Reward!

For Tuesday, September 10, 2024:

1 John 2:24-25 NLT: “You must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us.”

In computer code, there’s an operation called “if, then.” IF we make a certain choice, THEN happens. For example, if we pick “quit,” then that program stops running and is no longer active. It disappears from our screens until the next time we choose to launch it.

Donkeys love carrots. The “Carrot On a Stick” saying shows the rider holding a carrot on a stick just out of the donkey’s reach, motivating it to move forward. “Eternal Life in the presence of the Lord” is mankind’s carrot. That’s our motivation, our reward. Let’s be honest – no one would pursue all this “religion” stuff if there was no reward at the end.

But there IS a reward! The God who loves us wants us to all be together in his Kingdom. Souls go to heaven until Jesus returns, when they’re given glorified bodies to fight for the “Jesus Team.” Eventually God removes sin, creating the New Heaven and the New Earth. Just so you know, faithful mankind’s final destination isn’t heaven; it’s the New Earth, where God will live among us!

Pursue the carrot!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship