HIS DOUBLE GUARANTEE

HIS DOUBLE GUARANTEE

Friday, December 05, 2014

2Corinthians [MKJV] 5:5-9 And He who has worked in us for this same thing is God, who also is giving to us the earnest [payment guaranteeing] of the Spirit. Then being always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body, we are away from home from the Lord; for we walk by faith, not by sight; then we are confident and we are pleased rather to go away from home out of the body, and to come home to the Lord. Therefore we are also laboring to be well-pleasing to Him, whether at home or away from home.

1Thessalonians [MKJV] 5:16-23 Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophesying. Prove all things, hold fast to the good. Abstain from every appearance of evil. And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blamelessly at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Colossians [MKJV] 1:17-22 And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist. And He is the Head of the body, the church, who is the Beginning, the First-born from the dead, that He may be pre-eminent in all things. For it pleased the Father that in Him all fullness should dwell. And through Him having made peace through the blood of His cross, it pleased the Father to reconcile all things to Himself through Him, whether the things on earth or the things in Heaven. And you, who were once alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and without blemish, and without charge in His sight,

  When we were little boys Grandmother McGee read to us. It wasn’t until maturing that I realized she wasn’t just entertaining us, she was teaching us about life, and even death.

  Reading REMINISCE Magazine I am reminded of one story Grandmother repeated.

  It went something like this: A little boy and girl (REMINISCE says “Nellie”.) were born a few months apart, the boy being “I’m older”. They lived next door to one another, schooling and playing together much of the time. They loved each other dearly.

  The summer of their 4^th birthdays Nellie became very ill. Though the old family doctor did his best he sadly announced that she probably would pass away in the fall when the leaves began falling from the trees. Try as he did, the little boy couldn’t tie all the leaves to the trees in their yards.

  After recalling the story I thought of God’s double guarantee:

·         No matter how much effort we put into prevention, healthy practice and repairs, we and our loves ones will die. (Gen.2:17; Heb.9:27)

·         Trusting Jesus, though our body does die . . . life by, in, and with God goes on forever. (2Cor.5:5-9; Col.1:17-22)

  I thank Grandmother for gently teaching me about the unavoidable certainty of death.

  Even more though I thank Bud Bond, the Gemeroth brothers, Al Heger, and other early Christian mentors for teaching me more completely from God’s Word on living while dying and forever beyond demise.

  Most of all I thank the Almighty Guarantor.

EBB4