Our Days Are Numbered

 Psalm 90:12

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

 

We are only here for a short time on earth. Life is a vapor, before we know it, it is gone and we are left with a legacy that glorified God or lived for self. Each day is given to us by our Creator, and we don’t know our appointed time. We may live to be 70, 80 or more years on this earth, but our days are all numbered. May we seek each day for God to give us wisdom, to let our life count for Christ and eternity. Let go of the sin that so easily besets us. Let us run the race to cross the finish line. Looking to Jesus, the author and completer of our faith. Life is too short to waste on negativity and past failures. May we apply our heart to wisdom every day of our lives.

All Left Behind

 Psalm 49:17 
For when he dies he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him. 
From dust we come, and to dust we go. We come into this world with no possessions and when we die we will leave all of our treasures and possessions behind us for someone else to enjoy. The only thing we take with us is our never dying soul. Every human being born into this world was given a soul by the Creator of life. Scripture indicates that only humans have souls and will live for eternity after we die and leave this world. As much as people become attached to animals, the “beast” of this world have no understanding of life beyond this world. Their flesh will return back to the earth, and the story ends. There is no dog heaven, or pet heaven. But, man is created in the image of God and life after death will continue. May we live each day according to God’s plan. Honor Him with our understanding, live for Him with eternity in mind.

All is Not Vanity

 Ecclesiastes 1: 2,4
Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity…One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abides forever.

We are here for a moment in time and then we pass away. All that we leave continues on. We are remembered by those we knew, and not forgotten by those who are close to our hearts, but life moves on for most people. We wake up, prepare our day for work, duties, responsibilities, and wonder what the day will bring. Many live for the material gain of this world, others live for love and a relationship with family and loved ones. What part of life is vanity? How do we make each day count for eternity? Yes, we all want a comfortable life, and to enjoy the things of life that bring joy and gladness, but lasting joy and gladness only come from knowing Christ, and living each day to please Him. We live not in vain if we live to be like Jesus. Let this earth pass away, but give me Jesus, only Jesus.

Life is Short

Psalm 90: 12  The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years…So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

For most of us, we will live 70 to 90 years. “For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.” Every day is a gift given to us by God. When this life we hold passes, we will stand before God and give an account for the days we have lived. How important it is to apply each day with God’s wisdom. To take time in our day to read His word and spend time with Him alone. We should never be too busy with work and life’s responsibilities to put God on the back shelf of our life. Each day, He should be the center of life’s activities. Living each day with eternity in mind. To be spiritually minded is to live each day in the presence of God and to be ready when He choose to call us home, or when the trump of God is sounded. 

Tomorrow

James 4: 14,15 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away… For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

Life happens, but it does not happen without God allowing it. We do our best to control our environment and the circumstances and situations that surround it. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit and we need to be careful how we care for it. We have a responsibility to use our talents for the good of humanity and for eternity. We must do all we can to provide for our families and care for those that God has charged us with. But, things happens and most often we have no control. We look to God for answers because He holds all things in His hands. We are not are own, we belong to God and our lives are His. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but we know who holds our tomorrows. Live for the moment to please Him, plan for tomorrow with eternity in mind.

Take Up Your Cross

Matt. 16:24  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

To take up the cross is to deny the things of this world and live with eternity in mind. We live in earthen vessels and our humanity in closely tied to what we see, hear, smell, and touch. But every man is created with a soul. The soul is the spirit of man. The self that will live on after this earthen vessel is gone. Living for this world is to be blinded by Satan to what is really important and essential to life. Enjoying life in this world is not forbidden. But if it hinders us from taking up our cross to follow him, then we will lose our eternal soul for what this temporal world has to offer. The implications of taking up the cross goes beyond the unfortunate things that happen in our live that we bare. It is willingness to submit our lives into the hands of God and let Him take control. “Not my will Lord, but Thy will be done”

He Will Meet Our Needs

Matt. 6:32 For after all these things do the Gentiles seek: for your heavenly Father knows that ye have need of all these things.

