Tag Archives: eternity

What will our bodies be like? February 25, 2019

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.

Paul had many people ask him about what heaven would be like since Jesus met him one day on the road to Damascus and he saw a glimpse of what will come. He saw the risen Lord and just a taste of what heaven might be like when time comes to an end. He learned from Jesus’ apostles that we would be changed when he came to take us home with him. So as is common with us, we wanted to know what we would be like. We live in these frail bodies and we suffer all kinds of things in this world. Will we still have the pain, the scars, the memories, and the nightmares that plague us here?

Paul had some interesting things to say to us on that account. We go back to Paul’s letter to the congregation in Corinth as he tries to help them understand just how confused and unknowing they really were. We ask the same question, though, don’t we? We want to know what the other side of life will look like. We want to know for sure if there really is a heaven and hell. We want to know what life will be like when we cross to the other side of eternity.

The people in Corinth were especially concerned because Jesus said he was coming back soon. It had been years since he left. Some of their congregation died. Jesus hadn’t come. The Romans made life difficult for the Christians. The Jewish leaders made life difficult for the Christians. The pagans who believed in a pantheon of gods made life difficult for Christians. The whole world made life difficult for Jesus’ followers just like he said they would. So what happened? Should they still wait? Was Jesus’ promise real? Was he really coming back? And if so, what would really happen to them?

Here are Paul’s words of encouragement to them.

35 Now I know what some of you are thinking: “Just how are the dead going to be raised? What kind of bodies will they have when they come back to life?” 36 Don’t be a fool! The seed you plant doesn’t produce life unless it dies. Right? 37 The seed doesn’t have the same look, the same body, if you will, of what it will have once it starts to grow. It starts out a single, naked seed—whether wheat or some other grain, it doesn’t matter— 38 and God gives to that seed a body just as He has desired. For each of the different kinds of seeds God prepares a unique body. 39 Or look at it this way: not all flesh is the same. Right? There is skin flesh on humans, furry flesh on animals, feathery flesh on birds, and scaly flesh on fish. 40 Likewise there are bodies made for the heavens and bodies made for the earth. The heavenly bodies have a different kind of glory or luminescence compared to bodies below. 41 Even among the heavenly bodies, there is a different level of brilliance: the sun shines differently than the moon, the moon differently than the stars, and the stars themselves differ in their brightness. …

50 Now listen to this: brothers and sisters, this present body is not able to inherit the kingdom of God any more than decay can inherit that which lasts forever. 51 Stay close because I am going to tell you a mystery—something you may have trouble understanding: we will not all fall asleep in death, but we will all be transformed. 52 It will all happen so fast, in a blink, a mere flutter of the eye. The last trumpet will call, and the dead will be raised from their graves with a body that does not, cannot decay. All of us will be changed! 53 We’ll step out of our mortal clothes and slide into immortal bodies, replacing everything that is subject to death with eternal life. 54 And, when we are all redressed with bodies that do not, cannot decay, when we put immortality over our mortal frames, then it will be as Scripture says:

Life everlasting has victoriously swallowed death.[j]

55 Hey, Death! What happened to your big win?

Hey, Death! What happened to your sting?

Have you ever thought about what that change might be like? Jesus talked about how a seed must die before a plant can grow from it. So picture, if you will, an acorn. We know oak trees come from acorn’s the seed that produces those magnificent trees. I’m sure you’ve seen a few of them. Hard shelled things about ¾ of an inch across. Although there are a variety of different nuts we eat, the acorn is one we don’t. If you examine that small receptacle of life, would you ever think a giant oak would grow from that little seed? A tree looks so different from the seed from which it sprouts. So does a corn stalk look different from a single kernel of corn. Or a watermelon seed different from a watermelon. Pick any seed and tell me if you could guess what its plant would look like when mature. I don’t believe you could.

Jesus and Paul tell us this flesh that houses our eternal spirit is just a seed. When it dies, a spiritual bodies emerges from it just as an oak emerges from an acorn. What will our spiritual bodies be like? I can’t tell you. Will we look the same? I don’t think we will. I think we will know each other as we are perfected by his resurrection power. I think we will understand perfectly. I think we will see God in his triune perfection. Paul says we will be changed in the blink of an eye. Paul doesn’t describe that change except that we will be clothed in a new, spiritual body. An immortal one. One that can never decay or die. We will have a body that will live through eternity without pain or sadness or deformity or anything but the perfection of the image of God he placed within each of us.

