The Joy of Knowing

How hard is it to keep up with all of the new electronics and stuff out there to buy, pretty hard!  My down fall used to be handguns a while back.  I thought of them as cool things to have and also as a status symbol. I found myself in the same train of thought when I bought my motorcycle.  Often the thought of, "How cool would I look with that," circulated in my head.  Reality sank in several times, however, I always reverted back to having to have the next coolest thing I was into.  Bri was ready to kill me a few times (not figuratively) as I went on my buying escapades.  Haven't we all been there at one time or another?

Micah Dodson, a Seattle area church planter, asked a very important question Saturday night at church, "What does it mean to follow Jesus?"  I always thought following Jesus was asking Him into our hearts and doing good for the rest of our lives.  I could not have been farther from the truth.  How you see Jesus will change how you live for Him.  A question that truly illustrates the heart of the matter for those of us that are saved is: What are you willing to sacrifice so that others may have the joy of knowing Jesus?  Micah answered the question with 1 Peter 3:15
  ¹⁵ But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect...

If you are not saved and you are reading this, give me the opportunity to tell you how God helped me.  I often wondered what Heaven was.  Matthew 13:44-50 says,

The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl

    ⁴⁴ “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
   ⁴⁵ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. ⁴⁶ When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

The Parable of the Net

    ⁴⁷ “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. ⁴⁸ When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. ⁴⁹ This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous ⁵⁰ and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Material things fade in this world, but God offers us a new life both here and with Him after everything is said and done.  Thank you cannot express how grateful I am for God putting that message before me on Saturday night.