We all want something new

This week is always a weird one.  The world seems to breathe a sigh of relief after the Christmas craziness is done and it won't gear up for the New Years hype for a few more days.  It’s a great time to take a breath, find some rest, and think about bigger questions than we normally have time for, due to the hustle and bustle of our normal rhythms.

Is this life-stage different then you thought it would be? 

That’s a pretty loaded question, isn’t it?  I mean, after all, this is the first time you’ve been the age you are now.  If we’re honest with each other, we’re all just kinda figuring it out as we go along.  So, let’s take a minute and think through this together.

Any time I have thought through where I’m at in life, I am also challenged with thoughts of the things that I would like to be “better” or “newer”.  And I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing – while comparing ourselves to others can lead to jealousy and envy, there is no harm in wanting aspects of our own lives to improve.  When things are better…or better yet…when things are new, there’s opportunity for growth and enjoyment that wasn’t there before.

Living in a fallen world means that everything is tainted by sin and its decaying effects.  The brokenness, the fear, the death…they all are drenched in the feeling of “it’s not supposed to be like this” but we know we can’t fix it either.  The Apostle Paul wrote about this feeling in his letter to the believers in Rome:

Romans 8:22-23
For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now.  Not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits – we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.

We, along with all of creation, long for the day when everything is set right…when the redemption and rescue that only God can bring finally arrives.  Until then, we groan in eager anticipation of that day.

And that day will come.  Jesus promised He would return.  I know it’s been nearly 2,000 years since He made that promise – but time passed doesn’t negate His word to us.  When God gave the Apostle John a glimpse into the future, a vision of what Eternity Future would be, John heard the words that we all long to hear:

Revelation 21:5
Then the One seated on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new.”

Everything.  New.

That sounds so good.

Take advantage of this "different" week.  Do the one thing you've been putting off for so long... take some time and think about where you are in life right now.  What new things can you partner with God to do in 2024, while you look forward to His promised return?

Keep Pressing,
Ken

When is a bible not a Bible?

My freshman year of college, I joined a fraternity.  At my pledge class’s first meeting, an upperclassman, who was our trainer/teacher, handed out a copy of the fraternity’s manual and said, “This is your Bible.  Study it.  Know what it says.  You will be tested on this.”

Although there was an underlying ribbon of humor in his statement (he was Jewish and self-proclaimed “not a Christian”), we understood what he meant – this manual was going to have a significant influence in our lives.  We needed to not only read it, but understand it.  We would be expected to be able to recite the history it contained and know the motives behind our fraternity’s founding.  Parts of it were going to be memorized.  Understanding and applying the fraternity’s ideals would then influence how we, as representatives of the fraternity, would relate to each other and how we would treat other people.

At the time, his use of the word “bible” struck me, because I had grown up going to church and had never heard anything other than “The Bible” be referred to as “a bible.”  But, like I said, we all understood exactly what he meant. 

It seems that most people think the same way.  Or, at least, many authors think that people readily understand this kind of reference.  With a simple internet search for “The ________ Bible,” I found all sorts of books that have nothing to do with the Scriptures:

The Food Bible
The Triathlete’s Training Bible
The Shooter’s Bible
The Pro Football Handicapping Bible
The Sewing Bible
The Photography Bible
The Gaming Bible
The Computer Programming Bible

I’m sure if you tried the same search, you’d find all sorts of interesting “bibles”.  Whatever the topic, the author wants to convey a simple message: THIS BOOK is the authority on THIS TOPIC. 

When we go looking for information on food or sewing or photography, we’re drawn to this kind of title.  Isn’t it a little strange that we treat all these other books and their authors as instant authorities, but we don’t necessarily give the same emphasis to the Bible?

Let’s be honest – the Bible contains all sorts of claims, that if they are true, then the Bible deserves every sort of respect and priority the word “bible” has come to mean in our society.  Here are a few:

2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

In one verse, the Bible claims that in order to live life correctly and be best equipped to do good things – then we should be turning to it because it contains the words of God Himself.  That’s an incredible claim, and borderline absurd…unless it is true.

We also have to consider that the Bible’s central person, Jesus, makes an even more fantastical claim:

John 14:6-7
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.  If you know Me, you will also know My Father.  From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.”

So many big claims here, in just four sentences.  Jesus states that He is the only way to reach God, and then takes it one step further and claims that God is His Father.  On top of that, Jesus declares that He is God’s representation to us.  These statements are absolutely bonkers…unless they are true.

And if the claims the Bible makes and the claims that Jesus makes are, in fact, true…then we should be treating the Bible with the same priority and authority that modern authors expect us to treat their “bible” books.

