This Is as Close as I'd Like to Get, Thank You

In Sunday's sermon Pastor Jeff said something that got my attention.  My paraphrase is this:  for non-Christians this [world] is as close to heaven as they are ever going to get and for Christians this [world] is as close to hell as we're ever going to get. 

Does that make you stop and think?  If it doesn't then you need to stop and think about the fact that you didn't stop and think. 

This world is as close to heaven/hell as you're ever going to get

based on the decision that you have made about Jesus.  

Thank God that I know Jesus and have chosen Him as the Lord of my life.  If this world is as close to hell as I'm ever going to get, I'm just fine with that.  Most days that pass find me longing for my eternal home.  I don't want to stay here forever; this life is hard and tough and there is a gross separation between the worldly and the spiritual.  Being here leaves me in the world, away from my true home, my spiritual home, and away from my spiritual family and a perfect existence that is spent praising my Creator.  Being on planet earth leaves me with a hole, a longing for the God of all the Universe and only eternity with Him is going to fill it.  There is good news for the Christian. 

The news is bleak if you're not a Christian.  This life is as close to heaven as you'll get.  The brokenness, the hurt, the uncertainty, the pains, the mortal body - all of this is the best there is if you don't know Jesus.  Hell will be a thousand times, no, a million times, no, a bazillion times worse than this life.  And the very, very, very worst part?  Eternal separation from the love of your God - knowing that He is there and all that you had to do was invite Him in to live in your heart but you did not do it.  Living with the knowledge, that after every knee has bowed and every tongue has confessed, that the perfect Lamb died for you but you made a choice to leave Him out of your life.  That decision will haunt your forever and you won't have the chance to change it once you've landed in hell. 

The good news is that if you are reading this, there is still time to change that decision. TODAY IS THE DAY!  Ask Jesus to be the Lord of your life.  Weigh the costs.  Discipleship is not easy.  It's not always fun.  But it is always rewarding.  Ask Him now.  If you're not sure you're ready, ask Him to make you ready.  He will.  He loves His people and He meets us where we are, but only on this side of eternity.  Once we've crossed that divide there is no looking back. 

I am praying for you today that you will know Jesus as Lord.  If you already know Him, I'm praying that you (and I) will have a desire to tell the others around us that He is alive and living and that He he died so that you don't have to. 

As for me?  I'm doing my best to stay the straight and narrow path and am looking forward to eternity with my Jesus.  This as about as close as I'd like to get to hell, thank you.

Are You Radical?

Radical hope, faith, love, joy.  When I first heard about the campaign and we talked about getting back to the roots of Christianity, I though that the items in the list of "radical elements" were things that I had licked.  This campaign was going to be for someone else and I was going to coast through this six weeks. 

Famous last words (well, famous last thoughts). 

This six weeks has proved to be grueling for me.  The struggles that I have faced as I let my spiritual guard down have been overwhelming at times.  The battle has raged during fall campaign for us as individuals and as a congregation.  Satan has been playing hardball and he's hit us low and dirty.  Personally, I have been angry, confused, frustrated, lost, doubting, and a list of other emotions that are all negative.  I have hardly felt joy or hope or love.  I have felt much more like I was manifesting acts of the flesh (anger, rage, hate, discord, selfish ambition) rather than the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:19-26). 

As we draw to a close of this campaign I am grateful for God's goodness and His never failing love.  I am so thankful that even as I have not proven myself a mighty warrior during this time that He has and is lovingly showing me where my weaknesses are, where I must rely more on Him, and how to be better prepared for the next battle I face. 

You see, His mercies are new every morning.  His faithfulness is great.  As Jeremiah said, "The Lord is my inheritance; therefore,  I will hope in Him!" (Lamentations 3:22-24)  Because of God's goodness, I can say with confidence,  "I am radical".  I hope you are, too. 

Serving the Right Purpose

I can't pass up household disasters, no matter how small or great, when they have the potential to be great blog material.  To my unnamed son: thanks for the idea!  


Tupperware is a great product.  I love it! I will admit that I have other brands of the same type of product but I <3 Tupperware.  This stuff comes in all sizes, shapes, and functional uses.  You can always tell the era of Tupperware by the color; it's lasts forever so I have some 20+ year old country blue lids and I think my mama still has some that reflect the 70s in the yellows and browns and oranges that were popular then. 

