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The Book of Life
“I
urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord.
Indeed, true comrade, I ask you also to help these women who have
shared my struggle in the cause of the Gospel, together with Clement
also, and the rest of my fellow-workers, whose names are in the book
of life.” (Philippians 4:2-3)
This past week,
we attended “Church Leadership Conference 2003”, a Church leadership
event in Torrance, California. We signed up for the meetings, paid
the fees and because our names were on the list, received
personalized badges at the door. We were waved into each session
with a smile, but could not have entered without the badges.
On Tuesday, we
missed the afternoon sessions because we were conducting a funeral,
45-freeway minutes east, in the city of Fullerton.
The lady who
passed on has really been a blessing to us, treating us well in all
respects, from the smile she greeted us with, to the kind words she
spoke during the years of our friendship.
This was the
lady we talked about during the memorial service - I started by
telling how we met, some years ago:
At a restaurant
while having dinner with my mother, the cell phone rang. A lady was
“dying” and it was important to immediately get to Memorial Hospital
before she passed on, with the extra concern, we were told - she did
“not know the Lord.”
We raced to
Memorial, dumped the car into “clergy parking” and rushed from the
information desk to her floor. Not having seen her before, I
thought there was some mistake – the lady in that room seemed to be
sleeping peacefully. I went back out into the hall, checked, and
sure enough, it was the right room. The charge nurse confirmed the
location.
I returned and
looked closely at her and thought she might not be breathing.
Perhaps we were too late. Anointing her forehead with oil, I began
reading the 23rd Psalm out loud, with a prayer in my
heart for a family we did not know.
But then I
thought her lips were moving – just a little. I felt I was
mistaken, but then heard the whisper of her voice – she was reciting
the verses with me from memory, and her voice was getting louder!
Sure enough, her voice went from a whisper, to a croak, to a normal
speaking voice, to something almost like a shout, as she completed
the last verses with me! We then recited the Lord’s Prayer
together, and by now her eyes were wide open, as she sat bolt
upright asking for food. “I’m hungry,” she said and my mom began to
feed her from the nearby tray.
She recovered
fully and encouraged us to visit her, which we did as often as
possible, first at her home in Lakewood, and later at the
Convalescent Hospital. She complained about the hospital
environment and sometimes expressed concerns about those in her
family, but we also noticed that she prayed fervently for them and
others. She got along well with my wife (both were from Brooklyn).
We shared our beliefs about Scripture and about the Lord. Listening
to her answers and praying often with her, we decided that this lady
knew the Lord. Her church background and ours were not the same,
but her heart belonged to Jesus Christ.
None of the
family came forward to speak about her, during the service. After
it was over, several said: “That’s not who we knew” in relation to
the words we spoke. Several family members had come to know the
Lord, and some had avoided her during recent years. There were
“issues” that existed in their hearts until that moment, but our
observations seemed to help them see her differently. Especially
they were surprised that she had a personal relationship with the
Lord.
In our Scripture
verse for today, we find Paul (and the Holy Spirit) urging two
ladies (Euodia and Syntyche) to somehow learn to get along. Both of
them had helped Paul in the struggles of this life, and both had
names written “in the book of life” (Philippians 4:2-3), but they could not stand
each other.
As Paul said,
it’s time for us all to put aside our differences and “live
in harmony in the Lord.” The last session of the Pastor’s
Conference on Wednesday, was a Communion Service, in which the man
who led the service, urged the thousand or so Church leaders
present, to “put aside differences”
and make peace with one another. We were to “get
up,” go to one another, and settle differences. I instantly
thought of a Pastor who, when we ran into each other, seemed to want
to get away from me as quickly as possible.
He had concerns
and I was not sure what they were. I went over to where I had seen
him earlier, and caught him, just as he was stepping forward to take
Communion. I directly asked him about his seeming avoidance of me,
apologized for any hurt I had caused, and he opened his heart – he
felt deep offense to the point where he considered himself used and
betrayed.
We shared,
talked and prayed for quite some time, and it is hoped that the
moment of that Communion Service will bring healing to us. We both
love the Lord, as does that lady who is with the Lord right now, and
it is hoped that many in her family will find peace because of her
memorial service.
The issue is not
your feelings of betrayal or mine. It’s not even about who’s
right. When we are in Christ, it’s all about forgiveness based in
His love. “Euodia and Syntyche,”
the lady and her family, the Pastor and me – our names have
been written in the Book of Life in His blood, enabling us to enter
the heavenlies in Christ Jesus. In His grace, we can love others in
His Name. Immediately after encouraging Euodia and Syntyche to make
up, Paul added, “Rejoice
in the Lord” (Philippians
4:4) – there is joy in forgiveness.
Help us, Lord,
to love one another. Instead of being “right,” let us “live
in harmony” with one another “in the
Lord.” Heal us and give us peace. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Ron Beckham, Pastor
Friday Study Ministries
www.fridaystudy.org
E-mail:
Ron@FridayStudy.org
Tel: (562) 688-5559
PO Box 92131
Long Beach, CA 90809-2131
"While
we were yet sinners, Christ died for us"
(Romans 5:8) |
