Death Has No Sting

“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”

- The Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:55

I need to be honest - until recently I have had a very hard time understanding this Scripture. And while I'm being honest I must confess - it didn't make sense to me. Yes, death DOES hurt. Why does the Bible imply that it doesn't?

Does it mean nothing to leave those you love? Is there no pain when a wife, mother, aunt, and friend dies? Is there no pain when death comes suddenly and leaves a family in shock? Should we not weep or mourn or question what God has allowed to take place when we prayed and believed, yet there was no healing the way we asked for?

Of course death hurts! Don't tell the family and friends of someone who has died that death isn't painful. Death is painful, always.

So does that mean that Scripture is misleading us? Is God oblivious at best or deceitful at worst when it comes to the feelings that surface when a loved one dies?

Honestly, for awhile I wondered about that.

Until I thought about this verse in light of the whole message of the Bible. I considered how Jesus wept when His friend Lazarus died. I thought about many other instances in the Bible where death brought about feelings of fear and anxiety for those who walked through the valley of the shadow of death.

And I studied 1 Thessalonians 4, where we learn about Jesus-followers who have died. In verse 13-14 we read this instruction:

Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him.

Ah, there it is. Two words that help us understand why death cannot sting us: HOPE and SLEEP.

For those who trust in Jesus Christ for eternal life, our hope is not wishful thinking. It is a confident assurance that we will, without a doubt nor any hesitation, be in the presence of Jesus Christ the very moment life on earth ends for us. For those we love who also believe in Jesus, we know we will be with them again - this time for eternity - in Heaven. Not only will we be reunited with our loved ones who trusted Christ and have gone before, but we will be with God Himself for endless ages.

Talk about a great and true hope! And once you have that hope it cannot be taken from you. Not pain, heartache, or even death can steal that hope from you if you trust in Jesus. He will keep your hope secure until the day you "fall asleep in Him" - until you die.

Jesus conquered death on that first Easter morning, and by doing so He changed death for those who trust in Him: He made death a transition into something better. He removed fear by dying and rising again, making death a doorway to Himself. He removed regret by giving us a reason to live. He removed the sting by dying for our sins and by doing so, ensured a forever home in Heaven. Jesus changed death from being a final assault to simply falling asleep. In sleep there is no pain, no suffering, no fear, no worry, and no shame. Sleep is not permanent but it is essential to enjoy a new day.

So for a Christian, death should not be seen as an unwanted enemy but as a necessary friend who lets us sleep in Christ and wake up in our Home in Heaven. For those who are left behind when a Christian dies, death hurts - but it doesn't sting. The sting has been removed by Jesus, and in place He has provided a peace that surpasses all understanding as we embrace an eternal truth beyond ourselves.

Because of the resurrection of Jesus, we have the hope of heaven and of being with Christ. And we know that one day we will sleep in Him, then we will wake to join our loved ones in a place where Jesus will "wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever” (Revelation 21:4 NLT). That promise is why death hurts, but has no lasting sting for those who trust in Christ.

I support Robert Cormell for Mayor and you should too!

It's been a long time since I have felt like I could fully & enthusiastically support a candidate for any elected office, but I'm glad to stand with Robert Cormell in his campaign to become the next mayor of this great city of El Paso, Texas.

I have known Robert for most of my life, having met him when I was about 10 years old. I was an employee of his for about 5 years as a teenager and for a short time after high school. I have seen first-hand how Robert runs organizations and manages financials, what his values are, how upright his character is, how he handles high stress situations, and how well he treats people even when they cannot do anything for him. In all of those things Robert excels with great integrity and unchanging conviction.

Robert is a compassionate man who cares very much about the people of this city. Long before he even thought about running for office he has been working hard to improve our city and influence for the better the future of its citizens. He has been a job creator for close to 20 years, often being the one to take a risk and give a teenager his or her first job. He and his wife started a teen center to reach out to teenagers nobody else seemed to care about, and several years ago he recruited influential men and women of the community to mentor at-risk youth in our city.

The quality of his character is of utmost importance since our local government has developed a notorious reputation in recent years for corruption. We need honest men and women of the highest caliber integrity - honest people who will not deceive the public, are not driven by favors owed to donors, and don't thirst for power at any cost. Robert is not "owned" by anyone and his conviction is to represent ALL El Pasoans, not just those of a certain political party or economic rank. He sees his role as mayor to truly represent the citizenry. Additionally, Robert is the only candidate I am aware of who has openly asked to be held accountable by the public for his performance as mayor.

