Yesterday I lost a good friend and brother in Christ. Charles Duggan was a fellow member with me at our church and he was a ruling elder. He was a conservative in his theological perspectives and a devout Christian. We both attended the same Sunday School, called the Westminster Class because it focused on the historical Reformed theology of the church. One point that Charles often made was that the Bible is the authority, it describes the clear word of God despite what the culture may believe. Charles was always an encouragement to me because he never compromised the truth, he always stood for the truth of the faith once and all delivered to the saints. Charles and his wife and family have attended and served our church for many years.
This "untimely" death has shocked us all as Charles was in his late fifties and apparently died from a heart attack. We all know that God has each of us in his hands and his time for us is predetermined before the foundation of the world. But in a short time, another ruling elder of our church, Clint Early, died not even two weeks before Charles. Clint was in his early eighties and although it was truly sad to see him pass away, it wasn't altogether surprising. He died in his sleep one evening and probably also had a heart attack or stroke. And he was honored for his long-standing service to our church as he also had been serving there for many years.
Possibly the most encouraging teaching we know from the Bible is that death is not the end. We all seek to understand life and we really cannot truly know what life is all about until we tackle the question of death and eternal life. We know that Jesus taught in John 5:24, "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." Jesus teaches us that if we believe in his word we will have eternal life. This is really good news because we all do not want to come into judgment but have life for evermore.
We find tremendous blessings by walking with Christ in faith in the here and now in this life. But even more, death is really the beginning of eternal life in heaven with God. Following Christ in faith will bring us to life which is truly life indeed.
FAITH TODAY: John 11:25, Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live."
This "untimely" death has shocked us all as Charles was in his late fifties and apparently died from a heart attack. We all know that God has each of us in his hands and his time for us is predetermined before the foundation of the world. But in a short time, another ruling elder of our church, Clint Early, died not even two weeks before Charles. Clint was in his early eighties and although it was truly sad to see him pass away, it wasn't altogether surprising. He died in his sleep one evening and probably also had a heart attack or stroke. And he was honored for his long-standing service to our church as he also had been serving there for many years.
Possibly the most encouraging teaching we know from the Bible is that death is not the end. We all seek to understand life and we really cannot truly know what life is all about until we tackle the question of death and eternal life. We know that Jesus taught in John 5:24, "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." Jesus teaches us that if we believe in his word we will have eternal life. This is really good news because we all do not want to come into judgment but have life for evermore.
We find tremendous blessings by walking with Christ in faith in the here and now in this life. But even more, death is really the beginning of eternal life in heaven with God. Following Christ in faith will bring us to life which is truly life indeed.
FAITH TODAY: John 11:25, Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live."
