Not Worth It

The indoor arena was lit up and excitement was already in the air. It was an enthusiasm that even was felt in the long line we had to wait in to enter the arena. Finally positioned in our seats the lights were turned down as the anticipation level grew as people waited the arrival of the bands scheduled to perform.

 

At last the moment we were all waiting for came as the sound of the music rocked the place. As I stood and sat and stood again clapping along with the crowd to the beat of the music it made me think about what Heaven was going to be like. The excitement in the stadium as everyone sang along with the bands was outstanding. The joy of the Lord could be felt bouncing off the walls and each spirit there. If this is what it felt like on earth I could only imagine what the real stuff was going to be like praising God for all eternity.

As I pondered more on Heaven and the joy and excitement that will come with it I thought to myself, “there is not a sin out there that is worth going to hell over” and missing all this joy in the Lord. The lie we told, the jewelry we stole, the hatred we harbored in our lives, the thrill of drugs, the satisfaction of revenge, the temporary fulfillment of things that separate us from God or not trusting in the Lord as we take matters into our own hands will not be worth being separated from our Lord.

Too often people think the excitement will be outside the gates of Heaven not inside but that is far from the truth. Booming music, people laughing and praising God in loud voices are all things that are far worth it than the pain and suffering that will be going on outside of Heaven within the torments of Hell.

 

It’s important that we stop listening to the lies of Satan who tells us our sins are worth it. It was him that convinced Eve it was worth it for her to eat the forbidden fruit, and it was worth it for Cain to get his revenge on his brother Abel. Wrong.

 

Temporary enjoyment or fulfillment of some emotion we are feeling will never be worth it in the long run if it separates us from God. We need to make the decision now which we would rather do. Would we rather sing praises to God for all eternity in an area full of the excitement and joy that was in that concert arena or live it out in a continuation of earth’s pain and suffering magnified in greater numbers outside of Heaven.

 

I choose Heaven and its joy, I choose repentance and telling God sorry on a day-to-day basis for all I have done and often continue to do. I choose to turn my life around now while I can for the excitement and thrill and joys of heaven.

 

Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord. Indeed there is not a sin worth it when it comes to keeping us away from spending eternity in the joys of Heaven. The excitement I feel standing in the long waiting line waiting to get in is worth it when it comes to living out the joys of the Lord, in the Heaven He prepared for those who choose to go.

 

Streets of gold or a lake of fire the choice is ours and it’s made thru our actions, attitudes, and choices here on earth, the waiting line to eternity.

roads

Driving home one day I must have been bored or something because I got to thinking about the road and how it stays where it is. Duh! Yep, the path to the grocery store, church, or work is always there for me to take. It may be torn up and changed once in awhile for construction purposes but it still gets me to the location of my choice.

If you think about it the road to Heaven never moves either, it remains the same, the path of the cross of Christ. People may try to move it, tear it up for construction purposes but it is unchangeable and remains the same just as the destination it leads to.


We are the ones who make the mistake of not taking the road we need to take to get where we need to be. We delay the journey of turning our lives over to Jesus in order to have a little “fun” along the way. We figure the destination will never change so we can play first then get where we need to be last.


Never take for granted the roads ahead of you, especially the road to Heaven. Just because the road there is secure and will stay the same doesn’t give us the right to delay asking Jesus into our hearts and lives.


Destination, heaven! Christ secured.


They call me grandma

Merry Christmas to ALL

Christmas can be a very exciting time of year. We anticipate gifts and goodies and fun with our families. For some that is not the picture they see. They see lack of food, no money for gifts and divided families split because of divorce, death, or absence.

We’ve made the focus of Christmas be something totally different than what it should be. When we focus on the true meaning of it, the birth of Jesus who came to save us from our own habits of sin and wrong doings Christmas can be the same for everyone.

We are all equal in the eyes of God. No one person has more of Him than the other. There are no gifts that need to be purchased only accepted in our hearts. Jesus came to fetch us home to Heaven but we need to accept that gift before we can get it.

Like you would never leave an unopened gift under your tree, don’t leave unopened the gift of having Jesus as the main focus of your life. Invite Him in to stay. Make room in your heart. Look forward to the true family gathering that will happen when we all get to Heaven to be with Jesus.

The story doesn’t start and end at the manger where Christ was born. It goes beyond December and it needs to go beyond that in our hearts. Don’t put Jesus away with the Christmas decorations. Keep Him front and center year around as you get to know the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords who left the comforts of Heaven just for you.

Merry Christmas to All and Happy Birthday to You, Jesus!

© 2009 Karen J. Gillett @ Pencil Marks and Recipes Publishing

Picture Dees #22 Excited About Heaven

"I'm bored! There's nothing to do?" Sound Familiar? It should, we've all been there at one point or another. It's not a kids only thing, adults suffer from it as well. What one person finds exciting another finds it boring and vise versa. That is often the opinion of Heaven. Some are excited about going while others think they are going to bored out of their minds.

Having never been there before it can be hard to picture Heaven. To some the picture painted comes out exciting while another thinks of Heaven as BORING! They can't imagine being there forever without their favorite food, activity, music, friends, and so much more. Its difficult for them to visualize life without a Nintendo hook-up, a computer connection, a direct route to a local bar, golf course, movie theater, or playground. After all what kind of life could someone have without a cell-phone? Just kidding on that one! How boring can you get!

The many questions that come up are: Are we going to eat food? Will the food have a taste? Will we be awake the whole time or do we get to sleep? How will we get around? What will we do besides sitting with our feet dangling off some cloud? Do we really have to listen to harp music 24 hours a day 7 days a week or 24-7 they call it?

If you look over the list, all the things listed people are questioning have to do with the flesh, worldly pleasures that have no spiritual value. What we need to be looking at when we try to view Heaven is the spiritual value of the choice we made to follow Jesus there. It should be more than a choice to stay out of hell.

The excitement is being with Jesus, living in a place that is free of tears, struggles, pain, sickness, and heartaches. No more temptations, pop quizzes in life to take, and physical handicaps and hang-ups. It will be a place of great beauty far beyond our wildest imagination. The joy will be immeasurable, greater than we ever experienced on earth. Love and laughter no longer drowned out by hatred, bitterness, and sadness. An adventure that has no end that began the minute we accepted Christ into our lives.

No matter what picture we try to paint in our minds the choice of going to Heaven falls on us. It begins with choosing to follow Jesus, being obedient to His word. Having faith in His purpose on earth, the death on the cross for our sins, His resurrection to heaven, and the rules and regulations He puts forth. Changing His rules to suit us won't do it. Just "knowing of Jesus" won't do it either. Even the demons know He exists but knowing Him personally and committing your life to Him while on earth will.

Thank God we can all be Heavenbound. The decision falls on us and the choices we make in life on earth. Getting excited now and living our lives that way prepares us for the excitement to come. I doubt if too many people think in their hearts, "I can't wait to die so I can eat popcorn and drink beer in Heaven listening to my favorite CD they slipped into my pocket to take with me."

No, they think about being with Jesus and the adventure of getting to know this new world yet to be seen. What we get to do or what we may or may not eat will, at last, play second fiddle to the joy of being where Christ is. There indeed, needs to be our focus. Boring? No way!!!! Adventurous, YES!

Copyright 2008 Karen J. Gillett @ Pencil Marks and Recipes Publishing