The Saints were searching for a savior. Not the saints (by definition, saints have already found a Savior) but the Saints, the pro football (NFL) team in New Orleans.
After going many, many, many years without even making the Playoffs…
… they acquired the quarterbacking services of a fellow named Drew Brees. While he proved to be one of the greatest quarterbacks and certainly passers in the history of the sport, he never did bring them a Super Bowl win. (This particular video clip was during his final three years which were with the Colts who had a similar situation as the Saints until Mora and Manning arrived on the scene in 1998… the Colts too were “searching for a savior”.)
Faring even far worse, that city’s pro basketball counterpart, the NBA’s Pelicans, were suffering an even uglier dearth of playoff much less championship appearances much less victories, so when they got the very first pick of the 2019 Draft, they too were searching for a savior and thought for sure they had found one in the overwhelmingly top college player, out of basketball and intellectual powerhouse Duke no less, named Zion Williamson. Immeasurable potential, but like Sam Bowie and Greg Oden and countless others before him, to say it hasn’t gone as planned would be the understatement of the year if not decade.
Now the San Antonio Spurs are sure that they’ve found their savior in last month’s NBA Draft, a 7’4″ physical “freak of nature/athleticism” succinctly named Wemby. We’ll see how that pans out but so far, in his first few games in the Summer League, well, let’s just say that the results haven’t even come close to living up to the hype and expectations. (This bodes neither well nor poorly for his future in the league, he’s literally just getting started, but after said first few games, many Spurs fans are already feeling a sense of deja vu vis-a-vis Williamson, Oden, Bowie et al, while, if you listen closely, you can still hear the rest of the teams in the league letting out a prolonged sigh of relief.)
But there IS a Savior who WON’T EVER disappoint you! His name is Jesus Christ, and I personally invite you to place your full faith and hopes and expectations in Him and can promise you with infinite certitude that you’ll never, ever, ever be disappointed.
“Whoever believes in Him WILL NOT be disappointed.” (Romans 10:11, emphasis added)
“He who believes in Him SHALL NOT be disappointed.” (1 Peter 2:5, emphasis added)
He is the very personification of perfect performance and fulfillment and follow-through and reliability and results, rendering “disappointment” a thing of the past for those who put their faith, their trust, their dependence in Him.
Nuff said.
. .
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I recently discussed the wildfires currently raging in Canada and how, by no fault of our own, the poor air quality and haze created thereby ended up affecting us in America, sometimes severely (worst air quality ever recorded in some cities, etc.), and what a great illustration it is in terms of how the sins or dysfunction or issues of others are indeed and literally contagious, in every sense of the word, how those tend to “drift” from their lives into ours if we’re not careful, if we’re not aware, if we’re not properly protected. Here are two more takeaways.
Firstly, it is absolutely imperative that, along with properly protecting ourselves from the would-be influence of other people’s issues or sins on and into our own life, we are even more diligent to ensure that we’re not the culprit, that we’re not the person who spews issues or sin into the lives of others, since such would seem to be the very definition of a “stumbling block”.
“but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it is better for him that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck, and that he be drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; nevertheless, woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!” (Matthew 18:6-7)
Secondly, it’s important to keep in mind that even something so sick or sinister as the sins or issues of others seeking to “drift” into and “infect” our own life, even that will be used by God for our GOOD.
“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
A great example of this occurred in my own life just two days ago, the day after I published the previous post. I had an event to attend which was scheduled three months ago, and I usually would have walked or ridden my bike but because those Canadian wildfires caused a “Code Red” (unhealthy, even dangerous) air quality reading for that very day, I decided to take the Metro instead, something I rarely do.
But here’s the thing, here’s the thought that hit me: it’s very possible, it would be in the very center of how God often works, if a car or truck or bus would’ve hit me if I had been biking or walking instead of taking a subway train. In other words, it’s very possible that a vehicle would veer into the bike lane or onto the sidewalk exactly at the time and place of where I would have been but for the “Code Red” air quality caused by those Canadian wildfires, which God certainly allowed to occur.
This is exactly how He almost always opts to intervene in our daily lives. Not via a direct stretching forth of His hand from Heaven but rather through events or circumstances or other people. (How amazing – and real – is His sovereignty… as I often say, “Things big or small, He’s in control of all!” And one of my very favorite things in life is to be used by Him to function as His hand or finger in various situations, to impact and improve and benefit and bring blessing to the lives of others.)
