Nearer, Ever Nearer

"We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please Him" 2 Cor. 5:6-9 (ESV)

These verses have brought me great encouragement the past few days…
Walking by faith…living day by day…trusting…not seeing the outcome, but resting in the One who knows all. This is our calling. He is our prize. I pray that my great desire and overwhelming passion will be to please Christ, whether here on earth or in His presence for eternity.

Today I read this...

"Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light." Romans 13:11-12 (ESV)

What hope and indescribable joy are contained in these verses! Salvation is nearer now than ever. I came to know Christ as a young child, and already I am twenty years closer to seeing Him; twenty years closer to being sanctified, glorified, and eternally free from sin…twenty years closer to standing in awe of the glory of my Savior and worshipping Him in a perfect body, with a perfect voice, in a perfect place, with fullness of joy. The very thought fills me with excitement and wonder.

Yet, a question remains…what have I accomplished in the last twenty years of walking with Christ? What will I do for Him with however many years I have left before He returns or calls me to my eternal home? Will I be found faithful? The time is short…"The night is far gone, the day is at hand. So let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light."

It Won't Be Long...

Heaven has been on my mind a lot lately. There are certain times in life when the reality of heaven becomes infinitely more precious...this week has been one of those times. This week as I said goodbye to some dear friends for at least a year, remembered the anniversary of the passing of a dear woman of God, and learned of another dear man who went home to glory, the longing for heaven became even more intense.

What am I looking forward to about heaven?

No more goodbyes. What sheer joy it will be to enjoy the pleasures of heaven alongside so many people who I loved and shared so many memories with on earth. How precious to know that all because of Jesus, we will spend eternity together and never again have to experience the pain of goodbyes and separation.

The absence of sin. Do you ever wish you could just drop-kick the sin nature inside of you? There are times I would love to give it a crushing blow to the jaw and scare it away for good. Unfortunately its not that easy. The war against sin has to be fought daily for as long as I live. Imagine the freedom of living without the burden and struggle against sin. The very thought of it brings tears to my eyes and fills my heart with thankfulness. Someday the struggle will be over.

The presence of the Lord. All the other joys heaven holds pale in comparison to this one. One day I will stand in the presence of my Savior. One day I will see the Lamb of God "who takes away the sins of the world." One day I will see the scars that bear evidence to the great price He paid for my freedom. One day I will worship Him and sing His praise with a perfect voice, in a perfect body, in a perfect place. There will be no greater joy.

"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen." Jude 24-25

Death, where is your victory?

What a weekend it has been for Faith Baptist Church and the Robbins' household. On Friday morning we got the phone call saying that after a long, hard battle with sickness, a dear lady from our church had gone home to Heaven.

The death of a believer brings such a paradox of emotions; on the one hand I grieve over the loss of someone who was another Grandma to me, yet at the same time I rejoice for her because she is now free from pain and experiencing fullness of joy in Heaven.

This song has meant a lot to me recently. It eloquently speaks of the paradox of a believer's homegoing. How thankful I am for the hope that we have through Jesus!

It is Not Death to Die

(Stanza 1)

It is not death to die,

To leave this weary road,

And join the saints who dwell on high

Who've found their home with God.

It is not death to close

The eyes long dimmed by tears,

And wake in joy before Your throne

Delivered from our fears.

(Chorus)

Oh Jesus, conquering the grave

Your precious blood has power to save.

Those who trust in You

Will in Your mercy find

That it is not death to die.

(Stanza 2)

It is not death to fling

Aside this earthly dust,

And rise with strong and noble wing

To live among the just.

It is not death to hear

The key unlock the door

That sets us free from mortal years

To praise You evermore.

(Chorus)

Oh Jesus, conquering the grave

Your precious blood has power to save.

Those who trust in You

Will in Your mercy find

That it is not death to die.

(2008 Sovereign Grace Praise)

(Words and Music by Henri Malan and Bob Kauflin)