God Knows You By Name

Part 2 - The Way to Live and to Die

Part 2 - The Way to Live and to Die ©2018 CarolynAnnAish

Last Sunday, the 27th of May 2018 was the 15th Anniversary of the 'Death Day' of my husband, (Vivian) Walter Aish, who had terminal cancer and died from the after effects of radiation treatment given to help manage his pain.

No regrets or amount of sorrow can bring back someone who has died and been buried.

But as Christians, we can have amazing hope. My hope is that I will be standing beside my husband's grave at the time Jesus returns in the clouds for those saved; believing Christians —as promised in 1 Thessalonians 4:16:

16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

I shall see my beloved rise from the grave, as the #Scriptures say, and I shall 'be caught up' with him to meet my Lord in the air - wow, it's awe-inspiring; such a supernatural event. For those who believe, it is truly something to look forward to and to 'Love Jesus Appearing'.

2 Timothy 4:8Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

*****

Also last Sunday, the pastor, of the church I attend here in New Zealand, Pastor Mike, presented a very encouraging and inspiring message on Stephen of the New Testament – a man who indeed, "shows us the right way to live and to die" (Pastor Mike's words). The passage given was from Acts Chapter 7 and is a record of Stephen's sermon to the hierarchy of the day, calling them, "betrayers and murderers." Acts 7:51

The words beginning with 'C' from this message:

1. We Need the COURAGE of Stephen – He told the truth about Jesus even though most of the hearers refused to believe him and became violent towards him, "gnashing at him with their teeth". They were angry beyond their ability to control themselves.

2. We Need COMMITMENT like Stephen - He could have felt like many others might have – to 'give up when the going gets tough' but he 'pressed on' and focussed on Jesus, his Saviour and Lord. Acts 7: 55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, 56 and said, "Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!"

3. We Need Stephen's CONSCIENCE – He kept on telling the truth. Acts 7: 57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; 58 and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named *Saul. 59 And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."

4. We Need Stephen's CHARACTER – He FORGAVE his enemies, right in front of them as he was dying! And one of the most forgiven men of history was *Saul, who, miraculously saved, became Paul, the great apostle. Acts 7: 60 Then he (Stephen) knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not charge them with this sin." And when he had said this, he fell asleep... (he died).

Let us pray for our enemies and forgive them as Jesus has forgiven us.

*****

Random fact from my life – my very own and much loved father, Desmond, is in heaven after a miraculous salvation, just weeks before he died from stomach cancer. I've always been reminded of Saul / Paul when I remember how against the things of God and the Bible my dad was. The term my Dad used for religious people who used the Bible, was, "Bible Bangers". He wanted nothing to do with them. It was a great disappointment to my parents that I believe in Jesus and the Bible from the age of 9 when my siblings and I were sent by our mother, to a Sunday School, on Sunday afternoons - for her to get rid of us for a few hours. It was our salvation. Not feeling loved at home, we found the truest of all love; the love of God and of Jesus. For me to marry a Christian man at the age of 19 was tolerable as my dad found some 'middle-ground' with the out-going, friendly nature of such a kind young man in his son-in-law.

It was 5 years after we were wed, when, after a night of prayer —with my beloved husband, Walter, his brother Philip, their parents, and myself —for my father's salvation —he, my dad, was compelled to come to Walter and ask if there was any 'chance' that God could forgive him and he could have the hope of Heaven when he died. We should not have been surprised, should we? We prayed and begged and pleaded for something we believed to be impossible – God heard and God answered. It seemed surreal, yet this is what we had prayed for...

So wonderful was his salvation in those last weeks that his friends and family believed that somehow, we had managed to 'brainwash' him. He was ill, he was dying, but he was 'on fire for God'.

Praise the Lord – He alone can save a soul, and He is not willing that any should perish.

Like the thief on the cross, my dad was so excited, overcome and bubbling in the fact that he would be in 'Paradise' with his Saviour – but unlike that thief on the cross, my Dad had some weeks to plan his funeral and witness for his Saviour. No one can take away the incredible testimony of his funeral. The beginning hymn he chose was, "Face to Face with Christ my Saviour; Face to Face, what will it be? —When with rapture I behold Him, Jesus Christ who died for me."

Like light and dark; night and day, such was the change as a sinning soul to a saved soul - once, blind, he now could see.

Let's work at being Heavenly-focussed and NOT Earthly-Worldly-focussed. We must seek to have a Christ-like mind, with the Courage, Commitment, Conscience and Character of Jesus as displayed in the life and death of His servant, the martyr, Stephen.

Colossians 3:2 - Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

(Scriptures are from the New King James Version of the Bible)