Live for eternity, not the temporary.

Revelation 22

 VERSE 16. I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

(Excerpt taken from Daniel and Revelation by Uriah Smith 1897-1911 Editions)

Jesus testifies these things in the churches, showing that the whole book of Revelation is given to the seven churches, which is another incidental proof that the seven churches are representatives of the church through the entire gospel dispensation. Christ is the offspring of David, in that he appeared on earth in the line of David's descendants. He is the root of David, inasmuch as he is the great prototype of David, and the maker and upholder of all things.

VERSE 17. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

(Excerpt taken from Daniel and Revelation by Uriah Smith 1897-1911 Editions)

Thus are all invited to come. The Lord's love for mankind would not be satisfied in merely preparing the blessings of eternal life, opening the way to them, and announcing that all might come who would; but he sends out an earnest invitation to come. He sets it forth as a favor done to himself if persons will come and partake of the infinite blessings provided by his infinite love. His invitation, how gracious! how full! how free! None of those who are finally lost will ever have occasion to complain that the provisions made for their salvation were not sufficiently ample. They can never reasonably object that the light given to show them the way of life was not sufficiently clear. They can never excuse themselves on the ground that the invitations and entreaties that Mercy has given them to turn and live, were not sufficiently full and free. From the very beginning, there has been a power exerted as strong

p 771 -- as could be exerted and still leave man his own free agent, - a power to draw him heavenward, and raise him from the abyss into which he has fallen. Come! has been the entreaty of the Spirit from the lips of God himself, from the lips of his prophets, from the lips of his apostles, and from the lips of his Son, even while, in his infinite compassion and humility, he was paying the debt of our transgression. 

The last message of mercy as it is now going forth, is another and final utterance of divine long-suffering and compassion. Come, is the invitation it gives. Come, for all things are ready. And the last sound that will fall from Mercy's lips on the ear of the sinner ere the thunders of vengeance burst upon him, will be the heavenly invitation, Come. So great is the loving-kindness of a merciful God to rebellions man. Yet they will not come. Acting independently and deliberately, they refuse to come. So when they shall see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of God, and themselves thrust out, they will have no one to accuse, no one to blame, but their own selves. They will be brought to feel this in all its bitterness; for the time will come when Pollok's thrilling description of the condemnation of the lost will be true to the letter: -

"And evermore the thunders murmuring spoke

From out the darkness, uttering loud these words,

Which every guilty conscience echoed back:

'Ye knew your duty, but ye did it not.'

Dread words! that barred excuse, and threw the weight

Of every man's perdition on himself

Directly home -

'Ye knew your duty, but ye did it not."'

The bride also says, Come. But the bride is the city, and how does that say, Come? If we could be strengthened to behold the living glories of that city and live, and should be permitted to gaze upon its dazzling beauty, and be assured that we had a perfect right to enter therein, and bathe in that ocean of bliss and blessedness, and revel in its glory forever and ever, would it not then say to us, Come, with a persuasion which no power could resist? Who of us, in view of this, could turn away, and say, I have no desire for an inheritance there?

p 772 --

(picture omitted)

p 773 -- But though we cannot now look upon that city, the unfailing word of God has promised it, and that is sufficient to inspire us with implicit and living faith; and through the channel of that faith it says to us, Come. Come, if you would inherit mansions where sickness, sorrow, pain, and death can never enter; if you would have a right to the tree of life, and pluck its immortal fruit, and eat and live; if you would drink of the water of the river of life, that flows from the throne of God, clear as crystal. Come, if you would obtain through those glittering gates of pearl an abundant entrance into the eternal city; if you would walk its streets of transparent gold; if you would behold its glowing foundation stones; if you would see the King in his beauty on his azure throne. Come, if you would sing the jubilee song of millions, and share their joy. Come, if you would join the anthems of the redeemed with their melodious harps, and know that your exile is forever over, and this is your eternal home. Come, if you would receive a palm of victory, and know that you are forever free. Come, if you would exchange the furrows of your care-worn brow for a jeweled crown. Come, if you would see the salvation of the ransomed myriads, the glorified throng which no man can number. Come, if you would drink from the pure fountain of celestial bliss, if you would shine as the stars forever in the firmament of glory, if you would share in the unutterable rapture that fills the triumphant hosts as they behold before them unending ages of glory ever brightening and joys ever new.

