Many of you know Nathan Green ~33, a good friend of mine, who has been struggling with terminal bile-duct cancer for the last 4 months. Nathan passed away peacefully last night (Dec. 20th, 2008) around 11:13pm at his home. His wife Christy needs some prayer right now. Can we stop from our busy schedules and remember those, like Christy, less fortunate during this time of year? Some of you have personally asked how he’s been doing along this 4 months. Thanks for your care and time enough to share your concerns, they are very much appreciated.

Nathan was a great realist and driving optimist. He was always very even-tempered and always reminding us what was real in this life.  The verse “A wise man avoids all extremes” from the Bible reminds me of Nathan. He loved deeply and with great loyalty. I could say a lot about Nathan, but as I have written a few blog entries in the past, I would be doing an injustice to Nate if I didn’t mention what he KNEW to be important and real in life. Nathan’s dying wish was for all to know the good news! My pastor noted a time when his daughter was only a week old and was found to have a potentially life-threatening disorder. He sat on the floor holding his little week-old daughter in his arms and said “If I could only take upon myself, what you have, I would do it without a thought…I would do it without a thought….”

Nathan would have me remind you that God sent his ONLY son to die for you. God had the power to take sin from us and place it on his son, his only son….to die, in your place…so that you would have the chance at an eternal life with God in heaven! At Christmas, the media and many others would wish us to forget or ignore what Christmas is about, in an effort to not offend anyone. No matter what the media does, no matter what you or I say, we will all one day stand before the Great Throne of God and account for what we have done. There are those of us like Nathan, who will pass onto eternity with Christ our Lord ~ for whom, MIGHT I ADD, we celebrate Christmas, Good Friday, and Easter for. How easily we forget from where we came, and what we have because of God’s blessing. There are some of us who will read this and know where they will go when they have completed the race of life on this earth. With these people I rejoice. There are some of us who will dismiss what I have to say and what Nathan had to say as rubbish or foolishness. For these people I cry and pray for. There are some of you who know of what I am talking about, but you recognize the hole in your life without a close relationship with Christ. HOW can we have that? HOW can we have relationship with Christ? OH IF YOU ONLY KNEW! We can have that relationship. Believe what you will. Maybe you think it’s all just a mental disorder ~ try me. Ask God to change your life….ask Christ to come into your life and change you, talk to Him, He’s listening.

Nathan in now free from cancer, free from our political correctness, from our sin, from the rubbish that is this world…He’s free and living in Christ’s presence now. What will you believe?

Nathan ~ I love you so much! And it is with a very heavy heart that I say I’ll miss you bud. God will take care of your Mom and Dad…your sister and Christy ~ we’ll do our best to hug those that you can no longer hold…enjoy yourself!