The Light Train

"God almighty, by his grace and by his Spirit, does not leave us to ourselves when it comes to enjoying Jesus. He helps us. He does not say, “Delight yourself in the Lord” (Ps. 37:4), and then merely stand back and watch to see if we can. He makes a covenant with us and says, “I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes” (Ezek. 36:27). He causes what he commands. Enjoying Jesus is not optional. It is a duty. But it is also a gift—spiritual and gracious. The Bible does not say, “God is at work in you to bring about his good purposes, therefore stay in bed.” It says, “Work out your salvation, because God is at work in you” (see Phil. 2:1213). God’s work does not make our work unnecessary; it makes it possible. “I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me” (1 Cor. 15:10). Grace does not just pardon our failures; it empowers our successes—like successfully enjoying Jesus more than life." - John Piper (Foreward, Habits of Grace by David Mathis)

Yesterday for the very first time, I heard the name “Chester Bennington” when my dear friend Seun Akappo rang me up. I got to learn that Chester died by committing suicide. Very tragic. Although I did not know his name, I was once addicted to the music Linkin Park produced. All it takes is a trip down memory lane to remember how I had songs like ‘Somewhere I belong’, ‘It’s Easier To Run’, ‘Breaking The Habit’, ‘In The End’, ‘Crawling’, ‘From The Inside’ and ‘What I’ve Done’ on repeat. Reflecting on the death of Chester, I can’t help but hear the words he once sang: “I tried so hard And got so far But in the end It doesn't even matter I had to fall To lose it all But in the end It doesn't even matter”. Heart wrenching. Regardless of what he meant when he sang those words, I can’t help but see them within the context of his death now. I think the saddest thing about Chester’s death is the question: where will he spend eternity? Chester was a beautifully gifted musical creature. He enjoyed a great deal of success and popularity and got to live ‘his dream’. But the important question now is where he will live his reality. The sad death of Chester gives us all, Christians and non-Christians alike, another sad but necessary pause to reflect on what really matters ‘in the end’. I can only imagine how many times Chester braved the storm and overcame the urge to end his life. All the things which had previously helped him overcome, failed in this particular instance. In Jesus there is an assurance of a certain kind of peace; the peace of God which transcends all understanding. It can only be found in Jesus Christ and its purpose is to guard our hearts and minds (Philippians 4:7). I would go as far as saying that what Chester needed above anything else to avoid this tragedy, was the peace of God at that very moment. God’s peace would have transcended his despair and decision to end his life. Stop at nothing to be used by God, to reach the Christians and non-Christians you know. It could be through your prayers, persistent preaching of the gospel or living an exemplary life. They need to know what a friend we have in Jesus. How I wish that all humanity would yearn for Jesus. That we would all embrace the words of this song: “And when I am alone Oh, and when I am alone And when I am alone, Give me Jesus. And when I come to die, Oh, and when I come to die And when I come to die Give me Jesus. You can have all this world But give me Jesus”. ------------- Post written by: Sonsare Zabadi Image source: rollingstone.com Original writer of 'Give Me Jesus' unknown, but was African-American who was most likely a slave. Here’s a nice article about the song: https://hymnsinmyheart.wordpress.com/2011/03/30/give-me-jesus/