To Live is Christ and to Die is Gain - Happy Birthday Ate Annie

Joseph Parker (1830-1902) was a beloved English preacher.  When his wife died, he didn’t have the customary wording inscribe on her gravestone.  Instead of the word died followed by the date of her death, he chose the word ascended.  Ascended.  Si Joseph Parker ay nakadarama ng kakaibang kapanatagan at kapayapaan kapag naaalala niya na ang kanyang minamahal na asawa, kahit pa itoy sumakabilang buhay na at inilibing, alam nya sa kanyang sarili na ang tunay na Mrs. Parker na asawa nya ay nasa langit na at nsa presensya na ng ating panginoon.  At nang si Joseph Parker mismo ay sumakabilang buhay na din, sinigurado ng kanyang mga kaibigan na ang nakalagay sa kanyang gravestone ay Ascended and not died.

When a believing loved one dies, or when we ourselves face the process of dying, there’s great comfort in the fact that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. (2 Cor. 5:8).  Halos araw-araw kasabay ng pagsilang ay mayroon din namang namamatay, at lahat sa atin ay nakaranas na ng ganitong mga bagay sa ating buhay na madalas nating ikalungkot ng labis, kamatayan ng mahal sa buhay at kaibigan.  Birthday ng ate Annie ko ngayon na nasa piling na ng ating Panginoon. She died because of breast cancer, She did well in the ministry and family.  If could describe my Ate Annie, I could proudly say na she is so responsible in every aspect of Her life lalo na sa church, who is faithfully serving and trusting the Lord even to her last breath.  Surely we missed her but at the same time very much happy coz we know that she is now in heaven with the saints praising God.  Even my baby sister Christine is in heaven na din kasi since birth she ascended na din in heaven with our Lord. Death for us is not a dark journey into the unknown.  It is not a lonely walk into a strange and friendless place.  Rather, it’s a glorious transition from the trials of earth into joys of heaven, where we will be reunited with our loved ones in Christ who have gone before.  Higit sa lahat we will enjoy the presence of our Lord forever.  Yes, when a believer dies, the body is buried but not the soul.  It has ascended.  Ascended because you have lived in the standards of the Lord and fought a great fight on the temptations of the world.  Bawat oras sa mundong ito ay napakahalaga sa paggawa ng naayon sa nais ng panginoon na gamitin mo, walang nakakaalam ng kamatayan ng isang tao, kung hindi ang panginoon lamang.  Ang isang tao na namuhay ng may takot sa Diyos ay hindi dapat mag alala sa mga bagay na temporal sa oras ng kanyang paglisan sa mundo, sapagkat kanyang nalalaman na ang kahulugan ng kanyang kamatayan ay simula ng pagkabuhay sa piling ng ating panginoon at isang napakalaking pakinabang.  Sabi ng Philippians 1:21 “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.  But how reassuring to hear that those dear saints of God are in heaven.  What joy to know that when believers in Christ die, they are instantly with Jesus.  The apostle Paul put it like this: We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord (2 Cor 5:8).  No more pain, no more sadness, no more sin. Only peace, only joy, only glory.  Tayo pa din ay nalulungkot kung ang isang mahal natin na sa buhay na may tunay na relasyon sa Diyos ay pumanaw, sapagkat ang pagkalunkot at pangungulila sa bagay na ito ay tanda ng pagmamahal, subalit sa ating kaloob-looban ay tunay na kasiyahan at kapanatagan na alam natin na ang ating mahal sa buhay na pumanaw ay nsa piling na ng ating Panginoon sa langit.  Sabi nga eh, God’s children never say goodbye for the last time.  If we lived in the standards of our creator we can assure that He will welcome us open arms to his kingdom, a place where there is no more tears, pain and sadness, only joy, happiness and completeness in the presence of our Lord God almighty.