An Urgent Message
First of all, thank you to everyone who participated over the past couple of weeks in this grand experiment in government we call the United States of America. Whether in-person on November 5, in-person in the previous weeks, or via mail-in absentee ballot, you did something extremely important – you voted!
For the first time in my life, I volunteered to be a “poll watcher” or an “election observer” yesterday. After my 7:00 AM–noon shift, I came away with a number of perspectives I wasn’t thinking about beforehand. I want to share them with you.
First of all, I’m not normally, as I assume most people are not, in a situation to see hundreds of people (800+) as individuals in a few hours’ time. Since I was asked to serve at the local public library polling station in a city of 50,000 people, I saw people of many, many shapes, sizes, ages, and colors. The term “melting pot” came quickly to mind. From college students to businesspeople, from moms with young children to people who looked like they didn’t have much in the way of material possessions, it was truly a cross-section of humanity. One takeaway was how amazingly diverse our population is. As the old saying goes, “It takes all kinds.” Another takeaway was that you can’t tell by looking at someone where they fall on the political spectrum. If you make assumptions about voting preferences by gender, age, or class, you could very well be wrong. For example, pundits tell us this morning that young people increased their support of conservative candidates by over ten percent. That’s very surprising! When looking at all those voters lined up to cast their ballots, you realize that they are all unique individuals, not just a “group of supporters” for a particular candidate. Each has their own story, their own circumstances, and their own opinions about all kinds of topics, including God. It’s pretty cool to see how our republic (or democracy, if you prefer) works. It truly is a group effort!
Perhaps the most striking realization of all is the similarities among all those people. They’re all part of our country and have a right to express their opinion, including through their vote. They all have a mom and a dad. They all have a Heavenly Father. They all have an immortal soul which needs God, whether they realize it or not. I couldn’t tell by looking at them how they voted, but I also couldn’t tell by looking at them if they ever heard of Jesus of Nazareth or, more importantly, knew him as their Savior. As Christians, we can empathize with Jesus when he looked at “the masses” and yearned for them to believe in him. Luke 13:34 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I have wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!
The word “urgency” should come to the mind of every Christian who sees not just a “group”, “mass”, or “herd” of people, but individual people of every size, shape, age, and color, with souls – souls for which Christ lived, suffered, and died. We must find a way to reach out and share Jesus with them. It may be on a personal basis or it may be through a large ministry. We can’t wait. It must be now! Once their vote was cast yesterday, those folks couldn’t go back and change it. Once they die, THEY WILL MEET GOD!
It’s Time!
Dan Kunz
On December 23, 1776, American patriot, Thomas Paine, wrote these words in a pamphlet called “The Crisis”, “These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country…” In another pamphlet, “Common Sense”, also written in 1776, Paine wrote, “It hath been reported of the late Mr. Pelham (who tho’ an able minister was not without his faults) that on his being attacked in the House of Commons on the score that his measures were only of a temporary kind, replied, ‘they will last my time.’ Should a thought so fatal and unmanly possess the Colonies in the present contest, the name of ancestors will be remembered by future generations with detestation.” Over the course of history, Thomas Paine has been described by many as having as much an impact on the American Revolution as any soldier, general, or politician. Because of his fiery writing, he encouraged people to “get off the sidelines” and become involved in the war for independence. It worked!
On November 5, our country will hold an election which may not be as significant as the American Revolution, but many people will agree is monumental. Two very different visions for American are on the ballot – one conservative and one liberal or progressive. As a matter of fact, as I write this blog, early voting has started in many, if not most, states. My wife and I have already taken advantage of that opportunity. The goal of this blog is simply to encourage Christians to vote. Several reasons to become engaged come to mind.
First and foremost, God established government for the good of all people. Romans 13:1 “Everyone must submit to the governing authorities. For no authority exists except by God, and the authorities that do exist have been established by God.” God even allows “bad” governments to exist and uses them to achieve his ultimate plan! Secondly, we live in a constitutional republic. This means the government derives its power from the people. As United States citizens, we have the right to vote, but I would take it a step further and say we have the responsibility to vote. We don’t want to be “summer soldiers, sunshine patriots, or Mr. Pelham” from the pamphlets of Thomas Paine mentioned above. We can’t sit back and do nothing, simply because our lives are comfortable or because we think our one vote won’t make a difference. Finally, future generations are depending on our decisions now. With our vote we are shaping the direction which our country will take for years to come. We simply can’t ignore that responsibility.
