Two of God's Greatest Miracles

Two of God’s Greatest Miracles

Birth and Death

Three weeks ago, I officiated at the funeral for my sister and then this last weekend did the same at the funeral for my wife’s youngest sister.

While It has been a hard time for our family and two very emotionally difficult times for us, I want to share what I have realized, personally.

I have come to realize that there are two of God’s miracles He allows us to participate in. The first is the miracle of birth and the second is the miracle of death. The two are part of the very fabric of life and part of God’s whole plan for us.

I am sharing my sermon notes from my wife’s sister Debbie’s memorial service so that we may look at death from God’s eyes, rather than from our grief.

Scripture

'I am the resurrection and the life,' says the Lord. 'Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. John 11.

I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8.

Since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died. So we will be with the Lord for ever. Therefore encourage one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4.

Introduction:

Jesus was with his disciples, making his way across the Jordan River and back to Bethany in Judea when he spoke to his disciples, saying,

"Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to wake him up."
12His disciples replied, "Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better." 13Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, 15and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him."

Of course we all know what happened when Jesus went to the tomb, had the stone rolled back and called Lazarus, now dead 4 days, to come forth. That lesson even Thomas learned that even the dead are alive in Christ. The apostle, Paul said “to be out of my body is to be with Christ” Even so, dear Debbie.

On Thursday morning, our sister, mother, friend and loving wife, Debbie quietly fell asleep in the arms of her Father in Heaven. Debbie’s sleep, though, has not been long. God reached down and picked her up from her broken, tired body and gave her not only eternal peace and rest, but eternal pleasures at his Savior's right hand.

Today, as we mourn her loss, she is perhaps spending these minutes running around with strong legs and hugging all her loved ones who have gone ahead.

Or perhaps, as we mourn, she is making up for all the desserts that her sickness and pain had robbed her of. Maybe she is enjoying the feast that God has prepared for her.

Or, maybe as we mourn, she is at God's side at last, talking to her Savior as we talk among ourselves. Jesus loves her, and how glad he is to have Debbie at his side for eternity. Debbie’s vision has been make perfect, enabling her to see with her eyes what his heart has always known -- the love of her Father in heaven.

One thing is sure.
In Christ, mortality always leads to immortality

The only certainty to life is death. Ps.116:15 proclaims Precious in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His saints

There are three ways
in which for the Christian death
is precious to God.

Death is going to sleep.

The New Testament writers often describe death as sleep, and they get it from Jesus in Mark 5.

21 Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea. 22 And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet 23 and begged Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.”35

While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?”

36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.” 37 And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. 38 Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly. 39 When He came in, He said to them, “Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping.”

He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying. 41 Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” 42 Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age

Jesus described the little girl’s death as sleep.

Sleep is temporary.

Deb fell asleep and heard those words, “Talitha, cumi,”

and awoke to see her Savior. Little Debbie, I say to you, arise.

Death is a journey.

Paul talks about his death as a “departure” in 2 Timothy 4:6. For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.

The word departure is used of striking a tent, or untying a boat from its mooring.

Paul talks about life as the good fight.

Paul talks about life as a race and the need to finish well.

Paul also talks about life as keeping the faith.

Deb fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith.

She was an example of cheerfulness in the face of terrible illness

Deb has already arrived at the celestial city.

Death is going home.


Jesus teaches in John 14 that our destination has been determined.

1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions;[a] if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.[b] 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.”

First, he has prepared a place for us, complete and perfect.

It’s impossible to describe this place, because we’re trying to describe an infinite idea to finite minds; we’ll just have to experience it.

Second, in heaven Jesus awaits those who are His.

Heaven is going home, and who is afraid of that?

The song, “Finally Home” says it well, with a little editing from Pastor Ed

Finally Home lyrics

I'm gonna wrap my arms around my Daddy's neck

And tell Him that I've missed him

And tell him all about the person I became

And hope that it will please Him

There's so much I want to sayThere's so much I want him to know.

When I finally make it home when I finally make it home.

Then I'll gaze upon the throne of the King

And I’ll be Frozen in my steps

And all the questions that I swore I would ask

Those Words that just won't come out yet

So amazed at what I've seen so much more

Than this mind can ever behold.