Eating, drinking, and shelter are natural instincts of human nature. Yet, Jesus says, not to worry about such things. I believe there is a deeper truth here than what is implied. Our spiritual needs should supersede our temporal needs. This body will die and pass away, but the spirit of this body will live for eternity. It is a step of faith to believe what you cannot see. Eternal life is beyond understanding. We live each day for food and shelter. We work each day to provide for the needs of the flesh and its comforts. We worry how we are going to make ends meet. There is a responsibility on our part to work. God has given us strength, talents, and a brain to accomplish many things, but our love and affections should be to first seek the Kingdom of God. We must do our best, and trust God to do the rest. At the end of our resources, He give us what we need when we need it. 

Everlasting Life

John 6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life:

No one is predestined to spend eternity in hell. It is the will of God that every one come to the knowledge of Christ. Life with a purpose is to find fulfillment in Christ. Whatever the trail or hardship we may face in life, we can have contentment in knowing that Jesus knows our every step and will be with us all the way. It is His desire to give us everlasting life. Life beyond this earthly walk. The body will perish, but the essence and soul of man will live on beyond the grave. Understanding and comprehending everlasting life is difficult to grasp. We have finite minds and limited capabilities. There are those with great imaginations that can provide us a visual of what it might look like, but we really can’t wrap our minds around the idea and concept. It is suffice to say, that our will be changed from mortality to immortality. We will see Him in all of His glory. Until then, let us feast of the bread of life. Let us taste and be satisfied in knowing that Jesus can fill every longing of heart for He is everlasting life.

Behold the Cross

Luke 23:48 And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned.

Behold and see what God has done! Gave His son to die on the cross to save the likes of you and me. Gaze upon the cross, and behold the things that sin will cause people to do. The heart of man is wicked and destructive. Anything that reveals the sinful nature of man causes man to revile in hatred against that which condemns their heart. Behold Him there hanging on the cross between two sinners, the Holy one of God who healed the blind, fed the thousands, made men to walk, and loved sinners regardless of their social statues. Behold how He breathes words of forgiveness to those who put Him on the cross. “Forgive them, Lord for they know not what they do”. Behold Jesus, as He looks toward heaven and exclaims, “It is finished”. The ultimate price was paid, Jesus, the God-man who came to earth and lived among us to show us how to live. Gave His life, paid the penalty for our sins that we may behold eternity and see Him someday face to face.

Heaven is Real

Rev. 22:4  And they shall see his face…

Is heaven real? Heaven is not only a physically place made ready by God for those who have loved and served Him, but it is also a state of mind, and spiritual experience. We all strive to be ready at the end of life to spend eternity in heaven with our creator. “Entering into the gates for the first time, O what glory that will be.” To see Jesus face to face and be with Him forever and ever is what heaven is all about. No tears of sorrow will be shed and death will not exist. The curse of sin will be gone and we will have bodies made new and perfect. Heaven is real and it is the desire of all believers to some day see Jesus in all of His glory. Until then, the kingdom of heaven can dwell in our hearts by faith in the One who preparing a place for us there. 

Our Days Are Numbered

Psalm 90:12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

Each day is blessing given to us from God. We don’t know the numbers of our days. We wake up each morning not knowing if we will come home and rest our head on our pillow that evening. Life is like grass, it is here for a moment and then fades away with the seasons. Time moves on, and people die and babies are born. We may live to be 70, 80 or past 90, but such is still a vapor compared to eternity. Our days are numbered and only that which has glorified God will last forever. We strive for a better life, gathering our creature comforts around us, but all such material things will be left behind. What is left behind is the life we lived and the influence we imparted to those who followed. So, Lord help us not to waste our days with things that will return to dust, give our heart wisdom to live a life that counts for Christ.

The Sorrow of Death

Psalm 116:3,4 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow. Then called I upon the name of the Lord; O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.

