Is this a picture of how you feel when you think about eternity?(minus the golf club) Are you living life as a victor through Christ Jesus? Is there anything that could happen on this earth to make us not feel like this when we think about eternity?This morning I was listening to a sermon on my way into work, and the statement was made: "Asking a believer how their week is going is kind of a dumb question."
It was a sermon on the promise of salvation to true believers. Saved to forgiveness of sins and to eternal life. Biblically the Christian life is never promised to be an easy one, but that doesn't matter. Our treasure, our hope, and our fulfillment isn't in this life. It's in eternity in heaven.
How's my week going? Well, I'm justified, I'm being sanctified, I'm going to heaven where I've got a mansioned prepared for me, and even if negative things happened during my week, I'm a Christian saved by faith through grace.
So how's my week going?
"It's going great! I'm blessed. A little chip on the grain of sand we call life, on the massive beach of eternity, isn't going to drag me down. But thanks for caring enough to ask."
May God be glorified!
Funny Business
The clear winner for favorite joke goes to #1:
Most people thought my favorite would be #4, but it's not. I'm not that different from most of you. :-) My favorite was also number one. I was kinda surprised that no one picked that as my favorite, seeing as how so many picked that as their favorite.
The mental picture of a professor walking into a classroom full of hats and no kids...yeah. It sounds like something we would've done at K-State in one of my smaller upper level classes.
14 comments:
Thank you for the inspiration today. I've been thinking a lot about this particular subject, and truth be told (I'm going to get right in the face of the social norms here and state a fear- hope that's okay!) I'm rather... terrified, to be honest... of the idea of death, which has begged the question in my mind over and over again, "how can I possibly be that secure in my heart of where I'm going in the end"? I LOVE God and am excited about Him, and His promises, and eagerly teach all of these things, but why then, is it so hard to truly embrace those promises? Keep in mind, I'm relatively new at this (1 1/2 years), so it's always a process, but tell me: what gives you the kind of faith to rejoice like Tiger (minus the golf club)?
Stephanie:
Great challenging question! The sermon I listened to this morning was from James Macdonalds series called "Anchors That Hold". It definitely covers that topic very well.
I'll email you some links for the MP3's.
A short answer to "what gives you the kind of faith to rejoice..."
is, Faith cometh by hearing and hearing my the Word of God.
From what I can tell you're very biblically founded. Keep your face in the scriptures! Have you felt you faith building since you first started studying God's Word?
There are numerous promises that we can rest in, and numerous scriptures that point out to us how to tell if we're partakers of these promises.
I'll go send that email now. btw: I specifically purchased the MP3's so you could download them. The links allow five successful downloads before they expire.
Luke: You hit the nail on the head (in a couple of places, actually). Yes, I AM very biblically founded (I go to an excellent bible based church in a suburb of Milwaukee), and I AM learning more and more about God's word every day (which is again, part of the reason I'm taking my theology class). HOWEVER, as I was reading your response and going over my previous comment, I realized that I'm secure in God's promises for me HERE ON EARTH, but shaky on what lies ahead. Does that make sense? It seems rather non-sensical to me if I really think about it, only because He states clearly in the Word what we have to look forward to. Fear of the unknown perhaps? "Be still and know that I am God..." *sigh* working on it. ;)
And Luke: THANK YOU. You really didn't have to. But I GREATLY appreciate that you did.
Stephanie:
Ephesians 1:10-14
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That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
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In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
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That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
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In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
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Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
Do you believe? Have you been sealed with the Spirit? Can you point to a time in your life when you changed? When you made the conscious decision to follow Christ.
If you ask "how can I know for sure if I have the spirit?"
Well...if you look at a tree...and someone says, that's an apple tree. And you ask..how do you know that for sure? What's the first thing you would do "assume it's fall". You'd go over and see what kind of fruit was on it! You'd check for apples!
So when you ask, "Do I have the spirit?" Examine your fruit in the light of the word! Does you life show a steady growth of love, joy, peace, etc...? :)
Another great way to tell if you have the spirit:
1Pe 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
Do you love the brethren? Do you have a desire to be with other Christians that wasn't there before you became a Christian? Does your heart ever yearn for fellowship?
