Neil Kennedy, an elderly man in my church at Itasca, told me about his near death experience. He recalled talking with God and saying, "Lord I have a lot more work to do. Please give me some more time." He request was granted. For Neil that experience was a sign that God wanted to do great things through him. He was a changed person. He no longer took his faith or his life or his ministry or his church for granted. Living on his retirement, he was the highest financial contributor in the church, and he was my most faithful member. Even at his age, with physical limitations, he crawled all the church building with me when something needed to be fixed.

The disciples of Jesus were a lot like Neil. They were willing to give up every thing they had including their lives in defense of their contention that Christ was alive. Why? Because they now knew without a doubt that death no longer had dominion over them. Christ was alive and they devoted the rest of their lives spreading the Good News. And, my friends, that is our task, too.