The Death Watch…Waiting on the Home Going of Loved Ones

We were born

We will die

God is the Author and Finisher of our life

We know where we are going

Back home

To be with the Triune God

God the Father and Maker of our life

Jesus the Son Who died for us and took our place on the cross

The Holy Spirit Who lives inside of us giving us eternal life

We are going back home

To be with the Triune God

Resting in His bosom

Being at His Rest

For in all things God works for the good of those who love Him

Those who have been called according to His purpose

For those God foreknew He also predestined

to be conformed to the image of His Son

That He might be the Firstborn among many brothers and sisters

Jesus the Firstborn among all creation

Jesus the Firstborn among the resurrection from the dead

Jesus the Glorified

And those He predestined

He also called

Those He called

He also justified

And those He justified

He also glorified

Jesus the Glorified

Us who have been

Predestined

Called

Justified

And glorified

To be like Him

Jesus the Glorified

We also become glorified

When we reunite with Him

At home at last

The Eternal Home

Where there is no more

Suffering

Waiting

Pain

Sorrow

Regret

Tears

Fear

Doubt

Anxiety

We know Whom we have believed

And are confident that He will take us home

To be with Him

Meanwhile

We wait

We suffer

We experience the pain and sorrow of separation

We regret the times not well spent with our loved ones

Tears flow down our cheeks

We might even fear and doubt

We might feel anxious not knowing how the final hours will be like

We might be fearful of physical pain and suffering

We might have unfinished business here on earth

We might not feel ready to leave this earth

We might even doubt that we are going to be with Christ

Those of us who are keeping watch with the departing

We suffer seeing our loved one suffering

We feel powerless

We bargain with God for

Healing

Mercy to shorten the suffering

Grace to take away the suffering

Reprieve

Peace

We regret not having

Done more

Said more

Showed love more

Reconciled sooner

Forgiven quicker

Spent more time with the departing

We regret having

Said hurtful things

Caused pain

Held on to grudges

We feel powerless to

Take away the illness

Take away the pain

Shorten the suffering

Control the last breath

Stop the dying process

We wait

We watch

We are present

Being in the moment

We love

We pray

We reminisce

We reconcile

We cherish

And we wait some more

We watch

We stay present

Even as we surrender our powerlessness

To the Author and Finisher of our

Faith

Calling

Life

We look forward to our loved one

Being embraced by our Maker

Being welcomed home by Jesus the Firstborn from among the dead

Hearing whispers of love by the Holy Spirit

We look forward to reuniting with our loved one

Welcoming us home

Ushering us into the

Presence of our Maker

Embrace of our Savior

Joy and peace of the Holy Spirit

For eternity

God’s Chosen

We are God’s chosen

Christ is The Chosen One

And yet

We also have been chosen

Chosen by God

To be holy

To be blameless

In

His

Sight

It pleased God

It was according to God’s will

That we

Were predestined

To be adopted

As His daughters and sons

Through the death and resurrection

Of His own Beloved Son

In accordance

With God’s

Pleasure

and Will

Sons and daughters

No longer slaves

No longer slaves to sin

No longer slaves to fear

But adoption

Adoption to

Sonship

Heirs of God

and co-heirs with Christ

By Him we cry

“Abba”

“Daddy”

No more punishment

No more fear of punishment

No more sin

We are now

Pure

Holy

Pleasing

To God

The Heir

The First Born

Has taken up our punishment

So we can become

Holy

Blameless

In

God’s

Sight

To the praise of His

Gracious

Glorious

Grace

Worship Song: "No Longer Slaves"

Ephesians 1: 4-6

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love ⁵ he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

Galatians 4: 5-7

…to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. 6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

Romans 8:14-17

 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.¹⁵ The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” ¹⁶ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. ¹⁷ Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ…

Praise Be to God for Spiritual Blessings

Praise

Praise be

Praise be to God

The God and Father

Of our Lord

Jesus Christ

God

Who has blessed us

In the heavenly realms

With

Every

Spiritual Blessing

In Christ

God Who loves

To bless us

With every

With all there is

Blessing

In the heavenly realm

Not just a few

Not just the most important ones

If there was such a distinction in His blessings

But with all

Every

Single

Spiritual

Blessing

In

Christ

For it is in Christ

That God’s blessings

Originate

Are found

Contained

Kept

For us

And it is through Christ

That God’s blessings

Are poured out

Into us

Through the death and resurrection

of Christ

Our sins

Are washed and forgiven

Making way for the indwelling of the

Holy

Spirit

The Deposit of God’s Promise

The Person of the Holy Spirit is given

To us

He is the Conduit

of us being able to

Partake

Experience

Enjoy

God’s blessings

In the heavenly realm

Here now on earth

God the Father’s desire to bless

God the Son’s payment of our debts on the cross

God the Holy Spirit indwells in us

The Triune God

At work

To enable us

To partake

Of the blessings

In the heavenly realm

Every

Single

Precious

Blessing

From Above

Praise

Praise be

Praise be to God

Who wants to bless us

With every spiritual blessing

In the heavenly realm

Praise

Praise be

Praise be to the Son

Who paid our price

Who made a way for us

For us to be able to

Be recipients

Of God’s blessings

In the heavenly realm

Praise

Praise be

Praise be to the Holy Spirit

Through Whom we experience

God’s blessings

Here on earth

Who is also the Deposit of

The guarantee

Of the full fulfillment

Of the spiritual blessings

In the

Heavenly realm

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow

Praise Jesus Christ our Way Maker

Praise Holy Spirit our Indwelling Guarantor

Praise Father Son and Holy Ghost

Ephesians 1: 3, 13-14 ~ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ…When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.