All of the candidates for mayor have their good qualities and there are some excellent men who would make good mayors. Each of them undoubtedly loves this city and has a vision for progress. Out of all the candidates running for mayor, Robert is the BEST choice to lead our city forward in a way that creates jobs, restores trust in public officials, and unifies our city. He will bring progress not just for a select few but for the city as a whole. He will a mayor for every El Pasoan.

So if you believe in El Paso and want our great city to progress in a financially healthy and sustainable way, if you want our city to be in better condition for the next generation - then the best man for the job is Robert Cormell. I hope you will trust him with your vote for Mayor of El Paso.



To learn more about Robert Cormell, visit RobertCormellforMayor.com or like him on Facebook.

Passover has begun.

Right now it's what we in Christianity call "Holy Week". It started yesterday with a celebration of the triumphant entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, later this week we will remember the Last Supper on Thursday, then commemorate the crucifixion on Good Friday, and finally we will celebrate again on Easter as we remember the resurrection of Jesus our Savior and Lord. It is the most holy time of the year for believers.

And now that sundown has occurred today, it is also Passover - the religious festival where our Jewish brothers and sisters celebrate the deliverance of Israel from the bondage of Egyptian slavery. After the Jews were in slavery under the harsh Egyptians for 400 years, God raised up Moses to be their deliverer. Moses told the Egyptian Pharaoh about a series of plagues that would descend upon the Egyptian people if he would not let God's people go. But Pharaoh stubbornly refused and the plagues hit Egypt with a fury. The last plague would be the death of the first born of each family who lived in Egypt, including the Jews since they also lived in Egypt.  But God who is rich in mercy provided a means of deliverance for the Jews. In Exodus 12:13 we read that if the Jews would trust God, spread the blood of a sacrificed lamb over the doorframe of their homes, then God's angel of death would "pass over" their homes and their firstborns would be spared. It's a majestic picture of God's grace in the Old Testament portion of the Bible.

For us who trust in Jesus as Messiah, we see how Passover is a foreshadow or preview of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, which we celebrate during Holy Week. You see, as the Jews spread the lamb's blood on the top and sides of the doorframe, the motion formed the shape of a cross. That reminds us of the deliverance and protection we enjoy because of the blood of Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world once and for all on the cross. You can read how Christ is like Passover to believers here.

So the Jewish celebration of Passover and the Christian commemoration of Holy Week are beautifully connected to each other. And as Christians our faith will be enriched if we celebrate Passover alongside our Jewish brothers and sisters, while anticipating the wonder of Easter.

Always.

"Oh my God, He will not delay
My refuge and strength always.
I will not fear, His promise is true
My God will come through always, always!"

That's the chorus of the song "Always" by Kristian Stanfill. We sang that song tonight to close out our communion service at Del Sol Church East. It was a significant moment for me because of the day and who I was standing next to as I sang.

You see, I was standing next to my dad on the day of his last cancer treatment. 

When my dad was first diagnosed with cancer last fall, I was in shock and disbelief for days. Cancer was what I had feared for years and now it has become a reality. It seemed so unreal, so big, so scary, and everything seemed so unsure. There were lots of tests and lots of waiting. And after one test, everything came tumbling down.

At first one of the tests seemed to indicate that the cancer had spread to my dad's bone, which would have made for a terrible prognosis. They had to verify and we had to wait. That was probably the worst two weeks of my life up to this point. Thankfully it ended up being that the cancer had not spread, and though it was serious it was also curable. 

In those two weeks I learned what it really means to trust God. I learned about how to claim God's peace that passes all understanding. And through this whole process I learned more about faith.

Now today, with my dad having finished his treatment, we wait again. We wait to see if it took. We wait to see if the cancer has been eradicated.

We wait in faith, knowing "my God will come through always."

Always.

Got a case of the Mondays?

Mondays get a lot of hate. I don't know anybody who says "Monday is my favorite day of the week". Maybe there are people out there who like Mondays, but I've yet to meet any of them. No, most people I know detest Mondays and make sure everyone knows about it by moping around or whining about it on Facebook. 

But why? Why do we treat Mondays as if they are a hassle and a bother? They're not really the end of the weekend - Sundays are. Mondays are actually the BEGINNING of a new week! Mondays are a great day to start fresh, to change, to do something new.

