FINALE

A funny thing happens on our journey through life; there are things we do for the final time. It isn’t always with a sense of accomplishment that we close a door. There are times when we don’t feel like we accomplished what we intended or set out to do. Then there are times when we close the door because we have accomplished what was ours to accomplish. The finale can be a time of lament or celebration. Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

As the camping season winds down for Lynda and I, it will soon be time to say goodbye to our friends at the campground. Some we will see in the spring, for others will be the final time we meet. We do not know the future and that causes us to have a little sadness. I am reminded of the hope we have as Christians, we will meet again. As we part ways we wonder if we shared how much some of them mean to us.

There are many times in life we wait until the clock strikes zero before we move. We push situations to the absolute last minute before we act. We fail to see the writing on the wall and take the necessary steps to communicate someone’s importance to us. We struggle to preserve what is important. We are here but for a short time. We make plans as though we have all the time in the world, but truth be told we are but a mist, a vapor that disappears quickly.

James 5-13-15; nlt, Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.”

We have many relationships in our lives. There are a few that are deep and meaningful. Those relationships take time to build. They take sacrifice and effort. They just don’t happen. A trust level must be established. Trust only comes when the words we say match the actions we take. Trust is built over time. Deep, meaningful relationships are built on Trust and Integrity.

Who do we trust with our lives? Who has the integrity to follow through and accomplish what they promised they would? I know of only one, Jesus Christ. That is who I put my trust and faith in. He is the only one with integrity to accomplish what He promised to do.

Romans 5:6-8, 11: NLT; When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. … So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

Christ followed through, suffered and died to cover the sin that separated me from God. Not only that, but he rose from the grave, victorious over death. Through His efforts I can be called a child of God. It has nothing to do with my efforts, but everything to do with His.

He accomplished what we cannot and offered it to us. Come accept the gift of life, freedom from the guilt and pain of sin, rest from the weariness of life, release from the burdens that weigh us down. Come receive the gift that Jesus offers us.

The finality of life is certain; it is a certainty that death will come. We do not have knowledge of the timing. We do not know how much time each of us has left. There will be a time when we do something for the last time. Realizing that isn’t something we like to face, but it is the reality of life. With every birth the certainty of death will come. The need to address our finality should be a priority for each of us.

Christ is the provider of salvation, eternal security. But His benefits don’t just help us in death, He is here to help us live an abundant life. He is able to provide courage, strength and wisdom that will help us through life. He is able to provide guidance to direct us down the right path, away from the things that lead to death and destruction.  He is able, we are not. I encourage you to seek him while He can be found.

Romans 8:1-4; NLT; So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.

As I look out on the world we live in and see the death and destruction caused by men’s selfish desires I wonder when we will decide enough is enough. When will we grow tired of living a life that ends without making an eternal difference? There is more to this life than we see. There is more life to live than we understand. God desires to bless us with so much more. When will we grow tired of living a short sighted, what’s in it for me, existence?

When we do, God offers us a way out. God patiently waits for us to seek Him and receive Him into our lives. He desires to show us the abundant life He planned for us. I encourage you not to let this moment pass without reaching out to God, receiving the sacrifice Jesus made for you on the cross, inviting the Holy Spirit to enter your life and guide you.

Please share with me if you make that decision. I am here, waiting to walk alongside you and help you as you walk with God.

Blessings,

Pastor Don