Text Box: Recently I have spoken with a number of people who have been going through a season of grief. Losing a loved one is an experience that is never easy, but it is a time when our faith can be especially precious. How we grieve is very important. At the death of a loved one, some stop living. Others mask the pain with drugs or alcohol. Others allow the loss to define who they are. Ideally, grief strengthens our walk with God, sharpens our focus on the eternal and deepens our appreciation for life. We all appreciate those who face adversity well. I watched a video clip today of 6 year old Cooper Stone throwing out the first pitch to Josh Hamilton at the playoff game in Texas. You may remember his story as young Cooper and his Dad were at a baseball game in July when Josh Hamilton threw a baseball to his father in the stands. The father, Shannon Stone, lost his balance and fell 20 feet to his death. The article noted that “The first moment of baseball's postseason will probably turn out to be its best.” The Texas crowd cheered and cried for a brave young boy who was living life beyond the death of his father. I pray that we would also grieve well and be an inspiration to others in the way we handle loss. The main reason we can grieve well is because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. At the center of our faith is a death, which is good news. Jesus died, but did not stay dead. I Corinthians 15:54-57 puts it this way: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” Text Box:   “Where, O death, is your victory?    Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation of rebuilding life after a loss. Because Jesus conquered death, we can find hope in seemingly hopeless situations. This is not to say that there is not a place for tears. Until we get to heaven there will be reasons for tears. Rev. 21:4 says, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” We are still living in the old order of things and sometimes life does not make sense. That is why we need God to be our comfort. II Corinthians 1:3,4 says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” Only God can heal the pain that grief so often brings. Note that the verses acknowledge that comfort often comes through human flesh. It is essential to take our troubles to God in prayer, but God often uses people to listen and share in the healing process. May God bring hope and strength to those in a season a grief and may he use us to comfort others. Text Box: Grief and the Christian Hope Text Box: Gospel News Text Box: October 2011

Christmas Child

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Metro District

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Faith & Reason

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October Events

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Core Values

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Halloween

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October Calendar

 
Text Box: Fort Lee Gospel Church 1625 Palisade Ave. Fort Lee, NJ 07024 (201)947-1465 Pastor: Rev. Rick Spenst Web site: www.fortleegospel.org E-mail: fortleegospel@juno.com