Tupperware is awesome!  However, there are some things you just can't do with it, like put it in the toaster oven.  No matter how much I love Tupperware or how durable it is to be used for endless reheating of leftovers in the microwave, it's just not meant for certain things.  This picture, for your viewing pleasure, indicates just that. 

We're like Tupperware.  We are made to serve a purpose and to honor God with our lives.  When we do what we were created to do, we stay in tact.  Like a plate in the microwave, we may go round in crazy circles or get a little hotter than we like, but we're okay because we're doing what we are supposed to do.  At the correct time the plate comes out of the microwave and food is heated to "just right".  In serving our purpose we have been used to make something else better and to help it have it's own purpose through our discomfort and efforts. God uses all things to our good, remember? (Romans 8:28)

When we get outside of our purpose, however, say not living our lives to honor God, that's when things get messy.  The heat becomes too much, the activities too overwhelming, the crowd that we're with too influential.  This is when we start to run and melt, just like my poor plate.  And the thing  (food) that we were supposed to be helping along is also ruined because it gets caught in our mess (note the fate of the unfortunate waffles in the picture above - they're stuck in Tuppergunk)

Today as you make choices about how to live your life, remember my poor plate.  Hopefully it will help you to remember that when we live outside of our purpose that lots of people, including us, end up getting caught in our own mess. 

Lessons from Stone Mountan

I recently climbed Stone Mountain.  Wow! Spiritual lessons abounded as I traversed the face of a 300,000,000 year old piece of granite.  I'd like to share some of these with you. 

I find that I have much in common with weather rock that comprises the mountain.  As time passes the rock has been exposed to more elements parts of the rock have become fragile and break easily.  Only the parts of the rock that are firmly attached don't break off.  This is much like my relationship with God: when I am deeply rooted in Him it is not easy to break away because I am securely planted in Him and His word. 

The trees grow crazily on the side of Stone Mountain!  Trees that I judged, at a glance as dead, are not dead.  They are quite alive.  They just don't grow in the manner that I am used to seeing or that I think they should grow.  Some of these trees are growing in L or J shapes but they are alive.  How many times do I judge those around me because they don't look like I think they should look? 

The hardest lesson I learned was that I am out of shape.  Period.  I knew in my head that I was out of shape and I only look or give the appearance of  being somewhat out of shape but putting my physical abilities to the test of the mountain proved otherwise. Wow!!!  How is this like my spiritual life?  I give the perception of being spiritually in shape but when the storm comes my responses and my perseverance reveal the true nature of my spiritual health. 

The best lesson that I learned from the mountain is this:  stick it out.  We struggled, sweated, and climbed our way to the top of the mountain.  The hardest part was immediately before we crested the last rise; this section required more effort and concentration than the lower parts of the mountain.  When we came around the last corner, however, the view was phenomenal.  Standing high above birds and cities and being able to see for miles was amazing.  This lesson?  Walking with Jesus is worth all of the sweat, effort, sacrifice, and more that He requires of us.  There is nothing that will ever be better than when we come to the end of our journey and see what He has had in store for us all along. 

Thank God for Stone Mountain.  Thank Him for lessons learned.  I hope that these help you in your walk today. 

Spiritual BiFocals

As I mature as a Christian I thought that my vision for things that are spiritual would get sharper, that I would see things a little more clearly and understand a little better.  What I wasn't ready for was the fact that God is going to help me see more clearly, i.e. I have been given a prescription for spiritual bifocals.  b i f o c a l s Glasses that have two lenses in one and are required by the aging (I wasn't ready to include myself in that group).  Formerly the lenses were clearly separated by a heavy line in the middle but current technology now seamlessly blends the two panes into one lens.  Bifocals have two parts:  one part that corrects for near vision and one for distant vision (www.m-w.com/bifocal)  These are required when my eyes can't see everything on their own the way that they should.  


Spiritual bifocals.  Who knew???


The reason that I find I need spiritual bifocals is that I have trouble sometime focusing on the short term and the long term aspects of Christianity.  I tend to either say, "I know I will get my reward in heaven" and forget that God actually wants to provide blessing to me in this world, too, or I look through a blurred perspective and think, "I don't care about the long-term gain; this short term hurts too much" and then I decide that I don't want any part of it.  

