As we prepare to bury my dearly loved father-in-law, a man who lived faithfully for God and 'fought the good fight' - there is sadness at his passing on but also great hope! His body may be "deceased" but he is alive in Christ. His suffering is over for all eternity - He will NEVER suffer again! His hope has now also become reality! Death has truly lost its sting! It is not darkness he has entered but glorious light! God is so merciful - even in this time. The day after we lay him 'to rest', we celebrate new life as seven people are baptised and give testimony of Jesus Christ's life-giving miracle in their lives! From death to life... the perfect picture of what is illustrated through baptism.
God is glorified - in death and in life! What a Saviour! What a God!
We shall always be thankful for those whom our Heavenly Father providentially brings across our path and lives and who has had an influence on our pilgrimage to the Celestial City. We met Neville many years ago at the Constantia Park Baptist Church in Pretoria, South Africa and have been priviledged to look up to him as a Christian friend and mentor.
ReplyDeleteJeanne, myself and our girls have been blessed by the life and steadfastness of our brother Neville Vigne. He was a brother in Christ whom we respected because of his level headedness and faithfulness in the faith.
The great consolation we have, is that he is now with Christ, our Lord and Saviour. We read in 1Corinthians 2:9 "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him."
We will miss him, his kind ways and fine sense of humour but know that he has gone to be with Christ, which is better by far; according to Philippians 1:23.
Mike and Jeanne Marshall