September 2013 - Crossroads Christian Communications Inc.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .WISE STEWARDShIP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Recently I was asked the person’s wishes. Remembering yourquestion, “Do you have a valid favourite Christian ministry in your WillWill in place?” As I pondered this ensures that the work God has assignedover, I began to realize that a valid Will will continue for future generations.was absent from my life, and suddenly, When your assets are distributedthe importance of getting that taken careof became a top priority for me and myfamily. Like many of us, I had thoughtabout preparing a Will but kept puttingit off.As Christians, we know that the thingswe have accumulated in this life, as far asproperty and finances, comes from God,who entrusts us with the responsibilityof looking after His gifts. Becoming afaithful steward means having a valid Willthat gives you and your family a sense ofpeace and security. God has also blessedmany of us with children and I believe it isour responsibility as parents to look afterthem when we’re alive, as well as makingsure they are looked after when the Lordcalls us home. Having a valid Will can helpto eliminate family infighting, giving usa Godly world view that looks at mattersthrough the lens of the Word of God.according to your Will, your estatereceives a tax receipt for the full amountof the gift, which can help offset capitalgains or other taxes that may be due.Please note that in the year of your death,the Canadian Revenue Agency will allowcharitable donations of up to 100 percentof your estate’s net income. This canresult in a substantial tax credit that couldeliminate the taxes owing for that year.Being wise and faithful in stewardshipcan actually allow for more of your estateto go to your loved ones and favouriteministry, instead of taxes.To help you prepare a Last Will andTestament, Crossroads is offering the WillWorkbook. This workbook will help youmake the right decisions before seeing alawyer to finalize your Will. This can saveyou precious time and potential legalcosts when finalizing your Will.Making sure your Will is valid and in Please remember that your Willplace gives you control over how youwant to be remembered and what kind oflegacy you want to leave. Without a Will,the estate of a deceased person is directedby the government, and the establishedlaws give no thought to the deceasedis a final statement about you. It is agolden opportunity to express the mostimportant asset you have—your ChristianFaith. This statement can leave quite animpact on your family and loved onesby expressing your gratitude to God for8 I SEPTEMBER 2013the abundance and blessings you haveenjoyed in your lifetime.In SummaryWills and BeqUESTS (continued from page 6)“Making sure your Will is valid and in place gives youcontrol over how you want to be remembered and whatkind of legacy you want to leave.”The benefits for those that have a validWill in place are:• They have an inner sense of peace andsecurity.• They have maximized their legacy totheir loved ones.• They have made a final statement oftheir faith in Jesus Christ.• They have made sure that financeshave been directed to their favouriteministry.• They have insured that the ‘GoodNews’ of the Gospel continues to beproclaimed.• They have helped lay a strongfoundation for future generations.• They have fulfilled the command to be‘Wise Stewards‘ before Almighty God.“As each one has received a gift,minister it to one another, as goodstewards of the manifold grace of God.“(1 Peter 4:10)Rob Ennema and Dennis Lauzon are on staffat Crossroads. Please feel free to contact themrequesting the Will Workbook.Call: 1 (800) 265-3100Email Rob: rennema@crossroads.caEmail Dennis: dlauzon@crossroads.ca. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ETERNITY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .about the horrific plane crash that he wasinvolved in and his journey to Heavenand back after the crash.TODD BurPO and family:HEAVEN Is For RealTodd Burpo is an Author, Pastor andDad with an incredible story of his then4-year-old son Colton’s account of goingto Heaven.WHAT Is HEAvEN? Bruxy CavEY Q&ABruxy Cavey, author of the best-sellingbook, End of Religion, is Teaching Pastorof The Meeting House—one of thelargest and most innovative churches inCanada —whose tagline is : “A Churchfor People Who Aren’t Into Church”—andthat’s what we try to be to those whohave given up on religion.For more articles and videos onHeaven and Eternity, head on overto crossroads360.com.SEPTEMBER 2013 I 9

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HeavENly Imaginings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lately I’ve been thinking aboutHeaven. Not really about goingthere… yet. More about beingthere. Don’t get me wrong. I have a lotto celebrate here on earth. I’ve been sovery blessed to be married to my bestfriend for 29 years. Our life together hasproduced three amazing children, nowyoung adults. I’ve seen the addition of aremarkable son-in-law to our little clan.And then, just when I think I couldn’tpossibly hold any more affection foranother human being, 6 lb. 14 oz. of puresweetness comes along with her veryown boatload of love. Yep, I really dohave a lot, right here and now, to keep mythoughts occupied. But still, they wander.You know where. To that other land… theone we’ve been so graciously promised,because of the Cross, by the Giver of goodgifts.Heaven. Both of my parents are there.The two people on the planet