Did you that what we do in this life determines our eternal future?

You have heard the expression; we reap what we sow.   The gardener who plants good seed in fertile soil reaps a harvest that is good and plentiful.

“Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6: 8-9

In this Scripture St. Paul is urging us to focus not on pleasing our flesh and our selfish, sinful nature, but instead focus on pleasing God by doing good works through the power of the Holy Spirit living within us.

To enjoy the eternal future, we must be permitted to enter heaven. This ‘access to heaven’ is not determined by what we do, it is a free gift of salvation that comes from Jesus Christ.

Jesus died to save all people that repent of their sins and believe in His power to forgive.

“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” 1 Timothy 1:15

“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.” Titus 3: 4-7

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8-10

Let us understand then that salvation is the gift that flows from the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It is for all who will repent of their sins and believe in Him.

BUT – our eternal reward depends on what we do in this lifetime!

Jesus says, “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.” Revelation 22:12

I remember learning many years ago that Jesus urged us to “build our treasure in heaven”. Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” Matthew 6: 19-20

When I learned this about fifteen years ago, my thought was I probably don’t have any treasure in heaven because I have been focused on building up bank account and I had not been being very charitable. As Jesus drew me back to Him, I came up with a ‘new mission in life’. My new mission I decided would be “make Jesus smile”.

I began by confessing my sins, returning to Church and I decided I would try to learn the Bible. I signed up for a “learn the Bible” course being offered by some very devout Christians and in a few weeks my head was spinning as I tried to understand God’s Word.

Prior to purchasing the Bible and starting to learn God’s Word, I had a miraculous encounter with Jesus where God asked me “What is love?” It was the very first time I heard God speaking to my heart. I was so excited and a little scared too. I thought I knew what love was. So to the question, “What is love?” I replied “Love is a feeling” and the voice in my heart said, “wrong”. So I asked “what is it then?” And God said, “Love is a choice”. God helped me to understand that the presence of love or the absence of love is a function of what we choose to do. If we choose to cater to our own selfish desires there is no love in that because there is no glory for God. As St. Paul explains if we sow to please our flesh we reap destruction.

This conversation with God over fifteen years ago changed my life. It set me down a path of spiritual discernment. I was determined to try to reflect carefully on my life’s choices to ensure that they were choices that would please God. I asked God to teach me to love and slowly and surely a journey of transformation ensued.

Let’s reflect on the type of choices that God would call LOVE and as we do let’s make some plans to starting building our eternal future with Jesus today.

Imagine you are standing at the door to your eternal future. How do you unlock this door?

The answer is with faith!

Let’s repent of our sins, close the door to a past of poor choices and believe in the infinite mercy of Our Lord Jesus.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

“Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” 2 Corinthians 7:1

“What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.” Mark 7:20-23

Join me in praying this prayer to God right now:

“Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10

Take the hand of Jesus and know that He will help you to transform and become the person He wants you to be. This doesn’t happen in an instant; it takes time and patience. It requires a lot of prayer and trust in Jesus, but if you want to invest in your eternal future and build your treasure in heaven that’s what’s needed, faith, patience, trust in Our Lord, prayer and perseverance.

The first apostles did not know how Jesus would build His Church on earth. They had faith and they trusted that Jesus would fulfill His promise to be with them.

Remember Jesus said,

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20

When I realized God was calling me I was afraid that I would not know how to please Him. Slowly I began to realize that God was calling me to surrender to His power. It would be through the power of His Holy Spirit that I would be able to change and it would be through His Holy Spirit that I would learn to do the things He desired.

So be not afraid! Jesus wants to use you to build His Kingdom on earth, just as He used the first apostles. But the question is “Are you willing?”

Are you willing to give your life for the glory of God?

Are you willing to forgive those that hurt you?

Being forgiven is easy. Forgiving is often not so easy, especially when we are faced with forgiving people who are not sorry. To help me Jesus inspired me to reflect daily on His Passion. Every day I remember Our Holy Lord being crucified saying “Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34

These words enabled me to forgive people who had abused me as a child. They made me think about the horror of pedophilia. What possesses an adult to hurt a child? I think the answer is the devil!

What I learned about forgiveness is that forgiveness is freedom! It’s freedom from anger and a desire for vengeance. It’s freedom from a pain that keeps the heart in a state of perpetual sorrow and regret. It’s freedom to close a door to the past and try to create new memories of hope.

