"Ben Is No More"

This year's YDP has just ended and i must admit that it was a bittersweet experience.

As you all know, we lost a brother in Christ, Bro. Benjamin Tee passed away on the 27th of December 2007 at about 4.00 in the afternoon. I will spare you the details of his passing as i do not think it is important as to how he died but more pertinently comes the question of what do we do now. The last few days have been taxing on everyone of us. We cried our hearts out.

But again, what should we do now?

Is it right to cry? Is it right to grieve? Is it right to mourn?

In John 11.35 ; Jesus wept.
Even Jesus, the Son of God, wept over the death of his good friend Lazarus.
It is alright to cry. For even our Lord Jesus wept.
It is human nature to cry over the loss of a loved one.

But be comforted.
In 1 Thess 4:13-18
" But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep(dead), lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words. "

God will bring with him, those who sleep in Jesus.

In Matt 5:4
" Blessed are those who mourn,For they shall be comforted. "

Ps 116:15
" Precious in the sight of the LORD, Is the death of His saints. "

Why God called him back even while he was so young?
Isa 55:8-9
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts,Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth,So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts."

We may not understand why God does what he does but we must trust that God knows what is best for us, eventhough we might not know it yet.

Be prepared
James 4:13-15
" Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit"; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that."

Heb 9:2727
" And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment. "

Life is indeed like a vapor. We do not know when God will call us back to him. But we do know that we will all die one day. The only question is "Are we right with God?" For he will judge us all according to our actions.

2 Tim 4:1-24:1
"I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. "

Do these things so that we can say as Paul said in 2 Tim 4:7-87
" I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. "

2 Sam 12:22-23
And he said, "While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, 'Who can tell whether the LORD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?' "But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me."

Death is not the end, but it is rather the beginning of the journey home.
John 14:1-3
"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also."

Be assured brethren that Benjamin is with God in heaven today.
It is Well with his Soul.

In God we serve,
JustinC