WHAT DO YOU EXPECT WHEN YOU STEP INTO ETERNITY?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one
can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”
(John 3:3)

MEDITATION:
When you step into eternity, what do you hope to see? More than
likely most people would answer, “The kingdom of God”. Jesus
tells us we will not see God’s kingdom UNLESS we are born again.
To be ‘born again’ means that we have had an encounter with the
Lord and our lives have been changed completely.

Look at these promises from the Lord:
    “This is the covenant I will make with them
      after that time, says the Lord. I will put my
      laws in their hearts, and I will write them
      on their minds.”
      (Hebrews 10:16)
Has the Lord changed your heart and mind in this way?
Can you identify the areas of your life He has changed?

When we are changed by the Lord, instead of being focused
on ourselves and the ways of the world, we have chosen to
commit to Jesus. We want to do what pleases Him and we
are willing to do the things He wants us to do. We discover
the value of having an intimate friendship and relationship
with Him.

Paul is a great example of a person who was changed when
he met Jesus. He was going in one direction and thought he
was doing the ‘right things’, but Jesus turned his life around
and it was never the same again.

Paul was on a mission of persecuting Christians until he had
a life-changing experience with the Lord. After his encounter
with the Lord on his way to Damascus, Paul quit persecuting
Christians and joined them in telling others about Jesus.

Although he was jailed and beaten at times, and even though
it was a complete reversal for him, Paul never wavered in living
his new way of life. His life-changing experience was real, and
he embraced his new relationship with the Lord.

God has given us the same opportunity to have our lives changed
in a similar fashion to the way He changed Paul. When we receive
salvation from God and are ‘born again’, we develop a new type
of warning system that will alert us when we are getting near the
edge of God’s boundaries and limitations for those who believe in
His Son, Jesus. We also have a new desire to spend more time with
Him, and to develop the characteristics of Jesus in our own lives.

What were some of the characteristics of Jesus? He adored His
Father and spent much time worshipping Him, praising Him
and talking with Him in prayer. Jesus also served His Father
in many ways.

Although others looked up to Jesus because of His healing powers,
it didn’t cause Him to become arrogant or egotistical. Jesus was a
humble servant who was full of love and compassion. He had an
unusual capacity to forgive; it was a type of forgiveness that the
world had never seen before.

We cannot perform the miracles that Jesus did, but when our
lives are genuinely changed, there are some characteristics of
Jesus we should develop in our own lives. We can choose to
exchange our prideful and egotistical attitudes for a greater
love and compassion for others.

Instead of boasting about what we have, what we have done,
and what our family members have done, we can develop a
keen interest in the lives of others. We can spend more time
asking them about themselves, than we do in telling them all
about our own lives.

Instead of expecting to be served, we should become servants
to others. Look at the example of the disciples when Jesus fed
the 5,000. They didn’t assume a prominent and superior posture.
The disciples were servants who were taking what the Lord gave
them and distributing it to others.

One of the things they were distributing was the bread they
received from Jesus. The bread they were giving to others
would help them sustain their lives. What a great example
for all believers today – we should be taking the ‘bread’
(the gospel of salvation) from Jesus and giving it to others
so they can live eternally with Him.

How do we do that? We ask the Lord to show us the spiritual
gift He has given us (at least one spiritual gift is given to each
believer when they receive His salvation and are born again).

When we discover the spiritual gift He has given us, we use it
in serving Him where He wants us to serve. God doesn’t give
us a spiritual gift for us to admire and set on a shelf; He gives
it to us so we can use it in serving Him.

ACTION:
Have you had an experience with the Lord? Was it a life
changing experience for you? How has your life changed
because you have a new relationship with the Lord?

Do you have an intense desire to spend more time with the
Lord? Do you strive to obey His commands and return to
Him what He asks of you? Do you know the spiritual gift
He has given you, and are you actively using it?

Have you developed a greater interest in others? Has your
love for the Lord and others increased? Have you become
more compassionate and forgiving? Have you developed a
servant’s attitude? Do you look for ways you can serve Him
instead of waiting to be served?

We can either embrace the changes from the Lord, or we can
‘stay the same’ and face the consequences of rejecting His impact
on our lives.
    If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have
    received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice
    for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of
    judgment and of raging fire that will consume
    the enemies of God.
    (Hebrews 10:26-27)

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for Your gift of salvation.
Thank You for giving me the opportunity to have a
life-changing experience. Thank You for showing me
what a sincerely changed life looks like. Forgive me for
the parts of my life that I have not yielded to You. I want
to be fully born again as a new person with new priorities,
new desires, new attitudes, new goals, and a new focus.
Make me aware of any areas of my life that need to be
changed. My greatest desire is to please You, to point
others to Jesus, and to be greeted by You when I step
into eternity. I want to hear You say to me, “Well done,
My good and faithful servant”. Thank You for Your
gift of redemption, which is solid and doesn’t fluctuate
like my feelings do. I pray that I will be a witness for
You in all that I say and do.”

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