A mate of mine just sent me the YouTube link to The Trumpet Shall Sound (Handel’s Messiah), sung by Benjamin Moreno. Here’s one comment on YouTube:
“¡Bien Benjamín! Excelente? tu participación en la trompeta. ¡Felicitaciones!”
Which I think in English Oz is something like, “Fantastic! Great trumpeting. Congratulations!”
My friend’s advice was to turn up the volume – right on!
I’ve been lately thinking much about the return of the Lord Jesus. One aspect of this certain future event is the Final Judgment when the Lord will set all things right. Michael Bird has an excellent short post on God’s judgment – is it retributive, restorative or both? He writes:
“We do not have to choose between retributive and restorative schemes of divine justice. The righteousness that brings judgment also fills the universe with God’s shalom for. For “the fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever” (Isa 32:17; cf. Ps 85:10; Isa 9:7; Heb 12:11). There can be no reconciliation without recompense otherwise the disorder, destruction, and decay of evil prevents peace from lasting. The incarnation and the cross achieve both: juridical judgment and relational peace wrought in the atonement.”
The comments on Michael’s post are also worth reading. You might find Michael’s musings here worth chewing on as well.
1 Cor 15:50 I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed — 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
55 “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Yesterday morning, we buried the body of my wife. In the afternoon, a very large crowd came together to praise God for His grace in the life of Sheryl McArdle. Sheryl had discussed her desires for this Thanksgiving Service with me many months ago. Lots of worship singing. We honoured that desire as nearly 700 people just avoided lifting the roofs off the Deep Creek buildings! We also agreed that I would give the address.
God’s grace to enable me to preach yesterday, and the peace He gave me as I rose to speak, will always be treasured by myself – I can assure you it would have been impossible for me to minister without being carried on ‘eagles wings.’ You can listen to the message here. Here’s the transcription – not quite word-for word:
“Death is confronting. Very confronting.
That’s why there is often such a massive effort expended on sanitising it; dismissing it; seeking to fill up our lives and minds with anything and everything to push back the harsh reality of death.
But death comes. Like an intruder in the night. Unwanted; out of order.
We rightly cry out against it. That’s what I felt like doing last Tuesday night.
Something is wrong in our world. Terribly wrong.
Does God care??
Friends, not only does God care; God has dealt death THE death blow.
God Himself has intervened. Himself! In the Person of the Lord Jesus – the God-Man. The Lord Jesus Christ – the centre of Sheryl’s life –ever since she trusted in Jesus as her Lord and Saviour over 30 years ago.
But perhaps you might be thinking, “How did God deal death THE death blow?” I mean Sheryl’s body did stop last Tuesday.
The Apostle Paul not only answers this question, but provides immeasurable comfort for all you are trusting in Jesus – in this last part of 1 Corinthians 15.
Paul states clearly and boldly that those who are living in earthly, natural bodies now (like himself) cannot inherit the KOG or eternal life as they are.
Paul is NOT denying that physical bodies will be in the New Heaven & New Earth.
Paul uses the expression ‘flesh and blood‘ to describe human nature as it is now – in all of its frailty; in its perishability – as we have witnessed over many years with Sheryl, and most certainly on Tuesday night.
To inherit God’s final Kingdom – there needs to be total transformation. Body and spirit.
Sheryl’s inner person began a process of transformation when she trusted in the LJ three decades ago. Sheryl simply responded in her whole person – not just intellectual assent – to the truth of John 3:16:
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
And that inner transformation was made complete last Tuesday night as Jesus welcomed her into His very presence. Sheryl is with the Lord in blissful, ecstatic joy. More alive than ever. Conscious. Interacting with others in heaven.
And as good as that is, the Lord still has more in store for her.
What grace! What fantastic love!
The outer – the body – also requires transformation so that we can inhabit; live in the New Heaven and New Earth – which will be a very physical existence! And that transformation of her broken body will happen at the resurrection – when Jesus returns.
Christians don’t grieve without hope. At earthly death, we are in fact alive in the very presence of the Lord.
At Jesus’ Second Coming, the body in the grave is resurrected and transformed. The torn tent of Sheryl’s body will one day be transformed when the Lord Jesus returns. And He will. Paul says to the Philippian Christians in fact that believers’ bodies will be transformed so that “they will be like Jesus’ glorious body.”
