No Return Without Investment

How is your retirement account?  Do you regularly put something into it? How are you investing? Do you understand compound interest? We usually think of investments in the terms of money or finances, but it is just as important that we learn to invest our time and talents, as well as, our treasure. Why? Because...

There is no return without investment. 

Galatians 6:8,9 says, "For he that sows to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that sows to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."

The level of our investment in spiritual things determines the level of return that we receive now and in all eternity.To invest wisely we need to understand clearly how and in what to invest.

We are all used to saying "I work hard for my money and I am willing to give my offering to the church and even to help give to missions but the rest of the money is mine to spend." The same goes for our time and talent. We spend our time doing what we want to do and we normally spend our talents in a way that brings some type of satisfaction to our lives.

As Christians we need to look at every interaction of our day differently than unbelievers. Every activity of our day is a God-given opportunity for investment. We need to invest our time, talent and treasure not just spend it. We must all learn to ask God: "Is this a good investment or it is the best investment of my time, talent and treasure for your kingdom?" A book I have been reading defines a good investment as one that invites us to receive an instant return while the best investment usually yields results we won't see until sometime in the future.

In the beginning The Hope Foundation was established to help twenty five children get some food. Lisa and I invested our money, time and talent and hoped that we could make a difference in the lives of these twenty five children. God took that little investment and multiplied it and multiplied it. Now we serve over 1000 children not only with food but with education and medical needs. But most of all our goal has always been to share the Gospel of Jesus with them and see them become a part of God's family. We want them to experience a richer life as they learn to not just strive for money but to invest their lives in God's work. We want them to invest wisely so that they can reap the multiplicity of God's returns. We couldn't do this without hundreds of people who have chosen to invest in the lives of Kenyan children and families monthly. Thanks to our sponsors!

You should never underestimate your power to invest in the moments of your life. I would advise that you take time to invest in something bigger than yourself. 

Edward Abbey wrote, "Sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul." James said something similar in chapter 2 verse 26: "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.."

My prayer for you is that you won't be one who simply wastes or squanders what  you have been given for a quick result. Investment demonstrates that we can be trusted with so much more than we have been given. 

Would you intentionally invest your assets, your time and your talent in The Hope Foundation? It is not just a good investment. It is the best investment. Why? Because what you offer to the least of these in Kenya is extremely valuable because it will produce a rich long-term return to you in every area of your life. 

We are seeking people who would not only sponsor a child but be willing to send $10 - $30 per month to help with the overall running of the foundation and its gospel and humanitarian projects. If you already sponsor a child, remember the total $30 you send for your sponsored child is put toward your child. Lisa and I run the foundation by faith that God will provide for its needs and God always uses people to invest in His kingdom work. 

Will you be one of them?

God's Gift Card for You

March is a big birthday month in our house. We not only have Lisa and Dylan's birthdays to celebrate but my Dad, brother, Lisa's sister and our nephew all have birthdays in March. 

In the U.S. there are literally thousands of gifts that you can get someone for their birthday.  There are so many choices that sometimes it can be overwhelming to get the right gift. Some ingenious person came up with something called the gift card. You go to a store and give the cashier an amount of money $10, $25, $50 and they hand you a little plastic card that you give to your friend as their gift. That $50 is on the card as a credit and your friend can take it back to the store and get $50 worth of merchandise just by presenting the card to the cashier.  The strange thing is the card is really only worth $50 if your friend uses it. If they put it in their wallet and never  use it then it is useless gift for them.

In 1 Corinthians 12: 4-6, Paul writes “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.:  There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.” And in Philippians 2:13 Paul reminds us: “For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” 

Because God is at work within us, we can accomplish His purposes. We try to instill in our Kenyan leaders that we minister differently because we’ve been gifted differently. The same God is at work in us, but He customizes His work through us for His ultimate glory and the strength of the church.

Let me illustrate. At dinner, suppose someone dropped a plate full of food on the ground. This is how people with different gifts may respond.

