LOOKING FOR BETTER DAYS

No matter what you are going through—no matter how bad things may look—for the Christian, there are better days ahead. One of our members, Tom Brandon handed me an article last week from an old Pole Creek newsletter reaching back to when Virgil Holloway was pastor in the ‘70’s. Tom’s wife, Barbara, recently died. She had saved this article for all these years and now it was so helpful to Tom in his grief. It was written by another Pole Creek member, now in heaven, Glenn Stamey. Listen to his encouraging words:

GOODBYE WORLD

“For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.” (2 Tim.4:6).

We have so cluttered up the way out of this world for the born again, with tears, sorrow and mourning; with undertakers, caskets, hearses and graves; with long faces—ashes to ashes and dust to dust—that the born again Christian can hardly think as he ought of the most wonderful journey in all the world—the one from earth to heaven. The weeping is done on the wrong end. The born again person, who has left this world, is the one who should do the weeping and the sorrowing for those who have to stay here—rather than you weeping for him because he had to go.

Look at Paul. Can’t you see the aged man Paul lying there on the damp floor in the dark, propped up against the cold, wet wall? No wonder he sent for his old overcoat which he had left in Troas. You see, Paul was going to dine with the King. The sound of the footsteps of the executioner was music in his ears. I see him rising as he hears the rattle of the key in the lock of the dungeon door.

Now, why can’t all old-aged Christians everywhere be of such a jubilant mind and have the same holy glee as the aged Paul did? And besides, you’ll have better health over there. It’s a much more healthy climate than here. There are no hot summers or cold winters over there. It’s better eyesight, better hearing. The flower has sweeter fragrance. The songs are sung by all without discord. The air is a tonic. The days are long—there’s no night there.

Where is the person who would not be willing to start toward that place of eternal beauty and peace, when God calls? It’s the place where Christ is. Some will say that if it were not for leaving my friends, I wouldn’t mind it. Christians—if you are fifty years old, then you have three times as many friends on the other side. Yes, we love those departed loved ones, just as much today as we ever did. As Margaret and I walked down to the casket to look upon our 4 year old daughter for the last time in this world, Margaret said, “Goodbye Baby, I’ll see you in the morning.” How true—we’ll see her in the morning.

Thank God for His Son who took that word death and ground it to pieces—and together with our sins—has cast them all behind His back (Isa.38:17), so that now it is departure—not death. But that’s for the born again—those who have passed from death into life. Yes, and it’s for you too, sinner, if you will take Paul’s Savior,and my
Savior—the One altogether lovely as your Savior. Then you can say, “For I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand.”

The man Glenn wrote about, Paul, penned the words of Romans 8:12-21 which will be our focus this week. He was a man always looking for better days—expecting the best is yet to come!

Hear the excitement for eternity in his voice:

12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.
13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”
16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
17 and if children,then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.
20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who
subjected it in hope;
21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

May God use His word to intensify our heartbeat for heaven!