Throughout my formal ‘preacher’ education, I was privileged to take all sorts of classes; biblical studies, histories of various churches and groups, and, especially interesting, were the classes that dealt with the ethical situations one might encounter in the ministry. These helped this young minister greatly, of course, but my classes did not prepare me for everything. About 15 years into my ministry, I was called into the hospital Emergency Room; one of my members, a man named Wilbur, had had a massive stroke, and it was obvious he was not long for this world. His wife was there, and we talked for some time. Finally, it was about time for me to leave, and I asked his wife, Imo, if we could pray together. She said, “Of course,” and I asked her, “Imo, how would you like for me to pray?” We both knew the grim reality of Wilbur’s situation. She pondered for a few seconds, and finally she grabbed my hand, and said, “Could you pray that God would take him soon? He’s gone, so there’s no point in asking for anything else.” I was relieved, of course, but a little taken aback, because no one had ever asked that of me before. We prayed as she requested; I gave her a brief hug and went home for the evening. I got a call from her just a couple of hours later, and she informed me that her husband of over 70 years had gone to be with Jesus. I’ve thought of that conversation often over the years. I am often asked to pray that God will heal or protect one in a crisis; I have also heard people insist on prayers for a miracle, because “it’s never too late.” I understand the hope people may have when they face the loss of a loved one. Still, I appreciated Imo’s realistic view of the situation. She had not lost hope, but she did realize that Wilbur’s life was over. We prayed that evening in hope: not the hope of physical healing, but the hope grounded in the resurrection of Jesus. In Christ, Wilbur’s death was a release from the burden of a broken body. In Christ, his death was an acceptance of God’s care for her husband. And, in Christ, we moved on in the hope that we would be united with him sometime far in the future, as the old song says, “In the sweet by and by.” God spoke to me that night and reminded me to accept in my heart what I knew in my head: God was always working and could bring a work of comfort and grace, even in the most difficult of times. God often speaks to us, through his written Word, and through the words of preachers and teachers. And, just as powerfully, he can speak through the experiences of our lives, as we trust in him, and hear the truth of God’s love and grace. Throughout the scriptures, we hear these kinds of things if we listen; we must only hear His Word. So, Paul teaches the young pastor Timothy, “I solemnly exhort you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom 2 preach the Word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine. Still, wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires. II Timothy 4:1-3 God speaks; we must always listen. Be still, and pay attention! The best way you can support our ministry is by sharing this podcast with your friends and family! 💰 Give Online: Your contributions make our ministries possible. Give here 📲 Download our App: Stay up to date on all things FBC.Download the App 👍 Like our Page: Follow us on Facebook 📍 Visit Us: Join us every Sunday at 10:30 AM, 500 W. Truman Road, Independence, MO Thank you for watching. We will see you next week!