What will we look like? Will we really care? Does the acorn care what the tree looks like that comes from inside its tiny shell? Does the apple seed care how many apple live inside it? Does a wheat germ care how many grains of wheat will come from it when the farmer plants it in the ground? So why should we care what this new spiritual body will be? Suffice it to say our spiritual bodies will be exactly right because God will grow them. He planned this millenia ago. We can trust him to make the spiritual body that springs from the seed of our fleshly body exactly what he plans.

I cannot even imagine what it might be like. Just like I could never imagine what plant would come from a particular seed if you placed it in my hand. I think our spiritual bodies will be as different from our fleshly bodies as a plant is from the seed from which it comes. Does that bother you? It doesn’t bother me. It’s one of those things I figure God has taken care of and I don’t need to worry about it. I trust him to know what he’s doing. I can’t make an oak tree. All I can do is plant an acorn. I can’t create a field of wheat. All I can do is plant some seeds. I can’t create a spiritual body. All I can do is prepare my fleshly body for the next step. I can give myself to God. I can follow his commands to the best of my ability. I can ask forgiveness from him. Then I can let him do his work in me and when time ends, he can change me into something I never dreamed. He will give me a spiritual body something we cannot now imagine.

Will we all be the same? I don’t know. Will we be able to distinguish one person from another? I think so since Paul talks about bodies, plural. Will we remember anything of this body when we put on the next? I don’t know. Does it really matter? Will we care about this life after we move into the next? I’m not sure we will if we find ourselves in heaven with God. I think we will be so engaged in worship and the work he gives us to do in heaven (I really believe he has work for us to do there, also), we won’t think about or worry about what happened here. The only thing we will remember from this side of eternity is that sacrifice he made for us so we could be with him. Everything else from this side of life will just fade away.

The Corinthians wondered what was happening to these frail vessels that kept dying while they waited for Jesus’ return. Paul let them know Jesus was still coming. His delay didn’t mean he wasn’t coming back. It means God is gracious and wants us to share his story to influence as many as possible to come into his kingdom. His delay is because of his mercy and grace. He wants as many as possible to come to him. Paul also wanted them to know our frail, sickly bodies weren’t the things that would survive and follow us into heaven. These things that deteriorate and decay are just seeds and one day from this fleshy seed will sprout a spiritual body like nothing we can begin to imagine.

Do you ever wonder what will become of this lump of clay you reside it? Don’t worry about it. Just like with the acorn and the oak, you can’t begin to imagine the new you. Be ready and then be blown away by the magnificence of God’s creative act in you.

You can find me at richardagee.com. I also invite you to join us at San Antonio First Church of the Nazarene on West Avenue in San Antonio to hear more Bible based teaching. You can find out more about my church at SAF.church. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed it, tell a friend. If you didn’t, send me an email and let me know how better to reach out to those around you. Until next week, may God richly bless you as you venture into His story each day.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Peace at Christmas, December 24, 2018

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.

If you are listening to this on the day it’s released, it’s Christmas Eve. What an exciting time for all the kids! There is great anticipation of what tomorrow brings. What will be in those stockings hung by the fire? What will that jolly old elf pull out of his sack and put under the tree? For we adults, it’s about watching those kids and grandkids seeing those special gifts. It’s about the sparkle in their eyes and the joy they have in those special moments of surprise. Christmas morning brings with it some work for the family also as we prepare the feast for all of us to consume.

Christmas can also bring some anxiety. Family arrives that you don’t see very often and maybe some friends and family that you don’t want to see very often. You love them, but the pressure to be something or someone you’re not is pretty high. Unresolved conflict creates tension in the air and that atmosphere spoils some of the joy that should be the highlight of the celebration we should project throughout the day instead of some façade of happiness you just don’t feel.

