“Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.”
1 John 2:15-17 NLT Wow! What a perspective adjustment! Our pursuits are, for the most part, dominated by making money, acquiring things, pleasure seeking, and measuring our success by our achievements. God’s Word explicitly warns us against such pursuits. (Matthew 6:19-24; I Timothy 6:6-19). We cannot take things with us into the grave or into eternity. Our enjoyment, although it is a pleasurable thing, is fleeting and allusive. Money can’t save our souls from eternal damnation or buy back our health. Isn’t it interesting that we spend our health and years making wealth and, then, we turn right around to spend our wealth to try to regain our lost health. Only after we have traveled through the maze of life do we learn what is most important. Would to God we would simply listen to the admonition given in God’s Word. If you are familiar with the writings of Solomon you are very well aware that he had all a human would want materially, monetarily, and as a man carnally. A simple reading of the book of Ecclesiastes and one can’t help but hear the cynicism and feel the regret in Solomon’s review of life. Solomon had reached old age and was looking retrospectively over his earthly life. Death would soon be knocking at his door and he yearned to share his experience for the sake of others. I encourage you to read Ecclesiastes 12. What foolishness it is to somehow think that this won’t happen to us. The best, and only, way to live is under the Lordship of Jesus Christ! He saves our souls, directs our lives, prepares us for eternity, and has prepared a place called “Heaven”. There, those who have trusted in Him will have the distinct pleasure of seeing and experiencing the unfolding of life as it was meant to be (see Revelation chapters 21 and 22). All that our hearts have ever longed for, everywhere we’ve only dreamed of going, and all that our eyes have ever desired to look upon, will be realized in one glimpse of our Lord and Master. The old hymn says “just one glimpse of Him in glory will all the tools of life repay”. What absolute satisfaction will flood our souls as we hear Him say “Well done My good and faithful servant” “Inherit the joys prepared for you from the foundation (creation) of the world.” (Matthew 25:19-23, 34). Only Jesus can satisfy all that we have ever hoped for. This current world will perish but there is coming a day of restoration!! Don’t sell out for a temporary, unfulfilling life when the eternal bliss of heaven awaits. Live life, not for the here and now but, to live again!! As Jim Elliot once said “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” He was only echoing our Master: “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.” Mark 8:35 KJV
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![]() Rev. Curtis Norris Archives
March 2020
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