Jesus doesn’t just want to forgive us; He wants to help us to forgive, to heal, to find peace and to reach extraordinary heights in our ability to love one another.

Jesus says, “If you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full.” Luke 6:33-34

It’s easy to be gracious and kind to people who are gracious and kind to us, but God calls us to choices that are not motivated by “warm feelings”, they are motivated by a desire to give God glory.

Jesus teaches us this: “love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.” Luke 6:35

“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” Matthew 5:44

God has many enemies in our world. If we are truly His children we should be praying for everyone who is violent, involved in crime, threatening the well-being of others.

Do you pray for the conversion of terrorists?

Have you prayed for people who are involved in the occult, who have aborted their children, who are involved in organized crime?

Every time we choose to pray for another soul, God smiles! So build your eternal future and earn your treasure in heaven, one prayer at a time and one good deed at a time.

The world teaches us to have a disposition that is always wondering “what’s in it for me?” but God wants us to give without considering how we can benefit.

When I first learned about building my treasure in heaven, I will confess to you that I began with some selfish motives. I wanted to ensure that I would have some reward in the afterlife but at some point in my journey I forgot about the reward and realized I had fallen in love with Jesus.

I realized I was in love when I couldn’t stop thinking about Jesus and about how to please Him. I think I fell in love as I began to take a daily spiritual walk to Calvary. My spiritual walk commences in the Garden of Gethsemane where I sometimes imagine I am God’s angel trying to console Jesus for all that He would have suffer. I imagine Jesus waiting a long sleepless night for the torture that would ensue the next day. I stand with Him at the scourging grieving every single lash. I see His flesh being torn. I see His courage and in His disfigurement Jesus becomes more and more precious and beautiful to me! I walk with Jesus as He carries His Cross and I want to help Him. I see Him being disrobed for the crucifixion and I grieve my sins. I see the Virgin Mary cry as they crucify her beloved Son and I cry with her.

It has been over a decade now that I meditate on the Passion of Christ daily. Four years ago Jesus brought me to a place in the ‘wilderness’ where I could sit at the foot of the Cross for the rest of my life. I purchase a Timberframe home through God’s grace that has a large wooden cathedral ceiling upheld by four gigantic crosses. I am always gazing at the Cross, mindful of the enormous price Jesus paid to create for us a place in heaven.

“And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself. He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.” John 12:33

You don’t need to live in a house with a cross in it to sit at the foot of the Cross. Close your eyes and see Jesus on the Cross for you, suffering in agony and then ask yourself are you willing to give your life to Him?

Spiritual growth occurs as we enter into a secret place with God. This secret place is the profound silence within you where God Himself dwells.

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10

Is Jesus exalted in your life?

Does He have the highest place of honour in your life?

Do you take risks for Jesus?

Do you hide your Christian identity or do you openly witness to your love of Jesus?

Do you thank God daily for all that He has given you?

Could you be volunteering some of your talent to a worthy cause to please God?

Would you be willing to join a Christian prayer movement that stops to pray together every day at the Time Jesus died for us, 3pm (in our local time zones)?

This prayer movement is called The Mercy Movement.

I believe that love is stronger than hate and that God is stronger than all the power of evil in our world. I also believe that the world right now is a bit like the ship the “Titanic”; we have hit an iceberg called SIN and this iceberg has the potential to separate us from God eternally.  But here’s the good news, God is ready and willing and able to save everyone…there are eternal life boats for all!  So grab one by confessing your sins to Jesus and receive His forgiveness.  If you have not yet been baptized in Jesus, be baptized!

Do you remember what the first apostles were doing when they were waiting for the coming of the Holy Spirit?

They were praying!

Come join me and Christians all over the world in a daily prayer @ the Time Jesus died for us, 3pm (each of us in our local time zones). At this time let Jesus crucify any evil temptation in your life. Look at Jesus suffering on the Cross for you! Remember His Passion and pray for the Holy Spirit of Truth and Love to bring souls to repentance. Let’s build our eternal future right now as we give our hearts and our lives to Jesus. We trust in You Jesus! Let your will be done today and tomorrow and always! You are my heart’s desire Jesus! I love You above all things and above all people and I love You within all things and within all people!

Learn more about The Mercy Movement here.