Heaven

My Treasure

/ douloschristos / Leave a comment

My Treasure
February 12, 2022

“You cannot serve both God and money” Matthew 6:24

His dream had come true, Paul won the $202 million state lottery. He opted for the instant pay jackpot of $142.2 million. He was set for life. He promised himself he wouldn’t be like so many other winners who blew through their millions. Wise investments for him he told all is friends. He thought of himself as pretty cagy with investments and money management. After all, how could he blow through $142 million, even after about 24% in taxes?
Bright and early Monday morning, Paul was in his company’s Human Resources office, giving his two weeks notice. “Paul, do you realize there is a 20% early withdrawal penalty on your retirement package? It’s pretty hefty on yours because of your years of employment. You can leave it alone and let it earn interest until age 65.”
“Thanks, but I won’t be needing it anyway, I just won the $202 million lottery, Jane.”
“Wow. How much is that after early withdrawal and taxes?”
“Well, I actually take $106 million home. But that’s plenty for the rest of my life. I’m not going to just throw it all away, you know. Investments for me. I’ve always been pretty good with money.”
Two weeks later, to mark his retirement and lottery winnings, Paul invited 50 of his friends to a party at the Hilton hotel. Not wanting to be cheap, he hired a band with full catering. He wanted everyone to remember him. The cost was $2,450! He was not going to be like those other losers who threw their winnings away.
After their around-the-world tour, purchase of a $4 million house, $120,000 for two new cars, $80,000 for his new pickup, $135,000 for their splendid yacht, $785,000 for that cabin in the woods they had always dreamed of, Paul and his wife settled in for the perfect life of riches that was flowing their way.
One year later, Paul and his wife were parting ways. She left with her share of the winnings and things they’d bought. Paul was depressed and lonely now in spite of his money and stuff. Five years later, after several business investment failures and a cheating accountant, Paul had $185,000 in the bank and no future earnings. He was only 52-years-old.
The Bible warns us about depending on money, thinking it will bring satisfaction and happiness. It never will because true happiness comes from the joy of knowing the Lord. Worldly happiness is very elusive in this life. Using happiness as a bench mark for contentment will bring disappointment and sometimes, depression. Paul was jubilant when he saw his winning lottery numbers. But a few short years later he was discouraged and depressed.
Matthew 6:19-34 19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth where they can erode away or may be stolen. 20 Store them in heaven where they will never lose their value and are safe from thieves. 21 If your profits are in heaven, your heart will be there too.
22 “If your eye is pure, there will be sunshine in your soul. 23 But if your eye is clouded with evil thoughts and desires, you are in deep spiritual darkness. And oh, how deep that darkness can be!
24 “You cannot serve two masters: God and money. For you will hate one and love the other, or else the other way around.
25 “So my counsel is: Don’t worry about things—food, drink, and clothes. For you already have life and a body—and they are far more important than what to eat and wear. 26 Look at the birds! They don’t worry about what to eat—they don’t need to sow or reap or store up food—for your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are. 27 Will all your worries add a single moment to your life?
28 “And why worry about your clothes? Look at the field lilies! They don’t worry about theirs. 29 Yet King Solomon in all his glory was not clothed as beautifully as they. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won’t he more surely care for you, O men of little faith?
31-32 “So don’t worry at all about having enough food and clothing. Why be like the heathen? For they take pride in all these things and are deeply concerned about them. But your heavenly Father already knows perfectly well that you need them, 33 and he will give them to you if you give him first place in your life and live as he wants you to.
34 “So don’t be anxious about tomorrow. God will take care of your tomorrow too. Live one day at a time.
Worry: Mark 4:18; Luke 10:41; Philippians 4:6; 1 Peter 5:7; Proverbs 12:25

Commanding Shout!

/ douloschristos / Leave a comment

“Therefore I will protect you from the time of Great Tribulation” ~Rev 3:10 

“Do you know the next great event on God’s prophetic calendar?” Chris asked his friend, Evan. 

“The tribulation?” 

“Actually this event occurs just before the tribulation.” 

“I guess I’m not sure. I often get the end times stuff mixed up.” 

“The next big prophetic event is…The Rapture!” 

“To tell you the truth, I am a little foggy on how that is supposed to work, Chris. Can you fill me in? Oh, and should I worry about being left behind?” 

“I can give you the ultimate test to see if you will be included in the rapture (if it happens before you die). Answer this question for me and we will know for sure: the Bible says, in Romans 10:13, “For whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” Evan, have you called upon the name of the Lord to save you?” 