Using almost any metric available, we live in the greatest country in the world. Luke 12:48b “From everyone to whom much was given, much will be expected. From the one who was entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” We, as Christians, appreciate the many freedoms we have in America, not the least of which is freedom of religion. For those freedoms to continue, we need to be as focused and steadfast, and maybe as fiery, as Thomas Paine. If you haven’t already done so, please vote. Our future depends on it!
Do You Speak “God”?
Dan Kunz
Have you ever tried to communicate with someone who speaks a different language? It can be very frustrating. Depending on the language, you may pick out a word or a phrase here and there, but the gist of the conversation is just not there. Comedians make fun of our propensity to simply talk louder - as if that will somehow help the other person understand. Sometimes it’s not the actual language, but the ideas which are not being communicated. For example, my daughter’s fiancée is very technologically savvy. I am not. When Scott tries to explain to me what he’s doing or going to do to set up my new laptop, I understand most of the words, but don’t really get the meaning. I’m afraid that’s the way it is with us and God. We don’t always “get” what he’s telling us.
Two weeks ago our son-in-law’s grandmother passed away. She was ninety years old, in perfect health, and mentally as sharp as she could be. Her daughter called to say she and her family would be dropping over for a visit. Jeanne said she’d take a little nap so she could be ready to entertain guests. She laid down on her bed, put an afghan across her legs, folded her hands across her chest, fell asleep and never woke up. Perfect! We got what God was saying, “It’s time for Jeanne to go home.”
Earlier this week, one of our church’s native pastors in Arizona, Kirk Massey, husband, father, busy leader of his church, passed away suddenly at his home. God said, “It’s time for Kirk to go home.” We don’t get it. It doesn’t make sense to us. We hear the words, but don’t grasp the idea. Get the difference? It’s in our understanding, not in God’s message.
How is the problem solved? Two ways. First, go to God’s Word and read about his plan for us and for our lives. He may not spell out every situation and detail, but the general plan is there. Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Secondly, trust. Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.” As followers of the risen Savior, we know our Heavenly Father will ultimately do what’s in our best interest. We strive to understand through his Word and trust him for the things we don’t fully grasp.
Are those things easy to do? No, many times they are not, but they are easier when we realize and plumb the depths of God’s love for us. A God who loves his rebellious children enough to take care of their physical needs, shower them with blessings of all shapes and sizes, and send his own Son to die in their place so that they can be with him in heaven for eternity, certainly loves with a love beyond all human understanding, even if we don’t always “get it”!
No matter the challenge in our life - death, loneliness, addiction, uncertainty or anxiety - God understands our language. When we ponder and trust his Word, we can better understand his.
Amish Walmart
Dan Kunz
If you live in southwestern Wisconsin, you may have heard of a unique place, nicknamed “the Amish Walmart”. The actual name of the business is Trail’s End, but most people call it the Amish Walmart. It is literally at trail’s end in the middle of nowhere in the “Driftless Region”, south of LaCrosse. A number of years ago, some enterprising Amish folks bought out the entire stock of an Iowa hardware store which was going out of business. They hauled it all back to rural Wisconsin and opened Trail’s End. The rest, as they say, is history. Many, many hardware stores and liquidation sales later, the Amish Walmart has a very large building, numerous semi-trailers, and acres of fields stuffed with stuff. If you need something that’s a little out of the ordinary, chances are they have it. Old axe heads – hundreds. Antique medicine bottles – dozens. Old barn beams – stacks. Storm windows and screens – pallet loads. You get the idea. I think their motto is, “If we don’t have it, you don’t need it.”
Unfortunately, the Amish Walmart reminds me of the world’s supply of religious/spiritual opinions. If you’ve been to a Barnes and Noble bookstore or probably any other for that matter, you’ll see shelf after shelf after shelf of books dealing with God, or aspects of a spiritual life. Self-help books, parenting books, how-to-succeed-in-business books, and just about any topic you can imagine books, probably deal, on some level, with God. Of course, just like a visit to the Amish Walmart, one has to sort through a lot of “junk” to find what is really useful, or in the case of faith, what’s really true and needed. Religions which deal with “higher level” consciousness – dozens. Ones which deal with a “hidden knowledge” – hundreds. A way to heaven through your own good works – thousands. A trip to Trail’s End could take hours. A trip to find God on your own would not only take a lifetime, but it would also be fruitless.