That’s a great package, isn ‘t it? That is God’s love for His broken world; for broken people. It has been made possible thru Jesus – His death and resurrection.
But like any gift, you need to receive it.
Paul says, ‘Listen up. I’m going to tell you a mystery.’ A divine truth that had not previously been disclosed.
Listen up. In the twinkling of an eye, (flash), the last trumpet will sound –
Sheryl requested a trumpet for today’s service. As good as Jason is, the last trumpet will be something very special!
The trumpet will announce a thundering note of victory – “the Lord Jesus has returned.” And transformation will be complete for EVERY follower of Jesus – whether they are alive, or their body is in the grave.
When the Lord Jesus returns He will bring this world with its terrible sicknesses; its rebellion against the love of God; with its death – to an end.
Everyone will be judged. The living and the dead. There will be a setting right.
And ALL who are trusting in Jesus – described here by Paul as ‘brothers and sisters‘ will inherit the KOG in its fullness.
Sheryl will be there. Exploring all of its delights!
Why? Because Jesus died for her sins. And rose again for her, conquering sin, and death.
And because Sheryl accepted this free gift of salvation – in repentance and faith. And she continued to trust in Jesus – right to the end of this life.
Is that your personal experience? Your personal testimony?
Sheryl knew the tent of her body was getting ripped apart. But she could face the destruction of her body with resolute confidence.
This was not something which she psyched herself up about. Not something she dreamed up.
It was a rock solid confidence based on the authority of God’s Word. Attested by the resurrection of Jesus.
So the Apostle Paul puts it this way:
“53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.””
Radical transformation. Death itself will be swallowed up – ie. completely done away with.
Death – that disgusting intruder – that destroyer – will be gone forever.
Why? Because of Jesus and what He has done in His death and resurrection.
Without Jesus, death has a terrible sting. The word ‘sting’ was used in Paul’s day to describe the deadly stinger of a scorpion.
Without Jesus, we will stand before God with all of our sin exposed.
With Jesus – our sin is completely removed. That’s what Jesus achieved on the Cross.
Without Jesus. With Jesus. Jesus makes all the difference – not only in this world but in the world to come.
For the Christian – for Sheryl – for all – who are trusting in the One who is the Way, the Truth and the Life – the sting of death has been removed.
Oh yes, followers of Jesus end up with deadly tears in the tent of their bodies – like all people.
But earthly death for the Christian simply prepares the person for being clothed with a glorious body that will NEVER be impacted by disease, or evil.
Yes, with Sheryl’s temporary passing there is deep grief. Such a special person will be missed very deeply. BUT, Christians do not grieve without hope.
We have ROCK SOLID confidence in the future – because of a ROCK SOLID confidence in Jesus – demonstrated to all by His resurrection.
Salvation is freely available to all who come in simple childlike faith.
Friends, the Lord Jesus will return and when He does, He will usher in the New Heaven & New Earth. Existence in the New Heaven & New Earth will not be boring! It will be fun filled, creative, stimulating days without end. It is the most fantastic prospect.
The pain and deep, deep grief that death brings will be gone forever!
It is wonderful to have such a huge crowd here this afternoon celebrating the grace of God in Sheryl’s life. I know that Sheryl’s deep desire would be that EVERYONE here this day would be trusting in the One – the only One – who has conquered sin, death and the grave.
The One whom death could not hold down. The One who is risen. The One whom would have welcomed Sheryl with open arms last Tuesday night.”
The Apostle Peter writes in 1 Pt 5,
“6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for you.”
In the midst of deep and profound grief at the temporary departure of my dear wife last Tuesday night, 17th May, whose body finally succumbed to ravaging cancer, God’s care has been manifest in so many ways – to myself; our family; our church community at Deep Creek Anglican. Let me give one illustration.
Each year I aim to have at least a five-week preaching series from the Psalms – for either one or all of the three congregations at Deep Creek. It was mid-way through last year that I read the following review of Talking Back to God. The book’s thrust really caught my attention; I purchased a copy and then there it sat on my ‘future reading’ shelf.
A suitable bone marrow donor was identified for Sheryl in July last year and from August on, life became intense with Sheryl’s pre-transplant procedures and then hospitalisation for one month. Sheryl survived the critical first 100 days post transplant and during this time I gave more thought and prayer to the preaching program for 2011.
As I looked at the flow of the new year, I felt led to follow the Kingdom Living series with a Psalms series, Talking Back to God. I penciled this in for five weeks but did not at that time decide on which particular psalms to use.