These are just a few! Get that bible out!! :)
Oh my word Luke, your last post brought tears to my eyes, because the answers are yes, yes, YES!!!
There is a definite change that took place, and if someday I get to tell you my testimony, you'll COMPLETELY understand what I mean.
I'm always growing, learning, and desiring further knowledge and wisdom in and of Christ Jesus.
And HOLY MOLY do I get filled up to the point that I'll burst sometimes when I fellowship with other Christians and get to talk about God all day long if I want. (Which is what I appear to be doing here in blogland everyday! :)
Thank you for sharing those questions, because it sure brought some light to some facts in my life that I needed to embrace.
When reading those scriptures though, this thought came to mind: "it's hard to wrap my mind around the eternal promise that God has laid out on the table for us. It's hard to wrap my mind around it, but more importantly, it's hard having to wonder whether or not my heart is fully wrapped around it even if my head isn't quite there yet."
Stephanie:
Since my few words of encouragement touched you like that I'm really excited to hear your response to those sermons!! What I wrote where basically just little excerpts from those. I know what you mean though, about wondering. Sometimes Satan will come to me and whisper accusations in my ear. (Revelations 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.)
When satan does that I am SO thankful that I have the word readily available where I can go back and say "NO satan, you're wrong! I DO have salvation. I do have God's promises. I have his word RIGHT here. And I can go back to the time in my life where I asked Jesus into my heart, and I can see the change that he's been doing and I can KNOW that it's not me, because I tried to do it myself for a long time and it didn't work. I can think back to my testimony in front of my church where everyone stood at the end and gave me their support that they could see I was a changed/converted person! Praise God for his infinite power and wisdom!
Forgive all my grammatical mistakes in the previous comment. I wrote it in a hurry and didn't proof it!
Firstly, Luke, thank you for being an encouragement to so many people. It's inspiring.
Secondly, I love this: "Asking a believer how their week is going is kind of a dumb question." That could sound cold if you took it the wrong way, but I agree! It's nice when people care, but instead of asking, "How is your week going?" one should ask, "How has God blessed you this week?" or if we really know something's wrong, "What has He put you through, brought you through, or taught you through?"
Sometimes, I just want to say, "God, take me now." No, I'm not suicidal, I just would rather be in Heaven with the angels than in this corrupt world.
Yet the fact that we are all still here tells me that we, as believers, have some of God's work to do! A daily theme should be, "I am an ambassador for Christ!"
Then we can jump up in the air (I personally LIKE the golf club) like (is that Tiger Woods?) the golfer in the picture. Let's spread the JOY for Jesus!
T
I am with "T" on the "Lord come and take me now" train... Not that I want to not enjoy life here I just KNOW that the true treasure is what is to come.
Dont lose the fire Luke
God Bless Bro
Ditto to all that is above.
Lord take me now or use me here for Your glory. Either way don't let go.
Luke:
I look very forward to listening to those sermons. In fact, I think I'll burn them and take them on my 6 hour drive up north tomorrow night (provided I can figure out how to do it!)
I'll make sure to let you know what I think when I get back on Monday.
Thanks again :)
Luke,
Nice post.
Our treasure, our hope, and our fulfillment isn't in this life. It's in eternity in heaven.
Or couldn't we just say: Our treasure is our hope in Christ? I think this is where you were ultimately driving... Again, nice post.
Brad
I got back from my Literature class about twenty minutes ago, and we talked about death for the last forty-five minutes of class. We were talking about our views on death and how it seems to be 'taboo' in our society. At the very end I gave my views on it and how I would feel comfortable dying tomorrow. My teacher said how many people view it as an absolute end. I said I view it as a beginning, not an end.
Honestly, I was terrified to say anything in class for fear of what everyone would think. But I'm so glad that I did. And then to come home from class and be encouraged by my brothers and sister in Christ... wow. God is so amazing and faithful in the small things. Thank you, everyone who posted! My faith is definitely strengthened. Thanks for the post, Luke.
Heather: Thanks for that thought! I find that my passion for the lost is directly proportional to my reality of heaven. Like, the more real heaven is to me in my mind the more I care about others not making. The same can be true of hell..the more real it is to me...the more burden I feel for others.
Great thought Heather, I appreciate it!
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