Eternity.

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end."
[Ecclesiastes 3:11]

So, the Lord has totally been speaking to me about eternity lately. He has put eternity in our hearts.It is eternity that matters most, and the life we live on this earth is preparing us for eternity, no matter where we find ourselves spending eternity. That thought is a difficult realization to come to.
How do I live my life? Do I live it for Jesus Christ--- FULLY? Do I live my life with the understanding of eternity? Do I live my life with my only motivation being Jesus Christ and wanting to represent Him in a way that He is worthy of being represented?

Well, I want to. Still, I fall short every single day. And for that, I thank God and praise Him for His grace--- it is a grace I can never deserve, I will never deserve, and it is the greatest gift that I could ever receive. Today in church, as Jimmy taught, I was again confronted with the unconditional, unimaginable love that God [Father, Son, AND Spirit] has for me. I was confronted with my own heart, and knowing that I still have so much self-love, and tendencies of self-preservation. What that mentality shows me is that I think I am safe in my own hands, though I KNOW that in my own hands, I am in danger...at times I try to make myself believe that I know what's best for my life. But I know in my soul that only my Lord has my best interests at heart, and I am perfectly safe in His hands alone.

As it was pointed out, if I were the ONLY sinful person in the world [if every single other person in all of history had been born perfect and without sin], Jesus Christ would have suffered the same persecution and crucifixion for me...just me. That goes for all of us. I cannot grasp such love. It is absolutely overwhelming and humbling. The experience of that love should drive each and every one of us to our knees, because we are not worthy to stand before God, or to be called by His name. BUT Jesus Christ, through His perfect love, became the sacrifice for our sins, so that we could be restored to a relationship with our Father and Maker. Because of Him, we are able to call upon the name of God, to worship Him, to know Him, and to be identified with Him and by Him...we deserve the worst eternal torment, & instead He gives us the greatest gift of eternity WITH HIM. Even as I write this, I am convicted, knowing that I should live my life in a different way: more dependent on Him, more surrendered to Him, more identified with Him, more submissive to Him, more loving to Him [and to everyone], because to whom much is given, much is required [Luke 12:48]. And I have been given forgiveness, salvation, restoration, peace, joy, love, hope, and eternity with Jesus.

Why don't I live my life with unshakeable joy, with perfect faith, with absolute patience, and with unconditional love? Why don't I spend all of my time in God's word, in prayer to Him, or being about His business? Why is there still such self-seeking, pride, and unlove in my life? Why am I still so rough around the edges?
Why does the Lord bless me SO much and give me more than I could ever dream of receiving? Why does He love me despite all of my failures, and why does He put up with me even though He knows I will never attain perfection in this life?

BECAUSE HE IS LOVE. He is the incomprehensible fulfillment of love, and love can only be defined in the Lord, and in His character.

The only way I am able to love God is because He first put love in my heart. He has loved me with an everlasting love, and with lovingkindness He has drawn me [Jer. 31:3]. By loving me with the most perfect and utterly selfless love, He has shown me how to exercise just a glimpse of that love. He has taught me how to love, and that is the only way that my life can produce any good.
"Every good and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning." [James 1:17]

"He has put eternity in our hearts..."
Which brings me to my point [sorry for the long introduction..]: eternity. As you all know, Natalie LOVES definitions. The American Heritage Dictionary defines eternity as "time without end" or "the timeless state following death".

To have been given this love, to know that I have been given a second chance for a fulfilled, joyful life, with the hope and assurance that one day I will spend eternity with Jesus--- it would be hypocritical to say "I've received love and live my life for Jesus" yet to not share that same love and hope. It is the truth that has set me free, and that truth is Jesus.

I know many people who do not live for Jesus, and who do not have a relationship with Him. To those of you whom fall into this category, I must tell you: life without Jesus is empty. Don't enter eternity without knowing Him personally. "Time without end" is a long time. We have no idea when Jesus is coming back. No one knows the day, nor the hour. We must be ready, watching and waiting for Him, because He IS coming. We don't know how much time we have left, and tomorrow is promised to NO ONE.

On Tuesday, there was a plane crash in Madrid. There were 19 survivors, and 153 people entered eternity that day. None of them knew it was their last day. The news of that crash hit close to home, knowing that I [and many close friends and acquaintances] have flown through that airport several times. A 3-day mourning period was put in effect throughout the country, and all of the flags flew at half-mast for those 3 days.It was such sad, sobering news, especially in the light of the general spiritual condition of this country. Spain is highly Catholic and atheist--- humanism is a popular view here. That day I was reminded of the brevity of life, and the fact that no person can avoid death. The opportunity of eternity with our loving God and Savior has already been GIVEN to each one of us....please don't ignore that gift or settle for anything less. He endured the cross for the joy set before Him...me and you.

