Tag: eternity

The Grace of Time

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Have you ever thought of the many different ways the grace of God shows up in our lives? Have you ever taken a moment to reflect on His great gift of time?

Time. Oh, how precious it is. For every second that has passed, there will not be another in its place. Once those moments, hours, days, and years are gone, they are gone.

Time is not a reusable commodity. It’s a use-it-while-you-have-it reality.

Therefore, when I think about time, I think of each precious bit that is doled out to us daily, not only as a gift but as God’s grace at work in our lives once again.

The grace of time can present itself in so many ways. Perhaps, it’s found in just the few extra seconds the light stayed green for you during a hectic morning rush. It could be found in the opportunity to hold a dear one a little bit longer. At one point in the Bible, God even graced Joshua and the army of Israel with more time to advance against their enemies by holding the sun and the moon still (Joshua 10:12-13).

But I think the most precious grace of time is seen in the longsuffering of our Heavenly Father. 2 Peter 3:9 shows us, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” This verse shows us the love in action behind the grace of time. It shows us that our eternal God, who is not bound by the hours on the clock, holding off the final day of judgment for a little while longer to give as many as possible the chance to repent and turn their lives around.

This grace of time isn’t for us to determine when it is done. The judgment of time belongs to the Father. Even Jesus said, “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father,” (Mark 13:32).

To that, He adds, “Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is,” (Mark 13:33).

How wise it would be for us to take a page from David’s story and acknowledge, “For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding,” (1 Chronicles 29:15).

With that being said, Father God, we thank You for this day that you have given us, and we thank You for the grace of time.

“My times are in thy hand . . .” Psalm 31:15

“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” Psalm 90:12

“Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” Ephesians 5:16

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The Gates of Glory

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Your beauty, O God, cannot be compared. I pray for many souls to be able to experience Your gates of glory. To walk through the doorways of heaven and to have their eyes feast on the sight of wonders beyond compare.

I pray for hearts to feel the embrace of love as everything in heaven welcomes them home. I pray for many to know what it is like to leave all the worries of this world outside those doors and to celebrate total freedom from all that tried to hold them down.

On this side of those gates, we can only imagine what that day will look like. But over there, the rich fulfillment of every Scripture-breathed promise will be seen, known, and felt, beautifully overwhelming us with the glory of our God.

Oh, that day is coming, dear friend. All will be revealed, and we will wonder no more. No, because there, we move from wonder to experience and this experience is its own reward.

Father God, thank You that You have prepared such a glorious place for us to dwell with You for all eternity. Beyond those gates, You welcome us into Your heavenly throne room. You welcome us into Your presence forever, no more to be separated by sin, death, and every failing thing this world offered. “In thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psalm 16:11). Beyond the gates of glory, our souls will take in every beautiful thing that You are without hindrance or obstacle. Beyond those gates is where I want to be, and I thank You for this salvation You have secured for me. It is my heart’s desire for many souls to be blessed to enjoy Your presence. In the mighty and matchless name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I pray, AMEN!

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By the Seaside With Jesus

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“And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land.  And he taught them many things by parables . . .” Mark 4:1, 2

By the seaside with Jesus. To sit under His words. To hear His gentle yet commanding voice. The stories He told were more than just stories. They unfolded the realities of life. More importantly, they opened the truth of the Kingdom of God.

“Who hath ears to hear, let him hear,” He speaks (Mt. 13:9), knowing the choice will always be up to the individual heart.

He will plead for you to listen. He will die in case you do. For no story is worth more than the story of love played out in the life of this beautiful Savior who sees us, knows us, and still decides to lay it all down for us regardless of what our choice may be.

Sitting with Jesus beside the sea is a beautiful scenario. But sitting with Jesus within heaven’s walls is even more glorious. It’s a story whose chapters never end, being read through eternity is the love we have found in this Friend.

Don’t settle for the here and now, look for Him then. For by the seaside, those stories lead to a marvelous end.

I would love to sit with Jesus, with my toes in the water, but on this earth, I don’t want to loiter.

Those stories, those words, put a seed in my soul, and I declare today, on good ground, it was sown.

The call of the sea is beautiful to me, but more pulling is the call, with Him, to spend eternity.

“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14:3

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A Day in Your Courts

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“For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.” Psalm 84:10

Only what we do for Christ will last. Only where we settle our hearts and affection will it ever matter to our eternity as a whole.