Another example of this also from just the past week was when the grocery store nearest to me was out of a certain item and I was going to walk to the third-closest one since it’s very large and thus well-stocked, but I had already walked and exercised a lot the past few days so I decided to instead go to the second-closest store, which was around a mile out of the way, off the route to the larger store so I was fully aware I was taking a chance since that one is very small and whenever I go there only has around half of the items on my grocery list. Worth the gamble but it was not surprising to find that it didn’t have that particular item in stock so I headed to the third store which, also unsurprisingly, did have it in stock. But here’s the thing: while walking to the third store I saw several ambulances and police cars two blocks away, which is EXACTLY where I would have been walking had I not already exercised so much this week and thus took the chance and chose to check out the second, smaller store. And not only were those ambulances EXACTLY where I would’ve been walking, but it obviously took them five or ten minutes to arrive on the scene, which means that the timeframe could also line up perfectly, i.e., the big accident could very, very, very easily have happened to me BUT FOR God’s sovereign and loving intervention into my life via the circumstances of (1) that the nearest store was out of the item, (2) that I had already exercised a TON this week and therefore (3) opted to head to the second-closest but much smaller store versus what I would’ve otherwise done: just walked the longer distance to store #3, which would’ve put me at the exact place of that big accident and very possibly at the exact time of the accident, too.
I see God’s sovereignty and tangible interventions into my life often. My favorite example occurred many years ago, when I was driving on the GW (George Washington) Parkway one Friday night for a Super Bowl weekend getaway and out of nowhere I notice a car in front of me, braking, slowing down dramatically which caused me to do likewise, costing me five seconds of time, no biggie, right? WRONG! Because, bizarrely, that car in front of me then sped away extremely quickly, at a noticeably fast speed and just as I was thinking how strange it was that someone would brake suddenly and then speed ahead so quickly, a huge tree fell into the road, missing my car by – yep, you guessed it – FIVE SECONDS.
That car’s braking cost me five seconds of time but saved my life or extreme, quality-of-life-ending injury at the very least.
Was that car actually a guardian angel? Very possibly. Was it a driver who wanted to catch a glimpse of the “scenic overlook” to the right for a few seconds before speeding back up? Probably. But in either case it’s a perfect example of how God in HIs loving sovereignty intervenes in our day-to-day lives. Sometimes in big and dramatic and life-saving ways, usually smaller, but never mundane. Sometimes unknown/unaware, but never unappreciated.
This is why, this is one way we’re able to fulfill I Thessalonians 5:18.
“In everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
In summary, as stated in that initial post (two ago), it’s crucial that we be responsible in properly protecting ourselves from the sins or issues of others which otherwise would “drift into” our lives just like the smoky haze and dangerously poor air quality has drifted from the Canadian wildfires into America. But it’s equally crucial not to resent or hate people who propel their personal problems onto and into the lives of others (versus resolving them) but rather to be sympathetic (1 Peter 3:8) and compassionate, kind, humble, gentle and patient (Colossians 3:12) toward them and most of all thankful toward God, that He has provided us protection against such things (Ephesians 6:10-20) and that in His loving sovereignty He will cause even things like that to work together for our GOOD (Romans 8:28). What a great God we serve! .
I recently discussed the wildfires currently raging in Canada and how, by no fault of our own, the poor air quality and haze created thereby ended up affecting us in America, sometimes severely (worst air quality ever recorded in some cities, etc.).
Guess what. It’s baaaaack. Not so severely as last month but back nonetheless, and the thought which immediately struck me this time around is how thousands, no, hundreds of thousands, no, millions of acres (eight to be exact – and counting, quickly – as I write this) of forest have been burned up by what started as a single spark! Oh, the sheer power and fury of fire.
And that image and truth immediately brought to mind and provided a great illustration of a certain Bible verse:
“for our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:29)
How utterly important it is to maintain a morally pure life. Lest we be consumed by fire. (The destroying type reserved for unbelievers as described in countless Bible verses, or the purifying fire of trials and God’s loving discipline when we believers stray from time to time as noted in 1 Peter 1:7 and Hebrews 12:1-13 among others.)
