Category: Eternal

Eternity Is

Have you ever thought about eternity?  What does eternity actually mean?  How do you define it?

A couple of times this last weekend, Papa has brought up the thought through two totally unrelated speakers at two totally unrelated events.  At both places, within 1 day of each other, two speakers – both of whom I know are incredibly Godly and right hearing men of God – said almost the exact same thing.

The thought for me is based in something like this:  “Because God created time, He is not bound by it.  God knows every detail of the past, every detail of the present and every detail of the future, all the time.”

If you let your mind wander down that thought for a little while, you might snap a synapse or two – like I have.  This is so incredibly hard to comprehend because we, as humans, are 100% bound by sequential time.

As I’ve mulled over three comments from these two men for the last few days, I’ve come away with three primary – and life changing thoughts:

First thought from David Terry:

Ephesians 1:4 says that God “… chose us before the creation of the world…” (NIV).  It is possible that before there time is when God chose me, chose you, chose us.  When he put together His team, he said,  “Let’s see… I’ll take Abraham, Issac, Jacob, David, (insert your favorite OT hero), Paul, Barnabas, Peter, John, Aquila and Prescilla, Billy Graham, Martin Luther, and (insert YOUR name here)…  Yep, that’s who I want on my team.”  Does that blow your mind?

My takeaway: God chose me for His team.  Am I playing  or sitting on the bench?

Second thought from Marcus Brecheen:

Because God isn’t bound by time and knows everything about our past, present and future, He is able to speak into us words of life that can (if he desires) reveal the future to us, but more so He can reinterpret the past and redefine our present situation. (Thank you Pastor Marcus for this insight!)  This might come through reading, through prayer, through a word from a friend or a stranger.  It might come in worship.  It might come in a sermon. 

My takeaway: God is speaking to us so much more than we are listening to Him.

Third thought from David Terry:

I am never more eternal than I am right now.  Eternity doesn’t begin when I die.  God chose me before the world was created.  He knew me then.  He knows me now.  He’ll know me forever. 

My takeaway:  Eternity doesn’t begin.  Eternity is.  If I’m living in eternity right now, is what I’m doing – right now – eternal? Ahh!  That IS the question and a good measure of my life activities.  “Is what I’m doing right now making a difference for eternity?”

Running After Papa…

Eternal Life

OK. I’m still not very far in Romans, but in Romans 2:6-7 I was looking up all the meanings of the various words and for kicks I happened to look up “eternal.”

I’ve been a Christian a long time and thought I knew the word… Eternal Life and all, but its entirely possible that I’ve been missing something. Read carefully the definition in Strongs for the word translated as “eternal.” The word is aionios.

1 without beginning and end, that which always has been and always will be. 2 without beginning. 3 without end, never to cease, everlasting.

Did you catch something new? “Without beginning,” really hit me between the eyes. Is it possible (prepare for a synapse or two to be overloaded here) that when we step into eternal life, we will will be “without beginning?” Just typing this out blows my mind, but this word is used 70 or so times in the New Testament and clearly refer to our eternal state. My finite mind can’t wrap its arms around that infinite thought because I was born on a fall day in 1966.

It’s possible that I’m way out in left field on this one. However, Father has shown me today what He needs me to see and that it is a very applicable lesson. How does that apply to me today?

  1. I cannot possibly understand the ways of God. In one sense, it scares me to not be able to think my way through this. In another, it’s very reassuring to know that my God is so much bigger than I am and I can trust Him, even if I can’t wrap my head around Him.
  2. Don’t stop seeking. Verse 7 in the ESV uses the word “seek” which means to “to seek [in order to find out] by thinking, meditating, reasoning, to inquire into.” We are to seek out those things – think on, meditate, reason, inquire – that bring glory, honor and immortality (those things that are pure and incorruptible) by patiently doing, but God himself will give us eternal life – that which we will never be able to reason out.

Father, Thank you that you are bigger than my mind. I praise the fact that I cannot understand you; I cannot figure you out; that you are SO much bigger than I could ever imagine. Help me walk today in that security and faith to do things bigger than myself in your name today. Bless your name. Amen.

Running After Papa…

Running After Papa