Suddenly's of Life

Suddenly’s of Life                                                                                              By Pastor Joe     

This article was written 6 years ago, while rereading it recently the main thought seemed so timely and worth repeating. With just a few changes to the original jottings please be encouraged by the details.

 It was not the best of a phone call to receive on Thursday (April 26th 2018) from one of the members saying there had been an explosion at the Calumet/Husky oil refinery. now called Cenovus. Obviously it immediately made me think of members of our congregation who work at this facility in Superior. As quick as the call was finished I was on the phone with one of the family members to make sure their loved one was OK. Lisa Kuechler called me back shortly informing me Greg was just fine. What a great call to receive!

This was supposed to be a regular Thursday at the office working on my Eternal Significance article, finishing up paperwork, going through some receipts, cleaning up my office, meeting with people, following up on emails etc. Yet it was a “suddenly” which captivated this day in our life, and there will be multiple ‘suddenly‘ s’ which we will have to deal with; sometimes it’s a “suddenly” with great excitement attached, and other times it’s a “suddenly” filled with sadness and sorrow. Most of have had people who stopped by “suddenly” as they were just passing through and those were wonderful experiences. Then there’s the times when you receive a call and it’s because someone has died, or someone is possibly in a very difficult situation- and those suddenly’s are never desired.

Let me add to the story the text message sent out on Thursday asking people to bring food to the church. A gentlemen showed up at the church suddenly and declared his need for help. It makes me think of how important it is for us to be prepared for the suddenly’s in life. Our walk with Christ will definitely help us deal with the suddenly‘s of life whether they are positive or negative, and your Holy Spirit led life will help carry you through every situation. We should be prepared for anything that comes our way,  whether it brings a smile to our countenance or sorrow to our heart.

We should never look at suddenly’s as a sign that God is not watching over us. I think just the opposite, God wants to be ever present, very near to us, because there are suddenly’s in life. Throughout the scripture we find multiple occasions of “suddenly’s” which require the peace, presence and power of the Lord Jesus. There are multiple stories in the New Testament where Jesus himself is relating to someone who “suddenly” has come for his help, for his aid, for his comfort for his healing. The suddenly which really captures my attention is the one we are all hoping to experience.

“Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 ESV.  This is a suddenly which none of us want to be caught off guard when it happens, especially if it happens in our lifetime! This is the most important “suddenly” any of us will ever face.

We all believe and rejoice in the “Blessed Hope” the eminent return of the Lord Jesus. Jesus could come back any day and it will truly be suddenly. One of my greatest responsibilities as a preacher of the gospel is to keep the local congregation mindful of Christ’s soon return. But it extends to those who we reach out to on a regular basis, the lost must be informed of what the Scriptures say concerning mankind‘s existence.

Let us never forget, and let us be motivated by the fact that God’s grace has a finite end. The suddenly we all experienced on Thursday morning was very sobering, but it is nothing in comparison to the suddenly many will face when the scripture we quoted becomes reality. Each day brings us one day closer to the return of the Lord Jesus and the most magnificent suddenly which will ever take place and we want everyone to be ready.