When A True Friend Dies

There is never an easy way to say goodbye to a true friend, especially when that goodbye is seemingly permanent.  Before as friends, we had many goodbye moments as we parted from each other’s company because we had our lives to live and our own family to go home to.  But then time would pass and we would reconnect and the true friendship went on just as before.  But not this time.  This time, we are saying a different kind of goodbye - a final goodbye. This time it’s final and it is not just sad…it hurts.

It hurts because you could always count on them to be there when you needed them, but now you need them because they are gone and there is no comfort from them right now.  It’s a vicious cycle that just doesn’t seem to end.  You hurt, you need your friend, they died and can’t comfort you, and that hurts, and so on it goes. 

So what do you do right now?  Why not remember them for what they were - a true friend?

But what made them a true friend?  True friends let you be yourself, but also they try to make you better when you were together with them.  True friends let you walk your own life in Christ, but they also strongly push you to become more like Him.  True friends just listen because it’s what you want and then correct you because it’s what you need.  True friends will be an example for you to follow, and then follow when you lead in a godly path.  True friends will always be there to encourage and lift you up…and that’s why this moment hurts so much, because a good friend has just died and none of what made them a true friend will happen anymore. 

“They will be missed.”  You hear that phrase over and over again during this process of loss.  To be honest, sometimes you wish people would find something different to say because you already ARE missing them and being reminded that they are gone only seems to hurt more.  But the fact that they will be so greatly missed is because they were such a crucial part of your life that not having them means life is now somewhat incomplete.  You hurt much because you love much.  Yes, they will be missed, because right now, they already ARE missed.  They were a true friend.

But since you were true friends, you will see each other again, because this kind of true friend shares the same spiritual foundation in Christ.  They knew Him as you know Him, and, actually, to their credit, they got to see Him first.  They are in His presence and nothing you do can change that.  Besides, why should you want to them back, because friends always want what’s best for their true friends and being in Christ’s presence IS the best for them.  Plus your true friend there desires that you go forward here with your life serving God faithfully until He calls you to meet together again in Heaven.

So you must let them go.  Your friend is not here but they are not truly gone either.  Because they knew Christ as their Savior, they have become a truer friend than they ever were here on earth.

1 Corinthians 15:54-57 "So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? -- The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Goodbye true friend, until we meet again. 

Is It Time For A Spiritual Selfie?

This morning as I took my daughter to work we drove past a teen girl waiting for the bus to arrive to take her to school.  She stood in a dramatic pose, with her phone in her hand and was clearly striking this pose for what surely was to be her newest social media addition.  This, as most already know, is a "selfie."  Now, it should be noted that though some want to think selfies are new, actually the first recorded “selfie” was taken by a photographer in 1839 and the first recorded mirror selfie was taken by a woman in 1900.  Thus the “selfie” is really not new, just more readily available to anyone with a smart phone and social media.

The dictionary defines a selfies as; “a photograph taken with a smartphone or other digital camera by a person who is also in the photograph, especially for posting on a social media website.”  Thus a it is a picture that shows ourself to ourself, and possibly others.

But as I thought about this morning’s event and the entire life os self-photos, it struck me that the selfie can also be used in a spiritual context as well.  You see “selfies” show our current condition and really should we not do the same with our spiritual life?

King David asked for God to examine him in Psalm 26:2.  His desire was to be proven through trials so that he could know whether he really loved the Lord in a way that the Lord deserves to be loved and worshipped. 

Then in 2 Corinthians 13:5 we find another example of a “selfie.”  Here the people of the church at Corinth had asked Paul for some sort of proof of his authority to correct them (1 Corinthians 13:3).  So Paul asks them to “examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith: prove your own selves.”   He explains to them that if they are saved then they are no longer “reprobates” as Christ changes the lives of His own.  So is this really a spiritual selfie? Not in the strictest sense, as Christ is the only One that is doing the final work and the “selfie” here is to prove the point that if the people want proof from Paul, they should be willing to give proof to him.  Thus not a real “selfie” examination.

But then we come to 1 Corinthians 11 and there we find a true spiritual selfie!  Here Paul is restating the principles that the Lord gave regarding the Lord’s Table or Communion.  So that when he comes to verses 28, he states, “But let a man examine himself….”  This “selfie” is for one purpose, to allow us to examine our hearts before we eat of the Lord’s Table unworthily (vs. 29).  This is clearly the spiritual selfie that helps us to get a genuine look at ourselves.  

