"Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Abel: speaking beyond the grave

I'm nearing the end of the David Jeremiah book that I mentioned two days ago. This morning I read this verse from Hebrews 11. It was in the chapter on being excited and enthusiastic about the future. Not giving up on a passionate life simply because you are approaching retirement years.

4By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.


So what was it about Abel's offering that God preferred? How does Abel speak even now ... though he has been dead for centuries? Some people fear once they are gone, they will be forgotten. They know they are replaceable at work and church. They fear "out of sight, out of mind." Have you ever thought of such things? Feared them? Known anyone who did?

How about those who continue to speak beyond the grave - good or bad - because they lived their lives in an interesting way and made an impact on society or the world.
Can you think of others who speak beyond the grave? Who comes to mind and why?


2 comments:

Joni said...

Some people who I think speak from beyond the grave are: Aimee Semple McPhearson, Smith Wigglesworth, Kathryn Kuhlman, Jim Elliot, Keith Green... There are others too who I've read about but I can't remember their names. In particular I am refering to a gal who was a missionary to South American natives but got ill and had to come home. She was bedridden for a year and during that time she was heartbroken for the people she couldn't share the gospel with. And then she came to the idea of making records for them of scripture in their own language along with wind up record players. In the end they made thousands of records in many different native languages. People would take the records and even though they couldn't speak the language themselves the records shared the gospel in the native tongue. The book was called "Let them Hear" or "That they my hear" or something like that.
Oh, here is their website! I am so glad they are still around!
globalrecordings.net

Susanne said...

Joni! Yayayayayay! Good to see you again. I've missed you. GREAT examples. I also thought of Jim Elliot as I was posting this. I loved the example you gave about the lady who made the records. I want to do something that lasts like this.

Thank you for chiming in on this topic! Can you tell I was thrilled? :)