Now before you go thinking "Ariel, that's easy for you to say", understand that Mondays are always really difficult days for me, especially since weekends are a time of intense work for me, not a time to kick back and relax like most other people. For me, Mondays are the day when I am most physically, spiritually, and emotionally drained. I should hate Mondays in a special way - but I don't. 

Instead, I embrace Mondays. I celebrate Mondays. Why? Because of one reminder from Scripture:

This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad today!
- Psalm 118:24 CEV

Mondays are a day to celebrate and be glad! Mondays are a day to thank God for bringing you through the previous week and giving you a new week to laugh, to love, to enjoy music, to take in our beautiful Southwest sunsets, to eat meat, to sing along to your favorite songs, to watch your favorite TV shows, to connect with friends online and in person. 

Mondays are a day to remember that God didn't have to give you and I another day to live, but He did. We should thank our gracious God for Mondays and glorify Him by making the most out of the wonderful gift of Monday.

I'm feel tired of it.

You know all the scandals and controversies in life days? Seems like everyday there's something Congress can't come to a resolution on and it'll be the end of the world if they don't: Fiscal Cliff, Taxmageddon, Debt Ceiling, and so on. Among celebrities, who's dating who, who broke up with who, and who cheated on who. In sports, there are illegal bounties and fake girlfriends. Recently the news was going crazy about Beyonce lip-syncing the national anthem at the President's inauguration. And seems like half my twitter and Facebook feeds are filled each day with enough drama to last a lifetime.

Sometimes I feel tired of it all. 


But if there's one thing I've learned it's never to live by feelings because feeling often life. So I don't have to just feel tired of it all. I don't have to just suck it up and live with it. Actually, I can do something about it. I can be a reconciler. I may not be able to bring reconciliation to Congress or Hollywood, but I can do my best to bring reconciliation in my circle of influence. Matter of fact, God tells me to do so in 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 NLT:

"God has given us this task of reconciling people to Him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And He gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation."

According to Scripture, my number one, primary, most important job in life is to be a bridge builder - first between God and people, but a just as important second is to build a bridge between people. To step in division and bring reunion. To go where there is hostility and bring harmony. To get in the middle of fights and work to bring unity. 

To look at scandals and instead of getting tired, get energized and see scandals as opportunities to be the presence and the power of God in the middle of it. When someone is being picked on, criticized, or condemned, to bring grace and love and forgiveness. 

Showing dignity, value, and love to people while speaking truth to them, no matter what? That's something I don't think I'll get tired of. 


Be a reconciler. Be a peacemaker. Be a bridge builder. Yeah, I can do that. Will you join me?

The right to life.

Twenty-two days ago, on December 14th, 2012, a horrible event took place. Twenty-six people were slaughtered in an elementary school in Connecticut - twenty of those people were children. This tragedy was covered seemingly non-stop by the media for days, benefit concerts were put on, and many people have donated money, toys, and other things to help the victims of those senseless killings.

On the same day that 20 children were murdered in an elementary school, another slaughter took place and nobody said a word. Over 2,000 children were murdered in America, and most Americans didn't know and didn't care because it wasn't called murder; it was called "abortion". And that number is a conservative estimate from the CDC. The research arm of Planned Parenthood, the Guttmacher Institute, puts that number at over 3,000 per day.  

Get that - 3,000 innocent American children are aborted every day. Since abortion was legalized forty years ago today, over 55 million Americans have been murdered in the womb. Americans who would have surely grown up to discover amazing medical breakthroughs, become government leaders who would have given wise leadership to our nation, and contributes billions of dollars in taxes to the economy.

I can only imagine how different, and better, this great nation would be if those children were alive today. How much stronger the economy would be. How many diseases would have been cured. And what a more noble people we would be for not allowing thousands of our own citizens to be killed every single day, out of sight and out of mind.

Whatever your viewpoint on abortion, whether you consider it a fetus or a baby in the womb, an undeniable fact is that abortion stops a beating heart. And a heart cannot beat without life in it.

Our nation was founded on the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Let's pray that our nation will turn from this great injustice; that we will respect the rights of unborn children instead of being intolerant of their right to life. 


"You are the one who created my innermost parts; You knit me together while I was still in my mother’s womb. I give thanks to you that I was marvelously set apart. Your works are wonderful—I know that very well."
- Psalm 139:13-14 CEB