It's sad...

After signing out of my hotmail account, just now, my eyes were drawn to an article advertised on the MSN homepage. The title was "How to leave your wife or how to leave your husband". It was a sad article as the emphasis was on making sure you are financially secure before you break your vows to your spouse! No advice relationally, just make sure you have made your financial plans!!

The Man of Faith... (Abraham Pt1)

A cursory reading of the New Testament, especially in Romans 4 and the book of Galatians, reveals that there is a man called Abraham who is a man of great importance in God’s redemptive plan. But who is he? Where did he come from? What can we know, and learn, about him?

Abraham appears as Abram at the end of Genesis 11 with only but a line of introduction. In verse 27 we read “Now these are the records of the generations of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran; and Haran became the father of Lot.” The remainder of Genesis 11 then tells us that Abram took for himself a wife called Sarai (v29); that Sarai was barren and could have no children (v30); Abram’s brother Haran died (v28); Abram’s dad, Terah, took Abram, and the family, and left Ur for the land of Canaan but settled in Haran (v31); and the closing verse, v32, of Genesis 11 tells us that Terah, Abram’s dad, dies in Haran. That’s some of the family background.

On to the journey: Today a lot of people continually move house. Their goal, or desire, in moving is to find the ideal home, or better location, or more practical space. The list can go on. In our day, to move house carries stress, i.e. getting all papers signed, arranging mortgages, making sure the chain doesn’t break down in the buying process. To move back in Abram’s day, however, would have been a different story. The stress wouldn’t have been in mortgages or buying chains but in gathering together every possession, animal, servant and moving without the aid of moving companies, shipping companies, or handy airlines, especially in the case of a long move. So, why did Abram and his entire family move?

Acts 7v2-4: "And he said, "Hear me, brethren and fathers! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, 3and said to him, ‘LEAVE YOUR COUNTRY AND YOUR RELATIVES, AND COME INTO THE LAND THAT I WILL SHOW YOU.’ 4”Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran From there, after his father died, God had him move to this country in which you are now living.”- So the God of glory appeared to Abram and told him to go!

Why Abraham? Isaiah 51v2: "Look to Abraham your father
And to Sarah who gave birth to you in pain;
When he was but one I called him,
Then I blessed him and multiplied him"

So, Abram moved because God called him, commanded him to move and gave him His Word and promise. Let’s think about it! God called Abraham while he was one (Isa 51v2), with no children and, humanly speaking, unable to have children because Sarai was barren. In my mind that is obstacle number one to leaving to go on a mad journey- the promise being something that seems impossible! The second obstacle was leaving to go to a land that you don’t even know the name of (Acts 7v3). So, Abram get up and go somewhere you don’t know to receive a promise that, to your mind, is impossible! What had Abram got? The Word of the God of glory!

Here is the clincher for me though! Joshua 24v2: "Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'From ancient times your fathers lived beyond the River, namely, Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, and they served other gods." Before all this happened his family were deep in idol worship! They weren’t even God worshippers! What must have the appearance of the God of glory done to Abram to cause him to go on such a journey of faith? To bring him to the point of willing obedience and a simple trusting in the Word of God ? What a God! His simple appearance and display of Himself, causes a man’s tight grip on idols to loosen and his life’s direction and allegiance to be totally altered. That appearance changed everything for Abram. What about for you and me? Has the God of glory revealed Himself to you? Have you loosened your grip on your idols? Are you walking in obedience to His Word and calling clinging to it for our hope?

Why do we preach the gospel?

I was preaching, quite recently, on the theme "why do we preach the gospel". Part of the message asked the question "What is the gospel?" from 1 Cor 15v1-4. The second section dealt directly with the question "Why do we preach the gospel?". Here are the ten reasons I gave. They have been challenging me a lot in thinking of how I live with others and communicate the gospel to them, and if I really consider what is at stake or not or if I strive to talk with them about Jesus!

1. Because Jesus commanded us to (Mark 16v15). As it is a command we will give an account as to our response (2 Cor 5v10).

2. Because it's God's chosen means (1 Cor 1v21; Rom 10v14, 17). As it is God's chosen means we have been given the ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor 5v11-19).

