HIGHER LEVEL.

 THE CORONATION OF QUEEN ELIZABETH TOOK PLACE IN WESTMINSTER ABBY, LONDON, IN 1953. DURING THE COURSE OF THE SERVICE, THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY PRESENTED HER WITH A BIBLE. IN HANDING IT TO HER HE SAID, WE PRESENT YOU WITH THIS BOOK, THE MOST VALUABLE THING THAT THIS WORLD AFFORDS.  HERE IS WISDOM. THIS IS ROYAL LAW. THESE  ARE THE LIVELY ORACLES OF GOD. GOD HAS PLACED THIS SAME GIFT IN YOUR HANDS. IT POINTS BEYOND ITSELF TO THE MOST PRECIOUS OF ALL GIFTS- GOD'S SON, JESUS CHRIST. THE REAL PURPOSE IS TO DEEPEN YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST, BY DISCOVERING THE MEANING OF LIFE THROUGH THE BIBLE OF THE PRICELESS TRUTH. IN THE BOOK OF EPHESIANS 1: 9,10 WHERE PAUL SPEAKS OF GOD'S WILL, PURPOSE AND PLAN TO UNITE ALL CREATURES IN THE UNIVERSE AROUND JESUS CHRIST.  ITS IMPLICATION FOR YOUR LIFE AND SALVATION WILL BECOME INCREASINGLY  CLEAR. AS YOU WORK THROUGH THE BIBLE. ONE FINAL THOUGHT!  THE BIBLE DOES NOT ASK US MERELY TO FOLLOW JESUS' TEACHING. IT INVITES US TO BECOME MEMBERS OF HIS COMMUNITY AND TO SPEND LIFE IN HIS COMPANY. MAY GOD HELP YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS MEANS. IF YE, THEN BE RISEN WITH CHRIST, SEEK THOSE THINGS THAT ARE ABOVE, WHERE CHRIST SITS ON THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.  SET YOUR AFFECTION ON THINGS ABOVE, NOTHINGS OF THE EARTH.  FOR YE ARE DEAD, AND YOUR LIFE IS HID WITH CHRIST IN GOD. WHEN CHRIST WHO IS OUR LIFE, SHALL APPEAR, THEN SHALL YE ALSO APPEAR WITH HIM IN GLORY-- COLOSSIANS. 3:1-4.
SOME PEOPLE HAVE TOTALLY WASTED THEIR LIVES THEY NEVER REALLY MANAGE TO RECOGNIZE THEIR REAL PLACE AND PURPOSE IN THEIR LIFE. THEIR IS ACTUALLY ANOTHER PERSON WHO CAN LIVE WITHIN US , AND THAT IS OUR SAVIOR, SHOWING US TRUTHS TO A HAPPIER LIFE FOR US, NO MATTER WHAT THE AGE. THE CHINESE HAVE A LEGEND THAT THERE ARE 5 POINTS TO THE COMPASS : NORTH, SOUTH, EAST,  WEST, AND WHERE YOU ARE. THE LAST OF THESE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT.
 FOR YOUNGER PEOPLE THEY DON'T KNOW WHICH  WAY TO GO.  THE OLDER WILL NOT LOOK FOR A LIFE ON A HIGHER LEVEL IN CHRIST UNTIL WE NOTE OUR LACK OF IT WITHOUT HIM.  ACTUALLY, DEATH-NOT LIFE- IS OUR NATURAL CONDITION. WE WERE BORN TO DIE. BACK IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN, GOD WARNED OUR FIRST PARENTS ABOUT THE TREE IN THE MIDST OF THE GARDEN: "IN THE  DAY THAT THOU EATEST THEREOF THOU SHALL SURELY DIE."  THEY ATE DESPITE THIS WARNING, AND THEY DIED.  THEIR HEARTS CONTINUED TO BEAT FOR MANY MORE YEARS. THEY WALKED AND TALKED IN MUCH THE SAME MANNER AS BEFORE. BUT ALL THAT WAS REALLY BEAUTIFUL AND HOLY, GODLY, ABOUT THEIR LIFE HAD DIED. SIN HAD KILLED IT. THEIR PERFECT KNOWLEDGE OF GOD AND THEIR HAPPINESS WITH HIM WAS CHANGED INTO SHAME AND FEAR AND IGNORANCE. THEIR COMPLETE MASTERY OVER THE EARTH AND ITS FORCES AND CREATURES WOULD FOREVER BE CHALLENGED. THEIR PHYSICAL PERFECTION WOULD BE MARRED BY ILLNESS AND PAIN. THEIR HAPPY RELATIONSHIP WITH EACH OTHER WOULD BE STRAINED AND TRIED TO THE BREAKING POINT. DAILY TASKS WHICH HAS BEEN DONE CHEERFULLY AND WITH JOY BECAME TEDIOUS AND BORING. SUCH WAS THE CONDITION OF LIVING, BREATHING DEATH. WHICH SIN BROUGHT ADAM AND EVE. (OUR FIRST PARENTS).  WHICH BECAME THE INHERITANCE OF ALL WHO FOLLOWED THEM ( THE HUMAN RACE). SOMETHING HAD TO BE DONE!  GOD DID NOT INTEND THE PRIZE OF HIS CREATION TO LIVE THIS WAY.  HIS LOVE DEMANDED HE PROVIDE AN ANSWER.