- Gift of prophecy…"That’s what happens when you’re not careful.”
- Gift of service…"Oh, let me help you clean it up.”
- Gift of teaching…The reason that it fell was because it was too heavy on one side.”
- Gift of exhortation… "Next time, maybe you should let someone else help you carry it.”
- Gift of giving… “Here, you can have my plate.”
- Gift of mercy…“Don’t feel too bad. It could have happened to anyone.”
- Gift of administration… “Job, would you get the broom? Pascal, please help pick this up."

We’ve all been gifted differently and so we act differently and we serve differently.

While it’s important to identify your gifts, it’s not enough. Gifts are given to be used. Verses 12-30 describe how the church is like the human body, with each part playing a critical role in the functioning of the body. You’ve been given gifts and a key role to play in this world. If you’re hoarding your gifts and not using them, the entire world is handicapped. 

Mwanajuma has grown up in our school and has now entered her first year of high school.  As a child she would lead the children's choir and sing solos. Now that she is older she has joined the women of Injili Baptist Church as part of the usher ministry. She said to Lisa, "I just love my church and want to serve God here." She is just one example of the servant hearts of our Kenyan people. We want them to serve because they love to serve not because it is their duty.  

The gifts of the Spirit are tools not to admire, but to be used. They are not medals to be won, or trophies to be displayed, or treasures to be guarded. Use them! Do you need to allow the Spirit to fan your gift into full flame? Are you burning bright for Him, or are you just flickering or smoldering?

You’re needed in this world! God has gifted you and now He wants to use you. Don’t allow yourself to think you don’t matter. Nobody is a nobody in the body of Christ. No one can do everything, but everyone can do something.

The Holy Spirit has given you a GIFT CARD with a special gift but it only does someone good when you decide to use it.

A Holy Hug

Have you ever thought "What I could use right now more than anything else is a good hug"? We have all had days where we have felt this way. Maybe it was after the death of a loved one or when a friend just didn't understand our feelings. We feel lonely and frustrated. We want to feel loved and need someone to really listen to us. Honestly, we just need to truly know that someone cares.

In John 14, Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit as "another Comforter".  The Holy Spirit is to be our guide and our comforter. And I can say that there have been moments when I have felt the Holy Spirit comfort me just like He was placing his arms around me in a hug. I love the words of Jesus in verse 18: "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." This gives me great comfort.

But I need to be honest. Sometimes I need a real hug from a human person. In Kenya, we deal with a lot of people. Just the children in our Christian schools number close to one thousand then there are their parents, grandparents, extended families. If you total the school and church ministries you get close to three thousand people. What is amazing is how many of them need a touch from us? Really all of them need a touch, an encouraging word, a smile, a hug. The problem has always been that Lisa and I just can't do it alone. We can't do it all. We need help!

This is where sponsors step in and up.  You see, sponsorship shouldn't just be about money. Yes, the money is desperately needed, but we want sponsorship to be about a growing relationship.  This is why the Hope Foundation works hard to provide ways for our sponsors to get to know their Kenyan child. You can send gifts in our suitcases. You can send money so small presents and school supplies can be purchased in country for them. You can write to them and they can write back monthly. I think that the letters are so important because it is like a little hug from you to them. I call these small notes and letters "Holy Hugs". As a sponsor you might think, my letter can't mean that much but in reality they do.

On our last visit to Good News Academy, we had children come and ask us when their sponsor might write them. They are looking for someone to show them that they truly care. Our children are so appreciative of your giving but they also want to thank you. They are struggling and need your prayers, but they also want to pray for you. They have friends and families but they want to know you too. They want to see your face in pictures. They want to know what it is like in America. They need you to tell them about God and what He is doing in your life. Letters mean a lot. Letters lead to love. I think this is why God gave us the Bible especially the New Testament. God knew that His Word would lead us to understand His love.

I encourage you to build a relationship with your child in Kenya through the Hope Foundation. Write a letter. It will lead to love. To show you how important it is to build a relationship, I wanted to share a video with you of one of our American sponsors surprising her Kenyan daughter with a visit on the week of her graduation from eighth grade this year. They have been writing back and forth for several years now and have built a relationship of love.

It is all about love and giving someone a "Holy Hug". We are planning a sponsors trip for next summer (2017). If you want details, please email Lisa: lisa@hopefoundationofkenya.org.

