Building Boom in Heaven

Today the Jesus Bus does a drive-by of the internet and takes a look at the Amerika passing
by our window. There is a building boom out
there that we can see. And there is another
that we can't see, just yet. This one is temporary, that one is never ending.


Most days I spend several hours reading over favorite blogs and internet news. Where I live right now, there isn't much in the way of entertainment, and I gave up on TV as a source of entertainment quite a few years ago. So my window to the larger world is the internet.


I'm hoping that the internet remains an open
community where anyone can rant and rave and comment. I like the idea embodied in our constitutional bill of rights that allows 'free speech', even though I am aware that nothing is free. It was paid for by dead white guys. They must be turning in their graves about now. Free speech was not provided just to protect
pornographers.


"The synonymous term freedom of expression is sometimes preferred, since the right is not confined to verbal speech but is understood to protect any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used...

In practice, the right to freedom of speech is not absolute in any country, although the degree of freedom varies greatly. Industrialized countries also have varying approaches to balance freedom with order. For instance, the United States First Amendment theoretically grants absolute freedom, placing the burden upon the state to demonstrate when (if) a limitation of this freedom is necessary..."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_speech


As I read various blogs,news and message boards,I get an idea who might stumble upon the blog that I'm writing. One question that I ask myself is, Will they get it? Am I writing something that can be understood by almost anyone? I'm wondering. And I'm thinking that for the most part, nobody will bother reading much of this stuff that I write. That doesn't concern me. I'm not writing because I want to win a blog popularity contest. How can I compete with Britney Spears? I write because I enjoy it, and because I want to put some ideas into print. Besides, blogger is free and it gives me a space on the WWW, just in case anyone asks what I do in my spare time. From reading internet material, I can see that there are a few people who get Christianity. There are far more who don't have a clue. Based on what I see, there are those who don't want a clue. They are the happy existentialists, who only want to live for the moment in hedonistic pleasure. That seems to take in a fairly significant portion of the population.


In any case, there are the others, who are at least a little bit like me. People who recognize and enjoy the benefits that are part of the christian heritage of the U.S. Like me, they see it slipping away. Although I've been called many things in my day,
I don't see myself as being any kind of a
leader. But I don't see myself as being much of a follower either. I'm an observer. G-d gave
me a brain, and I want to at least try to use
it, so I can see what is happening around me
in the world. As I look around, I see Jesus is unique. What I do know is that Jesus is
the one we want to follow. He's the good
shepherd, who laid down his life for his sheep.


Jn 19:4 Then Pilate went out again, and said to
them, "Behold, I bring him out to you, that you
may know that I find no basis for a charge
against him."


5 Jesus therefore came out, wearing the crown of
thorns and the purple garment. Pilate said to
them, "Behold, the man!"


6 When therefore the chief priests and the
officers saw him, they cried out, saying,
"Crucify! Crucify!" Pilate said to them, "Take
him yourselves, and crucify him, for I find no
basis for a charge against him."


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Mt 7:26 Everyone who hears these words of mine,
and doesn`t do them will be like a foolish man,
who built his house on the sand.


27 The rain came down, the floods came, and the
winds blew, and beat on that house; and it fell
-- and great was its fall."


The building boom never ends. Civilizations rise and fall. The world is a rapidly changing place. It's always been changing, but the pace has become more frantic. Some of it seems reasonable, some of it looks like folly. History records an almost endless account of
human folly. Well, they try to put a spin on it
to make it look as if there is some reason to be optimistic. I can grant that there are small victories. But for the most part, the history of civilization is endless war and
oppression. It almost seems as if people want to live in a world of misery. Why else would anyone want to build on sand?


I'm thinking that it has to do with the
difference in perspective. There is the short term and there is the longer term. In the short term, the hedonist finds their reward. But we all know that in the extreme, this is disaster.The crack head or the meth addict obviously are headed for trouble. One of the puzzling aspects of the current homosexical agenda, is the
totally short term focus. I've seen the longer term health effects. I moved to the city in about 1980 or so. The agenda was just beginning to gather steam. I thought it would never catch on. I mean, who would really want that kind of lifestyle? Gomer Pyle said it best -- Surprise,Surprise, Surprise! Apparently, there are quite a few who think that this is a promising alternative. Even now, the gay marriage thing
just won't go away. Fine. Do what you want, but please, don't call it marriage. Marriage has enough problems already. Reminds me of the joke -- Gay marriage doesn't bother me. They should have the right to be just as miserable as everyone else.


But the shorter term victory, ends up in a longer term failure. When I got to the city, I would go to Lincoln Park every morning to take
in my daily run, and on the weekends to get some fresh air. There was sexual activity all over 24 hours a day. Fast forward to the 1990's and it was really sad to be able to go out in public in the city and see all
those dying of aids. I met several of them over the years. I heard their stories. I always thought that they had no idea what the
consequences of their behavior would be, in the long run. It was fun while it lasted, sort of. Did they know that they were building sand castles on the beach? Not really. By the time they were older and wiser, it was over.