3. Because it is the only good news (John 14v6).

4. Because God longs for his people to be saved (2 Pet 3v9).

5. Because the judgement and wrath of God will come upon all unbelievers (Zephaniah 1v14-18, John 3v18). Knowing this reality, our response should be to communicate the good news of the gospel (2 Cor 5v11).

6. Because Jesus is coming and after that it will be too late (Matt 24v14).

7. Because the love of Jesus compels us (2 Cor 5v14-15).

8. Because the advantage must be taken now as more difficult days are ahead (2 Tim 4v2-5).

9. Because we represent Christ in His absence (2 Cor 5v20).

10. Because the Lamb is worthy to receive the reward of His sufferings (John 17v1-5).

Confession

C. J Mahaney has a great, and very challenging, post on confessing sin. It is an article you must check out.

Read it here.

What Should I Do Next?!

Mark Dever has posted a helpful article over at the Together for the Gospel blog. Check the post out here.

How Do You Pronounce That?

I was listening to a sermon today by Thabiti Anyabwile, check out his blog here. The sermon was titled, "The Glory of Pervasive Holiness in the Life of a Pastor", you can read, stream, or download the message here. The message, as a whole, was very challenging and I may post more at some stage, realistically maybe not though. Two quotes stood out and brought conviction and challenge. Both things that I knew already but did me well to be reminded of. Here they are:

"judgement begins in the household of God."

"See the exhaustive perfection of God's holy judgement."

The challenge? God's judgement will begin with us, as Christians, and that His judgement will not miss anything about anybody! The reminder that the God of the Bible isn't a passive God who lacks wrath, justice, power or authority. To know this truth should be causing us to live in light of it, knowing that God expects us to live to the fullest for Him and that one day we will be held to account for the life that we have lived. Listen to the message.

Thabiti Anyabwile is the pastor of First Baptist Church, Grand Cayman. Check the site out here.

4O years on...

I was talking with a guy yesterday who, in October this year, will have been married for 40 years. He and his wife were both married at age 22. As I am getting married this year I asked what his advice would be as I start out on the road of marriage. His advice was incredibly simple and genuine, as tears welled up in his eyes as he encouraged me to do what he had said. Always tell your wife that you love her and always keep communication open! Be expressive and be approachable! Be affectionate and open! Say you love her and show her you love her by being available and accessible. Don't zone in on TV, or other pursuits, all the time and leave no room for your wife to know, and feel the knowledge, that she is your ultimate pursuit. I was quite challenged by this guy.

He shared with me the story of his daughter who got married, and a week into the marriage had her husband tell her that the romancing was over, it was time to get on with things. He added quickly that the situation had changed, and that they were now in a romance-filled and committed marriage. However, he used that as a springboard into the advice that once you get married the romance doesn't end but simply begins! It is the beginning of making every effort to woo your wife and to surround her with love, encouragement, protection, and everything she may need to be all that she can be for Jesus! It's the beginning of loving her as Christ loved the church. Caring for her needs and desiring her good above your own. There is a big call, and challenge, upon us as men in many areas of life. Especially in marriage. We are called to make sacrifices in almost every sphere of our lives. In marriage, however, the sacrifices are sweet as they are opportunities to show and express your love to your love. I don't think I am an unrealistic guy, making these sacrifices, I know, will not always be easy; sometimes we are going to want to get our own way; sometimes we may not feel like expressing those things, but that is not the point. The point is that we have entered into covenant so we keep on doing those things, and after 40 years my encourager says keep on going; keep telling her you love her; keep talking to her; be accessible for her to talk to you; romance her; and never give up! Good advice I think!

Accountability...

Andy Naselli has a great post up on the subject of accountability. He has also posted a pdf form of questions that he, and his accountability partners, answer on a regular basis for each others viewing. A very worthwhile read!

Youth in Ministry...

Last night Channel 4 ran a documentary called "Baby Bible Bashers". The programme added a whole new dimension of meaning to the term "youth in ministry". The programme covered, bits and pieces of, the lives, and ministries, of three young people. One was a 7 year old evangelist, another (featured in picture to the left) a 9 year old healer and upcoming "pastor", and, finally, a 12 year old female healer and evangelist. If I am being honest, the majority of the show freaked me right out, though, to be fair, some bits were worse than others.

