GodReflection: Has God Noticed? The World Is In Chaos.
The Lord has blessed me with an abundance of rich and enjoyable trips over a lifetime. Some of those trips were sheer pleasure in God’s beautiful creation. It is easy to reminisce of high mountains and clear snow fed streams with campfires, hot coffee, and fresh lake trout for a meal under the stars.
The thought of “my next trip” is a prominent marker in life. On reflection, it must come from the way God wired me, and I would like to think in part, the next trip is a desire to follow the trail The Holy seems to provide.
Weekly, over my “work life” to recruit, prepare, place, and care for teams to introduce Jesus and build churches in metropolitan cities of the Portuguese and Spanish-speaking world; “my next trip” was a high priority agenda item.
After seven and a half decades, passage from my current walk on this earth into the next reality steadily works its way up on both The Holy’s agenda and on my agenda of my next trip list.
So, Where Is My First Stop After Death?
Jesus does not say much about what happens when I close my eyes and expel my final breath at the end of my earth walk. The greater concern of the gospels and of the New Testament writers is rather the final return and resurrection when Jesus comes to put an end to chaos. However, on two occasions he touches upon the temporary state of humankind after death while we await the resurrection.
First, he told the story of a self-centered rich man who overlooks the basic need of Lazarus a poor man in need of food and medication. Both died to await the resurrection. One found himself in torment while the other found rest near Abraham, father of the faithful.
His second insight for us is the reassurance he directs to one of two men crucified with him for their criminal activity. One criminal confronts the other who taunts Jesus. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong” (Luke 23: 40-41). In kindness and forgiveness Jesus makes eye contact, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” His implication is that paradise is a place of rest on the way to resurrection.
One other observation comes from the Apostle Paul. He catches my attention for two reasons. One is I believe God inspires Scripture and since Paul tells of his own experience in paradise where he heard inexpressible things (2 Corinthians 12:3:4) his testimony to the Philippian church raises an alert.
Confined to prison the apostle had abundant time to sort out the significant from the less important. In his letter to Philippian Christians, he records one of those times. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body (Philippians 1: 21-24).
He seems to have caught the vision of Paradise. After the chaos sent in his direction from Satan over the years on earth; he is ready to rest in the presence of Jesus’ calm and perfection while together they anticipate the final resurrection.
From Jesus and Paul, I learn Paradise is rest from chaos where I will be in the care of the Risen-Jesus. As wonderful as it will be, it will not be my final stop. It is a Holy “waiting room” with comforts assured by Father,
Son, and Spirit, where I will rest until the God ordained time when Jesus returns with all the faithful to a cleansed and perfect earth.
Next time let’s celebrate Sunday—Resurrection Day. For now, it’s Saturday, will Sunday ever come?
Stay tuned.
Dr. Gary J. Sorrells
A GodReflection on Where I Am Going—My First Stop.
God Reflection 