What's the Destiny?

Aug. 2020 -Life is a Journey, but Where are we going to end up? What's the Destination? What are we going to do - (NOTE- no animal can do it) There's power in what we see in our minds eye- Only human beings have the ability to create a unique picture in our minds, and in most cases it can be manifested. A famous sand sculpture-artist was asked: how can you take moist sand and make such a beautiful mansion or castle. He replied: I see in my mind's eye the end product, then I scrape away everything around it to see the final outcome. (That's the Manifestation of the mansion in his mind) We know very well it is just temporary. What did our Creator visualize when He created humans? 1 John 3:2 My dear friends, we are now God's children, but it is not yet clear what we shall become. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He really is. - (Exciting) Small group study: Origin, Meaning, Morality, Destiny. But what will we be doing at our final destiny? Phil 3:14 So I run straight towards the goal in order to win the prize, which is God's call through Christ Jesus to the life above. What is this goal above? - Paul doesn't tell us? Does the Bible tell us what will we be doing once we reach that goal or destiny? Let's imagine -We build a castle on the beach with kids - fun exciting, beautiful artwork - people walk by and notice it - feels good to see kids enjoying it. But it gets washed away - a week later you do it again. You know what, Satan makes many people to think that life is the same as the sandcastle -it's just temporary. Yet we go back and built sandcastles again? So is life just a dream - like a sandcastle? You know it's not permanent, the waves will come and wash it away again and again, nothing left, just memories. Is life just memories? Gen. God spoke the heavens & the earth into existence (Not permanent also - it will burn up in the end) then God took dust " let us make man in our own image" What did God see in His mind when he said this: let us make man WHY? God spoke (earth) and God created (human beings-reason?) Proverbs 18:21 What you say can pre-serve life or destroy it; so you must accept the consequences of your words. Question? What are your SPOKEN WORDS for Your final destination? What do you see in your mind's eye for your final destiny? What did Jesus see for His final destination? Heb 12:2 Let us look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Why are we enduring hardships in this physical life now? Is it worth the trouble to continue this struggle without knowing what we will be doing in the end? We say we'll go to heaven, but what exactly will we be doing when you get to our final destination? Are you going to see if Adam/Eve, are you going to talk to Moses or David or Bathsheba or talk to Paul? Will you recognize your family & friends and talk all day? How about riding on cloud nine, Cell-Phone sit and talk all day) How about polishing the floors and pillars in the Temple. How about doing absolutely nothing. Doing nothing forever and ever. What a JOURNEY? Is there some kind of plan or goal where we can use our spiritual gifts that we were given while we were on earth? Will we be flying with angels to go east to west? Will there be choices to do things? Or will we build temp. sand-castles on the beach again? Have you ever thought about it? Totally BOARD -and think of earthly pleasures) There are many books written about heaven, but what does the Word of God say about what we will do? Let's first discuss what we will NOT be doing. First, we will never sin again or do anything wrong again. We will never have to ask for forgiveness from my spouse of neighbor. No, Never. Never mistrust anybody. Never will we have to deal with Satan or demons again - no never. We will never be lonely, never be hurt, never be financially stressed or never have physical pain, never get tired. Never grief, never experience a family death, never cry, never be sad and never look in a mirror to put on make-up or colouring hair (panel-beating) or shave. Never get tired and want to sleep-in. We will never grow old, never see poor people or never be scared of dying. To sum it up: we will be in a perfect spiritual body and an unending love and joy experience, forever in the presence of God, together with Jesus Christ and all of God's people. We will have an intimate relationship with Christ and a perfect goal and vision, the same joy what Jesus had. A 1000 times reasons of JOY I want to repeat = For The JOY that was set before Him. For the JOY that is set before ME - (say it three times) But what will we be doing? God has not revealed in specific terms what each one of us will be responsible for. But Jesus mentioned that those who live for themselves in a luxurious way in this current physical world, "they have their reward already". Matt 6:2 So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. (Jesus said: don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing) King David was a wealthy king, yet he wrote this: Psl 84:10 I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked. NOTE: God has given each one of us Spiritual gifts & He is asking us to do something NOW. Jesus said: John 4:23 The time is coming and is already here, when by the power of God's Spirit people will worship the Father as He really is, offering Him the true worship that He wants.. (Practise true Worship) For the joy that is set before me We will have perfect control over our minds. Thank You. Jesus said the greatest command is: Love God with all your heart, mind and body and your neighbor as yourself. (training ground - practise worship + unending love for others ) It will be a praise from a pure heart with a pure motive, with perfect joy, with a perfected body and sole, without the intervention of Satan's deceitfulness - forever. (I will be able to praise God with a focussed mind and heart.) (For the JOY that is set before me) John wrote: Rev 14:6-7 Then I saw another angel flying high in the air, with an eternal message of Good News to announce to the peoples of the earth, to every race, tribe, language, and