"5 Lessons in Faith" I learned from Mom

My Mom saw Jesus face to face on November 1, 2010. I can only imagine the joy unspeakable she experienced in that moment, running at full speed through the gates of Heaven into the arms of her loving Father. Pain free, disease free, completely healed.

For me, it was a privilege to be with her constantly for 8 months of the last year of her life here on earth. After almost 2 decades of being away from home, I got to reconnect with her in a very special way; enjoying her laugh, her smile, her love for dogs and shopping!

My Mom was one of my closest friends, there was never any strife between us, she always spoke blessings over me and we shared a mutual respect for one other. I am so thankful to the Lord for giving me such a perfect, loving relationship for 38 years of my life, and so thankful to her for largely developing my personality, character, talents and most importantly my Faith. Today, I want to speak to you about 5 lessons in faith I learned from Mom.

Lesson #1: Speak life and enjoy it’s good fruit!

She taught me so much, most importantly, how to live victoriously in this world. When she heard it was Mesothelioma in her right lung, she looked straight into my eyes and said with confidence, “that doesn’t move me”. She never denied it’s existence, but she denied it’s right to ruin her life, and she continued to live 2 Corinthians 5:7 everyday “walking by faith and not by sight”.

When she was asked, “how are you?” no matter what, her answer was, “I am well”. She knew the promise in Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat it's fruit” She chose to speak life, she refused to dwell on death and gave it no place. Her life was blessed because of her words and her choices.

Deuteronomy 30:19 "Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!" Follow her example, and no matter what tests and trials may come, honor the Lord and choose life, speak life, and enjoy it’s good fruit!

Lesson #2: The Word; the Will of God

She taught me the Word, she trusted the Word, she lived the Word. It was for her, as it should be in every believer’s life, first place. She knew that God left us His Word, The Bible, as His Last Will and Testament, His desires, His wishes, our inheritance. God made sure His Will was very plainly written out, just as all good parents do for their children. She made it her business to read His Will, to understand her inheritance, and take full advantage of it.

Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning”…this is where His Will unfolded. God created us in His own image, in the Garden of Eden, without sickness, disease or death. This was the Will of God at creation, this was His best plan for mankind, and His Will for us never changes. Malachi 3:6 "I am the LORD, and I change not.”

Because of man’s disobedience to God, evil now has a presence in this world and we do not get to enjoy His perfect Will for us on this earth, as we will one day in Heaven. Because of our choices, God’s Will does not always come to pass in the earth. In 2 Peter 3:9 we read that…”the Lord is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance”, yet we are painfully aware that all do not come to repentance and people do perish and do not live forever in the presence of the Lord. This is clearly not His Will, and not His best plan coming to pass, in part because of the presence of evil in this world, and in part because we as Christians are not obedient in sharing the Good News of Jesus with our friends, neighbors and sadly, our own family.

We have been given an awesome responsibility to preach the Gospel, to be sure that the Will of God is being fulfilled, but God has not left us with a job too big for us to accomplish! He has given us authority to use His name to fulfill His purposes on the earth.

We have an amazing promise in John 14:12 “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.” The power of God to do great and mighty, even miraculous things, in the name of Jesus, rest in us! Scarce few Christians even know this promise, much less act on it.

So as a believer, make a commitment today to first read the Will of God, understand your inheritance, then take full advantage of what God has given you to use on the earth. Your knowledge, obedience and cooperation are an essential part of God’s Will coming to pass, OR passing you by in this life.

Remember, and take great comfort in the fact that, because of the sacrifice Jesus made for us, we DO have the promise of a life completely restored to God’s original Will for us in Heaven, where we again will see no sickness, disease or death.

Lesson #3 God is Good

Mom knew the truth, God is good! Everything He made was good, His plans are good. The evidence to support the truth is right there in His Word, His Will... Genesis 1:31 “Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was VERY GOOD!” When He created the beautiful crystal quartz called asbestos, It was very good. His perfect Will was not that the crystal become a poisonous powder. His perfect plan was not that Mom breathe this powder and develop Mesothelioma. She knew the Lord’s plan for her was good. She trusted the promise in Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

She took great comfort in this scripture. She knew that when disaster came her way, it was not from the Lord, because his Word said that His plans are always good. She knew that the promise in Jeremiah was true because God doesn't lie. Numbers 23:19 “God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?”

So with these powerful truths, she rested confidently knowing that God is good, His Will for her was always good. His desire was and is always for life, health, healing, peace, joy and prosperity of His children, He keeps His Word, and He does not change His mind!

Lesson #4 Your Adversary

John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. It is important that you know this promise and understand its simplicity. Satan, your adversary, is the author of death. Jesus, your Savior, is the author of life. Never, ever doubt this truth.

Mom reconciled herself, as we all must, to the fact that we live in a world full of the consequences of sin. Humans make decisions everyday that are not the perfect Will of God, and all people, good and bad, suffer greatly in this world because of those decisions. In John 16:33 Jesus plainly states that in this world we will have trouble. “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows”….. here’s the good part… "but take heart, because I have overcome the world!”

Trouble may come, but God has not left us powerless, rather He has made us “overcomers” with Him. He desires that we defend ourselves against evil, establish ourselves firmly in the Word and know His promises so that we can resist the trials and temptations of this world. 1 Peter 5:8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great adversary, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

Evil is ever present in this world, if you are not in the battle right now, you should be preparing for battle. Do not wait for trials to come to learn and depend on God’s promises. Have the word hidden in your heart, Luke 6:45… “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” Remember, when you get squeezed, what’s inside will come out. Be sure that what comes out is good, faith filled promises and truth, this is your best weapon against your adversary, the devil.

Lesson #5: Having done all to stand….STAND

By example, Mom taught me that the appropriate posture for battle is STANDING, not laying down. She said on more than one occasion, "no one dies standing up!" She was, of course, speaking both physically, and spiritually.

Ephesians 6:10-14 “A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all the strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God's armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand your ground…”

My Mom did just that, she prepared for battle, she did everything to Stand, then she Stood. She never wavered off the promises of God. My Mom maintained God’s unconditional love and mercy toward her until she made her transition into everlasting life. What an awesome example to all Christians of how to live in this world and how to leave this world.

For the Christian, death is not a natural part of life, quite to the contrary, it is the most unnatural thing we can ever go through. We weren’t created to die, but to live forever in fellowship with God. This physical death we experience was certainly never the Will of God, but because man’s sin leads to death, we are now, as promised in Hebrews 9:27 “destined to die once and after that comes judgment.” Death will never be natural, or easy, but we know that for us who believe on the Lord Jesus as Savior, we will die once, then, “to be absent from this body, is to be present with the Lord". 2Corinthians 5:8 Then we will live forever in God’s presence and in His perfect Will for eternity.

The very last words I said to my Mom were, "I'll see you in a minute". It's a beautiful promise we have, that Heaven knows no time, and in the blink of an eye, we will be reunited with all those that have gone before us. We will miss her, but she is not missing us! Mom will see us in just a minute, praise the Lord! Amen.