Our Heavenly Father has already given us the “one thing needful”. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we access it in the inerrant Word of God. The treasure among the trash of the world is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We learn of him through the Bible and the Spirit gives us the faith which makes him ours for eternity. People by the millions are misled by false claims, false doctrine, and false advertising. Once we have found the truth, we need to share it with everyone we know and everyone we meet. Think of yourself as a store clerk. You can help people find what they need, even if they don’t know they’re looking for it! Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing from the word of Christ. Just like a one-stop hardware store, you can find everything you need in God’s Word. 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, and for training in righteousness…
The Lord’s Prayer is all about the Lord
Pastor Mark Cares
“It’s not all about you.” People often say that out of frustration. Sometimes it’s because the person they address wants all the attention. Other times they play the victim. Either way, it’s irritating. So much so, that we finally blurt out: “It’s not all about you!”
Other times, however, it’s spoken quite gently. A coach comforts a player who thinks he was the one who lost the game. “It’s not all about you.”
This is what the Lord is telling us in the Lord’s Prayer. With it, Jesus espouses a different approach to prayer than ones commonly used. One approach that comes naturally is focusing on myself. “Lord, I’m sorry for what I did.” Or “Lord, I need your help.” Another approach frequently advocated is to begin with praise or thanksgiving.
In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus didn’t teach either of these approaches. After addressing God as our Father, Jesus doesn’t teach us to focus on our sins or problems. Nor does he begin with praise or thanksgiving. No, the first half of the prayer is all about the Lord and making him the priority in our lives.
“Hallowed be your name.” It’s all about the Lord’s name, his reputation, not mine. “Lord, as your child, let me do nothing to dishonor your name. More than that. Help me to enhance your reputation by talking about the wonderful things you have done.”
“Your kingdom come.” It’s not about increasing my influence; it’s all about the Lord’s ruling influence. “Lord, bring more people to trust in your love. Increase your influence on me and all believers. Help me to always trust that you are in control.”
“Your will be done on earth as it is heaven.” It’s all about the Lord’s will, not mine. “Lord, help me make my will subservient to your will. “
These three petitions make me think of how an eye doctor tests our eyesight. Just like he sharpens our focus so God uses these petitions to sharpen our focus on the Lord’s priorities and not on our own. It’s not all about us, it’s all about the Lord’s reputation, influence, will.
It’s only after this, that Jesus brings up our sins and needs. But. . .does he really? Yes and no. The last four petitions all deal with things the Lord has already promised to us! It’s all about remembering his promises!
“Give us today our daily bread.“ Jesus told us not to worry about what we will eat or wear. Our Father will provide for us. (Matthew 6:25-34)
“Forgive us our debts” God has already done that. “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103;12)
“Lead us not into temptation “. “God does not tempt anyone.” (James 1:13)
“Deliver us from evil”. “In all things God works for the good of those who love him” (Romans 8:28).
These petitions are all about asking the Lord to help us remember and trust in his promises!
It’s all about the Lord and not about us – that is how Jesus responded when his disciples asked him how to pray. Viewing the Lord’s Prayer from this perspective has helped me tremendously. Remembering his priorities helps me to plan my day to better reflect his priorities. Remembering his promises enables me to go confidently through the day.
It’s not all about us. It’s all about the Lord. What a tremendous relief this is.
Don’t Climb the Escalator
Pastor Mark Cares
I have flown through Chicago’s O’Hare airport quite a few times. One thing I never tire of is walking through the 800-foot tunnel connecting two terminals. Music plays while you are surrounded by ever-changing lights. At both ends of the tunnel are sets of steep stairs and escalators taking you up to the terminals.
Over the years, I have taken note of the different ways people used the stairs or escalators. A minority took the stairs. I assume some did it for the exercise. It was obvious others ran up them because they were afraid of missing their flights. Most rode the escalators. But not all in the same way. A couple of times, when they were crowded, someone decided to jump off them onto the stairs so they could reach the terminal more quickly.
