All Come Back

This past Sunday we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the most glorious of days on the Christian calendar. It was a day to reflect on our Savior, to thank Him for what He did for us upon the cross, what He assured for us with He rising in glory on the third day. But that is not the end of the story, not by a long ways. There is still eternity to face, and the choices one can face in eternity. Because there is someone else who is going to be resurrected: you. And me. And for that matter, everyone else as well:

Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.
John 5:28-29 (NASB)

There will come a day when everyone will face a resurrection and come face to face with the risen Lord (except those believers who are alive at His return, who will not face physical death and resurrection but that is another story for another day). Jesus rose from the dead and we will rise one day and come to face Him. If we are His followers, it will be a joyous day:

Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.
Revelation 20:6 (NASB)

Those who do not follow Him face quite a different future:

And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Revelation 20:12-15 (NASB)

The choice is simple yet profound and eternal. You either are born twice and die once, or you are born once and die twice.

Trust Him today.



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No Box Big Enough

But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You, how much less this house which I have built!
1 Kings 8:27 (NASB)

Solomon built a temple, and spoke these words upon completion. Humanity may try to erect a temple, a structure, even a concept that can contain God. We cannot. He is within all creation, yet He is outside it, for He created it. We cannot put God in a box, but we can take him out of a book, the Bible. We can bring Him into our minds, hearts, thoughts, deeds and actions. Because He permits us to do that through His love, His grace, His mercy.

We can open a book, open a door and enter into a place He has chosen to reside, although that place can never contain Him. I take great comfort from the fact that God is bigger than anything I can possibly conceive, that He is sovereign over all. I especially like thinking about it as the day we worship the resurrection of Jesus is right before us.

Open a door, open your mind. Climb out of the box of your own sin, face the fact that only through Jesus can you reach your eternal salvation. Stop trying to package God. The door to Him is open, but your box will not fit through it.



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