SEEING GOD IS THE ULTIMATE
Human beings could be grouped into four segments:
i] Those who know where they are going and are making efforts to reach there. They seem to know that they are stranger on earth and make effort just to reach heaven but do not know what they want from heaven. They are simply interested in sharing a place in the mansions; seeing the gold and silver decorations therein. They are satisfied with having salvation. However salvation is just the beginning of Christian journey.
ii] They know they need heaven but most importantly they need to see God, their creator and the Lord Jesus Christ, their Redeemer and Personal Savior and the Lord of life; have opportunity to bow before Him in worship. They need more than salvation to have a successful overcoming Christian experience
iii] Those who know where they want to go but make little or no effort towards reaching there. These people sit at the pew Sunday after Sunday and play religion and Churchanity. They believe they have Abraham as their father; do sacraments and Church activities. They treat with a wave of hand any mention of deeper relationship with Christ. In life many people know what is right but lack the will power to do it.
iv]. Those who do not know what they want. They just live as if they have no place to go from here; as if this place is the end. They appear to live anyhow, as if life has no purpose; such life takes you to nowhere. They live in darkness and know nothing better than that drenched life.
Many people are introduced to the Church. They go into the sanctuary every Sunday feeling comfortable with the air-conditioned auditorium and beautiful arranged seats; quest for knowing the pastor very personally and members of Church committees as well as the management team members but being neither introduced to nor have great passion and desire to know God and have a relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ. They become members of the Church but are never introduced to the Head of the Church. They are satisfied with earthly denominational membership and busy in activities. This is wonderful and commendable but not the ultimate. Nothing satisfied the biblical Moses than to see God, face to face. He had heard God spoke, talked with Him, seen the pillars of cloud and pillars of fire and witnessed his great works He accomplished but will be satisfied only in seeing God face to face. Thus he asked: show me thy glory [Exodus 33:18].
When you return to your home town, your attention is to see and hug your father and mother, if they are still living; then your brothers and sisters and other relations, before you settle down for food, drink and other needs. Even after youve had food, drink and room to lay your head, nothing satisfies than meeting with your dad and mom. If they had gone to somewhere nearby, I mean within the community, they are likely to be sent for. Until parents have been seen, the home coming is incomplete. Its not the home food, native brood wine to calm nerves or any other thing that makes that home coming special but to see your old folks. The ones God urges us to honor without excuse partly because they brought us into this world and with a provision for long life and well being.
God told Moses, I will give you anything you desire: perfect love, eternal peace, youll never be afraid or alone, no confusion will come near your mind, no anxiety or boredom or any lack shall be your portion. There will be no more sin, no guilt, no rules, no exception or expectation, no failure. You will never hurt, may never die; but only you will never see my face! Its not enough. Some people want heaven without God, want miracles but not God. However, heaven is not a reality without God. If you get to heaven without seeing the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, you have not reached heaven. On the same accord, if you get to a Church without seeing the Head of the Church, youre just a bench warmer. If you become a member of a Church and do not know the Head of the Church, youre simply religious. Religiosity isnt Christianity. Its likened to knowing about someone but dont know the person. You may have read about the person but have no personal relationship with him. Christ is the door to knowing God and the entrance to Gods kingdom. No one comes to the Father except through Him [John 14].
An author had opined, a painless and deathless eternity will be nice but inadequate; a world shot with splendor would stagger us but its not what we seek. What we want is God. We need God more than we recognize it because He created us with a vacuum only Him can fill and satisfy. Its not that the perks arent attractive; the gold and silver plated heaven is not amazing and wonderful but our hearts are restless until they rest in God. Only when we find Him will we be satisfied. In the case of Moses, he had much of God as any man in the scriptures. Indeed, I opined that he had experienced God more than some others in the bible because of his peculiar calling and the exposure. God spoke to him in the Burning Bush. God guided Moses with pillars of cloud and pillars of fire. God amazed him with the serpents and plaques before Pharaoh and Egyptians. God grew angry with the children of Israel and withdrew from them but stayed closed to Moses. This great God spoke to Moses as a man speaks with his friend [Exodus 33:11]. Indeed, it could be claimed that Moses knew God like no other man. However that wasnt enough; Moses yearned for more; Moses longed to see God. He even dared to ask, Please show me your glory [Exodus 33:18]. Nothing could satisfy Moses longing than to see God face to face. Ferry pillars and morning manna were insufficient. Moses wanted nothing but God. For the same reason we all long for heaven.
