Here we are again with a new year. Happy New Year 2016!
It's now 2016 and today I'm stuck in a hotel in Dallas when I was supposed to be in Lubbock, TX. The weather yesterday in LBB prevented us from getting in as it was below our minimums and we had to "go around" twice, once on an approach from the east and once from the west. We are heading back to Lubbock early tomorrow morning to try again.
It's a new year, and yet just yesterday before work I went to a funeral for a good friend, Darryl Hannah. He was a fellow pilot of mine at FedEx and he retired about three years ago. But just about fifteen months ago he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He went through surgery, and much chemotherapy but to no avail, as it had grown too large for too long.
Darryl was a Christian and we had many good lunches together in the last year as I tried to encourage him in his battle against cancer. He was sixty-eight years old and left his wife, two daughters, a son-in-law, and grandchildren. He often left me more encouraged, and oh, how he could laugh. We really had some good laughs together as a result of stories he told or experiences we could both relate to in flying. We prayed together for his healing, and he asked for prayers that he would be healed. Even though we both knew it may not happen we still prayed for healing, which was a great encouragement in itself.
Each new year reminds me of the "new life" in Christ. It's just like a new opportunity to start over with a whole new chance at a brand new year. Our new life in Christ however is a Spiritual life that is given to us in faith as we realize we can be forgiven for our sins. We can be healed from a sinful nature although our complete healing comes in the next life. Spiritual life brings transformation to us so that we have new desires and goals, new priorities and values. We desire the Spiritual peace that comes from being right with God and then getting right with people. And we desire to know we are going to heaven, for the longing for eternal life to be satisfied, which we can know in Christ.
With the new life in Christ, we also see our time here on earth as very temporal. Yet we know that His grace is new every morning, His truth is like a glorious light each day. We know His love endures forever, He is God and He can make all things new. Someday though we will cease to count the years and there will be no "Happy New Year" for there will be no calendar and we will live in eternity with Christ. That's awesome to think about, it's beyond our experience and even our imaginations. But God has promised this to those who love Him.
I am reminded of the faith today because we celebrate a new year but we are all temporal. Heaven is the realm where there will be no time and then we will be with God forever. And I thank God for my good friend Darryl Hannah who has gone on before me. He was a great encouragement in many ways. He also asked for John 5:24 to be used and highlighted at his funeral. Eternal life in Christ is what we rejoice in at a Christian's funeral. Amen.
FAITH TODAY: John 5:24, "Jesus said, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.'"
It's now 2016 and today I'm stuck in a hotel in Dallas when I was supposed to be in Lubbock, TX. The weather yesterday in LBB prevented us from getting in as it was below our minimums and we had to "go around" twice, once on an approach from the east and once from the west. We are heading back to Lubbock early tomorrow morning to try again.
It's a new year, and yet just yesterday before work I went to a funeral for a good friend, Darryl Hannah. He was a fellow pilot of mine at FedEx and he retired about three years ago. But just about fifteen months ago he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He went through surgery, and much chemotherapy but to no avail, as it had grown too large for too long.
Darryl was a Christian and we had many good lunches together in the last year as I tried to encourage him in his battle against cancer. He was sixty-eight years old and left his wife, two daughters, a son-in-law, and grandchildren. He often left me more encouraged, and oh, how he could laugh. We really had some good laughs together as a result of stories he told or experiences we could both relate to in flying. We prayed together for his healing, and he asked for prayers that he would be healed. Even though we both knew it may not happen we still prayed for healing, which was a great encouragement in itself.
Each new year reminds me of the "new life" in Christ. It's just like a new opportunity to start over with a whole new chance at a brand new year. Our new life in Christ however is a Spiritual life that is given to us in faith as we realize we can be forgiven for our sins. We can be healed from a sinful nature although our complete healing comes in the next life. Spiritual life brings transformation to us so that we have new desires and goals, new priorities and values. We desire the Spiritual peace that comes from being right with God and then getting right with people. And we desire to know we are going to heaven, for the longing for eternal life to be satisfied, which we can know in Christ.
With the new life in Christ, we also see our time here on earth as very temporal. Yet we know that His grace is new every morning, His truth is like a glorious light each day. We know His love endures forever, He is God and He can make all things new. Someday though we will cease to count the years and there will be no "Happy New Year" for there will be no calendar and we will live in eternity with Christ. That's awesome to think about, it's beyond our experience and even our imaginations. But God has promised this to those who love Him.
I am reminded of the faith today because we celebrate a new year but we are all temporal. Heaven is the realm where there will be no time and then we will be with God forever. And I thank God for my good friend Darryl Hannah who has gone on before me. He was a great encouragement in many ways. He also asked for John 5:24 to be used and highlighted at his funeral. Eternal life in Christ is what we rejoice in at a Christian's funeral. Amen.
FAITH TODAY: John 5:24, "Jesus said, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.'"
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