What was not too freaky? I think the main, if not the only, thing that wasn't too freaky, was the fact that the father of the 7 year old evangelist seemed to be very genuine in his concern for the lost and for his son to develop that same zeal. He was trying, at different points, to warn his son of the dangers of street evangelism while affirming the constant nearness and call of God for evangelism to be carried out regardless of the dangers or problems. However, the fact still remains that the methodolgy employed, and the use of his 7 year old son was quite extreme. Not in that a 7 year old does not have his place in serving Jesus, but preaching is a big call for anyone, never mind a young child, who was basically mocked and jeered on the streets as he spoke out against abortion, evolution and called for the people to repent. It was quite sad at one point as the young boy sat down in tears as his dad was greeted with hostility in his attempts to speak. To know in what sense the methodology was etreme, you would have to have seen his sandwich board and his almost aggressive approach. The message of the Bible, and the gospel, always remain the same as it is unchanging and timeless truth. However, sometimes methodology has to change in an attempt to communicate those essential and fundamental truths to people who take reaction to particular methods. I know that in our culture here, in Northern Ireland, I probably sound like a heretic for saying it but most people will agree?!

What was freaky? The kid in the picture is a 9 year old Benny Hinn wannabe. Waving his tissue around for people to be healed and to fall over as "slain in the Spirit". The kids dad said that in the next three years (by the time he is 12), he will be the pastor of a 30,000 member strong church, in a church building worth millions! They are on a campaign for world domination with autograph signing, t-shirts and a ministry in which the 9 year old is the head director who has his dad amd granny working for him. Questions are: what is he preaching? how is he equipped to lead people? to what level is his personal knowledge of Jesus and the Word? And those are only a limited few. I am confused about the motivation of his parents as they are pushing him on in this venture. Surely there comes a point when the desire to see your child move on in the Lord, and doing things for Him, becomes excessive?

The 12 year old girl that was featured was shocking. She has been preaching since she was 3, and is now preaching to thousands and has been for quite some time. She travels to shanty towns and a particular prison, and other places, in Brazil (I think) and people travel to hear her hoping for an experience through her. In fact one girl said, "I have been searching for a faith for 24 years, and I have now found it in her". She is pipped as a minister of healing and deliverance. One major thing that sickened me was her dad schooling her for her "performance", basically telling her when she should raise her voice and become emotional in her delivery. I was dumbfounded!

A few things have come up today in my thoughts reagrding the programme that I will post on again. Did any of you see the programme? What did you think? Don't be frightened to leave a comment now!!

Update: if you go to www.channel4.com, then follow through to the 4oD(4onDemand) section, you can stream the show on the web.

The Real John Piper

I know what you're thinking... my music taste has changed, I have discovered a deep sense of appreciation and liking of Eminem, and am about to "bust a groove" to the tune "Would the real Slim Shady please stand up", except to the words "would the real John Piper please stand up"? I can happily, and hastily, inform you that I am NOT thinking such thoughts!

So, you might be thinking, what's with the title of the post? Over at the Desiring God blog, Abraham Piper has posted his introduction that he gave to his dad, John Piper, at the very recently concluded Desiring God Pastor's conference. The conference was titled "Pastors as Fathers and Sons", or something close to that anyway. Each year at the conference John Piper gives a biographical message, and this year it was on his father, Bill Piper, who died in March 2007(it was the death of his father that prompted the conference theme). Abraham Piper introduced John Piper before the delivery of that biographical message. You can read Abraham's introduction here.

Why comment on the introduction? Simply this, when I listen to John Piper I tend to be blown away by his love for Jesus, the Bible, people, and, combining those, his passion for people to be living their lives according to the Bible so that Jesus may be glorified in, and through, us and that other people may see, in one of countless ways, that He is glorious, as our joyful obedience points toward His immeasurable worth! Now, let me CLEARLY state, this is not a worship session of John Piper, or an elevation of him to the heights of perfection, not at all! I do remember that Romans 3v23 is in the Bible! However, I have no problem in stating the fact that I have a great respect for the man and have learnt, and continue to learn, much from his teaching and example.

