Eternity

OUR CONCEPT OF ETERNITY

DOES OUR UNDERSTANDING OF ETERNITY HELP MAKE US MORE CONCERNED ABOUT

THE LOST? IF IT DOESN'T THEN WE DON'T UNDERSTAND ETERNAL RAMIFICATIONS.

___________________________________________________________________________

ETERNITY SIMPLIFIED

________________________ (Time Drops in) _____________________________

(Eternity always was) (Eternity Always Is) (Eternity Always Will Be)

___________________________________________________________________________

HERE IS AN EXAMPLE TO HELP BETTER UNDERSTAND ETERNITY:

From just a short amount of research I have learned that we can see 13.8 billion light years into space. 1 light year equals slightly under 6 trillion miles. To travel that distance would take a shuttle going 18,000 MPH about 634.20 years. PLEASE READ THAT AGAIN SO YOUCAN SEE THE DIFFICULTY OF MULTIPLYING THAT FIGURE WITH A HUMAN BRAIN. We can speak it and write it, but we don't understand it fully because it is too vast for our finite minds to comprehend.

HOW LONG IS A LIGHT YEAR?

The light year is a measure of distance; not time. It is the total distance that a beam of light, moving in a straight line, travels in one year. To obtain an idea of the size of a light year, take the circumference of the earth (24,900 miles), lay it out in a straight line, multiply the length of the line by 7.5 (the corresponding distance is one light second), then place 31.6 million similar lines end to end. The resulting distance is about 6 trillion miles, or in round numbers, it would be 6,000,000,000,000 miles.

NOW FOR THE EXAMPLE OF ETERNITY PROMISED ABOVE:

Let's suppose that the earth was nothing but a ball of grains of sand. Now suppose a bird could take one grain of sand and fly with

it 634.20 years out, drop that grain off in space and come back 634.20 years. The round trip with one grain of sand would have taken 1268.40 years and the bird would be traveling 18,000 miles per hour. In addition, consider that the bird would have to

make this trip 365 days a year, 24 hours a day without any rest.

I CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO GRASP THAT, AND THAT'S ONLY TRAVELING ONE LIGHT YEAR. IMAGINE IF THE BIRD TRAVELED AS FAR AS WE CAN SEE (13.8 Billion light years).

Now let's continue to suppose that the bird did that with ten grains of sand. That total would be 12,684 years to deliver ten grains of sand to the place in the universe that is one light year away. 5000 grains of sand would take 6,342,000 years. Are you and I beginning to understand that the distance and time factors here are incredible?

Now for the final supposition: Let's suppose the earth is billions of tiny grains of sand and the bird continues to fly back and forth until he has removed every grain of sand at the pace of one grain at a time. CAN ANY OF US WRAP OUR HEAD AROUND THAT? I seriously doubt it!

ETERNITY IS FAR MORE DIFFICULT TO MEASURE THAN THAT BECAUSE ETERNITY HAD NO BEGINNING AND IT WILL NEVER HAVE AN END, AND THE REALITY IS THAT EVERY PERSON WE KNOW WHO HAS LIVED, IS LIVING OR WILL EVER LIVE WILL BE IN THE LAKE OF FIRE IN REVELATION 20 OR ON THE NEW EARTH SPOKEN OF IN REVELATION 21 FOR ALL ETERNITY,

NOBODY WILL BE ABLE TO CROSS THAT GAP FOREVER.

Do we believe the Bible enough to see how serious this is? It makes my head hurt to even try to think of this and analyze it, let alone think of someone without Christ for that amount of time. God help us to understand what is at stake here at least in some measure that would cause us to be more deeply concerned about those who don't know that salvation is found in Christ alone! Without him there is no hope for anyone! GOD STAMP ETERNITY ON OUR HEARTS AS IT SHOULD BE IS MY PRAYER FOR ALL WHO CHOOSE TO CALL THEMSELVES CHRISTIANS.

"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God; SET YOUR AFFECTIONS ON THINGS ABOVE, NOT ON THINGS OF THE EARTH." - The verse goes on to say - For ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God. ETERNITY LIES AHEAD FOR EVERYONE! THERE IS NO ESCAPING THAT! The most important thing in our lives as believers is that we honor and glorify God in our thoughts, words and actions. I think believing right about eternity is part of that because it should radically alter how we see things and help us move closer to seeing things as God does.

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR THOSE WHO THOSE NEVER THOUGHT OF ETERNITY AND THOSE WHO HAVEN'T REPENTED OF THEIR SIN AND TRUSTED JESUS CHRIST FOR THEIR SALVATION; WHICH COULD BE ONE AND THE SAME.

There are many people who have been living their lives carelessly as if they would live forever without comprehending what forever really would be like. The reason people, including many Christians, live so carelessly in this life is that they have nor been taught about eternity or they have learned about it superficially or have chosen to ignore the warnings about eternity for the lost. Whatever the case may be, there will be no excuse accepted when all mankind from all generations find themselves before a Holy God in judgment.