Even post-salvation we cannot be sin-free (1 John 2:1-2) but, praise the Lord, we can (and must) be free from sin. From its pull and potential power and inherent deceitfulness (Hebrews 3:13; James 1:14-16; Jeremiah 17:9).
Or to put it another way… we can’t be free of sin but we can be free from sin.
And we must.
Please join me in recommitting our lives to purity and humble obedience to God via His holy Word, the Bible.
I don’t think I’ve ever done a “(somewhat) deep dive” on something other than the Bible… but I’m doing so in this case for a song because it’s so full of, so overflowing with biblical truths (as per the Bible verses in parentheses below), not just beautiful music and lyrics… if you haven’t yet listened to it, I encourage you to scroll down a few inches and do so, if you’re okay with certain contemporary Christian music (otherwise, please disregard these five videos).
Without further ado, in chronological order of the lyrics:
“I come on my knees… before You” (Ephesians 3:14)
“longing only to know You” (Psalm 42:1; Ephesians 1:17)
“seeking Your face, and not only Your hand” (Psalm 27:8 & 105:4; 1 Timothy 6:17)
“I find You embracing me” (John 3:16, 6:37)
“just as I am” (Revelation 22:17)
“to You and You alone” (1 Peter 4:11)
“As I sing to You, in my praises make Your home” (Psalm 22:3)
“You are Father and You are Son” (John 10:30)
“as your Spirit flows free, let [Him] find within me a heart that beats to praise You” (Titus 3:5-7; Romans 8:13-17,26-27)
“just to know You more has become my great reward” (2 Peter 3:18)
“Your kingdom come and Your will be done” (Matthew 6:10)
“I only desire to be Yours, Lord” (Matthew 6:24,33; James 4:4; 1 John 2:15-17)
“what could I bring to honor Your majesty” (Micah 6:6-8)
“all that I have is this life that You’ve given me” (Psalm 16:2,5)
“Lord, let me live for You my song with humility” (James 4:10 among countless others)
“as the love song of my life is played, I have one desire: to bring glory to Your name” (1 Corinthians 10:31; Philippians 3:13-14)
I like this entire song, such a big blessing… but along with the title itself (and the violins, always) four of these phrases are especially precious to my heart:
“seeking Your face and not only Your hand” – Personally I find this to be very convicting. Because it’s so easy for us humans to let more of our focus be on God’s hand than His beautiful face, to focus more on what He can do and does do for us rather than who He is. To be sure, we should be ever grateful for the former… but that should never, ever eclipse or come before or grow greater than the latter. Because the former flows forth from the latter. I.e., what good would it be to know all of the wonderful things He can do for us, if we didn’t know of His boundless and deep desire to do so. In fact, the Bible specifically makes that distinction in telling us not to let our primary focus drift, “NOT to focus” on the provisions but the Provider, “but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.” (1 Timothy 6:17, emphasis added).
“a heart that beats to praise You” – Indeed, because of what I just wrote, because of His overwhelming grace and goodness and generosity and patience and forbearance and kindness toward us in and through Christ, we should be more and more drawn to Him. To know Him. To worship Him. To serve Him. To love Him. To obey Him. “… the kindness of God leads you to repentance” (Romans 2:4, emphasis added).
“what could I bring to honor Your majesty” – As discussed on the home and About pages of this website, this is exactly what I had been considering for years, trying to think of something I could do, of some way to SHOW the Lord how much I love and appreciate Him and all He has done for me, and on one such occasion not too long ago is when the thought, the calling “hit my heart” like a bolt of lightning, something that I KNEW He would absolutely LOVE: for someone to MEMORIZE the ENTIRE Bible and then quote His own words back to Him, to recite back to Him the very love letter which He first wrote to us. And I’ve dedicated my life to fulfilling this calling ever since and can hardly wait for the day when it is culminated even as the whole world watches thanks to BibleMemory.ORG and YouTube.com/BibleMemory … what a day of rejoicing that will be! Not just for the Lord, not just for me personally, but for each and every person who supports this historic event in whatever ways they’re able… the spiritual “greeting card” which accompanies this “love gift” to Him will include ALL of our names, not just mine.
“as the love song of my life is played” – What a beautiful picture this paints… as you might have noticed, on the BibleMemory.ORG home page I write that the Bible is God’s “love letter” to humanity. And our lives should reciprocate and be our “love song” to Him.
