, you isolate yourself and remove yourself from the safeguard of brothers and sisters. You invariably open yourself up to all kinds of company, temptations and sin. There is some kind correlation between missing church and falling in sin. In the jungle the lion always pounces on animals that isolate themselves from the herd. Remember the devil is like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 peter 5:8).

You are saying to people your God is not worthy of worship

We give our dedication to the things we value and think are essential to our lives and the people around us know what we consider to be of utter most importance. I.e. our jobs, school and favorite sports team. The Christian’s devotion to been in the house of the Lord and worshipping him is a great testimony to the watching world. It is a way of saying God is first in my life and I will dedicate time and energy to worship him by regularly meeting with other believers. Inconsistent church attendance on the other hand is saying God is not that important and meeting with others to worship him is not such a big deal.

Clarifying thoughts  

I am not in any way saying every person who goes to church is spiritual or a Christian for that matter. Church attendance in itself does not make you a Christian nor transform you in the likeness of Christ. Neither may I saying there are no legitimate reasons for someone missing church i.e. sickness, bereavement and others. I am however saying the church is God’s primary agent of carrying out his purposes including spiritual growth and habitually missing church is both dangerous and problematic in many ways.    

Happy New Year to you! 2016 went by like a flash and believe it or not 2017 is here. A new year in many ways comes with both a promise of a fresh start as well as a lot of uncertainties. We have before us 363 days of promise and uncertainty and can potentially be a source of noise and anxiety. We can however draw great encouragement and comfort from Psalm 121.

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.

The psalmist, when faced with uncertainty looks to the heavens and draws encouragement from two certain truths about the Lord:

The Lord is the powerful creator

The psalmist looks to the creator of the heavens and earth in his time of need. The Lord who flung everything into place also ordained the days, months and years and everything in them. So while we are in the first week of the year the Lord already knows what the entire year has in store and he will daily order our steps throughout 2017. Therefore, though we do not know what tomorrow holds, the Lord knows and that should comfort those who are His children.

The Lord never sleeps

The second powerful truth this little psalm teaches us is that the Lord never sleeps! He is ever working 24/7. He never takes a break, he never gets tired nor does he take a day off. While we are asleep the Lord is at work keeping watch over His Children- protecting, sustaining providing and guiding. As the prophet Isaiah proclaimed “when you did awesome things that we did not look for, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him” (Isaiah 64:3-4).

Dear friend as you make your plans and resolutions for 2017 trust in the Lord. Yes the year will come with many uncertainties and we will be in dire need for help, do not fret for our God is a powerful creator who is in control and He never sleeps. The entire year is before Him and in His wisdom only gives us grace for the day. Therefore look to the Lord and trust Him in the uncertainty that comes with a new year.  

Lessons From 2016

Sin is a horrible mess

Nothing good ever comes out from sin. This year has been another reminder of the terrible consequences of sins in my own life and the lives of others, family and friends included. From Adam through to 2016, life and relationships have felt the effects of sin. Sin not only affects the person committing the sin as they battle with the guilt, shame and all the awkwardness that comes with it but it also affects the people around you. Either your sins are against them and you are affecting them directly or they are feeling the consequences of your sins and they then have to suffer emotionally, spiritually, mentally or physically. Your sins ultimately affect your relationship with God. David cries in Psalm 51, “for I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.”

Sin messes up your life, the lives of others and your relationship with God. Nothing good comes out of it and for those secret sins we somehow think we can get away the Lord warns us that “your sins will find you out” (Numbers 32:23).

Local church family is essential to a healthy Christian life

Churches like homes are never perfect. In fact that might be deemed as an understatement by some people! The simple fact that churches are made up of people means that every church will have issues, sin has a way of messing up things! However, local church family is essential for the growth and stability of even the strongest of believers. It is dangerous arrogance to assume you do need the support and encouragement of your local church family. It is in fact trying to be clever than God who instituted the local church for that very purpose. I really feel sorry for people who neglect and see no good in their local churches, they actually do not realize how important the family is to their lives. Show me a person who is not a healthy church member and I will show you a person who is suffering from spiritual malnutrition and probably living in sin. We all need the support and encouragement of the imperfect, sometimes difficult and trying local church family.  