You are His joy; let Him be yours.

The only other option is not only "less" but terrifying--- eternity in hell means separation from all things good, comforting, and enjoyable, because it is separation from Jesus Christ. "See that you do not refuse Him who speaks..." [Heb. 12:25].

To those who know the Lord personally--- I guess this is a call to accountability. Like I said before, I know I don't live a life fully, completely, 100% for Jesus. I am nowhere close to being perfect. Titus 2 says that the grace of God has appeared to all men, and it teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, that we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

Proverbs 17:17 says, "As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend."
We need to be sharpening each other, because that great day is approaching when Jesus Christ will return for us, His Bride. And we need to be ready, looking for His glorious appearing. Eternity is vital to our lives, because our lives on earth are only the beginning of our existence. We will move from earthly bodies to eternal bodies, and I hope and pray that I will see everyone on the other side. I know that heaven where I'm going, and I hope that each and everyone of you can say with confidence that your place in eternity is worshiping the Lord in heaven, being in His presence, and experiencing the promises of no more tears, no more pain, no more sorrow. HOW AMAZING that we have the privilege of spending "forever" with the very Father who created the universe and who formed us!!

[for those of you looking for the prayer requests, they begin here!!]
That being said [as long winded as it was....and apparently always is with me...], I have a prayer request and exciting news to share!

#1) Christina [a girl who lives here in Santa Ponsa and has been coming to church regularly] gave her life to Jesus, acknowledging Him to be her Lord and Savior!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PRAISE GOD!! She has been coming to church, and always hangs around for awhile afterward, talking to people in the coffee shop, and asking questions about God and the Bible. We've all gotten to know her in recent weeks & months, and this last week she went to a home Bible study. That night she went home and prayed and asked God to enter her life. Then today, after Jimmy taught this morning's church service, she asked him to lead her in the sinner's prayer--- so she's made a public commitment to Jesus!! Please pray along with us: pray that Christina would be grown and strengthened as she continues to come to church, and that she would desire to read her Bible and pray and seek the Lord on her own. Pray for her baby, Alicia, and that she would be raised knowing God as her Father. Pray that those of us here [who know Christina] would be always ready and available to talk and answer questions, and to disciple her in any way possible, and that our lives would correctly portray Jesus Christ and the love He has given us. Pray that Christina would come to know God in a deeper way, and that her relationship would be growing every day, and that she would truly experience God and the plans that He has prepared for her.

#2) There is a little shop downstairs, right outside of our building. A married couple owns the shop [probably in their 50's], and I stop in every couple of days to buy water. I used to always see the wife, but now the husband works more often in the afternoon. Whenever we see each other, we always say hi, and if I'm in the store, we stop and chat for a few minutes. Usually our conversation revolves around news and the weather, and all last week I was praying for opportunities to share the Gospel with them. Yet I didn't know how to go about it because, since I've lived here, I've realized that relationship is key. Door-to-door witnessing doesn't happen here, because people are most likely to listen to someone whom they know and respect. If I were just to walk up to a complete stranger and say, "Hey, do you know Jesus Christ?" they'd probably think I was a crazy radical and would want nothing to do with me. So, I was just asking God to give me opportunities to talk to this couple, and asking for boldness to share with them when the opportunities do arise.

Well, 2 days ago, the husband asked me if I work nearby [because half the time I'm carrying a laptop bag]. And I told him, "Why yes I do, I work at the church." I told him that there's a Bible school at the church, and that the students coming this semester are anywhere from 18-32 years old, which completely shocked him. I was able to tell him how the Bible school works, and that we teach the Bible, and why people come from around the world to attend school in Mallorca. He asked a few questions, but not too many. BUT, the door was opened in that short conversation!!!!!

So, please pray for me. I realized that I need to practice my Spanish so much more. Spanish was my first language, but I've always lived in California and gone to English speaking schools, so over the years I've lost fluency. Also, I've always gone to an English speaking church, and I don't have a lot of practice in sharing the Gospel in Spanish. The conversation with that man definitely lit a fire under me, and now I'm praying for more opportunities to talk to him and his wife, and to be bold to talk about Jesus, and for God to sharpen my Spanish speaking skills! So, please pray for me in that area, and pray that the Lord would sent His Spirit to be working among them, softening their hearts, and making them curious about Him. Okay, I'm done!! Sorry these are always SOOOO long and, if you've read this far, thanks for staying with me this long!