But the entire song is full of lovely lyrics, wonderful words. Because they come from the ultimate Word, God’s Word, the beloved Bible. Which is the only source of true beauty on earth. Beauty and wisdom and soundness of mind (literally – see 1 Timothy 6:3). So while I praise the Lord for the voice and musical talent He bestowed on Big Daddy Weave, that he was so willing and eager to utilize those gifts for God and His glory and His use (that’s literally what it’s all about!), my first and foremost praise and appreciation is for and to the Lord, the Giver of those gifts, the Liver of love, “the author and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:2), “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6), “the Alpha and the Omega” (Revelation 1:8), beginning and end… may Your name be praised forever, Lord, You truly are my Audience of One, my all-in-all and all I need (or could ever want), You’re (way, way, way, way) enough for me – You and You alone. .
Children have long sought the attention, audience, and approval of their parents… but like never before in my lifetime, and alarmingly, parents now seek their children’s.
And friends literally live for their friends. (Or, in the comparatively new age of all things digital including Facebook, their “friends”.)
Students for teachers. Mentees for mentors. Congregants for pastors.
There’s not necessarily anything wrong with most of these (especially that last one – three cheers and heartfelt thanks to all of the pastors out there) … IF done with proper perspective, priority, and positioning.
Specifically, a position of humility and love, with the perspective that THE priority should always be the Lord and, inextricably linked, His Word.
Speaking of His Word and as you almost certainly know if you’re reading this on the BibleMemory.ORG website or social media page, I’m dedicating my life to memorizing the entire Bible so I can recite it BACK to the Lord as a very special love gift and “thank You” gift for all He does and who He is! A gift not just from me but from and on behalf of everyone who supports this historic event in whatever ways they’re able. (To borrow a phrase from the hymn, “What a day of rejoicing that will be” indeed! For us but especially for Him, so fittingly, so deservingly.)
As I memorize entire books of the Bible, may He always be my Audience.
As I recite entire books of the Bible, may He always be my Audience.
As I teach entire books of the Bible, may He always be my Audience.
As I encourage and show love and share the Gospel with others, may He always be my Audience.
For He and He alone is worthy.
Of our attention.
Of our focus.
Of our reliance and dependence.
Of our pursuit of approval.
“Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so as by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 4:11, emphasis added)
“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God…” (2 Timothy 2:15a, the Theme Verse of the magnificent AWANA ministry, emphasis added)
Parents, children, siblings, friends and “friends” and followers on social media, pastors, teachers, and mentors are fine and dandy… IF they are seen through the prism and – in our mind, emotions, time, and giving – kept under the umbrella of the Lord.
May each of us live every day of our lives for, by, and to an Audience of One.
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As you might’ve seen in the news this morning and the past week, the air quality and visibility in the northeastern U.S. and even the mid-Atlantic (as I can confirm firsthand looking out the window as I write this) is about as bad as I’ve ever seen it. So bad that the weatherman on one of the local news stations tweeted, “I don’t say this often, but it’s a good idea to stay indoors tomorrow or at least limit time outdoors. not a good idea to workout outside.”
But why is this happening? Is it something we Americans did which was unwise or wrong?
Nope!
Rather, the unbelievable haze and poor air quality is here because of our neighbor to the north, Canada. Namely, their wildfires.
And when I looked out the window this morning, it immediately hit me what a great illustration this is of sin in general and emotional/relational dysfunction in specific.
It’s CONTAGIOUS. Quite literally… it spreads from an infected person and takes up residence in the lives of the unsuspecting and unprotected. Just like the smoke and haze and bad air quality of Canada’s wildfires have “spread” and “infected” and (literally) taken up residence in the U.S.
And now WE have to deal with the negative consequences of THEIR wildfires.
But here’s the thing: it would have been impossible to prevent this from happening, i.e., there’s no way to “block” smoke and haze from drifting in the air.
This analogy keeps holding true because, as I’m sure you’ve experienced firsthand throughout your life, to be around people is to risk having their dysfunction or other issue(s) – and even sins – seep into OUR life. (But it’s worth it, it’s a risk worth taking… if we wear the God-given, Bible-provided protection, more on this in a future post.)