We should remember, though, that Jesus came to bring peace. Micah’s prophecy about the coming Messiah says as much in chapter five. That’s the chapter that tells us the Messiah will come from Bethlehem, but just a three verses later, he says, ‘…and he shall be the one of peace.’

I don’t know about you, but I can use that kind of Messiah. The Israelites were not looking for one of peace at the time. They wanted a warrior who would free them from the oppressive rule of Rome. They wanted someone who would take charge and give them victory over all their enemies and they assumed that someone would be a powerful ruler with both political and military might.

God had different ideas, though. He spelled them out in many of the prophecies. Jesus would come as a suffering servant. He would bleed and die for us. He would sacrifice himself in our stead. The Israelites and their religious leaders did not want to accept those verses. They wanted to focus on the ones that talked about his kingship, his power, his strength, his sovereignty. They wanted someone who was able to judge and destroy all their enemies.

Micah’s words didn’t fit that bill. Born in Bethlehem? Some little backwoods hovel that held no importance except it was the birthplace of David and his brothers. And by the way, if you think hard about David’s family and read between the lines of scripture, they sound like a bunch of pretty bad dudes. Many of them are listed among his mighty men and leaders in his army. You only got into those position by your prowess as a warrior. They did things like kill a hundred enemy at a time…by themselves. David was no pipsqueak either. You can’t be that picture of a skinny little shepherd and kill a lion and a bear. I expect David looked a lot more like Atlas than the meek, mild shepherd boy pictures we see. Saul’s armor didn’t fit him when he faced Goliath, not because he was small, but because Saul stood head and shoulders taller than all the other Israelites.

So here was this prophecy about a peaceful Messiah born in a village that produced some of the fiercest warriors in Israel’s history. Jesus said the same of himself. When he talked with his disciples at that last Passover meal with them. He told them he was leaving his legacy of peace with them. He told them the world would hate them because of him, but despite the persecution they would face, they would face it with peace. They did not need to fear as much of humanity did and still does. They could face life with courage and determination and peace. He would assure them of it because of the hope he left behind for them.

He does the same for us. That legacy of peace extends to all who believe in him. John 3:16 sums up his purpose pretty well. “God loved the world (you and me) so much that he gave his one and only son so that whoever (that includes you and me, it doesn’t discriminate against anyone) whoever believes in him will not die but will have everlasting life. Now that’s a promise we can enjoy.

All that leads me to a sad celebration my family is experiencing at this time. As I’m preparing this, my brother-in-law is facing that final step into eternity. He is the first of my siblings or their spouses to face this milestone of life. This final step for he and his wife came so unexpectedly. At the first of December, he seemed fairly healthy, ready for their traditional early Christmas party with his children and grandchildren, and the excitement of the season. Then came December 11. He went from healthy to hospice and I expect as you are listening to this podcast, my sister is preparing his memorial service.

Through these couple of tragic weeks, though, my sister and brother-in-law have been pillars of strength. No fear. Sadness of course because we don’t understand why life should be cut short at 55. That’s way too early these days for disease to take over and decimate life so quickly. But their witness to their children, caregivers, family, and friends shows the legacy of peace that comes with knowing life doesn’t end with our last breath. He knows he will go to sleep very soon and will awake in another realm. He will step foot in paradise and be with his savior forever.

When we believe in the son of God, we can have that same assurance and like him, we face the worst life has to offer without fear. We can know the final outcome and understand that peace can be the predominant emotion even when the world would expect something far different. My brother-in-law has expressed no fear in this next step. Sadness? Some, especially for my sister and their children and grandchildren, knowing he leaves an emptiness that will be filled. Anxiety? Only in regard to making sure everything is in place to ensure my sister is taken care of at his passing.

Joy? Yes. Joy. Can it be true? Joy in dying? Yes. He knows his destiny. He knows his wife will not be alone for long, but will join him in just a short while. What’s a few years in terms of eternity? He knows her faith and she shares the same hope and peace and joy in seeing Jesus that he does. Even in this time the world expects deep sorrow, anger, denial, and a host of other emotions, they have that legacy of peace Jesus said he would leave with us. It is real. It is ours for the asking.

