Living Eternally
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Lets look at a few stories of those who had eternity in mind.
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
The word witness means:
3144. μάρτυς martus, mar´-toos; of uncert. affin.; a witness (lit. [judicially] or fig. [gen.]); by anal. a “martyr”:—martyr, record, witness
Why could Julius Palmer who was burned at the stake in England in 1556 say:
We shall not end our lives in the fire, but make a change for a better life.
Or Dietrich Bonhoeffer say who was hung in Germany in 1945 say:
This is the end. For me the beginning of life.
Or the Apostle Paul who was beheaded in Rome in 65AD say:
For to me, living is for Christ, and dying is even better
The ultimate is to literally die for your faith:
They were not looking at the things which are temporal but eternal.
17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,
18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
About 6000 Christians lost their lives in 2022
Hebrews: why did they subject themselves to this: what was it that they saw? Some wanted a better resurrection.
13 These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.
14 For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.
15 If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return.
16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.
35 Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life.
36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.
37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated—
38 of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
When Nikolai Khamara finished his prison term in the 70’s in a Russian prison and was set free, he joined the underground church even though it was in constant threat from the KGB. He became a faithful member of his local congregation.
Sometime later, the pastor of Khamara’s church was arrested. The authorities beat and tortured him, hoping he would tell the names of the church members and give them information that would help them stop the printing of gospel booklets that had been circulating throughout their province.
He was tortured, but he told them nothing. If he had, thousands of his fellow believers would have been arrested.After he had beaten the pastor repeatedly without success, the captain of the investigation said, “We will not torture you anymore. We have another method.”
They arrested Khamara. They brought him before the pastor and told him, “If you do not tell all the secrets of your church, we will torture Khamara in front of you.”The pastor could not endure someone suffering for him. He asked Khamara, “What should I do?”Khamara said to him, “Be faithful to Jesus and do not betray Him. I am happy to suffer for the name of Christ.”
The captain said, “We will gouge out Khamara’s eyes.” The torturers picked up a knife and started toward Khamara. The pastor could not bear it. He cried to Khamara, “How can I look at this? You will be blind!”Khamara replied, “When my eyes are taken away from me, I will see more beauty than I see with these eyes. I will see the Savior. You remain faithful to Christ to the end.”
When he had finished, seeing that the pastor had not yet given them the information they wanted, the captain turned to the pastor again and said, “If you do not betray your church, we will cut out Khamara’s tongue.”In despair, the pastor cried, “What should I do?”Khamara’s last words were, “Praise the Lord Jesus Christ. I have said the highest words that can be said. Now, if you wish, you can cut out my tongue.
Blandina France A.D. 177
The Roman Empire’s tormentors had been taking turns torturing the Christian woman in every way from morning till evening. At last, they collapsed in exhaustion.
“We have tried everything on this one,” said the older of the two. “I can’t think of anything else to do to her.”“How can she still be alive? Any one of the tortures we have used today should have been enough to kill her. Yet we used everything, and she still lives!”
Blandina, like many martyrs, had been tormented by the thought that she might not be able to endure the pain and might deny Jesus. The Roman emperor had made it clear that anyone who returned to the Roman gods would be set free. But she was so steadfast in all her sufferings, she was filled with so much power, that even those who tortured her in relays all day long were faint and weary.
Every time she repeated her confession, “I am a Christian,” her heart was strengthened, so she was able to endure the pain.After all this torture, she was returned to prison to wait for the next holiday, when she and other Christians would appear before the crowds in the stadium.
There, she was beaten and roasted upon a red-hot metal plate. Then she was wound up in a net and thrown before bulls, which tossed her many times high up with their horns, and then let her fall down again. Even with all this, she was still alive!Finally, the judge commanded that she be killed with the sword.
Anila and Perveen 17 and 18 years old Pakistan 1997
Anila met Perveen at school. As their friendship grew, Anila gave Perveen a Bible and taught her Christian songs. Perveen quickly learned Christian songs and began to teach them to her younger sister when her parents weren’t home.
Perveen’s parents soon learned of the songs. Being strict Muslims, they were not happy about them. But rather than confronting Perveen right away, they had her younger sister try to find out where she was getting this Christian influence.
Anila eventually invited Perveen to a Good Friday service. When the young Muslim heard the gospel presentation, she immediately accepted Jesus. Perveen became very excited about her new relationship with Jesus and saw great changes take place in her life. She read her Bible and praised God boldly. Anila knew that, before long, her friend would encounter opposition from her family.
Perveen’s parents were furious when they learned of her conversion. They had previously arranged for her to marry a Muslim man. To avoid this, Perveen ran away. When Perveen’s parents could not find her, they accused Anila and her pastor of kidnapping her.
They had Anila arrested. Anila was slapped and beaten in front of her parents for over nine hours. Finally she was taken to prison.
Anila’s pastor and his family were taken to prison on the following day. Anila and her pastor experienced horrible tortures in jail. Anila was whipped sixteen times (five times would make a normal man pass out). When they were released, Anila could not sit for two months, and her pastor could barely walk from the bruises on his hips and thighs.
