A Far Better Place

John 14:2-3 - In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 

“Libya is in a far better place,” Jay Carney, Press Secretary to President Obama said in response to Moammar Qaddafi's death. Perhaps they are. I doubt very highly that Qaddafi is.

By no means does this whittling away of terrorist leaders mean we are out of the woods. There will always be someone to rise up and become a new threat. You can look back at history and see that war and the desire for control has always been apart of our lives. 

You can also look in the Book of Revelation where it tells about one who is yet to come, a conqueror, but not a good one. This man will come to pretend he is there to promote peace when he is there to promote his own agenda because he knows his days are numbered, according to our soon coming King. It is this conqueror's desire to take as many down with him as he possibly can. I would venture to say he would not be unlike the Qadaffis, Bin Ladens, Hitlers or any other tyrant, probably worse.

This appears to be what our enemies want. And they will continue to fight in any way they can to see to it they worm their way into our lives and our country. There’s even talk that some are in our country already...

A far better place. Reminds me of the words often spoken after the death of someone. Not everyone, sadly, goes to that far better place. We are in a day and age where the wars and rumors of war is happening. Despite what many think, our Lord will return soon. The question is, how many are ready to go to that far better place?

We can have the promise of this place that has been prepared for those who have sought and listened to the Truth. That place is only in our dreams if we believe that our works and being good will get us to heaven. We cannot be assured based on this. 

I heard first hand the amazing account of a hospice nurse. She is a born again believer. She explained how so often nurses don't get breaks during their day and it's not unusual to go without restroom or lunch breaks during their entire shift. They are constantly pulled here and there. 

She does, however, if she has the opportunity while in a patient's room, ask if she can pray for them. What she found so amazing was that when she does this, or when a patient or family member has requested she come back to pray for them, she is never missed elsewhere. Although she might have no time to eat she always has time to pray to or encourage a patient. Why? She was about the Father's business. Nothing gets in the way of the possibility of another soul being saved.

She went on to explain how truly sad it is when patients are clergy, whether pastor, priest or nun, and they tell her how afraid they are that they might not have done enough or have not been good enough to get to heaven! I can only assume she was able to allay those fears and as so often can happen, see a deathbed acceptance of Jesus Himself. 

There's only one assurance...that of receiving and knowing Jesus. It's about coming into relationship with Him. It's confessing our sins to Him and letting Him heal us spiritually. It's His job to save us. It's His work. We cannot save ourselves. When we let Him show us all things, let Him do the work of sanctifying, replenishing and bringing us peace in our lives, then we will have this assurance. The more we fight against this, the more we lose the battle.

There is a dizzying array of options when it comes to religion, and the culture around us says that they are all equally valid. It seems absolutely bizarre to people that someone would say, "This one way is the truth and the only truth.” - Amy Orr-Ewing, Director of Programs for the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics and Training Director at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in the United Kingdom.

Amy Orr-Ewing tells us it appears arrogant to make the statement Jesus made that He was the Way, Truth and Life and that no one goes to the Father but by Him. Another point she makes is the idea of exclusion, meaning that not all religions are correct, that there are some excluded from this possibility. One other point she makes I brought up the other day...that His family and others thought He was basically out of His mind to claim He was the Way. 

Those who know and serve the one true God are blessed with the truth. He is our strength and shield. He will protect us against our enemies. He will take us to that far better place by our knowledge of Him. Seek that wisdom; seek that truth. He IS the Way, the only Way.

 John 14:3-4,6 - And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know. Jesus said ... I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.