Did you know that the Bible addresses this directly and crystal-clearly? [Yep, it was written thousands of years ago, yet proves anew each day that it is indeed like no other book, that it is indeed “living and active” (Hebrews 4:12) and therefore ever-applicable to our lives and situations.]
I’ll write a much more in-depth post about this very important and powerful principle but for now will share a few great verses with you which not only state the problem but (as always) also the solution.
“… Bad company corrupts good morals.” (1 Corinthians 15:33)
“Leave the presence of a fool, or YOUwill not discern words of knowledge.” (Proverbs 14:7, emphasis added)
“Keep deception and lies far from me…” (Proverbs 30:8)
In fact, it’s so crucial to ongoing spiritual health to “be on the alert” (1 Peter 5:8) and “put on the full armor of God” (Ephesians 6:10-20, see the video below for a kid-friendly musical rendering I just found online) that even when doing something so sound and sanctified and spiritually mature as showing mercy to others, if they’re the very “infected/contagious” type, Jude 23 goes so far as to command us to have mercy “with fear, hating even the garment polluted [i.e., infected!] by the flesh.”
But my favorite verse on this particular principle is how I’ll end this post, because it’s so clear, so self-explanatory that no elaboration is needed, it literally says it all: issue and solution and goes even a step further and also gives the reason for the provided solution (much more on all of this in that future post but for now I’ll just say that while this verse references unrighteous anger, the principle applies to any sin, be it jealousy/envy, selfishness, taking the Lord’s name in vain and other foul language, etc.):
“Do not associate with a man given to anger; or go with a hot-tempered man, LESTYOU LEARN HIS WAYS, and FIND A SNARE for YOURSELF.” (Proverbs 22:24-25, emphasis added)
While on a walk just now, I saw the strangest sight: a guy riding bicycle … while smoking a cigarette.
And the thought that immediately hit me was “Man, that DOESN’T FIT!” Smoking a cigarette and riding a bike just don’t seem to go together, to put it mildly.
Likewise, sin DOESN’T “FIT” in a Christian’s life.
Because the reason Christ came in the first place was to save and rescue us from that very thing: sin.
“… the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3:8b)
“For the Son of Man [i.e., Jesus] has come to seek and to save” the lost (Luke 19:10)
“knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin” (Romans 6:6)
“instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.” (Titus 2:12-14)
So, here and now, I’m sending out a call to righteousness and purity in our daily living. A call to recommit and “double-down” on the fruit of the Spirit in our day-to-day lives. To restore the same focus on and passion and appreciation for such things which we experienced when first coming to Christ.
Because the very freedom He gave us in salvation is not the freedom to sin but rather the freedom from sin. Not the freedom to sin but rather the freedom to submit and obey.
And grow. And worship. And actively fellowship – with Him as well as our fellow believers.
What a wonderful way to walk and live, does it get any better than that?!
Consistent purity produces persistent pleasure – for God and man. .
I’ve mentioned in past posts that one of my favorite activities is taking long, several-mile, multi-hour walks as those have been and continue to be some of my sweetest “alone times” with the Lord, just thinking about and listening and speaking to Him about all sorts of things: His Word, the Bible; praise items and prayer requests; my walk with and usefulness to Him; current events in my life and the nation and world writ large.
Also as previously mentioned, I have several different walking routes in my surrounding area, some of which are in an urban setting while others personify the term “scenic route”, ensconced in nature’s beauty and inspiration (rivers, trees, greenest grass, etc.) with airplanes seemingly within touching distance as they take-off or land at the very nearby airport.
Yesterday I had the treat of conducting my walk around the famed Tidal Basin in our nation’s capital. As I did a month ago. The latter was more packed with people than I had ever experienced, literally “wall-to-wall”, literally “stop-and-go” (foot) traffic. This is very common when driving in the DC area, but while walking? That was a big surprise and I wondered what would explain such a groundswell of pedestrians and then a split-second later it occurred to me that Cherry Blossom “peak week” arrived early this year due to the weather, and let me tell you that people LOVE their cherry blossoms, I’ve never seen so many pedestrians and smiles and cameras (mainly of the smartphone variety) in my life.