The Lord’s work is the Lord’s

Christ says he will build his church and the gates of hell will not prevail (Matthew 16:18). That’s a truth I constantly have to remind myself of. Our task is that of a steward managing the master’s work. It is both foolish and pride to assume the Lord’s work is your doing and dependent on you. Foolish because you then bear burdens you do not have the grace to handle. It’s like a child trying to figure out where the next bag of mealie meal will come from, it is unnecessary stress because they do not have the ability and it is not their job. Pride because you think too highly of yourself in thinking the Lord’s work is actually yours. I am learning to know where my stewardship ends.

People need the gospel

It does not matter your race, gender, age or social status, we all suffer from the sickness of sin and God’s remedy is the gospel. People from all walks of life need the gospel. It is God’s power unto salvation (Rom 1:16). We have the tendency to be clever and come up with clever ideas and solutions. I learnt that God’s solution is more than enough! You can for instance tell a couple the principals of communication all you want, if they have not learnt to acknowledge their sinfulness and humbly submit to Christ, you are pouring water on a dark’s back. People need the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Lord is good all the time

He provided all our needs at the right time. He showered us with many blessings both spiritual and physical. He gave us grace every day of the year. He answered many of our prayers. He was patient with us and forgave our many sins. Truly what the Lord has done for us we cannot tell it all. I will praise His name for His mercies endure forever!

The Festive Season, Fireworks and The glory of God

One way you know Christmas and the New Year are here apart from the decorations and the songs is through fireworks! Granted the unexpected and unnecessary sound of fireworks can be annoying and can cause your blood pressure to go up a notch, we can all agree that there are no better sights than a fireworks display in the dark sky. We look up and join the “wow” “ooh” choruses as we are dazzled by the beauty and splendor of the spectacular explosions. It is truly amazing that man can light up the sky in such a beautiful way albeit for a short while and has every right to be wowed by such innovation. I at least have every intention of letting off a few fireworks myself this week.

A spectacular fireworks display

As you are impressed by the lights from the fireworks this week, I would like to remind you that from January to December there is a light that brightens the dark sky every night and we have got so used to it that we have forgotten its glory and splendor. We have become too familiar with the moon and its spectacular light that we actually do not notice it.

The moon at dawn

The moon is 384, 400 km away from the earth and has a radius of 1,737 km and a surface area of about 38 million square kilometers almost the surface area of Asia. Its weight is over 80 quintillions (yeah let’s leave it at that). The temperature at the moon ranges from -173 degrees to 127 degrees Celsius.

The amazing thing is that year after year it makes its circuit without complications (despite its size and weight) and it faithfully and quietly lights up the sky and we simply do not notice. What’s even more amazing is the fact that the moon pales in comparison to the size, heat and light of the sun. We should be grateful the sun is just the right distance from the earth otherwise we would be toast. Even the sun is simply another star in a galaxy of spectacular stars.

The Heavens declare the glory of God

And God made them all! “It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;     who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in; who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness. Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows on them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble. To whom then will you compare me that I should be like him? Says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing” (Isaiah 40:22-26).

The psalmist then tells us “the heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard” (Psalm 19:1-3)

No wonder when the wise men from the east followed the bright star it led them to the creator of the universe who had just become man and they rightly fell on their knees and worshiped. Because while we should be amazed at the wonder and beauty of the bright shining stars, we should above all else honor the one who created them.

So as we marvel at the fireworks that will be beautifully lighting up the sky this festive season, remember the moon has been doing so for thousands of years at the creator’s command. Let your amazement and delights lead you to worship the creator whose glory is displayed daily by His creation.