I need spiritually corrective lenses to help me see both of elements of Christianity.  For instance, I need these glasses to remind me that turning the other cheek today doesn't mean that I am loser (which feel like sometimes when I turn the other cheek) because God's word tells me that I am victorious in Him (Romans 8:37).  

I'm interested to see what other aids God is going to provide me as I age in Him.  I would guess that there is a hearing device and as well as some sort of filter for brain-to-speech functionality in my future.  Possibly even a heavenly Rascal for when I am too tired to move and God is going to carry me for a while.  I know this much:  because they come from my heavenly Father, I welcome them. 


Bring on the miracle ear! 

I'm Already Radical, Right?

We have officially begun our Fall Campaign, Radicalis, and it's going to be great.  Actually, it already is great; the kick off last week about our radical vision and future followed by this week's sermon plus God's amazing grace have set the scene for serious momentum.

I have to tell you, however, that I kind of thought I was already radical.  I go to church, right, even when other people don't?  I do things that people don't know about (inside or outside of church, location is irrelevant).  I hold my tongue sometimes when I really want to scream because I feel like injustice is getting the upper hand.  I'll spare you more of my "agony" but know that my list of sacrifices (perceived or otherwise) is lengthy. (By the way at times, do you feel that way or am I alone on this?)

This morning, Pastor Jeff preached on gratitude and it got my attention.  I walked in the door in a foul mood (I was so grumpy that I scared myself) and a large part of the reason was my attitude.   A couple of things didn't go as I expected them to so I got frustrated.  The trifecta of attitude, God's message to me (through the sermon), and His grace were lethal for my bad disposition.  I had but two choices:  run screaming out of the sanctuary or face the fact that I might not be as radical as I had decided that I am.

Ouch.

I write this blog to you with a new found (and well-earned, may I add) humbleness.  I realize that gratitude in all things (not to be confused with gratitude for all things) is what God desires from me.  As Pastor Jeff reminded me on Sunday, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. (I Thessalonians 5:18)

I began practicing radical gratitude as quickly as I could after the sermon.  I plan to practice it tomorrow, and the next day, and the next, and well, you get the picture.  Join me in being radical through gratitude that the world finds a little crazy.  I bet you'll find, like me, that it will set you free!

The Magic Movie Moment

Come with me, if you will, to the movies.  You sit in a darkened theater with friends, family, and a crowd you'll likely never see again.  United by the movie on the screen, everyone in the movie house shares the common mission of finding out how the story before you will end.  You sit in the blackness of the theater and watch the main character as he or she struggles with the conflict at hand.  Faced with difficulties on every side, he or she is desperate for help.  You don't dare eat your popcorn or drink your soda, because you might miss it, the moment, that magical movie moment when the character you're following realizes that help is available.  You hold your breath, anxiously waiting. 

In the Lord of the Rings, Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin have this experience.   I held my breath as I watched this motley band of companions as they arrived at the Inn of the Prancing Pony where they are unknowingly being pursued by the Nazgul.  Naive in their assumed safety, Merry and Pippin tell stories and entertain the crowd.  Sam sits while Frodo is nagged by the uneasy and persistent feeling that something is not right.  As the scene continues, the jocularity of two innocent hobbits grows as does the gnawing fear inside of Frodo.  The Nazgul approach as the air chills and the night seems to grow impossibly dark. 

Suddenly the ominous stranger sitting in the corner throws back his over sized hood and reprimands the hobbits for their careless behavior as he whisks them off with a swiftly immediate safety. 

The movie moment has come.  You can relax and let your breath out.  The hero has revealed himself and you know that your protagonists are safe, at least for the moment.  

The funny thing is that as a Christian I sometimes find myself waiting for the magic movie moment in my life.  I am looking for the One who will save me from everything, even myself.  

Shame on me.  

My hero was no brooding stranger in a hood.  My hero was hung on a cross for all the world to see as He took the penalty for my sins into His body.  My Hero traversed hell so I don't have to.  

Look no further today; the magic moment in your life came the day that you met Jesus.  Don't forget - let Him be the One in every moment of every day. 

Wishing It All Away

I had to take Lil' Dweezil to the vet last week and, as we sat waiting for a room, I encountered a truly radiant lady in the lobby.  She was obviously a woman of faith and as we chatted she said, "I'm just praying every day and wishing - wishing my life away".  We talked a bit more, she left with her dog and I sat there thinking about her words, "I'm praying and wishing my life away."  

