At last years conference Tim exhorted the brethren that some of us may not be there next year. During the very next year Bob Jennings at 63, and Ayla Petteruti at 23, went to be at home with the Lord. — We would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. – 2 Corinthians 5:8b.
Tim: You may be in the prime of your youth and vigor But your body belongs to this earth and it’s corrupt and it cannot follow. It’s made of stuff, that just simply can’t go to where we’re going; we must leave it behind and put on immortality. Brethren, I want you to think. The thing is, before we meet again, if we have this conference again next year, some of you may gone.
Bob: There are things that are described about our heavenly future. The Lord calls it sleep, and that has been no small comfort to me. I’ve gone to sleep many times. I’m not a stranger to sleep. Sleep is okay. And so it’s like the Lord is wanting to tell us: “It is alright!” You know, sleep in the Lord. Asleep in Jesus. It’s called home, at home with Christ. Immortality begins.
Ayla: I’m trusting in him every step of the way even as of now I’m still battling cancer and I must say that despite going to these different kinds of so-called faith healers and crusades and not getting healed, I’m so thankful God never healed me of cancer. I’m so thankful because I would have been robbed of the many glorious moments I’ve had with the Lord.
Tim: Some of you may have already had this moment come and go. But you think about the moment, and it may be close! You heard about the pastor and his wife down in Austin. They were just driving home. Get hit head on and they are in glory. It can happen so fast. I mean there is just a thin veil between you and death. Death is so close. We are clay pots! We are fragile! It doesn’t take much to end our lives physically, to separate our spirit from body.
Ayla: Time is short and you never know when you’re gonna go. You never know when your death day will be. It could be tomorrow, it could be at this moment. So please just make sure that you’re right with God. Make sure that you know Christ. Because life is totally meaningless apart from him.
Bob: Sin is not worth it. I’m not gonna sin. I’m not gonna go that way. I’m not gonna side off with him, I’m not gonna envy the sinner. I’m gonna keep on with Christ. I’m gonna stay away from sin. I’m gonna abhor the world. My citizenship is in heaven. I’m not gonna be earthly minded. I’m gonna live for Christ, live for eternity. My home is not here, it’s there.
Tim: Can you all say with me: We’re happy to let Paul speak for us when he said it’s our desire to be absent from the body and present with the Lord. Don’t you desire that? To be rid of this earthly body. To be free. This is our hope, no more body of death! No more corruption but purity and that forever! Brethren our sins are doomed. The death sentence is upon them. You may fight your sins today but fight on in hope and be courageous, brother. The day is coming, that moment is coming. Take courage, these sins you groan under now. That you wage war against now. That you fight and weep over now. They are temporary.
Bob: Christ, Christ – it’s everything for Him. All for Him. He deserves it all. He gets it all. I want to do all for Him. I want to be all for Him. I want to finish well. I want to be on the final lap with God as I come to the end. I’m telling you, brethren. One thing you don’t want to have around your house, one thing you don’t want to have around your heart is sin. It is contraband. You especially come to the end and you want a pure heart. You want a clear conscience. You don’t want to have sin dabbling or hanging around your head. You don’t want to be messing with it. You don’t want to be struggling with sin. You want to come to the end, with victory over sin. Where you’ve got dominion. Where you’ve got victory.
Tim: We don’t just put off this body and were just done with sin. It says that we’re gonna be like Him.
Bob: We’ve been given a taste of the powers of the age to come. It says taste in Hebrews Chapter 6. You better believe it, just a taste. And if we’ve just been given a taste how much more there is. “The streams of earth I’ve tasted, far deep, more deep I’ll drink above.” Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord. (Revelation 14:13)