Would I ask for this situation? Absolutely not. Have we prayed for healing? Yes. Did it come? Yes, but not the way we wanted. He will soon have no pain, no tears, no disease. He will soon be perfected in every way. It’s not what we wanted, but God is answering prayer. And we accept that God knows what’s best in every situation. Are we sad? Yes. We will miss him.

We also celebrate with him, though. We will see him again. We will join him one day because as he knows his destination, so do many of us. We have peace and know that one day each of us will wake up on the other side of life. We will see all those who have gone before us and we will see Jesus.

Micah prophesied more than 2500 years ago the Messiah ‘…shall be the one of peace.’ I’ve watched it in the conduct, actions, and bearing of my sister and her husband. Their witness of his peace in their faith is remarkable. Their love for each other is overshadowed by their love of God and their realization that he is with them through every moment of this journey. His legacy of peace is real. We can have it, too.

Merry Christmas to all.

The most important question, March 12, 2018

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Bible Reading Plan – www.Bible-Reading.com; The Story, Chapter 25; You Version Bible app Engaging God’s Story Reading Plan Days 169 through 175

Have you ever had a question stuck in the back of your mind that you just can’t seem to break loose? I’ve had a few of those through the years. Some seem silly now that I’m in my sixties. Many I still don’t have answers.

Some of those silly questions include things like will I ever be rich and famous? Will anyone ever remember my name when I’m dead and gone? What can I do in life to make sure my family and I are comfortable? How can I get ahead in whatever career I might be in at the time?

Silly questions because none of the answers or outcomes from those questions really matter in the long run. What good is money when you’re dead and gone? Who cares about fame when their bones have crumbled in the grave? What does comfort have to do with anything and it’s all relative anyway. What does it mean to be comfortable? Is that the absence of pain and disease and injury? Will I be able to live in a bubble to avoid all sickness the rest of my life? Silly questions.

But there are some questions that did mean something and are really important. What is God’s plan for my life and am I able to discern it? Do I know my sins have been forgiven and that God’s Spirit lives in me? Have I done my best to live my faith in front of my children so they share my understanding of God, my values, and my faith?

These are important questions in life. I’m learning the first about God’s plan for my life is not as important as God’s purpose and then live my life in his purpose. And what is that? His desire and his purpose is that all would come to know him as Lord and Savior. He wants all to know him and to follow him. God desires more than anything to have an intimate, face-to-face relationship restored with each individual he created throughout time.

So then, my question changes to how can God use me to further his plan on earth? How can I be an instrument for him? The older I get, the more important I find the second question. I also find more people asking that question as they approach death. How do I know my sins are forgiven? How do I know God saves me? There is a great verse in 1 John that helps me and that I share with others to help them. It goes like this: “If we confess our sins, he (Jesus) is faithful and will forgive us our sins and will cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

So there is it. Have I confessed my sins to him and asked for his forgiveness? If I have, he is faithful and will forgive. It’s a promise he has made to us through his word and God never goes back on his word. I can know that my sins are forgiven when I confess my sins and do my very best to follow his teachings. That doesn’t mean we have carte blanche to go out and do whatever we want and then come back and throw confession in God’s face. God knows the difference between true repentance and playing the game of religion.Saying the right words and singing the right songs. He tells us not to test him in that way. But when we come to him repentantly, he forgives. It is his promise to us.

That next question, I must look in the mirror and some days I must admit to myself I haven’t done my best. Sometimes I let my family and friends down. Sometimes I’m not the example I should be. Sometimes I let my anger or frustration or disappointment or some other negative emotion get the best of me and I don’t respond to circumstances the way I should. I’m not the Christlike example I should be to those who are watching me.

On those days, I need to not only ask God’s forgiveness, I need to ask the forgiveness of my family and friends. I let them down and I need to recognize my fault and failure with them. I must remember the cross has two beams. The vertical beam that requires confession and a request for forgiveness from the Father because of my sins and failures in living my life for him. But it also has a horizontal beam that reminds me that I have a responsibility to those around me. And I must ask forgiveness from them when I fail them in living a Christlike example in front of them.