What is the purpose of a selfie?  First, a selfie allows us to see ourselves at a given moment or situation.  As an example, you can take your smartphone, take a selfie, and then use it as a mirror, of sorts, to see how you look.  This gives you the opportunity to fix any glaring flaws, such as hair our of place or that terrible spot of food stuck to your front teeth for all to see.  You can take a selfie of yourself in some situation so you can remember what you did there or remember some specific details of that location.  I will constantly take a picture of things I want to remember such as numbers and addresses.  So it is with the spiritual selfie as we can examine ourselves for our own benefit and growth potential and remember where we were at a specific point in our life.

Second, a selfie allows our “image” to be placed before people so they can share in our lives.  I am connived that the teen girl this morning probably had her “selfie” on the web somewhere before she ever got to school.  Maybe she even entitled it with some funny name to garner attention form others.  In a sense selfies are a snapshot of our current life and spiritual selfies are actually for the same reason - to be an example and a reminder.  Jesus told His disciples that He was their example (John 13:15), Paul told Timothy to be an example to others (1 Timothy 4:12), and God allowed the Old Testament prophets to be an example to us (James 5:10).  Being an example is not a bad thing, if you have effectively placed a good “selfie” in front of others.

Here are a few benefits of taking an examining spiritual selfie:

1. It’s important to regularly search our lives for any hidden or unconfessed sin.  That is really the heart of 1 Corinthians 11:28.
2. If we examine ourselves thoroughly first, then we can know that our lives are right with God, thus making other’s judgment of us un-necessary. (1 Corinthians 11:31)
3. If we allow for regular spiritual selfies, then we will not have to stand ashamed either in front of the world or in front of God on Judgment Day. (1 Corinthians 11:32)

So how does a person take a spiritual “selfie” then?

1. Begin by asking God to search and try you (Psalm 139:23).  Don't leave any part of your life off limits to Him.  Open every door of your life and let Him show you who you really are inside.  It is only God that can truly show us our sin and it is He who must ultimately help us  fix the errors we see in these selfies.
2. Be honest with yourself about your spiritual condition.  As an example, if you do not LOVE reading God’s Word, then admit that and ask God to help you love His Word.  Or if you struggle to pray because you feel you never get your prayers answered, then be honest enough to to admit that failure and seek to adjust your view of prayer away from asking God for things to allowing God to strengthen you for the life you have (James 4:3).
3. Don't ignore what you see in yourself.  There are NO small sins when it comes to getting right with God.  Too often we see our spiritual imperfections and do nothing about them. (James 1:22-25)  If you are not faithful to church, then that requires attention.  If you harbor bitterness then you MUST deal with it.  If you are prideful, then confess it as sin and ask for deliverance.
4. Take time and don't rush.  We are told that waiting on the Lord is a good thing. (Isaiah 40:31)  If you only spend a few moments each day with the Lord, then you probably will look rough in your spiritual selfie.  But if you spend time alone with God, then are going to be more likely to mature and grow in Christ. 

A selfie can be seen as a narcissistic image or it can used as a self examination example of true personal condition.  The definition of which type of selfie is not up to the people who view the selfie, but in the one taking it and sharing it.  So why are you taking selfies and what are your going to do with them?

6 Reasons to Believe in Pre-Tribulation Rapture

1. Israel is the focus of God's Tribulation work, not the local church. As a matter of fact, the local church is never mentioned in Tribulation. This means the believers in local churches are gone. Matthew 24:21, Jeremiah 30:7; Deuteronomy 30:1-3; Isaiah 61:2 and 3; Zechariah 12:10; Isaiah 54:7-17 and Jeremiah 30:11

2. The Rapture and Second Coming are NOT the same event, which would have to be the case for a post Tribulation Rapture. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 & Ezekiel 37:11-14.

3. The "earthly signs" given for the Lord's Return precede the Second Coming NOT the Rapture. Matthew 24:29-31; Luke 21:25-28; Acts 2:19-21; Revelation 6-19. However, there are NO SIGNS which precede the Rapture.....NONE! If the Rapture occurs either mid-Trib or Post Trib there would be signs preceding it.

4. If the coming of Christ for his Church is placed on a timetable of events, it loses its imminence. He then cannot come until certain things happen, especially the Great Tribulation. This would contradict 1 Thessalonians 4:12.

5. The churches of Revelation are all Jewish in nature and characteristics. Even including those claiming to be Jews and are not. This would indicate that Gentile Christians are not included AT ALL in the focus of the Tribulation. Whereas today most Christians are Gentiles, not Jews. This would have to show Pre-Tribulation Rapture.

6. The latter part of Revelation includes a period known as “the wrath,” i.e., the wrath of God. Romans 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 1:10 and 5:9 specifically say that Christians are delivered from the “coming wrath.”