Eternity

1John 5:11-13 - And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

I listened to a sermon last week on eternity. I thought I'd share snippets of my take on the pastor's thoughts. This is long, filled with hard words and truth, maybe not well received. Hopefully you'll get through to the end. Don't quit early. While it may be hard, there is always hope. There's always good news for those who want to hear. There's a God in heaven who loves you no matter what you might think. Even if you reject Him, He loves you. He'd rather you not reject Him. There are consequences for doing that. 

Basically, the truth that was stated in the sermon many times is: eternity stretches on and on and on. It is eternal. It never ends. Never ends. It's why it's called eternity!

There's a bit of debate about eternity. Some believe eternity is being in heaven. Along with that thought some believe all people go to heaven, or only good people go to heaven. Taking that another step is the question concerning just who is good? And...just how much good do we do to please God? How do we, mankind, determine what is good? How does man's goodness compare to God's view? Oh, to be sure, the Bible has a few things to say about these points, like, briefly, we cannot earn our way into heaven. We are told our (good) works are as filthy rags, that apart from God we can do no good thing, nor enter into heaven. Ouch.  Good works do not produce salvation; good works are the product of salvation. 

So this pastor suggests, and it's all biblical, that we all must spend eternity somewhere. We actually choose where we want to go. It's all about choice and that choice is simple. That choice will either put us in either heaven or hell. But...it is our own choice. Another ouch.

Again, we don't go to heaven based on our good works, what church we go to, how wealthy we are, or who we know. Oh wait, there is one Person we can, and must, know--Jesus Christ. The Bible was written to show us this, from Genesis to Revelation.

Life is not about what we make of it, what we accomplish or how much we accumulate in this world. God's whole purpose for creation and for creating us is to know and glorify Him. Then what we do is important. It's not about the works that we do before we know the Lord. It's about the works that we do after. Remember, all our works, before we know Christ, are as filthy rags. (Isaiah 64:6)

You will be somewhere all throughout eternity.  There is no in between. It's either heaven or hell. There is no gray area when it comes to God. We're either for Him or against Him. What you will find all throughout the Bible's pages is that a price has been paid. If we receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, that price has been paid for us and we are saved. 

So, moving on. Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ as this Lord and Savior? This question can offend people. People don't always want to be told they must have a relationship with or give their lives to Christ. But as this pastor was saying in the sermon, if you're offended by Jesus Christ, plain and simple, you're going to hell. Ouch again.

The Bible says you must be born again. There's no other way to get to heaven. You must be born again. If you want more information on what it means to be born again read John 3. You only get to heaven through Jesus Christ. That means admitting you're a no-good, rotten sinner, filled with self and pride, and absolutely powerless without God (which you find out in time)!

The great lie of the devil is like what he asked Eve in the Garden, Did Gid really say...?  Did He really say you're good enough on your own, you don't need Him, your good works are what define you, but not your relationship with Him? Remember, in the Garden Adam and Eve walked and talked with God. They didn't have to work, there was no pain, no sorrow, no shame, no tears. They lived in paradise. Heaven on earth. They tended the animals and were not ashamed of their nakedness. But then the devil slithered in and changed everything...got them banished forever from all that God said was good...and separated from Him. Now to enter into eternity, we must be reconciled again with God. God made a way. He did not offer up His Son as a sacrifice for us for the fun of it. How can we live thinking all go to heaven if not everyone even goes to Him for salvation? To be born again? 

Just as there will be a literal hell, there will be a literal heaven. It will be just the opposite. Like the description of the paradise of Eden, in Revelation we are told:

...God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

(Revelation 21:3-8)

Cowardly, unbelieving, abominable...just a few names for those who do not believe and fall into the same category as the rest. We are all in those categories...until we receive Jesus as born again believers. 

Remember Jesus on the cross between two thieves? One totally rejected Him, the other admitted his sin. What did Jesus say to that second thief? Today you will be with me in paradise!

