Who's Going to Help them

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  

–  John 13:34-35

A Polar Vortex has descended once again upon the country of America.  From coast to coast, people are experiencing record-setting low temperatures, freezing rain, and ice storms.  As I watch the news, I recall a memory from when we had just moved to Florida, years ago. I had just left the office.  It was late, probably well after 11 PM, but I had put the final touches on the presentation, and the meeting in the morning was going to be a slam-dunk.  I had been working on the project for well over 8 months, and finally, we were ready to reveal it to the executives, and if they approved it, we would get our funding.  As I walked out the door into the parking garage, I noticed it was darker than I expected and much colder.   Having not worn a jacket this day, I was freezing by the time I reached my car.  It was one of those nights when you could see your breath as it seemed to hang just in front of you.  This didn’t change, even when I shut the door and started the engine.  It had been 60 degrees that morning, but a Nordic cold front had moved in the temperature dropped to the 20’s.  Yes, it even gets cold in Florida in the winter months, nothing like we are all experiencing now, but cold nonetheless.

I sat in my car for a few minutes waiting for the temperature to warm up.  Finally, the vents were blowing full blast, and warm air started to ease the shivering.  I proceeded to leave the work campus out onto the service drive next to I-4.  As I drove under the highway, I couldn’t believe my eyes.  Where did all of these people come from?  At least a hundred people were lying close together under the highway with cardboard, plastic bags, and newspapers covering them.  The only protection they had that night from the bitter chill in the air was whatever they could find lying on the ground during the day.  They lay close together so their body warmth would help, but even then, they had to be freezing.  I was frozen just walking 5 minutes to my car; these people had to endure this weather for the next 8 to 10 hours until the sun came up.

Do you ever have one of those moments when you come to realize just how unbelievably blessed you really are?  There are millions of people every day living on the streets around the world.  The homeless population is not going down, but just the opposite, it’s getting worse.  This includes those that are in shelters, but the number of beds in shelters is pretty static, and therefore, the number of people on the streets is increasing dramatically.  Many reasons cause homelessness, including violent and abusive relationships, financial hardship, drug addictions, mental illness, and teenage runaways.  In many cases, the individuals on the streets are not there because they chose it; they are there because of a series of events that left them without financial means and no ability to recover.

Regardless of the reason for their arrival in this situation in life, we have an obligation to love them.  Their status, their lack of home ownership, or their ability to have a job does not differentiate them from you and me in God’s eyes.  His love is indeterminate and immutable.  It has no condition and cannot be changed.  The love that is given to You from God the Father is equally available to the person without a home to lay their head.  Consider the fact that Jesus Christ never owned a home {Matthew 8:20}.  He was taken in by those around Him every night, or slept under the stars, I imagine.  We must be able to look at the homeless living around and amongst us and find ways to bring them comfort, peace, and love.

How do we demonstrate God’s love to those who have no internet, no TV, no bible and are often ignored and forgotten?  We must go to them.  They are not inclined to come to your door and ask for help, and the shelters can only hold so many.  Showing God’s love is the one thing we can do by simply reaching out to them in their environment.  

Here is my recommendation.  If you have the means, put 4 to 5 blankets in your trunk, and a few bags of non-perishable, easy-to-open food items, along with some hygiene products and feminine products.  Keep this supply of items in your car, so that the next time you drive by a homeless person, you can do something to share God’s love.  Hand them the blanket or bag, give them a blessing from God (as simple as “God loves you and wanted me to give this to you”), and then, most importantly, pray for that person.  Then replenish the supply in your car for the next opportunity that comes along.  We can all make a difference in the lives of those around us simply by taking the time to do something.

Love One Another

 “Dear friends, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Whoever loves is a child of God and knows God” – 1 John 4:7

When the crying had stopped, the little girl managed to tell her father just what had happened.  Apparently, there had been an argument over a toy, and the young boy had gotten somewhat aggressive with the little girl.  Both kids were prone to fighting and arguing from time to time, as all brothers and sisters do.  But this time, the tears in his daughter’s eyes were much more real, and the situation she described was far beyond the average spat between siblings.  The boy had lost his temper and physically hit his sister, who was 2 years older, but still much more fragile.  The father quickly analyzed the situation and had to make a prompt decision.  He could scold the boy, discipline him, and try to enforce their policy of peace rather than violence, but this wasn’t the first time, so obviously it didn’t work before.