And the sweetest sound my ears have yet to hear

The voices of the angels.
When I finally make it home when I finally make it home.

Conclusion

At her death, though Deb’s body had wasted away, she became more alive than ever.

For the Christian, the most exciting experience of life lies in the future.

A future tied to Jesus and His Gift of life to us.

Debbie now knows the fullness of that Life in Christ.

On Thursday morning, Debbie laid down mortality and picked up her immortality

and joined that chorus of Saints above.

Closing prayer

Into thy hands, O Lord, we commend thy servant Debbie.,

our

dear sister, as into the hands of a faithful Creator and most

merciful Savior, beseeching thee that she may be precious in

thy sight. Wash her, we pray thee, in the blood of that

immaculate Lamb that was slain to take away the sins of the

world; that she may be presented pure and without spot before thee;

through the merits of Jesus Christ thine only Son our Lord..

Almighty God, Father of mercies and giver of comfort:

Deal graciously, we pray, with all those here who mourn, that

casting every care on thee, they may know the consolation of

thy love; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

God be with you all,

In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I pray Amen.

Getting Old Is Not For Sissies

Getting Old Isn’t For Sissies

The older I get, the more I realize that getting old is not easy. The golden years are more like molding years, more rust than gold. Many of the activities that I used to do, I judge now on how far I have to walk, how many stairs are involved and where the closest bathroom is. One of my sons stopped by this morning to tell me that the steelhead run is the best in over 30 years and we should go out my favorite hole and pick up a few.

My mind didn’t focus on the great fishing I have experienced in years past, but on the long climb down a steep hill and the aching that would go along with standing in the river for a few hours and the pain of climbing back up that rocky hillside.

I find that we seniors make a lot of decisions based on what we can’t do rather than what we can do. I can’t ski like I used to ski and I can’t run the way I ran as a youth. I can’t hear or see the way I did 50 years ago. I can’t hike up the mountain trails the way I did a few years ago and I can’t go out for a late meal any more. My dining out now seems to revolve around early bird specials or two for one dinner deals.

But, my mouth works and I can smile at everyone I run into. I can find something nice to say about everyone I see. I can listen with an intent ear and even when a hurting friend talks so low I can’t hear the words, I can nod and share the hurt I see.

I know that we may often be in too much of a hurry to get back to the comfort of our home and favorite chair to make eye contact with the clerk at the grocery store or the waitress at the restaurant but I promise you that if you do that one simple thing, your life will change for the good and the gold will begin to shine through the rust.

As Christians, we need to call upon the Lord to give us an abundance of His spiritual gifts so that we may use them in loving all our neighbors as ourselves. In our conversations with the Father, we need to ask Him to place us where He could use us as His hand, extended. Place us where we can pass his gift of love through us to the ones who need it.

The Bible calls us to be 18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. Eph 6, KJV

Try it the next time you run those errands that take you around the neighborhood. It will bless you and those whose paths you cross. Then watch out. God will begin to use you as his local office and when you walk into a place, the people will already be smiling.

I Knew I needed my New Knee Now

I Knew I needed my New Knee Now.


Well, it’s been a while since I sat down at my laptop to jot out a note. I am actually in the third week of recovery after knee surgery. I have finally scaled down on my pain meds enough to tell night from day and have stopped sitting in my chair with a drool towel, staring at spots on the wall,
taking swipes at attack bats.

Actually, after three days in the hospital, I was finally in my own bed, sleeping soundly and very well sedated. During that first night, I was lying on my side, with my right arm between two pillows and with my hand hanging out the end. Somehow, I woke up enough to see my hand, fingers wiggling at me and was convinced it was a monstrous spider from hell trying to kill me.

I leapt into immediate action and did everything I could do to kill it, before it got me. I woke up from the pain caused by me trying to bite it to death.

I understand that people even do illegal things to gain access to these kinds of pills. That is a great mystery to me.

Well, I am now back in a decent relationship with my hand and even my wife has hope that I am returning to normal life again. I am walking upright, without walker or cane and even gone out to eat. Life is good again.

