{source}<iframe style=”float: left; border: 1px solid #000000; background-color: #C0C0C0; padding: 2px; margin: 10px; -moz-border-radius: 3px; -khtml-border-radius: 3px; -webkit-border-radius: 3px; border-radius: 3px;” width=”400″ height=”225″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/e6GISkt7B5Y?rel=0″ frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen></iframe>{/source}Dave Benton is a news anchor for the CBS affiliate in Champaign, Illinois. Mr. Benton announced to his viewers one evening that his brain cancer had returned. A few weeks after that announcement he told those watching that doctors had determined his tumor was too big for surgery or radiation and he would probably not live more than four to six months. The video of his announcement has been viewed by over 240,000 people. I hope all of you will watch it as well.
Dave Benton has worked at his anchor job for nine years and has a strong following in his area. I’m sure many were heartbroken when they heard his recent news. I am a fan as well, because I watched that video. Dave spoke with strength and conviction, and he used his crisis to share his faith. Every news article that I read quotes him saying, “As you know, I’m a born-again Christian and I know that I’m in God’s hands. I’m at peace, and I know that he’s going to take care of the days ahead.”
Crisis times occur in all of our lives. Our family has dealt with cancer and the struggles of cancer treatment. We don’t know many families that haven’t. We all want this world to be perfect but it never will be. We are all getting older and every day we are one day closer to heaven than we were before. And that is a good thing!
Heaven is real. Jesus knew it and promised a place there to one of the thieves he was crucified next to. Jesus promised his apostles that he was going to heaven to prepare them a mansion. Jesus told John in Revelation 21:4 that heaven would be free of tears, free of death and free of mourning and pain. Jesus told his disciples that heaven was Paradise, a Persian word for the walled garden of the king. (Luke 23:43).
Revelation 21 describes the gates of pearl, the streets of gold, constant light supplied by the glory of God and the Lamb. Heaven is filled with all the nations and the gates are never shut because there is never anything to fear. There is no night, there is only day – only joy – only God’s faithful followers who have been perfected through the blood of Christ.
Dave Benton knows heaven is real and he knows he is going to be there – soon. Those who are left behind feel sad, because grief and mourning, fear and death, pain and suffering are a very real part of this world – but so is joy, peace and comfort. Jesus is as real on this earth as he is in heaven.
2 Corinthians 3:17 says, “the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” We cannot be free of the fallen nature in our world, but when God gave us his Holy Spirit, he gave us the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). We can maintain a Christ-like perspective for this world when we allow the Holy Spirit to author our thoughts.
Dave Benton showed a Christ-like perspective on mortality to hundreds of thousands. Death is real – but so is heaven. Dave used his crisis to glorify God, and comfort others who share his same journey. I’m honored to ask all of my readers to pray for this godly man and his family. His journey has been shortened and he wants to live each day to its fullest. We should all choose to share his goals and his perspective on earthly life.
Every anchorman needs an anchor. Dave Benton has placed his hope in Christ. Therefore he, and all Christians can know the truth of Hebrews 6:17-19: Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.
Dave Benton is an anchorman who knows his Anchor. He will survive, eternally. My prayer for all who read this blog is that we will choose Jesus as our anchor and take hold of the hope he offers. Heaven is real – and God’s faithful can be certain of their reward.
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