Tonight I was at a funeral home to see the family of a local 17 year old girl that just passed away.

Again…a 17 year old girl that died on Saturday.

NO ONE SAW THAT COMING! Her mom and dad did not see it coming. Her friends in school did not see it coming. Her teammates did not see it coming. Her grandparents did not see it coming. No one had any idea in the world that she was about to die.

IT WAS PROBABLY THE FURTHEST THING FROM THEIR MINDS. JUST LIKE YOU (OR YOUR LOVED ONE) DYING WAS PROBABLY THE FARTHEST THING FROM YOUR MIND TODAY.

“…yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”  James 4:14
“And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,”  Hebrews 9:27

Are you ready? You could stand before Jesus sooner than you think.

(I must say that I do not know of much else that speaks as loudly and mightily as seeing a beautiful 17 year old lying in a casket.)

This is a video that has been paired up with a great Andrew Peterson song. Please take time to listen and watch this. I can certainly identify.

The more I read the Bible, the more it becomes so incredibly clear that belonging to Jesus is an all-or-nothing deal. There is truly not a middle road. You are either His follower or you are not. And Jesus teaches us that at the judgement there will be many people disappointed that they were not the real thing.

1 Peter 1:21 “…so that your faith and hope are in God.”

Today there are many who have faith in Jesus. But there are fewer who hope in Him.

It seems we are fine to think that Jesus gets us to heaven and forgives our sins. But we are not so fine to put our hope in Him. We tend to hope in circumstances, relationships, medicines, jobs, money, etc. As soon as these things let us down we begin to lose it. We become ungodly when these things aren’t right. And then we make the excuses that “hey, no one is perfect.”

Well, can we get back to God’s word and promises? Can we begin to not only believe in Him but also Hope in Him?
He will not, no never, let us down.

Father, forgive us for hoping in other things. Give us mercy to believe and Hope in you.

Trip Lee is one of my favorite artists in the whole world. Check this video out.

These lyrics are from a song by Shai Linne.

At the cross,
we see your holiness

At the cross,
we see you’re controlling this

At the cross,
we see how you feel about sin

At the cross,
we see your your unfathomable love for men

At the cross,
we see your sovereignty

At the cross,
we see our idolatry

At the cross,
we know there’s a judgement day

– The cross,
may we never take our eyes away.

As we all have been watching the Olympics, I have been very impressed with the cross country skiing event. It is 18 miles of skiing. Killer! –  to understate it.  As the competitors cross the finish line, many of them collapse due to the extreme limit that they have pushed themselves to. They have been going and pushing with such intensity.

Now let me ask you have you ever pushed yourself in that way? Have you ever run a mile or a 5K or a marathon? Have you felt how tired you are once you are finished?

Now imagine doing that with a heavy weight weighing you down. Imagine trying to keep up at the proper pace with things on top of you preventing you.

Hebrews 12:1-2 “…let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus…”

Folks, we may be in the race, but are we running at the level we should? Lets get rid of everything that slows us down and prohibits us from giving our all to Jesus. Lets go hard for Him.

We are so very thankful to have these new doors at church.

1 Peter chapter 1 ends with this phrase

“And this word is the good news that was preached to you.”

That “good news” is what has been explained in the previous verses.

Here is my question. What news do you preach? What news is it that all the people you see and interact with on a daily basis receive?

FBCF lets take responsibility for getting the “Good News” to all the people in Fairdale.  From National Turnpike to Coral Ridge to New Cut Road to the Outer Loop, lets get the “good news” to them.

 

There are many people who say they are believers in God. A very high percentage of people in America and in the whole world say and think they are believers in God.

Yet Peter writes “you, who through Him are believers in God.”  1 Peter 1:21

You can only be a true believer in God- through Him…Jesus.