whoknew me the longest… are no longeron the planet. My little brother is there.Someone I was never given the chance toget to know… now knows all about me.All of my grandparents are there. Severalaunts and uncles. A dear cousin. They’reall there. And as I think about them, I can’thelp but wonder what they experiencedwhen they got there, to that greatlyanticipated and beyond-imaginationland. What was it like for them as theyarrived? What did they see? What didthey hear? How did they feel?I can’t help myself. I close my eyes andimagine…As I am wading through this sea of green,its shallow depths caressing my legs with10 I SEPTEMBER 2013satiny, leafy fingers, I realize I seek no finaldestination… within this journey lays thegoal. Cool breezes soothe my skin andgently ruffle my hair. The tranquility of thisplace is breathtaking and I hesitate to acceptits peace. But my hesitation is in vain, forthis lingering calm, this all-encompassingserenity is like a gentle tide, its waters slowlycovering me, pulling me into the warmingdepths of its embrace. Where is this place? Idon’t know. I continue walking.A blanket of blue above me meets mysea of green below, creating a tranquilcocoon, nestling me securely somewherein the middle. Stately white clouds standguard overhead, content to watch fromafar the gentle transformation of this timidcaterpillar.The distant musical tinkling of waterbreaks my reverie. Almost outside of my will Iam drawn to it. Again, my feet are weightlessas I part the meadow grass with my strides.As I draw nearer the source, the melodiesgrow stronger. As if acknowledging whatmy ears already know, my eyes behold theclear, diamond-like faucets of a shimmeringbrook. Its sound is like nothing I’ve everheard before. It’s as if the water itself is alive,selectively choosing which stones to caressand with which to eagerly collide. Its musicis exquisite, and its message clearly familiar.It is peace.The peace has a Source, and as if thegentle breeze luring me earlier has gustedinto a driving wind propelling me forward,I am determined to find its beginning, toknow its Creator. The longing inside of mefor this discovery quickens my steps, causingmy heart to swell with childlike anticipationof something I’ve never seen, yet know better“No eye has seen, no ear has heard,and no mind has imaginedwhat God has prepared for those who love Him.”than I know myself. The closer I get, to what,I’m not sure, the sensations I experiencebecome more tangible, more literal.On the near horizon I’m aware ofstructures bathed in gold and crimson andblue, rainbow colours unlike any I’ve everseen. Yet I’m not drawn to their appeal. I’mrunning now and although I don’t knowwhere I’m headed, I seem to know exactlywhere to go. Along with the peace thatcalms me, and the warmth that soothesme, there is Something more. I smile as Irecognize what has been familiar to me forso long—the Presence that completes me.Slowing my pace, I realize there is noneed to rush. The Presence, His Presence, isright beside me. He is all around me. I havefound the alluring Peace, the comfortingWarmth. I need look no further. Around me,(1 Corinthians 2:9)the breeze is cool and the fragrance is fresh,but it doesn’t seem to matter anymore. TheThrone, the emanating Source of Him Whocreated such things, is here. I am with Him,my Saviour, and my journey is complete.Finally I know where I am. It’s where I’velonged to be all of my life.I am home.annmainse@crossroads.caVisit Ann’s blog at Crossroads360.comSEPTEMBER 2013 I 11

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .IN awhile. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .So many precious friends and lovedones have been called Home inrecent months—I feel as if I’mmissing the party! Their funeral bulletinsare filed with a recent Maclean’s magazine.The cover of the May 13, 2013 issue asks,WHAT IF HEAVEN IS REAL? Why somany people—including scientists—suddenly believe in an afterlife. Thearticle entitled “The Heaven Boom”says, “Heaven is hot again. And hell iscolder than ever,” citing a 2010 poll ofCanadians that found more than halfthink there is a heaven, while only a thirdacknowledge hell. Highlights include theafterlife experiences of 4-year-old ToddBurpo in 2003 and a Harvard-trainedneurosurgeon’s encounter with Godwhile in a deep coma for seven days in2008. It’s thrilling to see major televisionnetworks producing documentaries thatfeature scientific evidence of life afterdeath, alongside compelling testimoniesof those who have had a taste of what is tocome (ie. ABC’s “Proof of Heaven?”).Someone commented after amemorial service that “the inexpressiblejoy that comes from heaven itself”(1 Peter 1:8 TLB) surpassed recentweddings he had attended. I too had feltready to be airlifted to my true Home!As Phil Callaway said in an interviewafter his mom’s passing, “I didn’t lose my12 I SEPTEMBER 2013Recent cover ofMaclean’s magazine:What If HeavenIs Real? Why so manypeople—includingscientists—suddenlybelieve in an afterlife.mother; I know exactly where she is!” Nowonder believers can turn a time of griefinto a celebration! In preparation for Hisimminent death, Jesus told His disciples,“So you have sorrow now, but I willsee you again; then you will rejoice,and no one can rob you of that joy.”(John 16:22 NLT)On the night of my mother’s suddendeath at 60, we passed the street whereshe had lived. I was sure that I wouldnever see that street sign again withoutexperiencing a painful stab of grief andloss. But by the end of that week, mythoughts were so transported to her newHome—I couldn’t wish her back!