A few months ago I received a letter, seen below, from one of my daughters. I want to share it  with my readers and blog members.

Clay

God Wrote a Book

God wrote a book. He chose a book to communicate the feelings of his heart and the truth to be an everlasting testament for his children. Father God wrote one book using more than 40 inspired human writers over the span of 1,500 years. His book has been called the ‘Greatest Love Letter to Humanity’ and would serve as recorded, a permanent guidance manual for his children. Our heavenly father chose written communication that could not be altered as the ages rolled on. It is a book that serves as a path to his children for living a life of righteousness and love. God wrote a book to communicate with his children his love for them and how to be saved by Jesus Christ. God wrote a book to let his children know how to avoid sin, repent from sin, and give them the promise of a life ever-after if they would accept his offer of grace. God wrote a book to deliver his promises to his children. God wrote a book to communicate the gifts that were available to his children if they only asked him. God wrote a book.

 

My earthly father, Clay Henry, singly wrote three Christian books over a period of 10 years to publicize his thoughts and ideas about the ‘Greatest Love Letter to Humanity’. He wrote these books to communicate the feelings of his heart and documented them in a way that will remain with us far after he is gone. My father wrote these publications so that all of us would know how much he and God loves us. My father used this means of communication so that we would have the tools to live a more righteous life and to give us a path to follow. My father’s writings were designed to make it easier for us to understand God’s book, and to reiterate how deeply God loves each one of us. My father wrote his books for readers to perceive the need of grace, love, and forgiveness by God. His books remind us that God has all we need. My father’s writings were intended to encourage us to love, give grace, and forgive others just as Christ has forgiven us. My father wrote these books to help spread the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For the sake of his family, friends, acquaintances and others, I trust that his books will collectively remain as a testament of his heart. Thanks Dad.

Vonna Jo

Heavenly Citizenship

The Celestial Citizens of Heaven. (Philippians 3:20-21)

   The Apostle Paul declares to the Christians at Philippi that our “citizenship is in heaven,” (Verse 20) Many students and teachers have placed this four-word phrase as one of the greatest thoughts expressed in the Holy Bible, especially for Christians. Indeed, this idea of Pauls’ can be considered a meritorious spiritual pearl of great value, and exceedingly more so than possessing a natural physical pearl.

   Some versions of the Bible translate the word ‘citizenship’ to “conversation’ is in heaven”. The noun, conversation, was not taken to mean a mere interactive oral communication or dialog between two or more people. It cannot mean that Church members’ speech, discourse or talking was in heaven; nor that their "conduct" was in heaven.

   In the Greek language, the original expression rendered conversation, had a very extensive meaning, implying our citizenship and fellowship, our thoughts, our affections, are already in heaven. We think, speak, and act, converse with our fellow-creatures, and conduct ourselves in all our intercourse with them, as citizens of a transcendent or cosmological place. (The use of the word, conversation, and its meanings were obtained from biblehub.com, an Online Bible Study Suite.)

   Whether we use the word citizen or conversation in connection with heaven, the fact remains that each or these words refer to a celestial existence and are in stark contrast to earthly citizens who “… are enemies of the cross of Christ, (18) whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things (19). Their god is their appetite, a natural desire to satisfy a bodily need, a strong desire or liking for something, a longing, yearning, wanting, wishing, hankering, hunger or thirst. These strong obsessive feelings are derived from biologic or psychological needs such as sex, money or affection.

   Paul tells the church members in Ephesus, and to all followers of Jesus since that time, not set our minds on earthly things and that we are only strangers and pilgrims upon earth! (Ephesians 2:19). This view or notion is at odds with the following modern dictionary explanations of earthly strangers and pilgrims, which fail to consider a celestial existence.

Strangers are foreigners and resident aliens who do not belong to or are kept from the merits of citizenship in a tangible sovereign nation or place.

Pilgrims are people who go on long journeys in foreign lands often for religious or moral purposes although they are not natives of or born in those far-off lands.                  Some make these journeys from unfortunate conditions of misery or unhappiness to an experienced state of contentment and happiness.

   We that are true Christians are of a very different spirit from that of earthly citizens, therefore act in a quite different manner. There is a much greater difference between earthly and heavenly citizens than there is between subjects of two earthly nations or governments.

   We therefore endeavor to promote the interests of that glorious society to which we belong, to learn its manners, secure a title to its privileges, and behave in a way suitable to, and worthy of our relation to it.

 

Stay tuned for Part Five of our current blog theme. The subtopic will be on the past and the use of meditation as a flashback.

 

Clay