Perveen was later found by her family. In the hope of restoring honor to his family while following the teachings of Islam, Perveen’s brother stabbed her to death. He then turned himself in to the local authorities. As is not uncommon in such situations, he was eventually released without indictment.
Caught up in this life:
Sarah Winchester’s
husband had acquired a fortune by manufacturing and selling rifles. After he died of influenza in 1918, she moved to San Jose, California.
Sarah was convinced that the dead souls of the many Indians who lost their lives because of Winchester rifles haunted her. Sarah sought out a medium to contact her dead husband. The medium told her, “As long as you keep building your home, you will never face death.”
Sarah believed the spiritist, so she bought an unfinished 17-room mansion and started to expand it. The project continued until she died at the age of 85. It cost 5 million dollars at a time when workmen earned 50 cents a day. The mansion had 150 rooms, 13 bathrooms, 2,000 doors, 47 fireplaces, and 10,000 windows. And Mrs. Winchester left enough materials so that they could have continued building for another 80 years.
Today that house stands as more than a tourist attraction. It’s a reminder of those who try to make their home here on earth.
Francis Chan:
13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,
14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Paul was abscessed with the moment he would see Jesus. When he would cross over into eternity and the resurrection. Maybe we have gone all week and have not even thought about that moment. Its my job to get you fired up about it and think of it every day and live your life in such a way.
I get a couple extra thousand dollars and what does that money mean for me either right now or for eternity? I could spend it on my self but it will not have a reward. But what if I give it away under the direction of the Holy Spirit? Their will be reward. What are we going to regret on that day? That we watched 7000 movies?
What am I looking forward to?
ROPE- imagine this rope goes on forever or around the world a few times.
Imagine this rope is a timeline of your existence.
This teal part would represent your time on earth. The few short years here on earth. Then you have all eternity somewhere else.
Some of us is alls we think about is this teal part.
I’m going to work hard and save save save so I can really enjoy this part right here. I’m going to get to travel or I’m I going to eat well?
And we get consumed with that. But what about this (the rest of the rope). Its crazy because the Bible says what I do about this little teal part determines how I’m going to exist for millions and millions of years.
Why would I spend this little teal part to make myself as comfortable as possible? Enjoying myself as much as I can?
Paul says I’m going to live my life for this mission and invest it for when I cross the finish line.
I forget about all this stuff I can enjoy,
forget those things in the past,
and look straight ahead, run the race that is set before me to win the prize.
Looking to the moment when I face God. Because I’m not going to get a chance to do this life over again.
I get one crack at this life and it could end at any moment, any second for any of us and then comes eternity. We can’t run a race looking backwards. If there is something we need to get right then we get it right and repent but let forget those things and move forward.
RUNNING THE RACE:
Philippians, Colossians & Philemon Forget the Past and Reach to the Goal / 3:12–4:1
LONG-DISTANCE RUNNING
Like a dedicated athlete, Paul wanted to run the race and gain full knowledge of Christ. The first-time marathon runner has periodic thoughts about quitting, especially during the last six miles. By then, the novelty of the experience has faded to the dull regularity of the pace; early adrenaline has given way to soreness and fatigue. Others around him or her are limping along, and some have dropped out entirely.
But dedicated runners must keep going. Somewhere out there is a finish line. Ask yourself these questions:
• What kind of race are you running for Christ?
• What prize do you seek?
• What kind of opposition do you face in your struggle to live as a Christian?
• How can Christ help you stay on track and reach the goal?
• What spiritual workout or training this week will help you run your Christian marathon?
• In what way can you renew your commitment to press on toward the goal of being like Christ?
FORGETTING THOSE THINGS IN OUR PAST:
behind....” The word “forgetting” is taken from the Greek word epilanthano, which is a compound of the words epi and lanthano.
Epi = which in this context denotes a turning, as in turning from one thing to focus on something else.
Lanthano = which comes from a root that describes something that is finished, done with, or obsolete.
epilanthano = which portrays the idea of something you should turn away from and forget. When used in a passive sense, it pictures something to be put aside, deliberately ignored, purposefully disregarded, and completely forgotten.
It denotes something that may have really been true in the past, but is no longer applicable.
If you were to paraphrase this word in today’s language, you could say: “Stop thinking about it!
Put it out of your mind.
Put it behind you, wipe it out, and erase it from your memory. Get it out of your system;
quit paying attention to it; get your eyes off of it; be oblivious to it; and forget about it!”
what was Paul telling you and me to forget about? He said we must forget “those things which are behind.”
“behind” = is the Greek word opiso, which categorically describes something so obsolete that it should be permanently relegated to the back or to the past, abandoned, or left behind. This is something in your past that should be left in the past. It is behind you, and you are never to turn around to look at and focus on it again. In other words, the Greek word opiso means, “Leave it behind and never revisit it!”
ARE we going to regret what we did on earth when we are on judgement day?
What have we done this last week that matters in the light of eternity and what have done that will not be remembered?