Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't posted in a while...I'm sure you all know I was a little busy these past few weeks. Well, 'tis time for yet another Thursday Morning with Shidoshi.

Our Heavenly Dwelling - 2 Corinthians 5:1-10

1 For we are conscious that if this our tent of flesh is taken down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in heaven. 2 For in this we are crying in weariness, greatly desiring to be clothed with our house from heaven: 3 So that our spirits may not be unclothed. 4 For truly, we who are in this tent do give out cries of weariness, for the weight of care which is on us; not because we are desiring to be free from the body, but so that we may have our new body, and death may be overcome by life. 5 Now he who has made us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a witness of what is to come. 6 So, then, we are ever without fear, and though conscious that while we are in the body we are away from the Lord, 7 (For we are walking by faith, not by seeing,) 8 We are without fear, desiring to be free from the body, and to be with the Lord. 9 For this reason we make it our purpose, in the body or away from it, to be well-pleasing to him. 10 For we all have to come before Christ to be judged; so that every one of us may get his reward for the things done in the body, good or bad.

Have you ever known somebody, close or distant, that ended up passing away and you couldn't but think, "If only they could have had a second chance to have a new life and a new body..." This passage brings me back to the people around me who have passed away since I've been a live. But it also reminds me of the exciting promise that God gives us of eternal life and new and better body! Reading through 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 is a wonderful insight into passing from life on earth to life in heaven. Here is how I broke the passage down in brief to help me understand certain sections and to encourage myself.

The Promise:

1Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.

When you accept Jesus into your heart, you become a child of God and are automatically eligible for the inheritance of eternal life.

Longing for Rest:

2Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, 3because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

Just like a long hard day, we long for rest and relaxation where we can unwind and leave the problems of that day behind us. Its the same with life on earth! It is tiring and we long to rest and be with our heavenly Father.

The Guarantee:

5Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

God sent his one and only Son, Jesus Christ to the sacrifice for our Sins. When we accept Jesus into our hearts, we are given the gift of Gods Holy Spirit as a guide, a strength and a comfort. And as this verse reminds us, as a guarantee of how serious God is about his promise to us.

Faith:

7We live by faith, not by sight.

Unlike doubting Thomas, we believe in Jesus without needed to see Him. We do not demand proof! In my own life things have changed so much since I met Him that I can not deny His existence! Looking at the beauty of creation, its impossible to imagine there was no creator!

Preparation:

10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

Matthew 6:19-24 - Treasures in Heaven. We will be judged on that final day! The things that we do for His glory will earn us spiritual rewards in heaven. We don’t know what they are to be, but they must be awesome to be described as treasures!

(Courtesy of Lee)

The beauty of God's promise is the glorious eternal life he blesses us with. But it is not until we put our hope and trust in Jesus Christ are we given this promise. We all have struggles, we all have imperfections, we have physical ailments, and we will all die in our earthly bodies someday...But do you have Christ? Hope in Christ brings a heavenly dwelling!