Maybe she was an angel; regardless she had God's message for me.  She may has well have said to me, "Michelle, God says to tell you that you're praying and wishing your life away and He says that you need to change that behavior." 

It's true.  I spend so many of my days 't have to "work as hard" or when our financial situation is "different" or we're not so "busy" or I'm not "so tired all of the time".  I spend most of my days wishing that they were tomorrow (or the day after that or the day after that).  Satan's plan is to keep me focusing on what may be rather than what  is at hand and I'm letting him get away with it.  He's not stealing my joy; I'm handing it to him on a silver platter. Ecclesiastes 11:4 tells us that  those who wait for perfect weather will never plant seeds;  those who look at every cloud will never harvest crops.  I have to quit wishing it all away. 

Since my conversation last Thursday, I am determined that I will not spend my today chasing the tomorrow that has the stealth and obscurity of the wind.  Beginning now I will appreciate what God has given me and I'll walk with Him in the tangibility of today .  If it's sunny, I'll wear my good shoes and if it's muddy, I'll wear waders.   

I'm not a big fan of cliches but I'll close with this one which I think is appropriate: "Yesterday Is History, Tomorrow Is a Mystery, but Today Is a Gift. That Is Why It Is Called the Present."

Have a great today.   It's the only one you've got!  

Your Whole Life - God's Got You Covered

You often hear Proverbs 3:5-6 quoted but if you open your Bible and read a little further you will see that God, in His infinite wisdom, puts several verses together that cover our entire life. I thought I would post them for you today. Oh, yeah, for the record? God will make your paths straight even if you're covered in tattoos.

Proverbs 3:5-10 (New Living Translation)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones. Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine.

Thanks for the Herd

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a blog about the fact that I feel like God is telling me to be quiet.  I may have also mentioned that I find this funny and ironic.  My confession to you is this:  I am struggling with being quiet.  I would even go so far as to say that since God has told me to do this that I am possibly saying more than before.  I forgot, and do forget, to be quiet.

I think that this is happening for a number of reasons; a couple of these reasons are that it's easy to be excited about a word from God and then forget what He said if I'm not really applying it to my life and seeking His direction constantly.  I also have to tell you that I let my guard down.  I guess I got a little too confident or smug and forgot that after God gave me a word He expected the appropriate actions from my side.  1 Peter 5:8 tells us to be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 

I guess me and Satan looked like a film of a lion chasing a gazelle during a National Geographic special on this topic; I was the slow one and I was prey.  But I have to say, thanks for the herd. 

Unlike the poor ol' gazelle described above who meets an unpleasant demise, I have the body of Christ.  I have friends who are prayer warriors in whom I have confided I know that they are lifting me up in prayer; they are encouraging me.  I can worship and praise and learn and grow with my church family on Sunday mornings.  I am blessed by the Wednesday night folks who always teach me so much more than I ever offer to them. 

Church, we are blessed by our Christian family.  Remember today to be thankful for the herd. 

Follwership

I saw a quote today that by A. Maureen Carroll that reads We don't need any more leadership training; we need some followership training. (Side note: if you can find out who A. Maureen Carroll is, please let me know - I'm having difficulties finding out who she is.)

Anyway . . . I bring this quote to your attention because I agree with this sentiment. Don't get me wrong. We need leaders. As a matter of fact, we need good, godly leaders. However, our leaders need a leader and that leader is God. He is

• Jehovah, LORD.
• Adonai, Master
• Jehovah El Elyon, God Most High
• Jehovah El Elohim, The Lord God of Gods

All of us need to learn followership. All of us.

This is a day and age of "my way is right" and "I don't like your rules so I will make my own". People don't like being told what to do. As Christians, however, we are called to follow. And we have, as our example, the life of Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Spotless Lamb, the Prince of Peace.

Jesus is a follower. He followed the will of the Father, even to death on a cross. Luke 22:42 tell us that Jesus, agonizing so fiercely about what was waiting that His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground, asked the Father to remove this cup from Him, but then He told God that "not my will but Yours be done".

It's time to follow. It's time to realize that our way is not always the right way. It’s time to subject our stubborn, fierce, and faulted wills to His.

Embrace followership. You’re in great company!

Non-Negotiable

My son, James, and I had a pretty interesting conversation last night. As conversations tend to do, like a lazy river twisting this way and that, the topics that we discussed veered here and there until we landed in a spot where we decided to stay for a while.