The father called the boy into the room.  As he stood by the door, head hung in shame and guilt, the father called him closer.  “Joey, did you hit your sister?” the father asked.  “She pushed me and wouldn’t give me the game,” he replied.  “That is not the answer to the question I asked you, though is it?  Once again, did you hit your sister? Yes or no.”  “Yes”, Joey said with defeat in his voice.  “Joey, tell me the bible story about Jesus beating up the men in Jerusalem who arrested him.  Is that in Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John?”  Joey thought a moment and answered that he couldn’t.

“Oh, come on, there must be a story of Jesus beating up someone.  After all, they arrested him, beat him, spit on him, called him names, nailed him to a cross, and killed him.  You mean he never raised a hand against them?” 

“No, sir.” 

“Well, he must have cursed them from the cross, right?” 

“No, sir.” 

“Well, tell me what he did to those men who beat him and spit upon him and nailed him to the cross?”

“He forgave them.”

“Really, just like that, he forgave them?  Wow.  Now tell me, what was it that your sister did to you that made you think you should hit her so hard that her arm is bruised and she had to come to me crying?”

How often do we overreact when someone wrongs us?  It is common for us to seek some sort of revenge when we are taken advantage of or hurt in any way.  God teaches us throughout the scriptures that vengeance is His and that we are to love our neighbor.  Who is our neighbor?  I propose that it is all of those you come in contact with throughout the day.  It is not only those who live on your block, but those who live on the earth.  The need for God’s love to be shared is not limited by the physical address you happen to live at.  If you wander across the railroad tracks to the “other” side of town, your neighborhood just doubled in size.  If you are traveling abroad, your neighborhood just expanded by thousands of miles.  God’s love is for all mankind; who are we to decide who is and is not worthy of receiving it?

The key is to seek the love of others as if God Himself were looking through your eyes.  There may be times when you find yourself beyond control, so look to Him for the strength to forgive and love them.  God has given everything for you and asked that you give everything for Him in return.  Who is it that you need to forgive today?  I think it’s time, take that step, won’t you?

You're Lovable None the Less

Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? No, in all these things we are conquerers through Him who loved us"  Romans 8:34-37

The rose drops petals when left uncut.  The bold redness fades to black, and they wither before they become disjoined from the stem.  Eventually, the stalk is bare and naked of its radiance and beauty.  But is it still a rose?  If not, then what is it?

The child wakes angry at his or her parents for their authority and strictness.  Friends whisper in their ear that they don’t need the parents, or the rules, or judgment.  The child packs a bag, takes a few $20 bills from Dad’s wallet, and walks out the door, hops in a car, and is gone.  No note, Tweet, text, or call – just gone.  Is he or she still the child of those parents?

Tell me then, at what point in our lives can we stop being children of God?  If our spirit dies within us, and the fire is burnt out, has the love of our Father changed?  If we have chosen the wrong path and done unmentionable acts of unrighteousness, is the redemptive act of Christ’s death and resurrection unattainable?  Tell me of the sinful action that you have determined is beyond God’s grace and mercy. 

The Pharisees and Sadducees lived their lives as if they could abide within God’s law.  Even in their education, discipline, and strictness, their hearts and arrogance exposed their unrighteousness.  Jesus Christ came as the new covenant between man and God, not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it with perfection.  His life portrayed the will, the love, and the spirit of God Almighty.  Through His perfection, He introduced us to God’s expectations of His children.  The problem this created, though, is that mankind is incapable of living this life because of our inherent sinful nature.

The fact that we are born of mankind, the blood of Adam runs through us.  The sinful nature over millennia of time has not washed clean and never will.  Jesus Christ was not born of man’s blood, but born of the Holy Spirit, through Mary.  The fact that in His perfection and holiness, He took our sins upon Himself and provided complete redemption for all of our iniquities.  The blood He shed upon the cross was a pure sacrifice from the lamb of God and sufficient for any sin that had been, or would ever be.  His life and His blood are all that He could give, nothing more.  If it is not sufficient to redeem the sin that dwells within you, then it is insufficient for any sin.  God did not send His Son to die for some, but for ALL who believe in Him.  Otherwise, John 3:16 might read something like this: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, so that some of you who believe in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.”  You know that is not what it says, you know this verse by heart, and you know it says “…that whosoever believes …”

You either believe it or you don’t.  If you don’t, then you are stating you don’t believe that God’s word is truthful and authentic.  It indicates that you believe you know more than the Creator about the rules and guidelines for eternal life.  Here is the reality of the situation.  You are dealing with human guilt, pressed down upon you by your own feelings, not from God.  You see, God cannot love you more than He does.  He gave you everything you need to enter eternal life with Him in heaven.  There is no second round of redemption coming; Christ’s death and resurrection are sufficient.  This love of the Father is infinitely greater than anything our human mind can conceive and therefore cannot be increased, nor can it be decreased.  It is unchanging, immutable, and consistent.  Nothing you can do can separate you from His love?  It is strictly your choice whether you want to accept it or not.  Just as your child will always be your child, whether they are happy with you at the moment or not, you were created by Him and for Him, and you can’t undo that.