So... the point in the post? The undeniable lesson that it takes much more to define a man than a ministry. Great talent and gifting does not mean great character. Knowing the right things to say does not mean that you strive to be the right person to the right people. It is a confirmation that to learn who I really am, and what I am really like, you do not need to hear me preach, but you do need to talk to Kerry. Now, I hope that I am true and faithful while preaching, or ministering in some way to people, but I can fool people just as well, if not better, than anyone. Now, of course, it is possible to fool Kerry, but much less possible. I like Abraham Piper's introduction because it makes me wonder what Kerry would say about me, or what my kids (if the Lord blesses) will say about me. Will they be able to say that I am there for them, that I love them, that I taught them about grace and justice, that I was faithful to them? Will they be able to say that I made sacrifices for their good and enjoyment? Will they be able to say that I was, and am, concerned for God's glory? Concerned, and interested, in academic development? Will they be able to say, that among many things, "it’s best, for me, at least, that he’s a dad. I admire him." Kerry and I get married this summer and I hope someday she can say those things, apart from being the father to her part obviously. I hope she, and others, can say it, not to make me feel big and proud, but because it means I will have been of benefit to them and that it would be a sign of me striving to be all that I can be as a Christian man, husband and father! O Lord, may it be so!

As a confirmation, the comments on Piper led me to examine and question myself, not compare myself in any way.

Porn...

I think we will all agree that the Church today is totally embarassed and frightened to tackle the issue of porn! The truth is that we can't afford to be! We can't afford to be hiding behind silly excuses or long-standing and unbiblical traditions or using the same old cliches as reasons for not dealing with the issue. Our silence allows the devil to hold his power fully over this issue, allows the power of it to increase in individuals lives as it continues to remain secret, allows for the depression to enter into peoples lives who gennuinely want to get out of the web of addiction but can't do it on their own and can't talk of it because of the taboo nature of it! XXXChurch have been over this week and have brought a bit more attention to the issue, and over the next while I will post more. I hope that now is the time for ALL of us to get involved in seeing the issue tackled, people helped, people restored, people saved, chains broken, families restored, sexual crime fall, reality come back, social integration increase and Jesus glorified as the One who has the power ot make it happen and as the One who has MADE it happen! The nature of pornography is progressive and degenerative (as Ted Bundy admits above), the results of pornography are devastating, and the time to act is now! And we must remember that it affects the person in the pew just as much as the person on the street!

Stand.

The Desiring God National Conference this year was called STAND. All of the audio and video are available online from the Desiring God website (www.desiringgod.org). Tonight, I got round to start listening to the sessions. I didn't begin with the first, but went to listen to the second which was a question and answer session with John Piper and John Macarthur (2 men who have impacted my life greatly!) It was quite a humorous session in general, but there was so much awesome stuff that came out through their answers; their desires that they had been better dads to their kids and husbands to their wives, the influence of their dads on them, the desire to not give up in ministry, how to keep going through tough times etc. One thing sttod out in particular for me though; John Piper giving one of the reasons for the theme of the conference being STAND, the perseverance of the saints, and the answer came through Piper recounting his own experience of going through a season of depression and being downcast that lasted a couple of years:

"I have spent, goodness knows, how much effort developing a theology of suffering. This conference exists to answer that question. I want to last; I want to stand; I want to get through the discouraging times; I want to help you not be fickle, wishy-washy, drop-out, trade your life away, swap wives, leave jobs, trade churches. I just don't want you to be that way, so I make a conference."- Piper.

I enjoyed this thought, and it energised me. One, to know that other people endure discouraging times, which I seem to be enduring at present. And two, that there is an answer in holding on to our theology of God's sovereignty in the midst of evil and trouble, and that He is still on His throne!

A New Effort...

Well... this blog has existed for some time. I have been so inconsistent with updates due to laziness, lack of discipline and lack of things to say. However, over the last while, I have been enjoying looking through quite a few different blogs and websites, and being taught and refreshed by the things that I have read. So, I thought why not use this blog in an attempt to gather together all of those things for other people to see, and also to introduce some new people to all 4 of you through interviews.

