God’s promises make clear that He works everyday to give us things like,

Happiness.  Joy.  Peace.  Abundance.  Wisdom.  Increase.  Love.  Vitality.  Effectiveness.  Influence.  Insight.  Creativity.  Empowerment.  Opportunity.  Justice.  Relationships.  Friendship.

And — Eternal Life.

When faced with our own mortality, we can feel small in comparison to God’s immortality, until we realize that His immortality is on the list.  Not only does God want to give us all the good things this temporary life has to offer, God wants to give us His immortality as well.

You were not created to live for just a short time.  You were not created to exist and then pass away.  God created you to live forever.

That is why, when He explained His personal investment strategy to His disciples, He advised them,

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth…store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.  - Matthew 6:19-21

God wants to work with you to provide you with lasting health, lasting wealth, and lasting life.  God wants to invest in you in ways that will provide permanent, eternal returns. God is not in it just for the short term.  God’s perspective is eternity.  God’s will for you is to continue providing His blessings in ever increasing abundance for the rest of your life, which is the rest of eternity.

When we die, we rise.

Perhaps the single greatest witness of Jesus’ life, was His death.  It wasn’t a matter of opinion.  It wasn’t a theological argument or a healing miracle like He had done during His life.  It wasn’t just a conflict between men and God over religion and government and the matters of this life.  It wasn’t a philosophical point of contention over the nature of His kingdom, whether it was of this world or not.  At the end of the day, everyone observing the execution was sure of one thing, Jesus Christ was finished. His followers fled to their own homes and returned to their lives as best they could.  The leadership and those who had worked so hard to kill him, had some remaining worries about what might happen if stories started circulating that might make His influence after His death greater than it had been before.  But no one doubted the fact that Jesus was dead.

Jesus’ death was His final testimony to who He actually is.  It was the living witness of His power and identity.  Because on that third day following His death, the lifeless, bloodied, and pierced body of Christ rose under His own power, walked out of the tomb, and ascended to heaven — showing us the way.

This was not just a man.  Jesus Christ rose because He is the one true God and eternal life.

When we embrace Jesus Christ as our one and only God, when we choose to walk in His footsteps and embrace His will for our lives, when we first obey His commands and so become His friends.  Then when our lifeless bodies are laid to rest in the tomb, we too will rise under His power, walk out of our tombs, and ascend to live forever in heaven just like He showed us we could.

We do not worship a God of the dead, but of the living.  You were created to live forever — its just a matter of you wanting to.

Jesus warned, “You know that the rulers of the nations lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you, but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. Whoever desires to be first among you shall be your bondservant, even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

There is only one teacher — Jesus Himself.

He is the holder of the keys, and He freely gives them to all who are willing to accept them.  It is His will that whenever we discover one, we share it.  And so, here are just a few of His keys to His kingdom that I have discovered in my walk with Him.

Jesus Christ is God

• Jehovah God Created Heaven and Earth (Gen 1:1)
• Jehovah God Himself is and Always Has Been the Savior of the World (Isa 43:11; Hos 13:4; Isa 47:4; Isa 63:16)
• Jesus Christ is Jehovah God (Isa 9:6-7; Isa 7:14; Mt 1:23; Isa 25:9; Isa 40:3-5; Jn 1:1-14; Ps 33:6; 1 John 5:20)
• Jesus was Born of the Virgin Mary – the Divine Soul in a Mortal Body and Mind (Lk 1:35)
• By His Own Power Jesus Made Himself Fully Divine, Completely One with His Soul, so that After Resurrection and Ascension He Was and Always Will be Jehovah God All the Way Down Even to His Body, whose name we now know “Jesus Christ” (Jn 14:6; Lk 24:39; Jn 14:9; Jn 3:25; Mt 11:27; Mt 28:18; Rev 1:8-11)
• Jesus Christ is the Archetypal Human, in whose image and likeness we were made — and so to be human is to be Christlike(Gen 1:26-27)
• Saving Faith is Believing and Following the Life of Jesus Christ (Jn 3:36; Jn 15:4-5)
• Every Believer is a Priest (Exod 19:6; Jer 31)
• Every Person has an Individual, Direct, Unmediated Relationship with Jesus (Jn 15:15)
• Jesus Christ Made His Second Advent (1745 - 1770) when He appeared in Person to Emanuel Swedenborg and Commissioned Him as a Revelator (Jn 16:12-15; Mt 24; Rev 1-22) as the prophets had foretold

Only God Explains Truth With Authority

• The Written Revelations Given By God contain Divine Truth Itself (Jn 6:63; Mk 13:31; Lk 16:17)
• The Written Text of these Revelations Describes the Truth, but it is a Believer’s Living and Present Relationship with God that Prescribes Answers for Life (Jn 16:12; Mt 5:17)
• Every Believer Can and Should Search the Scriptures for God’s Eternal Message (Mt 7:7-8; Mt 21:21-22; Mt 23:25-26)
• The Ten Commandments (Exod 20:1-17) Summarize Civil, Moral, and Spiritual Law(Mt 22:35-40; Lev 22:31; Jn 14:15; Jn 15:10)