“Yes. I have. I most certainly have.” 

“Then you will not be left behind; plain and simple.” 

“Praise God. That is a relief. So, go ahead, tell me about the Rapture.” 

“Let me quote Mark Hitchcock’s book, 101 Answers To The Most Asked Questions About The End Times 

The Rapture is that future event when Jesus Christ will descend from heaven and, in a moment of time, resurrect the bodies of departed believers, transform the bodies of living believers immediately into His glorious presence, and then escort them to heaven to live with Him forever. The Rapture is the blessed hope of the church.” 

“When is this supposed to happen?” 

“That is the question for all the ages, Evan. Only God knows the date and time. So we are to look with expectancy…anticipating that at any moment we might hear the mighty shout and trumpet blast calling us home.” 

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 5:1-3  

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. 

“We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words. 

“Now concerning how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters, we don’t really need to write you. For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. When people are saying, “Everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin. And there will be no escape.” NLT 

“There are many teachings about the End Times, Evan, but our primary source should be the Bible. I know that sometimes it is difficult to understand exactly what the verses are saying but, in the Book of James, chapter one, verses 5 through 8, James writes that we can ask God for wisdom and He will answer that request. But we must have faith in God alone.” 

James 1:5-6 

“If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He wil give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask Him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.” 

1 Corinthians 15:50-58 “I tell you this, my brothers: an earthly body made of flesh and blood cannot get into God’s Kingdom. These perishable bodies of ours are not the right kind to live forever. 

But I am telling you this strange and wonderful secret: we shall not all die, but we shall all be given new bodies! It will all happen in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For there will be a trumpet blast from the sky, and all the Christians who have died will suddenly become alive, with new bodies that will never, never die; and then we who are still alive shall suddenly have new bodies too. For our earthly bodies, the ones we have now that can die, must be transformed into heavenly bodies that cannot perish but will live forever. 

“How we thank God for all of this! It is he who makes us victorious through Jesus Christ our Lord! VACBC 

“So, my dear brothers, since future victory is sure, be strong and steady, always abounding in the Lord’s work, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever wasted as it would be if there were no resurrection.” 

“Life in these mortal bodies often brings conflict, sadness, sorrow, uncertainty and discouragement, Evan, which is why verse 18 in 1 Thessalonians, above, is so crucial: So comfort and encourage each other with these words! When a friend, a fellow believer, is at rock-bottom, encourage them with these words! We cannot hear them too often and we need the powerful, life-changing assurance God’s word brings to our souls. Therefore, comfort and encourage each other with these words!” 

Global Warming

/ douloschristos / Leave a comment
Image by Parabol Studio via Shutterstock.com, with elements furnished by NASA

Global Warming: The Real Thing!

The Second Letter of Peter; Chapter 3

In 2006 Al Gore was the narrator and brain child of the movie, An Inconvenient Truth, whose focus was the impending destruction brought about by global warming. Apparently Mr. Gore did not realize just how accurate his prognosis was, according to this chapter in 2 Peter.

1-2 This is my second letter to you, dear friends, and in both of them I have tried to stimulate your wholesome thinking and refresh your memory. 2 I want you to remember what the holy prophets said long ago and what our Lord and Savior commanded through your apostles.

3-4 Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. 4They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.”

5-7 They deliberately forget that God made the heavens long ago by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water. 6Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood. 7And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed.

Present heavens and earth stored up for fire

8-10 But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. 9The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. 10But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.

Never lose sight of the eternal world

11-13 Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, 12 looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. 13But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.

14-16 And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight. 15 And remember, our Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him— 16 speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction.

17-18 You already know these things, dear friends. So be on guard; then you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. 18Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.

Yes, it is true, the current heavens and earth will pass away in a violent ball of flame. But then, God will speak into existence new heavens and earth for us to dwell in forever. Until that day, verse 14 explains our orders, “And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make very effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in His sight.”

Why would God do this? Read verse 7, above. By His Word God made the heavens and earth. And by His Word, He will enact a day of judgment when ungodly people will be destroyed.

I Hope I Make It

/ douloschristos / Leave a comment

 “The twelve gates were twelve pearls” ~Revelation 21:21

Two friends were talking over lunch when one said, “I just hope I make it through those Pearly Gates!”

“What do you mean?” said his friend.

“Just what I said. I mean I give a tithe in church, well, most of the time. I drive a food truck for meals on wheels. I help my older neighbor keep up his landscaping and I help support a few missionaries through our church. I’m sure that must count to my credit on that final day.”

