I want you to be in heaven with me.

Just as Paul tells the Israelites in Romans 9, I want you to be in heaven with me.  Everything else in this life is trivial compared to this absolute, final outcome.  “Location, location, location” is an old adage concerning real estate. That principle is even more crucial for our eternal existence.  Clearly, nothing in this life matters more than the question, "Where will you spend eternity?"

Beyond our finite mind and understanding, we will live forever.  God created each of us as an eternal being.  Just as described in Genesis, these fleshly bodies have received the breath of God and become living souls that will live forever.  Yes, our physical bodies will fall to the earth and die, but our inner man, the real person we are, has an eternal existence.   

Unfortunately, even though everyone knows that our years on the earth are limited and will end in death, many people allow themselves to be so distracted with wealth, comfort and convenience, that they fail to consider and prepare for the eternity that lies ahead.  Nothing could be more foolish.  Vanity of vanity, says the preacher in Ecclesiastes, all is vanity.  He is so right.  

At one point a man asked Jesus to intervene so his brother would share the inheritance. (Luke 12:13)   Jesus answered that one’s life does not consist in the abundance of what he possesses, and then Jesus follows with the parable of the rich man building more barns and neglecting his soul.  Jesus calls him a fool who is rich in earthly goods and not rich toward God.  A wise man builds his house upon the rock.  The rock is Jesus Christ and what is revealed in His Word how to be right with God and be saved for a life of joy with Him forever.  

None of us even comes close to deserving to be right with God forever, which is, of course, the reason God sent His Son to pay what we really deserved so we could have His life and right relationship with the Father.  The question isn't why would God send people to hell, the question is why would anyone reject the perfect love of God who died for our sins so we could live in joy forever.  

Therefore, above anything else you think or do, make sure that you have accepted that Jesus Christ has paid the price for you and that because of such great love, you willingly submit to Him as the Lord, or master of your life.  Read this truth in Romans 10:8-10.  It really is as simple as believing that Jesus rose from the dead (meaning every one of your sins are paid for) and being willing to declare with your lips that Jesus is Lord of your life.  Jesus stated in Matthew 10:32 that He would confess each one before the Father who has been unashamed to confess Him (Jesus) before men.  

Lay down every other excuse or persuasion of human thinking, and come as a little child trusting Jesus to forgive you and make you completely new.  He is faithful and promises you will be with Him (and me) in heaven forever.   

  

Tested by Fire

Jesus endured the cross, despised the shame, because of the joy that was set before Him.

The same principle applies to us.  In 1 Peter 1:6-7, God tells us to rejoice in the glorious salvation Jesus has won for us, BUT... "if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ." Trials are God's testing to determine how genuine or real is our faith, and to allow us a very tangible way to honor and glorify God.  The Lord is pleased with every godly choice from giving a child a glass of water to laying our life down for our faith.  There is no joy like being able to give glory to God, which lasts forever and is worth a million times the cost now.

Life is filled with opportunities to grow.  Actually, maturing comes from making good choices that make godly qualities a part of our nature.  Everything starts with applying God's gift of faith to accept Jesus and be born again.  2 Peter 1:5-10 would then tell us to add to our faith, virtue, and to our virtue, knowledge, and to our knowledge, self-control, and to our self control, perseverance, and to our perseverance, godliness, and to our godliness, brotherly love, and finally, to our brotherly love, the agape God-kind of love.  When we practice and acquire these qualities, the Word promises we will never fail.

Scripture warns about those who say, Lord, Lord, and then do not do the will of God.  Jesus had very strong words of condemnation for the behavior of the hypocritical Pharisees.  There is a need to demonstrate that we don't just believe and love in word, but in word and deed.  There is parable about two sons that Jesus told in Matthew 21 where the first refused to obey and the second said, "Oh yes, I will."  However, he did not.  But the first son who first refused, repented and did the work.  None of us in our flesh want to obey God, our flesh will not and cannot please God.  It requires a choice, by the power of the Spirit, to put to death the deeds and desires of the flesh.   

God also promises to refine us as fire, so don't think it strange when the fiery trial comes but rather rejoice.  James would give the same instruction, to count it joy when various trials come because they produce patience, that we may be "perfect and complete, lacking nothing."  Psalms, as well as Isaiah and Zachariah, explain that God refines us as silver is refined.  Silver is melted over a fire so the impurities float to the top.  Then the master skims off the impurities.  The fire continues, and the master continues to skim off the impurities until He can see the reflection of His own face in the silver. 

So trials are necessary steps to help us get rid of the baggage of fallen nature and choose to walk in the Spirit.  God, being God, is a very present help in times of trials and openly offers the Spirit's help to will and to work for His pleasure.  Truly, God works all things for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

We will be tested by fire.  Rather than dreading the trials, we are invited to see the joy set before us, as God uses these as opportunities to demonstrate the genuineness of our faith and to let Him perfect us through them.  Notice the purpose and fruit of trials in this end-time passage in Zachariah (13:9) about the effect of trials for the people of Israel, "I will bring the one-third through the fire, will refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘This is My people’; and each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God. ”  Trials by fire refine us to declare and confirm that Jesus is Lord of our lives.  

Piggy-Back into His Joy

    Clearly God has turned our mourning into joy, but it is up to us to choose to stand in His provision.  Obviously, it is easy to dwell in our fallen-nature tendency to complain, to feel sorry for ourselves, and to be anxious and fearful. However, God exhorts us to allow His joy to come in and our joy to be full.  Let there be joy!  Serve the Lord with joy and gladness of heart.    

Psalm 35:27 has an amazing exhortation: Let them shout for joy and be glad, who favor my righteous cause; and let them say continually, "Let the Lord be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.'"  Jesus came and took our place because He delights in showing mercy and allowing us to share His glory. He is worthy of it all, glorious praise for what He has done. 

    

  At school this week I tried to demonstrate to the children what Jesus did for us.  We imagined a pit of fiery hot lava (hell) and pointed out that everyone who sinned deserved death, and to be thrown into the pit.  We suggested that when they look at the cross they should see themselves on the cross, because that is what our sin deserves.  However, Jesus took their place.  

Then I picked up "piggy back" one of the first graders, told him to pretend I was Jesus who picked him up, and carried him through the "fire of hell" and brought him to the other side called heaven.  Jesus is the only one who can walk through hell and take us to heaven.. We are the most blessed people on earth to have Jesus to "piggy back" carry us from eternal death and hell into His glorious home to joyfully live with Him forever! .

The joy of the Lord is our strength.  As long as we focus on and think about how blessed we are to know the Lord and our living hope of His resurrection, we can afford to be joyful and full of peace.  He has already won the victory for us over every enemy, including sin and death.  Because he lives, we live (John 14).  Capital One may ask "what is in your wallet?"  Life asks us, "What is on your mind?"  As a man thinks, so is he. When our minds are filled with the truth of how blessed we are (having all things that pertain to life and godliness 2 Peter 1:3), obviously joy and gladness are the result.  On the piggy back ride with Jesus, (or in His hand), nothing can separate us from the eternal joy of our salvation!