theologer

"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day." - 2 Corinthians 4:16

I read this and think, THANK GOD! I'm so tired... class from 8-5 everyday all day long will wear on a guy. But I still have five more days to go.

But seriously, praise God he renews us inside, praise God because my outer self is wasting away too quickly. I had four fake teeth before I was 22 years old. Now I'm still young and already having back problems (enough to have been to a chiropractor for the last 2 months and still not be better), I'm balding and even my mind is fading (I think, this one is hard to measure).

The point is, our father looks out for us. He is renewing our spirit, that which will live forever. We're like the 1942 Chevy that will be driven in 2002, 3002, and even 14,009. We may get our oil changed but that won't be enough to keep us running for eternity; we need something supernatural.

Thank you Lord.

"But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city." - Hebrews 11:16

I chewed on this for a bit knowing it to be significant but not able to sort out what I thought about it. Barnes' New Testament Notes brought it into a focus a bit for me. These are the people who are "so heavenly minded they're of no earthly good." Or rather, they are forgetting the things of the world and doing what pleases their father because they're looking forward to heaven.

This comes in the midst of the long section in Hebrews on faith, a section I have skipped over many times as it has often seemed monotonous. But reading this yesterday brought what was dull to light for me. The Lord is proud to call those who seek the eternal His children. Are you seeking the eternal? So many things on this earth have become so attractive to me that I often forget the eternal.

I'm reminded the significance of living by faith, living for the eternal, after all those who lived by faith,

"conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection." - verse 33-35.

"Divide your merchandise among seven or even eight investments, for you do not know what calamity may happen on earth." - Ecclesiastes 11:2

I've heard this verse is occasionally interpreted to tell us to buy lots of different stocks or mutual funds. To spread our money broadly in bonds and things. But this isn't what I think it means.

"What calamity may happen on earth," seems much more to me a reference the fact that any earthly investment may not be worth your while. I'm not saying this to mean we shouldn't invest, I strongly think providing for your future is an important thing. Rather, I think this verse is to remind us of eternal investments.

My favorite investment is in a 25 year old guy who feels called to sports ministry. He worked full time for a church for a while and then asked to leave because he wanted to focus more on sports ministry and didn't feel he could give his whole heart to the church. Now he is helping to lead a ministry which reaches out to Middle School students through baseball and soccer.

I love supporting this guy in his ministry because he is so on fire for the Lord and a much more gifted evangelist than I am. One of my favorite things is having lunch with this guy and listening to how the Lord is using him. This is an eternal investment. And I hope to give to seven or eight such investments.

Are you making an eternal investment? If something happens to your stocks and your investments in this world, will you have an investment elsewhere? Eternally? Sow broadly.

"For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant." - Hebrews 9:15

When I was about 16 my brother had just turned 18 and received his inheritance from my great grandfather. I remember that my Dad took him into the kitchen and sat him down and then explained to him about what he was getting and the importance of it, and how he thought my brother should use the money. I also remember watching my brother walk out of the kitchen --eyes wide, hands in the air -- "I'm rich!" he yelled.

Sure $50,000 was a good amount of money to inherit right before college. When I turned 18 just two years later, my same fund (the exact same holdings as my brothers) was only worth $16,000 because the market had done so poorly over those two years. While it wasn't as much, it did pay for me to get through college and have a lot left over when I was done.

But then I think about this... Imagine an inheritance that is greater than money. A ticket to eternal comfort (no more pain, sorrow, death etc...), a ticket to eternal life, and a ticket to a friendship you could never possibly imagine. Imagine turning 18 and having your father sit down and show you all the things you had done wrong in your life, all the people you had hurt, all the sins you'd committed etc. Imagine him saying, "well guess what, your inheritance is enough to cover all of this, and infinitely more.

I like my eternal inheritance. I need to thank God for it more often than I do. It took my grandpa years of hard work to be able to pass on that much money to me (especially since he didn't even finish High School), but it took Jesus giving his life for my eternal inheritance.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you," - 1 Peter 1:3-4