Life Matters - November 12, 2025

There are few events in this life that cause us mortals to reflect on our mortality like the passing on of a loved one. The passing of a respected acquaintance must be a close second. Jim Weinberg of Milbank has been one such respected acquaintance and I find myself once again reflecting on the brevity of life here on the earth. My heart goes out to Jim’s family. The deeper we love, the deeper we hurt when loved ones leave us. Love hurts right now. 

But that is not all. That is not the end of it. There is hope beyond the grave! Craig assured me that his dad is in a place of rejoicing and I have all reason to believe his testimony. From the first time I met Jim—as a roofing customer back in the day—I had the impression of a faithful gentleman, a man of integrity, a man of humility, a man that discarded all lofty thoughts and feelings about himself that he might win Christ. A man who had fought the battle. And won. Not alone. But with God on his side as he was on God’s side against the world, the flesh, and the devil. Jim left the impression that his life was under the blood and that he was living life trusting in his Redeemer. Faith in Jesus Christ our Savior is again victorious! 

Love and hurt. Victory and death. Smiles and tears. Grief and thankfulness. Faith in Jesus Christ, our Savior, our Redeemer, our Friend, helps us to understand how these emotions, thoughts, these realities, can be experienced all at the same time and by the same person. Jim’s dear family, I trust, have a fresh understanding of such experiences.  

‘’While I was musing the fire burned.” wrote the Psalmist (Psalms 39:3) and then went on to speak of the brevity of life here on the earth. As he considered the end of all flesh, his own frailty stood out—his life here looked like a short time—gathering riches looked vain—every man’s life seemed a vain show. But the musing didn’t stop there. David’s thoughts, and his heart, his emotions, turned to his Lord. Psalms chapters 40 and 41 are reflections on God’s deliverance, God’s faithfulness, and God’s sustenance in times of trouble. Psalms 41 concludes with these words; ‘’Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.’’ 

Biblical riches, true wealth, is everlasting – eternal – forever – neverending – beyond the realm of time – truly timeless. These are the true riches. That cannot be taken away by anything temporal. The riches of sensing God’s forgiveness, His acceptance, steadies the mind, calms the heart, revives the spirit, empowers the whole person to live and to speak the words of Life. Storms may come but the Rock remains, steadfast, sure, unmoved by the howling winds, by the lashing of waves, nor by the sight of more on the way. Because that Rock is Christ. Not us. It is ‘’Christ in you, the hope of glory’’ (Colossians 1:27) 

I am old enough to have encountered many storms in life. But not yet as the martyrs faced who remained steadfast on God’s side despite any and all pressures to the contrary, even to having their lives destroyed and then many times violently ended. I have not yet ‘resisted unto blood.’ (Hebrews 12:4) 

In the encouraging aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, the world (as in, all of us) saw, or at least heard about, the results. Large crowds of people – often young people – musing about life, death, and the life hereafter. Coming out on the right side of history. Lives surrendered. Commitments made. Life becomes worth living. Right becomes worth standing for. Jesus becomes worth living for. Worth dying for. It is a voluntary giving of one’s life here and a receiving of neverending life.  

Death is a part of life here. In Pennsylvania a mother and grandmother acquaintance passed on last week. She is Martha Stahl’s (Lenny) mother. A faithful lady who served her family well all these years. Now she is gone. 

But are we really gone when our body dies? Or are we present somewhere else? The answer to that question varies these days depending on who we ask. So let us ask the apostle Paul about the future of faith filled Christians in his second letter to the Corinthian church chapter 5, taking special note of verses 6-7-8. ‘’Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: For we walk by faith, not by sight: We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and present with the Lord.’’ 

‘’The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.’’ (I Corinthians 15:26)  When we really think about it our lives here on earth are in a constant struggle with time. When death is defeated and we go on, saved and immortal because of Jesus, we have gained the ultimate victory. 

 ‘’While I was musing the fire burned.”

Life Matters!