Jesus is such an amazing leader. I mean, really, look at John 14, in the first four verses. I know, I know, He's God. I promise, I know that. But He's also human, as we see in the garden in the following stories. But here, He is under more pressure than we can imagine, and He has the fortitude and love to comfort His disciples. "Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me." Don't worry, He says, we'll be alright. He knows He's going to die, and He believes He will come back to life. Trust. Don't worry.
Why shouldn't we worry? Because He says there is room for us in His Dad's house. Okay, here comes one of my pet peeves. I'm so tired of American Christianity teaching this junk about streets of gold and mansions for everyone. The next life is not our ultimate retirement package. Can we PLEASE stab that stuff in the dark, selfish, materialistic heart and kill it finally? Heaven is SO MUCH more than a big empty house that I'm going to live in alone forever. (If everyone has their own mansion, then we all live alone. That would stink!) Jesus says there is room for everyone in His Dad's house. We're going to be together, and we're going to be with Him. That's enough. Don't worry. It's all going to be okay, in the most realistic sense possible.
The idea is still true today. What are you facing? Pain, sickness, hurt, heartbreak, fear, death, loneliness, addiction, suffering, uncertainty? Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God. Oh how I need to hear that everyday. I'm so glad that Jesus is such an amazing leader. I will follow that leader anywhere.
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"I'm so tired of American Christianity teaching this junk about streets of gold and mansions for everyone. The next life is not our ultimate retirement package. Can we PLEASE stab that stuff in the dark, selfish, materialistic heart and kill it finally?"
This came up in our family tonight - "streets of gold". Jason, was your intention to mean that Heaven does not literally have streets of gold, or did you mean that people just need to get out of their materialistic mindset and focus on other parts of Heaven? Would you expand on these ideas a little more?
It's a strange evening here - No one home except Phyllis, Shota, and John, and Shota leaves for Japan in the morning. Who knows if we will ever see him again? We might. We were talking about America, Christianity, and the Bible over dinner. - John F.
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