But the question that each of us must answer that makes all the others pale in comparison is the one Jesus asked his disciples in Caesarea Philippi. “Who do you say I am?” That is the eternal question for each of us. In your mind is Jesus who he says he is? Is Jesus just the historical teacher many claim him to be? Or is he just a good man who did some amazing things twenty centuries ago? Or is Jesus truly God incarnate? The one and only Son of the living God? The one who came to give himself as the ultimate sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin for all who will accept his gift of salvation?

Your answer to this one question determines how you will live your life. It will determine how you approach every other decision that comes your way. Your answer will decide your eternal destiny. And no one can answer that question for you. It is a question that everyone faces and everyone must answer within their own heart and mind. And when each of us stand before God on the final day of judgment when each of us will answer for the way we lived our lives. We won’t be asked how much money we made or how many houses we owned. We won’t be asked if our names were in the newspaper or we were listed in “who’s who”.

The one question that will be asked and searched out in the book of life is while we took breaths in this world, who do we say Jesus is? Do we know him to be the Son of the living God and live for him…now. But now is the testing ground. Now is the time we have to decide if we will live for him or not. We either accept his gift of forgiveness and follow him or we don’t. The choice is really that simple.

Living for him is not easy in an evil world, but the choice is simple. We believe in him or not. We follow him or not. We know him as the Son of God or not. We trust him for our salvation or not. Simple choices, but not easy ones in today’s world. They have never been easy. They were not easy when Jesus walked the dusty roads of Jerusalem. If you followed him then, it meant persecution, beatings, stoning, the cross, death. Today if you follow him, it means persecution, perhaps beatings, isolation, suffering, maybe even death. The road is not an easy one. But the choice is still a simple one.

Jesus asks, “Who do you say I am?” Everything, all eternity hangs on your answer to that question. So what do you believe? Are you ready to follow? Millions before you have known it is worth it. How about you?

You can find me at richardagee.com. I also invite you to join us at San Antonio First Church of the Nazarene on West Avenue in San Antonio to hear more about The Story and our part in it. You can find out more about my church at SAF.church. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed it, tell a friend. If you didn’t, send me an email and let me know how better to reach out to those around you. Until next week, may God richly bless you as you venture into His story each day.

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Do good things for someone (Luke 14:12-14) December 1, 2016

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Ecclesiastes 11-12

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 14:12-14
Jesus: When you host a dinner or banquet, don’t invite your friends, your brothers, your relatives, or your rich neighbors. If you do, they might invite you to a party of their own, and you’ll be repaid for your kindness. Instead, invite the poor, the amputees, the cripples, the blind. Then you’ll be blessed because they can never repay you. Your reward will come from God at the resurrection of the just and good.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

When is the last time you just did something good for someone you didn’t know? When I was in uniform, it happened to me often. Desert Storm changed the way Americans viewed service members after many years of not caring much about them. That series of events, however, brought our attention back to the freedoms we enjoy as a privilege of living in this country. And service men and women around the world help to protect those freedoms.

So after I returned from Desert Storm, it wasn’t uncommon if I was in uniform to eat in an airport during my travels or at restaurant on my way to or from some official function and find that when I went to pay for my meal someone had already paid my bill. I seldom knew who did it and the manager usually told me the person didn’t want to be recognized, just wanted to tangibly express his thanks for my service. It was pretty touching.

I try to do that every once in a while. No reason except I feel prompted to do it. I don’t want anyone to know my name. I don’t want any recognition. I just want to give because God has blessed me in so many ways. I think that’s what Jesus is talking about when He talks to the host of the dinner He attended that day 2000 years ago. I think He would commend those folks who buy the lunch of a soldier just because. I think He would be happy about giving away a new shirt with the tags still on it to the guy sleeping under the bridge. I think He would be happy about inviting that visitor to your church to lunch knowing they are just passing through and may never stop in your town again.

Something happens to you when you do those things. You get a good feeling inside because you’ve done something good with no expectation of payment. No expectation of anything in return. No hope that you will receive any reciprocal favor. You just do something good and doing good things has internal rewards that are hard to describe.

First, they take your mind off your own problems. When you help other people, you don’t focus on yourself and the day to day issues you face. When you focus on you, those little ankle biters seem to consume you. When you begin to help others and just look for random acts of kindness you can do expecting nothing in return, you focus on others and don’t have as much time to ruminate about you.

