Hi all,
Thank you for your concern and your sensitivity. First, let me respond to my Friend, Chick, who asked, "Just curious if Jennifer is a member of this forum?"
No, This is not our Forum Jennifer. The Jennifer to whom I addressed my comment is the 19 year old Christian daughter of my Christian sister, Joy Padua. Are you, in some way, implying that because Jennifer is not a member of the Religion Forum, I should not have shared about her mom's promotion?
A Home Going Celebration of a Christian believer is something for all of the family and friends to celebrate; even while we are still mourning our loss of her earthly presence. For those who do not know Joy, it is a reminder of the great hope which is in all believers -- our promotion to eternal life in Christ, our promotion to stand at His side and be in close fellowship with Him -- FOREVER.
To my Friend, Vic, who asks, "Shouldn't this be in miscellaneous anyway, or somewhere."
There is nothing miscellaneous about my post. It is speaking of the mortal death of a Christian believer -- and her promotion to heaven, when, on the eve of Thanksgiving 2011, she left this mortal world and was promoted to stand face to face with her Lord and Savior in heaven. Where is more appropriate to speak of this than on the Religion Forum, where many Christian believers gather to discuss God, Jesus Christ, salvation, and other Biblical issues?
And, to my Friend, Crusty, who suggests, "A personal note from Bill to Jennifer would be more appropriate."
Thank you for your concern. I was able to offer my condolences to Jennifer and all of Joy's family in person. And, yesterday morning, I was awaken earlier than usual, when God put on my heart the message I posted here. First, I posted it in my Friends Ministry eNewsletter which is sent to all my Friends around the world. And, where Jennifer and many in Joy's family will read it. Then, I posted it on my Facebook page for all my Facebook Friends to read. And, then, I posted it on the TimesDaily Religion Forum for all my Forum Friends to read.
Why did I post this message on all of these venues? Well, for one thing, that was part of my celebration of Joy's Home Going. And, Joy's Home Going celebration is a perfect type, or picture, of the hope that is in all Christian believers -- that one day, we all will stand in close fellowship with our Lord Jesus Christ in heaven.
And, when I say "hope" -- it is not like a lucky charm hope or wish; it is not a four leaf clover wish. No, this hope that is in all Christian believers is the hope that is found in the firm knowledge, i.e., in KNOWING, that we have eternal life in Christ and WILL spend eternity in His presence. That is the Christian believer's HOPE.
The great hope that is in all believers (1 Peter 3:15, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) is that all who die, i.e., leave this world, as a believer -- WILL immediately go into the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ in heaven. This first joining with Him is in our spirit body, while our worn-out old mortal body, our earthly shell, is laid to rest as a reminder that our loved one has gone ahead in preparation of our great Family Reunion. The gravestone, much like the cross, is only a reminder that our loved one, and Jesus Christ, are alive, well, happy, and waiting for us to one day join them in heaven.
The completion of that great hope which is in all believers -- is when we are resurrected at the Rapture to meet our Lord in the clouds. First, the body of those who have died in Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:14-16) will be raised to meet Him in the clouds. At that time, our worn-out old mortal bodies will become our new, glorified, immortal bodies -- reunited with our spirit bodies which were already with Christ in heaven.
Then, in a blink of an eye after the dead in Christ have risen -- those who are still alive when He returns to Rapture His church -- will be Raptured into new, glorified, immortal bodies -- shedding these frail old mortal bodies -- to meet Him, and those resurrected first, in the air, in the clouds. And, we will be with Him forever. For we are told, "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" (1Thessalonians 4:17).
And, THAT is the Great Hope that is in all believers: He WILL return to Rapture His church, His body of believers worldwide, and take us out of this world to be with Him during the seven year Tribulation.
Revelation 3:10, "Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth."
1 Thessalonians 5:9-10, "For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him."
So, my Friends, while we who are temporarily left behind mourn our loss of the presence of our loved one -- we also celebrate her Promotion to Heaven, her Home Going to be with her Lord and Savior. And, we who are believers will only say, "Good night. I will see you on that glorious morning."
Yet, for those family members and friends of the one who has gone ahead; if you are not a believer, you must say, "Good bye" -- for you will never see her again. What greater motivation could there be -- than to want to follow this loved one into eternal life in Christ -- to be together, and in mutual fellowship with our Lord, forever?
My Friends, this is why I shared about Joy Padua's Promotion to Heaven on the Religion Forum, on Facebook, and in my Friends Ministry. Just maybe, because of this -- just maybe there is one person who will give his/her life to Christ and become a Christian believer. If so, then he/she will be able to say, "Good night" to a loved one -- and not have to say, "Good bye."
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
