Reports Of My Death Have Been Greatly Under Exaggerated.

Before we get to today’s article, I just want to mention that am writing from the perspective of a man that has experienced many of the challenges of which I write…. and those spiritual battles continue daily. The articles are implications of what it means to obey the commandment to raise your children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. They require some reflection and are particularly for Christians who, as Peter would say, are diligently seeking to confirm their calling and are making every effort to supplement their faith. Said more succinctly, serious Christians. If you know other believers who desire to walk more faithfully with the Lord, please forward an article to them and tell them to sign up for future articles. Thanks so much!

Reports Of My Death Have Been Greatly Under Exaggerated.

I don’t know if I have shared this before, but I recently attended a surprise birthday party where the theme was the 70s and disco was the music for the evening. Prior to arriving at the party, my wife and I agreed that due to a number of aging body parts, we would not get on the dance floor. However, soon after the music started and the Bee Gees came on, I lost control of my feet, and they took me involuntarily onto the dance floor where I subsequently partially tore a quadriceps tendon in my knee.

If you’re listening or reading this week’s article, chances are you don’t know me, but you are happy that I gave you a good laugh for today. And yes, it’s OK to laugh at me. At 68 years old, I should have known better so as some would say, stupid gets what stupid does.

Anyway, that’s an introduction to the reason why I was seeing a physical therapist yesterday. I’m not sure exactly how we got into the conversation, but I think my therapist said something about me sounding negative about the somewhat unsuccessful physical therapy done on my previous injury- a ruptured Achilles tendon.

To give a little more context, the tone of the office where I receive my physical therapy is generally upbeat and full of laughter. I might even say I enjoy going there. However, my response to her comment about me sounding negative completely threw a wet blanket on the conversation I was having with my therapist and her assistant. All I simply said was, we live in a fallen world and because the curse is real, I wasn’t being negative, I was just dealing with reality.

The reaction of my therapist and her assistant, both professing Christians, was initially a look of extreme discomfort but after we talked a little bit more, there was agreement that what I was saying was true and what I was also saying was that even though we need to think through the implications of our mortality, I wasn’t giving up on doing the best I could do to recover from my injury. I still had a stewardship issue of this aging body and I wanted to honor God in my efforts to get well.

When it comes to talking about fallen humanity, the curse, and death, the reaction I received during my physical therapy session is not unusual. You would expect this kind of reaction from those who reject God and the biblical truth concerning life in a fallen world and the unavoidable appointment with death. However, it is unfortunate that many Christians have a similar reaction. I think it’s helpful to talk about why that may be so.

First, I do want to say that there is nothing sinful about not wanting to deal with the thoughts of losing someone you love in this life. For example, I believe my daughter’s, “let’s not talk about that,” instant response to me talking about dying over the years was rooted in her not wanting to think about her life without me.

But when we become very uncomfortable when someone talks about death in general, I think we need to go a little bit deeper. Why is it we can enjoy planning for our financial security or a vacation trip that we are going to go on, but so many people avoid planning for death and beyond? Why is it that the hardest kind of decision to make is the one to purchase life insurance?

Is it possible we don’t talk about death and heaven because it threatens our life here? Is it possible we can’t imagine something better than the lives we lead right now? Is it possible we are not truly believing Jesus when He said He has gone to make a place for us and in that place, we will be in the presence of God forever?

I want to introduce a new thought to you, and it may sound a little bizarre to you at first, but I think it is true. You will recall that God told Adam and Eve if they ate from the one forbidden tree, they would die. Of course, we know that they did go ahead and disobey God and because he is perfectly holy and just and can never lie, he executed the sentence that he had promised. Yet, they did not die immediately.

In giving time to them, and us by extension as their children, God was gracious and had a perfect purpose in doing so. Even though the sin of Adam and Eve deeply marred God’s creation and His relationship with His creatures, He initiated an immediate plan of salvation to ultimately restore what He had created and make a way for us to be reconciled to Him through His son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, there is purpose for us in the time we have, and that purpose must be weighed in light of the curse and impending death each day. We have time to enjoy each other and the things of this world, but not to the extent that they become the driving force and focus of our lives. The world lures us daily to avoid planning for heaven by burying any thoughts of such with positivity or the constant chase after fun. It is a strategy built on avoidance of truth and ultimately has no profit.

Let’s think about what God tells us about death in Ecclesiastes 7:2-4:

“It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart.

Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made glad.

The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.”

You can see all three of the verses address this as a matter of the heart. One of the reasons it is good to consider the implications of the curse and death is because doing so points us to God and the gospel. In fact, it would probably be most helpful if we attended a funeral every week! Consider Psalm 90 and Moses’ prayer to God. The entire Psalm is worth meditating on but here I will choose only verse 12: “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom”.

