Day 30: The Journey Doesn't End, But Begins
“It is finished”. Three words in English, but only one word in the Greek: “Tetelestai!” It the cry of a victor and champion, of one who has run the race of life with confidence and has endured and finished the course of life. It’s like Saint Paul’s final farewell in his epistles:
“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:6-8)
Have you ever thought what your final words will be when you come to the end of your life here on earth? After all, we have discovered in this thirty day journey together that we are “pilgrims” in this world, that our “true home” is in Heaven, and that we are just living temporarily in this world. As such, what will be your final words? What words would you like people to remember you with at your funeral? When Jesus returns a second time, what will your final battle cry? Will it be the cry of a victor, such as “It is finished”is our God; We have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is (John 19:7), or “Behold, this the LORD; We have waited for Him; We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.”(Isaiah 25:9) Or will it be a cry of despair, such as “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?” (Rev. 6:16-17).
This side of eternity, all good things seem to come to an end. Great dreams end with an unexpected accident or a life altering event. Happiness and joy seem to end when bad news come to us from the “far country”. It seems all good things must come to end in this lifetime, or do they? Could it be that there is one thing than will not and doesn’t have to end this side of Heaven? Let’s see!
The Journey Continues
Just because we are ending our thirty day journey together today, doesn’t mean it stops for either you or I. The journey with Jesus continues. In fact, the Bible tells us that one day when Jesus returns, those who have followed His voice and prepared themselves to go to Heaven, will rise form this “tennis ball” called earth and keep on rising until they enter the New Heaven and the New Earth. Notice it in the following verses:
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17:
“16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”
John 5:28-29:
“Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29 and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.”
1 Corinthians 15:51-52
51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”
Philippians 3:20-21
20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.”
Revelation 21:1-5
“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” 5 Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”
Revelation 20:4-6
“4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.”
You see, the journey with Our Lord Jesus continues beyond this thirty days! For one day, we will see Him face to face. Do you have any idea what that day will be like? How will you behave? Will you be silent before God, or will you run and shout and say, “Hallelujah! Thank you Jesus! I made it! I made it! I made it! I know that I wasn’t good enough, but thank you God, that Jesus was good enough to save me and to bring me safely to Heaven! Amen!” One day, our faith will become a reality. Sometimes it seems like our faith is intangible and unreal, especially when you pray and ask God to heal a sick person or to help your friend who is suicidal, and your sick relative or friend dies, and your suicidal friend commits euthanasia.
Sometimes, it feels like God is not real, and that prayer doesn’t work. Sometimes, when you wander away from God and from Jesus, you end up in the far country of sin and you doubt whether Jesus and God exist. However, don’t ever give us so easily, for God has said that just because you can’t understand everything perfectly this side of Heaven, doesn’t mean that He isn’t real, that prayer doesn’t work, and that your faith is in vain. The longer you live, the more you will discover that without a real, living, and personal faith in God, you will despair and give up trying and believing that goodness, love, faith, and hope will win in the end over sin, evil, and wickedness. If there is one thing you take from these thirty days that we have journeyed together, take this. Write it in your Bible, memorize it, and never forget it. Are you ready? Here it is!
1 Corinthians 13:8
“Love never fails.”
You see, if you don’t have God in your life, and if you don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, God’s Son, then what do you have? If you are honest, the answer is “nothing.” But the promise of God is that no matter what your present circumstances or situation may be, don’t forget, “Love never fails.” 1 John 4:8 says, “God is love.” Therefore, keep this truth in your heart and mind until the end of this earthly race we call life. “God is love”, “Love never fails”, therefore “God never fails.”
In the end, God will win! The Devil and all of followers will end up being big time losers! I don’t know about you, but I am tired of buying into the lies of the Devil and being a loser here on earth. I want to start being on God’s winning team instead! I want to be a winner with Jesus.
Conclusion
So our journey ends here. How has it been? Has it been helpful? Have you felt your relationship with Jesus has grown somewhere in these thirty days? Have you felt that you have wasted your time? Have your thoughts been pointed towards Heaven? Have you meditated on eternity if just for one second? I pray that somewhere in the last thirty days, you may have “reconnected with Jesus” and I pray that your friendship and relationship with Him will continue until the day He returns and you see Him face to face, and give Him a big Bear Hug! I hope that you continue to run the race of faith in God, and never give up, or let up, until your faith runs you straight into the arms of Jesus Christ and into Heaven with all of God’s saints! I know, God is waiting for you there! Be blessed!
Practical Steps
- Commit your life to God every day. The journey continues until you die, or until Jesus comes back and “translates” you from this mortal body to a “glorified body” like His.
- Don’t forget that you are pilgrim. Don’t ever get to comfortable with the things down here, that you trade the things of this world for eternity! God is waiting for you in Heaven. Don’t miss out on being there for anything!
- Bless others along your journey and life. As God blesses you, give and bless others. If you do, you will truly be living the life of Jesus who once said, “it is more blessed to give than to receive!”
- Die to sin, self, and Satan every day! Crucify your old carnal nature and heart by the power of God’s Holy Spirit. Instead, “Walk according to the Spirit!” Ask God for the mind of Christ, and have the Holy Spirit give you a new heart! Never forget to Love God above all things, and to love your neighbor as yourself! Follow the Golden Rule!
~ Pastor Sal Garcia
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