Of Grass and Glory

Of grass and glory
Gen. George C. Patton said,
"For over a thousand years Roman conquerors returning from the wars enjoyed the honour of triumph, a tumultuous parade.
 In the procession came trumpeteers, musicians and strange animals from conquered territories, together with carts laden with treasure and captured armaments.     The conquerors rode in a triumphal chariot, the dazed prisoners walking in chains before him. 
Sometimes his children robed in white stood with him in the chariot or rode the trace horses. 
A slave stood behind the conqueror holding a golden crown and whispering in his ear a warning: that all glory is fleeting."
                                   Gen. George C. Patton.
“All glory is fleeting” no matter who you are, how famous or how humble you are. You will one day be forgotten to the people of this world. Even the most famous person will be but a note in some history book.
The prophet Isaiah states,
“A voice says, “Cry out.” And I said, “What shall I cry?” 
“All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. 
The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them. Surely the people are grass. 
The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.” 
                                                                                                                         Isaiah 40:6-8.
I like what Isaiah states, “God’s word stands forever”. God is there for all generations. For everyone who ever lived, is living or is yet to be born.
The one thing I a believer in Christ agree with an atheist on is that one day our bodies will be little more than dust. That’s not to say we are.
I believe we, the essence if you will of what we are, what Christians call the soul lives on throughout eternity.
The thing is where will you spend eternity.
As Tony Campolo the American evangelist put it,
“When you were born, you cried and everybody else was happy. The only question that matters is this - when you die, will you be happy when everybody else is crying?”
                                                                                                                Tony Campolo.
Christians make it clear you can know here and now where you will spend eternity. The apostle John speaking of Jesus states,
“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—  children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” 
                  John 1:12,13.
The apostle Paul tell us,
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast.” 
                                                                      Ephesians 2:8,9.
It is by the grace of God we are saved and enter heaven. It is an act of faith on our part.
Jesus speaking of himself said,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son”. 
                                                                                                            John 3:16-18.
God when He created man gave him complete freedom. That freedom is complete freedom it allows each and every man the right to believe in God or not. Such is the nature of true freedom.
However to get to heaven takes faith the writer of Hebrews saying,
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
                                                                                                    Hebrews 11:6.
Thus the choice is yours. Believe that there is a God and that Jesus is his one and only Son. The Saviour of mankind or reject Him.
The choice is yours.
Please think about it.  

Will you be happy

Will you be happy

“When you were born, you cried and everybody else was happy. The only question that matters is this - when you die, will you be happy when everybody else is crying?”
                                                                                                  Tony Campolo
Quite often I ask the question to people, “If you were to die today where would you spend eternity.”
Very few people tell me there is not life after death. The majority tend to answer “heaven I guess?”
Most are unsure of where they will spend eternity but you can know. As a Christian I believe you can have an assurance that you will spend eternity in heaven.
This is what I believe is the way to heaven. I put it hear for you the reader to decide for yourself.
It come down to who you think Jesus is and what his purpose on this earth was for,
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” 
                     John 14:6
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” 
   John 3:16,17.
  To the word of Paul to the Romans,
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:23,24.
Sinning is falling short of what God wants for you life. Sin separates us from God.
Isaiah telling us,
“All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.” 
                                                                                             Isaiah 64:6
  John noting,
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  
If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.” 
       1 John 1:9,10.
Paul make it clear salvation is not something we can work for. Paul writing to the Ephesians stating,
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast.” 
                                                                  Ephesians 2:8,9
Ultimately salvation is an act of faith, Hebrews stating,
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him”
Hebrews 11:6
Faith defined as,
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” 
                                                                                                              Hebrews 11:1
What do you believe?
Think about it.

Requiem

Requiem

Under the wide and starry sky

Dig the grave and let me lie.

Glad did I live and gladly die,

And I laid me down with a will.

This be the verse you grave for me:

Here he lies were he longed to be;

Home is the sailor, home from the sea,

And the hunter home from the hill.

                                                                    By Robert Louis Stevenson
Do you have a home beyond the grave?
Tony Campolo asked the question,
“When you were born, you cried and everybody else was happy. The only question that matters is this - when you die, will you be happy when everybody else is crying?”
                                                                                               Tony Campolo
Over the centuries men have gone to great lengths to see that their departed loved ones have some kind of rest in the afterlife.
The ancient Egyptians built the pyramids filling them with grave goods they thought the pharaoh would need for the afterlife.
Throughout Europe and Britain people were also buried with grave goods for the afterlife.
It seems all cultures believe in some kind of life after death. Although today in our so called “enlightened culture” Atheist are starting to scream louder against belief in God and those who would speak about God.
My question to them has always been if God does not exist what’s the problem. Christianity and Judaism which I am most familiar preach a need to live ones life to a high moral standard. What’s wrong with that.
C. S. Lewis made the point,
“Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.”
                                                     C. S. Lewis.
Is Christianity that important that it needs to be attacked?
I as a Christian know that Christianity practised correctly does lead to a better moral life.
I know it offers hope for all who believe.
Jesus said,
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” 
                                       Matthew 11:28-30.
Ultimately believing in God and Christ is an act of faith. The writer of Hebrews stating,
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
                                                                                        Hebrews 11:6
Faith defined as,
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” 
                                                                                                                         Hebrews 11:1.
So I leave it up to you the reader. Do you believe there is life after death? If so are you certain you will have a home in heaven. Will you as Tony Campolo said,
“ ...be happy when everybody else is crying?”
Think about it.