In other words, the level of public discourse these days is badly lopsided. The public outlets are blaring only one message and it's usually a misguided one. It's usually the
glittery reward of immediate gratification. Get what you want now. Hurry before the opportunity gets away! I'm hoping that I will be able to teach my children better than that. They need to know that immediate gratification does not lead to long term satisfaction.


Shouldn't it be obvious? Apparently not.


There is no explanation other than the
consequence of sin. The true nature of man is a fallen nature, deeply flawed. One reason that I can be so sure of that is because I struggle with it every day. I clearly see it in myself. I wish I could shake it. I want to get above
it. But perfection is not to be in this world.


So what does all this have to do with building? I just want to know what kind of country we are building to leave for our children. I want to look at the longer term, and see where it leads
to. In scripture we get a look at the longer term point of view. Jesus had a longer term point of view. He spoke of the temporal and the eternal. The things of earth and the things of heaven. Our time here is a few years, our time in eternity, is alot longer.


Mt 6:19 "Don`t lay up treasures for yourselves
on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and
where thieves break through and steal;


20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in
heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and
where thieves don`t break through and steal;


21 for where your treasure is, your heart will
be there also."


Do you get a hint of modern Amerika? Or here's an even more extreme passage.


Mt 19:21 Jesus said to him, "If you want to be
perfect, go, sell what you have, and give to the
poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and
come, follow me."


22 But when the young man heard the saying, he
went away sad, for he was one who had great
possessions.


There's that problem of perfection again.


I can't ever remember in my lifetime, hearing a sermon preached on this passage. There are
obscure and uncertain passages in the Bible. This is not one of them. But like Mark Twain put it -- It's not the parts of the Bible I don't understand that bother me. It's the parts I do understand.


Some people would have you believe that if you follow Jesus then all your dreams will come
true. Well, I can't say it's not so. It
depends on what you dream about. But the idea that following Jesus is going to be easy has never been the case. You will be going against the flow. Just look at scripture.


Mt 16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If
any man desires to come after me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.


25 For whoever desires to save his life will
lose it, and whoever will lose his life for my
sake will find it.


26 For what will it profit a man, if he will
gain the whole world, and forfeit his life? Or
what will a man give in exchange for his life?


27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of
his Father with his angels, and then will he
render to every man according to his deeds.


Some people look around and see that things have not changed much over time. They are accused of 'doom and gloom'. It depends upon your perspective. If you are living only for what you can get for yourself, then you don't want the party to end. This is nothing new.


"Bread and circuses" is a phrase that can
criticize either government policies to pacify
the citizenry, or the shallow, decadent desires
of that same citizenry... This phrase originates
in Satire X of the Roman poet Juvenal of the
late 1st and early 2nd centuries. In context,
the Latin phrase panem et circenses (bread and
circuses) is given as the only remaining cares
of a Roman populace which has given up its
birthright of political freedom:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bread_and_circuses


The Roman Empire gave in to the 'bread and
circuses' mentality. It eventually led to its demise. I suppose you could debate whether it was a cause or an effect of their demise. But either way, it is not a matter of 'doom and
gloom'. It is the record of history. I suppose if you want to believe that it's different now, that we have evolved, you are entitled to wishful thinking. Myself, I'm sad to see things taking that direction. That's the real doom and gloom -- the notion that we can live carelesslyand still enjoy never ending peace and prosperity. It's never been that way in all of recorded history, as far as I know.


On the Jesus Bus, scripture provides another view. There is a new world coming, once this present order is removed. This is 'doom and gloom' for those who love this present system, but it's good news for those who look forward to something better. In the book of Revelation there are 55 references to heaven. It is a book about the future. Good news for believers, doom and gloom for others. The word heaven is translated :


"the region above the sidereal heavens, the seat
of order of things eternal and consummately
perfect where G-d dwells and other heavenly
beings."


Based on what I've read, the idea of a 'heaven' in the sky above, is a literal translation. But
the idea is of a dimension beyond our four
dimensional physical universe. It is eternal
and transcendent. And I'm sure that words used
to describe it are lacking. But we are given a glimpse of it in Revelation.


Rev 21:1 I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for
the first heaven and the first earth have passed
away, and the sea is no more.


2 I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming
down out of heaven from G-d, made ready as a
bride adorned for her husband.


3 I heard a loud voice out of heaven saying,
"Behold, G-d`s tent is with men, and he will
dwell with them, and they will be his people,
and G-d himself will be with them as their G-d.


4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more; neither will there be
mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more. The
first things have passed away.


5 He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I
make all things new." He said, "Write, for these
words are faithful and true."


Right now, there is another building boom goingon in heaven. All in good time, this old earth that we live on, will be replaced by something better. Who needs global warming
anyway?