The blessing of eternal, timeless things

The blessing of eternal, timeless things

 (KTZ is an acronym for Kingdom Time Zone. God is not in a hurry.)

Scriptures about living & dwelling “above” this current life, in the KTZ, in eternal heavenly places that rule over the temporal earthly realm:

Colossians 3
New International Version

3 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

2 Corinthians 4:18
New International Version

18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Ephesians 2:6
New International Version

6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,

Romans 12:2
New International Version

2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Ephesians 4:22-23
New International Version

22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds;

2 Corinthians 5:17
New International Version

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

“ . . . thinking about heavenly things is not natural for us. We need to practice it intentionally. If we let our minds wander freely, most of the thoughts that come to us are usually not heavenly thoughts. So, avoid letting your mind wander without purpose.”

NOW ABOUT MY CANYONLANDS EXPERIENCE . . .

During a trip out west in 2012, while in Utah, we went to Canyonlands. It was there, that something profound struck me.

Ann, my wife and I had been to the Grand Canyon the day before. She made me close my eyes and then lead me to the ledge or overlook. She then said open your eyes and started taking pictures of my smiling face. Oddly enough, I had no profound moment then. It looked almost exactly as I had imagined it would appear. Yet this was reality and not imagination. It was so vast and extremely expansive. At times, it seemed an impossible thing for my mind to process what I was seeing. In fact, my brain, at times, caused it to appear to be only 2 dimensional, like a mural without depth. I don’t understand how or why that happened but others have told me they had experienced the same effect.

But back to Canyonlands — it was there, driving at the foot of these huge geologic forms and looking up at the massiveness — seeing fallen rocks bigger than a house — that it hit me . . .

This is all so very, very old — existing for millennia — long before the first men ever walked here to see them, long before the first North American people took it all in. My short experience of life was indeed a vapor, grass growing and wilting away — and these stones fashioned by the hands of God would stand here long after my life was only a memory to a handful of people. I felt not only small in size standing among them but my life was actually a tiny flash of existence gazing at their ageless form.

Also this realization came to me . . .

God was definitely in no hurry with this planet or with mankind. And Time itself does not hold or rule Him but is only a thing for events concerning His purpose to dwell within. He is outside of, not ruled by – but is the Creator of Time itself and all that we see.

Job 38:4 Amplified Bible

⁴ “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell Me, if you know and have understanding.

⁷ When the morning stars sang together
And all the sons of God (angels) shouted for joy?

Job 38:31-33 Amplified Bible

³¹ “Can you bind the chains of [the cluster of stars called] Pleiades,
Or loose the cords of [the constellation] Orion?
³² “Can you lead forth a constellation in its season,
And guide [the stars of] the Bear with her sons?
³³ “Do you know the ordinances of the heavens,
Or [can you] establish their rule over the earth?

And when His purpose is fulfilled — Time will cease. And eternity — as we try and imagine it — will swallow up Time forever. Time will not even be a memory — like my life passing so fleetingly, among the great monoliths of the Canyonlands.

Now how are eternal, timeless things a blessing?

They hold a key and provide us a lesson.

Dana Congdon, a wonderful servant of the Lord recently spoke this past June. He stated that the mature Christian, "the fathers" spoken of in First John -- had seen "A God above Time" "seated on the Throne" above the "chatter" of this world, above the everyday world. That revelation somehow freed and strengthened those fathers in the early church. They also could see God's providence as a foresight and not in hindsight.

If we could truly see God; God the Father, God the Son, God the Spirit -- in this timelessness, eternal, outside of and in charge of Time itself -- we might then be able to be less anxious, less hurried and worried. We could learn patience as we faith each day along. We could pray and not be so frustrated when the answer doesn't come when we expect (in our earthly time frame).

When we go through suffering here, we could better realize it will pass sooner than we realize. And our merciful Lord the Creator, knows of our plight and will hold us through the seemingly long and hard times — all the while existing and guiding our life from within His eternal and timeless will.

God has seen the beginning and the end. Jesus is Alpha and Omega. Jesus is the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world -- before Creation! He has long, long ago -- seen us, called us, and chosen us in Christ. Ephesians says we are NOW seated with Him in the heavenlies -- outside of Time. If we could somehow have a deeper revelation of these things -- it would change us, encourage us. How can God so boldly promise so many specific things to His children? Not only is He faithful but -- because they are already done. Try and wrap your faith around that.

Yet, my very real suffering in the here and now -- is like me standing among the massive stones of Canyonlands. I was there in amazement and wonder but only for a few hours and now many years have passed. Those moments in Canyonlands are but a distant memory. Still, it seems like our suffering is forever sometimes -- like our suffering will never end. I have been there myself and have known deep suffering lasting for seemingly endless years (7 years in fact before I was healed). Then He delivered me. I am sure many of you know well of what I speak. But our God is a mighty Deliverer! Bless the Lord.

I passed through that literal valley of the shadows. Yet God still holds me in His eternal and timeless hands. His purpose still stands like the Rock of Ages — cleft for me.

Through all things, He is there — in absolute charge of everything that touches us. Nothing is random concerning His children.

I want to close with these scriptures:

 

Psalm 31:15 Amplified Bible

My times are in Your hands; Rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from those who pursue and persecute me.

And how shall we properly live within the time we are given?

Mark 1:15 Darby Translation

. . . The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God has drawn nigh; repent and believe in the glad tidings.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 Amplified Bible

(God Set Eternity in the Heart of Man)

11 He has made everything beautiful and appropriate in its time. He has also planted eternity [a sense of divine purpose] in the human heart [a mysterious longing which nothing under the sun can satisfy, except God]—yet man cannot find out (comprehend, grasp) what God has done (His overall plan) from the beginning to the end.

Acts 1:6-7 Amplified Bible

⁶ So when they had come together, they asked Him repeatedly, “Lord, are You at this time reestablishing the kingdom and restoring it to Israel?” ⁷ He said to them, “It is not for you to know the times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority.

And this is our destiny, in God’s vision for John, being already done . . .

Revelation 7:9-12 Amplified Bible

⁹ After these things I looked, and this is what I saw: a vast multitude which no one could count, [gathered] from every nation and from all the tribes and peoples and languages [of the earth], standing before the throne and before the Lamb (Christ), dressed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands; ¹⁰ and in a loud voice they cried out, saying,

“Salvation [belongs] to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb [our salvation is the Trinity’s to give, and to God the Trinity we owe our deliverance].” ¹¹ And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the [twenty-four] elders and the four living creatures; and they fell to their faces before the throne and worshiped God, ¹² saying,

“Amen! Blessing and glory and majesty and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might belong to our God forever and ever. Amen.”