Relief!

May 3, 2023

"And He who was seated on the throne said, "Behold! I am making all things new!"

- St. John, Revelation 21:5

"Spring is God's way of saying, "One More Time!"

- Anonymous

Earlier this year, a friend of mine received the bad news from his oncologist that he had inoperable cancer and that, while there were some radical treatments available…

"The truth is," the Dr said, "it will only prolong the inevitable." Faced with his looming death, Neale called me and asked if I would stop by and introduce him to Jesus. He said, "I've been coming to church for sometime now, but I still feel like I've been hanging out in an airport… but I still don't know how to fly. I'd like to be on a first name basis with God. I'd like a personal relationship with God. Can you help me?"

So, I told him about Jesus.

From the Scriptures, I showed him that God loved him so much that He sent His perfect Son, Jesus, who died on a cross to forgive all of his sins. And that when Jesus rose from the grave, on Easter Sunday, He offered Neale an eternal, personal, relationship with God the Father.

"Neale," I asked, "Would you like to ask Jesus to forgive all your sins and invite Him into your life as Savior and Lord?"

"I would," he replied

This is what Neale prayed:

"Dear Jesus, Please forgive all my sins, I've made a lot of mistakes. I invite You into my life. Please watch over and protect my family. And please put your love in my heart. Amen."

After his prayer, there were tears in his eyes. I asked him, "Neale, do you feel any different?"

"Hell yes!" he smiled,"I feel relieved!"

HaHa! I love that! When people ask me what it means to really trust Jesus, I say to them, "Do you feel relieved?"

People say death is inevitable… But so is Resurrection… for those who believe in Jesus! If you and I truly believe in Jesus, we ought to experience some real relief about the challenges we face today and tomorrow!

Everyday… in a 1000 different ways… dying intrudes into our lives: disappointments, rejections, failures, broken dreams, and busted relationships. But trusting Jesus also awakens us to the powerful, creative streams of resurrection flowing into our lives each day: new beginnings, new opportunities, forgiveness for you and forgiveness for me, renewed strength, restored hope. It's the surprising stirrings of new life after a long hard winter.

One day there seems to be no sign of life.

And then almost overnight… bright new blooms, luminous new green blades of grass, the new song of a baby bird -- it is the glad announcement that the life Jesus gives us cannot be conquered by death.