From Here To Eternity

    It seems like the first 40 years of my life went by so fast. I have now lived half of my expected average lifespan here on earth. This body is aging. Noticeable wisps of white hair, eyes not as good as they once were, and slowing reflexes are among the many signs of normal bodily wear and tear.


    Getting older should be put in a more positive light. After all, God designed our bodies this way. Aging is a gentle reminder from God that life in this earth is temporal. Man is like a mist that appears for a little while and vanishes (James 4:14). In our youth, we lived as though life would go on forever. By middle age, we have an increased awareness of our mortality thus leading us to take stock of what we have accomplished, what we still need to do, and what needs fixing.


    Even more significantly, aging forces us to think about eternity. A very wise man said,

Fear God and keep his commandments for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

-Ecclesiastes 12:14 (ESV)

    All human beings will account for their thoughts, words, and deeds in judgment before God. The final judgment is something that we do not like to think about, let alone think about everyday. It's an uncomfortable subject and a depressing topic of conversation. Yet Scripture says unambiguously that it will happen. For it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment (Hebrews 9:27) and for each man, there will either be acquittal or condemnation.

He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality.

-Romans 2:6-11 (ESV)

    Yes, we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9) but in the final judgment it is our deeds that will be judged. Our deeds will testify to the reality of our faith in Jesus Christ. Pastor John Piper clarifies,

It is by grace we are saved through faith; not of ourselves, it is the gift of God. But the heart that is full of faith will overflow in attitudes and actions very different from those which flow from unbelief. Therefore, our deeds will testify, truly to the genuineness or absence of faith, and it is not inconsistent for God to judge us according to our works. But we must understand that this judgment according to works does not mean we earn our salvation. Our deeds do not earn, they exhibit our salvation. Our deeds are not the merit of our righteousness, they are the mark of our new life in Christ. Our deeds are not sufficient to deserve God's favor, but they do demonstrate our faith. Please keep that distinction clear in your mind regarding our attitudes and actions: they do not earn, they exhibit; they do not merit, they mark; they do not deserve, they demonstrate.

All the self-seeking deeds and striving that we do : our accomplishments, our successes, our diplomas, our wealth are worthless in eternity - they do not earn us anything except death. Only the deeds that are the fruits of faith in Jesus Christ will matter.

    If there was no final judment awaiting us, there would be no need for Jesus to come, die on the cross, and be raised to life. Hence, no Christmas and no Easter. It is through the work of Jesus Christ that we are saved from wrath and fury in the final judgment. That is why Jesus came into the world in human flesh because we were sinners in need of saving from certain eternal death and we could not save ourselves.

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of lifehas set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law,weakened by the flesh,could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

 -Romans 8:1-4 (ESV)

  So as this body becomes creaky with age, each ache and pain is a reminder of a judgment that's in store for us. Let's strive make the rest of our life count for eternity. As long as you're still alive and breathing, it's not too late.

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

-2 Peter 3:9 (ESV)

    The final judgment is nothing to fear about when you are in Jesus Christ. Do you know Jesus Christ? Respond in faith and repentance by acknowledging your helplessness and believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and that he will wash away your sins and make you right with God. Work out this faith that you profess by living in the power of the Holy Spirit, loving God and loving others, doing good, having the right mind and attitude, and finding satisfaction and pleasure in God.

Noel Piper|Thinking About Santa

    Pastor John Piper's wife, Noel Piper, writes why they chose not to include Santa Claus in their Christmas celebrations.

Noel Piper : Thinking About Santa

    Sometimes, we are really far too easily pleased with inferior things. Why be satisfied with having our children place their Christmas hopes on a fictional character? Some may argue that it's just a harmless fantasy. The reality is that it does more harm than good because Santa is a wrong picture of God and His nature. I would not risk having my kids grow up having a distorted knowledge of God.

    While we can't avoid Santa Claus - he's in schools, he's seen in the mall, he'll be on TV commercials, and he's sung in Christmas carols, we can engage with our children and point them to the infinitely more superior Person of Jesus Christ. "Joy to the world, the Lord Is Come" is a far better song than "Santa Claus is Coming to Town". Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 19:14)." Let this be our goal this Christmas - that instead of Santa, our children will have in their hearts true joy and delight in Jesus Christ who has come to bring the hope of salvation to mankind. As the hymn says,

Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness.

I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus' name.

Bytes of Wisdom

    Dave Kraft shared these lessons from his blog, Leadership from the Heart. It was written by a leader and addressed to leaders. However, as I was reading it, I realized that much of the wisdom that was being shared is applicable to everyone. Here are a few nuggets:

1. Tough Decisions Become Tougher

This is true as you get older and have more responsibilities. What do you need to stop doing or start doing? People are sometimes paralyzed to take take action because they are afraid to make big mistakes. Dave Kraft points out that one's destiny isn’t a mystery. Your destiny is determined by the cumulative decisions you make. What tough decision do you need to make? What are you waiting for? Start taking the little steps and you'll get there.

2. Negativity is cancer. Kill it or it will kill you.

Christians ought to be the most positive people in the world. We place our faith in God who is for us, graciously gives us all things, works all things for good, and whose love for us is everlasting and stronger than anything in this world (Romans 8:31-39). We rejoice in the Lord always and give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). Negativity is not of faith but is a symptom of unbelief. Indeed it is a cancer that will kill you. So kill it.

3. No Margin = No Vision.

Dave Kraft warns, "If you don’t control your calendar, your calendar will control you." A doctor once said,

"We must have some room to breathe. We need freedom to think and permission to heal. Our relationships are being starved to death by velocity. No one has time to listen, let alone love. Our children lay wounded on the ground, run over by our high-speed good intentions. Is God now pro-exhaustion? Doesn't He lead people beside the still waters anymore?" - Dr. Richard Swenson

We need to put margin in our lives. In the end, being overloaded and overworked accomplishes nothing. If we make no room for reflection and rest, it kills our creativity.

4. Don’t just dream big. Think long.

Dave Kraft points out :

We tend to overestimate what we can accomplish in 2 years, but we underestimate what we can accomplish in ten years. Zoom out. Your mantra shouldn’t be “as soon as possible.” It should be “as long as it takes.” Your vision isn’t just too small. It’s too short.

5. Work like it depends on you. Pray like it depends on God.

Dave Kraft says it so well :

Failing to plan is planning to fail. So plan away. And loving God with all of your strength = a great work ethic. So work hard. But I believe in prayer-storming more than brainstorming. Prayer is the difference between you fighting for God and God fighting for you. If work is the engine of success, then prayer is the high-octane fuel.