Tag: Revelation 22:20

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

 

Predicting the Future

Dr. J.D. WilkinsLeave a comment

Daily Post: Anticipate

Businessman holding a glass ball

Crystal balls, 9-23-2017 conspiracy theories, sooth-sayers, shamans, the Anunnaki, and the Bible all compete for prominence in terms of which of these can accurately predict the future.  Even now, as the next Category 5 hurricane (Irma) bears down on the state of Florida, it is impossible to know which way she will turn, which route will bear the brunt of her angry winds and tirades of rain.  One thing we can be sure of, Irma will be just as deadly and devastating as Harvey, if not more so.  What are we to do?  And how many more tropical storms are out there somewhere, just waiting for that perfect wind which stirs the ocean waters in a special way spinning up into another hurricane.  Can Jose be far behind?

Then we also have the doomsday scenarios from which science fiction has made a fortune.  Armageddon was the 1998 movie starring Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thorton, and Ben Affleck who are sent to space to destroy an asteroid the size of Texas, before it can impact the earth.  Today there are those who are suggesting that in just a few weeks, we might be experiencing the destruction of the world by asteroids at least this size or larger.

Beyond that we have well-educated folks like Ray Kurzweil, Director of Engineering at Google, who say things like, “Within a few decades, machine intelligence will surpass human intelligence, leading to The Singularity – change so rapid and profound it represents a rupture in the fabric of human history.”

Humans have always been enamored with predicting the future, and anticipate what will come next for them.  It wasn’t any different in the first century when Jesus said he was the Messiah, not just to the Jews, but to all the world.  His closest followers thought that meant He would set up an earthly kingdom, ousting the Roman Empire, and establishing God’s kingdom on earth.  They believed this so completely that right before Jesus ascended back to heaven, they asked Him, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” [Acts 1:6].  The answer He provides should also be heeded today.

Acts 1:7
It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority.

Like it or not, it has never been easy to predict the future.  We can make intelligent guesses, and anticipate certain results of events if their status doesn’t change, but that really is the gist of it.  Scientists use MODELS to anticipate the path of the storm.  Christ-followers use the Bible as their MODEL for anticipating when God might act from Heaven in a final and conclusively redemptive way.  But can we know the when and the how?  Can we anticipate a certain day, month, or year?  Not hardly.

Since there are multiple options for self-destruction in our world today that wreak havoc on our senses, our emotions, and our spiritual existence, one has to wonder “… is it at this time?”  But hear me clearly.  Wondering is one thing.  Becoming completely paralyzed from any and all normal activity of life is another thing altogether.  I know only too well how easy it is to be consumed by dreading and anticipating what awful thing might happen, and the chaos ensuing after that event.  Since we cannot see or know the future, we must balance our thoughts with something other than paralyzing fear.

So, here’s an idea.  Don’t be scared, be prepared.

John 14:1-3
Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. 

Translation:  Don’t be scared, be prepared.

The chaos in your life can be turned into patient watching and waiting, if only you are prepared to believe these simple words, this simple promise of Jesus.  In these words “time” or any concept of time is irrelevant.  Either you believe the promise is true, or you don’t.  Either you accept that this life experience on earth is a temporary stop-over to an eternal dwelling place, or you don’t.

If you do, don’t be scared by those wielding crystal balls, anyone shouting 9-23-2017 conspiracy theories, sooth-sayers, shamans, or the Anunnaki.

Instead, be prepared by submitting yourself to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and doing His work that He commanded us to do, with however much time you have left.

A good form of anticipation would be:

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

Short-term Parking

Dr. J.D. WilkinsLeave a comment

Temporary

short term

Contrary to the warning on all these yellow post-its, we do forget.  We forget where we put our keys.  We forget someone’s birthday, or worse the anniversary.  We forget where we park, we forget to send a thank-you note.  For some, forgetfulness is worse than others.  Those people who have perfect eidetic memories, like Sheldon Cooper on “Big Bang Theory,” drive me nuts.  I’m much more like my uncle Wylie who is known for his one-liners.  One of his favorites, and mine too, was “I’d forget my head if it wasn’t attached.”

I’m officially a senior adult by many standards today, so why do I still feel like I did in my 30’s?  I know my age, I haven’t forgotten how old I am.  I have all my faculties, and I remember what I ate for breakfast yesterday.  I know what year it is, and who is President.   However, it’s like my brain has areas where the stuff that goes in…  is like short-term parking.  It’s there only for a little while, and “poof”, it’s gone.  You too may be aware of the frustrations and disparities which derive from not remembering things you are supposed to recall instantly.  Instead of Sheldon, at times I relate more to Dori, and her short-term memory problem.

For hundreds of years, the history of people groups was passed down verbally from generation to generation.  Like in the 1985 film, the third installment in the Mad Max series called Beyond Thunderdome,  Savannah Nix does the “tallin.”  After all are gathered around she begins the verbal history which must be remembered.  She begins, “This you know: the years travel fast, and time after time I done the tell. But this ain’t onebody’s tell. It’s the tell of us all, and you’ve gotta listen and to ‘member, ’cause what you hears today you gotta tell the newborn tomorrow. I’s lookin’ behind us now into history back...”

Where are you going with all the forgetfulness and story telling, Dr. Wilkins?  I’m so glad you asked.  There is something that stirred in me when I saw this word for the Daily Post.  I was reminded of something easily forgotten.  I wish to remind you of it as well.  For those who read this blog everyday, and read yesterday’s post “Rancorous Relationships,” today I didn’t forget that all this is very TEMPORARY.  Everything in this life is but a blink.  This is not a permanent dwelling place.  This is not my final destination, it is just short-term parking.

Neither the pangs and trials of this life, nor the death that awaits me (if Christ doesn’t call us all home first), will cause my spirit to reside on this planet one minute longer than God deems necessary.  My destination is secure.  My Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord, has ascended to His throne in heaven to prepare a place, a room, a permanent dwelling space for ME!!!! So whatever crazy or minor inconveniences I might suffer while parking here temporarily, is insignificant in the larger view of eternity.  I refuse to be bogged down more than one single day (yesterday for instance), by the temporary nature of things related to this planet, and my daily life here.

Don’t forget!  Don’t forget!  Burn this image of all these post-it notes into the center of your being.  Don’t forget… this is a temporary dwelling place.  But the one which awaits us is so glorious as to be impossible to describe.  John did His best, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, and the direct dictation of Jesus in the Book of Revelation.  However beautiful these images are, they are a glimpse at best.  Read for yourself about a new heaven, a new earth, a new Jerusalem, the River of Life, and the Tree of Life, in Revelation 21-22.  And whatever you do, don’t forget what Jesus promises:

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