It's the Gospel

The Apostles Preaching the Gospel by Gustav DoreAs Heidi guessed, the theme at Rebecca Writes for the month of October is the gospel. Yep, I’m declaring this whole month a celebration of the good news.

Twice a week, at least, I’ll post something about the gospel, which, in a nutshell is the good news that Jesus Christ died for our sin and was raised from the dead, so that trough faith, we are united with Christ and receive every blessing merited by his work.

As always, you are invited to participate with me. On Tuesdays and Fridays throughout the month, I’ll collect and post links to gospel related posts. 

Still not sure exactly what the gospel is? Here are a few previous posts that might help you.

• Gospel List 1
• Gospel List 2
• Gospel List 3
• What is the Gospel? from D. A. Carson
• Proclaiming the Gospel
  

Post a quote, verse, poem, story, book review, or essay on a subject connected in some way to the gospel, send me an email with your link, and I’ll link back to your post (or posts) on the next Tuesday or Friday. There are no limits, really, on the form or  number of your post, just the subject.

That means I’ll post the first collection of gospel posts next Tuesday, October 7. But you don’t have to wait until Tuesday to post something in celebration of the best news ever!

Looking Forward to Dancing with Emily in Heaven

Here is video of our friends, Terry and Juanita Stauffer, remembering their precious daughter Emily at Emily’s funeral held today.

If it was not for the prayers of God’s people and for the arms of God holding us up, we would be puddles on the floor. God gives strength to the weak, and we are weak.

—-Juanita Stauffer

When Emily’s death was confirmed on Saturday night, I was shocked and bewildered. And when I got on my knees, all I could pray was, ‘Oh Lord, help, help, help.’

But right into that, one of my first thoughts was, ‘If this gospel I’ve been preaching is not true today, it was never true at all.’

We will see Emily again. I said to my daughter, Petra, last night, that this clumsy, self-conscious dad is looking forward to dancing with Emily in heaven as we celebrate God’s glory together.

—-Terry Stauffer

[Source of these quotes: CBC News]

Pray that our heavenly Father will use their witness to the power of the gospel to bring many people to himself. I am watching CTV NewsNet this afternoon, and every half hour, when the Stauffer story comes up, they are quoting different bits from the Stauffers’ words at the funeral, and I stand amazed at their testimony to the truth and hope of the gospel and God’s gift of strength in terrible suffering.

Continue to pray that God will continue to comfort them and give them strength. God is certainly carrying them, but they have much more to be carried through in the days, weeks, and months ahead.

Guess the Theme Game

I’ll be announcing this month’s theme tomorrow evening. In the meantime, I’m taking guesses as to what it is.

I’ll send a 2009 calendar with Yukon photos to the first person to guess correctly before 7pm PST tomorrow, October 3.

Have at it!

Update on Friday, October 3, 2008 at 8:22AM by rebecca

First clue:

It’s important.

(You may think that tells you nothing, but it does.)

Update on Friday, October 3, 2008 at 9:15AM by rebecca

There is a winner! See the comments.