When we die, there are no badges of honor given out because we owned a house. There are none given because we reached the highest position in our companies or acquired great wealth or amassed an array of possessions. There are no advancements to the front of the line for scholars or geniuses, nor are there any given for spiritual knowledge or superiority. Whether you go to heaven or you go to hell, there are no hierarchies or better positions because of the accomplishments you achieved while living here on the Earth. The playing field is leveled; what was no longer is. In the twinkling of an eye we are all on equal footing.
Contrary to popular belief, shallow teachings and just plain narrow perspectives, the Kingdom of heaven is one that is contrary to the philosophies, ideologies, interpretations and standards of man and the world he inhabits. The truth about the Kingdom of heaven is, it is the Kingdom of opposite's where the weak are strong and the poor are rich; where the humble are exalted and proud are brought low. What we imagine and perceive to be good on this planet doesn't even measure up there.
What would be God's-eye view of things? He sees the earth and humanity like this; those who are considered least amongst men are those God considers as having the most. The first shall be last and the last shall be first. Those who think themselves something are those who are destitute and poor. The King of Glory whose majesty and power is inconceivable [and let's be serious a moment, who can actually comprehend the majesty or the glory or the splendor of God?] stepped down from His throne and out of eternity, divesting Himself of royalty and power, and in the form of a fallen man, in man's most undignified broken down and destitute state, takes on his likeness and accepts the punishment and penalty for man's rebellion against his Creator and pays the ultimate price... death. Enduring the scourge, hatred, shame and humiliation at the hands of insane, blind humanity, the very ones He was coming to save, He took upon Himself their curse and gave His life willingly on the cross so that ultimately they could be not only forgiven, but restored to intimacy with their Father. Unbelievable!
What god would do such a thing? Even more, what father would sacrifice their only son for people who hate Him and treat Him with contempt? Looking at man's terminal state, instead of washing His hands of the matter, He gave His own as a sacrifice to save them from the torment of eternal separation from Him! Why? They are created in His likeness.
On the one hand you could consider it to be the greatest sci-fi story ever written. Right? It's the unthinkable and the unimaginable which makes it seem more fantasy than reality. It's no wonder man has struggled with the idea of God coming in the likeness of human flesh willing to lay down His Divinity and die in order to deliver him out of all his woes. Even ancient Israel thought it inconceivable that the Almighty would stoop to such a level.
With God being creator and we His creation, why would He make Himself one us in the first place? Doesn't that go against His own commandments? To this very day, Isaiah's prophesy in chapter 7 verse 14, "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel [God amongst or with us"] is a very difficult concept to embrace within the confines of Judaism and the Jewish world itself. But He did and is coming again! Again we see it is the opposite of the way we think, the opposite of the way we do.
We have bought into a system that perpetuates a perspective of thinking that is in direct opposition to God Himself. We struggle and strive to achieve success and reach for the highest heights without realizing it's the polar opposit of the Kingdom of God. We build our personal towers of Babel trying to become God but they will never be high enough.
Our true purpose is so simple and elementary; KNOW God! Become intimate with Him and let go of this world and the things of this world. To find great pleasure in the knowing and deep satisfaction in the simple purity of such personal intimacy with Him. But the world bids us come... come to its delights, follow its ways.
Solomon said, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its way ends in death." Proverbs 16:25 John said, "DO NOT LOVE THE WORLD or the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the Father’s love IS NOT in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, IS NOT of the Father’s, but is of the world. The world is passing away with its lusts, but he who does the will of God, remains forever." 1 John 2:15-17
I want to make a qualifying statement because someone, maybe you, will ask this very important question, "does this mean we can't enjoy anything or have any sort of pleasure?" God is not, by any stretch of the imagination, opposed to us having things or enjoying the pleasures of this life while we are here. To enjoy the fruits of our labors. After all, He has given us the power to make wealth. He has given us incredible creativity to figure things out, to discover and inspire one another to build and create and master things. To enjoy the short life we have been given and use our gifts and talents to prosper and excel. Yet, it is not a contradiction that He calls us to a higher place of thinking. Nor is it one to say that this life is not it, it is by no means the end all. This is not as good as it gets; not even close... and to love it puts a wedge between us and God! Wedge? What wedge?
That brings us to idolatry! The idea of idolatry from an ancient Hebraic perspective is quite enlightening. The imagery is simple and concept, childlike. Of the 10 commandments God said the first two are these: “You shall have no other gods before me." And two, “You shall not make for yourselves an idol, nor any image of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: you shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, yet showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments." Exodus 20:3-6
There is a lot of confusion about the idea of idolatry, but to the ancient Hebrews, and even on to the more contemporary rabbinical teachings, the understanding of what God calls idolatry is as simple as this; if you are focusing all your attention and affection towards God and you suddenly place something else in front of your eyes, whatever that may be, blocking your ability to see Him, then your focus will change from Him to the whatever that is (career, money, a person, a thing, etc.), it is at that point you have committed what God calls idolatry. It's like adultery. You allow someone else to become the object of your desire thereby taking your eyes off of your spouse. Jesus said, "but I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Matthew 5:28... even if the actual physical act never happens!
Whether it's a golden calf in the desert of Sinai or in your personal life that takes precedence over your focus, your devotion, your relationship and most importantly, your intimacy with God, idolatry becomes the term relevant to your life. Only you can determine what those things are. God knows. More often than not we ignore those things that distract us because they bring us pleasure.
Our problem is we don't grasp our mortality or that we are not of this world. This is not our home. This is not it for us.
As good as you think this is, your wildest imagination cannot conjure up Heaven. Words cannot describe its splendor, its beauty or the peace that exists there. Our minds are limited and constained by death, pain and sorrow... by our end. But the kingdom of God has no end. What is there does not exist here, but there is a way to experience a drop of the eternal in the here and now... but that will require you to step outside of yourself, outside your comfort zone. To see through the lens of Jesus will permanently alter your view and change your mind forever. It will create a hunger for what you cannot see and a knowing that, beyond the shadows of doubt, it is real.
The epoch of your tomorrows will become the essence of your todays; the authenticity of your forever.
We all die! It's coming to each of us, like it or not. What matters here and what you will take with you is your decision as to whether or not you believe in what God offers you here through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus while you still have breath. Once the door closes, your story is over. I pray that like a child you come to God by faith. That He opens your eyes to see and believe. That by faith you surrender to the truth and give Him your life. That today you would choose life and the forgiveness of God which will live forever rather than that which is momentary, dies and exists no more.
Steven Bliss
©10/27/2020
