This picture is taken by my friend at Saipan.
This picture and verse reminded me of the purpose of our life here and the blessed hope we have for all eternity. I post this in remembrance of a dear brother-in-Christ that just went home to be with our Lord recently. Please read my sharing below...
Dear Friends,
Thanks for stopping by! Thank God for His goodness to us daily.
♥ Thanks for your prayers and encouragements! I missed all of you so much and it is so good to be back to post a picture and Bible verses on Word-Filled-Wednesday and to count my blessings and thank God together with you on Thankful Thursday!
♥ Thank God for strengthening me day by day and I am much better now. I do still experience a little dizziness every now and then especially when I am tired but the intensity has lessened and so I am more functional. I am still learning to pace myself and everyday is a challenge. Recently, besides weakening health some unforseen circumstances cropped up and thank God for helping me to cope.
♥ Thank God for restoring me from a bout of very bad throat infection and cough which triggered off my asthma. The Lord is good and has given me much peace and simple joy in Him as I wait upon Him. I had to take a break from usual activities. Thank God that I am feeling so much better now. There were very bad haze in Singapore recently due to forest fire in our neighbouring country, Indonesia. This has been bad for my asthma and I had to stay indoor most of the time. Thank God that the haze is clearing and my asthma is stabilising.
♥ Thank God for His goodness and mercies to one of my brother-in-Christ who was just called home to be with Him recently. I have known this brother and his wife for almost 20 years and greatly saddened by his sudden home-going. But I am comforted that God is in total control and His timing is the best for us. While we are here, we labour for Him for the extension of His Kingdom and when our work ordained by Him here is completed, He will then take us home to enjoy our eternal rest and unending worship and fellowship with Him. It is at that time that we shall enjoy too the fullness of His love. What a blessed hope!
Thank God for enabling my brother-in-Christ to maintain a very good testimony for Him, by His grace, at home, at work, in church and in the University where he just graduated with a Master Degree. They all have such high regards for him and loved him and missed him very much. He was a teacher for 10 years and almost 400 students wrote notes of condolences on Facebook even students who did not know him but have seen him before in school. He left such a deep impression in their heart and many of them wrote that they will never forget him and his contributions to the school and the difference he made in their life.
Shortly just before he was called home, he shared with his beloved wife when they were talking about the behaviour of some people who fear death, who live in fear as if there is no hope. He told her, “A true believer should not fear death, because he knows that it is better to depart and to be with the Lord, and to die is gain.”
From this conversation, we are greatly comforted because we know he was ready to die, even though it had to be so sudden. This conversation is God's token of mercy to her family and to my church, to assure us that our dear brother was not afraid, and was ready for the Lord to take him home. His work on earth is done, but the Lord still has work for us to do. Saying goodbye is always hard. But one day when our work on this earth is done, the Lord will take us home too and we shall all meet again never to say goodbye.
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20
Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. 2 Corinthians 5:7-9
...thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15 : 57-58
Here is a very touching video his students did for him with the following encouraging words in between the pictures:
"He always love us, more than he love himself
He always make us happy when we're sad
He enjoy life to the fullest, yet never neglect us
Teaching us everything in life and making us a better person
He'll give chances when we make mistakes
Allowing us to learn from the mistakes we've made
His life make all our lifes a better life
Paving the path of our life, never letting us walk alone
We love you
We miss you"
♥ I thank God for my family, my church, my friends and everyone of you, my dear blogging friends, and for your prayers and encouragements. They mean a lot to me and I thank God for every one of you. You have made a great difference in my life and used by God to encourage me and show me His love by your friendship and encouraging notes. You are in my thoughts and prayers too.
For more Word-Filled-Wednesday, visit here.
To read more Thankful Thursday, visit here.
Thank you for stopping by. Take care and have a blessed day!
Warm Regards,
Nancie
Resources for Free Calendars, Cards, Bookmarks, Handicrafts:
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