11 Oct Mrs. Moody’s Update August 2016
The Brevity of Life…Time isn’t marching on – it’s running out!
We have personally been involved in 9 funerals since April. Church members, family of church members, dear friends’ family members, and our very own New Testament Church Planting family member, David Flarity.
From Mrs. Flarity: “Pastor Moody, David loved you and was so happy to be able to do something for God through the NTCP ministry. As you know from your recent phone conversation, his goal was to get better so he could get back to work for the Lord again. This was his heart’s desire.” What a testimony if we all had that kind of a desire to serve our Lord until our last breath…to finish well.
Mrs. Flarity also sent a poem in her sweet letter from a man that had lead her husband to the Lord 40 years ago about “the Dash”. I’m sure many of you have seen it on the internet or in a book. It refers to our lives and what we do with them as “the dash between the lines on our tombstone,” or, the dates from the beginning to the end of our life. The question at the end states, “So, when your eulogy is being read with your life’s actions to rehash, would you be proud of the things they say about how you spent your dash?”
In the only psalm attributed to Moses, he wrote, “The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.” (90:10). Those aren’t words we want to hear. We want to remain forever young, but Scripture reminds us that the years pass and death will one day arrive.
That leaves us to wrestle with two essential questions: Am I ready to “fly away” at life’s end, having trusted Christ as my Saviour? Am I using my fleeting days to please the One who loves me eternally?
How are you doing—no matter what your age—with the challenges raised by the brevity of life?
Our vigor is fleeting, our best years are brief,
Our youth passes quickly—time’s ever a thief;
But hope yet becomes us—death’s sting holds no power;
We have a Redeemer—an unfailing Tower. —Gustafson
In a word, a person who comprehends the brevity of life is a person who is ready to die.
Are you ready to die? Have you left anything undone that you would do today if you knew you were going to die tomorrow? If so, you need to do it today. “For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (Jas. 4:14).
You may think this is a very depressing letter but actually it is to encourage us to do more for the Lord…the night comes when all work will cease. With many of the aforementioned funerals, taps were played, a flag wasfolded and handed to the widow left behind, with the kind words from a soldier, “on behalf of a grateful nation, we would like to thank you for your loved one’s service and sacrifice for our country.”Even more so are those who choose to die daily to self that they might serve our risen Saviour. Paul said in Galatians 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
Thank you for your sacrifice of giving to NTCP so others can go out and help build more gospel preaching stations while there is time and before our “dash” date comes to an end.