The Bible should have a significant influence in our lives.  We need to not only read it, but understand it.  We should know the history it contains and know the motives behind God’s plan for human history.  Parts of it should be memorized.  Understanding and applying God’s ideals will then influence how we, as representatives of God’s family, will relate to each other and how we will treat other people.

We also find this promise in James’ letter to believers:

James 4:8
Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.

Search for God in the Bible, and He will meet you there.  Not sure where to start?  When in doubt, go to the gospel of John.  Read one chapter a day, for 21 days.  Look for who Jesus is, what He says, and what He does.  Other good starting point options are Philippians and Colossians.  These are short letters that contain a lot of applicable truth.

So, when is a bible not a Bible?  When we don’t give it the priority it deserves.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Flashback Favorite - Eternal questions

Every time we approach God’s Word, our best prayer and attitude is “God, please show me something new or remind me of something true.”

Reading the Bible, exploring God’s Word, doesn’t always have to be an expedition for new facts or theological breakthroughs. There are times we need to go back and remember something God has already taught us. Looking back can help us reinforce what we’re doing or correct us back to the right path.

Eternal questions

Originally posted on June 06, 2019

Sometimes being a Christian is tiring, right?  I mean, we may not admit it, but constantly striving to make the right choices, say encouraging things, loving people that we don’t want to, helping others, giving hard-earned money away to church or charity…and on and on and on…all these things are enough to wear us out.  And then throw in sickness and disease and selfishness and greed and all the other bad things we encounter…it can make us want to throw up our hands and fire off a few questions at God.

They were probably something along the lines of

Why am I persevering in the Christian life now?
Is all this trouble worth it in the long run?
What really happens – and does any of this matter – at the end of all things?

Those kinds of questions were not unique us.  Paul answered similar questions in both of his letter to the believers in Thessalonica.  Paul also addressed these topics with the believers in Corinth:

2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Therefore we do not give up.  Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day.  For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory.  So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Paul then continues his comparison of our present state with our eternal destiny:

2 Corinthians 5:1-2
For we know that if our earthly tent we live in [our earthly bodies] is destroyed, we have a building from God, and eternal dwelling [a glorified, resurrection body] in the heavens, not made with hands.  Indeed, we groan in this tent, desiring to put on our heavenly dwelling…

Peter also wrote about the same things to believers:

2 Peter 3:10-13
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief; on that day the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, the elements will burn and be dissolved, and the earth and the works on it will be disclosed.  Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, it is clear what sort of people you should be in holy conduct and godliness as you wait for the day of God…But based on His promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

During his last night on earth, one of Jesus’ final instructions to the disciples contained a peculiar promise, but it was a promise that was to motivate the disciples during the time that Jesus would no longer be physically with them:

John 14:1-3
Don’t let your heart be troubled.  Believe in God, believe also in Me.  In My Father’s house are many rooms; if not, I would have told you.  I am going away to prepare a place for you.  If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also.

Mentionings like these are not isolated to the New Testament either.  As just one example, God told Isaiah:

Isaiah 65:17
For I will create a new heaven and a new earth; the past events will not be remembered or come to mind.

These are just a few examples, but they show us that God has a long term course for human history planned out…and these verses confirm what we inwardly desire – relationship and purpose with our Creator.

If the world as we know it will pass away, what kind of lives should we live now?  When we feel troubled and shaken and our bodies are falling apart, Jesus wants us to trust Him and remember that He is coming back for us, to take us to a home that He designed…with us in mind.

When we recognize this longing for eternity that God has placed in our hearts, it helps us keep our present life in perspective.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

I wouldn't pick me, either

When you were a kid and teams were being picked, were you ever the kid who was picked last?  Nobody wants to be in that position.  If you’re picked last, you’re essentially being told that if you weren’t there, you wouldn’t have been missed.  And if you’ve ever been picked last more than once…you start to expect it. 

When you are repeatedly at the bottom, you even begin to embrace it as “your lot in life”.  You see yourself as unworthy or even useless.  In retaliation to these feelings, you may even take on the mentality once stated by Groucho Marx: “I don’t want to belong to any club that would accept me as one of its members.”  So when someone actually chooses you…you reflexively don’t believe them, because bottom-level people don’t get picked for important jobs.

This is where Gideon’s story begins in Judges 6.  The nation of Israel was being kicked around by the neighboring land of Midian.  The Midianites stole Israel’s crops, destroyed the land, and took all the livestock.  This happened year after year, for seven long years, to the point that Israel was completely poverty-stricken.  Finally, the people of Israel called out to the Lord.

