Tag: John 10:10

One-Way Ticket

Dr. J.D. WilkinsLeave a comment

road

They say that once you’ve left, you can’t go back.  They say that once you’ve said it, you can’t un-say it.  They say once you’ve done it, you can’t un-do it.  They say … well, you see where I’m going with this.

I don’t pretend to be a philosophical giant. The mind games of philosophy are writhe with every nuance of possibilities not known or seen, and I simply can’t compete at that level.  I’m more a meat-and-potatoes kind of philosopher.  One who accepts that there are indeed things I cannot know or see, yet I can KNOW the ONE who sees and knows all things.

There are those who want to convince us that when it’s over, it’s just over.  That life will never be anything more than what it is today.  They say you can’t go back, and there’s nothing after this, so today, right now is the most important moment you live.  This ticket really leads to hedonism.  Since most after-life philosophies are tied directly or indirectly to moral consequences of our actions in this life, if there’s nothing after this, morality and social mores go out the window, and everyone is entitled to do whatever they want.

Every religion and philosophical system in the world has some merits of goodness in them I suppose, some type of morality, or social or cultural focus, that causes men and women to become consumed by its teachings.  However, this ticket to the afterlife has no guarantees, because most of these systems are based in what you “do.”  Meaning if you simply “do” enough of the right things, then when you cross over into the afterlife, some form of heaven or nirvana will be yours.  There is only one problem here.  How does a person ever really know if they have “done” enough to actually get there?

Christmas is more than just a season.  This holiday allows truth seekers another chance every year to hear and listen while the true story is told of the “One-Way Ticket.”  I realize that my personal philosophy and belief system is based in believing that the Bible is absolute truth.  That said, I would be remiss if I tried saying anything at all about the afterlife designed for humanity, if it contradicted what is written in God’s Word.

So here’s the simple truth (the meat-and-potatoes truth) of what’s in our future.

The One-Way Ticket: Baby

Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.

Matthew 1:23
… which translated means, “GOD WITH US.”

Matthew 1:21
“She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

The One-Way Ticket: Man

John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

Acts 4:12
“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

The One-Way Ticket: King

Revelation 22:20
He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

It’s all there in six verses.  The way, the truth, and the life after this one, are all based on a one-way ticket, whose name is Jesus.

But don’t miss out on the real reason for His coming, as a baby, man, and King.

John 10:10
I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

This Christmas you may discover, if you commit to these simple truths, that this life right here and now can take on new meaning.  If your future is secure in Jesus Christ, then focus now on making this life all that Jesus designed for it to be.  Prove the hedonist and the workaholic religious fanatics wrong.  Enjoy the freedom that comes in knowing “God with us” and share His love in tangible ways that speak of God’s truth, and bring Him glory.

 

 

One-Way

 

Sludge: trudging through

Dr. J.D. Wilkins2 Comments

35 days until ChristmasIt’s “that” time of year.  It’s the season of holiday madness, black Friday deals, family tensions, disappointing football, and a general bah-humbug-i-ness that permeates and coagulates into an imperceptible emotional sludge.  During the very time of year when we should be most thankful, filled with joy, peace, and love, many struggle to just keep trudging through.

I’ll admit there are days like that for me.  So how do we focus?  Where do we find the courage and strength just to deal with the realities of life during the “holidays?”

Maybe it is as simple as understanding that commercialism drains us, and God Himself wants to fill us.  The lure and enticements of “the deal” can instantly shift our focus back to material, earthly concerns.  We fuss and fidget to find that perfect gift for the ones we love, or we worry that the hints we’ve been dropping about what we “want” for Christmas haven’t been heard… because it’s on “sale” this weekend.

This year my prayer is that you will find Thanksgiving Happiness, and the Joy-filled Christmas you’ve always wanted.  So, I’m praying that God will intervene personally in your life, in your mind, in your relationships, and in the core of your being with a simple truth to focus on.

Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.

Matthew 1:23
“Behold! The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel” (which means, “God with us”).

If God can make good on a four hundred year old promise, then we can trust that He will make good on the other promises He makes to us as true Christ-followers.  One promise that I pray you will focus on this year is this:

John 10:10
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

Think of all that emotional sludge of this season as “the thief” in this verse, and don’t let it rob you of the joy, peace, and hope of this celebration time!

Live in such a way, through the next few days and weeks, that your very abundant life demonstrates God’s glory to the world around you.

 

 

Sludge

 

Conquistadors

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Daily Post:  Triumph

conquistadors

The world leaders in early conquests of America, Mexico and Peru during the 15th-17th centuries were called conquistadors.  While not necessarily “nice guys”, they were at times brutally efficient in their triumph over the native populations in Central and South America.  Perhaps one of the most famous was a Spanish adventurer named Hernando Cortes, who conquered the mighty Aztec Empire in Mexico.  Conquistar in Spanish translates, “to conquer.”

Conquistador might be a term easily used today to describe that individual who is ruthless in their actions, whether business, sports, or board games.  This person efficiently thinks several moves ahead of their opponents, arriving at the end game, seeing what needs to be done to conquer, then doing it … ensuring their triumph.  You may have known folks like this.  The actions of these “type A” personalities are often the underlying basis for the question, “Why would you do that?”  More often the answer resolves, “Because I can.”