“I am sure that God delights in your sacrificial giving, Charlie. And those who receive the fruit of your labors are certainly blessed. But what has that got to do with the Pearly Gates of the New Jerusalem?”

“Well, I don’t want to be turned away on that final day. I couldn’t think of anything worse, Bill.”

“So, you think that God keeps a tally for every person who’s ever lived and if their works don’t measure up, they might be turned away at the Pearly Gates?”

Charlie blushed at Bill’s description and felt confused when he heard it described in this way. “I’ve got to admit that when I hear your description, I’m not sure but I am concerned about not getting in. I mean a guy can only do so much and I’m sure God’s requirements are pretty high.”

“The amount of good deeds you and your family accomplish is phenomenal, Charlie, but that has nothing to do with gaining entrance through the Pearly Gates.”

What are you talking about. I’ve heard that said most of my life. How could I be wrong?”

“Let’s back up a bit. First off, how do we know we’re going to spend eternity with God?”

“By believing in Christ as our Savior!”

“Exactly. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9-10). And then, a few verses later it says, “For everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

“I get that, of course but we still have to do good works,” said Charlie

“Good works should be a natural outcropping of your new life in Christ, Charlie, not an obligation that assures you of your salvation. Our salvation which brings total forgiveness of sins was given to us freely, not based on our good reputation.”

“Look at Ephesians 2:8-10, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

“There it is, man. We have to do the good things he planned long ago. Clearly if we don’t, no pearly gate entrance,” said Charlie.

“Really? So you think Jesus suffered horribly and died on that cross so we could all get busy and work out heads off to prove how much we love Him, sort of earning our salvation? Charlie, I understand how easy it is to get confused and think we must do works to keep our salvation and on that final day present ourselves at a pearly gate, hoping we did enough to get inside. But it isn’t true. Think about the thief on the cross (Luke 23:42-43). He said, Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” And the Lord said, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” He did not say, I’d like to bring you into paradise but you’ve only done bad works and now it’s too late.”

“What about the woman caught in adultery? After her accusers left in shame, “Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”

“No, Lord,” she said.

And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” ~John 8:10-11

“Charlie, there is no moment of truth where we are presented to an angel or Peter, as some of the stories indicate, at one of the pearly gates, asking if we qualify to enter. That is a myth which brings fear and confusion. So who do you think made it up? Obviously not God. Our eternal destination is settled once, for all time, when we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and receive forgiveness of all sins!

“Well, what about the pearly gate. I know it is mentioned in the Bible.”

“Indeed. Chapter 21 of Revelation describes The New Jerusalem as “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven. Its walls will be 216 feet thick and its length and width and height will be 1,400 miles!

“There will be twelve gates made of pearls— each gate from a single pearl! Its gates will never be closed…Nothing evil will be allowed to enter…but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life!”

Since we believe the blood of the Lamb was shed to save our souls, our names are inscribed in that special Book.”

Ephesians 2:8-9 ~For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Selective Application

/ douloschristos / Leave a comment

IMG_0930

Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?” Job 38:4

 

Even though we are Believers and followers of Christ, we seem to have the gift of selective application as we read the Bible (forgetting it is the Word of God). This is a version of Christianity that allows us to pick and choose what we apply to our lives rather than attempting to immerse ourselves fully into His Word by the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Selective interpretation allows the reader to decide which verses are applicable to their life and which are allegorical or historical or, perhaps, applicable to specific people of a different time and place. This heretical approach gives the reader the power to challenge God’s word, picking and choosing which verses are “for today.”

The most obvious danger in this approach to reading the Bible is the reader becomes equal to God, deciding that they have the authority to eliminate or water down the precious word of God. Left unchallenged, they freely re-translate the Bible into ideas that are more convenient or less challenging. Imagine thinking that we can decide which Bible verses are pertinent to our lives rather than asking God to give us wisdom and understanding as we read His Holy Word.

A classic example of this dangerous approach to the Bible is taught by a popular, well-known pastor who has decided that the Spiritual Gifts, as described in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 are no longer applicable to Christians today. According to him, these miraculous gifts ended some time after the original apostles died. He says we no longer need such gifts because we have the Bible. If that is true, the Bible itself says all believers have gifts. In order to make such a decision, he has decided that 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 is no longer applicable. How can mere man make such a declaration?

