Always There

"On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine— the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken. In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”" (Isaiah 25:6-9, NIV)

 If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:31-39, NIV)

John 3:1-21 (NIV)

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”

4 “How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!”

5 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11 I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”

Always There

Yesterday Gary said something that struck me as profound “She was always there.”

As Jane has read there are many memories that we have when someone dies.  Memories like:

·        Playing cards with her sisters

·        Fishing trips to MN

·        They are the memories and the moments of life

o       Mom being the push over and dad being the strict one

o       The Lutefisk she would make for Lynn

o       Gatherings at Mom’s for all the holidays

o       The family love of the dreaded New York Yankees

o       He love of family reunions

o       Lois’ good cooking of meat and potatoes

While these memories are significant and will last the rest of your lives, the most important thing that your mother left to you is a legacy of faith. 

For something to be a legacy it must first have been a possession of those who have gone before.  Lois cherished her faith as seen in the comfort that this passage gave to her.

From infancy…

Baptism … July 18 1926

Confirmation…Romans 8

            Redeemed by Christ

            More than Conqueror

            Nothing can separate her

Is 25

The banquet feast…like the family gatherings…Both a meal and a reunion her favorite things.

Throughout your lives Lois has always been there when you scraped a knee or needed a shoulder to lean on, she has been a presence that can not be replaced.  But she would be the first to tell us that more important than a mothers grandmothers or sisters presence is the acknowledgment of Christ’s presence in our lives.  Jesus was always there for her and now she will be in His presence for all eternity and await that great reunion when we will all be together with Clare and all the saints that have gone before. 

Until that time we can be comforted with the memories of Lois and the assurance of Christ’s presence for us.