Every Person’s Life is Their Faith, and Salvation is God’s Ability to Bless, Correct, Improve, Restore, and Resurrect

• There is Only One True Faith that can save no matter what (Mt 16:16-18; Ephesians 4:4-13)
• Saving Faith is Complete Confidence in Jesus Christ and Trust that Everyone who Lives a Good Life and Holds a Proper Belief is Saved by Him (Jn 11:25; Jn 3:16)
• Doing God’s Will and Obeying God’s Commands are Required to Facilitate the Gifts of Faith and Salvation Even Though These Actions Do Not Cause a Believer to Deserve or Merit Heaven (Jn 3:27; Jn 15:4-8; Jn 13:17; Mt 13:23; Mt 7:24-26; Lk 10:27)

Salvation is God’s Purpose for Every Life, Because He Wants You to Succeed and Be Blessed like Everyone Else

• Heaven Isn’t Just a Destination After Death, it is a Quality of Life, Right Here, Right Now (Lk 17:21)
• In terms of Physics (position, velocity, and acceleration) – Heaven is a Velocity, not a position.
• Everyone Lives Forever One Way or The Other (Jn 14:19; Jn 11:25)
• Heaven is Full of People Who Love God and Love People Like God Loves Them (Mic 6:8; Lk 10:27)
• Hell is Full of People Who Love Themselves and the stuff they can own, control, and manipulate (Ps 9:17; Lk 12:5)
• Heaven and Hell are Both Eternal (Lk 16:26)
• Every Human Being is Created for Heaven but is Free to Reject it (Lk 17:21)
• People in Heaven are Married, One Man with One Woman, to Eternity (Mt 19:4-6)

Every Moment of Every Day, Jesus Christ is Using Everything that He has to Bless You

• All Humans Have Free Will in Spiritual Matters and so Determine The Network and Context of their Own Eternal Life by Their Lifestyle Decision For or Against Jesus Christ (Ps 54:6; Isa 1:16-17; Jn 8:31-36; Jn 15:14-16)
• Confessing Sins to Jesus Christ alone without another mediator, changing the decision for sin, giving back for the Damage Caused, and being Born Again to New Life in His Name is how we accept restoration, blessing, peace, and success (Jn 3:3; Jn 3:5; Lk 3:3-8; Mk 1:4; Mk 1:15; Lk 13:5; Lk 15:7; Mt 10:39; Ps 51:10)

Two Processes that Can Change You: Baptism and Holy Supper

• Christian Baptism Replaces Circumcision (Deut 10:16; Galatians 5:6; 6:15)
• Baptism is an Introduction to a Network and Context of Believers on Earth and in Heaven (Mt 3:13)
• Baptism is Full Immersion in Water in the Name of Jesus Christ (Mt 28:18-19)
• Baptism of Water is only a stepping stone so that a Person will be Born Again by the Spirit of Jesus Christ the living and only God (Jn 3:5; Mk 16:16)
• Jesus Christ is Present With, Redeems, and Opens Heaven to Those who want to walk with Him when they Take the Bread and Fruit of the Vine in His Name (Jn 6:51-56)
• Eating and Drinking with Jesus Connects the Believer’s Life with Jesus Christ and so renews their Freedom in Him (Deut 8:3; Jn 6:27)
• Grace is the immediate willingness of God to work with us no matter what
• Mercy is the empowered love of God that restores what was broken as we walk with Him in new life.

There are so many keys, these are just a few that have turned my life around.  Take them, try them, and when God reaches into your life, like He has so many time in mine and takes these thoughts or others and makes them keys for you, keep a copy for yourself, but pass the original along to someone else in your life.  Because it is only when we bring someone with us that any of God’s keys will open the door to eternal life.

Jesus answered, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:36-40)

The American Heritage Dictionary says that a commandment is “n. A command; an edict.”  However, in the Bible commandments are less like commands and more like the negotiated terms of a commitment or contract.  Just as a marriage is a commitment between one man and one woman that has specific terms of faithfulness, support, and care — our relationship with God can be a committed relationship that will be successful according to the terms that we expect, maintain, and dedicate our lives to.

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, just like I have loved you; that you also love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)

Jesus is not compelling our love.  He is actually not even commanding our love.  He is providing, sustaining, and empowering our love by consistently being there for us, blessing us, and providing for our happiness and success.  He is keeping up his part of our relationship with Him — meeting us where we are and loving us with everything that He is.

