15 The Blessed Hope

 I am still chewing on last Sunday's sermon, and am going to try and condense it.

Our bodies start to decay and  breakdown as soon as we are born.

 We are born....to die.

Chilling thought...but true.    

So we live our lives (not thinking about death so much,)  but seeing just how much we can get out of it, and what we can put into it. RIGHT?

If we feed it right, and work on every good thing for our bodies, we may live a healthier and longer life.

The inner man is just about the opposite.   When we meet Jesus, we truly begin to live.  

If we feed it right, with God's Word and His principles, it begins to live and thrive and grow, it doesn't deteriorate, but strengthens,  all because we know we are NOT going to die (spiritually) but live on eternally.  

Our Hope!  

So now comes the interesting part...

Even though we know physically, we are not going to live forever, the challenges, sickness, of our particular situation does not (should not) effect our inner man, because we have THE BLESSED HOPE...

So even though we go through lots of struggles--some many, some not so many--we can encourage our neighbor in his trying time, not because we don't have struggles of our own, but  because we know where we are going and we do have Hope that never dies, and that Hope can be his too.

This is really to encourage you Greg, because it seems your struggles have gone on for a long time...never ending...

always something else around the next corner...tearing at your flesh to destroy you another little (big) bit.

Grandma used to say, 'this too shall pass.'  The longer we live, the closer Heaven gets.   I am soooooooooo ready, but...not just today, Lord, I have a lot more I want to do, see, feel.  

Life is precious...Heaven is more so!!  

We can't even imagine. 

The sermon was about the Christian’s affliction and hope.   I've never been too fond of the affliction part.  But it seems to be part of every life...we all have troubles, some more than others, like you My Son.  

I just want you to be whole and have a GOOD rest of your life. 

 But mainly I am a blessed Mother, having raised three wonderful sons, all of them

have spent their lives serving Jesus, and my Mother’s heart is full of gratitude for that...What do people do who do not know the Lord, and His never-ending love, His limitless grace, His never failing mercy?  I would be like Paul who said, 'Of all men, most miserable.'

We have His Word, His Promises, but  mostly: The Blessed Hope.  

We will walk, talk, do, pray, encourage, all...but when this short life is over, which is pretty good (leaving out the bad parts)...

 

'Only one life t'will soon be past,

Only what's done for Christ will last.'

So let's do 'lasting' things...the things done for Christ in the right motive, will be 'gold, silver and precious stones',

all the other, even some of the good things we do to be seen, will be easily burned up like hay, wood and stubble.'

Life is hard, by the yard,

By the inch, it's a cinch.

Anxiety never strengthens us for tomorrow, it just weakens us for today.

Hang in, hang on and we'll meet you here, there or in the air.

(that's it, Cray!)

Nanny