The Love You Take

“Walter?” “Yes.” “Walter, how did my daddy die?” “Your daddy took a 
breath, smiled and slipped into God’s arms ever so peaceful.” “Walter… 
Walter, I feel sad cause I’m going to miss my daddy but I’m happy cause I 
know my daddy is with Jesus. Walter?” “Yes.” “Thanks for telling me how 
my daddy died.”

As you take a breath do you take it for granted that there will be another 
breath as soon as you are done exhaling? Inhale, exhale, inhale, and 
exhale, inhale you know the routine. After all it all begins when life begins 
at the moment of conception. 

What would happen if you would stop breathing? Does your family, friends, 
your pastor, your church…know what you want?

I believe that we often get so busy living that we forget that we are going 
to die one day because after all who wants to think about dying? And no 
matter how much Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior, why expedite the
party in heaven?

There are good resources for our libraries on death and dying such as
Death and Dying by Kubler Ross, Faith Questions What Happens When I 
Die, by George Hover, Talking about death won’t kill you, by Virginia Morris 
or, And a time to die, by Sharon Kaufman, to name a few. But if we really 
want to learn about dying we need to turn to the Bible and to our Lord and 
Savior Jesus Christ for our best example. The best example on how to 
prepare for our own death. Our Lord and Savior who had no desire to be a
high priest and was both human in the flesh and divine. 

Hebrews 5:5-10,

So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, 
but was appointed by God who said to him, “Thou art my Son, 
today I have begotten thee;” (Begotten: to become, Today I 
have become your Father) as he says also in another place, 
“Thou art a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” 
(Melchizedek: Psalm 110:4, a Canaanite priest who was also 
a king) In the days of Jesus flesh, Jesus offered up prayers 
and supplications (Supplications: to ask for humbly) with loud 
cries and tears, to God who was able to save Jesus from 
death, and Jesus was heard for his godly fear. Although he 
was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; 
and being made perfect Jesus became the source of external 
salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a 
high priest after the order of Melchizedek.” 

There are some who do not understand what is being said for they have 
not quit being fed as a baby. 

Hebrews 5:11-14

About this we have much to say which is hard to explain, 
since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this 
time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach 
you again the first principles of God’s word. You need milk, 
not solid food; for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in 
the world of righteousness, for they are a child. But solid 
food is for the mature, for those who have their faculties 
trained by practice to distinguish good from evil. 

Our Lord and Savior knew why he was born into this world, to die for our
salvation. We are born into this world and we shall die one day in God’s 
plan for our life. 

From the Apostle Paul, 2 Timothy 4:7

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, 
I have kept the faith.

I believe if we want to die well, then we need to live well. And in living well, 
we need to honestly share with those we love. Share as our Lord and 
Savior lived His life to serve His Father and when Jesus knew His hour was
to come he prepared those whom he loved. 

John 12:20-26,

Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were 
some Greeks. So these came to Philip, who was from 
Bethsadia in Galilee, and said to Philip, “Sir, we wish to see 
Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew went with Philip 
and they told Jesus. And Jesus told them, “The hour has 
come for the Son of man to be glorified. Truly, truly I say to 
you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it 
remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves 
his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep 
it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and 
where I am; there shall my servant be also; if anyone serves 
me, the Father will honor him.

What else did Jesus say to Philip and Andrew? 

John 12:27-28

“Now is my soul troubled and what shall I say? Father, save 
me from this hour? No, for this purpose I have come into this 
hour. Father, glorify thy name.” Then a voice came from 
heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”

Jesus admitted that it was difficult to live up to His purpose, a sacrifice for 
our sins. Had it not been difficult for Jesus what example would there have 
been for Jesus disciples and for you and I? For in this life time as we know 
life in the sin of the flesh, our lives are like a grain of wheat. A grain of 
wheat that can only pass onto others by departing from its original seed 
and leaving it dead. What have you planted in the lives of those you love?

In your life are you passing on the grain of life as Jesus Christ passed it into 
our lives, by His death and resurrection. 

