Until We Are In His Arms

All of us are tired, frayed, and just want to go home.

Writing that has to be the most profound understatement I have ever typed out on a keyboard, but nonetheless, it is
true. This dark, decaying world, under the sway of the adversary, is enough to drain the energy, vitality and indeed
the very LIFE out of a person.

The reason why this world drains us is because unlike the unsaved, we do not have our hope in this world. Our
dreams do not consist of anything that can be found here; indeed the best, brightest days are but pale shadows of the
heavenly country that we so much yearn for. We are not of this world any longer, but instead we are passers-
through, traveling through a dark place on our way to a shining kingdom where the fondest wishes and greatest
dreams of this world are but murky shadows compared to the brilliance and glory to be found when we arrive. We
are not native to this dying orb any longer, but we are His now, and we are being formed anew in his image:

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what
is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Romans 12:2, KJV)

I know many of you out there are tired, and just want to hear the clarion call of the last trump. You want to go
home. And it isn't to cutoff those that may yet come to Christ: we all hope the full number will be soon attained. We
just want God's plan to be at fruition so we may be with him, and begin our true life with him, embraced in his
loving arms.

I want that too, and so does He.

In writing the various exhortations, I try very hard to remind folks of what I believe scripture wants us to keep in
mind. But another, minor reason I write them is to speak to myself as well. I often want this all to be over, and I
often get discouraged by the way things turn out. Preaching at twitter, very few respond, and usually negatively.
Lots of views of what I write, but not many replies. I attempt to pass out tracts and talk to people in real life, but get
that cold glare that could freeze an iceberg.

However, as much as I want to pack it in and get out of this festering pit of decadence and slime, I also know that
we have a task to complete, and that we can't know the full length and detail of it until we cross into glory via the
rapture.

Yes, I get tired and frazzled too. And I so much want to meet everyone here in person. It hurts not being able to
actually talk face to face with all of you; the closest I have come is in phone calls with a couple of folks here. In my
time knowing all of you from RF and here, you have become a family to me, and I look forwards to coming here
and posting the stuff I find and the articles I write for everyone, hoping I have at least done something to help.

But another reason I continue is something that the Lord has given to all of us, and it is something that without
which, we cannot even call ourselves his children: faith. Faith isn't a mental assent to a fact being true, but it is of
the heart; it is not a feeling or emotion, it goes far deeper than that. It is KNOWING in your heart that the Lord is
who he says he is, and that he will do what he has promised.

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a
good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which
are seen were not made of things which do appear." (Hebrews 11:1-3, KJV)

I believe that faith is a gift that God gives to those that seek him, and it allows the person to trust in what God has
proclaimed in his word. We can say we believe that something is true, and we can reinforce that in our minds all we
like. But as faith is given by the Lord, so it has to be increased by the Lord. And he does so by walking with us
through the fire and the flood, demonstrating that we can indeed trust him through both the fiercest infernos of trial,
and the deepest deluges of doubt and despair.

And this is why for those that truly trust in Him, their salvation cannot be taken away:the faith that saves them is
the faith given to them by the Lord.

"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a
rewarder of them that diligently seek him. " (Hebrews 11:6, KJV)

We didn't do anything for our salvation, which is why it is called grace; we didn't deserve it. The faith we have isn't
grown by us: it is given by the Lord. The spirit that seals us isn't our own spirit: we are all spiritually stillborn.
Instead, the Holy Spirit seals us unto redemption:

"And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption." (Ephesians 4:30, KJV)

That being said: since God sealed us with his Holy Spirit, he is not going to leave us to rot. God never puts a down
payment down on anything, only to default on it. He is consistent when no one else is. And as much as we desire to
be with him, he desires us to be with him as well.

So, until we are in His arms, all we can do is to continue trusting in him to sustain us through the trials and grief,
and to soothe us when we are frazzled. But there will come the day when we will go home. And we'll finally be
together, with him, where we belong.

Home.

I bid you all peace.

YBIC,

-Robert