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Thursday, January 12, 2006

"Home With The Lord"

"We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it" (2 Corinthians 5:7-9).

Yesterday I went to the Pennsylvania Farm Show, which is very similar to a State Fair, but for some reason here in Pennsylvania it is held indoors in the middle of winter!  This is a huge event with 25 acres under roof.

My most interesting experience was speaking to Bill Arnold, whose dairy farm was directly over the Quecreek Mine, where nine coal miners were rescued in 2002.  He was very involved in the rescue operation and shared some interesting details.  The display had maps and diagrams that sure helped me to understand deep mining better as well as the specific rescue.

Photo of Quecreek mine rescue capsuleThe miners were waiting for rescue in an area of the mine they had cordoned off. They heard the drilling and a couple of them went to examine and were able to communicate with the rescuers on the surface. A large shaft had been drilled and a special capsule was being lowered to bring the miners out. (The actual capsule used is pictured at the left.)

When the two returned to the rest of miners one shouted, "Who wants to go home?" No persuasion was needed as all the miners jumped up and ran to the rescue area. Many may recall seeing the miners in the rescue capsule as one by one they were brought out of the mine. That was sure a great day!


I love my home. Sure I enjoy my rural location and the house I live in, but primarily it's the family God has given me that bring warmth and acceptance to my home. That's surely what those men were longing for as well. I can only imagine how their excitement grew as they thought about seeing and touching their wives and children.

But there's another home that we who love the Lord should have a deep longing for. Paul refers to it in our daily text as his preference. We would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

He's including other believers in his statement (notice the personal pronoun "we").  He says we are both confident we will be and indeed would prefer to be at home with the Lord.  He's contrasting this with our present physical life where "we are at home in the body" (v. 9).

Erwin Lutzer writes, "At death we cross from one territory to another, but we'll have no trouble with visas. Our representative is already there, preparing for our arrival. As citizens of heaven, our entrance is incontestable."

In 1899 D.L. Moody died.  He had written before his death, "Some day you will read in the papers that D.L. Moody, of East Northfield, is dead.  Don't you believe a word of it! At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now. I shall have gone up higher, that is all, out of this old clay tenement into a house that is immortal; a body that death cannot touch, that sin cannot taint, a body fashioned like unto his glorious body. I was born of the flesh in 1837. I was born of the Spirit in 1855. That which is born of the flesh may die. That which is born of the Spirit will live forever."

At his conversion D.L. Moody accepted Jesus Christ as his Saviour (he was born of the Spirit) and lived for God the remainder of his earthly days.  He lived by faith, not by sight.  He was ready to meet God and go home.  Are you?


Be encouraged today,


Stephen C. Weber

Prayer from Brooksyne:  Jesus, I know that this life is only temporal but I often struggle with my affections being more directed to my home on earth rather than my future home in heaven.  Perhaps it's because we're living in the here and now and the future seems so distant and unfamiliar to me.   Help me not to fear the future but to embrace it so that I am filled with anticipation.  Help me to not become so entangled in this temporary dwelling that I spend my entire life trying to build my castle here on earth. May my heart's yearning, my primary focus, and my physical labors have heavenly goals each day as I make it my major goal to please You. 

Note from Brooksyne:  One of the blessings of enduring difficulties in this life is that it makes us more eager to be at home with the Lord.  When it is smooth sailing our hearts become entwined in the temporariness of this world and our affections are often turned away from God and toward this life.  Yesterday I was at the hospital with Ester.  Due to her pain over the past few days and physical symptoms that did not go away her doctor ordered a series of tests at the hospital yesterday.  One test in particular was extremely painful which made Ester forget that she's almost 17 years old.  She yelled out in pain, as she often did when she was much younger, and declared for all to hear; "Get me out of here.  I want to go home. Take me home right now!"   Spiritually speaking, when life becomes unbearable here on earth, this too should be the prayer of our hearts.  Thankfully, when God is not ready to take us home He does provide a way of escape to bear up under the pain because He is our fortress and a present help in trouble.  To conclude the story with Ester we found that she has gall stones – a new physical challenge, but she feels much better today, for which we are thankful.


Here's an interesting website about the Quecreek mine rescue.  The farm and mine is located in Somerset County PA, which also happens to be the crash site for Flight 93, the only plane on 9/11 that did not reach its intended "target".  I have visited the site and there is a memorial that is very touching. A few years ago I happened to speak to a local farmer who witnessed the plane crashing and it's interesting that in both events farmers, who normally live in relative obscurity, were suddenly a part of events that had an international interest.

The Pennsylvania Farm Show


 

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Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission; and the King James Version.

Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and I make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and to prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."

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