Rest in Peace

Birth and  death. The two events in everyone's life in which we have no control over. In fact, in both cases it is usually the memories and reports of other people that remind those who are living about the actuality of the two events. No man/woman can run away from the date with life and with death. One is welcomed with much joy and jubilation, the other with sadness and somberness. Death is no respecter of man/woman, so they say. It does not dialogue with the individual on the best day, and we never expect the day of visitation. As sojourners of this earth, we have definitely asked ourselves this question about death, or rather we definitely ought to, and for most it remains a mystical affair. As far as our minds travail, we can continue to debate about the significance and purpose of death, even until the point where it is too late to make an appropriate response (Mark 1:15). By the grace of God's wisdom, death has become a life teacher to others. It definitely has to me. If there is one truth about it is that life is short and fragile. Ecclesiastes 12:7 echoes this fragility by reminding us that we are but dust. Psalms 103:15 - 16 draws a parallel between our lives here on earth and the flower of the field, flourishing one day and blown the other day. It is only that unlike the flower of the field, we can rest in the hope for now and indeed the hope after the grave, for indeed "For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,  who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." 1 Thess 5:9 - 11 and together with Paul we can say that "to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Philippians 1:21

Pondering about the inescapability of the appointment with death, and in the spirit of passing on wisdom from other sojourners, these 3 T's enable us to rest in peace and to pilgrim in prudent purpose. We could look at them as the 3 T's of life:

Trust.

Solomon is regarded as one of the wisest and wealthiest individuals to have ever lived. His accounts in the book of Ecclesiastes touch upon a multi-faceted interconnection of life's thrills and chills. When all is said and done, we are all entrusted with a variety of things including: Skills and talents (Matthew 25:14 - 30); Time (Ecclesiastes 8:6, Ephesians 5:15 - 17) ; our bodies and spirits (1 Corinthians 6:19 - 20); energy (Proverbs 6: 6 - 11); service to others in Love (Matthew 25:35 - 36) and of foremost importance, our entire lives. May the good Lord teach us to number our days and to give us the wisdom to walk in the way of life (Psalm 90:12) and to conclude life in God's will (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

Test

What is commonplace in many cultures and across all ages is the need to learn and learning through the many tests we have withstood. In fact, life itself is a teacher and it tests us through circumstances and people who we meet. In my culture, once a boy reaches the age of initiation, he is circumcised and spends a few days with an older 'brother' to teach him the ways of manhood and even isolated as a test of strength. Educational systems and mostly menacing lecturers have found ways to re-invent testing as it were. Life's ebb's and flows, if paid careful attention and retrospection can reveal to us a variety of lessons. Indeed, there is a time for everything, of building and destroying, of birth and death, of gain and loss, of silence and speak (Ecclesiastes 3:1 - 8). All these provide gems of lessons while on our life journeys. 

Temporary

Surely comparing the life of man to the span of eternity makes one gasp in fleeting breath, considering how insignificant it may seem (Psalm 39:4 - 5). Whatever titles or positions we hold, whatever roles we play or rituals we observe, whatever valleys we descend or hills we surmount, whatever the whatever, all this is temporary. This should grab a hold on our seemingly unquenchable pride, as well as to humble us. James 4:14, reminds us that we are like a mist, appearing and vanishing in a little while.

The 3 T's offer valuable insight to navigating our life journey. Most importantly, we see the need to put our hope for something, need I say, someone, more dependable and transcendent. You see, humans have free will that makes us unique beings and quite adventurous and curious - If only we had nine lives . . . We have a craving for timelessness. It is the core of who we are. Clearly, by our design, our physical bodies cannot aid us in this respect. In abandoning our futile thinking, we can draw our true identity and satisfy our inherent longings upon gazing at and embracing Transcendence Himself. 2 Corinthians 5:1 - 8 reveals that God has made available His spirit as a guarantee of eternal life (Romans 8: 16 - 17). Indeed, it is the same Spirit that spoke the earth into creation (Genesis 1: 1 - 2) and in the same way He can guarantee us this length of days. We need to claim it by faith (Hebrews 11:6), remembering that God's promises and words are true and trustworthy. 

