02/05/2016 – Our Children: A believers Hope

Our children., A believers Hope

I am a father to a beautiful daughter, Kirsty, (my son Gavin is in heaven) and Grandfather to 3 gorgeous grandchildren Mason, Mia and Logan, and Father in Law to my fabulous son in law Robert. What do they have to look forward to?

I have seen many changes in the world in my life, from Black and White TV’s, Steam trains hauling passengers and freight across the country, to High Speed Trains, from Coal fired steam to Electric trains capable of speeds in excess of 120 mph, to the Chinese Bullet Trains that can travel at 200 mph! The death of Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher and many other Politicians. Fast cars, electric cars. Dakotas and  Viscounts ,(early aeroplanes) to Jumbo Jets, Concorde and now the enormous Airbus A380 Double Decker aircraft. The first man in space, the first man on the moon, the space shuttle and spacecraft to Mars. Looking up at the stars in the sky, then to be able to view with a space located telescope to galaxies and systems far far away. Prefabricated houses, houses on wheels, huge Winnebago’s,  2 axle steam lorries to huge 40-50 tonne juggernauts that roam our roads, Barges hauling goods, to boats that can carry 6,000 guests. Coal fires, gas fires, coal generated electricity, gas generated electricity and nuclear generated electricity, and now wind and water generated electricity. Pay phones in a Red Box, to phones in house (if you could afford it) to car phones and heavy hand held mobile phones. Being able to call someone in Australia or Alaska using a phone that fits in the palm of your hand. To talk to an astronaut on the moon or in space. We can send Video Calls, we can send and receive photos or emails in any part of the world (remember faxes) we even have satellite phones, bouncing signals off of stationary transmitters in orbit 22,000 miles above the earth.

Many many changes that I can recall and many more that has taken place. Its interesting but obvious that changes that have taken place are directly related to our age. Back in the 1980’s when some people,  (Life expectancy has increased since then) were 90 years old, they have probably seen the greatest changes in modern history. Being born in 1880-1890 going though 2 world wars and seeing the domestic and global changes, the technology changes, and of course the changes in lifestyles. Changes that have not always been good, and changes that are happening now that are not good. And we hear of newly discovered tribes in South America where they have no concept of modern life at all, still living a self sufficient life living off the land and eating wild animals wild fruits and wild vegetation.

There are governments and countries across the globe that spend billions and billions of dollars on defence and arms and yet allow their own people to live in terrible conditions, poverty so bad that it is incredulous that a few miles away others live in the most rich and luxurious conditions. Am not saying that being wealthy is wrong, we all want to better ourselves but when countries make it easy for the rich to become richer and the poor become poorer, surely something is wring, especially when they spend so much money in areas that do not necessarily benefit the poorer people. Having spent time in the Philippines recently with the very poorest of people, helping them with teaching and feeding,  I feel I am a little qualified to comment………………………. We in this country have successive governments that have made being poor a way of life for so many people, and it is from the poor that they remove even more money. Recently these (our elected) politicians voting themselves double figure percentage salary increases and taking £30 a week from the very people that need the money, the poor and disabled. The same UK politicians that put in false expenses to claim extra monies that they are not entitled to! and think they are above the law when they get caught!  (Yes, it does make sense, does it not? No! it doesn’t)  This is a global happening, everyone is guilty of allowing this to happen

Our country allows our poor and unfortunate and even our war veterans to live on the street, in cars or under bridges, people who generally should be getting our respect humility and gratitude. I for one whenever I see a soldier, man or woman, in the street, go to them and shake their hand, and say thank you.It is a mark of respect, something again, that is sadly lacking in our society. The homeless, and I do not mean the professional beggars who do it for a living, impersonating the poor, deserve more help. The elderly, who are the very people that the present is built on are in many cases now becoming what appears to be a burden. but you know the strange thing,  all those people that consider the elderly to be a burden? Its coming…. Its coming for you…. people of our generation remember their elders, their families and the immense respect we showed them, and why not, to us it is something that we were taught at a very young age, Humility and Respect. So growing old is so important because it brings us slowly but ever surely closer to our maker.

It doesn’t matter how wealthy you, it doesn’t matter how much property you have, how many cars you have. Poor people, homeless people, disabled people. If we are lucky enough to live our life without illness, accident, or anything else to cut it short, we all have the same thing to look forward to.

For every man woman and child, regardless of colour, ……………………………….. our allotted time is waiting for each and every one of us, no one knows when that time is, no one can guess. “It is only when you are ready to die that you are actually ready to live”

Someday your body is going to die, but you aren’t! Your body is going to end, but that’s not going to be the end of you. You’re going to live forever in one of two places: Heaven or Hell. They’re both real places. Your body is going to die, but you are not going to die, because you were made to last forever.

How long is forever going to last? Forever!

Why should Christians be the most confident about the future?

(2 Corinthians 5:6, 8 NIV)  “Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord” .

You’re not ready to live until you’re ready to die. You don’t know how to live until you’re ready to die. Only a fool would go through life totally unprepared for something that everybody knows is inevitable. And yet as we get older the acceptance of dying seems easier.

If you’ve accepted Christ, then you’re going to go to Heaven. You’ll be released from pain, from sorrow, from suffering, from depression, from fear. “He’ll wipe every tear from their eyes. Death is gone for good — tears gone, crying gone, pain gone — all the first order of things gone” (Revelation 21:4 MSG).

For Christians, death is a transfer, a promotion. It’s on to better things and no more problems.

So what do our children and grandchildren have to look forward to?  I hope a good life, one where they do not know the hardships of being poor and homeless, where there are no wars. That one day they might be drawn to God’s wisdom and the readings of the bible and everything that Christianity has to offer. For me to pass on my belief to my Children and grandchildren as it is the most valuable gift I can give to them. One day to be united in the Eternal Kingdom with no tears of sorrow, but only happiness and love………………………..  that’s where I will be waiting for them.

God has prepared heaven for us, his children. A place of Joy, Happiness and Contentment. Where everything is good, and everyone is happy. So we can be sure Heaven is the wonderful eternal home that God has prepared for his children………………… for you and for me

People say we have souls inside our body….. its an interesting concept. What is our soul, was it put there? Did it evolve over time? Were we giving a soul when God created man? I actually think about the soul in a different way, and it is to do with our souls surviving our death. I think we are a soul, who have a body wrapped around it. The body protects our soul, the body allows our soul to develop, and in time our body will release our souls to God, from whence we came.