Reaching Into Eternity
Reaching
Into Eternity
There was a man who once said "I am twice as old as the hills."
For the sane person hearing this statement, we would scoff. Or we would think he was claiming to be on par with Jesus, who was around since the creation of the world. We would roll our eyes and think he was a little crazy. We all know the saying "As old as the hills".
How arrogant of a person to claim he was twice the age of the hills!
I (Alaina) am reading a book by Randy Alcorn right now about Heaven. To learn about what the Bible has to say about heaven is also to learn about what the Bible has to say about hell.
On Sunday Pastor Loren talked about how in Mark 9:38-42 we observe John being rebuked harshly by Jesus. In this rebuke Jesus speaks of hell. John was upset that there was a no-name, no-association, no-special position, no-known man who was casting out demons in Jesus' name. John not only saw he was successful but because this man was a nobody he commanded him to stop.
How dare he do what only John+disciples commissioned by Jesus have the right to do. Yet Jesus had a very different eternal perspective. A kingdom of God perspective that Jesus was being magnified. It is not about our names being magnified, in fact, even a non important regular guy or girl can be used by Jesus to do pretty miraculous things! We are not to stop them, or it would be better for a millstone to hang around our necks and for us to be thrown into the sea (verse 42).
YIKES. We have all seen millstones hanging around the city of Rome. Jesus made his point quite clear. It is not about us. It is about God receiving the glory He deserves and we are to be humbled that he even has called us to himself. God is all about creating something out of nothing from the inception of life on earth.
The man who said "I am twice as old as the hills" is a biologist named Sturla Fridriksson.* He was not being presumptuous as back on the 14th of November in 1963 a volcanic eruption was taking place about 20 miles off the south coast of Iceland. Fishermen who first saw the smoke rising out in the ocean thought there was a ship on fire and went out to investigate. They quickly learned that there was a new Island forming in front of their eyes. The lava had broken the ocean’s surface, rising 425 feet from the ocean floor in only two days.
In Mark 9:47 Jesus is directly quoted talking about what hell is like. "And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, 48 ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’" Jesus talked about hell more than any other person in the Bible.**
The eruption of this Island continued for four years. At that time, one square mile of what is now known as Surtsey was created. To the surprise of geologists it only took two years for the hard rock to elude erosion. In front of modern geologists eyes it was proven by God that what scientist had claimed in the past (and even current) science books, that this process took the earth thousands/millions/billions of years for this to form and happen. They watched it happen within a matter of days/months/a few years.
Sturla Fridriksson was 80 years old standing on Surtsey Island that was only 40 years old when he made his statement "I am twice as old as the hills."
Surtsey Island is only 59 years old today. Less than 100 scientists have ever been able to set foot on this Island because from the beginning it was reserved as a nature laboratory to see how islands develop. Detail observation now records at least 70 species of plants that have made their home on the new Island. Many observed the plants, bugs, worms, and life came by way of bird stomach, seeds on feathers, ocean fish, and wind.***
Revelation 21:5-8 "And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
Pastor Loren asked if Jesus was calling you to stand up and do the work God has asked you to do while on this earth. Spend time in the Word today. Our time here is limited before we either go to eternity where we will either find our name in the Lamb's book of life or not. This life is brief. What are you doing with your time?
Revelation 21:23-27 "23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25 and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life."
I am looking forward to this perfect creation. Where there will all be nations together in peace, a beautiful city, plants, animals, trees, streams, and people without any sin or destruction.
“The best of life on Earth is a glimpse of Heaven; the worst of life is a glimpse of Hell. For Christians, this present life is the closest they will come to Hell. For unbelievers, it is the closest they will come to Heaven.”
What conversations can you have this week that will reach into eternity?
Alaina