Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Comfort is on the Way

Troubled? Afflicted? Exhausted? Disillusioned? If you’re at all like me, then that can be part of your Christian experience—sometimes all at the same time. God will comfort you. He is moved by your distress—it touches Him deeply (Hebrews 4:15-16)—and He finds no fault. He doesn't comfort you because you do anything right or anything wrong. Comfort is what He has for you because Comfort is who He is. (Please see John 16:7; 2 Corinthians 1:3-7.)

Thursday, August 25, 2016

Heavenly Crossing Videos

I’ve got a few friends who’ve gone a little crazy and who need a good repentance. Do you have some friends like that? “Repentance” is a re-thinking that results from a recognition of the truth. Frankly, I have little repentances or “awakenings” pretty regularly. I will become aware of a deception that has affected and hindered me and probably affected people around me. I might say something like, “Aha!” or “Darn it!” and I’m on my way to health.

Evidently, there are some Christians who go fairly crazy concerning what they once believed and share in—the riches of their inheritance in Christ. If they go “crazy”, or are having a “crazy episode” that continues to their passing, their death, I believe they are still secure and rich in Christ. After all, He did the securing and gift-giving to begin with, and, therefore, they cannot lose anything they didn’t earn in the first place; they have been secured by the Security Expert. Sure, they’re crazy as they cross over from this life to the next, and that’s not fun! Not for them, not for anyone around them. But after that they’re not crazy at all crazy. What an awakening that will be.

After I’ve crossed over myself, I’ll want to check out some “heavenly crossing” videos from heaven’s video vault (because you know they’ve got one) of crazy-at-the-end-of-their-days friends and maybe relatives of mine. Wouldn’t that be great? Imagine it: mixed up, confused, earth-trapped skeptic the moment before death, and then instantly enlightened, stunned and radiant, heavenly member the next. “Whoa! So it was true after all! My God!” they might say. And Jesus will be right there with them, smiling and nodding, saying, “Yes, and I have kept you because I am your hope, and I will always be.”

I think I could watch a lot of those videos. How about you?

1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

When your reservation is revealed to you, I hope it will be less of a shock—“My God!”—and more of a triumphant blast of a homecoming party hosted by God who began the work in you—imperishable, undefiled, not in any way faded in its perfect majesty. Just as God began, so He will finish on that day. And then maybe others, who follow after you, won’t even bother to check out your crossing over video from the heavenly video vault, because you were already regularly celebrating long before you got there.

That’d be good, wouldn’t it?

(This is a transcript of yesterday’s video, “Heavenly Crossing Videos,” and is for those who might rather read than watch. To go to my video channel and see it, click: https://youtu.be/bSbqgMF4tdU, or simply scroll down this blog page.)

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Heavenly Crossing Videos

Got 4 minutes?  I have a few friends who have gone a bit crazy concerning their life with Jesus.  It disturbs me, but what awaits them when they cross over from this life to the next?