Second, studies are showing that doing good for others releases those endorphins runners talk about. You get that natural high without drugs or artificial stimulants and at the same time someone else benefits from your kind act. So a double blessing happens, the person who receives your help and the healthy hormones released into your body when you just do good things.

Third, Jesus makes a pretty significant promise here. He says that your reward will not come from men, because you have purposely done things for those who cannot repay you, right? Your reward will come from God. He will reward you at the resurrection for your just and good deeds. That is so much better than the temporary payment you might get on this side of the grave. Whatever you receive here you can’t take it with you. But what God gives you, lasts throughout eternity.

And doing good doesn’t have to cost you anything. Maybe you know a young mother that needs some respite from her kids. Or an elderly person that just needs some company. Maybe some volunteer house cleaning for someone that is getting over an illness or a loss. How about some handyman work? What kind of skills do you have that you can just give to someone who needs it.

I think God gives us talents and skills and experiences to help each other, not necessarily just for personal gain. Sure, we can earn a reasonable living with the skills He has given us, but He has also given us those gifts to share with others so they can understand the love of God given freely to those around us. After all, He gives us His grace freely. He shed His blood for us and forgives us when we ask. Why wouldn’t we give ourselves in service to others since He has done so much for us.

So now the only thing left to do is keep your eyes open today for the opportunity to do some random act of kindness for someone today expecting nothing in return. Just do something good. You’ll enjoy it, I promise.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Are you ready for this? (Luke 9:26-27) October 21, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Habakkuk

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 9:26-27
Jesus: If you’re ashamed of who I am and what I teach, then the Son of Man will be ashamed of you when He comes in all His glory, the glory of the Father, and the glory of the holy messengers. Are you ready for this? I’m telling you the truth: some of you will not taste death until your eyes see the kingdom of God.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word ashamed as:
1a : feeling shame, guilt, or disgrace
b : feeling inferior or unworthy
2: restrained by anticipation of shame
But that definition is a little bit circular since it uses shame as part of its definition, so we need to look a little deeper and ask what does it mean to feel shame or guilt or disgrace. If you look at the definition of shame, Webster defines it as:
1 a : a painful emotion caused by consciousness of guilt, shortcoming, or impropriety
b : the susceptibility to such emotion <have you no shame?>
2: a condition of humiliating disgrace or disrepute : ignominy 3 a : something that brings censure or reproach; also : something to be regretted : pity <it’s a shame you can’t go>
b : a cause of feeling shame
So now let’s apply that definition to Jesus’ words.

Are you susceptible to feelings of humiliating disgrace or disrepute because of following Jesus? Do you have feelings of guilty or shortcomings or impropriety because of your faith in Christ? Does your faith bring you censure or reproach that you regret? Be careful in answering that last question. If you follow Christ, you can expect censure and reproach, but do you regret it? That’s the real question.

Do you let the world push you into their mold or make you think it’s not okay to follow Jesus? Do you let them quiet your voice in sharing the truth that He has freed you from the burden of guilt that enslaved you and now you live with His peace and joy each day? Do you live in hiding afraid to share the news that Jesus is still alive and lives in you?

If so, it’s a dangerous place to be. Jesus told those around Him, “If you are ashamed of Me, I’ll be ashamed of you when the Son of Man comes in His glory.”

We don’t know exactly what that will be like when He returns. We have some hints in Daniel, Revelations, and other eschatological writings, but those are just brief glimpses into what will be. What we know is He will return, not as the suffering servant, but as the victorious warrior over death and evil. Those who fail to proclaim Him as Lord in this life will be banished from His presence eternally.

So Jesus asks a question after His proclamation. “Are you ready for this?” If you’re ashamed of Me, are you ready to face the consequences that will come when I return? Are you ready to feel My shame toward you when I return in My glory and sweep across the earth as the victorious King of kings? Do you understand the wrath that will be poured out on all who cower because of My name when I come back from sitting at the Father’s right hand? Are you ready to face the consequences of your feelings of shame in following Me?