Nothing, no Nothing

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 8:38-39

 

The morning sun was just peaking over the horizon as he rolled over.   The first thing he noticed was that he was not in his bedroom.  It took a moment or two for him to recall what had happened and how he had ended up in this place.  His vision was very blurred, and breathing was difficult because a tube was coming from his mouth and taped to his cheek.  Despite his attempts to move his body, he couldn’t.  It’s as if his muscles couldn’t react to his brain's commands.  Through his squinting eyes, he saw the IV bag hanging and tubes connected to his arm, wires connected to his forehead, and a myriad of machines with numbers, making beeping sounds.  He noticed that his chest and abdomen were wrapped in white bandages, and there was a large circle of red and black right in the center of the bandages.  Suddenly, his mind began recalling what happened.  As the memories began to fill his mind from the night before, a pain overtook him, and he felt himself drifting back into a state of unconsciousness.

His mind did not stop, though.  He felt as if he were floating above his physical body and looking down upon himself.  He saw the hospital bed, the equipment and monitors, the blood-stained bandages, and his mother in the corner crying.  Then his eyes were captured by the tattoos covering his arms and shoulders.  The naked nymph that he had gotten in Mexico, the skull and crossbones, the knife blade dripping blood, the snake wrapping around the shoulder, the tattoo of the gun and bullet entering through the eye of a child.  The tattoos caused his mind to roll through his life history.  Small glimpses from his youth through today began to fill his vision in his unconscious state.  The life of partying, drugs, and violence; the people he had hurt, the pain he had caused others, all began to be revealed to him.  He saw all the women he had used and abused.  He saw the children now addicted to crack cocaine because he sold them their first joint.  He saw his mother’s tears as he slapped her and slammed his bedroom door in her face when he was just a boy himself.  He saw his dad taking his own life in their bathroom at home.  Then he saw himself as a small boy playing baseball and riding his new bicycle after school.  He saw his best friend, and he was laughing and playing with Hot Wheels and GI Joes.  The sky was blue, the sun was bright, and the grass was green as he saw himself learning how to ride a tricycle.

Suddenly, his eyes moved to the machine in the corner the beeps were slowing and the line had very few bars on the screen.  Something was happening as he looked at his body in that bed.  His chest was barely rising and falling any longer.  A bright flash of light and he was back in his dream like state.  He saw himself as a twelve year old boy walking down the aisle in church.  He recalled the large cross with Jesus hanging at the front of the sanctuary as he made his way down the long aisle toward the minister standing by his dad’s coffin.  As he touched the hard cold wood, he felt a hand on his shoulder.  Looking up it was Jesus Christ looking down into his eyes, with more love than he had ever felt before.  He said four simple words, “I’ll always love you.” 

A blur flashed before the man’s eyes and he was now standing in the same church, except the church was empty, dark and cold.  His eyes lifted to see the cross on the wall, Christ hanging there still.  In his vision, the man began weeping bitterly at the choices he had made in life since the last time he knelt on these steps.  Then a hand was on his shoulder and looking up, Christ stood before him, looking down upon him with incredible love.  “I’ll always love you.”, He whispered.  The man raised his arms showing his tattoos and scars from the needles and from the time he tried to take his life.  “But Jesus you don’t understand the things I’ve done, and people I’ve hurt”, the man cried out.  “I LOVE YOU.”, Jesus replied.  “No.  I raped that girl and I stole that woman’s purse.  I was in prison for shooting that kid in a fight.  I robbed the liquor store and beat that old man.  I haven’t stepped foot in this church in 20 years.”, the man argued back.  “I LOVE YOU.”, Jesus replied, and then raised the man to his feet and embraced him.  The man saw his own arms as Jesus lifted him and they were wiped clean, the tattoos were gone as was the bandages. 

“Nothing you do can separate you from Me and My love for you.”, Jesus said as He placed a kiss upon the man’s forehead.  He was swept away through the blurry darkness back to the hospital room and then total darkness.  His eyes opened once again, blurry looking up at the ceiling and the tubes and wires coming from his body.  Shifting his eyes to the side, he saw the monitors and the line was normal once again.  There were two doctors saying he’s stable now.  He saw his mother standing by his bed.  Her hand touching his face as tears flowed from her eyes, she smiled and said, “Welcome back.  We thought we lost you.”

