Sunday, September 15, 2013

Paradise Found


Let me tell you a tale:

Once upon a time, in a far off land lived a princess. The land where she lived was a paradise, a place where there was no sickness, no pain, no death. But, she was deceived by the King's enemy and committed high treason. She even convinced the prince to do the same.

The King was no ordinary King and knew right away what they had done. Therefore, they were banished and forced to live in a foreign land that was not their home.

Out of mercy, before the the King sent them away, He promised Someone would come who would make things right and bring them home again.

Though the new land where they lived was cursed, they make their home there and built towns, cities, tribes, and nations.

Generations later, the children of the banished prince and princess forgot where they came from and forgot the promise. And, the King's enemy continued to work behind the scenes, convincing the people that that this foreign land was their real home and there was no paradise and no King who will ever make things right again.

This may sound like a fairy tale, but its origin is based in the Holy Bible (Genesis 1-3).


Adam and Eve stone mural at Bok Tower Gardens



Every good fairy tale is one of redemption. Even good modern fairy tales (i.e., movies, TV shows, and fiction novels), if you look hard enough, you will a story of redemption embedded within it.

Even the true life stories that we love, the ones that stick with us, are the stories of redemption.

Why is that?

Why do are hearts thrill at these stories?

Is it because we were meant for Paradise?

That we are still living in a foreign land cursed with sickness, death, and disease and it's because of our first parent's sin and our own?

And, as descendants of Adam and Eve, we continue to try to carve out a living in this land that is not our own.

Many times we find this world is full of heartache, laden with thorns and thistles.

Our hearts ache for Home.

So, we try hard to get a little bit of Paradise here on earth.

Just look at the Internet.  There's a little bit of false paradise in every airbrushed pic and Pinterest pin.

Yet, we can have a glimpse, a foretaste of our true Home right now.

We can turn our treasonous hearts back to our true King:

Jesus Christ, the Risen One, our Redeemer, the Savior of the world.

It is possible to have a living, active, redemptive relationship with Christ who will open your spiritual eyes to life infusing fruit (Galatians 5:22,23) and hidden treasures (Philippians 4:19).

All it takes is a desire to be right with Him (Ephesians 2: 8,9) and to follow where He leads (1 John 1:7).

There is joy in the journey and hope in His promise. 

He has come to make things right in our hearts, and He will come again to make the world right.

This is still not our home, but one day, it will be...

But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.   The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?   Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (1 Peter 3:10-13)










  

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