Ouch! Jesus’ words are aimed directly at America’s Christian population, it seems. We have buried our heads in the sand for the last several generations in our unwillingness to seem intolerant of others faith. In our misinterpretation of Jesus’ command not to judge others, we tolerate every violation of His commands among our fellow citizens and even among those who worship beside us with the crazy thought, “we’re not supposed to judge.”

We will not be the final judge and we should be careful how we judge others, but when others clearly behave in ways contrary to God’s word, that is not judgment. That is fulfilling the part of the great commission that says, “…disciple them. Form them in the practices and postures that I have taught you, and show them how to follow the commands i have laid down for you.”

Do we stand for Jesus or not? Do we accept our faith in Jesus as the only way to reach heaven and please the Father or not? Do we stand with Him when the rest of the world stands against Him or not? It is always our choice, but these words from Jesus should make us consider carefully the consequences of not standing for Him now. If we are ashamed of Him now, He will be ashamed of us when we stand before Him at the judgment. What will that mean for us? If He regrets He knows us, what does that mean for us in eternity?

I must admit, I don’t know the answer to that question. But I also don’t want to be on the wrong side finding out what it means through personal experience. I don’t want Jesus to be ashamed of me when I see Him in His glory. Paul says the indignities and suffering we endure now is not even worth noting compared to the glory we will receive when we come into His presence on the other side of the veil of death.

Are you ready for this?

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Sounds like a good deal (Mark 10:29-31) August 22, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Numbers 5-8

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Mark 10:29-31
Jesus: That is true. And those who have left their houses, their lands, their parents, or their families for My sake, and for the sake of this good news will receive all of this 100 times greater than they have in this time—houses and farms and brothers, sisters, mothers, and children, along with persecutions—and in the world to come, they will receive eternal life. But many of those who are first in this world shall be last in the world to come, and the last, first.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

We love Jesus’ words to His disciples here, don’t we? If you give up things for Him, He’ll return them 100 times over. Sounds like great news for those “name it and claim it” believers, doesn’t it? Give up your house and get a hundred back. Give up an acre of land and get a ranch in return. Sounds like a good investment plan, right? We love to quote Jesus’ investment plan for getting rich. Give up everything and get it back 100 fold.

There is a problem with that kind of thinking, of course. When we serve just for the sake of getting something in return, we serve for the wrong reason and really serve no one but self. Unfortunately, that seems to be the motivator for so many today. We seem to let that “what’s in it for me” attitude sneak in and take over. We let self get in the way and take the parts of Jesus’ promises we like and forget the parts we don’t.

Speaking of parts we don’t like, we hurriedly skip over the part where He says we’ll get 100 times the persecution when we give up houses and lands and parents and families. We don’t want to hear about that part, so we skip over that pretty fast and take the good and leave the bad. But look around the world at what’s happening to Jesus’ followers. The news doesn’t talk much about it, but there have never been more Christian martyrs than today. There has never been more persecution than today. There has never been such an outpouring of hatred against Christians than what we see today.

Jesus was right when He said if we give up everything for Him we will get 100 times as much in return. We don’t like to hear that it will be both good and bad in this world, but it will be both. The question, is the sacrifice worth it? Is giving up houses and lands and parents and families for Jesus’s sake worth the price? Yes, we will face persecution. Yes, we may become martyrs for His name. Yes, the world will hate us because we follow Him. But is it worth it? That is the question each of us must ask ourselves and weigh the answer and make our choice.

Satan tries to tell us the outcome is not worth it. He tries to tell us the world is right and God’s word is wrong. Satan tries to use the glamour and glitter of the world to convince us that wealth and prosperity should be our goal. Take as much as you can. Don’t worry about who you hurt on the way. Make the right investments and you’ll be assured of long life and riches. But if you read God’s word, you know that is not true. Satan is a liar and the father of lies.

If you listen to God’s word, you know there is something after this seventy or eighty year lifespan during which we occupy this piece of dirt. You know the things we accumulate here are temporary but there is something beyond. God’s word talks about it. He tells us about a new heaven and a new earth that’s coming. If you listen to God’s word, you know the treasures stored here will disappeared, but treasures stored in heaven last forever.

