TRIAL RUN – (This life is not all there is!)
Life on planet earth is a blessing and a gift to all of us who have received it. If I were to make a list of all the amazing things we have experienced in our lives, it would be a very, very long one – family, friends, sights, sounds, feelings, sun, moon, stars, oceans, lakes, rivers, streams, mountains, trees, flowers, animals, insects (yes, even insects) — just to name a few. But this life is NOT all there is. This life is only a “trial run.”
When God first created the universe, and on the sixth day man and woman, everything He made was perfect. Genesis 1:31 says, “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.” But we all know what happens next. There was only one “no-no” that God uttered to our ancestors in Eden – “you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil…” And when they did, sin and death entered into our world.
At that point, God “could” have destroyed everything and started all over again, but I believe He chose instead to let sin “run its course.” He wanted all of mankind to see the fruit of sin. So, from the time that Adam and Eve first sinned, up until today, we have all witnessed the horrible carnage and destruction that sin has wrought in the earth. And based upon our experience in this life – which is only a “trial run,” we EACH have to make a choice about where we want to spend eternity. If we want to spend it with God, in heaven, where there is NO SIN, then we will have to make that choice NOW, while we are alive on this earth, for God’s Word clearly tells us –“each person is destined to die once, and after that comes judgment.” Therefore, before that judgment, we must place our faith in Jesus’ blood in order to be cleansed of our sin. Then, and only then, will we be ready for heaven.
But if we say “no thanks,” “not interested,” or simply just make no decision at all, the Bible says we will be cut off from God and His people forever and sent to a place of pain and torment more horrible than anything we could even imagine.
In Matthew 22, Jesus tells this parable –
“The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a king who prepared a great wedding feast for his son.When the banquet was ready, he sent his servants to notify those who were invited. But they all refused to come!
So he sent other servants to tell them, ‘The feast has been prepared. The bulls and fattened cattle have been killed, and everything is ready. Come to the banquet!’ But the guests he had invited ignored them and went their own way, one to his farm, another to his business. Others seized his messengers and insulted them and killed them.
The king was furious, and he sent out his army to destroy the murderers and burn their town.And he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, and the guests I invited aren’t worthy of the honor. Now go out to the street corners and invite everyone you see.’ So the servants brought in everyone they could find, good and bad alike, and the banquet hall was filled with guests.
But when the king came in to meet the guests, he noticed a man who wasn’t wearing the proper clothes for a wedding.‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how is it that you are here without wedding clothes?’ But the man had no reply. Then the king said to his aides, ‘Bind his hands and feet and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ “(Matthew 22:2-13, New Living Translation)
God has a very specific plan and that plan will be carried out to the letter. He sent His Son into this world to purchase a group of people to spend eternity with Him. Those who have been invited, but yet have rejected God’s offer of complete forgiveness, have turned away from the wonderful privilege of becoming a part of the Bride of Christ. But no one can enter into this relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit unless they have repented of their sins and cast off their former clothing of unrighteousness and put on the robe of righteousness that Christ has died to give to them. The servant in the above parable who wasn’t wearing the proper wedding clothes found out what happens when we try to come into fellowship with the Lord of heaven without first repenting and being cleansed of sin.
But for all who will believe and willingly and humbly bow their knee before the Lord Jesus Christ, God will grant entrance into His presence for eternity, and will begin even now to change each one into the likeness of His Son, as we yield ourselves to the teaching and guidance of the Holy Spirit. All those who will avail themselves to the truths of the Word of God will be sanctified (made holy) daily by the Spirit.
You and I are here for a reason. God has created us, and He loves us, but it is imperative that we return His love to Him, today, while we have the opportunity. Whatever pain you may have suffered in your life, God promises to cause it to work out for good for all of those who will put their faith in Him, and He offers you a place with Him in heaven one day, where they will be no more pain and suffering at all. He offers you the gift of salvation today – the gift of righteousness through the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. Will you receive God’s offer? Will you lay down your dirty rags of sin and put on the robe of righteousness that Christ wants to give to you? This is a limited-time offer and none of us knows how long this “Trial Run” will last. But there is nothing stopping you from accepting God’s love today. And I sincerely hope, and pray, that you do!
“Repent then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you – even Jesus. He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.” Acts 3:19-21
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