In this world many times people of faith seem caught up in what is happening in the now, all around them; their circumstances, troubles, or pain.  What is needed at these times for most of us is a long-view approach to life.  Things change.  The old phrase “time heals all wounds,” may not be true in a literal sense, but the take away for us remains, “this too shall pass.”  At times people of faith also suffer from a sense of spiritual myopia, or spiritual amnesia, when they lose sight of God’s Master Plan, and how their lives fit into this plan.

God never intended for any believer to struggle with faithfulness during their time here on earth.  As a loving Creator He gives us everything, every resource we need, from His vast storehouse of Grace, so we can not just exist, not just insist, not just resist, but to be triumphant in our daily lives.  The words of Scripture are not intended to be just lofty spiritual thoughts, they are much more than this.  God’s words are pure energy, igniting fires, instructing arguments, commands, edicts, and tools with which to build the skills required for becoming Conquistadors.

Why else would the apostle Paul write… [Romans 8:37]
“In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us!”

Why else would Jesus say … [John 10:10]
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

Why else would John write … [1 John 4:4]
You are from God, little children, and have overcome (conquered) them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.

Why else would Jesus tell John to reveal this truth … [Revelation 2:26-27]
The one who is victorious and keeps My works to the end: I will give him authority over the nations — and he will shepherd them with an iron scepter; he will shatter them like pottery — just as I have received this from My Father.

As adventurers on this planet, we are here but for a short time.  We are too keep the end-game in our eyesight.  We have a vision of our future, whether near or far, and we know that our King will triumph in the end.  As followers of the King of kings, and the LORD of lords, we do well to act as He intended …  we are triumphant, victorious, overcoming Conquistadors.

Go victorious now into this day, speaking the truth in love, to those who cross your path!

 

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Peaches

Dr. J.D. Wilkins1 Comment

via Juicy

Living in Texas has its benefits, especially if you like your fruits – juicy.  When I was growing up in West Texas I looked forward to spring and summer because we had peach trees in our backyard.  There’s nothing better than walking about 10 paces out the door to a tree so loaded with fruit, we had to use 2 x 4 braces to hold up the limbs.  The whole tree wasn’t more than about 12-15 tall, but it was easily 25+ feet across and bearing a boatload of juicy peaches.  As a young boy I had to hold the fruit with both hands, because they were as big as my daddy’s fist.  Other families around us had plumbs, and some had apricots.  My mother put fruit in our freezer that lasted us through the winter every year.  What great memories.

peaches

Another favorite was cantaloupe.  One of my strong memories from childhood is stopping at a fruit stand outside of Odessa, then watching my mom and dad pick out a large paper bag stuffed with 8-10 cantaloupes about the size of a good dodgeball.  My mouth watered the whole 20 miles back to our house.  Mom would slice up and trim 2-3 cantaloupes in a bowl and chill them for our supper.  Finally at supper she would have to limit my intake, because that’s all I would eat!  The fruit was so juicy and fresh, it would run down my face onto my shirt, and everybody laughed.  Fun times.

Image result for pecos cantaloupe
Pecos Cantaloupe Photograph by Alycia Christine
God’s Word says the “fruit” of God’s Spirit is JUICY!  In fact, it has so much juice it is evidenced in a person of faith in at least 9 different ways.
Galatians 5:22-25
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
So my question becomes, “Just how juicy is your life in Christ?”  If Jesus really is the center of our being, the juiciest part of who we are, shouldn’t our inward and outward appearance reflect God’s glory?  Is your life filled to abundance in Christ through His own Holy Spirit?
John 10:10
I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
What does your Spiritual fruit look like… is it Juicy?
fruit-of-the-spirit

Lush

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via Lush

My uncle Wiley always said, “I’d rather have a bottle in front of me, than a frontal lobotomy!”  Lush.  I have fond memories of my uncle and his constant barrage of jokes and wit.  I can’t remember a time when I was around him that I felt threatened, afraid, or bored.  When his visit to our house was over, he always left our home with a phrase I still use today: “Glad you got to see me!”  His life seemed full and large to me… Lush.

Golf in west Texas can often be the opposite.  In fact growing up in Odessa, Texas, we considered it a huge success if we could find the lush section of any given fairway.  I’ve played on a few now, over the last several years, and I can say with some authority, there is a huge difference playing off lush fairways instead of waste areas.

I’ve had steak and potatoes all my life, Texas boys usually do.  Some were overcooked, some were barely cooked, some were tender, some were still kicking, but hey, it was steak so there you go.  When you have the rare experience (no pun intended) of ordering steak and have it arrive in front of you perfectly cooked, succulent, tasty, and juicy… that’s lush.

Perhaps what many people experience in their spiritual relationship with God is the fontal lobotomy, waste area landing zone, or something less than a succulent steak.  But my question is, “Why?”  Surely God doesn’t intend for us to play or live in these kinds of existences all our lives.  I realize everyone encounters a tough road every now and then, the proverbial steak that’s still kicking.  But certainly this shouldn’t be the defining attribute of our communion with God.

I’m not into the “name it – and claim it” prosperity gospel being presented in some Christian circles today.  Yet it seems just as clear that those of the more conservative Christian variety seem to go so extreme in the opposite direction, that they feel they aren’t spiritual enough until they “prefer” the wasteland to the Promised land.  Didn’t Jesus say, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” [John 10:10]  My heart believes that Jesus means: spend some time in the lush life I promised you!

Paul told his readers:  1 Corinthians 10:31
Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Today I want to challenge you to live in the lush promised land found only in the abundant life that Jesus offers… to all who will step over that line of faith… into Him!

lush