2 Timothy 3:14-16  Yet you must go on steadily in all those things that you have learned and which you know are true. Remember from what sort of people your knowledge has come, and how from early childhood your mind has been familiar with the holy scriptures, which can open the mind to the salvation which comes through believing in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the faith and correcting error, for re-setting the direction of a man’s life and training him in good living. The scriptures are the comprehensive equipment of the man of God and fit him fully for all branches of his work. (J.B. Phillips)

The Bible is not a collection of stories, fables, myths, or merely human ideas about God. It is not just a human book. Through the Holy Spirit God revealed his person and plan to godly men who wrote down God’s message for his people. This process is known as inspiration. The writers wrote from their own personal, historical, and cultural contexts. But even though they used their own minds, talents, language, and style, they wrote what God wanted them to write. Scripture is completely trustworthy because God was in control of its writing, and its words are entirely authoritative for our faith and lives. (Life Application Bible Notes © Tyndale House)

2 Peter 1:19-21  So we have seen and proved that what the prophets said came true. You will do well to pay close attention to everything they have written, for, like lights shining into dark corners, their words help us to understand many things that otherwise would be dark and difficult. But when you consider the wonderful truth of the prophets’ words, then the light will dawn in your souls and Christ the Morning Star will shine in your hearts. For no prophecy recorded in Scripture was ever thought up by the prophet himself. It was the Holy Spirit within these godly men who gave them true messages from God.

Romans 15:2-4  Even if we believe that it makes no difference to the Lord whether we do these things, still we cannot just go ahead and do them to please ourselves; for we must bear the “burden” of being considerate of the doubts and fears of others—of those who feel these things are wrong. Let’s please the other fellow, not ourselves, and do what is for his good and thus build him up in the Lord. Christ didn’t please himself. As the Psalmist said, “He came for the very purpose of suffering under the insults of those who were against the Lord.” These things that were written in the Scriptures so long ago are to teach us patience and to encourage us so that we will look forward expectantly to the time when God will conquer sin and death.

Job 38:4-11  “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much. Do you know how its dimensions were determined, and who did the surveying? What supports its foundations, and who laid its cornerstone as the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?

“Who decreed the boundaries of the seas when they gushed from the depths? Who clothed them with clouds and thick darkness and barred them by limiting their shores, and said, ‘Thus far and no farther shall you come, and here shall your proud waves stop’?”  

If enough people agree on an idea it eventually becomes established as truth. Many of these so-called truths are actually myths, superstitions and outright lies. But, as we have all experienced in life, sayings learned from childhood establish themselves as fact in our minds.

Consider the Bible. Do you think of it as fact or fable? Is it absolute truth or partial truth with scatterings of myth for variety. Either you believe the Bible is the inerrant word of God or you do not. There is no middle ground; no neutral territory. By faith in God, the Bible becomes absolute truth leading us to forgiveness of sins and eternal life with God.  

He Is Able

/ douloschristos / Leave a comment

IMG_7958 (Edited)

“To Him who is able to do far more abundantly” Eph 3:20

How much freedom do I give the Holy Spirit to guide and direct the ship of my life? Yes, I am a believer and know absolutely that I will dwell with my God for eternity. But—what about now? Is the Holy Spirit free to change the direction of my ship mid-stream? Or do I smile and say, “Praise the Lord” while holding firmly to my rudder, sometimes with both hands.

Ephesians 3:20-21  “ Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.”

In Christ, our lives have no limits except those which are self-imposed. Before Christ, our lives were like a series of boxes stacked upon one another. Each box had restrictions and constraints. We believed in the boxes and their supposed value to our lives. But, thanks be to God, through our faith in Christ, those boxes have been demolished. And now we can see horizons without limits.

Phil 3:7-8  “But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. More than that I consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”

Phil 3:13  “But one thing I do, forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.”

The past and its sins belongs right there, in the past. Leave it alone and be refreshed daily as God’s new creation created in Christ Jesus.

Gal 6:14-15  But as for me, I will never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For both circumcision and uncircumcision mean nothing; what matters, instead is a new creation.”

2 Cor 2:10  “For we are His creation—created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.”

2 Cor 5:17  “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come.”

You’ll notice that the Scripture doesn’t say, If anyone is in Christ he has been given a new, shiny box to live in! Quite the contrary, God tells us the elements, strategies, foundations and ideas of our old lives have PASSED AWAY! We are miraculously new creations with a fresh start. New hope. New power. Eternally forgiven. Let us leave our former burdens at the foot of His cross and walk away from them. They are no longer an option.

1 Peter 1:3-4  May the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ be blessed! On account of his vast mercy, he has given us new birth. You have been born anew into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. You have a pure and enduring inheritance that cannot perish—an inheritance that is presently kept safe in heaven for you.