年事已高，難有可為？
哥林多後書五章1至10節
1我們原知道，我們這地上的帳棚若拆毀了，必得神所造，不是人手所造，在天上永存的房屋。
2我們在這帳棚裡歎息，深想得那從天上來的房屋，好像穿上衣服；
3倘若穿上，被遇見的時候就不至於赤身了。
4我們在這帳棚裡歎息勞苦，並非願意脫下這個，乃是願意穿上那個，好叫這必死的被生命吞滅了。
5為此，培植我們的就是神，他又賜給我們聖靈作憑據（原文是質）。
6所以，我們時常坦然無懼，並且曉得我們住在身內，便與主相離。
7因我們行事為人是憑著信心，不是憑著眼見。
8我們坦然無懼，是更願意離開身體與主同住。
9所以，無論是住在身內，離開身外，我們立了志向，要得主的喜悅。
10因為我們眾人必要在基督臺前顯露出來，叫各人按著本身所行的，或善或惡受報。
信息分享
近年來，坊間有很多書籍，都是以死亡、彌留之際，以及來生作為主題。其中一些更是依據一些人在彌留之際，出現所謂「靈魂出竅」的經驗寫成。然而，保羅寫這段經文的時候，卻完全不是出於臆測或推想。反之，它是新約中論及死亡與復活之間的「居中狀態」的最重要經文。
當信徒離開地上的肉身，他的靈魂就會立即與基督同在。而他留下的身體便歸於塵土。然而，到基督再來的時候，神便會給那靈魂一個新的身體；換句話說，當基督再來的那一刻，靈魂便與新的身體連合起來。
當然，我們還有很多未解的困惑。例如：信徒的靈魂如今在天堂裡面，既沒有身體，那如何辨認呢？我們只能相信，它們終歸可以藉著某種方式被辨認。無論情況將會是怎樣，保羅仍堅定地告訴我們，與基督同在是好得無比和滿有喜樂的。神已藉著聖靈的同在向我們保證，我們必會進入天堂的美景（5節）。
我們如今是憑著信心來接受這些真理，並深信神的應許必定成就（6-8節）。終有一天，我們將親身經歷這一切，而且肯定比我們想像的更加美好。
當我們與基督我們的救主面對面時，那面對面的情景將會如何？
GROWING OLDER? WHAT'S AHEAD?
2 Corinthians 5:1-10
1 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven,
3 if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked.
4 For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life.
5 Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
6 So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord.
7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.
8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
9 Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
Message
What is ahead for the Christian who is growing older? Old age? Physical weakness? Death? The answer could be all three, or perhaps yes and no. Death is something that comes to everyone, but for Christians it is a doorway into a more wonderful life in heaven with Christ. Then there is the sure and certain hope of the Resurrection of our bodies when Christ returns. Paul says in verse 1 "we know" what is ahead of us.
Many books have been written on death and dying or on the hereafter in recent years. Some of it is doubtful evidence, based on so called "out-of-the-body-experiences". But in this chapter there is no speculation, no uncertainty. It is one of the greatest teaching chapters in the New Testament on the "Intermediate State" between death and the Resurrection.
What does it happen when a believer slips away from his or her earthly body? The soul of the believer goes immediately into the presence of Christ. The body, left behind, goes back to the earth. Yet, somehow, when Christ returns, God will give that soul a new body. The soul and the new body will be united in the moment of Christ's coming.
There are still many questions unanswered. Are the souls of believers now in heaven, visible without a body? They must certainly be seen and known in some way. Whatever the situation is, Paul is holding before us the wonder and joy of being with Christ. God has given us the absolute assurance that is where we will be. He has given us now as a pledge, the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives (v.5).
We accept now these truths by faith, and are confident (vv.6-8) that God's promises will be fulfilled. Some day these things will be our actual experience and it will be even more wonderful than we could ever have imagined.
FACE TO FACE WITH CHRIST MY SAVIOUR, FACE TO FACE WHAT WILL IT BE?