You must go through Jesus Christ. One way and one way only. There is only one door by which we enter. That Door has a name. It is Jesus Christ. He says, I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. (John 10:9)

Hell is a place of violence, misery and hate, quite the opposite of the description above. We see enough of that today. The pastor explained, Where you spend eternity is determined now. Do you live for yourself or do you live for the Lord? If you live for yourself the Lord is not a part of your life. Maybe you don't feel you need to go to church. That's a sign that you're not living for the Lord. Maybe you don't read your Bible. That's another sign you're not living for the Lord. These may be hard words but Jesus is not Someone you can sit on the fence about. You're either with Him or without Him. And our eternity is based on that. 

But there's still that hope I mentioned in the beginning. We can still seek Him today. But we are not always assured of another day, or another hour or minute. A car crash could take you out in an instant. Without Jesus at that moment means eternal death. He is always waiting for the next person to receive Him. You've heard the words "it's never too late". For Jesus it's never early enough. He wishes none to perish.

Have you heard these messages before? Have you shut your ears and heart to them? Maybe you've not heard. I was offended when I first heard. But God softened my heart through a trial. Consider the words. Jesus is the way, truth and life; no one goes to the Father apart from Him. Like I said before, we are all considered wicked and separated from God until we have made the choice to seek Him with all our heart.  Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. (Isaiah 55:6)
Where will you spend eternity? Where do you want to?

Colossians 1:27 - To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

A Sunday Message Take-Away

Genesis 6:5 - Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of MAN was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

History is repeating itself. We need to understand and believe this. God showed us, He warns us, the signs are out there. I went to a church in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan two Sundays ago with some girlfriends in Christ. This preacher was not subtle in his sermon, which I like. 

Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of MAN was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the LORD said, “I will DESTROY man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.”

The EARTH also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. And God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will DESTROY them with the earth.”

(‭‭Genesis‬ ‭6:5-7, 11-13‬)

An ark was made. All who entered were saved by the great flood. Those people were eight in number...a remnant of believers. This small family left behind family and friends for their belief in their God. It will happen again. 

Like the whole account of Noah’s ark and the great flood, Jesus said He is the Door. The ark had only one door. There is only one way to the Father to obtain salvation. Jesus saves. Works do not, government does not, nothing else does. One way: “I am THE way, THE truth, THE life.” In Noah’s day only that handful survived and were saved. It’s a picture of what will happen again.  laugh it off, don’t pooh-pooh the idea. Don’t be one of the end-time scoffers. It should not be 

Anything that goes against the Word of God is rebellion. One biblical definition of "rebel” is that one refuses to come under the authority of someone who is above them. Or, man rebelling against a human king or God. I'm thankful, however, that when we repent of this rebellion and turn to God, whether it is the first time or another, He will forgive. If not...

Psalm 107:10-13 -Those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, bound in affliction and irons--b

ecause they rebelled against the words of God, and despised the counsel of the Most High, t

herefore He brought down their heart with labor; they fell down, and there was none to help. 

Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses. 

He Shall Surely Live

Ezekiel 18:4-5,9 - “Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine; the soul who sins shall die. But if a man is just and does what is lawful and right...If he has walked in My statutes and kept My judgments faithfully—he is just; he shall surely live!” says the Lord GOD.

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I’ve been reading the book of Ezekiel and came to Ezekiel 18:4. The soul of the father and the soul of the son are both God’s. If the father chooses not to believe in God and lives unrighteously, God says he will die. However, if the son sees the unrighteousness of his father and chooses not to follow In his father's ways, he will live. This to me speaks of personal relationship.  

This is what Jesus says: I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. ‭(John‬ ‭14:6) No one comes to the father but through Him. No one will receive eternal life without first receiving Christ. It’s a personal choice. It’s my decision alone. It’s your decision. If you have heard the Gospel and choose to be like the father above, you’ve made your decision. If you choose to be like the son, you’ve made a good choice. Knowing someone who knows the Lord doesn’t count. 

