Great gain.

 

 

Over the weekend we were planning to have our family Christmas with Pete's side of the family.

God had other plans for our family. . .

Our beautiful, sweet, Godly, amazing niece was in a severe car wreck.

She walked away with only bruises and cuts.  Her boyfriend, however, did not make it.

As we all sat in the hospital waiting room, we were stunned at how life can change in an instant. 

One moment you are planning what to make for a family celebration and the next you are planning how you will live through the next days consumed with such grief. 

 

But we are resting in the confidence of His promises.

Because there is more than just this life.

 

the following is copied from a sermon by Dr. John Piper

 

Now let's be very clear about a biblical truth: Death is an enemy. It is not romantic or glamorous or heroic. Death is an enemy! "Christ must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death" (1 Corinthians 15:25–26). We were not created by God to die. Death is a curse and an enemy that came into the world through sin (Romans 5:12).

But while we are avoiding any simplistic, naïve, romantic images of death, let us believe with all our hearts and all our minds and all our might the great truth of our Christian faith: "Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:54–57).
Made to Serve the Christian
And not only the victory, but more than victory. "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? . . . No! In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life . . . will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:35–39).
We are more than conquerors over death through Christ. God gives us the victory over death. But more than victory. Death is defeated by Jesus. He is bound in the chains of resurrection power so that he cannot destroy us. But more than that. More than that! Death is handed over, bound and defeated, as a servant to the church. We are more than conquerors because death is not just defeated and kept from destroying us; it is enslaved and made the servant of God's people.
This is the meaning of 1 Corinthians 3:21–23, "Let no one boast of men. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future, all are yours; and you are Christ's; and Christ is God's." Death is yours the way you are Christ's. And you are Christ's to serve him and glorify him. So death is your servant. The enemy is defeated, bound, enslaved, and delivered into the service of the saints.



 Praise by to God!!!  Our sweet niece's boyfriend had a love for the Lord that was obvious to anyone who met him.  Knowing that he is now at the feet of Jesus singing praises brings a smile in the midst of many tears.  If you think you are going to heaven because you are good or go to church or believe there is a God, you are missing it!

 

 This is he who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the witness, because the Spirit is the truth. There are three witnesses, the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree. If we receive the testimony men, the testimony of God is greater; for this is the testimony of God that he has borne witness to his Son. He who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. He who does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne to his Son. And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who has not the Son of God has not life.I write this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. 1 John 5:6-13

 

*you HAVE Christ      *you LOVE Christ      *it is your LIFE     *it is SWEET

           Don't you want life like this????!!!!

 

My neice posted the following message: 

 

Yesterday marked two months of dating the most wonderful, godly, diligent, loving, intelligent young man I have ever met. Yesterday also marked the day that God took Shelby- from this world to be with Him and live in glory with our Redeemer.
Abba, I rest in Your sovereign hand in this. Shelby- loves you with his whole heart, mind, and soul. He is wholly Yours and is clothed in the ...snowy white garments of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Oh Shelby-, how I will miss you and every little thing about you - all of your quirks, dreams, and the wise words you so faithfully spoke into the lives of others. It is hard to fully grasp that you are really gone from this world... that you will never again hold my hand so gently in yours or wrap your strong arms around me in a way that made me know how treasured and cherished I was by you. Oh, my love. I will miss you so. I will never forget you my sweet, precious boy. I will treasure forever the time God granted for us to share in such a sweet and close friendship.
Your life was surely not wasted.
For to you, to live was Christ and to die was great gain.
 

 

 We go now today, to attend the funeral of this amazing young man.

To morn the loss of fellowship with him on this earth, but to rejoice that he has just gained the most amazing thing of all. . . eteranl life with Christ!

 

These 2 things were posted on Shelby's facebook wall:

 

 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Phil 1:21

 

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot loose.  -Jim Elliott