I’ve never been a big fan of feeling like a sardine 🙂 so I opted for my other walking routes the following few weeks. Until yesterday. The weather has gotten markedly warmer and was gorgeous, downright perfect for a long walk (or anything else, for that matter) but an equally-large takeaway was how virtually empty the Tidal Basin was this time compared to last month. From a few inches between bodies to twenty or fifty or a hundred feet. From jam-packed to serenely sparse… and it reminded me of how the Lord must feel at times. How “popular” He becomes to us humans when we want or (especially) need something. A solution. A provision. A promotion. Yet it is an unfortunate but real aspect of human nature that when a lot of people aren’t experiencing a pressing need, they’re far less likely to “pursue” and “crowd around” the Lord. Just like when the famous cherry blossoms fade, so do the crowds.
May we be much more consistent in our pursuit of and passion for the Lord. May it be as enthusiastic in the “in-between” times as it is when we’re facing and feeling a pressing need.
I think that this fourth follow-up post in just the past few weeks alone will be sufficient to properly press the point and bring it home: one never, ever knows for sure when one will cease to exist in this earthly realm and slip into eternity, into one’s eternal destination where he or she will stay forever and ever and evermore.
The latest example blaring in breaking-news headlines nationwide just last night were three people (as of this writing, with five others injured, two critically) who were out and about the campus of Michigan State University, as millions of students have done throughout the years but last night was different, due to an evildoer’s despicable decision to enter one of the buildings and open fire with a handgun, and then to do likewise at the student union building next door.
I G-U-A-R-A-N-T-E-E that if someone had asked those three fatalities yesterday morning if they thought their lives would end, that they’d enter eternity in Heaven or Hell that evening, that their reply would’ve been a funny facial expression followed by a firm “No, OF COURSE NOT… are you nuts?!”
Yet that’s exactly what happened. As it usually does: without notice.
That’s why in this recent series of posts I’ve put so much urgency on resolving where you’ll spend eternity when YOU slip into it – be that tomorrow, next week, or fifty years from now. It’s the lack of notice which makes it IMPERATIVE for each person to address and confirm this most important of matters BEFORE it’s too late.
For those wondering HOW to do this, here’s what I wrote in a recent post, which itself was a follow-up to the original “While You Can” post: as noted, to put this off until “some other time” is just human nature. That’s why I’m blaring from the proverbial rooftops with a neon trumpet, as it were, that everyone needs to confirm his or her eternal destination NOW, TODAY, BEFORE it’s too late.
“behold, NOW is ‘the acceptable time,’ behold, NOW is ‘the day of salvation'” (2 Corinthians 6:2b, emphasis added)
It’s often (and wittily) said that “I’ve never seen a U-HAUL being towed by a hearse.” Because “you can’t take it with you,” you can’t take the material things of this life into the next one, into eternity.
But here’s a saying I invented and like even better (more poignant): “I’ve never seen a hotel room confirmation on the dashboard of a hearse.”
Because people who leave this life and slip into eternity won’t be needing material things or travel plans or a passport.
Yet let me ask you this: Have you spent more time in the past year or decade making/confirming reservations for hotel rooms, or a “room” in Heaven, in eternity?
The reason this matter is so crucial, so imperative, so all-important is that nobody knows exactly WHEN they’ll leave this life and (instantly) enter the one to come, eternity, i.e., Heaven or Hell. You needn’t take my word for it, take God’s:
“… you do not know what a day may bring forth.” (Proverbs 27:1b)
And as I said in the previous post with the aid of a classic TV commercial, everyone will eventually (some today, others tomorrow, others many years from now, and many sometime in between) enter their eternal destination… but NOBODY will EVER “check out” of it.
Ergo, even just based on the stakes alone, this matter, this decision, this particular piece of planning is THE MOST IMPORTANT of a person’s entire life, is absolutely and utterly and infinitely crucial.
Oh and by the way, in this case to NOT make a decision is actually MAKING one, to make NO reservation is to MAKE ONE FOR HELL, humanity’s default destination:
“for ALL have sinned and FALL SHORT of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23)
“For the wages [lit., stipend, pay, i.e., penalty, fine, default result] of SIN is DEATH…” (Romans 6:23a)
but I’ve got GREAT NEWS (er, better yet in this particular case, GOOD NEWS 🙂 ) for you: that second verse doesn’t stop there, it keeps going!
