There is a lot going on

It seems that the more I make myself available to what is happening I am realizing there is a lot going on. Now don’t misunderstand what I am saying. We all know there is always alot going on and the magnitude of what is happening today can and will change the world we are all living in right now.

One of the things I do and hope you do as well is keep all of this in the right perspective. Although what happens today can have profound affects on us. It is the future we need to be more focused upon.

Yes, the immediate future here but more Importantly the eternal future we are assured of as believers in Jesus Christ.

Now depending on how old you are you will have a different perspective than I do. As a 72 year old husband, father and grandfather. Also as a retired pastor who is still assisting churches as an Interim Pastor. I was talking to a neighbor at the pool a few days ago. He knew I was retired and asked me what I was doing other than traveling with Elaine in our motorhome. I explained to him what being an Interim Pastor meant. It was nice to hear him say that he knew me over the years and thought I would be a good one. Well, I thanked him and I sure do hope I am a good one.

See, from my perspective, I know I don’t have a lot of years left here on earth. Now I am praying Jesus will come soon for His church. However, if the Father doesn’t send Him and calls me home before Jesus returns for the church I am set for the eternal future. There are things I know but like you there is so much we don’t know. I mean the first question has to be “what are we going to doing?”.

Jesus said in Luke 23:43-

"Truly I say to you, today you shall be with me in paradise."

Jesus used paradeisos which is our word "paradise". The word means a park, as Eden was a park. A place of happiness, a paradise. Paradeisos is the Greek word taken from the Hebrew word pardes which means "a park: - forest, orchard".

You may have the idea that we will float around on clouds. However, Jesus did not describe our place with Him in that way. He described it as a park like Eden. We have a beautiful world and there are some amazingly beautiful places. A friend once said “how can somebody go to Alaska and not believe that God created that”. He was overwhelmed by its beauty and majesty. I must say I wholeheartedly agree. We have been there many times on mission trips and for personal vacations and it is awesome.

Well, we know we will be also worshipping God and Revelation 22:3 tells us-

No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him.

So we have those things we know about our eternal

life. We only know a little but we know there will be a new heaven and a new earth.

In Revelation John sees something-

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away...”

There are a lot of things that won’t be in the new heaven and the new earth. Now for those of you who really like daylight savings time check out Revelation 22:5-

And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

Here are other things that won’t be there-

• no more sea (Revelation 21:1)

• no more death (Revelation 21:4)

• no more mourning (Revelation 21:4)

• no more weeping (Revelation 21:4)

• no more pain (Revelation 21:4)

• no more curse (Revelation 22:3)

There is a lot going on and we need to be aware and have it in perspective. We also need to be sharing with others who don’t know about Jesus that He is as He said in John 14:6-

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Am I concerned about what is going on around us? Of course I am but I know who holds tomorrow. Him I can trust because with all that is happening around us. He has the whole world in His hands.

In God Grace,

Elbert Nasworthy