Be an eternal creature

A week ago a large chunk of ‘me’ was torn away when Bev finally crossed that shadowy line between time and eternity. I’ll never forget that holy moment. The love of my family filled up that room, wild emotion swept through us like hurricane gusts; then gently I laid her head on her pillow.  In the days since, laughter and tears mixed as we remembered her, telling stories, catching glimpses of her touch on our world.  And, now the first Monday of 2016 has arrived.  It is time to start to let go and look higher, past the grave to the glory.

I hope you are not mourning like me, but regardless, you, too, have a real choice about this New Year and how it will take shape.  The Word teaches Christians that they must never become captives of the boundaries of time. Eternity and the values of heaven must be pulled into our minds, sometimes with real effort, so that we will live well and wisely. Let’s begin the year the right way.  Peter says "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls." (1 Peter 1:3-9, NIV)

We are people with a living hope because we are, even now, eternal creatures.  How tragic to live with no higher purpose that filling our stomach, satisfying our appetites, and pampering our body.  Life is ours now through Christ.  Even Peter acknowledges that we live in a curious in-between place where trials, pain, and grief still touch us. But, he knows this – those awful things serve a purpose. They help us to take hold of Heaven and love Jesus more.  Our joy comes not so much from our circumstances but from the Promise of our salvation.  The word used by Peter in the first text (Greek) is “soteria” and includes both a present and future benefit.  Now we are able to experience His hand protecting us from sin and evil. In the future, we will be brought into the safety of our eternal home, the full realization of our ‘salvation!’

Be an eternal creature, right here, today! In his letter to the Philippians, Paul warned of letting ourselves become too much in love with this present life. His metaphor is interesting. He refers to those whose “god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame.”   Why would a Christian live that way?  He goes on to say, “Their mind is on earthly things.” They do not choose to look to Heaven as their home.  Christians who would live well will remember this:  “our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body." (Philippians 3:18-21, NIV)

I pray a Blessed New Year with new discoveries of His grace,  new revelation of His purpose, and new holiness given by His powerful Spirit.

Here is a word from the Word - "Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!" (Hebrews 12:2-3, The Message)

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Be Thou My Vision

Be Thou my vision,

O Lord of my heart.

Naught be all else to me,

Save that Thou art.

Thou my best thought,

By day or by night,

Waking or sleeping,

Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my shield

And my sword for the fight.

Be Thou my dignity,

Be Thou my might.

Thou my soul's shelter

And Thou my high tow'r.

Raise Thou me heav'nward,

O pow'r of my pow'r!

Riches I heed not

Nor man's empty praise.

Thou mine inheritance

Now and always.

Thou and Thou only,

Be first in my heart,

High King of heaven,

My treasure Thou art!

High King of heaven

When vict'ry is won,

May I reach heaven's joys,

O bright heaven's Sun.

Heart of my own heart,

Whatever befall.

Still be my vision,

O Ruler of all!

Public Domain

Eleanor Henrietta Hull | Mary Elizabeth Byrne