What Are You Doing To Make A Difference In Eternity?

Eternity-A Heart-Beat Away

In today’s society people go about their life trying to just make it through the day. Eternity seems so far away and so gives the impression that there is plenty of time to get things done. I am sure that is how people felt in Noah’s time. There was plenty of time to repent and so they went on with their daily lives. Hebrews 11:7 “By faith Noah, when warned about things not seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.” (NIV)

Noah did not listen to the world-but focused on what the Lord had promised. People should look at Noah’s life and learn from it. Noah stayed faithful to the work God had given to him.

The truth is that eternity is just a heart-beat away. When your heart stops and you slip into eternity-there will be no time to repent or change what things have been done here on earth. The Lord has placed it on my heart to send out a wake up call and sound the alarm-because no-one is guaranteed a tomorrow. James 4:13-14 “Now listen, you who say, today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money. Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” (NIV) If you were to die today-what would people remember about you? If you are a Christian-would the life you led be glorifying to the Lord or would they be talking about the hypocrite who proclaimed to know Christ-but continually did things that were not pleasing to the Lord.

Words can either encourage or discourage and I believe we will give an account for words spoken on this earth. As a pastor of a small ministry-I encounter abuse daily and the only way I can overcome the negative is to keep focused on what the Lord has called me to do. I pray for the people who are talking negatively about the ministry and just as Noah did I continue building the ministry instead of an ark. James 1:26 “If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.” (NIV)

In this world there will be many ministries and I don’t believe Jesus wanted people to believe that one certain church will get them to heaven. No church can get you to heaven-only a personal relationship with Jesus. People have a right to choose where to worship-but I believe they will be judged for the gossip and degrading they speak about different ministries and churches. Mark 9:38-41 “Teacher, said John, we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us. Do Not Stop Him Jesus said, No-one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.” (NIV) Jesus never told anyone to stop preaching or driving out demons.

Adultery is another point the Lord wanted me to sound the alarm about. In today’s society people are married and divorced a number of times and yet in most cases no one points out what the Bible says about adultery and divorce. The Bible is very clear about adultery and divorce: Matthew 5:27-28 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, Do not commit adultery. But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (NIV) Matthew 5:31 “It has been said, anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce. But, I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife except for marital unfaithfulness causes her to become an adulteress, and who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.”

Now is the time to repent and start living for the Lord. People who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and savior need to live a life separated from the world and by their example will bring others to find out more about being saved. 1 Peter 4:1-6 “Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do-living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation and they heap abuse you. But they will have account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so they might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.” (NIV) You can make a difference for the Lord and the best place to start is to stop listening to gossip and spreading gossip. The best rule is: “If it doesn’t make someone feel good or it doesn’t glorify God-keep your mouth closed.”

Finally, the Lord may return at anytime and there will be no time to repent. So, now is the time to make things right with the Lord and to start serving him. Matthew 24:36-44 “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.

So, you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” (NIV)

Are you ready to meet Jesus and give an account of what you have done for him that will make a difference in eternity?