Solomon and Moses knew that death and afflictions in a fallen world sober our souls to think more about our need for salvation and preparation for life beyond the grave. It is a necessary part of us being ready to transition from this world to the next. Other reasons to embrace conversations and thoughts about the curse:

• It matures our thinking and longing to be with Christ.
• It encourages greater obedience to God and prayer that he will expedite His work in conforming us to the image of His Son.
• It restrains us from the temptation to develop an idolatrous love for the world we presently live in.
• It makes us more thankful for every day.
• It sharpens our sense of accountability to the Lord.
• It underlines our need to be good stewards of what God has entrusted to us for this relatively short period of time.
• It reduces the confusion and bewilderment that we often experience when death is suddenly thrust upon us.
• Rather than creating thoughts of anxiety about the subject of death, it actually brings a person greater peace.
• It prepares us to be better witnesses of God’s grace to a watching world when we enter into that phase of soon leaving this world for the next.

There are probably many books written on this subject that go much deeper but here I’m just getting to the tip of the iceberg. I hope you can see there is great good in not just falling into the crowd that avoids the topic, but rather embracing the truth about this fallen world, the curse, and death. God is certainly glorified when we think about all of our life in such a way where every thought is held captive for our good and His glory. These thoughts are the ones that force our minds back to the gospel and our absolute dependence on God’s mercy and grace.

THIS WEEK’S SPOTLIGHT:

Title: All Things For Good Written By Thomas Watson And Read By Michael Lee

Description: One of the great Puritans, Watson writes based on the great promise from God that all things work together for good to those that love God. The book will expand your faith in God’s promises and His attributes and give a great comfort to your soul.

Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-things-for-good-by-thomas-watson-and-read-by-michael-lee/id1703108941)

YouTube (https://youtu.be/cCMPuNsv6dE).

Read it online at www.ModernPuritans.com

Title: Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God, By Jonathan Edwards And Read By Michael Lee

Description: This famous sermon by Jonathan Edwards will sober you up to the awesomeness of God. It is updated in modern English by Modern Puritans.com

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cherish-ephesians-6-4-presents-sinners-in-the-hands/id1695783947

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAh2MVKU1VQjGDaS1xyeRC8vUJFwsxxaX

Title: The Duties Of Parents From The Booklet By J.C. Ryle. Read By Michael Lee

Description: From the famous booklet written by Pastor J.C. Ryle. Pastor Ryle gives us 17 points of Christian parenting on which to focus our attention. His words are timeless and apply to parenting today as much as it did 100 years ago.

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cherish-ephesians-6-4-presents-the-duties-of/id1676664853

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAh2MVKU1VQgfoZGiRgzptFs7g07vkwU5

“Why Should I Believe Anything About Jesus Christ?” Written By Various Authors And Read By Michael Lee

Description: This Podcast features three famous recordings of booklets written by John Blanchard that will strengthen your own understanding on the death and resurrection of Christ and also serve as a great evangelistic tool for a friend or family member. The first booklet is called, “Ultimate Questions.” The second booklet is called, “Why The Cross?” And the third booklet is called, “Jesus, Dead Or Alive?”

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cherish-ephesians-6-4-presents-why-should-i-believe/id1692832161

YouTube: Each of the John Blanchard booklets has its own recording. See below.

Ultimate Questions.  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAh2MVKU1VQggMxnbCbkLux2C6QB1W0VG

Jesus- Dead Or Alive? https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAh2MVKU1VQjeqfP9L1olkHULFCNHVDDF

Why The Cross? https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAh2MVKU1VQgJEuKxJL0dgjCDM85tyqrQ

Christian Behavior, written by John Bunyan. This is a wonderful fairly short book written by the great John Bunyan to help Christians understand that their lives should be full of good works! Bunyan takes us to Titus 3:7-8 and brings practical application to all areas of the Christian life. You will be blessed by this great saint!

Apple Podcast:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cherish-ephesians-6-4-presents-christian-behavior-by/id1716196912

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAh2MVKU1VQjUQ_MpGbnqwrBVi7TgRKi3

Choose Your Master: God Or Money. The links are immediately below-

Description: This is one of the most written about topics in the Bible because it is one of the most dangerous to the Christian. Listen in on the good and bad experiences of the author and strongly consider the Bible’s teaching on stewardship.

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cherish-ephesians-6-4-presents-choose-your-master-god/id1683382182

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAh2MVKU1VQiHoB3-tBm1qDDbxxpQAvTl

Title: All Things For Good Written By Thomas Watson And Read By Michael Lee

Description: One of the great Puritans, Watson writes based on the great promise from God that all things work together for good to those that love God. The book will expand your faith in God’s promises and His attributes and give a great comfort to your soul.

Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-things-for-good-by-thomas-watson-and-read-by-michael-lee/id1703108941)

YouTube (https://youtu.be/cCMPuNsv6dE).

Read it online at www.ModernPuritans.com

Title: Critical Considerations For Christian Parents About Your Child’s Education, By Michael Lee

Description: As we search the Bible for answers to the question: How shall we raise our children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord,” we can see that the system for educating children was done primary by the parents in the home. However, the world in which we live now is quite different and the vast majority of parents use an educational system that is outside of the home and is that system is called the public schools, or the government schools.

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cherish-ephesians-6-4-presents-critical-considerations/id1678162250

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAh2MVKU1VQjnvjc7QuytT2V3lVr53oqa

Title: From Religion To Christ, Written By Peter Jeffery And Read By Michael Lee

Description:  Tired of the many systems of religion that you have observed or been part of in the past? Are you ready to say goodbye to religion? The author Peter Jeffery, agrees! Doing “religion” is empty and will not get you to heaven. There is something more-something much greater. Take a careful listen through this podcast and discover what a real relationship with God actually looks like.

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cherish-ephesians-6-4-presents-from-religion-to-christ/id1687134464

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAh2MVKU1VQg_lCngBTcjs_dXT1VYvYWA

Title: Rediscovering The Lost Treasure Of Family Worship. Written By Jerry Marcellino And Read By Michael Lee

Description: Family Worship was once the normal practice that most Christian parents led in their homes. Led by either parent, the children would be taught daily from the word of God, pray and sing songs. It was considered to be a vital part of the Christian life.

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cherish-ephesians-6-4-presents-rediscovering-the-lost/id1692401602

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAh2MVKU1VQgNq7asslVBsKyq0FC3arMs

Title: Thoughts For Young Men From The Book By J.C. Ryle. Read By Michael Lee

Description: A wonderful book of Biblical truth and advice for young men. Helpful to parents as well as the young men themselves. Full of wisdom for a life filled with Christ. J.C. Ryle (1816-1900) served God in England as a pastor and teacher for more than 40 years. His words are still being used by the Lord today and are applicable to all Christians in all times.

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cherish-ephesians-6-4-presents-thoughts-for-young-men/id1673847428

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAh2MVKU1VQixZIaBE95_JRojVSkzq1nl

Title: Stand Firm Written By Peter Jeffery and Read By Michael Lee

Description: So you just became a Christian and now what? Get ready for a life of walking with the Lord and experiencing the joy of knowing you have peace with God. However, you also have an enemy- the devil. Peter Jeffery wants to help by teaching you about the battle with the wicked one and how you can STAND FIRM against his attacks!

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cherish-ephesians-6-4-presents-stand-firm-written-by/id1681861976

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAh2MVKU1VQjhDFeGYG5Tt5EWjeuz-e1p

Title: The Duties Of Parents From The Booklet By J.C. Ryle. Read By Michael Lee

Description: From the famous booklet written by Pastor J.C. Ryle. Pastor Ryle gives us 17 points of Christian parenting on which to focus our attention. His words are timeless and apply to parenting today as much as it did 100 years ago.

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cherish-ephesians-6-4-presents-the-duties-of/id1676664853

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAh2MVKU1VQgfoZGiRgzptFs7g07vkwU5

Title: Choose Your Master: God Or Money. Written And Read By Michael Lee

Description: This is one of the most written about topics in the Bible because it is one of the most dangerous to the Christian. Listen in on the good and bad experiences of the author and strongly consider the Bible’s teaching on stewardship.

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cherish-ephesians-6-4-presents-choose-your-master-god/id1683382182

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAh2MVKU1VQiHoB3-tBm1qDDbxxpQAvTl

Title: A Call To Prayer By J.C. Ryle. Read By Michael Lee

Description: This is a passionate plea from the famous preacher and teacher, J.C. Ryle. Although these words were penned more than 100 years ago, the need and application for today’s Christian is greater than ever.

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cherish-ephesians-6-4-presents-a-call-to-prayer-by/id167288080

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAh2MVKU1VQjaXXgO8P1U-bBFkEMCwdYR

Title: Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices From The Book By Thomas Brooks. Read By Michael Lee

Description: (This is one that you can listen to a “precious remedy” each day). Thomas Brooks, born in 1608, was a Puritan preacher who wrote a number of essays during his time with possibly the foremost entitled, “Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices.” In writing the book’s dedication, he wrote, “Christ, the scripture, your own hearts, and Satan’s devices, are the four prime things that should be first and most studied and searched. If any cast off the study of these they cannot be safe here, nor happy hereafter.” Brooks believed that all Christians have particular weaknesses in their faith and those weaknesses would be exploited in some way by Satan.

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cherish-ephesians-6-4-presents-precious-remedies-against/id1671364198

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Last modified: April 5, 2024