Most people stayed on the escalator. Some, however, weren’t content to let it do all the work. They climbed it like stairs.
All this reminds me of Jesus’ statement, “I am the way” (John 14:6). Although it’s familiar, many people haven’t it given much thought. Many picture Jesus, the way, like the yellow brick road in the Wizard of Oz. That is, Jesus is the road to heaven but you still must walk on it. This can be understood correctly. But it is also often misunderstood as people, consciously or unconsciously, equate walking the road with having to do something to get to heaven.
To avoid this, I like to picture Jesus as being the moving sidewalk or better yet as the escalator to heaven. This emphasizes that it’s all his doing - an idea strengthened when we add the thought that we don’t step on the escalator. Rather, the Holy Spirit placed us on it by bringing us to faith.
Now back to what I have observed at O’Hare. Many people don’t use Jesus the escalator. They take the stairs. They try to get to heaven by their own exertions. Then there are those who don’t stay on the escalator. Tragically, they lose their faith.
A much more common error is trying to climb up the escalator by adding something of their own to Jesus’ work. A blatant example is this verse from the Book of Mormon: “By grace are we saved after all we can do.” Countless Mormons have become bone weary and stressed-out because of this passage.
There is, however, a subtler way of trying to climb the escalator – a way we constantly have to be on our guard against. It’s adding an “and” to our reason for going to heaven. The “and” can be anything. “I believe in Jesus and”. “I try to be good”. Or “I’m a lifelong believer”. Fill in the blank. Adding an “and” negates our trust in Jesus. It’s like saying you trust a chair will hold you if you stand on it while insisting on keeping one foot on the ground.
When it comes to going to heaven, there are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. It’s all about letting Jesus take us to heaven. Period. Jesus emphasized that. In the very next chapter of John, Jesus repeatedly says to “remain” in him and his word. As one person said, “Progress for the Christian is standing beneath the cross.”
Don’t climb the escalator. Rather relax and enjoy the ride. Remain confident that you will spend eternity in heaven because Jesus did it all for you.
Guest writer: Pastor Mark Cares, founder of Truth In Love Ministry. Mark will begin a weekly podcast, Diving into God’s Word, in mid-September. You can find it wherever you listen to your podcasts or at his website, markjcares.com.
All in.
Dan Kunz
Every December my wife and I sit down to look at what our expected income will be for the coming year and what the “spendable” portion will be, excluding taxes, insurance, and all the “stuff” which you must pay out to live on a day-to-day basis. Once we have that number, we arrive at a percentage which will be earmarked for God’s work, humanitarian causes, family gifting, and so on. It’s actually kind of a fun process and we enjoy being as generous as possible, especially when it comes to the faith-based part. Unfortunately, we didn’t always operate that way. We weren’t always so “intentional” in our planning or our giving.
Because most people take seriously God’s admonition to not be boastful or arrogant about their giving, I’m not sure we always do a good job of teaching the next generations how to be intentional in their giving. My parents always had their church envelope on the dining room table on Sunday morning as a reminder to give something back to the Lord and always made sure I had something to put in the collection plate, but that’s about the extent of my instruction in the fine art of giving. My wife and I have tried to do a better job when it comes to our own kids, however, I’m not sure we’ve done as well as we could. Sitting down and going through the planning process of charitable giving with our children and grandchildren is a valuable thing to do.
If you don’t know or remember the episode from Jesus’ life with a chief tax collector named Zacchaeus, you can read about it in Luke 19:1-10. We’re told he, Zacchaeus, was a very wealthy man. Once the Law and Gospel touched his heart, he was immediately “all in”. Luke 19:8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” He pledged to give away half his wealth and repay four times what he had cheated people. Four times! Half his wealth! Most of us probably feel pretty good about tithing, giving one tenth of our income to the Lord and other charitable causes. Zacchaeus was just picking up speed at one tenth! Certainly, great wealth provides the opportunity to do more and still have the funds necessary to live, but as in the case of The Widow’s Mite, Jesus pointed out the degree of dedication, not the number of digits before the decimal point, is what interests God.
