365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 144

At the end of the sermon on Sunday our pastor radomly got a lady up from her seat and asked her to make her way down the aisle heading out, than he asked the congregation to cheer wildly. We all broke out into applause with some whistling and shout-outs. I wish I could see the congregations faces. I bet we were all smiling. Our pastor created a demonstration of what it will be like when we enter God's Kingdom, everyone will be cheering wildly with overwhelming amounts of joy because you have come home.
As we watched the movie Titanic that evening, I immediately picked up on the applause of the long dead Titanic victims as the main character made her way in and up to Jack at the top of the steps. They were all applauding because she had come home and they were together again. It's like the story of the prodigal son who humbly returns whom full of repentance and is created by his father who is full of joy that his long lost son has come home. Imagine all the Kingdom of God, all the angels, all your loved ones who have gone before you, cheering you on as you walk into the Kingdom of Heaven. Each of us do matter. There is great joy in heaven when another person choose to accept Jesus as his or her savior and even more joy when you finally come home. Praise God for this awesome gift of eternal life in His Kingdom.
Luke 15:32 "But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found."

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 142

It is the 100 year anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic today. In thinking on this, I am so comforted by the thought that people do matter. Even a hundred years later, though we don't know specifically who these people were, we feel compassion and sadness for what they had to go through. Nobody wants to go out tragically, but we cannot escape tragedy in this world. Thankfully, we have an awesome God who can take tragic events like this and use them for good. I have not personally had to deal with a tragic event but I will not worry about it. I will continually prepare myself by cementing in my faith with a solid foundation that will not be shaken. Is your faith growing day by day or are you at a standstill?
Isaiah 28:16 See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed.