And They Lived Happily Ever After

To a casual observer whose thoughts rarely venture outside of the present realm, the posts on this blog site would seem to have a depressing tone to them. My thoughts are not of this world, but on the world to come; the world that has no ending. The new heaven and new earth where God will be the light and the saints will dwell forever. A place void of darkness and sorrow. An inheritance incorruptible and that fadeth not away. I Corinthians 13:12 states "For now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." Throughout the bible, we are given glimpses of the world to come. While we haven't seen it, we know that the word of God is true and that we have a truly blessed hope. A hope that doesn't hinge on the economy, the middle east turmoil, the Chinese military buildup, or even the demise of this country. This is not to say that I suggest living in a cave and not caring what happens. There are lost souls all around us and while some may not want to hear the gospel now, we still have to be the salt of the earth. When things come apart, and according to scripture, they will come apart (with little physical warning) some will clammer to know the truth. Nonetheless, it's ever so important to have our sites fixed on the world to come. I know that it's become the primary theme of most of the postings here, but were in an hour when people aren't enduring sound doctrine. They're seeking out fleshy teachers who preach a fleshy gospel that caters to the physical realm but doesn't prepare one to be ready for the days that we're living in or the world to come. It's an absolute must; that we lay down every weight and sin. It's an absolute necessity that we strive to be as close to the Lord as we can be; making him the meditation of our heart day and night. When you fall in love in the natural world, you will find yourself thinking about that special person (of the opposite sex of course) constantly and you'll bend over backwards to try and please them. When someone comes against the relationship, such as a parent or a friend, your resolve will be fortified even further to make everything work out. The same princiapal applies to the Lord Jesus who shed his blood for us. We didn't deserve it; he did it out of his love for that which was lost. If we truly love him, we will want to please him. Our thoughts will be on the world to come and as II Corinthians 5:2 states, we will groan, "earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:" This desire should be stronger with each passing day, especially as that moment is closer with each passing day. When you truly love the Lord and you truly desire to finish the race that is set before you, you'll not be derailed by this world. Even if they kill the body, they can't touch the soul. As II Corinthians 5:8-9 states "We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him." II Corinthians is an awesome book, as is all of Gods word. In chapter 12, the apostle Paul writes about a man that he knew "above fourteen years ago" that had been caught up to heaven and seen paradise. Can you imagine what that must have been like to actually see it. And then come back here. Can you imagine what that must have been like? You would realize that most christians worry about a whole lot of nothing. They occupy themselves with seemingly everything except striving to be found of the Lord Jesus without spot and blameless. I remember two years ago visiting a church and they spent more time talking about the importance of the elections of 2004 than being ready to be with the Lord. I have no problem with participating in the elections (although I didn't in 2004 for reasons that would require an entire post to expain) but that is not where spiritual battles are won. We really need to keep our priorities straight and our affections on Jesus whose return we long for. "Happily ever after" isn't merely the words that you find in the end of a childrens book. They also describe the state of eternal bliss that those who have been born again will enjoy. To be with the Lord for all of eternity with all of the saints from all of the ages gathered together on that golden shore. Just thinking about it should put a song in your heart and a smile on your face.