Judges 6:11-14
The angel of the Lord came, and he sat under the oak that was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash, the Abiezrite.  His son Gideon was threshing wheat in the winepress in order to hide it from the Midianites.  Then the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said: “The Lord is with you, valiant warrior.”

Gideon said to him, “Please, my lord, if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened?  And where are all His wonders that our fathers told us about?  They said, ‘Hasn’t the Lord brought us out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to Midian.”

The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and deliver Israel from the grasp of Midian.  I am sending you!”

While God doesn’t choose individuals for salvation, He does choose people, places, and things for specific service.  That’s what we’re seeing here.  At this point in the account, we might expect Gideon to get excited and finally feel validated to be chosen by God to do a great service – to be the one who rescues His people.  Instead, we see Gideon doing the opposite:

Judges 6:15
He said to Him, “Please, Lord, how can I deliver Israel?  Look, my family is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s family.”

From a society standpoint, Gideon had nothing going for him.  He didn’t have the proper linage.  The oldest son in a family was the default, next-generation leader – and Gideon was on the opposite side of that spectrum.  So when God said “Go in the strength you have and deliver Israel”, you can be certain that Gideon believed that he didn’t have enough strength to deliver anyone, let alone the entire nation!  After all, God approached Gideon while he was hiding out in order to secretly prepare food.  What “valiant warrior” sneaks around just to get his next meal?

The Lord’s answer to Gideon’s protests is the key to understanding the events that happened next. 

Judges 6:16
“But I will be with you,” the Lord said to him.  “You will strike Midian down as if it were one man.”

God reassured Gideon that he can do this work, because God will be with him.  Gideon wasn’t being sent off alone to figure it out along the way.  God would be there as well – to reassure and strengthen Gideon, as well as to fight against the Midianite army.  Like the Israelite’s stories of old, Gideon even saw several wonders (five of them, by my count), where God demonstrated that He was there and on Israel’s side.

God also promises to be with us believers in the church age.  Here are just two examples:

Matthew 28:20
And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God?  You are not your own, for you were bought at a price.  So glorify God with your body.

There is another famous verse along these lines.  While it’s famously misquoted, when it is read in context, we realize that Paul’s all things is referring to all things God has called me to do for Him:

Philippians 4:13
I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Whatever task or responsibility God has given each of us, we can be certain that He did not abandon us after handing out the assignment.  Even if we wouldn’t have chosen ourselves for this work…we are able to succeed because the Holy Spirit is in us, while Jesus promises to be with us and strengthen us.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Jesus the evangelist

We’ve learned a lot by looking closely at the parts of Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well.  However, as good Bible students, we now need to step back and look at the whole conversation.  Whenever we zoom into parts of a passage to dig into and digest the details, our best next step is to zoom out and look at the big picture.

So, let’s reflect on Jesus’ encounter with the woman.  He met her where she was, not chastising and not condescending.  Jesus initiated the conversation, but allowed her space to participate.  He was also patient with her incomplete answers, misguided thoughts, and ill-informed religious traditions.  Jesus definitely provides us with a beautiful example of how to go about 1:1 evangelism.

So, how did Jesus evangelize?  What, according to Jesus, is the “salvation message”?

The biggest observation from their discussion is that Jesus directly revealed Himself as the Messiah – He didn’t do that with the Jews.  Over their recent centuries, the Jewish people had been battered around and taken advantage of by the Egyptians, the Greeks, and, most recently, the Romans.  As such, the Jews were expecting a Messiah who would come in and fix everything.  They assumed the first step in doing so would be to start the revolution to liberate Israel.  They were not expecting Jesus to come on the scene like He did, and as such, many in Israel had difficulty accepting Him as Messiah.  This is the reason why Jesus taught in parables and performed miracles among them – they needed to work through His teachings and signs to come to the conclusion that Jesus really was the God-promised Messiah.  The teachings and parables were Jesus’ way of circumventing the Jews’ preconceived expectations.

This Samaritan woman, however, would have had no access to His teaching in the Jewish country, nor would she have been able to witness His miracles.  So Jesus directly introduced Himself.  Look closely at the claims Jesus made in His conversation with her:

He claimed to be the gift of God:
Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God, and who is saying to you…” (John 4:10)

He claimed to be the one who quenches thirst:
“But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again…” (John 4:14)

He claimed to be the one who gives eternal life:
“In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up in him for eternal life.” (John 4:14)

He claimed that He is the Messiah:
“I, the one speaking to you, am He” (John 4:26)

But did you notice what Jesus did not say to her? 

