More and more, as time passes and the downhill spiral of this evil world becomes very obvious, a longing grows stronger each passing day within me. The idea of leaving this earth and going to my eternal home to be with my Jesus goes way beyond a passing fancy. Each day, I realize that the choice made some thirty-odd years ago to call out to Him to be my Eternal Savior is more valuable than anything I have ever done. (all emphasis mine)

First and foremost, I have learned there is a difference between believing Jesus exists and actually having a true relationship with Him. James 2:19 says, “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder.” Satan and the angels that follow him are eternally lost and have no pathway to forgiveness. Hell was made specifically for them (Matthew 25:41), and they are trying to get as many of our souls to join them as possible.

Our Heavenly Father could’ve designed this world to force everyone to totally worship Him, and He would never have felt the need to send a part of Himself to be the one and only perfect sacrifice that could cover all of our sins. Humans could’ve been objects of amusement rather than His created beings that He loves so much.

Not only does He love each and every one of us, but He has also made it possible for all who call on the name of Jesus to be with Him forever (Romans 10:13). There are no illusions, as He knows we all sin (Romans 3:23), and because of this, we should be condemned to eternal hellfire. However, through His Son, Christ Jesus, we are offered His free gift of eternal life if we receive and accept that gift (Romans 6:23).

There is nothing we can do to buy or earn this precious gift, but it is through the Grace of Jesus and the Mercy of God that we are eligible to be saved (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Once a person comes to realize that this earth is but a fleeting moment in time, and the things of this planet are nowhere near as important as our eternal souls, a longing develops to leave here and be with our Savior forever.

There are numerous advantages that boost the longing within us to be a part of the Savior’s flock. One is the prospect of having a brand-new body that is imperishable and immortal. No more pain; no more disabilities; no more death. Even though the longing is there for a forever body, this is not the most important advantage.

Another is to be reunited with loved ones In Christ that have gone on ahead of us. Once they took their last breath here, they were immediately in the presence of Jesus. Paul said in Philippians 1:21-23, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose, I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.”

To be in our forever Heavenly Home with all the beauty and pleasure there and to be with all the Heavenly Hosts and saints is almost beyond our comprehension. Just imagine knowing all the people from the Bible days, and they will know each and every one of us as well. Being able to be with all the angels and to be in awe as to how much they totally worship our Holy Trinity is definitely something to long for.

All of these things bring a longing within me to be rid of this evil, sin-filled planet that humans have corrupted. Knowing that Satan will never be able to cause us any more harm or tempt us in any way is such a refreshing thought. To never see or feel the heartache that’s all around us ever again. However, these longings are still just a shadow of the one last event that I feel is the most important.

There’s a song that expresses it well. It’s called “Look for Me at Jesus’ Feet,” and my favorite version is by the Booth Brothers.

1) If I leave this world of sorrow sometime before you do, just look for me in Heaven, and we’ll talk the ages through.

2) But if at first you fail to see me, let me tell you where I’ll be. I’ll be thanking Christ, my Savior, for saving a wretch like me.

3) But if you should reach that city before my time has come, perhaps you’d like to greet me when my race down here is run.

4) Just wait, for I’ll soon be coming across life’s ebbing sea. And I’ll tell you now, dear loved one, just where to wait for me.

5) Don’t look beneath the gates of pearl. Don’t look on the streets of gold. Don’t look by the walls of Jasper, nor among the many sights untold.

6) For I’ve been longing, and I’ve been waiting for the Precious Holy One to see. There I’ll be through the countless ages. Look for me at Jesus’ feet.

Everyone can be forgiven and have a home waiting that will be prepared by Jesus Himself (John 14:1-3). Romans 10:9-13 gives the elements, and they are not difficult in themselves. Admit we’re all sinners; Believe Jesus died to cover all our sins, and have the faith to know that God raised Him from the dead; finally, Call out to Jesus to forgive us and to be our Savior forever. That’s it.

The hardest part is having faith and believing this is so. Satan will try to convince you otherwise through his false prophets and antichrists. Once you have truly received and accepted Jesus, know that He will accept you. We will still sin as long as we’re here, but the steps to receive forgiveness are found in 1 John 1:8-10.

God makes no promises that He will not keep. Jesus died for all our sins and will forgive us if we truly call out to Him. The downside to this is for those who will not receive and accept His gift. They will be destined to be in that long line at the Great White Throne Judgment of Revelation 20:11-15. From there, they will spend eternity in hell with Satan and his demons.

