Eternity

Avoiding Red Lights

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This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. 1 John 5:3 NKJV

Choosing circuitous routes around the downtown area used to be my specialty. Traffic lights in our city were painfully long especially around the six railroad crossings that went right through the city center. A red light was an enemy and a frustrating obstacle designed to hold me back.

Then I got older. My vision, hearing and joints conspired to slow me down. The prospect of pulling out into three lanes of speeding cars no longer seemed like such a cinch. Then I began to see that traffic signals were an opportunity and not a barrier.

In the daily rush of our Christian life it is no different. God does not set up the traffic signals of commandments to be obstacles but rather to direct and protect us. John who had been the youngest disciple learned that Jesus never taught us anything to hold us back but only to help us run our race at a pace that will lead us to heaven!

Preparing a Home for Jesus

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Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him; and he with Me. Revelation 3:20 ESV

When we Christians think of heaven we generally focus on how Jesus has a place prepared for us there. But heaven is not just some geographical place we go to live; it is God coming to live with us. So how can we prepare a place for Him? The good news is that we can’t; but Jesus can!

Now it isn’t exactly like what happened when we had some remodeling done in our kitchen but it does share some certain points. First; we needed to realize that the repairs needed were more than we could handle. That is what Jesus meant when He said, “If any man hears my voice and opens the door.”

KIMG1580Our job was to open the door when our contractors showed up. Imagine if instead of letting the kitchen installers in, we just started hammering away ourselves. That is what we do when we leave Jesus outside our door. He has everything necessary to remodel our hearts but first we have to let Him in.

 

On the other hand; unlike our project; Jesus doesn’t just plan on showing up, doing his work and going home. Jesus said that He wanted to come in, sit down and stay. His plan begins by demolishing our old life along with our sins on the cross. Then He follows up with all the changes and new materials needed being installed through His resurrection. When He has finished His job we will discover that Heaven is simply where He sits down at our kitchen table and enjoys a meal with us forever in that place inside of us which only He can prepare!

 

 

Precious Promises

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There is no better known symbol of precious stones than the diamond. But of even greater value are God’s promises in the middle of the real struggles in our lives. Peter writes these words as he faces the end of his own life at the hands of executioners. He looks back for a moment remembering how at the Lord’s invitation he had walked on water. In his mind he still sees the fish and loaves multiplied for 5,000 and a blind man by the roadside receiving sight. He could still recall his own tears when Jesus had looked at him while words of denial echoed in his mouth. Then only a few days later Jesus met with him to renew His promise that Peter was still loved and had been specially chosen to care for people just like us. How amazing and precious are these promises that Peter now passes on to us!