“You will show me the way of life,granting me the joy of Your presenceand the pleasures of living with Youforever.” (Psalm 16:11 NLT)The God of all comfort was expandingmy horizons and enriching my experienceof His Word. “O death, where is yourvictory? O death, where is your sting?”(1 Corinthians 15:55 NLT)For years before finding Jesus, I sensedHis tug on the “God-shaped vacuum”in my heart. I confess to periodic tugs of“Each departed friend is a magnetthat attracts us to the next world.”~ Jean Paul Richterspiritual homesickness, even now. And isit any wonder?“…we are citizens of heaven, wherethe Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we areeagerly waiting for Him to return as ourSaviour. He will take these weak mortalbodies of ours and change them intoglorious bodies like His own, using thesame mighty power that He will useto conquer everything, everywhere.”(Philippians 3: 20, 21 NLT)Members of my family have beenresistant to spiritual truth. For years mymain mission in life was to make sure theirsins were forgiven and that they too had ahome in heaven. The Lord finally made itclear that I was trying to do His job!“I, am the LORD, and apartfrom Me there is no saviour.”(Isaiah 43:1 NIV)In the same chapter He clarified myrole and responsibility by twice stating,“You are my witnesses,” declares theLORD, “that I am God.” (Isaiah 43:12 NIV)Some mornings I waken afterdreaming about my siblings, and for amoment I have to sort out who is stillhere. There’s a sigh of relief for the onesI realize are “home safe”, or as Paul said,“with Christ, which is better by far.”(Philippians 1:23 NIV)A 100 Huntley Street viewer sent thispoem in a sympathy card after Mom’spassing:In awhile her last breath left her and herspirit fled awayTo a land where all is brightness,to a land where all is day.How our sorrowed hearts wouldhave her in this world to longer roam,But our precious Lord has calledher to a far more glorious home.Death at last had claimed his captive;breathed on her his icy breath,But the Lord has freed the captive;The Lord has conquered death!She is talking now with Jesus,in a land of pure delight,Where no tears are ever flowing,and where Jesus is the Light.In awhile we’ll all be over inthat land where angels sing;In that land where fears are ended;in the land where Christ is King.If you think these anonymouslypenned words are simply fantasy, go toCrossroads360.com and type in Heaven.See if your heart is not stirred!“The truest end of life is to know thatlife never ends… Death is no more thana turning of us over from time to eternity.”William Penn affirmed that every soul iseternal. But our Creator gave us free will tochoose our destination. At the end of hisepistle, John states, “I have written this toyou who believe in the name of the Sonof God, so that you may know you haveeternal life.” (1 John 15:13 NLT)Herman Melville said, “Life is a voyagethat’s homeward bound.” Do you knowyou have a home in Heaven? Then you cansing with me!“And, Lord haste the day when thefaith shall be sight, the clouds berolled back as a scroll, The trump shallresound and the Lord shall descend,‘Even so’—it is well with my soul.”~ Horatio G. Spaffordmoirabrown@crossroads.caMore moments with Moira can be foundon her blog: Crossroads360.comSEPTEMBER 2013 I 13

Live Before You Die by Daniel Kolenda. You want to follow God’swill—but sometimes knowing what it is seems hard to figureout. Author Daniel Kolenda presents a straightforward approachto being able to recognize God’s will for your life. You will knowwith more certainty the unique plan He has for you and howyou can live your life with more purpose, joy, significance andblessing.Nearing Home by Billy Graham. Dr. Billy Graham needs nointroduction. In his final book, the beloved evangelist relayshis personal experience of growing older and shares importantlife lessons. Four key areas Billy Graham discusses are: Buildingstrong foundations and understanding the gift of years, Facinglife’s transitions, Making wise decisions, and Understanding ourglorious hope. While he admits, “I never thought I would live tobe this old,” he says that the Bible is clear that God has a specificreason for keeping us here on earth.Heaven is for Real for Kids. Little Colton Burpo was four years oldwhen he had a trip to Heaven. He met Jesus, His rainbow horse,and other people from the Bible. And Colton now has a specialmessage just for kids: Jesus really, really loves children! This adultbestseller is now available just for kids—beautifully illustratedunder Colton’s direction with comments about the things thatmatter to children. A letter to parents is included to guide you asyou speak to your children about Heaven.George Beverly Shea: A Century of Gospel Music DVD. Christianmusic legend George Beverly Shea’s career as a gospel singer isoften associated with evangelist Billy Graham, where Shea wasa fixture at Billy Graham crusades in all 50 states and on everycontinent. Featured in this DVD is an interview with GeorgeBeverly Shea, Christian singer Michael W. Smith, and narration byCrossroads Founder David Mainse. You will enjoy this collectionof archival footage from over sixty years of singing and ministry!14 I JULY 2013For more information, visit: crossroads.ca/eventsOr contact: Valerie Battaglia (905) 332-6400 ext. 4024crossroads.ca/store 1(800) 265-3100When you purchase quality Christian resources on the Crossroads estore,proceeds go to the ongoing ministry of Crossroads.* plus taxes, shipping and handling.SEPTEMBER 2013 I 15