John 12:29-34

The crowd standing by heard it (the voice from heaven) and 
said it had thundered. Others said, ‘An angel has spoken to 
him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, 
not my mine. Now is the judgment of this world, now shall 
the ruler of this world be cast out; and I, when I am lifted up 
from this earth, will draw all men to myself.” He said this to 
show by what death he was to die. The crowd answered 
him, “We have heard from the law that the Christ remains 
forever. How can you say that the Son of man must be 
lifted up? Who is this Son of man?

For some this issue of life and death is difficult to understand. And, in life 
The dumbest questions are the ones we don’t ask. 

Close your eyes. Like what happens when we die? Think of the beautiful 
things you have ever seen. Was it a mountain, a sunrise or a sunset? A 
newborn baby, your mate, a basketful of puppies or kitties? The joys of 
waking up to see the one you love? Or something totally different that 
nobody but you may think is beautiful. Now open your eyes. Heaven is 
even more beautiful than that. 

John 12:35-36

Jesus said to them, ‘The light is with you for a little longer. 
Walk while you have the light, lest the darkness overtake you; 
he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. 
While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may 
become children of light.”

The Jewish authorities that called for Jesus death will soon see their 
temples destroyed and their nation in ruins. Rome, the personification 
of worldly power, will fall to barbarians. But our Lord and Savior Jesus 
Christ, who chose the path of pain, suffering and servant-hood, called 
into a kingdom that has survived while all else has failed. 

On this the first day of Daylight savings time of the year 2006, eventually 
daylight savings time, as we know it in the sin of the flesh, will end and the 
days will be shorter and the nights longer. Seeds of fear for the unknown, 
darkness, death, or joy, light, in a reunion that shall occur in heaven or 
those who know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior? Will your days be 
longer in death, a beautiful place with flowers and rainbows, where 
everything was white like it had its own light. 

His name is Kurt; he is 7 years old and diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy. 
Kurt had a bout with pneumonia and died and was resuscitated. Hours after 
Kurt had recovered he told his doctors, “I saw Bonnie, Kurt’s nurse, and I 
said hi to her then everything became dark, until I saw angels. I was in a 
beautiful place with flowers and rainbows, where everything was white like 
it had its own light. I talked to several people while I was there, including 
Jesus, who wanted me to stay with him. I wanted to stay there but we 
decided I had to come back and see my parents again. I’m not afraid to go 
back to that place.

It’s interesting to see what happens with children for when they have had 
a near death experience as Kurt they often show a deep purpose, a 
willingness to serve others. They often show a spirituality beyond their 
years. A sense of being guided by God or by the light they have seen, and 
a complete lack of the fear of death for they know what awaits them in 
heaven.

My diary reads, February 25, 1985: “There are only two assurances in life, 
the assurance of birth and the assurance of death. It takes one breath to 
enter this world and one breath to exit. Like a breeze of wind life arrives 
and departs in one sweeping motion. So cruel, so harsh, so real it hurts, it 
leaves the human body feeling numb. Yesterday he was smiling, talking, 
and being the kind of man we all knew. Now today he has disappeared, 
gone from this world and what we call life. Physically no more, “spiritually” 
living forever in our hearts and in our minds. Yes, there are only two 
assurances in life, but for everyday that we live let us take time to thank 
God for the beauty all about us. The beauty that is here before us and 
snuffed out like a candle’s flame.”

On this the fifth Sunday of Lent do you place your faith in the light of this 
world that turns dark when the sunsets in the West until morning has 
broken? The beauty that is here and snuffed out like a candle’s flame? Or
do you place your faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ’s example of 
preparing for our last breath as we know life in the sin of the flesh and a
life everlasting? I believe that in the end, when you die, the love you take 
is equal to the love you make in your life. 

Let us pray,

Thank you God for this life that we have, and to be in fellowship with fellow 
believers. Father God, may all who are gathered here at this moment 
be prepared for their final breath on earth. Sharing their wishes 
with the ones they love so that all shall be ready as Jesus 
as our example so that death while painful for the 
survivor may be a celebration of a loved 
one’s homecoming in heaven. 
Amen 




 
04/02/06JWM



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