PERHAPS YOU MIGHT NOT BELIEVE THERE IS SUCH A GOD OR YOU BELIEVE IN SOME GOD OR OTHER BUT NOT THE "BIBLICAL GOD" OR, WORSE YET, YOU'VE DELIBERATELY CHOSEN TO HOLD TO YOUR OWN OPINION RATHER THAN EXAMINE WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES ABOUT GOD OR MAYBE YOU EVEN DENY THAT GOD COULD EXIST. I submit to you that if the Bible God exists and will be the final judge of all things, and if you are to be called before him in judgment for your sins and you have never repented of your sins and asked his forgiveness and eternity is as described WOULD YOU THINK IT WISE TO AT LEAST EXAMINE WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS? Why would anyone ever consider an eternity in the Lake of Fire as something unworthy of their attention if it really is one of only two options after this life? Why would anyone even take any kind of chance on going there forever when God has promised eternal life with peace and joy in his presence all the endless ages of eternity on a new earth totally free of every evil thing? Nothing in this world should keep us from at least checking this out because every person on earth is only a breath away from this eternity, and none of us knows when we will die! Am I trying to scare you? NO! But if this does scare you enough to help you turn to God and receive his wonderful gift of salvation through Jesus Christ that he offers, then I would want to scare you as much as I possibly could! Whatever sends a lost sinner to God and eternal salvation is the best thing that could ever be. The Bible even tells us in the book of Jude that "some are to be saved with compassion and others with fear. If the love and mercy of God aren't enough to convince the sinner to repent, then fear is the only alternative.

If you do not know Jesus Christ as your Savior, I beg you to consider what I am saying for your own sake and for the sake of people you love who are not aware of eternal life; people that you could reach before they die. If you are a Christian and eternity has never been this real to you before, I ask you to pray that God would burn it on your heart so that you can never again be casual about your loved ones going to eternity without Christ! This is highly important for every living being whether they believe in the Bible God or not! It is up to each of us individually what we do with it! May God help us to make the wisest decision before it is eternally too late!

I remember a person praying once, "Lord, please save those nearest to Hell." As I thought of that, another thought came to me that death knows no age. People die at every stage of life from newborn to old age. We are not guaranteed tomorrow! Consider that over 65,000,000 babies have been aborted since 1973 without a chance to live at all. The spirit inside each of those babies will live forever. Where babies go when they die remains a source of ardent discussion for some people, but I personally believe that since they never had a chance to sin they will be alright. That is just my own opinion without anything to back it up, and I really don't have any desire to pursue that subject because my concern is for those who are living. There is nothing that I can do for the dead. I can't change what happened to those who already died, but I can minister to those who are still living, and that is what matters most.

SOME SCRIPTURES DEALING WITH ETERNAL LIFE

(from the King James Version of the Bible)

John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son; that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.

John 3:36 - He that believeth on the son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. NOTE: Death spoken of in this verse is spiritual death - not mere physical death.

Galatians 6:8 - For he that soweth to the flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting.

Titus 1:2 - In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.

I Timothy 1:16 - Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all long suffering for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to eternal life.

I Timothy 6:19 - Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

I John 2:25 - And this is the promise that he hath promised us; even eternal life.

Jude 1:21 - Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus unto eternal life.

There are numerous other verses speaking of eternal and/or everlasting life through the entire Bible. This is just a small sampling of scriptures dealing with this subject, and if those reading this wish to find more, just type in either everlasting life or eternal life in the search bar on Google specifically asking for the King Jame Version (KJV) of the Bible as I did, and there will be plenty more to reference from. When God repeats something so many times through the entire Bible it has to be something of incredible importance.

Eternity surpasses nearly everything in importance! I say nearly everything because the most important thing in life is our preparation or tragic lack of preparation for eternity.

________________________________________________________________________

SOME FOOD FOR SERIOUS THOUGHT

What Then?

By J. Whitfield Green

(John 3:16; Malachi 4:1)

When the plants of our mighty cities

Have turned out their last finished work;

When our merchants have sold their last yard of silk

And dismissed the last tired clerk;

When our banks have raked in their last dollar

And paid out the last dividend;

When the Judge of the earth says, "Closed for the night,"

And asks for a balance - WHAT THEN?

When the choir has sung its last anthem,

And the preacher has made his last prayer;

When the people have heard their last sermon,

And the sound has died out on the air;

When the Bible lies closed on the altar,

And the pews are all empty of men;

And each one stands facing his record,

And the great Book is opened - WHAT THEN?

When the actors have played their last drama,

And the mimic has made his last pun;

When the film has flashed its last picture,

And the billboard displayed its last run;

When the crowds seeking pleasure have vanished

And gone out in the darkness again;

When the trumpet of ages is sounded,

And we stand up before Him - WHAT THEN?

When the bugle's call sinks into silence,

And the long marching columns stand still;

When the captain repeats his last orders,

And they've captured the last fort and hill;

And the flag has been hauled from the masthead,

And the wounded afield have checked in;

And a world that rejected its Savior,

Is asked for a reason - WHAT THEN?