The topic: is God's Word Negotiable?

Before you throw out the glaringly obvious answer of "NO!" and look at me with that did-she-really-put-that-in-writing-look, you have to know that I agree with you and with that answer.  However,  I do not always live that way.

God has been telling me some things over the last year and a half that I know to be from Him.  The funny thing is that some of the things He has told me are time definite and I truly think that there is type of  blessing from God on the horizon if I do what He says, but rather than act I still chose to regale Him with "good reasons" why I can't follow His direct command to me.  So over the course of this time, I've been dancing the guilt-and-shame-I-can't-hear-You dance.  You know the one.  We've all done it and it's a lot more work and so much harder dancing this jig than walking in obedience is 

Poor God.  I'll bet He rolls His eyes a lot when He looks at me. 

But He is so good and He loves us so much and He doesn't give up on us.  He said to me a couple of weeks ago, "Michelle, if you really think it's my Word, is it negotiable?" 


With one simple question God put all of my cheap excuses in the garbage.  I said very much out loud and from my heart, "No, God, it's not negotiable."  And in the amazing way that only God brings, the immediate freedom from guilt and shame that follow confession and forgiveness overwhelmed me.  My heart was lightened, my burden gone (I guess my dance ticket was gone!)  I have started to do those things that I have known for sometime now that I need to do.  And simple obedience to God's word has already brought about a better life because I am living with in His freedom.  

What about you?  What do you need to do today?  You don't need the devil as a dance partner when you can walk in the light of God.  Whatever God is saying to you, do it.  It'll set you free. 

The Struggle with Silence

Being quiet is a lot harder than I thought. I am learning that silence is something that I have to practice not only in my speech but also in my thoughts. I am also learning that there are reasons for this of which I may not be immediately aware but below are some of the ones that I have become cognizant of:

1. Let’s just start with the big one, the one that hurts my pride the most, and knocks me to my knees the hardest. This may not be a shock to you but it comes as quite a surprise to me: I may not be the most important person I know, there may just be someone else who has something valuable to say.  (Like God, maybe?!)  Maybe I need to be quiet simply because of this.
2. It’s easier to listen to someone else when I’m not talking. Again, this is a no brainer for most people but I guess I needed the reminder.
3. Another reason is that sometimes the stuff that I say is just not okay. Jesus says in Matthew 12:34, “For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks”. OUCH! Sometimes what comes out of my mouth reflects my heart and simply is not pretty.
4. A tried but true reason for silence is: you cannot take back what you say.
5. Talking about something unpleasant or something that is out of my control keeps my brain on the treadmill or negative emotions, doubt, fear, and all sorts of dark things. Shutting up and turning to God in prayer or singing a worship tune reminds me that God is in control and that in the end, we still win.

Silence is not easy, at least not for a girl like me. But God is showing me that all things are possible with Him, even me, shutting my mouth. The bonus in all of this for me is that my silence is confirmation that miracles still exist, too.

I ♥ Disciples

I ♥ Disciples. Te amo Disciples. Ich liebe disciples. Different ways to say the same thing: I love disciples! I would so wear this on a T-shirt. Why do I love disciples? There are lots and lots of reasons but I’ll share only a few.

Number one reason: These guys are a little thick. The Sons of Thunder ask Jesus if they could sit at His right and left hands when His kingdom came. They don’t quite understand who He is. The disciples sit in a boat with one loaf of bread and argue about not having any food; this is not long after Jesus feeds yet again another large crowd (4,000 according to the gospels) and these guys pick up seven (yes, seven!) baskets of leftovers. They know who Jesus is but they forget at the same time.

Number two: Their faith was wavering at times. Picture this scene: Peter (my favorite disciple and, at times, bonehead extraordinaire) hops out of the boat and is walking on water. For a moment, you cannot tell him a thing – he is the man. His faith takes him to an impossible place. And then he realizes where he is. His faith wavers. He begins to sink. Or at the time of Jesus’ arrest, the disciples were scattered and afraid. This Man who had been healing the blind, causing the deaf to hear, making the lame to walk, casting out demons, and healing all other sorts of maladies has been arrested and they are afraid. They are scattered like sheep and my guess is that they feel pretty faithless right now.