 TO ADAM AND EVE HE GAVE A PROMISE BROUGHT AND THE PROMISE BROUGHT NEW HOPE AND PURPOSE TO THEIR LIVES.  HE PROMISED A SAVIOR: FOR YOU AND ME, AT OUR PLACE IN HISTORY, THE PROMISE HAS BEEN FULFILLED. THE RECORD OF GOD'S OWN WORDS STATES:" CHRIST BORE OUR SINS IN HIS OWN BODY ON THE TREE, THAT WE, BEING DEAD TO SINS, SHOULD LIVE UNTO RIGHTEOUSNESS"  " OUR SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, HAS ABOLISHED DEATH AND HAS BROUGHT LIFE AND IMMORTALITY TO LIGHT.  GOD WAS IN CHRIST, RECONCILING, THE WORLD UNTO HIMSELF.  TODAY YOU AND I ARE PERMITTED TO SEE A GOD WHO CHOOSES TO PITY US AS  A FATHER PITIES HIS CHILDREN RATHER THAN DEALING WITH US ACCORDING TO OUR SINS.  OR FEAR OF ANGER OF A JUST GOD IS CHANGED INTO A NEW AWARENESS OF HIS LOVE AND REJOICE AT THE FELLOWSHIP WHICH IS OURS WITH GOD IN THE SAVIOR. WITH PAUL WE MAY EXCLAIM: " WHO SHALL DELIVER US FROM THIS BODY OF DEATH? I THANK GOD THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD" WHATEVER LIFE WE HAVE WITH GOD IS IN CHRIST. NOW WHAT ABOUT THOSE WHO REJECT JESUS AS THE MESSIAH? AT SOME FUTURE DATE, THE RECORD WILL BE SET STRAIGHT. GOD WILL VINDICATE HIS HOLY NAME. AND DISPENSE HIS PURE AND PERFECT JUSTICE. FOR A GREAT MANY PEOPLE, IT WILL BE SHOCKING TO BEHOLD THIS JESUS, WHOM THEY TRIED TO RELEGATE TO A SUNDAY SCHOOL ROOM. TERROR WILL STRIKE THEIR HEARTS AS THE LORD ARRIVES ON SCENE, AS PREDICTED IN REVELATION (19: 11:16). I SAW HEAVEN STANDING OPEN AND THERE BEFORE ME WAS A WHITE HORSE, WHOSE RIDER IS CALLED FAITHFUL AND TRUE. WITH JUSTICE HE JUDGES AND MAKES WAR. HIS EYES ARE LIKE BLAZING FIRE, AND ON HIS HEAD MANY CROWNS. HE HAS A NAME WRITTEN ON HIM THAT NO ONE KNOWS BUT HE HIMSELF. HE IS DRESSED IN A ROBE DRIPPED IN BLOOD, AND HIS NAME IS THE WORD OF GOD. THE ARMIES OF HEAVEN WERE FOLLOWING HIM, RIDING ON WHITE HORSES AND DRESSED IN FINE LINEN, WHITS AND CLEANED.
OUT OF HIS MOUTH COMES A  SHARP SWORD WITH WHICH TO STRIKE DOWN NATIONS. HE WILL RULE THEM WITH A IRON SCEPTER. HE TREADS THE WINEPRESS OF THE FURY OF THE WRATH OF GOD ALMIGHTY. ON HIS ROBE AND ON HIS THIGH HE HAS HIS NAME WRITTEN: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. THIS IS NOT A PRETTY SIGHT. THE SAME MOUTH THAT SPOKE PEACE AND RECONCILIATION WILL ONE DAY USE THE SHARP SWORD OF JUDGMENT. THE SAME EYES THAT GLOWED WITH COMPASSION WILL ONE DAY BLAZE WITH FIRE. C.S. LEWIS ONCE SAID THERE ARE ONLY TWO TYPES OF PEOPLE IN THE END. THY WILL BE DONE. AND THOSE WHOM GOD SAYS, IN THE END WHOM, MY WILL BE DONE.