"Life Is Short and Death Is Real"

James 4:14, "Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.

The word "cancer" is a word which has touch the lives of many people in our society today. Both of my grandfathers died with cancer. I have ministered to hospice patients who has had cancer. I have had church members die from this dreaded disease. Cancer is a word when spoken causes us to cringe with fear and uncertainty. As believers in Christ we are reminded even when God allows cancer for our lot, we know He is working "all things together for good ( Rom.8:28)" As believers we know God is working for the good, but we also are reminded it is our sin which has placed us in our lot. Our sin has brought sickness, diseases, and death.
God's Word teaches us in Romans 3:23, "for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Because man has choose to sin against God, He has separated Himself from sinful man. God is holy, He is transcendent, "He's thoughts are above our thoughts and His ways are above our ways (Isa.55:9)." Because man has sinned, God's Word teaches us also we have earned a wage for our sin, Romans 6:23, "for the wages of sin is death..." Every man, woman, boy, and girl has earned a wage for their sin against God. It is DEATH.
We live in a society today which wants us to believe death is not real and death will not come. But I am here to tell you and promise you death is REAL. One preacher has said, "1 out of 1 will die." Every body will die physically because of their sin. When you trace back sin and evil in the world today, it has one source...SIN! Man has choose to freely sin against God and man will not (Rom.3:10-12)choose to do other wise unless God works in his heart to bring Him to repentance and faith. The only way for "fallen man" to be brought back to a Holy God is through a mediator, the Man Christ Jesus.
I am reminded as a pastor I too will face death soon because of the "wage" I have earned. But, I am also reminded through God's Word the is hope. Although I have earned the "wage of death" because of sin, I am reminded, "...the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom.6:23b)." What a blessed assurance, my physical body might die and be placed back into the earth but my soul will live for eternity because of the free gift of eternal life which is found only in Christ Jesus.
So, I ask you do you have eternal life? Do you believe you too will face death? I want to speak the truth in love, "you will die?" It is sooner today than yesterday! Do you know what your wage is? It is death. Have you received the "free gift of God?" I pray for you today who will read this that God would use this blog post to bring you to place where you have no rest or comfort in your soul until you come to know His Son Christ Jesus. "Life is short and death is real."

"Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints" Psalm 116:15.
When death comes one is never fully prepared to handle the loss of a loved one. This past week has been a very trying week for me as a pastor. Even for a pastor we are never fully prepared on how to minister to a family. Everyone responds to death in different ways. Whether it be anger, cold-shoulder toward others, or just being quite. No two people that I have ever ministered to handles the death of a loved one the same.
This week the church at Pleasant Hill Baptist lost a dear saint who truly loved the Lord. It was a great joy to be able to pray with her and her husband, Wednesday before her surgery. As a pastor it brings peace to me when the person heading into surgery is trusting in God to bring glory to Himself through the situation, no matter what the turn out.Wednesday's surgery did not prove to be a success, humanly speaking. After complications, the surgeon had to go back in to find an infection that had attacked her body. On Friday at 1:00, we lost a saint of God, but He gained one!
It broke my heart as her husband of 42 years stood and watched his bride leave this walk of life. Nonetheless, as a pastor it was a privilege to be there with him and his family. It was a joy to know he wanted his pastor there at the very moment his wife went to be with the Lord. Even though I did not know what to say, just to be wanted was enough.
I have found it such a blessing to be allowed to shepherd God's people at Pleasant Hill Baptist church. God has been faithful to us at PHBC, pray for us as we continue striving to be a "church glorifying God in the truth."