It’s a real choice, and God will accept whichever you make. He really would like everyone to be a part of the Savior’s flock (2 Peter 3:9) but knows more will accept this world instead (Matthew 7:13-14). He forces no one either way.

Meanwhile, for all who call out to Jesus, our longing will be fulfilled when we get Home. I probably will be at Jesus’ feet until He stands me up. One old-time standard song says, “My God is real, for I can feel Him deep in my soul.” This age is rapidly coming to the end of the age that was spoken of by Jesus, Paul, Peter, John and others. He will be coming for His church soon, and those who get left behind will face the worst time ever.

Get your reservation in, and know it will not be turned down. Then, you can join me where I want to be right now – At the Feet of Jesus!

Shalom! Come, Lord Jesus!

huebshman46@gmail.com

Ephesians, Chapter 1:7-23, NKJV

Proclaiming the Joy of Redemption (vv.7-12)

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace ⁸ which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, ⁹ having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, ¹⁰ that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth –in Him. ¹¹ In Him, we also have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, ¹² that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.”

The unlimited riches of grace found in Jesus Christ has given us redemption through His blood and the forgiveness of sins (v.7).

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ abounds towards us (His unlimited love and desire for us to be freed from sin and death and to be with Him for eternity). He wants us to be aware of and always experience His love and grace and not sometime in the future (v.8).

It has pleased the Lord Jesus Christ to reveal to us His will in order that we may desire to conform to Him. He has given us the demonstration of His love and plan (v.9).

All things in heaven and on earth will be gathered to Him, and everything will come into His eternal rule (v.10).

It is through Christ that we have a sure and certain inheritance, and we will be formed to His will, which is fixed, eternal, and certain (v.11).

We are the glory of Christ. The Sovereign God became a man, lived a sinless life, took our sins upon Himself, died, and rose again for us (v.12).

This is a lot to take in, but it is also the LORD’S reminder for us that we who are in Christ, unworthy and undeserving as we are, have been made the heirs of a treasure not where it can be destroyed or confiscated by the wicked world, but in the courts of heaven where we will dwell with the LORD and our brethren for all eternity.

A Gentle Reminder for the Church (vv.13-14)

“¹³ In Him you also trusted; after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, ¹⁴ who guarantees our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”

The Ephesians were living examples of the recipients of the wonderful grace of Christ. They heard the word of truth and believed, receiving the promise of the Holy Spirit (v.13).

It is the Holy Spirit who guarantees our spiritual heritage (refer to John’s gospel, Chapters 14-16) until we are redeemed fully by the Lord Jesus in His time, and we behold His full glory (v.14).

A Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom (v.15-22)

“¹⁵ Therefore, I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, ¹⁶ do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:

¹⁷ that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, ¹⁸ the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the exceeding greatness of HIs power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power ²⁰ which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹ far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

²² And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, ²³ which is His body, the fulness of Him who fills overall.”

The church at Ephesus had grown since Paul’s departure around three years beforehand, and their love for Jesus was strong as was their love for “all the saints.” (It should be noted that Ephesians was known as a “circular” letter, where the content was the same but addressed to different churches.) All of this gave the apostle reason to rejoice and thank God for what He had done in their lives (vv.15-16).

Paul’s prayer begins with thanksgiving to the LORD, and the request that He bestow wisdom upon them and a further revelation of His glory and guidance (spiritual maturity) (v.17).

The prayer continues (v.18) for the believer’s spiritual eyes to see further (enlightenment) and to understand the wealth, mercy, and love of God.

All who are in Christ are to be aware of the awesome power and majesty of the LORD, especially demonstrated in His ability to raise Jesus Christ from the dead and to seat Him at the Father’s right hand (vv.19-20).

Know that the Lord Jesus Christ is far above all earthly principalities, powers, and rulers – not just in this life, but the world to come. We serve a great and wondrous, all powerful, Almighty LORD and God. All things are under His rule, and nothing operates or exists outside His sovereign will. And He will have the final word in all events and situations, bringing all things to an end according to His plan. The history of humanity and the structure of this universe is not left to itself, but all things are under His command, which should give us comfort and assurance that all will be well and that He has the victory. And to that, we should shout, “Amen!” (vv.21-23).

Donaldwhitchard@gmail.com

www.realitycityreverend.com