… has just gone to be with the Lord (I am not sure exactly when, sometime between today and Sunday). Rory was diagnosed with his Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumor-sarcoma just after I was (mine was diagnosed the day before Thanksgiving 2009 — I asked for prayer for Rory on my cancer update blog here). He was just a young guy, only 26 when he went home to be with Jesus. Here are a few pictures of Rory, they progress from Rory being healthy to what he looked like as of two months ago:

Now Rory looks like this:

 ¹ See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. ² Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. ³ And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. ~ I John 3.1-3

He is survived by his new wife, Kristen Wheeler (and his family, I just met his Dad, Bob Wheeler on FB); they were just married less than two months ago (as I recall on 6.11.2011), here is a short video of their wedding:

http://vimeo.com/25146853

I just wanted to pay this tribute to my younger brother in Christ, Rory Wheeler. I prayed for Rory and Kristen everyday, and I asked that the Lord might just touch and heal Rory of this dreadful disease! Indeed, the Lord has done so; of course not in the way I was asking, but Rory is healthier, now, than anyone of us reading this! Now we just need to continue to hold Kristen (Rory’s wife), and his family in our prayers; that they would experience the presence of Jesus in real and tangible ways as they grieve (but not without hope cf. I Thess. 4.13ff). Certainly because of the hope of the resurrection, and Jesus as the first-fruits of that resurrection, death has lost its sting—but it is steal an enemy (cf. I Cor. 15.26; 15.54-56)! Rory has taken off the mortal, and put on immortality. He is at the right hand of the throne where there are pleasures forevermore (cf. Ps. 16.11). Rory no longer walks by faith, but sight (cf. II Cor. 5.7-8)! He has been transformed from this earthly body into the heavenly one that Jesus has gone and prepared for him (cf. Jn. 14.1-3; Philippians 3.21). Even though Rory’s body experienced decay (as do all of ours), his inward man was being renewed day by day; and now has finally been renewed in the new creation that was recreated for him and all of us, in Christ (cf. II Cor. 4.16; Col. 1.13ff). Rory is now in a place where “God will wipe

away every tear from his eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” ~Revelation 21.4

Nevertheless, there are those left behind; those who knew and loved, Rory, and they are grieving. So we simply need to pray for them, and pray for all of those who knew, Rory; all of his friends who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, like Rory does. We need to pray that the Lord would use, Rory’s and Kristen’s, and his families’ testimony as a witness to all of his friends who need Jesus; that they too will have the hope and assurance that Jesus has provided in the resurrection of life from the dead! That they too might experience the freedom from death, and the power of sin, and experience the beautiful life, that is Jesus!

Rest in the peace of the Lord, Rory! amen.