In our own grief I have come to a new conclusion. I've heard it said that for those who believe in Jesus Christ,
"to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord" 2 Corinthians 5:8.
If you look in a concordance, to be absent from the body means to immigrate. To be present with the Lord means to be in ones HOMELAND.
Those who have passed on are at HOME. This place here on earth is temporary and is NOT our real home. What that means is that we are not walking AWAY from our loved ones but are moving forward to our Homeland. Our loved ones aren't behind us, their in our future!
Sure there is sadness in death of loved ones. THEY leave US behind. It is their time and sadly we grieve the hopes and dreams we had for them and with them. In our own fleshy mind it's all over and the thought of that is all too much to bare.
Lets take a look at the HOPE though, of Christmas. You see, Christmas isn't about the hubub of black friday, finding the deals, opening gifts or even the baking and preparing of meals. As much as I LOVE gathering with our families, it's not even about that.
We celebrate Christmas because the birth of a child, Jesus Christ, came into the world not just as a boy but as a SAVIOR. We learn later that Jesus ministers to His followers and shares the Good News which is that through His birth, death, resurrection and ascention into heaven WE as believers will make it to Heaven.
In the beginning of the fall of man when Adam and Eve took of the "tree of life" and committed us all to life on earth as sinners, mankind had to bring an offering. The sacrificing of a lamb so to sey. To understand the gift, we must know that Jesus stood as replacement for mankind as the living sacrificial lamb for the sins and mistakes of the world. By doing that, he bridged the gap between heaven and hell and thus God gave us the means if we believe in Christ's life, death, resurrection and ascention into heaven...that we will be able to live in Heaven eternally forever with Him.
With that said, when our loved ones pass they DON'T become angels as we would like to think. Our loved ones are STILL the same spirit they were only their earthly bodies are here waiting for the coming of Jesus Christ in order to gain their new perfect form again. I see my son as running in the garden with Jesus. He is the first in our family to be sitting with the likes of the disciples learning first hand Bible Stories while sitting at the foot of Jesus. My son Jackson awaits OUR return.
In the meantime, God has a plan for our lives. To move forward and to live out our own purpose here on earth where I hope that I may be a light in the lives of others.
You see, because of the birth of Jesus Christ whom we celebrate tomorrow, we have ETERNAL LIFE and will one day see our loved ones as we bask in the joy of our Lord. There will be no more tears, there will be no more pain, there will be no more sickness or violence. You'll find peace, joy , love and so much more.
I've learned that death is NOT something to be afraid of anymore because there is SO MUCH BEAUTY where we will be going. There, God has a mansion with many rooms so that those who believe in Him will NOT parish but have eternal life.
If you know Him, be CONFIDENT that there is life beyond the "valleys" and "mountains" you climb. There is greater meaning and a new hope of life everlasting.
If you don't know Christ, please consider getting to know Him.
Confess with your mouth that you sin and make mistakes. Ask Jesus to come into your heart and transform you. Then let Him know that you believe in His birth, the suffering He went through for your sins and the sins of others, that you believe He died and rose again to fullfill the promise written in the scriptures and lives today...but lives in YOU and your heart. By doing this, you're assured a place in Heaven with those you love and find comfort in knowing your home here is temporary but will lead to something much much greater in Heaven. Let God guide your footsteps and show you your purpose here on earth as He molds you and gives you a testimony to share with the world, the Love of Jesus Christ.
I pray you find peace today, that you know the Love of Christ and may walk with Him forever In Jesus name...AMEN!
Merry Christmas!
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life". John 3:16
2 comments:
One of my kids' favourite things to do is to imagine what heaven is going to be like - all the little things you don't normally think of - like watermelon without the seeds, putting your arms around a lion's neck. Picking flowers and not having them die. Swimming in the ocean with no fear of drowning. Admiring the gates made from jewels, not having to go to sleep (that's their favourite). I like to think of my baby too meeting all those wonderful heroes from the Bible and others since then, like Corrie ten Boom. It's a lovely thing to KNOW this, isn't it - even though tinged with sadness in our earthly minds. I like to think also how blessed our Heavenly children are to not have known sin.
Blessing on you this Christmas Rebecca. You are in my thoughts.
Very well said, my friend!
Just stopping by from the 35+ BnB board. Thank you for this reminder. As we face losing my Dad (and also my grandmother, a different story ;-( this year, I am so thankful that both are believers and I know exactly where both are going. I don't have to worry about them or grieve for them - they'll be in a much better situation!
Love and prayers to you!
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