THE SHEPHERD’S CORNER

On Thursday at 8 o’clock in the morning, Our Lord Jesus came and took our brother Tensas to his final and eternal home. Just two Sundays ago he was still here with us but today he is in heaven with our brothers and sisters who have gone before us. To quote the words of Pastor Chuck Smith, our brother Tensas, “has moved.” Temporarily we’ll be separated from him but one day we shall be reunited. Jesus Our Lord has prepared a place for him; the place is now ready and he, too, is ready. Heaven is ready for him.

God’s time is not our time. Perhaps to us our brother Tensas’ homegoing is untimely—it’s too soon. Within a period of months his health deteriorated in an alarming way and there was nothing we could do to slow it down, let alone, to stop it. But God was in complete control throughout the whole process; never once was He not in control. Everything happened as He purposed it to be.

Today we’re lighting the second candle in our second Advent week; the second candle symbolizes faith and it is called the Bethlehem Candle to remind us of the journey that Mary and Joseph took to Bethlehem. It’s a journey of faith and it is a journey that we all partake to our own Bethlehem. Pastor Rick Warren in his book, The Purpose Driven Life, writes, “God is never in a hurry, but He is always on time.” God was not in a hurry to take our brother Tensas home, no, He came on time. And by faith we trust in His good will.

To us, our brother is now asleep, but no, he’s not asleep; he’s wide awake in the presence of God. Dallas Willard explains, “Our personal existence will continue without interruption.” Our brother’s fellowships with Jesus and with other believers are continuing. It never stops even for a second. For that we rejoice.

Pastor Paul