Saturday Song: Hank Angel and His Island Devils, "E-mails Don't Have Arms"

I'm sure we can all relate to being away from some one we love. Though we have various methods of communicating, actually being there is an unsurpassed experience.

This Canadian rockabilly band wrote a country-flavoured tune a few years ago. Listen to it here.

We followers of Christ are in a similar condition. He isn't present physically with us but he gave us the Holy Spirit. John 14:16 (BBE)says, "And I will make prayer to the Father and he will give you another Helper to be with you for ever, Even the Spirit of true knowledge. That Spirit the world is not able to take to its heart because it sees him not and has no knowledge of him: but you have knowledge of him, because he is ever with you and will be in you."

Jesus gave his final instructions to his disciples before he went to the cross. Naturally, they were all saddened and worried by what he said about going away. John 16:7 (BBE) reads, "But what I am saying is true: my going is for your good: for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you."

In many of the letters of the New Testament, the writers expressed wishes to be present with their siblings in Christ. John wrote to a godly lady a short letter but he felt it better if he went to her in person to say what he felt. He wrote in 2 John 1:12 (BBE) that, "Having much to say to you, it is not my purpose to put it all down with paper and ink: but I am hoping to come to you, and to have talk with you face to face, so that your joy may be full."

Paul also wanted to be with his friends but he was constrained by the gospel to preach it all over Asia Minor and southern Europe. After giving instructions on forgiving a runaway slave, he wrote in Philemon 1:22 (BBE), "And make a room ready for me; for I am hoping that through your prayers I will be given to you."

A day will arrive when our Lord will come back to us. As 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and 17 (BBE) says, 'Because the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a word of authority, with the voice of the chief angel, with the sound of a horn: and the dead in Christ will come to life first; Then we who are still living will be taken up together with them into the clouds to see the Lord in the air: and so will we be for ever with the Lord."

On Monday, I'll post about sanctified deeds. They aren't done for the reasons certain people think.