Jesus is Coming
22/07/07 12:11
How many
times have we heard this? How many times have you
spoken this? How many times have you pondered upon
its reality? Jesus is coming! What will life be like
when Jesus is with us twenty-four/seven? Do you think
there will be any changes? What about guns? I am not
an advocate of gun control but I can make a good
educated guess here; there won’t be any guns in
Heaven. There goes all the hunting. And what about
fishing? I wonder if there will be fish that will
have to give up their lives for my enjoyment, or even
my consumption? I really enjoy a good steak too, but
something tells me that though cows may be here now
to meet that need, they won’t do that in the
age to come. Clothes? Now there is a topic that
preachers don’t touch. I don’t think
there will be any hiked-up hemlines or low cut tops.
And listen, guys, I know that you buy those T-shirts
one size too small! Do we dress with the attitude,
“I really look good in this” ? Do you
remember what Paul said to Timothy?
“I
also want women to dress modestly, with decency and
propriety…” Well
guys, that’s for us too! My point is this: When
Jesus comes back and we begin the new age of
eternity, I do not think that some of the things that
we now enjoy, think important, or even those things
that we find are “just the way things
are,” will continue to be as we now perceive
them. I like sports just as much as the next person,
yet I cannot believe that the “spirit of
competition” that we now experience will be
experienced in Heaven. The food we eat, the clothes
we wear and the things that we now enjoy will all be
changed when Christ Jesus rules in His kingdom.
Now, don’t misunderstand. I don’t believe that God begrudges us the legitimate pleasures of this age. Pleasure is a gift from God, but like all gifts, pleasure should be seen for what it is rather than making pleasure an end to itself. The gift should always point us to the Giver. For example, since I enjoy the steak that is on my plate and I find great pleasure in eating it, my eyes should be focused on God. My heart should be thankful to Him and my mind should be attentive to His counsel. If I begin to look at the steak and seek the pleasure that comes from it, then I will seek that pleasure as often as I can. Then what Solomon said will come true; “If you find honey, eat just enough- too much of it, and you will vomit.”
When I truly get my eyes on the Giver rather than the gift I find myself enjoying the pleasure of that gift much more. I also find that moderation seems to be better than the extreme. You know what I mean. Sometimes our eyes are bigger than our stomachs. We want to “super-size” that banana split. Well, let me tell you that I have super-sized them and after I ate it I didn’t even look at a banana split for years! One of the things that I am excited about (as far as going to Heaven and seeing God) is I will learn a new way of living that will be seen as the most perfect way. I will understand the blessing that comes with moderation and propriety. I will see a new motivation of why I do the things I do, from dressing and eating to sports or whatever. One thing is for sure, Jesus is coming and I just can’t wait!
Now, don’t misunderstand. I don’t believe that God begrudges us the legitimate pleasures of this age. Pleasure is a gift from God, but like all gifts, pleasure should be seen for what it is rather than making pleasure an end to itself. The gift should always point us to the Giver. For example, since I enjoy the steak that is on my plate and I find great pleasure in eating it, my eyes should be focused on God. My heart should be thankful to Him and my mind should be attentive to His counsel. If I begin to look at the steak and seek the pleasure that comes from it, then I will seek that pleasure as often as I can. Then what Solomon said will come true; “If you find honey, eat just enough- too much of it, and you will vomit.”
When I truly get my eyes on the Giver rather than the gift I find myself enjoying the pleasure of that gift much more. I also find that moderation seems to be better than the extreme. You know what I mean. Sometimes our eyes are bigger than our stomachs. We want to “super-size” that banana split. Well, let me tell you that I have super-sized them and after I ate it I didn’t even look at a banana split for years! One of the things that I am excited about (as far as going to Heaven and seeing God) is I will learn a new way of living that will be seen as the most perfect way. I will understand the blessing that comes with moderation and propriety. I will see a new motivation of why I do the things I do, from dressing and eating to sports or whatever. One thing is for sure, Jesus is coming and I just can’t wait!
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