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About Jesus - Steve (Stephen) Sweetman Goodbye,
My 1975 Martin Guitars It
was a sad moment for me in May 2001 when my father, dying of multiple
cancers, told me to take his 1980, all-metal, square-neck Dobro guitar
home with me. "It's yours now," he said knowing that had
been his plan all along. Sadder still, was two weeks later when dad
told me to take his early 1950's well-used, triple-neck, National steel
guitar home with me. "I won't need it any more", he said
knowing his guitar playing days were over. Then came the fifth
saddest moment of my life. "Take my Martin home with you",
he said knowing his life was nearing its end, or as Jesus said on the
cross, "It is finished". A few tears slid down my cheeks
as I walked two blocks home with dad's prize possession. One week
later my father said a final good-bye, not to his guitars, but to his
life. In
1975 I purchased a new Martin D35 guitar for myself. Once showing it
to dad, he gave me the money to buy him one, and now it's mine. The
finality of life hit me hard as I carried dad's Martin home. It
reminds me of 2 Corinthians 4:16. "Therefore we do not lose
heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are
being renewed day by day". Those
of hyper-faith persuasion wrongly claim that the cross of Christ has
provided us the means whereby our wasting away bodies can be healed with
sufficient faith in Jesus. I rightly claim that the cross of Christ
did not nullify our decay leading to death (entropy) that is a result of
the events seen in Genesis 3. That is only nullified when the
Revelation 21 new earth becomes reality. It's why Paul rightly
taught that outwardly we are wasting away. It's what took my dad's
life on June 7, 2001 at the age of 77. The
Greek word "diaphtheiro" that is translated in 2 Corinthians
6:14 as "wasting away" is a present passive indicative verb.
It's what hyper-faith folk miss. Paul taught that it's a Biblical
fact (indicative) that right now in real time (present) our bodies are
wasting away, and that is a process beyond our ability to prevent
(passive). Paul
went on to teach that despite our wasting away reality, "inwardly we
are being renewed". The present passive indicative Greek verb
"anakainoo" translated as "being renewed" here means
that right now in real time (present) the renewing of our inner self is a
certainty (indicative) that's entirely of God's doing (passive).
It's a spiritual renewing that helps us maintain an inward healthy
strength, despite our outward weaknesses. If
you're 74 years old like me, I hope you experience some inner renewing of
your spirit that strengthens, uplifts and encourages you in the midst of
all your elderly realities. So far, I can attest to this renewal
leading to inner stability. I can actually feel being renewed when I
learn something in Scripture that I never knew, or during heart-felt
worship in song, or simply sitting alone as I direct my thoughts to Jesus.
This doesn't mean my new-normal elderly life is easy. Even Paul and
his co-workers said "they were under great pressure, far beyond the
ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself" (2
Corinthians 1:8). Have you ever thought the great apostle Paul
despaired of life? Well, he did, but he didn't "lose
heart", as 2 Corinthians 4:16 admonishes us. I
still have both dad's Martin D35 and mine. I'm not ready yet,
but I anticipate the day when my two sons will hear me say, "Take my
Martins home with you. I won't be playing them any more."
Until then, Paul's message rings clear. "Do not lose
heart". My hope and prayer is that I will continue to benefit
from our Lord's inner renewal, knowing the day will come when I won't just
say good-by to my Martins, but good-bye to my life on this planet.
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