Psalm 103:15-16 “ As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of
the field; for the wind
passes over it, and it is gone, and its place
knows it no more.”
It is without a doubt that
if we have placed our trust completely in Christ, we will spend more than 99.9%
of our lives in Heaven because in light of infinite time ahead, this life on
earth is just a moment in comparison. So why do we spend all of our time
talking about this short life, which will but a fleeting minute in the prospect
of eternity? I read that when we view our earthly existence as a prelude to
eternity, we see this world in an entirely different light, and this eternal
perspective affects our view of this life as well. This world is a foyer to
eternity … but for a reason. So why are we here? If the Lord desired, He could
call us all the Heaven now and skip this earthly existence, but He didn’t. Of first importance is our belief that “Christ died for our sins in
accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third
day in accordance with the Scriptures” - 1 Corinthians 15:3-5. Faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ in this life determines our eternal
destiny. Then, God has a purpose for you and I, here and now. It
is important in this life to do what we do for God’s glory with the talents
that the Lord has given to us through the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Matthew 28:19-20 “Go
therefore and make
disciples of all
nations, baptizing
them in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe
all that I
have commanded you. And behold, I am with
you always, to the
end of the age.”
Sure, we have our families,
our vocations, our homes and daily circumstances that the Lord has given us to
care for. But, we also have a higher call and challenge of a potent gospel in our
culture to reach those that are unreachable. Did you know that in America
today, those who were born prior to 1945 are 65% professing Christians, those “baby-boomers
born between 1945 & 1964 are 44% professing Christians, the “Generation X”
folks born between 1965 -1979 are only 22% professing Christians and the “Millennials”
born between 1980-2000 are just 15% professing Christian according to the
polls. There are a lot of souls to be saved and the fields are ripe for the
harvest. The truth about Jesus Christ is “good news”; it is not bad news, its
great news! Yet fewer and fewer people are accepting it. Why? They think that
they are “good” people and believe that they do not need a Savior. They are
truly burnt out propping up a false view of themselves and justifying their sin
against a “Just” and “Holy” Creator God, filling that Christ-shape hole in
their life. Seek and save the lost.
Psalm 51:10-13 “Create in me a clean heart,
O God, and renew a right spirit
within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy
Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold
me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners
will return to you.”
Sure, call us weak, but God
is strong. I cannot do all things on my own, but “I can do all things though God, who strengthens me” – Philippians 4:13.
It’s not based on us. We’ve been going about “building up people” the wrong
way. They need the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ in a way that they
understand. And how do we know if we are reaching people the “right” way? By
the fruit. This earthly existence is about mission and worship passionate
pursuit in sharing Christ to a lost and dying world. When grace comes down,
worship goes up. When forgiveness comes in, mission goes out. He who began a
good work in us will complete that work until the day of Christ Jesus. Let’s get
to work on Mission Earth!
In Christ, Brian
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