The bride does say, Come. Who of us can resist the invitation? The word of truth is pledged to us that if we keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, we shall have right to the tree of life, we shall enter in through the gates into the city. And we shall feel that we are at home in our Father's house, the very mansions prepared for us, and realize the full truth of the cheering words, "Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb." Rev. 19:9. 

"Let him that heareth say, Come." We have heard of the glory, of the beauty, of the blessings, of that goodly land, and we say, Come. We have heard of the river with its verdant banks, of the tree with its healing leaves, of the ambrosial

p 774 -- bowers that bloom in the Paradise of God, and we say, Come. Whosoever will, let him come, and take of the water of life freely.

*******

Temporary to eternity- this is the measure we must make constantly.

Jesus came to bring the good news of SALVATION- the promise of eternity.

Jesus DIED to give us SALVATION- the promise of eternity.

We are to live - Christ in us- and Christ is the gospel giver.

We are to be gospel givers.

We are to be the heralds of salvation promise in Christ.

We are to LIVE with that promise- Eternity- SALVATION- ever before us!

All the earthly trappings that would drag us down and keep us tethered here are TEMPORARY to eternity!

The earth as it is ruled by Satan is a sinking ship but no ordinary sinking ship. This ship has many hideaways for people to run to where they think they will be saved from drowning. The doors open and people see what they believe is a safe place, so they run inside and start clinging to their various  security blankets. Then the doors shut and they continue to go down with the ship, happily oblivious to their drowning until its way too late to do anything about it. Satan wants us CLINGING to this earth's many enticing trappings. It doesn’t matter what form a person's trapping takes, Satan LOVES to personalize them. He will study what concerns you most, and boy, will he use that as he personalizes your trap. The things your heart clings to he will use, and even if they are what we consider good things, he will twist it up so that good thing becomes one of several nooses he is slipping about your neck. He loves when we make excuses and choose anything before God, before the salvation plan- Jesus Christ.  Truly can we forsake ALL for Christ? Abraham was asked to sacrifice what he loved the most in all the world. Why do we think we are special and that we won't be called to make the choice of God over whatever it is we love most in this world? Abraham did NOT have to sacrifice what he loved most, but he was put to the test. We are all put to the test. Do we really believe everything here and now is temporary to eternity? Everything but love, our God's love, which He will give to us and use us by His grace to give that love to others.  Our houses, our cars, our computers, tablets, tvs, pets, loved ones, jobs, past times all temporary to eternity. Even we in these bodies we currently possess are temporary to eternity. The fancy hair do we sport, the great lengths we go to in order to appear in a certain way, temporary. No, I'm not saying to throw everything away and stop grooming and dressing yourself, NOT AT ALL!  I'm saying we NEED to put all those things in their PROPER perspective, TEMPORARY TO ETERNITY.  Meaning, NONE of those things should mean more to us than the ETERNITY offered to us by God through Jesus Christ.  And we need to have our sights set on that eternity. Jesus preached eternity during His entire ministry and wanted His followers to do the same- live with His message of eternity.  You don't hide what's most important to you if what's most important to you wants you to share what's most important so others will also come to hold it as most important in their lives too.  While all these temporary things may hold parts of our hearts, the things that mean the most will, by the grace of God, be a part of eternity.  Some people joke about things like- if there is no chocolate in heaven then I don't want to go- but what they don't realize is there is something MUCH better than chocolate in heaven, so much better we can't begin to fully comprehend how wonderful it is.

By the grace of God we will live for eternity not for the temporary.

In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, now and forever.

Amen.