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Hello my ‘Walking with Jesus’ friends,
May I ask a question? When you hear the word “inheritance” what comes to your mind? For most people these are words which you might think of: ‘an estate plan’, ‘death’, ‘a living will’, ‘power of attorney’, ‘executor’, ‘estate distribution’.
Have you ever received an ‘inheritance’? If so, how did it affect you? When you were informed of the inheritance, likely, you thought about the person who cared enough for you, to leave you something which was theirs, and they wanted you to have it, usually after their death. I assume most of you are of the age you have prepared end of life documents and thus you’ve given considerable thought to what you have accumulated in your life, and how you would want it distributed, at the time of your death.
Sometimes people live their lives in anticipation of a significant inheritance they have been told will eventually be theirs. May I shock you with this thought: If you’ve trusted Jesus Christ to be your Savior, then God invites you and me to live today, and the rest of our lives, wherever we live in this world, in whatever socio-economic condition we find ourselves… live in the powerful reality of God having a ROYAL inheritance for you!
Here’s how the Apostle Peter wrote about it to suffering Christians in the first century: “In God’s great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you... In this you should greatly rejoice, though now, for a little while, you may have to suffer grief in all types of difficulties…” (1 Peter 1:3-6)
Honestly now, what can you imagine might be an inheritance that God Himself would like to bless you with, that would be so significant, so special, He is keeping it, safe and secure, in heaven, just for you? And of course you might be thinking…what good is an inheritance if I can’t enjoy it here in my lifetime? Oh my friends, do you often think about the comparison of a lifetime here on earth of 80 years or more, with a never ending, eternal future with Jesus, and all Christians from all time? So if you had the choice of receiving a glorious inheritance here, now, and living with its blessing for several years, maybe even decades, here on earth, versus living for all future eternity with that great, God created inheritance blessing… which would you choose?
And my friends, knowing God as you do… if He was going to pour out upon you an inheritance that ONLY He could provide, and that would not perish, spoil or fade in the billions of years to come in eternity future… can you even begin to imagine what that inheritance might be like?
Of course when we think of a heavenly inheritance we probably immediately think of a resurrected, glorified body that God will make for you and me, and we’ll live with that heavenly body for all eternity future, right? (1 Corinthians 15) No pain, no illness or hunger or need for rest. A perfect body similar to that which resurrected Jesus had. Now that’s worth getting excited about, every time something in your body hurts, right?
Or maybe you think about sinless perfection for yourself and a perfect environment without any form of evil, forever! That would be utopia, right! Or maybe you think of being able to SEE God, Jesus Christ, the angels and all the great Bible heroes for the rest of time. Or maybe you think of the rewards God intends to bless you with in heaven? (Matt. 5:12; 16:27) Or maybe, we simply say… because it is a God designed inheritance, kept in heaven for me, it is far beyond anything I could ever imagine, and I will enjoy it in God’s presence forever!
Now do you see Peter invites us to see the difficulties, the pain, the challenges, the suffering of life here and now through the lenses of timeless future, and a royal inheritance that is beyond anything any of us could ever imagine? And why do I call it a ‘royal inheritance’? Because in 1 Peter 2:9 he writes “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God…”!
So my “Walking with Jesus” friends all around the world, especially those of you living in really difficult situations, may I urge you to spend a moment or two pondering what your God designed, royal inheritance might be? And then, let’s start living today, in these very unsettling times, with the total assurance that NOTHING here on earth, can in any way affect the certainty of what God is holding for you and me in heaven, as our inheritance! As I’ve sat at the bedside of wonderful Christians near the end of their life, I’ve seen the sense of anticipation and excitement that soon, very soon, they’ll be seeing Jesus and receiving that heavenly inheritance!
Oh my friends, I have found in really difficult times, it helps to start thinking, and maybe singing: “Soon and very soon we’re going to see the King”! And that King Jesus will have your glorious inheritance waiting just for you! Why? Because you’ve trusted Him with your life here, and He’s ready to receive you into His presence forever. Here’s a wonderful version of that song that might help you anticipate your great arrival in God’s presence and your inheritance. . .
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Click to read today’s chapter: 1 Peter 1:3-6; 1 Corinthians 15. (At the top you can choose a different translation.)
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Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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