Prayer Of Love 05/23/2011
A friend lost a child, of nine years old, in a hunting accident. There is nothing I could say . . . . For those who truly believe in Christ, please pray that God strengthen this family as they continue on in their grief. Please be humble before God as you cry with those who cry. The Lord's humbled . . . John A. Reeves Add Comment Five Years 02/19/2011
It is about 5 years now since my first wife passed away with cancer. I have noticed that my irratibility factor has fluctuated much during the last few weeks. It is interesting how cyclical pain can be on a yearly basis. Now, I have the opportunity to assist another person who has just lost their spouse to illness. One might think that five years are enough healing to "get over" the loss of a loved one; like, a spouse. Not for me. I am touched everyday by thoughts of happiness and sadness. I pray God uses me to assist in the stuggle for others who are and will be confronted by such challenges. The Lord's humbled . . . John A. Reeves Overwhelmed? 08/06/2010
"The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot" (Proverbs 10:7). Yesterday, my dog was taken to the vet. It turned out to be a situation of dire-straights. Surgery was needed or he would die. It wasn't long ago that my wife found out that she had cancer. Talk about dire-straights. Well, she eventually died. I have never been so distressed in my life. I was amazed at how the situation with my dog flooded me with emotions. I had to deal with a doctor, sickness, money, loss, lack of control, tears, and fear. It took me back to my wife and the love and challenges that came with illness. But in all things, I remember that I can turn and should turn to God. The Lord's humbled . . . John A. Reeves Anger 07/03/2010
"Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil" (Ephesians 4:26-27). The apostle Paul, in this context, is speaking to Christians who are working on a maturity in Christ. It is true that Christians need to learn basics of what it means to live a lifestyle that is worthy of Christ. Yet, it is another issue all together to impliment a mature lifestyle change in Christ. Does a child behave perfectly in all areas of his/her life. No. Is the training to a mature adulthood ongoing or immediate. Definately ongoing. Living for Christ is an ongoing process as well. Anger, innapropriately utilized, is a facet of life that needs to be controlled by our understanding of Christ. Is anger something that should be festered. No. Anger should be dealt with and talked about. People should share their pain and suffering. Anger which is not dealt with becomes destructive and without cure. But Jesus wants us to mature in how we deal with the hurts and pains in our life. Why? It is a matter of wholeness. How can you be whole when you continue in unresolved anger? It is a hard heart that remains in anger. It is a godly heart that moves on toward peace. "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you" (Ephesians 4:31-32). Pain 04/09/2010
"And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away'" (Revelation 21:3-4). By itself, this passage is rather powerful. But by truly understanding the context of the work of Jesus, this passage becomes remarkable. Children of God feel pain. We hurt when there is a loss; whether, spiritual or physical. We're sad when others ridicule us or speak ill of us. We're frustrated when we realize that we can't fix the brokenness of mankind. And, yes, we are demoralized when we just don't understand the "why" part of things. Someone once said that if we, as humans, felt no pain we wouldn't know joy; hence, we couldn't truly live. However, where is true life? Where is the blessings of perserverance? Is it in pain? No - not ultimatley. Like the penalty of sin so is pain. When the penalty of sin is cast away through true, obedient faith in Jesus Christ, then a person knows peace. When the kindness of God finally removes all of our anguish and pain then we will know real life. The Lord's humbled . . . John A. Reeves Grieving and Loss 02/20/2010
"But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope" (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Grieving is a natural part of loss but not an easy one. The loss can be anything from a job loss to the loss of a loved one. (Please, see my article on God, Do You Love Me?) But those who are in Christ have hope - Heaven. Heaven is a place where God is and He promises to wiped away all our tears. How glorious that will be. There are a couple of books on loss and grieving in my reference section. It is hard to know what to say or how to act when someone is tramatized by loss and in the process of grieving. My advice, as one who has experience the loss of a spouse, is not to give advice unless asked. Be a good listener and offer a hug in quietness. Yet, the best thing that can be done for someone in any loss situation is being proactive with the teachings of Christ. The greatest gift you can give any person is the knowledge that the Lord is on thier side regardless of life's experiences. Don't wait to teach them, and all people you come in contact with, the true Gospel of Christ and then "brothers . . . you may not grieve as others do who have no hope (I Thessalonians 4:13). I encourage you to teach others, daily, about the hope in Christ. The Lord's humbled . . . John A. Reeves |  CategoriesAll  YOU MAY E-MAIL ME John A. Reeves
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