Sunday, December 24, 2017

25 Days of God Given Gifts - Day 24 - ETERNAL LIFE


For God so loved the world
 that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him
 shall not perish but have eternal life. 
 John 3:16

ETERNAL LIFE ~ Living forever and ever. As my grandson would say "to infinity and beyond". 

Webster's Dictionary defines ETERNAL as:
having infinite duration
characterized by abiding fellowship with God
continued without intermission - perpetual
existing at all times - timeless

Eternal life is available to any who believe in Jesus as their Savior, just as the verse says. It is free for the taking, no coupon codes necessary, no standing in lines to get it, there is nothing one can do to earn it. 

My dear aunt passed away a year ago this week and I know without a doubt she is with her Lord in Heaven. She is also reunited with ones she held very dear in her lifetime. How do I know this? Because she expressed to me that she believed in Jesus and knew when she died, she'd be in heaven with Him.

She was blind later on in years, and on this very day her vision is clearer than she ever thought possible. Blind hymn-writer Fanny Crosby said: When I get to heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Savior

One of Fanny's later hymns as she aged, gives us a glimpse into her thoughts as she came closer to stepping into Eternal Life. This is titled My Savior First of All, here is the first verse and chorus.

When my lifework is ended and I cross the swelling tide,
When the bright and glorious morning I shall see, 
I shall know my Redeemer when I reach the other side,
And His smile will be the first to welcome me.
I shall know Him, I shall know Him,
And redeemed by His side I shall stand! 
I shall know Him, I shall know Him
By the print of the nails in His hand.

Dear ones, don't miss out... tomorrow is not promised for any of us. If you should die tonight or tomorrow, do you know where you'll spend eternity? You don't have to "clean up" to come to Jesus, He asks for you to come as you are. 

This is part of a poem by Christina Rossetti, later set to music. It sums it all up simply. 

What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him; give my heart.

You can find a couple different places on my blog if you want to read more on this topic, just click on the links below:
HEAVEN

My friend Donna is a gifted writer. Last year she gave me permission to share a poem she wrote based on the Nativity. A version of The Night Before Christmas. A good read to have with your family as you reflect on the reason for the season. 
The Night Before Christmas


If you'd like to see all the posts in this series so far, you can follow this link:
25 Days of God Given Gifts
This link will take you to a free pdf that goes along with this series.

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2 comments:

  1. What a precious gift we have - that of eternal life!
    Christmas blessings to you and yours Abby
    Maxine

    ReplyDelete
  2. HI, I have a question and I do not want to offend you,
    but I would like to know why you believe people go directly from death to heaven? Can you give me Bible texts that prove this belief? Thanx you.

    ReplyDelete

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