We may talk about a place where there is no pains, no tears, no deaths, no fears, no nights; these are simply the benefits of heaven. The beauty of heaven is seeing God. Heaven is Gods heart and our heart will only be at peace when we see Him. Little surprise that King David hoped, As for me I will behold thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake, with thy likeness [Psalm 17:15]. Nothing can equate or satisfy us until we come face to face with God. Contentment is a difficult virtue because theres nothing on the whole earth that can satisfy our deepest longing. Our deepest longing is to see God and that is the ultimate. Our greatest longing is for something that is not physical, not psychological or emotional; not even found on this earth. Its only in the domain of God to provide, fulfill and satisfy. Apostle Paul says, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all Spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. According to as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love [Ephesians 1:3-4]. Its worth noting that our Spiritual blessings are complete in heavenly places [never on earthly places] in Christ and our holiness and blamelessness is before Him [in heaven] in love.
When Jesus discussed with His disciples, He revealed, I am the Way, the Truth and the Life He also said, If you have known Me, you have known my Father. One of his inquisitive followers, Philip asked Him, Lord show us the Father and it will be sufficient unto us Jesus responded, I am in the Father and the Father in Me. If you have seen Me you have seen the Father [John14:6-9]. Jesus was discussing the bonding He has with the Father which is purely spiritual but Philip understood Him in the ordinary. We all reason the same way and think alike. We see to believe; the reason we always ask for signs; physical evidences that vanish after a while. Such evidences do not endure but what endures is eternal and spiritual. Each time one has the rare privilege to see the glimpse of the eternal, he sees his nakedness and filthiness. Prophet Isaiah saw a glimpse of heaven; most importantly the Lord sitting on His majestic throne, high and lifted up and His train filled the temple. He saw the uncommon and the amazing: In the midst of numerous seraphim, one seraph only cried to another and said, Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. He wept and cried for help; for forgiveness and for cleansing and sanctification. Gods holiness illuminates mans sinfulness.
Seeing God is not a wishful thinking. After all Jesus assured, And if I go and prepared a place for you, I will come again and received you unto myself that where Im there you shall be also. And where I go you know and the way you know [John14:3-4]. Jesus did not promise to keep us in a different place but in the same place where He is with the Father. This is awesome! The Revelation of John says, Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen [Revelation 2:7]. We cant turn off the light, flip the switch or return to the gray. By then that would not work and it shall be too late. We can start to prepare for heaven now and never morrow. Its the desire to meet with God and our Lord Jesus that will drives our zeal to get ready and persevere until we get there.
When God watch you making that effort, the Helper and our Advocate shall give us enablement and Jesus provide the way to get there. Moses took certain stands to pursue his desire: God gave Moses a place to stand and place him in the crevice. God then covered Moses with His hand and passed by. And God revealed Himself. God equipped Moses to catch a glimpse of Him. All Moses did was to ask. All we can do is to ask because by asking we receive; only in seeking do we find. God is the person who will equip us for our eternal moment with the Son. Hasnt God given us the Rock in the person of Jesus Christ? Hasnt He given us the cleft in His grace and hasnt he covered us with His hand, His pierced hand? That Same God, the Father Almighty is also on the way to get us. The decision is ours to desire and ask, seek and knock.
Reach: Evangelist Ogbonnaya, Godswill at: weefreeministries@yahoo.com or P. O. Box 720035, Houston, Texas, 77272.
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