Where does your hope lie??On earth or the Heavenly abode??

Scripture Passage: 1 Peter 1: 13-14: ¹³ Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. ¹⁴ As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.

Think: Where does your hope lie?Is it more important to gather wealth and worldly gains, or create a heaven of your imagination on earth? But one doubt, for how long will it last? One day we would have to leave everything and die. Then what ? There is heaven and hell is also there as taught by our Lord Jesus.

Example: Mark 9: 44, ‘the worms that eat them do not die, and the fire is not quenched.’ Also in Matthew 13: 41-43, ⁴¹ The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. ⁴² They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ⁴³ Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear. Here we read that those who do evil things are sent to the fire of hell and those who follow God’s words will shine like the sun. These are the words of Jesus Himself. Let’s ask a question: The way children of this world live is not the same as the children of God. Understanding this is truth, is it not the time to transform our life??

This century is of high importance, the world is unable to stand the burden of corruption and violence. Wouldn’t the prayer and cries of the truthful and the godly have reached our Father? A similar cry is heard of in the Old Testament, Genesis 6: 11-12, ¹¹ Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. ¹² God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways, and in Genesis 6: 5-7, ⁵ The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. ⁶ The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. ⁷ So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” This is before the Great Flood when the earth was full of evil. Don’t you see the signs of the second coming of Christ? If you ask when would Jesus come, it is humanly impossible to set a date, month, or year. And if someone does set a date he/she is a blasphemer/false preacher. The Lord will come again. It is not the discovery of science or the findings of a researcher.

Matthew 24:3, ³ As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

Matthew 24: 29-31, ²⁹ “Immediately after the distress of those days “‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ ³⁰ “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. ³¹ And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

Matthew 24: 10-13, ¹⁰ At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, ¹¹ and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. ¹² Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,  but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

These are the words of the Lord Jesus Christ. He will certainly come down to collect believers.

1 John 2: 28, ²⁸ And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.

1 John 3: 23, ²³ And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.

Those who have hope in His coming will keep themselves pure and clean. Jesus should be born within us all. This world will be destroyed in its evil. Those who have hope in the Father and Son will repent and change their ways. 2 Corinthians 7: 1, 7 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 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

It is time to read and ponder over these words of the scriptures. Philemon 3: 18-21, ¹⁸ If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. ¹⁹ I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self. ²⁰ I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. ²¹ Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask. Our abode is in heaven with the Father. Is there a bigger hope than this???

If our abode is not here on earth then why do we mix into these worldly desires like water and sugar?? 2 Corinthians 5: 1, 5 For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Those who believe in Jesus and hope in Him should have these engraved into their hearts. With this hope in us, we read in this scripture that we would purify and cleanse ourselves to receive Him.

Abraham was a wealthy man but on God’s calling he left everything and lived in a tent. 2 Peter 3: 14, ¹⁴ So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. Jesus has described the coming of Satan as that of a thief, through many of His parables and preaching. A child of God who believes in Jesus and His words would ponder over them and will consider it the right time to call upon the grace of Holy Spirit

1Corinthians 15: 19, 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. Our hope should not be limited to this life only. When the distance between the eyes and the goal increases, hurdles, and difficulties also increase manifold. Thus, we should make our goal the heavenly abode and our hope should be in Christ. Let’s go together to the palace in heaven, let’s co-operate with each other, and try together to reach there. Let’s all meet up there. May this be possible for us. May this belief be in us all. May our faith bind us together.

AMEN