A Word about Barbara.
This morning, Barbara left the foyer called ‘This Life’ and walked through the door into ‘Eternal Life.’ As soon as she took her last labored breath, she realized the reality of what God gave St Paul to write to the Christian:
This morning, Barbara left the foyer called ‘This Life’ and walked through the door into ‘Eternal Life.’ As soon as she took her last labored breath, she realized the reality of what God gave St Paul to write to the Christian:
"For
we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we
have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the
heavens. 2 For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with
our dwelling from heaven, 3 inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not
be found naked. 4 For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being
burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so
that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. 5 Now He who prepared
us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.
6
Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are
at home in the body we are absent from the Lord— 7 for we walk by faith,
not by sight— 8 we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be
absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord." (2 Corinthians 5)
Absent from the body. Home with the Lord.
Say it with me: Absent from the body. Home with the Lord.
Today,
her family is grieving. But because their faith is the same faith in
Christ’s atonement as their mother had, they do not grieve as others who
have no hope. Why? Again, as God gave St Paul to write to the
Christian:
“For
if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring
with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to
you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the
coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the
voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in
Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be
caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air,
and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one
another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4)
In
the seven years I've ministered to those in the 55+ community where
Barbara lived, I’ve been so very privileged to know so very many of
God's children who took their last breaths and walked through the door
into eternal life.
And I am so very thankful to God who has promised me and my wife, and all those in our family and among our friends who love Jesus – the He has promised us also that when we take our last breaths, He will be there at our side to take our hand and lead us through that final door.
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