Unpacking for the Greatest Journey

Hank Unplugged: Essential Christian Conversations

The Christian Research Institute

Education, Society & Culture, Religion & Spirituality

4.9 • 809 Ratings

🗓️ 4 December 2021

⏱️ 5 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast, conveys another eloquent and convicting message from his sister Jobje, who is battling pancreatic cancer. Before her many missionary trips and travels, she would, of course, need to pack—and then unpack afterward. But now she is going on a journey that requires no packing. Jobje writes, “This time, I find myself unpacking for the greatest journey of my life—for my eternal home. In church this Sunday we sang one of the greatest hymns of our faith. ‘A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.’ One verse hit me anew: ‘Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also.’ It was a very sobering thought because that is exactly what I am doing. I’m letting my goods go even as in time I will have to let my kindred go. As I was packing my boxes for a Christian thrift store, I was struck with the thought for the first time that I would not need to pack a suitcase. I would not have to pack boxes ever again for my journey heavenward. Just me. Just me with my soul flying toward heaven at the moment of death, unencumbered by the things of this world—not even encumbered by my body. My body to be placed into the cold ground waiting the resurrection. That body can’t even accompany me on this particular journey. But this I know—that a special white robe of His righteousness will clothe me. Even my earthly name will be changed to a new one. ‘Nothing in my hand I bring’—no suitcase, no boxes—‘simply to Thy cross I cling.’ ‘Naked come to Thee for dress; helpless, I look to thee for grace.’ Yes, Lord, my Savior, the ensured ‘cloak of salvation' is all I need to adorn me in Your home. I look forward to that.”

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, this is Hank Hennigraph, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast with another Hank Unplug Short. Some of you have been following
0:23.0	my shorts are familiar with my sister and her struggle with pancreatic cancer. And so she's keeping
0:34.8	her prayer partners, her friends and family aware of what she's going through,
0:42.5	and she does so in the most eloquent fashion.
0:47.2	In this particular missive, she writes about how during her life she's lived in many different countries and many different states.
0:56.3	She's been on many different mission trips.
0:59.8	And on each of those occasions, she has to pack and then unpack.
1:07.0	But now she's going on a journey that requires no packing.
1:13.6	This is what my sister Joby wrote.
1:16.7	This time, I find myself unpacking for the greatest journey of my life.
1:24.4	For my eternal home, in church this Sunday we sang one of the greatest hymns of our faith.
1:33.7	A mighty fortress is our God.
1:36.5	I just love that hymn, especially when played on a pipe organ at full throttle.
1:45.5	One verse hit me anew,
1:48.1	but goods and kindred go this mortal life also.
1:54.9	It was a very sobering thought,
1:58.5	because that is exactly what I'm doing. I'm letting my goods go, even as in time,
2:10.1	I will have to let my kindred go. As I was packing my boxes for a Christian thrift store, I was struck with the thought for the first time that I would not need to pack a suitcase.
2:27.3	I would not have to pack boxes ever again for my journey heavenward. Just me. Just me with my soul flying toward
2:44.6	heaven at the moment of death, unencumbered by the things of this world, not even encumbered by my body,
2:57.4	my body to be placed into the cold ground awaiting the resurrection.
3:05.0	That body can't even accompany me on this particular journey.
	...

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