“Revelation 11:15

“The kingdom of the world has become
    the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah,
    and he will reign for ever and ever.”

The Lord describes the nature of man as temporary.  Here today, and gone tomorrow.  He is like a breath, chaff in the wind, a flower that withers.  The breath he breathes, the job he works, the money he makes…all temporary.  The times he laughs, cries, eats, drinks, learns, and grows…all temporary.  Even for the greatest of men, no matter how hard he works, what kingdoms he builds, what inventions he creates, both his name and his work will eventually be forgotten by time.  Even for the most important and powerful of men, the most he can hope for is to simply be remembered as a footnote in history.  At the end of his life, King Solomon understood this heart-wrenching fate of man.  He had reached the heights of power, wealth, fame, wisdom, and excess in everything.  What was his conclusion?  Everything is futile!  What purpose is there in accomplishing such great feats if there is no hope for them to last?  If the only thing that a man could hope for was his own legacy then life truly is futile!  If our only hope is for what we build in this life for the here and now, then the comings and goings of life, the waking and sleeping, eating, and drinking, building, and tilling are all pointless.  Life would become a mundane exercise in survival simply for the sake of survival.  Do you ever feel like you’re spinning your wheels?  That each day seems to be a pointless exercise in all of the same tasks you did the day before?  Have you ever asked the question, “What is all of this for?”  Take heart fellow Believer!  The Lord has promised a day to come in which we will live in the eternal glory, power, strength, light and truth of the Lord.  Unlike ours, His kingdom is not temporary, His work is not futile, His power will never wane, His promise will never fade!  And even though each day may seem like an exercise in futility, every moment we spend in service to the Lord will one day be rewarded with an eternal reward!  Jesus Christ will reign forever!  And we, as His children, will reign with Him in the Kingdom to come!  We will not be divine like Him, all powerful like Him, but we will receive the same favor, love, and honor from the Father that Jesus receives!  Though we walk in the valley of despair and climb the mountain of struggle now, we can all rest in the assurance that one day very soon, we will be with the One who will reign forever!  This day, let us all be renewed in our strength and service to Jesus Christ.  The daily “mundane” life and obedience of a faithful saint is never a waste, never futile and never forgotten.  Because the Kingdom to which we belong is the Kingdom of the eternal God.   “To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.”

Yours in Christ,

Pastor John