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On my way to a resurrection

Someone asked, "Are you on your way to another funeral?"  My answer was, "No, I am on my way to a resurrection."  Tonight, after having preached my sister's funeral, two church members funerals and visiting a friend whose brother had passed away, I had a little quiet time in my home office.  As I often do, I reach for an old book  I've found that some books written long ago can speak to my heart.  This time, it was a book published in 1946.  This passage from J.B. Chapman touched my heart, hope it does yours too. 

 Victor Hugo exclaimed, "The frosts of seventy winters are on my head, but the springtime of eternal youth is in my heart."

 "Sometimes we look at the gray hair of a ripening saint, and say, "Old man, the frosts of many winters are on your head."  But he answers, "That is not frost.  I am getting ready to wear the crown of life, and my hair is taking on tint agreeable to the color scheme."  

 We say, "Old man, your back is bent from the carrying of many loads."  "That's not it," he replies, "I am about to come into the King's presence, and I am practicing obeisance that I may the more readily bow before Him."  

 "Your eyes are dim."  "No," he answers, "my focus is just changing.  I am not largely interested anymore in the things close at hand, so my eyes are training to see 'the land that is afar off, and to behold the King in his beauty.'"

 "Your hearing is failing."  "No," he replies, "they have just closed the windows on the street side to keep out the confusing noise that I may the better hear the angels sing."  

 "Well, your house is about to fall down."  "This is only my tent," he answers.  "It was designed only as a temporary dwelling and it has served its day well.  It is now unsteady on its foundation, the window panes are broken out, the whole place is in dilapidation, and the Owner has notified me that He has no plans to spend anything more on repairs.   But it's all right.  I have had the warning in time, and I have made definite plans to move out into a house that hath foundations."  

 "Mere philosophy is not enough when the crisis comes.  At times like that we need the assurance of the Spirit within." (1)

 We are ALL on our way to a resurrection, preparation now is the most important thing we can do.  God bless you.

 (Holiness Triumphant by J.B. Chapman pp. 126-127)

Comments

DeWayne Hamby said…
Wonderful post. Thank you, Bishop!
10:10 AM
Marsha Robinson said…
Oh! How wonderful! Thank you for sharing this. I sincerely pray that God blesses you richly as you go about doing good.
10:15 AM
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