As we have rested many loved ones in past and present times, as well as in the future, let us rest in the hope that these sufferings are not worthy to be compared to the glory that will be revealed (Romans 8:18). It is not in futility that God has desired it so (Romans 8: 20 - 21) but for the hope that is only found in Christ Jesus, the hope of the liberty of the Sons of God, the hope that works for our good in ALL things (Romans 8:28) and the hope that brings us to the Love of God. There is nothing that can separate us from the love of God, the love which is free for all. Nothing in the earth realm nor anything else above, neither trials nor tribulations, neither life nor death shall separate us from God; in fact, we are MORE than conquerors (Romans 8:31 - 39).

My prayer is that we shall surrender to, accept and understand God's great act of Love at Calvary Hill, which has brought us and can bring us into fellowship with our Transcendent and Loving Father through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (Ephesians 14:14 - 21). Even as we rest our loved ones during this period, God retains the ability to even rest our souls in eternal rest (Matthew 11: 28 - 30, 2 Peter 3:8 - 14). 

May this poignant and heart-felt reminder give us the strength we need in our pilgrimages here, and may we grow in the Wisdom that comes from He who has fashioned everything into existence (Colossians 1:16). To Him be all the glory, now and even to the end of the ages!

May the Peace of God keep us all.

Heart problems and the eternal solution

Isaiah 55:6 -7 (NKJV) "Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon."

1 John 2: 15 - 17 >> The world has many illusions. It is possible to live under a delusion. You may think that you are kind, considerate and gracious, when you are really not. You think you are building positive values into your children when in reality, if you could check with them twenty years later, you find out you really didn't. You seek knowledge to solve your limited abilities or to enlighten your ignorance. Man has designed cars to ease transportation, aeroplanes to solve weightlessness, religion to fit God in a small box and beautiful garments to adorn our tainted hearts.

What our efforts have failed to do is to solve our heart problems.

I had the chance to be in the audience when a former alcohol and marijuana addict was sharing his testimony about his experience at Alcohol Anonymous (AA) and his redemption from addiction. The first thing they were told there was that they are powerless.

You see, this mirrors our current abilities as human beings - We can only do so much, by our own strength. Kenya is mainly a religious country but that cannot account for the high crime rates, the debauchery culture of the youth, the corruption of the politicians and the broken homes and marriages, prevalent in our society. Clearly, these outer forms of meager morality and  futile fortitude in the life journey prove that there is much more to these complex issues.

In many ways, we are similar to this man, in that we are powerless. The very things we want to stop doing are the very things we do (Romans 7:14 - 15).  The things we want to do, we lack the strength in doing them with consistency. 

Paul could not be more accurate in describing the current state of the world or the last days as he calls it. The current state of the world has become defined by the obsession of people with the consumption of power, as if it is part of our life diet, to the point of murders, strife and hatred among 'competitors'. Lusts of the flesh are the reason for unfaithful relationships, revelry, adultery, idolatry, fornication and the fact that we are lovers of ourselves rather than lovers of God (2 Timothy 7: 14 -15).

Reflecting on this core scripture from Isaiah, we see that we ought to turn from our unrighteousness (Philippians 3:8 - 9) because we serve a Holy God. We cannot approach him with 'our filthy rugs'. If you ask anyone, even a random person in the street, they will probably tell you they want to go to Heaven - The only problem is that only God, the King of Kings, who has His everlasting throne there has the entrance manual to this place of eternal joy, peace and perfect fellowship (John 14:6). We do not serve a passive God, we serve a God who is living, interested and involved in the daily details that form our lives. Man has tried and continues to try to create a perfect society, a mimicry of Heaven on earth. Solomon says that 'there is nothing new under the sun'. The world has its illusions and deceptions, and the devil, who is the prince of the air, has come to kill, to steal and to destroy (John 10:10) but there is life and indeed eternal, abundant life in Christ. Life on earth is but a mist, a temporary journey with eternal consequences. At the end of time, we have to answer for our deeds on earth. It will not be a situation of 'God you know my parents were Christians . . . ' or 'I was reading the bible with my friend'. No, it will be an individual affair (2 Corinthians 5:10).

Let us render our hearts to the Lord, not our garments, our hearts. There's no theme dressing to gain entrance, He expects us just as we are. Let us seek the Lord while He may still be found.

Additional reading: Psalms 103

Meditating question: What shall you be found with?