She didn’t know of His death on the cross, burial, or resurrection (because those things hadn’t happened yet).  She wasn’t required to confess all her sins, or commit her life to Christ, or repent of her sins.  She didn’t promise to stop living with the guy who wasn’t her husband before Jesus accepted her belief in Him.  Her current sinful lifestyle and previous life choices did not prevent her from believing in Jesus as the Messiah.  There were lots of things, facts, and theological concepts she didn’t know…but that didn’t stop Jesus from giving her eternal life the moment she believed in Him as Messiah/Savior.

Jesus offered the woman eternal life if she believed in Him as the Messiah.  But note – and this is a HUGE observation – Jesus’ offer to her is before the cross happens.  Jesus offered her eternal life right then, knowing that He would eventually remove the sin barrier that keeps all of us from being in relationship with God.  But the woman (and later, the townspeople) knew nothing of the cross and how Jesus’ death on it would declare them legally righteous before God.  The only thing they knew was Jesus – and they believed in Him for eternal life.  Because of their belief in Him, they had it. 

This might feel like we’re treading into controversial waters, but let’s think this through together:

The standard, modern gospel message – that Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross as a substitute for our well-deserved sin penalty, and that He rose again on the 3rd day – is good news…but being introduced to these facts will not save us or bring us into God’s family.  This good news should be what persuades us that Jesus is the Messiah and that He has the power/authority to give us eternal life, if we believe in Him for it.  Remember, the Samaritans didn’t know any of what we would consider the “standard gospel message”…and yet, Jesus gave them eternal life. 

Therefore, the reason we are saved is because we believe in Jesus for eternal life.  Knowing facts about Jesus and His life may help convince us, turning from sin may change our path and bring us closer to belief in Him, and there will be new desires and actions to come from our future relationship with Him…but the central, saving message of Jesus is that one drink of His free-gift living water, one act of belief in Him, gives us eternal life.

John 4:14
“But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again.  In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up in him for eternal life.”

Do you believe in Jesus for eternal life?  If so, you have it.  Because Jesus the evangelist said so.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

The End is where we begin

Closing out Revelation, we have these last words from Jesus:

Revelation 22:20
He who testifies about these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”

To which John replies:

Revelation 22:20-21
Amen!  Come, Lord Jesus!
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with everyone.  Amen.

Revelation 21-22 has given us an incredible look at the ultimate destiny of mankind – to dwell with and partner with the Creator of the Universe throughout Eternity!  The mind swims with the possibilities and the opportunities…now that the silent longings of our heart have been confirmed.  Sin, selfishness, and death will be permanently removed.  Relationships will be restored and never broken again.  Creation will be liberated and allowed to flourish.  Best of all – we will have a direct, unhindered relationship with the God of Everything.

When we live with the End in mind, we make choices that make absolutely no sense to the “rational human mind”.  Non-Christians won’t get it.  In fact, Christians who are living with the main goal of being happy in this life won’t understand it, either.  We choose to love even when we’ve been hurt deeply and repeatedly.  We purposely shun sexual immorality.  We choose to quit bad habits and unhealthy lifestyles we’ve been living in for years.  Our words are used to encourage, not tear down.  We find focus and purpose in this life by knowing who God is and how much He loves us.  We do these things because He did them all for us, even when we didn’t deserve it.  So we look forward to the day that Jesus makes good on His promise to come back for us.

But it’s been a little while since He made that promise, hasn’t it?  He didn’t come yesterday, might not come back today…or even in the next 10 years.  He didn’t say when, He just said that He would.  Do we trust Him?

Fortunately, we’ve got some help and direction for what to do when this question comes up:

2 Peter 3:3-4, 8-15
Above all, be aware of this: Scoffers will come in the last days scoffing and following their own evil desires, saying, “Where is His ‘coming’ that He promised?  Ever since our ancestors fell asleep, all things continue as they have been since the beginning of creation”…Dear friends, don’t overlook this one fact: With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.  The Lord does not delay His promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief; on that day the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, the elements will burn and be dissolved, and the earth and the works on it will be disclosed.  Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, it is clear what sort of people you should be in holy conduct and godliness as you wait for the day of God and hasten its coming.  Because of that day, the heavens will be dissolved with fire and the elements will melt with heat.  But based on His promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

Therefore, dear friends, while you wait for these things, make every effort to be found without spot or blemish in His sight, at peace.  Also, regard the patience of our Lord as salvation…

Our Lord’s patience means that others still have time to learn about Christ’s death on the cross for the sins of humanity, that God loved them so much that He took the bullet that would have meant Eternal Death for them.  Our Lord’s patience means they have more time to consider who Jesus is and whether or not they accept His free offer of Eternal Life.  So on behalf of our future brothers and sisters, we patiently endure this broken world and look forward to Jesus’ promised coming.

