THE DAY I MEET JESUS FACE TO FACE
1 Corinthians 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
Philippians 1:10-11 That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;
[11] Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
“C.S. Lewis said,
“If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.”
I came across this quote from C.S. Lewis, all I could say was…Hallelujah! The longer I live, the more I realize through God’s Spirit that lives within me that this world is NOT my home! Until that final day, when our faith becomes sight, when seeing Jesus face to face becomes reality, our lives will be vulnerable to drift and decline to independent and self-centered living. We will be susceptible to be drawn away from purposeful living to ordinary life among the masses of this world. The course of the human heart and will must be brought under the control of the Spirit to the reality (we WILL meet Jesus face face) or we will, in the end be most sorrowful. Being reminded of this day motivates me in my faith to continue to grow closer to Jesus and know his purpose for me. It troubles me that many who say they have been born again by God’s Spirit, may have never made HIS return a reality in everyday living. When I say reality, I mean, living every moment with the expectation of seeing Jesus. When this becomes real to us then we will choose our words more wisely. We will take more seriously our actions, thoughts, and in how we invest our time during the day. There will be less emphasis on things that once were so important because at the thought of being in the presence of Jesus they seem to lose their value. We will be more guarded in every area of living, life will take on a new meaning, knowing there is a day in the future; after we have bowed at HIS feet, Jesus will look directly into our eyes. Just that thought alone humbles me to the lowest part of my being. What will that moment be like? Jesus knows every action, every idle word, every thought and intent of my heart, HE knows every time I have failed or drifted from HIM, and here HE is staring into my eyes. Right now, I am trying to imagine that moment…will Jesus place HIS mighty nail scarred Hands around my neck and pull me close to HIM and embrace me and say, “Son, you fought a good fight”? Will Jesus say to me, you ran your race well? With all that is within me, I want Jesus to proud of me, I want HIM to be proud that I am HIS! The Lord called me to preach, will HE say…”my child, you may not have been a big named preacher, and your preaching was not very popular, but I AM the ONE that called you, you were always a great preacher in my eyes?” I write these words and I can’t stop weeping, and there is a reverential fear that I am not always pleasing to my Lord. Oh, but more than anything, I want to please the Lord and on that day when we finally meet, FACE TO FACE, I want Jesus to be proud of me.
When it’s all said and done, everything we do, say, think, act upon, or involve ourselves with will be sifted through this same thought: Was it pleasing to the Lord? Are we right with HIM in all things? It will not matter what others thought about us, if we got that promotion at work or not, if the heating and air system worked in the house, if the price of gas went up, if we will still have our home next year, if we got that new car we always dreamed about, or if we were finally accepted by the ‘in crowd’ or not. Nothing will matter but this one thing: Are we right with HIM in all things? Nothing else, absolutely nothing will have importance when the trumpet sounds, or when we take our last breath.
When we learn to live in this since of purpose, we will find a wall of strength, faith, and great stability around our everyday lives reminding us, keeping us, and motivating us to this one moment in time: When we see Jesus in all of HIS glory! It’s what we do with the brief moment of time we are given upon this earth that will determine our stand before Jesus Christ when we see HIM face to face. This moment in time must become a living reality if we are to avoid lifeless living. Meaning and spiritual drive will take over our life when our focus becomes the day we see HIM and not the day at hand. We can lose our way if we keep only today before our eyes, and yesterday and our past looming over our shoulders like a cloud of remorse. When we lose sight of seeing Jesus Face to Face then we find ourselves blinded to the things of eternity.
Bro. Lawrence Longworth
Isaiah 61:1 “the opening of the prison to them that are bound;”
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