“Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”
~ 2 Corinthians 5:5
Hi James and Ellen,
How are you doing living in your earthly tents? Are you looking forward to wearing heavenly garb? Your grandpaa’s ma less than two weeks ago left her earthly tent to put on heavenly garb. When your grandpaa’s ma’s earthly tent could no longer keep up with making sure that all of her internal organs functioned within a norm, your grandpaa’s ma moved quietly and peacefully from living on planet Earth to residing in the radiant presence of God’s glory. By God simply having your grandpaa’s ma’s erratic breathing stopped, your grandpaa’s ma passed through death’s door into an exquisitely beautiful room that had been prepared for her in heaven. In the second letter that Paul sent with Titus to the guys and gals who were in the Christ-follower community that was in the city of Corinth, Paul – in 2 Corinthians 5, wrote about earthly life on planet Earth and about heavenly life in the celestial heavens. Paul assured the guys and gals who were in the Christ-follower community that was in the city of Corinth that their heavenly dwelling was already in place where they would receive new clothing and that per verse 5, “Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” Paul wanted the guys and gals who were in the Christ-follower community that was in the city of Corinth to know that their longing to join their Savior – Who was Jesus Christ, in heaven was a totally natural desire to have. Paul wanted the guys and gals who were in the Christ-follower community that was in the city of Corinth to know that he clearly understood their deep seated, innate feelings to be in their unspoiled, mansion like dazzling home in heaven with their Savior – Who was Jesus Christ, versus being stuck on planet Earth in spoiled, corrupted body shells or tents. Paul reminded the guys and gals who were in the Christ-follower community that was in the city of Corinth that they needed – out of a good fear, to do all that they could to always please God. When a guy, gal or kid is gently nudged, prodded, prompted by God – as God the Spirit, to go to and through the narrow faith/grace door, the guy, gal or kid becomes a new creature. Every guy, gal or kid who has been nudged, prodded, prompted by God – as God the Spirit, to go to and pass through the faith/grace door by accepting as an undeniable truth what God – as God the Son, did for him or her while dying on a cross and publicly admitting a conscious decision of faith that he or she has been reconciled with God – as God the Father, and has become a new creature cannot help but become a visible, vocal ambassador for God – as God the Son. Are you using your earthly tents today to be Good News ambassadors?
During the funeral service of your grandpaa’s ma, your grandpaa gave a eulogy about his ma. Before your grandpaa’s ma passed through death’s gate into a life of eternity in the tender presence of God – as God the Father, your grandpaa’s ma had decided how her funeral service should go. Your grandpaa’s ma had put in writing that your dad’s Uncle Harold was to speak at her funeral service, that your dad’s Aunt Hope was to sing a solo of a song that she liked, that a couple of your grandpaa’s ma’s favorite songs were to be sung and that your grandpaa was to give a eulogy. When your grandpaa’s dad – about five years ago, passed through death’s gate into a life of eternity in the loving presence of God – as God the Father, your grandpaa asked if he could give a eulogy about his dad. Your grandpaa afterwards was told that giving a eulogy was not something that was done where your grandpaa grew up as a kid – which was on a farm near Volga, South Dakota, for a guy, gal or kid who had died. Your grandpaa was very thankful that he could in his eulogy talk about a ma who adopted happiness as her life’s mantra, who always enjoyed having someone just show up at her front door to visit her and who was ‘teaseable’. Your grandpaa’s ma would during a meal regularly end up with a piece of food stuck someplace on her face or laying someplace on the front of her blouse or dress. Your grandmaa never passed up the opportunity when it happened that a piece of food ended up on your grandpaa’s ma’s face or on the front of your grandpaa’s ma’s blouse or dress to ask her if she was saving the food for her next meal. Your grandmaa also never passed up the opportunity to tease your grandpaa’s ma about her ability to take a nap right after the noon meal that was just long enough for the last dish, glass, piece of silverware and pan be washed, dried and put away. When your grandpaa’s ma was teased, she would snort an ‘umpf’ and begin to silently chuckle – which would cause her whole body to shake. Your grandpaa never heard an angry word spoken between his ma and dad. Your grandpaa never heard his ma raise her voice. Your grandpaa had his ma pull his ear at times to get your grandpaa’s attention because . . . your grandpaa’s ma sometimes sent your grandpaa and his bros outside to run around the house because . . . your grandpaa’s ma always saw to it that a devotional and/or the Bible was read after every noon and evening meal. Your grandpaa’s ma made sure that her kids always prayed before and after every meal and right before they went to bed. Your grandpaa’s ma showed off to her family and friends what it really looked like to be a new creation in her Savior – Who was Jesus Christ.
God – as God the Son, took on Himself your sins when He was inhumanely hung on and nailed to a cross. It was the love that your grandpaa’s ma knew that God – as God the Son, had for her that had your grandpaa’s ma living happily in her earthly tent. Accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior into your lives – knowing that His blood shed on a cross was a ransom payment for sins and His death defeated death, will fill an earthly tent with joy.
2 Corinthians 5 (935)