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You may feel that you have done terrible things in your life up to this point.  I want you to know that despite those choices, those actions, God’s love for you has never changed.  He loved you when you were born just as much as He loves you now.  His love is unchanging and just when you think you’re beyond His grace, He will lift you up, clean off the past and carry you forward to a new day.  Perhaps today is that day for you to receive His offering of grace and love.  If so, please pray this prayer with me, and invite Jesus into your heart as your Lord and Savior today.

Come, Jesus, Come

Revelation 22:7-21

And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.”“And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”

I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”

And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.  Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”

“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.  Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.

Jesus revelation through John’s vision concludes with the promise that Jesus Christ is coming soon.  He is bringing with him the reward for every person that they deserve.  As the Alpha and the Omega, He is the Creator and the fulfiller of all time and space.  At this conclusion, the end has come upon mankind, and the eternal state has been designed and finalized for each based upon their decisions in life.  But in this eternal space, there is no time, and it will be separate from sin, evil, sorcery, sexual immorality, murderers, idolaters, and those who practice falsehood, lawlessness, and deceit.   

Are you prepared to participate with Jesus in this new kingdom, this new earth, and reside in the new Jerusalem as promised?  If you believe you are, then you must live as if you believe it wholeheartedly.  Those of us who have decided to follow Jesus and His teachings, and call Him Savior and Lord, must wake every day ready for Christ to return.  If we are to claim that we belong in this group, then we must also accept the responsibility that comes along with it.

If we claim we are blessed and worthy to be with God one day in this eternal heaven, we must ask if our walk every day represents the characteristics and truth of Jesus Christ.  None can be perfect, not one can live without sin (other than Christ himself), no, not one is worthy of eternity with God.  We may consider our life to be good, some may even consider it to be great, and righteous, when we compare it to those around us.  But, how does it stand up against the life of Jesus Christ?  He is our bellwether, not your neighbor.  Grace offered through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the payment for your sins.  His blood is the sacrificial blood to atone for your iniquities and transgressions.  For without His death and resurrection, you are just like those who, throughout Revelation, experience the unstoppable wrath of God, the Father.

All throughout Revelation, John has shared with us the vision that Jesus allowed him to share.  He has instructed that it is not sealed up, but shared and spread to all believers, so that they will know what is required and will obey.  He instructed that it not be changed, nor added to, as some have done over time.  This is a sure way to determine if a prophet is of God or not.  If God tells John that nothing can be added or changed from what has been written, yet some spiritual leaders claim that they have additional scriptures beyond the Bible, we can immediately question their authenticity and discern their truth.  This book in the Bible has given you a full understanding of the end times.  We are told to read, study, understand, and live as if Christ returns tomorrow.

As the bride, we must be dressed in our white garments, full of anticipation for the bridegroom’s return.  If you are living outside of His obedience and righteousness, now is the time to carefully consider your walk and get right, fix it to align with His truth and commandments.  The 10 Commandments were not written for a period of time, but for God’s children for all time.  This should be your guidance, along with the truth’s shared in the book of Revelation to abide and follow His teachings.  It’s not just a fairy tale, it is the true written Word of God and needs to be taken seriously.  We can observe around us that we are nearing the end times, and we must be sincere with those we love to make sure they are aware and prepared as well.  

We need to stand and be able to say “Come, Lord Jesus, Come”

New Jerusalem - Final Home

Revelation 21:9-12,22-27

Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.”  And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God,  having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.  It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed

(22) And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.  And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.  By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it,  and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there.  They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations.  But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

The eternal living space for God’s children is the new Jerusalem.  Over 2 million square miles with 200-foot walls, larger than the countries of France or England as we know it.  No sun, no moon, no night.  The Lord’s light will shine eternally, and there will be no reason for a sun or moon to provide light.  God and the Lamb will be dwelling with mankind in this new realm.  We will be in His presence always; there is no need for a Temple, a synagogue, a holy of holies to seek God.  

Recall, if you will, the veil in the Holy Temple of Jerusalem tore from top to bottom when Jesus Christ was crucified.  This veil was the separation from God’s presence in the temple and was restricted to the high priest only.  When the veil was torn, it opened up access to God through Jesus Christ directly.  In this new Jerusalem, there is no temple, no veil, no holy of holies; we are in the presence of God and Jesus at all times.