Number three: They grow up. These guys give me hope because they persevere and continue to follow Jesus. They let Jesus heal them and forgive them of their sins. Can you imagine how Peter must have wept when he realized that Jesus forgave him for his denial? Thomas’ doubt turned to belief after he felt the scars in Jesus’ hands and He realized that His Lord loved him even when he doubted. 12 men following Jesus, sticking to their commitment, continuing through dark times and wavering faith, going on to do great things for God’s kingdom.

Without a doubt, I ♥ Disciples

Be Quiet

"Be quiet." Lately I hear this from God. It is an imperative, a command, but I also understand that the choice is mine. God is telling me what to do to be obedient to Him but I have the option to obey or keep going about life as normal.

"Be quiet" to me is confounding. Why would God tell me to be quiet? Doesn't He realize that He made me the chatty person that I am??? Does Michael Phelps have a life outside of the pool? I'm not convinced he does. This is how I see me with no words: I am a swimmer in a waterless pool, Eric Clapton with no guitar, Maya Angelou without a pen.

So what now? The idea of me without the spoken word confirms to me that my sense of humor comes from my Father. Obviously Daddy likes a good laugh, too.

Stay tuned. I know that I can trust God so now I will sit in silent confusion and wait to hear what He tells me next.

This is going to be a good.

The Thrill of Waiting

(Mitch & Becky - this one's for you)

In our Names of God class last night we had yet another conversation on waiting. This is a weekly topic for us when we take prayer requests and it's known in our group that you're either waiting, you just came though a period of waiting, or you know you'll wait again in the future for something.

This outlook is pretty bleak. No one likes to wait. I certainly don't. I prefer to eat at home rather than wait for a table in a restaurant. Waiting is just not fun.

Or is it?

This morning I'm thinking sometimes that waiting might not be as bad as we make it out to be. While waiting is passive, the life that we live while we wait is still active. For example, the bride waits anxiously for her wedding day but she is planning while she waits. She picks a dress, her bridesmaids, there are showers to attend, presents to open, dreams to dream - all of this occurs while she waits.

My children anxiously wait for school to end each spring. While they wait, though, there are many year end activities that fill their time - field days, dances, award ceremonies, movie days in class, and so on.

And while I wait for God, I can spend time with Him. When I spend time with Him, He continues to show Himself to me and to grow me. It is in the time of waiting for Him that He reveals Himself to me and prepares me for whatever it is that I'm waiting for. I may not understand why El Olam (Everlasting God, which is the secret Name of God) has His own purposes and His own timing for me, but He does and I can trust Him to reveal them when He is ready.

See if you can find joy in your waiting today. I'm waiting to hear what you find.

Satan's Paycheck vs God's Retirement Plan

Do you ever wake up and wonder, "Is faith worth it? Is perseverance worth the pain?" Maybe you don't but some days I question these things.

When is the last time you slept in on a Sunday? Do you know that life exists on Wednesday nights outside of school walls? Do you look at your beat up (fill in the material blank) and compare it to that of your neighbors and you think that theirs is better because they don't tithe? Do you wonder it would be easier to let your child dress according to the current fashion and not fight the tiresome battle that comes with raising children by Christ's standards? Do you wish you could, just once, throw out the gossip/slander/curse word without the accompanying twinge of guilt?

Face it - some days Satan's paycheck looks pretty good. It seems like those folks on Lucifer's bankroll have an easier road to walk and that there is a big fat paycheck to go along with it. In comparison, the rewards of the Christian may not always seem to as lucrative as that offered by the devil; there are days when I feel downright underpaid.

Take a good look at the fine print, though.

Satan's payroll shows that the lines marked 401(k) and Retirement are not only blank, they're in the red. When that paycheck is spent, the employer is going to come to call and he will collect those that are his and he won't be gentle about it. The devil is going to remind his people that they owe him for what they received in this life and that they will pay a heavy price by spending eternity suffering in hell with him.

For the Christian, the details of the retirement plan show hope beyond what hope should be capable of. The investment of the believer is secured in a place where moth and rust cannot destroy and thieves cannot break in and steal (Matthew 6:19-20). The ROI for the Christian is beyond unreal; words cannot describe what God has given for us. And when He does come to call those who belong to Him there will be only happiness and joy are we sing His praises for all time.

God's word tells us that the road to hell is broad and, in contrast, that the way to life is narrow and not many people enter through that gate (Matthew 7:13-14). Put in that perspective, God's retirement plan looks just fine to me.