“but the FREE GIFT of God is ETERNAL LIFE in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23b)
And let me add one other thing: in my view, in my perspective, if I can be saved from my sins and go from being headed for Hell to headed for Heaven for all eternity, ANYONE CAN. If Christ can save me from my sins, He can save YOU from yours, and frankly ANYONE from theirs.
IF – and ONLY IF – you ask Him. If and only if you put your faith in Him and Him ALONE. Because He and He alone is WORTHY of your trust in this matter.
Because He and He alone among humans was conceived by the Holy Spirit versus a man (see Romans 5:12 for why this is so crucial).
Because He and He alone among humans has lived a perfect, flawless, sinless life.
Therefore, since He lived the human experience but without sinning, He, through His death on the cross and subsequent resurrection which the “whole wide world” celebrates every spring, is able to take OUR wages/fine/penalty for OUR sins ONTO HIMSELF, onto His literal body, as foreshadowed thousands of years prior in the Old Testament.
“For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all ways as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near WITH CONFIDENCE to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:15-16, emphasis added)
“For you have been called [i.e., spiritually saved from sin] for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously [i.e., God the Father, see 4:19]; and He HIMSELF bore OUR SINS in HIS BODY on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have retturned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.” (1 Peter 2:21-25, emphasis added; see also 1 John 5:18 on that final point)
“By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac; and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; it was he to whom it was said, ‘In Isaac your descendants shall be called.’ He considered that God is able to raise men even from the dead; from which he also received him back as a type.” (Hebrews 11:17-19)
But you might be thinking, “But DJ Bible, what if I’ve only committed very few sins, do I still need to be saved through Jesus Christ?”
Even if that is the case, if that’s actually true, the answer is very clear, a resounding and unmitigated “Yes!”
“For whoever keeps the WHOLE law and yet stumbles in ONE point, he has become GUILTY of ALL” of them. “For He who said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘Do not commit murder.’ Now if you do NOT commit adultery, but DO commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.” (James 2:10-11, emphasis added)
I trust you’ll take THIS VERY MINUTE to contemplate and consider and confirm YOUR eternal destination, i.e., to make a reservation for a “room” in Heaven! (Not the no-checkout “roach motel” that is Hell, which, remember, is humanity’s default destination from conception.) It’s as EASY as “A-B-C”: Admit, Believe, Confess:
Please keep firmly in mind that I’ve also never known or even heard of anyone who has received an advance invitation for a hearse, for death, from the “grim reaper”. Because its exact timing is never truly known in advance – and it usually occurs without any INKLING that such is imminent, that such is even a real possibility anytime soon.
Just ask my latest example in the news, the ten people who simply showed up at a ballroom dance hall on a Saturday night as usual. It’s too late for them to do anything about their eternal destination (even just the thought that a number of them likely ended up in Hell – per Matthew 7:13-14‘s “many” and “few” – is heartbreaking) (and absolutely irreversible) … but it’s NOT too late for YOU!
All over the news today is the fact that night before last’s ballroom dance hall mass murderer was a 72-year-old Asian man. What are the odds on that?! Mass murderers have often been white or black or Hispanic, rarely Asian, just based on the stats, very unusual. And for millennia Asians have been probably the most peaceful people, pacifists from birth by-and-large, compared to other ethnicities. And when’s the last time a mass shooter has been SEVENTY-TWO years old? Never? Never ever? Extremely rare.
Ergo, based on the “odds” those ten ballroom dancers would never, ever have even imagined that their life would come to a screeching halt at the hand of a 72-year-old Asian male long-time ballroom dance hall regular.
And yet it occurred, and yet that’s exactly what happened.
NEVER try to “time it” or “play the odds” when eternity is on the line.
Just ask this person who was driving near the Amazon HQ2 just this morning:
Thankfully, like the Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin a few weeks ago, this driver escaped death.
This time.
But what about tomorrow? Or next month or next year? The point is that you just never know when your time will come, when you’ll leave this life and instantly enter the one to come, eternity.
I sincerely hope and pray that you’ll “choose wisely” in this most important and most urgent of matters and confirm YOUR reservation in Heaven today! Or wiser still, RIGHT NOW!
“… behold, NOW is ‘the acceptable time,’ behold, NOW is ‘the day of salvation'” (2 Corinthians 6:2b, emphasis added)