There is another scripture that tells us that the road to destruction is very wide but the road to eternal life is very narrow. This is also talking about those who will receive Christ and those who will not. There are many religions in the world but not all of them lead to God the Father. There is only one God, one Son, one Spirit and one way. Only one legitimate God. 

God cannot honor someone who looks to a myriad of animals as gods or bows to lifeless statues or the dead that have no power to save. He is not going to honor a religion that believes killing, not loving, is the right thing and treats its women with disrespect. 

There is only one way to heaven and that is through Jesus Christ. All souls are His. He has the right to decide who lives or dies...but, thankfully, we have been given instructions on what to do. It’s very plain, very simple. The way He has chosen is receiving His Son, no matter how sinful we might be. He will forgive our sins. But we can’t do it on our own; it must be through Jesus. The rest is also spelled out...Follow Me. Be obedient to His Word. 

Just because someone attends church every week doesn’t mean they will go to heaven. If it’s an obligation or a work (law) it doesn’t count. No man has control over another’s spiritual life. Only God/Jesus. Some will point us toward Jesus but only we can make the decision. It's not based on what we think is good. What counts is having met Christ, realizing our sins, repenting of those sins and then living for Christ from that day on. It’s not living for Him one day a week but every day. It’s having been met by Christ and changing heart attitudes and lifestyles. 

Today is still available to make the decision for Christ. Do what is right in the eyes of God. 

Joshua‬ ‭24:15‬ ‭- And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

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In That Day...It Shall Come to Pass

Isaiah 10:12 - Therefore it shall come to pass, when the LORD has performed all His work...

So many prophecies, so many truths, so many promises. Just in a couple chapters of Isaiah (10-11) we are told just what will happen in that day. What day? When God reveals His glory to the world. When all His work is finally performed. When He is about to reign in righteousness for all to see. When vengeance is His. When the righteous will be avenged. When arrogance will be punished. When remnant believers will be returned to the LORD to live finally in peace and reign with Him on earth. When burdens will be removed. When all the earth will praise the LORD and call upon His name. 

Those who remain faithful to God will undergo troubles in this world for their testimonies and belief in Him. They will be persecuted for their beliefs. Those who believe what the Word says and take it to heart. Look at the long line of martyrs for the Word of God. Those killed for calling themselves Christians in non-Christian countries, and maybe even here some day. Look at those who have been scoffed, thrown into prison, killed. Hmmm, didn't Jesus go through that? Didn't He say that would happen? Remember the word that I said to you ... If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. ... (‭‭John‬ ‭15:20‬)

Those who remain faithful to the end will receive the prize, scripture tells us. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. (‭‭2Timothy‬ ‭4:7-8‬)  I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians‬ ‭3:14‬)

Believe me, there is only one way to life in this world. It is through Jesus Christ. No one else. No good works without Him first. One way, truth and life. A church, denomination, pastor or priest, family member (including Jesus' mother), or anyone given special status by earthly men. One way, as Jesus Himself has said. And it's never too late to learn of and accept the truth. 

Just before these verses in Isaiah, there is the greatest of all truths: that For all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still. (Isaiah 5:25, 9:12,17,21, 10:4, to name a few)  This means there's still time. Still time to know the Lord, admit our weaknesses. Still time to receive Christ as Savior and Lord. Still time to set aside arrogance and pride in believing we can go it alone without Jesus. Still time to realize believing our own goodness, which we do not have, will secure our salvation without relying on God's grace. 

Still time! Because as God says, has prophesied, has promised: In that day...it shall come to pass. It will come to pass! Today is a good day to present yourself humbly before the Lord, ask for forgiveness for all unrighteousness. He says come, by faith, not seeing, and If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1John‬ ‭1:9‬)

John‬ ‭14:6‬ ‭- Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”