Faith Demonstrated - Go Out and Buy a Field

What would you do if in a war you were asked to buy a piece of land in the middle of the battle zone?

I have been reading through the book of Jeremiah and he has done some crazy things. He had to wear a ruined girdle and another time put on a oxen's yoke. Now in chapter 32 he is being held as a captive in the courtyard of the palace while the Babylonian army besieges the city of Jerusalem.

Let's set the scene. The Babylonian army has Jerusalem surrounded. The Jewish king and his court along with all the inhabitants are shaking in their boots.  Jeremiah has been going around telling everyone that Jerusalem would fall. Now as Jerusalem is falling Jeremiah buys a piece of land from his cousin,  Why?

Because Jeremiah knew God. His purchase of the land demonstrated his faith in God. In spite of the hopeless situation in which he found himself, He bought this field as an investment of hope in the future of Israel.  God assures Jeremiah in verse 15: "Houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land." Sometimes we have to step out and demonstrate our faith in God for the future.

We are happy to report that we are finishing the female dormitory at the high school.  It has been a long road but next week our female freshman students will move into their new home. It will help these young women to excel in their studies. Everyone is excited and we are so thankful to all who gave to make this building a reality.

But we don't want to forget the young men. We needed to go out and buy a field. As a step of faith, the foundation now owns a separate piece of land near the high school for the future.  We are hoping to one day build a male dormitory plus four classrooms on that property.  We ask you to pray for us as we seriously consider how we can expand for the future of the students that we serve.

With God's help and faithfulness we will be able to meet the needs of all of our students.

DOCTRINE IS IMPORTANT, NOT TRENDY

Paul Gifford, Professor of African Christianity at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London was puzzled in his book African Christianity: Its Public Role that "Africa is not reacting to globalization by revitalizing African traditional religion but instead appeared to be opting into exotic religions." These "exotic" religions can be seen as the Spirit-empowered revivalist movements that are wide-spread throughout the African continent.  Many of these movements target the rich and poor alike.  They preach that wealth, healing, and even national peace will come as people give of their finances so that the Holy Spirit can work in their personal lives and communities.  From personal experience, I have seen an evangelist ask people to bring money to the altar so that he can pray a blessing on them and promises that their sacrifice will end in their request being answered.  I once could not understand why people would flock to a preaching crusade and give money freely when it was hard to get them to come faithfully to their local church and support it with their tithes.

Some of the fault lays with traditional Western thinking that is many times brought to the continent by foreigners.  We (non-Africans) seem to believe that witchcraft is a figment of the uneducated minds of the people and that every witchdoctor uses psychological delusion to gain power over the people.  We forget that the power of the devil and demons is real so witchcraft is real.  Africans know that it is real because many of them have experienced it firsthand.  So the traditional western evangelical missionary comes in and tells them it is all in their heads and the African non-evangelical missionary comes and tells them that witchcraft is the major reason for the underdevelopment of their country, their poverty, and their disease.  This second approach appeals to Africans who want an answer to the demonology that they see all around them which they believe causes illness and poverty.

Andrew Walls wrote in his book, The Missionary Movement in Christian History, when describing the modern African Spirit-empowered Revival Movement "Gone are the African drums of the aladuras [spiritualists]; the visitor is more likely to hear electronic keyboards and amplified guitars, see a preacher in elegant agbaba [robe] or smart business suit and a choir in bow ties." He goes on to conclude that Africans want a church that emphasizes the power of the Holy Spirit in healing and public witness [tongues speaking] in the lives of the Christian followers.

Many traditional African churches have now joined this trendy non-evangelical Christian movement with more vibrant experiential worship, spontaneous healing, a media driven worship service all worked around an entertainment culture.   Some of these things are really not what I think is the problem. Hopefully Christians everywhere sing vibrantly before the Lord no matter the style and media should help us to get our faces lifted up toward the God we are worshipping.  I think the real problem is that the church is not a hall where we go to be entertained. It is not a place where we go to see the Holy Spirit do His thing!