nation. He said in a loud voice, "Honour God and praise His greatness. For the time has come for Him to judge. Worship Him who made heaven, earth, sea, and the springs of water" Spiritual gifts to be used NOW God is preparing us to worship Him-practice worshipping now. This angel proclaims the eternal Gospel: Give glory and worship to Him. Here is another glimpse of what is happening in heaven. Rev 4:10 The twenty-four elders fall down before the one who sits on the throne, and worship Him who lives for ever and ever. (worshipping God) (this is worshipping Jesus - worthy is the Lamb that was slain) John is writing fast now - a this heavenly scene: Rev 7:9 Then I looked, there was an enormous crowd-no one could count all the people. They were from every race, tribe, nation, and language, they stood in front of the throne and of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. (in front of the throne people worshipping continuously) (slide) Revelation 14:13 "Write this down John: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Blessed indeed," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!" John continuous: Rev 19:6-8 Then I heard something that sounded like a large crowd of people. It was as loud as crashing waves or thunder. The people were saying, hallelujah, our Lord God rules. He is the All-Powerful. Let us rejoice and be happy and give God glory. Give God glory, because the wedding of the Lamb has come. And the Lamb's bride has made herself ready. Fine linen was given to the bride for her to wear. (Fine linen stands for the righteous deeds /acts of God's holy people.) I'm not worth it -you are a child of God - bring people to Christ. We will be worshipping & praising all the time, so we might as well practice praise and worship now in this physical life because we will spend eternity doing it. (Practise worshipping now -hallelujah for that) We will experience the total splendor of God the All Mighty. We will spend eternity in what we want to do, that is to be in the presence of God and worship Him, because God is worthy of praise. Worshipping is to take the focus off ourselves and direct it entirely unto God. - that's valuable of praise. Q: (What was God's intention when He created human beings?) Deut 6:5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your sole and all your strength. We will adore God forever individually and collectively with songs of praise, joining the chorus of the angles. It will be in our minds/hearts and with our SPOKEN words. We will worship Jesus, we will also reign with Him for a 1000 yrs - helping other people to come to Jesus. It means we will have joyous responsibilities. Rev 20:4 We will have duties regarding the ongoing operation of the eternal stay wherever that might be. Not build sandcastles God has given each one of us Spiritual gifts, this gift is to be used to serve one another within the church, and in the world at large wherever we go. With this Spiritual gift, God has given us the responsibility in this life to inspire, to uplift and to correct and to serve our "neighbor" as well as the poor and the needy. I myself are under pressure knowing that I cannot and do not live up to the expectations that Christ is expecting from me as a husband, as a father or a church member. No I cannot. But thanks be to God that He is working in each one of our lives to bring us closer and closer in to a deeper relationship with Jesus. Building eternal character in each one of us. (Shaping this bodily temple into an eternal mansion) We have been called by God, He brought us under His wings and is inviting each one of us to study and meditate on His Word and grow in the Spirit and in the knowledge of His Son, Jesus Christ. This should give us great joy & encouragement as we get inspired and empowered by the Holy Spirit to walk with Jesus, talk with Jesus and listen to what the Spirit says. What a great joy & satisfaction this is, to meditate on the hope that we have in Christ, and then share this Good News with others. Not just building temporary sandcastles for others to see- but to experience the love of God forever. (For the Joy that was set before me) When Christ returns, our deeds will be tested, (not our sins) and our useless or selfish deeds will burn up, and that what remains will have eternal value. (Reward) In our life today we should want to live of what matters so that our eternal reward will be used to serve and worship Him. This shapes the crowns that we will be casting at His feet. If we love the Lord, then it matters how fervently we serve Him today. It will demonstrate our love for Him, to participate in that Spiritual gift that God has poured out in our hearts today. We say: But Lord I have so many challenges - If so, ask Him: "Lord, what do you want me to learn from this challenge to serve & worship You better, Yet not my will, but yours be done"? This is putting God's love on display in our lives today. 2 Cor 3:18 All of us, then, reflect the glory of the Lord with uncovered faces; and that same glory, coming from the Lord, who is the Spirit, transforms us into his likeness in an ever greater degree of glory. How overwhelming it is to meditate on our eternal destiny. This causes us to love Him more and show our faithfulness to serve Him in this world that has lost its way & has gone dark, especially now in this grip of fear because of the Corona virus. The better we understand our origin, our journey and our destiny, the more we will love Him and tell others about the love of God and they will accept Jesus as Lord Savior. Let us rejoice and encourage one another to strengthen our relationship together in Christ Jesus. "For the joy that was set before Him" (Jesus knew what the final destination was) He endured. So must we. Christianity is a journey - Our destination is to be with Him and in Him forever and ever. Let's move beyond this temporary earthly sandcastle, and enter into what Jesus said: I'm going to prepare a place for you - in My Father's house are many mansions" (Not temporary sandcastles) * * Amen * * * Let's pray . . . . 1