Getting through this process took more than just surrendering my knee. Just signing into the system took hours longer than the operation itself. By the time I went through various levels of interviews and tests, each with its own color coordinated wristband and numerous sheets of waiver of rights declarations, I had forgotten exactly why I was at the hospital.

I even had to sign several releases that told them what to do with either my non-functioning body or my dead body, and sundry body parts should things not go well. I think I had to agree that if I died, it was all my fault and not theirs’ or the doctor whom they said actually did not really work for them.

My attitude was, “Hey. Whatever, just get me the pills.”

I can’t complain too much. While overdosing on TV this week, I wondered who would ever want to buy something from a furniture company in the area that was advertising its goods and finishing off the TV ad with a half second flash full screen of microscopic fine print. Now that was scary. Glad I don’t need a new chair.

Ed Decker's Saints Alive August Update report

Newsletter Update August 2009

A Note From Ed

This summer has zipped by at warp speed. Normally summers have been financially bone dry for ministries such as Saints Alive, but this summer, we have been able to meet all our needs, thanks to so many of you friends .

I have been a little off center for the last month. A little necessary maintenance on a body with too many miles on it. I am slowly coming out of the fog that goes with knee replacement surgery. I went into the hospital on July 20th and came home on the 24th. I’ll spare you the details, but suffice it to say, it has been a trip.

I have had both visiting nurses and therapists getting me back in shape and I am doing great. The main problem has been the medications. I know I needed them to help with the pain, but spent a lot of time staring at spots on the wall. It has been only in the last few days that I can actually function long enough to answer some e-mails and get this newsletter out the door. One blessing already. Because of the bad knee, I was walking like a one legged duck and my lower back was in constant pain. Now that my new right knee is balanced again, the back pain has gone for good.

I am also back to transferring articles from my old website to the new one. It had to go into park for this last month but we should have the transfer completed and an interactive site up and running as soon as I can finish my part of the work. Once it is up, it will be an ongoing
project and fully interactive, so we can be in touch when you want to be.

There is not a day that goes by that I am not praying for a number of you who send in prayer requests. I take that part of my ministry very seriously and I know from experience that prayer really works. We live in a fallen world and bad things happen to good people, but the Lord gave us a path to the throne and it is called prayer. He gave it to us to use.

If you are going though a difficult time right now, lean on the Father. He gave us the right and the way to reach out to him. The Word says to pray for one another. I want to pray for your needs, specifically. You do not need to fight this battle alone.

You can write your prayer need on the enclosed card, send me an email or go to our website and click on Prayer Request on the front page of the website. There are 234 prayer requests on my prayer list today. Every one of them has been lifted up to the Lord.

Your brother in Christ, Ed Decker

pray for one another, that you may be healed.
The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. James 5:16 b

Remember

The generous gifts and prayers of friends like you support Saints Alive. You can do that by sending in a gift on line at our website

or by sending a PayPal gift to gifts@saintsalive.com

www.saintsalive.com ed@saintsalive.com

What a Difference!

In the Bible published by the LDS Church, on page 1421, Mormons read that "God "Justifieth the ungodly" (Romans 4:5).

However, on page 809 of the appendix in that same Bible, it records how their prophet Joseph Smith rewrote that verse in his Inspired Version of the Bible.

It reads that "God Justifieth NOT the ungodly." That is a very big difference! The Mormons must earn their righteousness by their works. How sad! Ask the Missionaries to explain that "irreconcilable difference" with orthodox Christianity.

Are There Mormons

Who are Really Saved?

That is perhaps one of the most often asked questions in our ministry. A lady asked me, "My sister was a Baptist for 20 years before she became a very active Mormon and now she is deeply offended when I suggest she might not be a born again Christian. Can she actually be both?" My answer, unfortunately was, "Not if she is adhering to LDS doctrine."

Today, the Mormons are using Christian words and phrases to let people think they are true Christians, but they cannot escape the real doctrines of Mormonism. Let's go back a few years and let reality get a hearing.