The church should be a place where folks go to be taught, to be convicted; a place where they find a Holy God who is worthy of their worship and expects obedience from His followers. The church should be a place where the Holy Spirit does work as we submit ourselves to God.  A church should know that doctrine (content of belief) and certitude (conviction of belief) are important reasons that people choose a church.  A pastor must be uncompromising on the Word of God. The congregation must really believe what is being taught and preached and live it out in their lives.  A "truth" church cannot preach that every illness will be healed; and that every financial crisis will be relieved just by our faith. God is working all things out for His glory and His plan. God is in control and bad things do happen but He has promised to work all things together for our good and His glory.

In Africa we do have to tackle the witchcraft issue especially if this issue is pushing people into false religious thought.  We need to realize that witchcraft is real. Satan does have power to scare and intimidate people.

I once told a group of African pastors: "You are more afraid of the devil than you are of God." They looked at me shocked but many knew that it was true.  I have to consistently remind people that in Hebrews we are told that Jesus' death rendered Satan powerless.

"Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives." Hebrews 2:14,15)

How do we overcome the fear of witchcraft?  The answer is not found in just becoming the trendy church or claiming to be able to command the Holy Spirit to do this or that.  The answer is found in a belief that everything is under the rule of Jesus, the One who has made us complete in Him. (Eph. 1:22,23) In Jesus, we have the truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Paul tells us to put on the Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 13:14) Witchcraft has already been defeated by Jesus; we need to live in that victory.

Injili (Gospel) Baptist Church and our other churches are in a constant battle between teaching the truth and facing witchcraft (Demonology).  But God is greater and has won the victory.  When IBC started working in Majaoni village there were no less than five "mganga wa kienyeji" (healers/practitioners of magic).  Today, three of them have presented their lives to Christ and given up their magic. Praise God for his faithfulness.
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Preach Jesus...He is the only one who has the power to redeem and save that which was lost.

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"And such were some of you: but ye were washed, but ye were sanctified, but ye were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God." 1 Cor. 6:11

TIME TO PRAISE GOD

"I will thank the Lord with all my heart; I will declare all Your wonderful works. I will rejoice and boast about You; I will sing about Your name, Most High." (Psalm 9:1-2)  

The best time to praise God is all day, every day, as we marvel at Him. Praise should be woven into everything that we do and say. Our life is a great tapestry of colors and scenes that proclaim God's greatness and we should worship Him just for our lives alone.

Matthew Henry said, "Be not afraid of saying too much in the praises of God; all the danger is of saying too little." Today, I want to thank God for one specific thing.  In 2005, The Hope Foundation had a dream to educate needy Kenyan children from kindergarten through High School.  Through the generous giving of Edgewood Baptist, Palmetto Ave. Baptist, Fox River and Park Chapel along with our donors, and some great partnering organizations: MANNA Worldwide (Texas), Crossroads Fellowship (Nyali) and Tin Roof Society (Ohio), we are seeing that dream come to a reality.

This year we are seeing the completion of the Valerye McMillan High School in Majaoni, Kenya with the beautiful addition of an administration building that includes science and computer labs and a library.  Now we have received the final funds to complete the Female Student Dormitory.  This facility will enable us to house over 200 female students on the high school property providing them with safety and loving care over their four years at VMHS.  We are so excited!

In Streams in the Desert, there is a line that reads "Two wings are necessary to lift our souls toward God: prayer and praise. Prayer asks. Praise accepts the answer."  We lifted up our concerns to God for children in Kenya to not only be educated but fed and given the Gospel. And guess what He was listening and beyond that He wanted to hear from us and see our compassion to help those in spiritual and physical need.  The greatest thing is that He decided to honor our request for strength, encouragement and help from His people. So today we PRAISE God for all that He has done.

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"Praise the Lord! Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever." Psalm 106:1

OPPORTUNITY, NOT A PROBLEM

As missionaries, we are faced with issues every day. These issues can be seen in one of two ways. It can be a PROBLEM or an OPPORTUNITY.  The difference between a problem and an opportunity is in how we view it.  Elisabeth Elliot is quoted as saying, "A life lived in God is not lived on the plane of feelings, but of the will."  I believe that this defines our view. If I am looking at a challenge with my feelings it usually turns into a problem. If I am looking at a challenge with a determination to do God's will it usually turns into an opportunity.