But we’re not to be sitting around, waiting on our rooftops and watching the clouds.  Oh no, we’ve got plenty of work to do – to partner now with Jesus – so that we will be qualified to partner with Him in Eternity Future.  We are alive now because of Christ’s sacrifice; we now live with the aim of eternally working side by side with Him, and working like Him.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Who does Jesus say He is?

You had to walk to get anywhere in Bible times.  As they went from town to town, Jesus and his disciples did a lot of walking.  I’m certain that this travel-time was also prime teaching-time.

Matthew 16:13-15
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”  They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

“But you,” He asked them, “who do you say that I am?”

How would you answer? 

Would you say that he is the Creator? – Because he is (John 1:3).
Would you say that he is the fulfillment of God’s prophecy? – Because he is (Luke 24:44)
Would you say what Peter answered?

Matthew 16:16
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

At the close of Revelation, Jesus answers the question Himself…

Revelation 22:12
“Look, I am coming soon, and My reward is with Me to repay each person according to his work.”

Soon He will fulfill His promise to return…and when He does, Jesus will come with the authority and the right to reward believers for their choices in this life and non-believers for their rejection of who He is.

Jesus then makes a three-fold statement that validates His authority to do so.  All three statements come to the same point – that He rules over all.

Revelation 22:13
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.

Alpha and Omega were the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet.  So, in our terms, Christ is claiming to be “the A to the Z” and by inference, everything in between.  He is the one who initiates and completes humanity’s destiny.

A few verses later, Jesus has this to say about himself:

Revelation 22:16
“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to attest these things to you for the churches.  I am the root and descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

These statements are similar to what Jesus said earlier.  Here again, we see Jesus’ authority as He has command of the angels.  He also states that He was the cause of David’s greatness (as “the Root”) and the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant promises (as “the Descendant”).  Just like all of humanity, Israel’s first great king also found his beginning and end in Christ.

The morning star is the brightest star that shines just before the dawn, and was considered to be the star which announced a new day.  This word picture is a perfect representation of who Christ is at the close of human history.  Jesus is the brightest star in all Creation, and He is announcing the dawn of a new future, an eternity for us to partner with Him.

This.  This is who Christ says He is.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Eternal questions

Sometimes being a Christian is tiring, right?  I mean, we may not admit it, but constantly striving to make the right choices, say encouraging things, loving people that we don’t want to, helping others, giving hard-earned money away to church or charity…and on and on and on…all these things are enough to wear us out.  And then throw in sickness and disease and selfishness and greed and all the other bad things we encounter…it can make us want to throw up our hands and fire off a few questions at God.

They were probably something along the lines of

Why am I persevering in the Christian life now?
Is all this trouble worth it in the long run?
What really happens – and does any of this matter – at the end of all things?

Those kinds of questions were not unique us.  Paul answered similar questions in both of his letter to the believers in Thessalonica.  Paul also addressed these topics with the believers in Corinth:

2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Therefore we do not give up.  Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day.  For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory.  So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Paul then continues his comparison of our present state with our eternal destiny:

2 Corinthians 5:1-2
For we know that if our earthly tent we live in [our earthly bodies] is destroyed, we have a building from God, and eternal dwelling [a glorified, resurrection body] in the heavens, not made with hands.  Indeed, we groan in this tent, desiring to put on our heavenly dwelling…

Peter also wrote about the same things to believers:

2 Peter 3:10-13
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief; on that day the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, the elements will burn and be dissolved, and the earth and the works on it will be disclosed.  Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, it is clear what sort of people you should be in holy conduct and godliness as you wait for the day of God…But based on His promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

During his last night on earth, one of Jesus’ final instructions to the disciples contained a peculiar promise, but it was a promise that was to motivate the disciples during the time that Jesus would no longer be physically with them:

John 14:1-3
Don’t let your heart be troubled.  Believe in God, believe also in Me.  In My Father’s house are many rooms; if not, I would have told you.  I am going away to prepare a place for you.  If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also.

Mentionings like these are not isolated to the New Testament either.  As just one example, God told Isaiah:

Isaiah 65:17
For I will create a new heaven and a new earth; the past events will not be remembered or come to mind.

These are just a few examples, but they show us that God has a long term course for human history planned out…and these verses confirm what we inwardly desire – relationship and purpose with our Creator.

If the world as we know it will pass away, what kind of lives should we live now?  When we feel troubled and shaken and our bodies are falling apart, Jesus wants us to trust Him and remember that He is coming back for us, to take us to a home that He designed…with us in mind.

When we recognize this longing for eternity that God has placed in our hearts, it helps us keep our present life in perspective.

Keep Pressing,
Ken