In the 1947 Mormon Sunday School manual, the late LDS Apostle, James Talmage is quoted,
“Salvation is graded. Thus, it is decreed and provided that every soul shall find his place and mingle with his kind in a state of lesser, advanced, or supreme salvation” (from THE GOSPEL MESSAGE by William Berrett, p. 18)

In the Improvement Era, the official magazine of the LDS Church for many years, taught that “salvation, however, is based on merit...” (Nov.1965, p.962)

In the 1931 Gospel Doctrine Sunday School Lessons booklet, it says: “Quite different from most Christian denominations, Latter-day Saints cannot at any time during their lives boast that they have been saved. Salvation comes not from a mere compliance with Church rituals. A confession of Jesus will not bring it.” (p.107)

How Do I Break Free From the

spiritual chains of Freemasonry?

Another recent question dealt with the struggle to break free from the cultic oaths of Freemasonry. It is a question we are often asked.

God's Word says it is not possible to serve two masters. Anyone who intends to follow Jesus must renounce Freemasonry. The Bible says, " Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?"(2Cor. 6:14)

Can Masonic Oaths be broken? Yes, on Higher Authority. God's Word overrules and overturns man's word "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."(1 John 1:9)

As part of the process of renouncing Freemasonry, it is important to formally Demit, explaining to your former brethren that you must now “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.”Eph. 5:11.

Write or email us for sample demit letters and sample prayers of renunciation.

Get rid of the Masonic Paraphernalia! All that Masonic stuff in your closet, rings, hats, aprons, bibles, and books…all of it needs to be destroyed, tossed in the trash or burned. Every piece is a talisman carrying dark spirits. Get it out of the house at once.

Old Ned Goes to the Doctor

Old Ned goes to the Doctor

I don’t know if it is just my age but I don’t seem to handle things the same way I did a few years ago. We are still in Seattle until Sunday when we head south again. I put off having knee surgery several times this spring, awaiting the imminent death of my sister with advanced, stage 4 cancer. By now, I can barely walk.

At our last visit early this week, she looked healthier than I did. I told her I had to go south for the knee thing and that she would just have to wait until I got back to die. She said she was going to hang around until after my birthday in November. I suggested that she hang around until Christmas and then promptly fell over my cane. She laughed at the sight and suggested that I try to hold out to my birthday myself. I asked if I could have one of her happy pills. She took a swing at me with my cane.

Yesterday, Carol had to drive me down into the Seattle city center to see a doctor at the hospital. I lay awake half the night, worrying about traffic, since they were closing all the west bound lanes of the I-90 bridge [main route into the city] for repairs for 2 weeks and cars would only have the HOV lanes. Close to 80,000 cars would have to jockey for space in an area that could only handle less than half that. The TV news folks forecast a commuting nightmare.

Therefore, I convinced my wife that we had to leave at 11:00 AM for the usual 45 minute drive to the hospital for a 1:45 PM appointment. As you may guess, my ability to guess at traffic patterns is exceeded only by my ability to pick lotto numbers. Needless to say, my wife was less than thrilled. We already had a little episode of her failure to understanding my communication skills earlier that morning.

I took a phone call for her while she was showering and when I yelled in and gave her the message, it didn’t go well. I said, “Honey, Gyner College is calling and your Pabst Beer Test was good. Since when are you doing beer tasting tests?” A few minutes later, she marched out of the bathroom in a towel and handed me my hearing aids and said either wear them or die.

Well, our anticipated 2 hour drive to Seattle took less than 40 minutes and we were two hours early. I thought I was sure to catch some flack over that, but she was all smiles and said, “Great, Ned. Let’s go to the hospital cafeteria and have lunch.” You know you are getting old when eating at a hospital cafeteria is a treat. Actually, the food at this one is better than some.

My wife actually had a good laugh over it. She said, “You know you are over the hill when you get excited about eating at a hospital cafeteria.” I told her that I didn’t know how I got over the hill without ever getting to the top.

I grabbed an empty booth while she headed for the line. I always felt that a good table was better than knowing what she would order for me. This table even had a newspaper with an un-worked crossword puzzle. This was going to be a good day at the doctor’s office.

