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It’s almost over! One more week of Awana! Boo-hoo! I pick up 4 or 5 overly energetic middle school boys. It makes for an interesting ride. Dylan looks forward to it. He often calls me to make sure I’m going to be there. It wasn’t always like that. He had a rough go of it at first, but things have changed. Johnny has a sweet innocence to him. He is easy to like and easy to take advantage of. Bubba likes to be an authority of sorts. He’s a ways up there in the pecking order. Not too egotistical, and not quite a know it all… yet. Caleb... I think that he thinks he’s too grown up, or too worldly wise for church. He comes less and less. I asked him what kept him away from Awana and he said he didn’t know. I asked him what he liked about it, and he said the games. He perked up and jumped in the car. I can’t quite get a read on Anthony. He loves it when he comes, but he is coming less as well. Get 4 or 5 kids in my car and you have mass bedlam. It is enough to drive anyone crazy. They were going wild after the Awana Store yesterday. I had to pull over to calm them down! What human being would ever consider being a bus driver?
Today's Scripture reading is 1 Samuel 13; Hosea 1; Romans 8
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.podbean.com - Archives can be found at http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Today’s thought comes from 2 Peter 3:12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;
Did you hear the joke about the Sunday School teacher who asked his students if they wanted to go to heaven? All but one boy raised his hand. “Johnny? Don’t you want to go to heaven someday?” “Well, yah! But I thought you was fetching to get a trip up today!” We all want to go there… someday, but I don’t see too many of you jumping off buildings to get there! That’s probably a bad idea. Heaven must wait. A premature trip to heaven isn’t in our best interest. Instead it’s a “promise” we look forward to. It’s not just any promise, God gave His word that there will be a new heavens and a new earth created for us! In fact that’s what heaven is… “a new heaven and a new earth.” In other words heaven is a perfect, remade universe. Some people think of heaven as clouds and angels… the cloud part is a bit off. We are back on earth. It’s just not exactly the same old earth we live on, it’s better. In heaven “righteousness dwells.” What is so very cool about this is that one of the main characteristics of our universe is the deterioration of all things and the pervasive tendency toward sin. But the main characteristic of the new universe is the flawlessness of all things and the absolute invasiveness and predisposition to goodness. Everything stays good and righteous! That means people don’t fall into sin, addictions or crime. They don’t exist anymore! They are wiped out of our genetic makeup! Instead there is a predisposition to joy, hope and prosperity. That’s a world I’m looking forward to. So no matter what happens down here, nothing can steal my future hope. I can be at peace knowing the reality of heaven. Future heaven makes present earth bearable. I just need to remind myself of that and begin acting like I really am a citizen of God’s future kingdom NOW! My goal? Fight the tendency toward sin and seek to live blamelessly before God who knows my heart.
Dear Lord. I look forward to the day when I will be with you in heaven. Help me to live like a citizen of Your kingdom now. Thank you for loving me and help me to love you like you love me.
The LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.
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