Is the sacrifice worth it? Absolutely. Besides, God is God! He deserves our worship. He is God, He demands it. He is God. Nothing and no one else comes in a close second to Him as worthy of praise and glory and honor and majesty and power. Is it worth following Him? Absolutely. We owe Him everything we have and everything we are. He created us and allows us to enjoy everything we have. He enables us to breathe and exist within the span of years we have here and then on into eternity.

Jesus made a bold promise that many only want to remember only half. They want to remember only the good parts. They want to forget the promise of persecution, of the hatred the world will level against us, of misunderstanding and disapproval by the world if we choose to follow Him. But if we will listen to Him and follow Him, the rest of His promise is also true. In the world to come, we will have eternal life. Isn’t that worth it all? Sounds like a pretty good deal to me.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

God is love (1 John 4:7-21), August 23, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – 1 John 4:7-21

Set – Jeremiah 32; 1 John 4

Go! – Jeremiah 31-32; 1 John 4

1 John 4:7-21
⁷ My loved ones, let us devote ourselves to loving one another. Love comes straight from God, and everyone who loves is born of God and truly knows God. ⁸ Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
⁹ Because of this, the love of God is a reality among us: God sent His only Son into the world so that we could find true life through Him. ¹⁰ This is the embodiment of true love: not that we have loved God first, but that He loved us and sent His unique Son on a special mission to become an atoning sacrifice for our sins. ¹¹ So, my loved ones, if God loved us so sacrificially, surely we should love one another. ¹² No one has ever seen God with human eyes; but if we love one another, God truly lives in us. Consequently God’s love has accomplished its mission among us.
¹³ How can we be sure that He truly lives in us and that we truly live in Him? By one fact: He has given us His Spirit. ¹⁴ We have watched what God has done, and we stand ready to provide eyewitness testimonies to the reality that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. ¹⁵ If anyone unites with our confession that Jesus is God’s own Son, then God truly lives in that person and that person lives in God. ¹⁶ We have experienced and we have entrusted our lives to the love of God in us.
God is love. Anyone who lives faithfully in love also lives faithfully in God, and God lives in him. ¹⁷ This love is fulfilled with us, so that on the day of judgment we have confidence based on our identification with Jesus in this world. ¹⁸ Love will never invoke fear. Perfect love expels fear, particularly the fear of punishment. The one who fears punishment has not been completed through love.
¹⁹ We love because He has first loved us. ²⁰ If someone claims, “I love God,” but hates his brother or sister, then he is a liar. Anyone who does not love a brother or sister, whom he has seen, cannot possibly love God, whom he has never seen. ²¹ He gave us a clear command, that all who love God must also love their brothers and sisters.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

As children, the first thing you probably learned about Me was “God is love.” John learned it well as he walked with Me in My human form. He is sometimes called the disciple I loved. I think it’s probably turned the other way as well because John truly learned what love means as he poured his heart into his letters to the churches.

John recognized all My commands could be boiled down into the single directive to love. Love Me. Love your brother and sister believers. Love you enemies. Love those in authority over you. Love those you might not agree with. Just love. I am the very essence of love. As you learned as a child, I am love.

John got it right. You can’t love Me if you don’t love those you see around you. If you don’t love those around you, you don’t love Me. How can you love someone you haven’t see and not those around you that you have seen? John’s right, it’s not possible. My love isn’t in you if you don’t have real love for those around you. If My love is in you, you’ll see others the way I see them. You’ll see them as eternal souls with eternal destinies. You’ll see others as My highest creation and you’ll know that My desire is that all should know My saving grace.

You will know that not everyone will accept My grace and salvation, but My desire is that they do. I won’t force Myself on you or anyone else. As much as I want you to be with Me throughout eternity, it will always be your choice. You can accept My salvation or refuse it. You choose your action, I choose the consequences.

The consequences were set in motion before time. Those who accept My will spend eternity with Me. Those who don’t will be separated from Me eternally. The book of Revelations describes what it will be like for those who choose not to follow Me. The contrast is there for all to read and study. The choice is yours. The consequences of your choice is laid out before you. Choose wisely. Choose to love as I love.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.