However, just knowing Jesus loves every human being isn’t enough, because when we don’t love Him in return even His infinite love and omnipotent presence is ineffective in its attempt at blessing us.  This is why He so passionately wants people to love Him — because love is always a two way street.  One way love is ineffective until it is received and reciprocated.  And so the all powerful creator of the universe says, “Love me so that I can bless you!  Give me the opportunity to show you what I can do for you!”

It is God’s passionate joy to give you every good thing from success in business to good health and fulfilling relationships.  He wants to bless your life with intimacy, peace, and contentment.  He wants the best results possible in every situation that is facing you today, because He already loves you with everything that He is and everything that He has — and that’s everything.

The entirety of creation was designed to bless you, because God loves you.  He created you so that He could bless you, and now He is telling you these two keys to success in life – Love God and Love Other People Just Like God Loves Them.

Intimacy.  Real, lasting, deep, and passionate connections between human beings.  Intimacy is what matters the most to God.  Intimacy can heal the body.  Intimacy can heal the spirit.  Intimacy can solve the hatred, anger, depression, anxiety, and every other sin facing you today.  Because intimacy is the presence of God.  Intimacy is the result of love received and returned.  Intimacy is the connection that God is looking for that enables His blessings, and His awesome will to be done.

1. There is one God who is the Lord
2. Do not Take His Name in Vain
3. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy
4. Honor Your Father and Mother
5. Do not murder
6. Do not commit adultery
7. Do not steal
8. Do not bear false witness
9. Do not covet specific items
10. Do not covet anything that is your neighbors

Certainly these commands are literally true, but is there more to being a Christian than avoiding these errors?  The gospel according to John summarized the relationship between the Old Covenant laws and Christian practice by observing that, “the law was given through Moses. Grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17) So, what grace and truth did Jesus bring for us to see in these ten articles of His contract with the human race?  What is the eternal message written into this text by the finger of God?

Far from being a simple condemnation of widely accepted moral errors, the Ten Commandments describe every believer’s spiritual bill of rights.  Take a look at that list of laws again and then consider this list of rights that God is proclaiming through those words given to Moses:

1. You have the right to know the Lord your God
2. You have the right to talk to Him and call upon Him for help anytime you want or need him
3. You have the right to worship Him in community with other believers
4. You have the right to find mentors for your life’s journey, people who love you and support you in your walk of faith and who can teach you God’s Word
5. You have the right to life and the power to give life in the name of Jesus Christ
6. You have the right to pursue true love in a faithful marriage between one man and one woman
7. You have the right to receive a multitude of good things, an overflowing abundance of blessings from God and you have the right to give what you have to others
8. You have the right to acknowledge your faith to others and so spread the good news of salvation.
9. You have the right to live free of sin and free of the desire to sin.
10. You have the right to live without fear.

This is every believer’s spiritual bill of rights, the benefits of the covenant signed by the finger of God.  God has promised great things to the human race.  He wants to give us His love, His presence, His blessings, His power, His vision – in short, He wants to give us everything that He has…and that’s everything!  The only limit on God’s goodness toward us is our own free will.  He created us so that we can choose to live under His law and so enjoy the rights that it conveys, or we can choose to rebel, ignore, or dismiss the way that reality works and so limit God’s ability to bless us.

The choice is yours.

And so, today, pray this prayer.  Choose the blessing over the curse, and accept all of the blessings that God has in store for you, right now, and forever.

1. Thank you Jesus for Being God, for asking to be my friend and savior and leaving me in freedom to respond.
2. Thank you for Your Creation, especially for creating me on purpose to find your purpose in my life and to become an angel in heaven.
3. Thank you for Your Peace and Hope which strengthens me for the journey of life.
4. Thank you for Providing me with Mentors, Supporters, Believers and Guides who can participate in Your leadership of my life.
5. Thank You for Life every day, good and bad, weak and strong, I know you foresee all evil and provide all good.   So thank you for the opportunity to choose every day to live in your presence and bring your vitality, love, and wisdom into my relationships with others as I follow your example.
6. Thank You for true love and for providing me in this life or in the next with a perfect match, lasting love, and eternal bliss.   Strengthen me for the walk toward faithful marriage today and everyday, to live not for myself but for others.
7. Thank You for every blessing, every skill, every insight, every opportunity, everything.   Remind me to give credit to you for all that you do and open my eyes ever more to see your presence and activity in my life and in the world around me.
8. Thank You for bringing me into a community of believers that gives strength when I am down, clarity when I am in doubt, hope when I am desolate.   May I come to see you more and more in each of their faces and may I strive to follow your example so that they might see your face in me.
9. Thank You for the love that you place in my heart — may it always be new so that with every challenge, every temptation, and every hard time I may choose to let my old life die and be replaced by your life in more and more ways every day of my life.
10. Thank You for life eternally new and happy, for faith which dispels fear, replacing it with peace and confidence in You.

All this we pray in Your name, our Lord and God, Jesus Christ.  AMEN.