O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?

The end of a tough week is drawing to a close…

Last week we had the sad news that Adele’s grandfather had passed away. The Lord Jesus has called him home, just a couple of weeks after him being given the all clear from his cancer treatment. A sad shock for all the family.

A quick rearrangement of the diaries, and a car hire later, we’re down in the South West for a few days, for the funeral and thanksgiving service that took place on Monday.

Grief is a hard thing… it affects us all in so different ways… it was difficult to know what to say, and how best to console the family, particularly my wife…

One thing came through at the memorial service… Adele’s grandfather was a God fearing man; a man who was in love with the Gospel, and let that shape every aspect of his life in service to his family and friends…

It meant that while his parting is sad, the assurance of him being at home now with his Father is a great comfort…

Can’t help but to call to mind 1 Corinthians 15… we can have great confidence that because Jesus has been raised from the dead, so then also those who have faith in Him, will also be raised from the dead.

I feel like so much has struck me over the past few days… things that I want to think and pray through in more detail when my head is back in gear again… hopefully this post will be the start of that process…

Our Bible Study leaders have just had a baby... these two events have been a pertinent reminder that we enter this life with nothing and we leave this life with nothing; who knows when the latter will happen… let that affect the way I use my life now, in whole hearted living for Jesus, keeping nothing back, reflected in my personal relationship with Him, reflected in my marriage with Adele, and reflected in my life more generally!

How I lack confidence in the Gospel when my credibility is at stake… it was a great reminder on Monday that there is only one thing to be confident in, the Gospel of Jesus Christ… may I be totally unashamed of my Gospel - loud and proud for the one thing humanity desperately needs!

At Michael’s Thanksgiving Service, there was no doubt that he’s now in paradise… let there be as little doubt at mine!

"If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep… Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord, your labour is not in vain.”
1 Corinthians 15:17-20, 58 [ESV]