It is important to be intentional about our giving. It is important to instruct future generations how to use their blessings. It is important to have a heart which is “all in”. The 2025 Christian Leadership Experience is titled, Blessed 2 Bless, in order to remind all of us to use our blessings, financial and otherwise, to be a blessing to others. God uses the wealth of the universe to bless us in more ways than we can count or even realize. Using those blessings for the benefit of his people and his work should be the most natural thing in the world for us. When we realize that God didn’t even spare his own Son in blessing us, it becomes easy for us to be “all in”!
Expect It!
Dan Kunz
For many years it seems the opening ceremonies of the Olympics have been an opportunity to not only shine a bright light on the host country, but, it seems, also to try to “out do” the previous Olympic ceremonies. Bigger, brighter, more extravagant, and more technological seems to be the order of the day. Now, we can add more offensive or more “daring” to the mix. The depiction of Leonardo Da Vinci’s famous painting, “The Last Supper”, using drag queens and other offensive images, certainly checks that box. You did it! Of course, the people responsible did apologize. They didn’t, however, apologize for concocting something offensive. They were sorry if you were offended. That’s not the same thing. Over 2.4 billion people in today’s world are Christian. I guess it’s “their bad”, if they were offended!
God’s Word has a lot to say about our treatment by the rest of the world. Jesus himself explained in John 15:20 Remember what I told you: “A servant is not greater than his master.” If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. He continued two verses later, in John 15:22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. The Apostle Paul reminds us, Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked. To be sure, whatever a man sows, he will also reap. As Christians, for sure we should be offended, but we should also mourn for those who mock God. They will be sorry they were ever born.
Please take some time to read Luke 21:12-19. In those verses Jesus reminds us that such persecution will give us an opportunity to testify of him. Where other religions would become violent if mocked as Christians were in the opening ceremonies, we don’t react with such violence. We react with pity and with truth. We understand the consequences of such vitriol toward Jesus Christ. We know “the mills of the Lord’s justice grind slow, but very fine.” We also remember Jesus’ own words from the cross – “Father forgive them”. Remember that Stephen, as he was being stoned to death, cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” If we respond with the truth of God’s Word and his ultimate plan for salvation, maybe, just maybe, someone opposed to Christianity or, at best, neutral, will learn from our reaction to persecution of this type. Even some people who aren’t Christian reacted to the mockery at the Olympics by saying, “That’s just not right.” Some folks who normally don’t like what Christians have to say, scolded the French contingency for their shameful caricature of one of the most significant events in Jesus’ life.
As the earth groans under the burden of mounting sin, expect more hatred and derision. Expect more mockery and blasphemy. Expect to be, not only misunderstood, but also ridiculed for what you believe and know to be true. As one of my dear friends once said, “The snake is out of the Garden!” Jesus told the disciples (and us) in Luke 21 to be prepared for such treatment. He also told them, despite their earthly trials at the hands of evil people, they would win life. Stand firm! Justice will be served.
Large and In Charge
Dan Kunz
If you watch the news at all, you have probably heard, as I have, phrases such as “divine intervention”, “the hand of God”, and “an act of God”, more times since last Saturday, than any time in the last several decades. The fact that former President (and current Presidential candidate) Donald Trump is still alive is nothing short of a miracle. To be sure, many questions need to be answered about how someone with a rifle could get within one hundred fifty yards from the stage where Donald Trump was speaking, but the fact that a bullet missed by an inch or less of killing him, is scary indeed! If you carefully watch the now famous video of the shooting, you’ll see Mr. Trump turn his head slightly to the right just as the sniper was squeezing the trigger. For those of you who have ever shot a rifle with a scope before, you know from the time you “acquire your target” to the time a bullet is speeding toward that target is usually a few seconds at most. Were it not for that turn of his head, we could be talking about a successful assassination, rather than a “non-life threatening” wound.
For you and I as Christians, it’s not surprising when God intervenes not only in the course of history, but also in the lives of individuals. Some believe that God created the world and then stepped back to watch how everything plays out. You and I know better. God is intimately involved with his creation and how things unfold. Sometimes God makes things happen and sometimes he allows things to happen, but he always knows what’s happening. By the way, lest anyone takes this “close call” as an endorsement of a particular person, political party, or ideology, remember that others have escaped death at the hands of an assassin, too. They weren’t all “nice guys”, either. The fact is, though, that God is in control, in charge. He ultimately will do the things which bless his people and/or execute his judgement. Sometimes it’s both, such as The Flood. Millions of people felt his judgement, but Noah and his family were spared.