As a disciple of Jesus Christ, I must trust Him and put His will at the center of my life. Jesus can never be #2. His calling on my life can't come "next" to other priorities of life.  God must always be in the first position.  I am compelled to take up my cross and follow Him daily. And as each day brings a new cross to bear, it is an opportunity to serve Christ.  As I sacrifice my will to His will, I can follow my calling to help others know about Jesus in Kenya.

There is a crucial question that needs to be answered each time we meet someone. Hannah Whitall Smith put it like this: "...do you yet have a personal acquaintance with Him?"  The answer to this question has determined the course and direction of my life. It has added quality and joy to my life.

I want to live Micah 6:8: "He [God] has shown you, O man, what is good; and what the LORD requires of you; to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." Simply put I want to live justly, to love and show mercy and to always serve humbly before my God.

Today, I face a challenge. We need to find thirty-five (35) sponsors for some beautiful children that we want to take into our program at Good News Academy in Majaoni, Kenya.  I have chosen to put this into God's hands.  It is yet another opportunity for God to show Himself faithful through His people.  We would love to see them all sponsored by November so that we can get them prepared to start school in January 2016.

Would you take a few minutes and pray for our opportunity?  Maybe God will lead you to take on a child at $30 a month. If you already sponsor a child, will you tell someone else about our ministry and get them involved.  Many of the children's pictures are on our website: www.hopefoundation.co.ke under the heading "Children In Need".

​You can help turn a problem into a great opportunity.

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www.hopefoundation.co.ke

GOD WANTS YOU . . . TO BE GENEROUS

Nothing reveals our dedication to Christ and His cause as much as our attitude toward money. I just hate money and the issues that come from the lack of it.  It seems that every Christian organization is always in need of money whether they are a U.S. church or a missionary endeavor like our foundation.  It seems strange to me that Jesus taught more about money than almost any other topic.  I guess He knew that we all have a clear and potent attachment to our money which if not overcome will cause us to miss out on the blessing of being generous.

Each day we need to ask God a question and truly seek an answer. The question is "Lord, how much of your money can I keep for myself today and how much should I use for your kingdom?" I believe that most of us are afraid of God's answer because we are holding onto "our" hard-earned money with a clenched fist. We have forgotten that the way we spend and give away our money is a spiritual thing. In Proverbs 11:25 it says: "A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed."

As Lisa and I work to help the poor and needy in Kenya, Africa we are sometimes amazed at their generosity when visitors from the states come. They kill their chickens, buy sodas and give gifts. Each one of these is at great sacrifice to the family, but I can't stop them from being generous to guests. It is the way they live and it makes them Kenyans. Through their examples, we have learned to be generous and faithfully support our church, missions, the needy and God's ministry in Kenya.

Everyone can learn from them and I believe that we can all help them in some way.  You see, every bit of money that we needlessly spend on ourselves prevents us from helping to meet the need of someone else.  God owns the cattle on a thousand hills which means He also owns all we have acquired.  When we put all we have into God's hands we prove that we trust Him more than "our" money.

Will you allow God to use you by opening up the clenched fist and give generously to help The Hope Foundation reach folks with God's love? We want to be your feet to help the poor and reach the lost.  Being generous is not easy for everyone but it does the heart good.  We need sponsors to donate $30 monthly to help a child attend school, get medical care and food. We need sponsors to help send a pastor to Bible school. We need sponsors to build church buildings. God wants you...to be generous.

SOCCER IS FOOTBALL IN KENYA

When we first went to Kenya there were several things that we needed to learn. One of them was the idea that their favorite sport is football but not American football. They love soccer.  They cheer for teams with names like Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea.  The first year we lived in Kenya I saw hoards of people standing on street corners peering into electronic stores or crowding into places with televisions. I wondered what was going on then I realized it was the World Cup and everyone was yelling for their team.

Sports is a part of every culture in most of the world and it touches the youngest to the oldest people in any population group. In every village in Kenya you will find a group of boys (sometimes girls) playing soccer and imaging a day when they will stand on the world stage playing for their favorite team in the World Cup.  It is exciting to see them dream about a bright future but the truth is that most will never reach this goal.