So, from now on, this will be a new sustained effort to accomplish just that. Over the next few days, the page will be updated with all the good links that you will need and the posts beginning to be added.

This venture is not my way of telling the world that I have it all together and that I am the fount of all knowledge. It is my way of saying I have so much to learn, and that God is using so many different sites and teachers to show me,

1. how much I really do still need to learn
2. how great He really is
3. that we should tell of His greatness and His glory and His truth to others so that we can all rejoice in the great and true and gracious God that we have.

So make yourself at home. Please add your comments and discuss what is being put up! Enjoy the journey of learning! If you have any suggestions for interviews or improvements, then please e-mail them to me and I will consider them all! Thanks, and don't be strangers.

We Have To Feel It!

I was on Youtube tonight looking for the song "By His Wounds" from an album called "Glory Revealed". I came across this video instead. Someone has taken the song and put it to a clip from the film "The Passion of the Christ". I know that there are many problems held in regard to this film, and a number of them I understand and agree with fully. There are also a number of people that have a problem, in general, with there being any cinematic or artistic portrayl of Jesus, and again I see where they are coming from in one sense. However, in this clip, there is a bit of nonsense feartured, although very briefly, so do guard your minds! However, as an illustration, and illustration only, please read on.

The one thing that stands out for me, with this clip, is that we are seeing, to a large extent, what is being sung (the Scripture of Isaiah 53). Now, I don't believe that we need this film to add anything to what the Bible says, or that without the film or the clip our understanding would be deficient as the Bible says it plainly and clearly enough. What I think we all do, however, is block out the true physical and spiritual realities of what Jesus went through, i.e, He was torn apart when whipped and beaten and crucified and that when Jesus went to that cross the wrath of God was poured out in an incomprehensible way, in that "the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him" (Isa 53v5). We, I, talk of being saved and yet in my heart, far too often, there is a lack of horror that my sin would cause the holy Son of God to be punished in my place ("For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."-2 Cor 5v21) and that He did it all willingly ("he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death even death on a cross"-Phil 2v8; "For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord."-John 10v17-18). And because He did all of this, and willingly, that horror should be sweetened by gratefulness and joy, that because of what Jesus has done for me, I can say those words of Isaiah 53, but it should always be with heartfelt thanks for Jesus' sacrifice and not just words that we repeat in a similiar fashion that we carry out normal coversations about the weather or fulfill menial tasks-it should hit us! We should feel this truth in the depths of our hearts! It should cause us to weep, and to be filled with joy, that bitter-sweet reality that, in spite of the wretched state of our own hearts, in our natural state, that we are accepted in the beloved, adopted into God's family, declared righteous in our justification, redeemed, made right with Almighty God and only because of King Jesus.
Again, I don't think we need this clip to show us this. But, for those of us who are expert runners when it comes to pondering the sacrifice of Jesus, it is something that is right before us that will, hopefully, cause us to think about what the Bible says. As a graphic illustration, and illustration only, it may cause us to return to the Bible, to read the truth, and force us then to drop on our knees before Jesus, in awe of the great Saviour that He is! "By his wounds we are healed"! Praise God!

A Sad Report...

WARNING:LONG POST!!!

27"And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment," (Heb 9v27)

This verse from Hebrews 9 has been a dominant and recurring thought in my mind over the last couple of weeks. There are quite a few solid theological reminders contained in this 1 verse. None of us are prone to joy when thinking about death, which is probably a big reason for why we never think about it. That issue should be left for another post as it will cause too much of a digression into why our joy seems to fade when thinking about death and its consequences, being with Jesus! What does this text show us?

1. Death is an appointment: In many of our times of distress, thoughtlessness or ignorance of Truth we have a tendency to fear circumstances, incidents or illnesses. Our thinking goes along the lines of, "these things could kill me, they could take my life". In one sense that is true, but they are means only and not the cause. The Psalmist put it this way-

"Your eyes saw my unformed substance;in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them." (139v16)

And in the book of Job we read- "And he said, "Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.""(1v21).

The Bible stresses again and again that God is sovereign, and totally sovereign at that. He reigns over our coming and our going, our life and our death, our waking and our sleeping. We have not and do not determine the time and date of this appointment, God has determined it.

"'In him we live and move and have our being'" (Acts 17v28). All this is quite hard to accept and get our heads around, hence the need for us to not be "conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind" (Rom 12v2). O pray that we may be! Seek that renewal so we can trust in His sovereignty!

2. We are sinners: Where do I get that from? From the very fact that we die! Romans 5v12 says-

"Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned"

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom 3v23)

The Bible is clear- we die because we sin!

God appointed the curse of death as a punishment for sin! Now to clarify, I'm not saying that the death of those who die of illnesses or horrible circumstances is a direct consequence for a particular sin but it is a consequence of sin generally and us all being guilty of it.

3. We die once: Two things here; one is that there is no such thing as reincarnation. It is a false idea, an absolutely unbiblical notion. And secondly, there are no second chances. This text says we die and then we are judged. No time to be coming back to do it all again, or making any other sort of restitution!

4. God is just: God is always true to His character and praise Him for that! However, that causes problems for us who are sinners because the attribute that defines all of God's other attributes is His holiness-

"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!" (Isaiah 6v3). What other attribute of God's is raised to the level of being repeated three times? In the time and culture in which Isaiah wrote, there were no Stabilo highlighters so the way to draw attention and to make your point was by repetion. Isaiah, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, definitely made his point, GOD IS HOLY!

"You who are of purer eyes than to see evil
and cannot look at wrong" (Hab 1v13).

So God judges because He is holy and He cannot look at sin. He cannot fellowsip with us in our sin so judgement has to come! A punishment, just punishment, for our wrongdoing and sin!

5. All this highlights something extraordinary and overwhelming! Not from this verse but the next-

"so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him."

Jesus was offered up once (to death, to punishment, to judgement), to bear sin ("of many"-not His own and not all), so that when He comes again He will save! What a message, what a truth!

That "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God [in Him]" (2 Cor 5v21)

"But he was wounded for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all." (Isa 53v5-6)

Jesus paid it all! He has removed our filthy rags and dressed us in His righteousness, and all because He died, and He was raised and has finished the work of salvation ("After making purification for sins He sat down at the right hand of Majesty on high"-Heb 1v3), and He has shown us grace-

"8For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast." (Eph 2v8-9)

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 Jn 1v9). Praise God for salvation!

Where has it all come from?

The picture is of a young Adrian Lyttle involved in some redecorating at Orangefield Presbyterian Church. Adrian and I went to and grew up through B.B there together. Since I left the B.B and Orangefield, Adrian and I had no contact. However, a while back, another guy from that B.B told me that Adrian was sick. While away on holiday, a couple of weeks ago, I got word that Adrian had died, at roughly the same age as myself (23). The reason why this verse has been a dominant and recurring thought is because at times like this, things can seem to not make any sense and to be messed up. But then we remember, God is in control, we sin, we die, we face judgement, but then the clinker, we hang on to the hope that on the other side of death, for those who know Jesus, is eternal life and rest and joy in His presence! Adrian knew Jesus and is, at present, consumed in awe! He's more alive now than ever, with the Lamb!
Thank God for the gospel and the assurance of eternity with Jesus because of it, because of His substitutionary death and for His being raised which is proof for our justification:

"That is why his faith was "counted to him as righteousness." 23But the words "it was counted to him" were not written for his sake alone, 24but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification." (Rom 4v22-25)

"Death is swallowed up in victory." 55 "O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?"
56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Cor 15v54-57).

Although we may affirm the truth of the joy following death for the believer, there is a gap left and pain remaining in the life of Adrian's family. It does sting for them, it will hurt badly! This is a prominent stress and tension that exists due to living in the already but not yet period. If you are moved to, please pray for them (his family) and thank Jesus for saving Adrian and giving Him such a life now, even in spite of the horrible period preceeding his entry into the presence of Jesus.

What does Paul go on to say in verse 58 of 1 Corinthians 15? "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." Hold on, press on!