day at church. Started out with SU, SH and I going over to a nursing home and leading “church”. That was pretty funny and cool. Funny because of the attendees, cool because it was a blessing.
Laughter flowed easily. First, as a I started singing, I cracked up thinking about the song I was singing and the audience. “I’ll Fly Away” might not be the first thing that should come to mind when your audience consists of 6 ladies well above 90! Second, the 96 year old closest to me complained that I was too loud. Then the 94 year old sitting across from her was confused because she couldn’t hear! Funny stuff. I looked over to my right and the 99 year old that SU had just given an outline of her study to was sound asleep, with her outline perfectly positioned as if she were studying it!
After that, we had an excellent class. Probably felt that way from the beginning because JM was back on stage with me. We had a good time and changed the lyrics of one little song, “When I Get To Heaven”. The line is supposed to be “I’m gonna walk with Jesus” but when I asked the group what they were going to do when they got to heaven, FC said that she was just going to hang out with the big guy. Bam! Just like that we had a new line!
The pastor’s sermon was very, very good. He is at the peak of his ministry right now, if you ask me. I’ve been around him now for 40 years and have never heard him more relevant or articulate. His message was about fallen angels, those beings that we call demons. Excellent.
The evening service was pretty somber and sad. One of our members, a 38 year old man with a beautiful wife and 3 gorgeous little girls, passed away from an apparent heart attack. The pastor came in to the service about 5 minutes late, coming directly from the hospital. He was very grieved and stopped the service for prayer for the family. And even in this short little speech about the death, he was eloquent, saying that death has no hold over a Christian. I agree.
1 Corinthians 15:50-58
What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever.
But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. 53 For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.
Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.
O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.
So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.
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