Through January 2011, Sheryl was recovering well from the bone marrow transplant however three melanomas appeared on her upper body. Not a good development. They were removed and the clear post-surgery cat scan seemed positive. Within weeks however Sheryl developed a very bad limp and pain on her left side.
Church-life was hectic in the run-up to Easter and one item that needed to be finalised was the preaching program post Easter. I flicked through Talking Back to God with my open Bible and selected five psalms, with Ps 23 planned for Sunday, May 22nd under the title, ‘Talking Back to God: From Weakness to Strength.’
Sheryl’s condition continued to worsen and on Tuesday, 12th April she was admitted again to hospital. Within 10 hours, a cat scan revealed extensive cancer in her bones. She was confined to a wheelchair and the prognosis, from a medical perspective, was very bleak.
Sheryl was able to join us on hospital day leave on Sundays for corporate worship, including Easter Sunday. We began the Talking Back to God series on 8th May, in the midst of both personal, family and church grieving over Sheryl’s health. What a blessing! The psalms speak so powerfully into all contexts, and the joys and sorrows of life. The Lord used them powerfully to minister into our church community.
Sheryl passed into the Lord’s glorious presence last Tuesday night, only hours after surgery intended to improve her mobility. Although I had had many years to prepare for her passing; notwithstanding her resolute faith in, and love for, the Lord; the grief in the immediate days following was overwhelming. Probably contributed by so much health trauma over the last decade.
Did God care? Most certainly. I decided to attend each of our three services on Sunday, but not to participate up-front. James Duff spoke from Ps 23 – and the Lord’s gracious, comforting, soothing ministry through the Word and His Spirit was awesome.
Was this a coincidence that last Sunday with our family grieving; the church community grieving; that the Lord cared for His people with the words of Ps 23? A skeptic would say, ‘Yes, a coincidence.’
But I know differently. I have seen the Lord’s gracious hand in my own life; in the family’s life; in the church’s life, innumerable times over the years. But last Sunday was something to always be remembered. Tears were streaming down my face as James preached – tears of loss (temporary yes, but still very real loss); tears of thankfulness for God’s grace in saving Sheryl; tears of thankfulness for her gentle gospel witness to me during those many years of my stubborn resistance to the love of God in Jesus; tears of thankfulness for God’s sustaining grace in her life, through enormous trials of suffering; tears of joy and thankfulness for the Lord’s awesome love for His church, that He would so superintend that Ps 23 would be our focus on that Sunday of deep grief.
Does God care? Yes, the Shepherd cares so deeply for His broken world that He laid down His life.
Praise You, Father for Your love.
Praise You, Jesus for Your death and resurrection.
Praise You, Holy Spirit, for Your Word and ministry into hearts and lives.
Last Sunday we commenced a five-week series from the Psalms, Talking Back to God. James Duff, our Young Families and Young Adults Pastor, preached a great message from Ps 90. Each year we incorporate five weeks or so of journeying through the Pslams. This year I was greatly inspired by this book on the psalms:
Have you ever felt like talking back to God? That’s the question posed by Lynn Anderson in Talking Back to God: Speaking your Heart to God Through the Psalms. This is not a verse-by-verse commentary on the Psalms. It is much more than that!
In Lynn’s words, the book is a “humble guide for talking back to God using the Psalms.”
And the book certainly achieves its purpose for those who take up the challenge to pray one psalm a day – not legalistically, but with heart orientation to pursue God.
In the current circumstances of our family, with cancer rapidly producing very large tears in my wife’s body, I was struck by the opening lines of chapter 8 where Lynn enters into the wonders of Ps 23. Here’s Lynn’s experience:
“Soon after I was diagnosed with lung cancer, I tossed through some long nights with dark shadows and my faith seemed terribly weak. Several mornings in a row, my first waking thought was, ‘I have death in my body.’…
So one of those dark mornings I ventured to confess this to Carolyn.
“I have death in my body,” I said.
“Of course you do,” she replied. ”So do I. So does everyone. But you also have life in your body. And we going to celebrate life.”"
What is your experience as you go to the regular spiritual gym of the Psalms? My own experience is that of Lynn’s:
“Even when we are too weak to see it ourselves, the Psalms remind us of God’s strength available to us. They remind us that we can talk back to God – even when we feel as if death is in our bodies.”