David knew that to be where God is, is better than to be anywhere else.

Out of all the clamoring voices and vices for our attention, the still small voice of God welcomes us, lovingly, and ever so gently to come where He is.

Imagine, my friend, the peace of His presence in that place of worship here on earth.

Now, imagine for a moment, stepping into the heavenly courts before the throne of God. The beauty is incomparable. The peace is undeniable. The presence of the Almighty is unexplainable.

“Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city” Revelation 22:14. I want to enter in, my friend. I want to enter those gates. I want to enter that court and see with my eyes all the glories and wonders that cannot be properly put into words.

“I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness,” David said. And, I agree with him.

I would rather practice being in the presence of God here than to enjoy whatever wickedness is promoting as good.

I would rather work in the house of God here than live a lifestyle that separates me from Him. For a thousand years spent pursuing things outside of God cannot be compared to one day in His true presence.

Dwelling in the tents of wickedness today will forbid us from entering the gates in that time to come: “For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie” Revelation 22:15.

Inside is better than outside.

Inside is beauty indescribable. Outside is pain unimaginable.

There is no comparison.

Imagine the holy thrill of just a day in God’s heavenly courts. Now imagine, and know this truth for yourself, that each of us has been given the invitation to dwell with Him there for all eternity. We would never have to leave the awesomeness of heaven that we behold there.

But to get there, and to experience for yourself that moment, that place, and time, you must repent and surrender your life today to the one true God who offers you the invitation through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. For a day with Him is better than a thousand years anywhere else.

“Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” Matthew 25:34

“Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” Psalm 16:11

“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.” John 14:2

“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9

“For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” 2 Corinthians 5:1

“Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” Colossians 3:2

“Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?” James 2:5

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Nobody wants to believe the worst . . .

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of any situation.  Think in terms of dangerous weather phenomenon.  The warnings go out.  Sirens blast.  News reports are issued.  Every opportunity presented has been employed to let the populous know that something serious is about to happen and people need to get out of the way and try to avoid it by any means necessary.  Alas, hope that this or that will not come to pass can almost keep one in a state of denial, refusing the facts; refusing the evidence presented before them; refusing the warnings. This analogy can give us peer through of how this can affect us in the physical.

But, what about when spiritual warnings go unheeded.  Reading in the book of Jeremiah this morning, around the 27-29th chapters, and we see where God used Jeremiah as his mouthpiece.  There was impending devastation headed the people’s way.  Because of their sin and rebellion against God, God was sending His people into captivity and people just didn’t want to believe it.  They didn’t want to believe that worst thing possible was about to come upon them and they simply refused there would be retribution by the hand of God for all their wrongs.  False prophets even went so far as to come up with fanciful ideas to combat the true word of God convincing the people they would not be captivity for the prescribed seventy years as Jeremiah predicted as a directive from God. If you read your Bible history you will see that everything played out according to His holy word; nothing failed of all that He said He would bring to pass.

If I may, there is an even a more dangerous situation than this.  Warnings have been blared and people have been urged to take shelter in Jesus Christ.  Why?  Because eternity is real and where we spend eternity is real.  The Bible tells us God is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance,” (2 Peter 3:9).  I have said this before and I’ll say it again, God is your biggest advocate.  He wants you to make it to heaven more than anybody else you could ever think of.  He wants to see you in glory.  He wants to bless you with all the spiritual riches laid up for you in eternity.  God wants us where He is that He might enjoy that long awaited uninterrupted fellowship He has been desiring.

Although God has been patient with us tomorrow is never promised.  If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior today I urge you to take shelter in Him for there is a far greater and more dangerous storm coming.  It speaks of eternal devastation in hell.  Hell is real and Jesus spoke of it often (see Matthew 10:28; 13:42; 25:41 and Luke 16:24, just to name a few).

The false prophets of Jeremiah’s day tried to speak against the reality of God’s word coming to pass.  It didn’t work then and it won’t work today.  They tried to talk people out of where God designed for them to be in that season of their life.  Where God want us to be in the season of eternity is in heaven with Him.  Don’t let anybody talk you out of it.  Heed the warnings.  Listen to the spiritual sirens.  Find shelter in Jesus Christ today.  Let your eternal future be found in Him.

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