For all the Saints

I usually do not go on FB first thing in the morning.  This morning, however, I got an email that said Dorothee had posted to my wall.  I had been missing her a lot lately, so I was relishing in contact with her and did check what she had posted.  Then I was reading some other posts and I came across Pastor Hulke's Thought for the Day.  Here is what he wrote.

Thought for the Day: "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life" (1 Jn. 5:13). Welcome to All Saints Day! We all know people who are living with Jesus in heaven. Through their faith in Jesus they have received exactly what He promised - eternal life in heaven. On this day we remember those who are safe with the Lord and find great comfort in His promise of eternal life. But it's important for us to remember that this is our promise too through faith in Jesus. The promise of heaven is not something we wonder about and won't know until we die. It's a sure promise we live in every day of our lives through faith in Jesus Christ. Take time to remember those who are with Jesus, and celebrate that this promise is yours . One day, some day, we'll all be together again.

I was reminded of one of my all time favorite hymns, "For All the Saints" and back in my childhood days, this was sung every Sunday we celebrated All Saints Day.  And you can bet my father made sure we sang all the verses.  This morning, I found a recording of For All the Saints on You Tube.  Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGo6_D-RTXA  I got out the LSB and sang all eight verses of it, remembering all those whom I have loved that are now in heaven rejoicing with Jesus.  I always cry when I sing that hymn!  I cry because I miss those saints I knew, but I also cry with joy because I know, someday, I am going to be in heaven too!  I also was remembering my old church in Chappaqua and all the dear saints that attended there.  I actually found a picture of the church on FB,  Here it is:


16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.  2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Amen!  Come, Lord Jesus!!!