Date: 06/26/2023

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and to Him be the Glory, Power, and Dominion forever and ever and to the Holy Ghost that is yet abiding in the body. This week’s key phrase is “How to  Live With Eternal Life in Mind”. The three things we need to remember is: Our life is temporary, Some are facing life and death without hope, and believers can live in hope of heaven.

Our life in this world is temporary.  2 Corinthians 4:18 tells us, “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 cannot live our lives believing we have years to do all we want, but the reality is none of us knows how long we have left. Our life is fleeting, so like the psalmist our prayer might be to ask the Lord, to “teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom (Psalm 90:12). We must consider the brevity of life, not knowing what will happen tomorrow, as our life is but a vapor. “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” (James 4:14). As Christians, we are just pilgrims passing through this world; it’s not our home, nor our final destination. Hence, we must keep in perspective that our momentary troubles will pass and we must not become attached to the things of this world.

Some are facing life and death without hope. Romans 1:16 reads, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek”.  My brothers and sisters, death is not the end of the story for any of us as there will be an eternal outcome, whether in the presence of God or out from His presence for eternity. “Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;” (2 Thessalonians 1:9). Jesus Christ has made a way for all people to come into His Kingdom through the cross on which He died for our sins.

Believers can live in hope of heaven. 2 Corinthians 5:1 reads, “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens”.  As believers we have secure hope that we will one day be with God. The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ has made a way for sinful mankind to be reconciled to a Holy God. 1Thessalonians 4:17 reminds us, “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord”. The gospel needs to be proclaimed clearly and truthfully (Colossians 4:3-6). If we fail to understand the gospel ourselves, it can have eternal consequences as it shapes our view of eternity. What we do in this life affects what happens in the next. Second Corinthians 5:10 sums it up, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad”.   We all will have to come face to face with God and be judged at the appointed time. If  we reject Jesus in this life, our next life will be an eternity without Him.

In closing, an eternal view gives us the perspective to remember that Jesus will return.  We must keep running the race in faith daily.  No matter what happens in this life, whether good or bad, we must never lose sight of the cross of Jesus Christ and how it opened up the way for us to come before our Heavenly Father. Until next week, remember, “… with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).

In His Service,

Bishop Dr. Calvin Worthem

General Chief Overseer/Senior Bishop