IT'S BEEN THREE WEEKS NOW, BILL

So tell me, how are you enjoying Heaven? People closest to you said you had become ambivalent about living. That you longed to see those family members who had passed before, yet you still wanted to be with your loved ones here. So now that you've gone home is it what you expected?

Let me share about your memorial/celebration. It was something that you would have been proud of. Several others afterwards talked about how you would have enjoyed seeing all the people there. Including your doctor who spoke at the service. I come from a fairly small town and I've seen my share of funerals, but never have I seen the doctor show up. And give a testimony about the deceased. In addition, he used the time to talk about his faith as well.

A few stories were shared by your Moody halfback buddy from the Denver Seminary. I imagine you've heard them but I'll repeat in case somehow you weren't listening.

It seems that Einstein was once on a train and couldn't find his ticket when asked to produce it. The conductor said, "It's ok, Dr. Einstein, I know who you are and you wouldn't try to get on this train if you hadn't bought a ticket." He continued collecting the other passengers' tickets. He saw out of the corner of his eye that Einstein was on hands and knees still trying to find his ticket. "It's ok, sir. I know who you are and you don't need proof that you have a ticket."

"Young man, I know who I am as well. But I don't know where I was going," he replied. Well, Bill, you knew exactly where you going all along.

In the other story, a woman was discussing her funeral plans with her pastor when she asked for a rather unusual request to be buried with a fork in her right hand. "Why in the world would you want that?" the stunned preacher asked.

"Well, when I was a kid, my mom would collect the dishes and silverware after our meal but told us to keep our forks for dessert. For the best was yet to come."

And for the woman and for Bill, the best was yet to come. Bill didn't need a fork. He had assurance that as Pastor Rob said, "Death is a transition and not a termination."

You missed a great memorial, Bill. Peace to you. my brother.

BEFORE LETTERMAN

There was God and His Top Ten list. The Ten that only One could keep. The One who saved us from our just reward. Which was death. Because God cannot/will not tolerate or be in the presence of sin.

Today marks the celebration of the birth of that King. Praise God! From His humble beginnings to His humble life to His excruciating death to His marvelous resurrection! Let us celebrate them all.

His birth, certainly; His life, His teachings, The Word made flesh; undoubtedly. His resurrection, of course. But celebrate His death? How? Why?

Without His substitutionary sacrifice for us, we would also die. And be dead in our sins. But by His love, we have eternal life. With Him at the right hand of the Father.

As our pastor said last night in our Christmas Eve service, "Jesus came to earth to do the only thing(s) He couldn't do in Heaven--(suffer) and die." (Parentheses mine.)

And for that, for His actions we celebrate His birth, His life, His death, and His glorious resurrection.

Merry Christmas!

THE IMMATURE CHRISTIAN

What are some signs? When you know the lead pastor is not delivering the sermon on Sunday, you skip church. When you're on vacation, you skip church. When you've been to church for a mid-week service, you skip church on Sunday morning. When you've gone to church Sunday morning and Sunday evening, you skip the next week.

I've even gone as far as thinking that since I was in the church office and had talked to the secretary and preacher during the week, that it gave me a free pass to skip church on Sunday.

By the way, I've done all the others, too, that I listed in the first paragraph.

I wish I could say I'd done them when I was young, but that wouldn't be right. And this is from a guy who claims that being in church has always felt right, has always felt good to him. I guess I must have not wanted to feel too good.

It was like I was parcelling or dosing my time at church. "Be careful; you don't want too much religion." I even turned down a date to a Sweetheart Dance in high school because the preacher's daughter asked me. Had her father be employed anywhere else, anywhere else, I would have accepted. But that's the way I was.

I changed. We almost never miss an opportunity to attend church when we are out of town. One memorable service was in Australia when we heard a Tongonese choir sing in their native language. We even have a quasi-regular church in another city that we often visit.

I find myself in church several days a week sometimes. I no longer keep count, but count it a blessing every time I'm there. I'm so glad I turned in my time card.

"WE HAD IT ALL"

just like Bogey and Bacall, to complete a great song lyric. But they didn't have it all, contrary to those lyrics.

Unless they had accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

I thought about beginning this entry with a personal reflection on some of the best days of my life. Or asking loyal reader(s) to ponder theirs. Then I would point out the best day of our lives was when we answered God's pursuit of us and we became a follower of Jesus Christ.

All the rest of our days, high points along with depths of despair will be burnt up. They'll be gone. What's left is eternity. Make no mistake: there is an eternity for all.

For me, I chose to accept the gift of salvation from our loving and most gracious Lord. If you haven't, well bearer of bad news that I am, you've chosen, too. And you're not going to like your choice unless it's the same as mine.

There is only one God; there is only one Jesus. Both have no beginning/ no Amen. They have always existed: they always will.

Don't not make a decision. For if you do, you've made it. And it's a rejection of Jesus as the One Way to your eternal life in Heaven. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you need more information. I'll be exhilarated to help you take your next step with Jesus.

THERE SHE GOES: HERE SHE COMES

It happened again. A grade school and high school classmate of mine passed away yesterday. We weren't close. I can't recall the last time I even saw her.

But what concerns me is her obit. There were all the usual basic references to family, work, and interests/activities. Missing was church affiliation and service.

She served. Working at a local organization with a national charter. She had no doubt volunteered hours of dedication to an arm of that service organization. But her efforts were burned up here.

I'm getting angry. I'm getting tired of people dying without knowing the Lord. Without anyone having helped warm them to Jesus Christ. I know from scripture that God pursues us, "not even one" would pursue Him on our own.

But I also know from Matt 28:20 that we are commissioned to spread the gospel--to share the Good News. We're not sharing enough. Or we're not getting through.

If I could warm one reader of One Way to Jesus, if I could help win one soul to Christ, all my blogging would have been worth it. To the loved ones left behind saying "There she goes," to the ones on the other side saying, "Here she comes," it would be a glorious day on both fronts.

JESUS SEEN APPROPRIATELY AS A ROCK

Jesus sightings are everywhere. Underneath a bridge, in a water spot, on a piece of toast. And people go to visit these spots or to examine the objects.

Jesus as a rock is perhaps the most appropriate of all.

Sturdy, unchanging, supportive, foundational--all equal Jesus, too. While I may go out of my way to see a "Jesus sighting," I don't have to. I have enough evidence that Jesus is who He said He was. The Son of God. And also God. There at Creation.

Now how that be? How can He be both? Because that's the very nature of a sovereign, omnipotent God. It's all in His perfect plan conceived before Creation. And I believe that as surely as believe anything my eyes can see. It's called faith.

Faith in the rock. Faith in The Rock.

GONE FISHING

The Sea of Galilee is one of the most exciting places on earth. I went with 25 other pilgrims in 2006 where we sailed the sea on the Jesus Boat.

Thirteen miles long, 7 miles wide, and 150 feet deep at the center. The Sea of Galilee is bigger than I had pictured. And beautiful and calm on the day we were there.

It isn't or wasn't always so. It was on Galilee that the storm raged as Jesus slept. Where He spent 3 years of His ministry on its shores. Where He performed the miracle of the multiplication of fishes and loaves. And where Jesus appeared after His resurrection.

Where He appointed Peter a place of leadership in the church. Where Levi, Simon, Andrew, John and James, sons of Zebedee were called to discipleship.

Also, where the work of drawing men and women to the Savior began. Where we can continue to draw, to continue to be fishers of men. For the Man from Galilee.