Live Love Loud

2 Peter 1:2-15 (NRSV)
May grace and peace be yours in abundance in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust, and may become participants of the divine nature. For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love. For if these things are yours and are increasing among you, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For anyone who lacks these things is nearsighted and blind, and is forgetful of the cleansing of past sins. Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more eager to confirm your call and election, for if you do this, you will never stumble. For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you.

Therefore I intend to keep on reminding you of these things, though you know them already and are established in the truth that has come to you. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to refresh your memory, since I know that my death will come soon, as indeed our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.

DEVOTION

Yesterday was the birthday of a dear friend of mine who has since been reborn in the heavens. Paul's words, "I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to refresh your memory, since I know that my death will come soon, as indeed our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things," makes me remember the importance of living and dying well...

My friend died of cancer less than a year ago. But, in his living and dying he sought to "support faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love."

Ultimately, it was his love for God, and God's love for him, that allowed us to release him to Jesus and his eternal home with joy, knowing that the lessons we learned from his life, ministry, and gracious death would stay with us forever.

Dear ones, love conquors all. Because Love came down from heaven, wrapped in flesh, living, dying and living again, we have no need to fear death. Death is the door to our eternal home!

So, let us live love loud, and then die with grace, knowing that in the final analysis, love will cradle us home and into the arms of our Jesus.


PRAYER

Lord God, please let me live and die in such a way that your Love is ever reflected in all that I say and do. Amen.

In memory of Pastor John A. Kroschel (Dec 10, 1963--May 17, 2012)