Is Your Destiny Secure?

Jeremiah 50/Daniel 5

As I write this the news has arrived, the infamous dictator, Fidel Castro has died. In today’s reading, we read about another dictator, Belshazzar. The marvelous mercy of God is that no matter your station in life, God has presented himself in His marvelous creation that we may be without excuse. We cannot say we did not know about God.  [Rom 1]

As the dictator Belshazzar partied, the finger of God appeared and wrote a message the charlatan wise men could not interpret. Then, as in any crisis, God has a man prepared for such a time as this. Belshazzar called for Daniel whom he noted as a “captive of Judah.” As Daniel stood there reading the words we wonder if he recalled the prophecy of the true prophet Jeremiah “I will chase the Babylonians off their land.” “Suddenly Babylonia will fall and be destroyed.”

It has been at least 66 yrs since Daniel arrived in Babylon. To Belshazzar he is still considered a “captive of Judah” but Daniel is, like Paul, a “prisoner for Christ.”  Daniel reminded Belshazzar that God’s finger of mercy was sent make him know his eternal destiny needed to be settled. He had all the evidence, the idols of Babylon were false; the charlatan wise men were false. Would he accept God’s way?  Crises come and go, dictators come and go but when we are a “prisoner of Christ” we can know that one day we will enter heaven for we have secured our eternal destiny.

Where is Castro now? Where is Belshazzar now? Where will you be when you die?

 

 

 

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Are You Sure of Your Destiny?

“people are appointed to die once, and then to face judgment,”[Heb 9]. Our question is: are you prepared for your entry into eternity? In Luke 23, we are presented with three candidates for us to observe and determine ours.

First on our list is Barabbas, an insurrectionist and a murderer. He is incarcerated in a prison awaiting his sure sentence of death. As he sat waiting could he hear the crowd led by the religious leaders calling for his release? Did he know that his life would soon take an abrupt turn? Did he know that the religious leaders and the crowd offered an innocent man named Jesus to face the cross that was slated for him? We wonder and only in eternity will we know his thoughts, his actions before and after. Only God knows his destiny.

Second, are the two criminals who were also led with Jesus to the Golgotha hill and there nails would pierce their bones. They both heard Jesus cry out “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” Yet only one would enter eternity forgiven for he cried out remember me when  you enter your kingdom. Jesus heard and promised that would be true. His forgiveness for his sins was washed away on that day.  The other would enter a Christ-less eternity. He neither feared God or man.

Your destiny is assured—either heaven or hell. If you are like Barabbas, bow the knee now for life is uncertain. If you are like the thief on the cross who railed on Jesus, think what lays ahead for you. If you are like the thief that sought forgiveness you can be assured of this promise: you will be with Christ in heaven/paradise. What is your destiny?