The fact that God is “large” and “in charge” should be a source of great comfort to his people. Our Heavenly Father created the entire world using only a few words. Nothing is impossible for him. He controls the wind and the waves, as he did on the Sea of Galilee. He causes fearful earthquakes, as he did in the destruction of the rebellious Korah. God is not an absent landlord. He is not on vacation or disinterested. He always knows and always has a plan. Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. We may not see the plan immediately or maybe ever, but he still has it and executes it.
As we reflect on the events of last Saturday, we acknowledge things could have ended much differently. Had Donald Trump been assassinated, who knows what may have happened – chaos, turmoil, civil war? It’s scary to even think about it! Having been around long enough to live through several assassinations in our country’s history, I know it’s a scary and very uncertain time.
Whoever coined the phrase, “I don’t know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future” was absolutely accurate and speaks great comfort to God’s people. Our God is very, very large and very, very in charge. Thanks for having our back, Father!
Dealing with Tragedy
Dan Kunz
In the early morning hours of June 30, WELS missionary Steve Witte, his adult daughters, Charis Kuehl and Lydia Witte, and his granddaughters, Stella Kuehl, Lena Henselin, and Merci Henselin died in a horrific fire near Necedah, Wisconsin. Although any loss of life under tragic circumstances is heart-rending, the loss of life of multiple family members is even worse. When it’s someone with whom you somehow have a connection, the pain is numbing. For those of you who regularly read these CLE blogs, you know that our own family lost six family members in 2023. All but one of those were through what would be called “natural causes”. Catastrophic circumstances certainly lead even strong Christians to seek answers and comfort. In today’s blog, I’ll try to remind readers of a few truths from God’s Word and a few personal observations from the past year.
It’s a perfectly natural human reaction to ask “Why?” Why would a kind, loving God allow tragic death to happen? Job, himself, eventually came to question God and God had to firmly point out to him that he, Job, didn’t know or understand the things of God. In other words, although we may not understand, God has reasons for allowing things to happen. If God did explain, we probably wouldn’t understand it anyway. When we profess to have “faith” in God, that doesn’t just mean faith in the fact that Jesus Christ, God’s Son, came into the world to live a perfect life and die a perfect death to remove our guilt and enable us to be with him in heaven for eternity, it also means we have faith in God’s omniscience and love. God knows all things and loves us enough to alter events for our ultimate benefit and blessing. Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to give you peace, not disaster, plans to give you hope and a future. Boy, that’s hard to hear at times of tragedy and heartache, but we need to remember that God's plan is for our ultimate future, not necessarily for a perfect and pain-free immediate future.
Anyone who has undergone any kind of surgery knows that in the process of the surgery, nerves are sometimes cut or damaged. A great deal of pain may accompany the surgery, but, over time, the healing process lessens the pain. It may never be completely gone, but it does diminish. As I’ve written before, whoever wrote or said, “Time heals all wounds,” isn’t accurate. The passing of time diminishes the pain, but it doesn’t eliminate it. That’s part of the reason we long for heaven! Revelation 7:17 …for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd. He will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Things do get better and will finally be perfect when we’re reunited with our loved ones in heaven.
2 Corinthians 1:4 …who comforts us in all our trouble, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the same comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. The theme for next year’s Christian Leadership Experience is “Blessed 2 Bless”. We truly are blessed to be a blessing to others. When any of us suffers loss, tragedy, or challenges in life, we are strengthened and comforted, not only by our loving God, but also by our fellow believers. Having been through terrible circumstances in our own life enables us to better understand and serve those who are currently undergoing terrible circumstances. Trite phrases and clichéd comments aren’t helpful. True empathy is what’s needed and appreciated. Such experiences also enable us to share the hope which we have with others. How Christians deal with tragedy can lead others to Jesus and our assurance of comfort by the Good Shepherd.
God bless all those affected by this terrible tragedy and remain steadfast in the knowledge of God’s ultimate love for all of us!