No evil, no unclean presence, or detestable thing will be in this realm.  God’s perfect presence is protected from all unrighteousness and impurities.  It will be a realm of holiness and righteousness only.  Those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life will be accepted in, filled with goodness and love for each other and God, the Father.  Paul tells us in 1st Corinthians 15:44, that our new resurrected bodies will be “spiritual” and capable of being in God’s presence and perfected glory.  Unlike our current existence, which is filled with original sin and unrighteousness.  We must be resurrected into our heavenly bodies to co-exist in the presence with God and the Lamb.

It is quite conceivable that nations will still exist in the new Jerusalem.  The definition of the design calls out 12 gates, one for each nation, tells us that there will at least be 12 nations in the new realm.  Also, we read in Revelation 12 that the promised Messiah “will rule over the nations”, and in Revelation 22, we will see that God talks about the leaves of the tree of life will heal all the nations.  

Much like the previous story of the Bridegroom going and preparing a place for Himself and the bride to live, Jesus told the disciples, in John 14, “I am going there to prepare a place for you . . . And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”  This new Jerusalem is the place which Jesus, the Bridegroom, has prepared for you and me.  He will return, just as He said He would, one day to take us there, where we will live eternally with Him.  Jesus Christ is the Light of the World (John 8:12) and will provide the unquenchable light for all eternity in this new realm.

These are the promises by which we hold onto.  The truth that God has a better plan for us than the world in which we live today.  Read Revelation 21 completely for an in-depth description of this new Jerusalem, and you will be amazed at the beauty and eloquence of detail provided in John’s vision from God.  We are destined to live in luxury eternally with God, the Father.  So when we say “do not store up treasures on earth, but rather in heaven where moth and rust and thieves cannot destroy or steal” (Matthew 6:19-21), this is what we refer to.  Your heavenly realm will be unbelievably beautiful and plentiful with God and the Lamb forever.

New Heaven and Earth

Revelation 21:1-8

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.  And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.  The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.  But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.

Genesis 1: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

The Creator is the only real authority.  The same God who created the earth and the heavens also created you and me.  He alone is capable of determining when the earth and heavens will be extinguished, despite the global warming and climate control authorities’ intended message.  Also, recognize the statement “the sea was no more.”  In this context, John is not referring to the sea as a body of water, but rather the place where the “beast” came up from.  Refer back to Revelations 13:1 – “Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads…”.  

John’s vision here is a new Jerusalem, prepared to be the dwelling place of God with man.  This is going to be our eternal resting place with God amongst us.  Being in His presence forever and ever more will be the reward.  This new realm will be the perfection of God, without fear, suffering, death, mourning, crying, or pain.  Those things that resulted from the evil in our world will not exist in this new world.  God’s love will be overwhelming at all times.

Because God is the Alpha and the Omega (beginning and the end), He alone controls all things.  Life, death, and eternity are within his purview and authority.  He was there when you were created, He was there when you were afraid, He was there when you did that stupid thing, He was there when you were angry, He was there when you were sad and felt lost, He was there when you fell in love, He was at the wedding, He was at the childbirth, He was at the job interview, He was at the funeral when you’re best friend died, He was even there when you hated Him for that season.  You see, He never left your side.  He knows all that you have been through, and He has been through it with you.  God is omnipotent, sovereign, and ever-present, there is nowhere you can go and nothing you can do without His knowing.  Read Psalm 139 and reflect on the fact that God knows you completely.

In Revelation 20 we saw God’s eternal judgment poured out upon those who continued to deny and reject Him.  John refers to them again here: the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, liars, and the like will be cast into the lake of fire.  Having died once physically, this death (second death) is eternal.  There will be no opportunity for them to repent and come back from the bottomless pit to join us in the new realm with God the Father.  Eternally, they will be separated.

Let’s reflect for a moment on those who have passed away with faith and belief in Jesus Christ.  We are comforted to know that they are no longer in pain, no suffering, no tears, no fear, no torment, or worry.  This is warming to the very heart of those of us still here.  We long for them, for their voice, their hug, their laughter, their love, their smile, and their presence, but we know they are in a much better place.  We trust that we will one day stand side by side with them and our Creator again in this new world.  This is hope.  This is our longing and our expectation, because we are promised by the Creator.  

If those you love and cherish do not have a faith or belief in Jesus Christ, there is an eternal fate for them, but it will be separated from you and the Father.  Please take seriously every opportunity to share the truth and the gospel with them.  If you love them at all, you want nothing but the eternal best for them.  You may feel it is not your business, but you are wrong.  Yes, it is a private decision that every person must make, and God gives each of us the free will to make it. However, you have the opportunity to share your decision and ensure they have the full story to make an informed decision themselves.  Don’t let another day go by; do something for the ones you love today.