Grace and peace to you all in Jesus' mighty name
and welcome to another edition of 'Faith Is Natural' here on God's Heart TV.
Today, I want to talk about a subject that is both sensitive and difficult
but it's very necessary to talk about this because
this is something that all of us must deal with at some stage
as we navigate the winding roads, the twists and turns on this journey of life.
I am referring to how, as Christians, we are to deal with the issue of loss,
how we are to handle the passing of loved ones
and the inevitable grief, sorrow and anguish that accompanies such loss.
It's important to have this conversation because this prompts reflection.
It prompts real reflection on the matters that really matter -
matters beyond this material world.
As the Scripture says in the book of Ecclesiastes 7:2,
'It is better to be in the house of mourning than the house of feasting
because death is the destiny that everyone shares
and the living must take this to heart.'
You see, I have had the opportunity to speak with many people
over the years of being in ministry - and I've spoken to people about this subject.
I have seen so many people who sadly seem to have got lost;
they seem to be so lost as a result of how they handled loss.
I mean, they lost hope; they lost faith.
They lost that sense of purpose and direction in life
because grief gripped them to such a degree
that it affected their relationship with God.
I mean, their mourning overshadowed their understanding of life's meaning.
And that's dangerous - so dangerous.
Loss is part of life and the extent to which grief grips you
is often proportionate to the degree at which you fear death.
But as Christians, a foundation of our faith, an anchor of our faith
is the recognition that there is life after this life.
This world is not our home. We are just here for a short season.
We are just passing through. Eternity.
Eternal life - that's the sole end and purpose of our activities here on earth.
That's our cornerstone.
That's the principle from which we should act,
the end at which we must aim - eternity.
Heaven is our home.
Heaven - that's our reward.
This is why the Bible warns us against
becoming too attached to the things of this world,
too engrossed in the things of this world (1 Corinthians 7:31).
Because Heaven is our home.
The reality of our conviction concerning this truth
finds expression in our reaction to the loss of loved ones.
Now, let me be clear, people of God.
I am not saying that it is wrong to grieve
or that we should not grieve the passing of loved ones. No!
When someone dear to our heart passes onto glory,
there is a right time to grieve, to mourn, to shed tears.
Even our Lord Jesus Christ shed tears at the passing,
or let me say at the perceived passing of Lazarus,
because He was a man of compassion; He felt what people were feeling.
The Bible says Jesus wept in John 11:35.
So, I am not here to say that we should not grieve
but I want to emphasise to you today is this:
We should not let that grief stay too long in our hearts.
Holding grief for too long is a trap of the devil to prolong pain and prevent healing.
Because if care is not taken, grieving the departure of a loved one
can subtly shift into dwelling in the past.
And this can keep you from moving forward into your Divine destiny.
You see, this life is too precious, too valuable to mourn too long
someone who is celebrating with the angels above.
That's why we must embrace eternity's perspective.
What we regard as loss is Heaven's gain
because it's the flesh that returns to dust but the spirit returns to God.
The spirit - the main part of man, the real thing about you - returns to God.
Because we are living in this natural world but the main thing about us is our spirit.
That's why we must be spiritually minded in the way we handle loss.
Let me give you an example.
In John 12:27-28, our Lord Jesus Christ acknowledged that He was troubled.
His soul was troubled yet He said, 'Father, glorify Your name!'
In the same vein, in Matthew 26:38-39, the Bible again says Jesus was troubled.
He was deeply troubled to the extent He said, 'Let this cup pass over Me'.
But then He said, 'Not My will but Yours be done'.
What am I emphasising here, brethren?
The natural reacted but the spiritual superseded.
That must be our principle, as believers.
We may react in the natural but we are not to be ruled by the natural.
Look, there is a time to mourn.
There is a time to cry. There is a time to grieve.
But the moment that grief grows in your heart
to the point where it influences your behaviour
in a manner that compromises your faith, affects your relationship with God and
pushes you into sin,
know that it has become a tool in the hands of the devil.
To put it bluntly, harbouring grief too long
is the overflow of a heart that has placed something above God.
And as Christians, we are to love God above all -
to love nothing in comparison of Him, even our loved ones,
but everything in reference to Him.
Let me also put it in this way:
Harbouring grief too long is actually dishonouring to the memory
of the one you are grieving.
Because the greatest way you can express that love
to the one who has passed onto glory
is to live the life God has called you to live,
to be the person God has destined you to be,
to fulfil the mission God has sent you to fufil
during your short journey here on this earth.
That's the greatest way you can express that love.
People of God, this is a subject I always felt inadequately equipped to address
until last year, 2021.
Because last year, for the first time in my life, I experienced real grief
when God called His Servant, Prophet T.B. Joshua, home.
And in the immediate aftermath of his passing,
there were no words that could soothe the grief -
the intense, immense emotions of grief I experienced
But whilst feelings fade, faith stands firm.
Faith stands strong.
By God's grace, I was able to overcome
and how I overcame gave birth to the message I am sharing with you right now.
I pray that this message will also help you to overcome that grief.
Let me ask you directly right now.
Are you gripped by grief, perhaps prolonged grief,
over the passing of a loved one?
I may not be able to understand the depth of pain in your heart right now.
But one thing I do know is this -
human sympathy and sentimentality are not the answer.
Let me encourage you in the light of God's Word.
Don't let your mourning overshadow your understanding of life's meaning
and your pursuit of God's purpose for your life.
Don't let your grief cause you to take a step outside the covering of God's grace.
The natural must not supersede the spiritual.
Find comfort, solace today in the words of our Lord Jesus Christ in John 16:22.
He said, 'Now is the time you will grieve but I will see you again
and you will rejoice and no one will take away your joy'.
Therefore, people of God, don't let your heart be burdened.
Don't burden your heart with something that is beyond your power to control.
At this point, let us pray together.
Right now, whatever is burdening your heart -
I say be released, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ!
Be released right now!
Whatever is keeping your heart in bondage -
be released, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ!
Whatever area of your life is troubled,
let the peace of Christ reign right now!
Let the peace of Christ reign in your heart,
reign in your marriage,
reign in your finances, career and business.
Let the peace of Christ reign right now!
Receive that peace from above!
Receive that strength from above!
Receive that calmness from above,
in the mighty name of Jesus Christ!
Thank You, Jesus, for the assurance of Your presence
and security even beyond the grave.
In Jesus' mighty name we pray! Amen!
Glory be to Jesus Christ.