500 Pieces.

Several weeks ago in a conversation with Pastor Sam, I explained my crazy faith by comparing it to a jigsaw puzzle: that is, I don't have all the pieces of the puzzle in place, but God has given me one piece of the puzzle- and I hold that one piece and know that there is a completed puzzle, even though I'm not seeing all of the pieces... the 'one piece' is my proof that other pieces exist and will fall into place.

In Sunday's sermon we learned about Jesus as "the firstfruits of them that sleep" (First Corinthians 15:20). The fact of His resurrection is the evidence we hold on to, and we are assured that we too shall be raised from the dead. As Pastor Sam mentioned, the first fruit of the harvest is the indicator that an entire harvest will follow.

When will we experience the entire harvest? No one knows but God (see Matthew 24:36). But the day will come when we will stand before the Lord of all, and He will judge us for what we have done (or failed to do) while we lived on this earth.

What will our life be when we have transitioned from temporal life to eternal life? There are two, and only two, choices- eternity in heaven or eternity in hell. Through the resurrection of Christ, the wheels have been set into motion and we are on a course to the final judgement that will seal our eternal destiny. It's inevitable and irreversible.

Unfortunately some of us are living as if there's no such thing as judgement, or as if we have unlimited time to repent. Let me say this: neither are true. Our days are numbered, and there is such a thing as judgement. That should be incentive for us to live each day as if it's our last- in pursuit of holiness and a godly lifestyle.