Daily Disciples - April 14
April 14
Today’s Verses: 1 Samuel 22; Luke 12:1-31
Today’s Thoughts: Every 15 Minutes Living Dead
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. - John 3:16
Every 15 Minutes is an intense two-day program designed to caution high school juniors and seniors against the dangers of drinking and driving. The program’s name was conceived from the statistic that every fifteen minutes someone in the United States dies in an alcohol related traffic accident. This program was initiated at the high school which my children attend. It did not only impact the high school students; however, I was really surprised by how it impacted me.
A private meeting was called for 25 high school students and their parents. After arriving and hearing the introductory announcements, the parents were told that our child was chosen to become one of “the living dead.” Our requirements for participation were to send in baby and current pictures, fill out an obituary, write a goodbye letter to your child, and attend the funeral service. Seriously, I glared at my son trying to hold myself together and said, “I don’t think I can do this.” Throughout the entire program, I definitely prayed more about the emotional components than the actual physical participation.
Looking back on the 24 hour period, I can tell you that the most challenging part for me was writing my son’s good bye letter.
I was restless for quite awhile before I could pick up the pen. When I prayed, God did give me the words to write and He revealed to me many amazing insights. I realized that God is not the God of the dead, but the living (Matthew 22:32). When we are in Christ, we are always alive, even if physically dead. Jesus links heaven to earth. I literally saw a mental picture of Jesus with His arms stretched out, one hand was touching heaven and the other was touching earth. He was the bridge that connected the living on earth to the living in heaven. Death had no relevance or significance because of Jesus.
The term “living dead” had a whole new meaning. There is hope for the believer as Jesus’ words from John 5:24-25 came back to mind, "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” Jesus fills in the great chasm. He continued to say, “I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.” How can the dead “hear?” The answer is “with spiritual ears.” Life on earth is not just about the body but about the Spirit. The Spirit is what lives forever.
Our mission is to evangelize the lost and awaken the saved to live empowered lives by the Work of God and His Holy Spirit. Daily Disciples Ministries makes a difference for the kingdom of God by teaching and training believers how to be in God's Word, how to pray and how to walk with Jesus every day, as His daily disciple.
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