We split a sandwich and a slice of lemon meringue pie. I love desserts during times when I am stressed. It’s more than just comfort food. Actually, desserts is stressed spelled backwards. A sure sign of the goodness of a swell piece of pie. I think these words are subtle derivatives of the word, stretched, as in pie belly.

We left the hospital just at the start of the commute time, but again, we breezed through in record time. I hate it when that happens and my wife makes less than subtle comments about my imaginary friend, Ned, the worry wart.

Well, we finally made it home and I settled down in my easy chair to watch the early news and all the ads that are so concerned about many my sex life. At my age, I seem to be more interested in naps. What kind of people sit naked in adjoining bathtubs in the back yard, anyway. Now they are pushing the envelope with obnoxious ads for special super-savings deals for cremation services.

I figure that my kids can figure out what to do with me once I am gone. It’s a small thing compared to what I spent getting them through schools and married and into houses. I don’t really care if they miss the discount special on Channel 5.

My father had me dump his ashes in his favorite fishing hole. I might suggest the same thing with mine, except they would need to dump my ashes down stream, at the next hole.

My dad always got a bit nasty if he thought I was crowding his fishing spots. Which I usually did, since he always knew where the fish were.

Old Ned

Some Thoughts on the Process of Dying

Some Thoughts on the Process of Dying


Sorry I have been silent for almost a month. Had to go up to Seattle to be with Nan, my terminally ill sister. She is still with us, but cancer is a tough enemy to battle. It is a day-to-day thing. Nice to be in our northwest home for a while.

Gotta clean out the gutters. Those are things at the edge of NW roofs that catch millions of needles from the firs so that they can’t handle water.

I am not obssessively focused on death, even though I have written about it recently. I'm a guy who is all about life, but the recent loss of 4 friends and the stress of my dying sister has made me reflect more on it than I really want. It has kept me from blogging because I haven't wanted it to impact my writing. But, this morning I give up and will just get it off my chest.The whole process of dying is a complicated one. That is especially true when there are kids, grandkids, great-grandkids, siblings, nieces, nephews, close friends and all the care people. We had to set up a visitation schedule. At least everyone but me.

After one of our recent visits, my wife said that I was avoiding eye contact with my sister. I hadn’t realized I was doing that. I guess I was having trouble facing what I was seeing in her eyes. My wife said she needed that eye contact, that connection.

She was right. Hard as it has been, I keep strong eye contact with her. Even through her tears. Mine, too.

The doctors gave her until last January. Guess that’s why they call it ‘practicing medicine.’ We brought her to the desert that month and took her all around. Spent a week on the coast. She moved to Seattle from Upstate New York and had never been there. Had a wonderful luncheon at the Ritz Carlton at a window open to the ocean.

We watched the movie, ‘The Bucket List’ and she put one together and we spent a week doing all of the things we could.

She told me she wanted to ‘hang on’ until her birthday in April. I asked her why everything always had to be about her. I told her that just once in a while she should think about what I wanted and if she wasn’t so selfish, she would ‘hang on’ until my birthday in November. She is tough enough to maybe make it. I should have said Christmas.

I really appreciate the people from Hospice. Never met one I didn’t like. Soft hearts. Real sweethearts. I don’t think they ever get used to losing the people they care for and grow close to. But, they come back for more. Gotta be a special place in heaven for these people. They deserve crowns of glory.

My sister has the same Hospice nurse that took care of our mom a few years back, on her way to heaven. Whenever she gives her care givers trouble about something they tell her this nurse said for her to do ‘it.’ She snaps to it immediately. She is not going to mess around with mom’s nurse.

We will be back in the desert as soon as things take their course. I’m ready to be back to my regular blogging this week.

We took a side trip to Tulsa last week. I spent 6 days with my wife and her three sisters. Amazing how four grown women can carry on four separate conversations at once, for hours and all be involved in them all and understand everything that is said. I won’t even mention the mealtimes.

We had Navajo code speakers in WW2. No one could break their codes. If the need ever comes up again and we run out of Navajos, I’d like to volunteer my wife and her sisters.

Old Ned

My Bubba Bow..Old guys rule