Investments

If I spend one hour a week with a seven year old child, teaching him or her about Jesus Christ and how to live for him and I get one year to do that and then move away, I believe my life will have been credited in Heaven. How much? I don’t know. But I will be rewarded for investing in a child’s life. A person who shares or breathes into another person’s life will get credit for that in Heaven.  Agree with me? Or disagree with me? I will assume you basically agree with me.

If I share in a ministry with others, we all get credited for the time we invested in those people’s lives we’ve been given responsibility for.  If any of us move and those people continue to grow in their relationships, more credit is given to us. I think in this world today we call it paying it forward.  I agree and I think in the Christian realm it has to do with making eternal investments. My third grade teacher invested five days a week in teaching me the things I needed to know so that I would be prepared for the fourth grade.

When I teach seven year olds at my church about Jesus and what’s in the Bible, I am preparing them not only for living their live here on earth but for making it into eternity. An eternity I hope is in Heaven. 

Though we will never know until we get to Heaven, the impact we have made on a person, its great to know that every day that person or person’s growth puts more credit in our eternal investment compartment. Wherever that may be. I am not thinking about how much I get in Heaven, rather, that my investment time was definitely worth it and definitely worth something.

Thinking about this today came from getting information that a place I used to minister at was growing in a new phase. My investment in that place just grew as they grew.  And the cool thing for me, is that no one can take that away from me. God likes addition and He loves to add to what we have invested in.

If you’ve ever invested in person and saw them grow you probably know what I am talking about. If you don’t think your time with someone or a group of people is worth it, rethink it, because it is worth it. 

So, on to more investments.

Heaven on my mind lately

With the economy being in the putz, I’ve thought about God, Heaven, going to Heaven, living in Heaven and some thoughts have been about who we’d see, what we’ll be doing in Heaven, and the awesome thoughts of living there forever.

I read this poem below on John Fischer’s website. He didn’t know the other, nor do I, but I liked it and wanted to share it with you. 

I was shocked, confused, bewildered As I entered Heaven’s door, Not by the beauty of it all, Nor the lights, or its decor.

But it was the folks in Heaven Who made me sputter and gasp– The thieves, the liars, the sinners, The alcoholics, and the trash.

There stood the kid from seventh grade Who swiped my lunch money twice. Next to him was my old neighbor Who never said anything nice.

Herb, who I always thought Was rotting away in hell, Was sitting pretty on cloud nine, Looking incredibly well.

I nudged Jesus, ‘What’s the deal? I would love to hear Your take. How’d all these sinners get up here? God must’ve made a mistake. “And why’s everyone so quiet, So somber – give me a clue.” “Hush, child,’ He said, “they’re all in shock. No one thought they’d be seeing you.”

Heaven Awaits!

In the days preceeding an election of the President of the United States, the battle for liberalism and conservatism goes forth.  Both sides take aim at the central themes of the other side. For liberals its all about freedom to do as one pleases with out constraint. For liberal Democrats its about control. Taking Americans money and then taking more of it by taxation.  For the conservative, its about the freedom to worship God, take care of country, protect life, keep immorality reigned in and freedom to make a living without giving lots of our money to the government. There is sure more to both sides views than just mentioned, but I think you get the picture. 

Back in 1972, I was twelve years old and my family was attending a New Years Eve Watchnight service. I remember very clearly the pastor standing up as we headed towards the midnight hour, surprisingly, I was still awake, saying he believed 1973 would be the last full year we would live on the face of the earth. He believed in his heart that Jesus would come before the end of that year. I never forgot that, even as we headed into 1974. 

In light of the aggresiveness and tone of this years Presidential campaign, I can’t help but think that if or when all else fails, Heaven awaits.  Regardless of the outcome of this years Presidential race, we can have peace of mind if we are assured of where we will spend eternity. 

I am restarting reading the book “Just Walk Across the Room,” by Bill Hybels. I started it about a year ago but it got packed away when we moved and I wasn’t able to finish it. He say’s something pretty remarkable at the beginning of the book that I will write on a little later on in a different post. Hybels says, “What if redirecting a person’s forever really is as simple as walking across a room” The words “a person’s forever,” spoke directly at me.  If eternity, where we spend eternity, is just at the end of someone’s reach, just what does that mean today when we feel uncertain about the economy, who’s going to be president, in defending our beliefs, and being criticized by those who disagree with us?

Where does “eternity” fit into your life?  Do you think about it? Do you think about where you are going to spend eternity? Heaven Awaits!