This year, Injili (Gospel) Baptist Church started a sports ministry at our high school property.  They developed a soccer team from their church and now are using it as an evangelistic outreach.  They have invited the Muslim community to develop their own teams and come and play at the high school. This is allowing their people to have a starting point to reach young people with the gospel message. At each game, they pray and sing to God. They even have a devotional challenge.

Eddie Fox once wrote, "The roads of Rome carried the gospel in the first century, but sports is the means of carrying it today."  He is right. Sports opens doors into houses and communities that would otherwise be closed to a Christian voice.

Please pray for the leaders of Injili Baptist and the hundreds of young people that are getting a chance to hear about the love of God monthly.  Our prayer is that many will come to Christ this year through the sports ministry. The goal is fifty new believers in 2015.

DEATH COMES TOO SOON

Every one of us has had to face the death of a person we love.  Each time it is as if death has come too soon. In Kenya, death is a common occurrence for every family with almost every family losing at least one child at birth or in early childhood.  I have stood over the coffin of a child many times and it never gets easier.  We just received the message that one of our teachers at New Life Academy lost her four day old son this weekend.

When I think of Emily and her family, I am reminded of 2 Corinthians 1:3,4 which says "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God."

I love these verses because it shows clearly that God uses people to bring comfort to others.  We can become the arms and heart of God toward those who have lost a loved one.  I can't even image the intolerable pain that Emily is facing today but I can understand the loss of someone anticipated, given and lost.  Through my own pain I can in some small way bring comfort to others.

But in order to be used of God to minister to others, I have had to work through my own pain.  C.S. Lewis once said that after his wife died he criticized God severely for a time. He accused God of every injustice until he had nothing else to say. It was then and only then that he felt the loving arms of God bringing comfort in his pain.  When death comes too soon, we go through a lot of emotions. I know I have experienced hurt, frustration, abandonment, fear and even anger. 

In these times I usually turn to the old hymn, In The Garden, especially the lines: "He walks with me, and He talks with me, And He tells me I am His own; And the joy we share as we tarry there, None other has ever known." Isn't it a great comfort to know that God listens to us, that He feels with us and that He understands our pain? But the truth is that we have to allow God into our pain.

Through all the African funerals I have learned two things:

(1) God doesn't get upset when I share my true feelings with him.  

I can tell Him when I am disappointed in how He allowed the death to come. I can tell Him that I am anger that He allowed death to come in a certain painful way. I can tell Him that I feel abandoned because He did not answer my prayers for an earthly healing. You see when I get real with God then I am inviting him into my pain, doubt and grief and He has promised to be there with me in the middle of it all.

(2) God's comfort doesn't mean my tears will go away or that my grief will stop immediately.

God's promise to wipe away all tears from our eyes hasn't taken place yet.  I have to cry in my grief. It is the natural process of healing and God is there with me because He understands. Remember Jesus wept over the death of Lazarus. God knows what it means to physically lose someone close. We must walk through the pain with God...the goodbyes and the living part that comes afterwards.  We must remember that God is there to guide us along the road our hand in His.

Selwyn Hughes wrote "He [Jesus] gives most when most is taken away."  The presence of God can and should be felt with a great force when we are going through a time of bereavement. We should feel the consoling power of Jesus like never before because God understands.  God loved mankind and many are in pain. God is just waiting to be invited to step in and give comfort. Many times this comfort comes in the form of other people standing with us while they grieve.

We can have hope in God even in death. I love 1 Thessalonians 4 verses 13 forward. This scriptures just stirs up emotion inside my very soul because of the great hope found in its words:

"But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep. that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him...For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words."

Death that comes too soon is not the end.  Death is not the end because of JESUS who defeated the power of death.  Jesus came to bind the brokenhearted, to comfort those who grieve, to bring beauty out of ashes, to give joy in mourning and to turn despair into praise (Isa. 61).

Concluding Thought:
My prayer is that we are bearers of God's comfort as we use our memories of God's goodness in our own pain to bring comfort to someone else. Because we have hope of a great reunion day and I tell you that I have some folks there that I long to see but I can wait a little bit longer because God has some comfort work for me to do here.