The thought of death is one that we don’t like to dwell on. It brings sorrow to those who have loved ones that gone before us. Life, or walking among the living ceases and our bodies return back to the dust. It is painful to think of the place of the dead where life as we know it does not exist. Base on what scripture gives us, we can only imagine what happens after death. We know that ultimately at some time after death we either spend eternity with Jesus in heaven, or we suffer the torments of hell. Hell is a real place, and it is hard to imagine that those who die without God are suffering the torments of eternal fire and darkness. We cannot grasps the reality of it in our finite thinking. We leave final judgment in the hands of God who knows the heart of all who have walked among the living. The Psalmist may or may not be referring to this place, but even so, he acknowledges the source of his deliverance. He knows the One who is able to deliver his soul. For those who call upon the Name of the Lord, will be saved from the pains of hell and the fire of hell

Living Forever

John 11:26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

Living forever and ever and never dying is hard to grasp living in these bodies that are corruptible. Surely, this earthy body will pass away and return to the dust of the earth. The words of Jesus give us hope that even tho this earthen vessel will one day vanish, that the essence of who we are will live on eternally. The conditions given to us by God is that we live and believe that Jesus is the way, the truth, and life. He is the source of eternal life and those who believe that He is, God will reward them that will seek after Him. For in Him, is the resurrection of life from the dead. Once dead in our trespasses and sin, He has quicken us in our spiritual essences to be alive unto God. Death in this human body is certain for all of us, but life is just as certain to whosoever will believe in Him. Not only do I desire to believe in Him, but I also desire to live in Him. “I’m crucify with Christ, nevertheless, it is not I, but Christ that lives within me” We see through a glass darkly, but one day, we will see clearly, and we will live eternally with the One who saves us by His grace.

Light Afflictions

2 Corinth 4:17 “7 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,”-

Trails, afflictions, hard times often seem like they never end. They seem to weigh heavy and sometimes we feel as tho they are crushing us to the ground. For the moment, it would seem that life is more than we can bare. Yes, we are trouble on every side. But it light of eternity, these afflictions are but a moment in time that will come to pass. How small and insignificant they will be when we look back and realize that they were but a vapor that came and went. When we consider that eternity is forever, and what we face today is but for a moment, we don’t need to despair. Hold on, keep the faith, keep believing, for we live not for this world, but for the world to come. 

No More Tears

Rev. 21: 4 “ And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away”-

It will happen one of these days. A day will come where there will be no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain. The suffering that is so common on this earthly journey will someday pass away and will not be remembered. Oh, what a day that will be! We live today with many heartaches and sorrows, sin has put it’s mark on this world, it has caused many to weep and pray that it would all soon come to an end. Even as Christian, we face times where tears flow without end. We are comforted to know that Jesus is near and He will take us through those difficult times. But, there is coming a day when the these things that happen will be wiped away, we will no longer experience sorrow, pain, or death. A new heaven will be ours and we will forever love and praise for all eternity. 

In Jesus Name

Matt 1:21 “And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.”- 

That wonderful Name, that beautiful Name, the Name of Jesus! The meaning of His name brings joy and peace within the heart. To know that Jesus is able to save us from our sins and wipe away the pain and sorrow that sin brings. In the Name of Jesus, demons are made to vanish, in His Name we are able to call out and command that the mountain be removed. We approach the throne of God in Jesus Name and heaven is open wide. We have access to the Father in the Name of Jesus. Our petitions to the Father are made possible because we come in His Name. We need no other, when we have Jesus as our Savior. History has recorded names of people who have done great things, but there is no other Name that has done more for man than Jesus. He is the one that makes eternity possible. In the Name of Jesus we have eternal life and power over death and hell. I never grow weary of hearing that Name. For it is through His Name that life is made perfect.

Death of His Saints

Psalm 116:15 “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints”-

 It is the fate of all men to live and someday die. The passing of many in the last months brings the reality of death to the forefront to my daily thoughts. Michael, Maria, Doris Meeks, and word yesterday of Spamps mother passing away. The hope of those who live for Christ is that death is but portal into the presence of God. It is the end reward in life to be with Jesus in physical death. The Lord looks down and with great care, views the treasure of heart and extols the virtue of the soul to be of great value. His saint! The one that lives out their life to bring glory and honor to his name. He welcomes them with open arms and treasures His children through out eternity. 

Things Eternal

2 Cor 4:18 “while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”-

 We look now through a dark glass. What is real to us now is only real for a season. This temporal life on earth is but a dress rehearsal for eternity. Trails and difficult circumstances will often bog us down with despondency and fear, but we don’t live for today, we live to see Jesus. My friend Michael Wright just left this temporal world. He loved life, but his eyes were always set on things eternal, and on things above. Heaven's gain is our lose.