October 2021 NEWSLETTER
OCTOBER 2021 NEWSLETTER
Robert
Lindenberger
3325 3rd
Avenue
Mims, FL 32754
321-368-7184
There
may be more people alive today than ever before, but there are also more lonely
people today than ever before – divorced spouses, homeless people, many elderly
parents, and, perhaps saddest of all, losing a loved one and living alone. This month it will be seven years since my
soulmate, Marian, went to be with Jesus, and I have been alone. She gave me a good date, 10/12/14, because
she knew I didn’t remember dates, but I can’t forget this one.
No one, though, has ever so alone as the
Lord Jesus on the cross. “Behold, the
hour,” He had said, “yea, is now come, that you shall be scattered, every man
to his own, and just leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father
is with me.” (John 16:32). So then, only
a few hours later, as He hung on a cross, even His heavenly Father had to leave
Him, and He cried, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). So he died alone, bearing
the burdens of all the sin of all the world on His soul.
But because He suffered alone, no one
else needs ever be alone again. “Be
content with such things as you have: for he has said, I will never leave thee,
or forsake thee.” (Hebrews 13:5). So the
apostle Paul, suffering alone in a Roman dungeon shortly before his execution,
could still say: “notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened
me.” (2 Timothy 4:17). John the beloved, old and in prison alone on
the tiny aisle of Atmos, nevertheless, “was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day”
(Revelation 1:10) and then saw the Lord in HIS glory. So it has always been with those who know the
Lord. For He is there, even when all others have forsaken them, and He
understands. He has already been there
ahead of us, “in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin. Let us, therefore, come boldly unto the
throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of
need.” (Hebrews 4:15 – 16). 1.
Death
and Our Sure Hope of Heaven
For some, death is an unmentionable
subject. People often use their future
death with fear or resentment. As it
draws nearer, they range against it, saying they have not enjoyed their lives
enough yet, have not accomplished everything on their “bucket list,” or
will miss their loved ones. Yet death
(Thanatos in Greek) is mentioned frequently in the New Testament – 120 times,
in fact – and the verb “die” (aothnesko or thanesco) another hundred 120 times.
Death is the only great certainty in life, apart from the fact of our birth. . . . Each one of us will one day cease to breathe, and our hearts will cease to beat. Yet, through Jesus’ death and resurrection, the power of death has been destroyed, and those who trust in Him will be safe on the Day of Judgment for all eternity.
… All through the New Testament, we read wonderful words affirming Jesus’ victory over death. “Death couldn't keep its hold on him,” declared Peter on the Day of judgment. He “has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality,” wrote Paul to Timothy (2 Timothy 1:10). And to the Christians in Rome, he wrote that “death no longer has mastery over him.” (Romans 6:9). The writer to the Hebrews said that, by his death, Christ broke the power of “him holds the power of death – that is, the devil” and thus set free. “Those who are all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death” (Hebrews 2:14 – 15). This victory can be yours too! Listen, “the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:56 – 57) .2
A
prayer for the lonely by Anne Graham Lotz
All-Knowing, All-Seeing God, I worship
You, the one who has eyes to see everything.
You see, that which is visible in that which is invisible. Which is temporal and that which is
eternal. That which is past, that which
is present, and that which is yet to come.
And you see me. You know me. You know when I sit and when I arise. When I go out and when I come in. When I sleep and when I awake. You know my limitations, and you know my
potential. You know my thoughts before
they are formed into words. Nothing
about me is hidden from You. You are the
one who sees me.
And I worship you, the one who is
everywhere. There is no place in all the
universe where You are not. If I were to
ascend to the highest heaven, You would be there. If I were to descend to the lowest depth, You
would be there. If I were to settle in
the remote is part of the planet, You would guide me and hold me fast. If I were to cower in the darkness, I would
not be hidden from You since darkness is as light to You. I was not hidden from You, even when I was
being formed in my mother’s womb. You
are my hiding place; you . . . Surround me with songs of deliverance.” You are always with me, and you have promised
that you will always be with me, even to the end of all things. And after the end, you will receive me to
glory, where I will see You face to face.
Then I want you. Even as I am
fully known, I will be with You.
Forever.
So when I am tempted to feel lonely, when
there is no one visible to talk to or confide in, when I eat by myself, to sleep
by myself, and walk by myself, give me an awareness of You. Open my mind to Your plan and purpose that
give me a reason to live another day.
Open my ears to your gentle whisper that reassures me of Your loving,
personal attention. Open my eyes to Your
blessings upon blessing that fills me with joy.
Open my heart to Your love that lifts and carries me on my cell. Draw me closer to your heart as I read my
Bible and spend time in prayer. Keep me
focused, not just on the facts of theology and prophecy of Your Word. But on You.
Then give me opportunities to encourage
others who may feel lonely; widows and orphans, teenagers and single parents,
divorcees and singles, CEOs and sales clerks, prisoners and soldiers, the
elderly and the sick. Use me to
demonstrate the truth that while we may feel lonely, we are never alone. Because we have You, and You have us.
In the name of the one who is right here,
right now – JESUS, AMEN .3
God
is good all the time; all the time, God is good! Amen?
1.
HENRY
M. MORRIS, PhD., Days of Praise, Friday,
October 15, 2021
2.
PATRICK SOOKHDEO, Ph.D., DD, Lifting Up the
Downcast, P. 64,65
3.
ANNE GRAHAM LOTZ, The LIGHT of HIS PRESENCE,
P. 79,80
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