One of my favorite books is a poorly written fiction by Harold Myra titled "Escape from the twisted planet." It's a fascinating picture of life on a twisted planet and what it might be like on planets where sin never happened. The reason I love the book is the visions it paints of what life might be like without sin's pervasive influence and destroying impact. All around us, like fish in water, sin pervades all we know, all we experience. It would be difficult to imagine life without the destructive nature of sin in us and in the world around us.
If we eliminated all the jobs that deal with sin and its impact on the culture most of us would be out of work! We are used to it all, but just imagine what it would be like without all that sin has done- no prisons, no police, no hospitals, no doctors, no nurses, no congress to make laws, no courts to enforce them, no traffic signs, no fear, no anger, no jealousy, no hurts emotionally or physically, and on goes the list. If we were to make a complete list of what sin has done to us it would be much longer than you could possibly imagine! Living on a twisted planet is difficult, but it's all we know.
Go with me for moment to a place where sin has not touched its inhabitants. It's hard because we can't imagine such a place, but let's take a moment and travel to a planet that sin has not affected. The people there have no worries, no one is there to hurt them, steal from them, or reject them. There's no fear, no pain, no jealousy, no peer pressure, none of the things that are woven into our very natures on this world. It's hard to imagine because, like those fish, we can't conceive of a place without water, or a world without sin's pervasive influence.
Sin has been much more destructive to us as humans than we could possibly imagine. Even as a Christian the pull of sin in my life is still strong. I constantly battle with sin's influence and invitation.
Paul tells us that we, as Christians, are citizens of another kingdom. A kingdom sin has not touched, a world as God designed it in the beginning.....perfect. When I use the word perfect what I mean is a place that has not been twisted by the work on sin. It's a kingdom coming soon, a country on the horizon that promises and provides joy, peace, happiness, compassion, kindness, caring, community like you have never known. It's a kingdom we all long for, a place apart from the twisted planet that has left us bankrupt because of sin's work on our little broken world. It's a kingdom I'm thrilled to be a citizen of and can't wait to see. Soon we will escape from this twisted planet and discover what life was meant to be. I look forward to the day when this twisted planet is set right by God's return to claim his people and his planet. As John writes at the end of the book of Revelation, "Come, Lord Jesus, Come!"
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I cannot wait! How much sin before he comes??? His heart must ache and he must be so disappointed at the evil things that go on in society and the deeper evil that we don't know of until we see it on TV or read about it. Cruelty and abuse and divination. Sometimes when I hear of the cruelty and evil things done by others, I think here I am thinking that wasn't done right or I might have said something wrong, or I allowed this or that to happen... little things compared to the realization of a twisted, contaminated world. I go back to my Father in heaven and ask to be free and filled with his grace and stay kingdom of heaven focused, not world focused. I thought I must be doing something wrong or not thinking straight, so I repented.
Willingness to go to him and lean on, depend on, adhere to him, as his word says, allows me to live on this twisted planet. I think, here I am, trying so hard to please him and do the right things, and I hear about the severe evil things people do and I think, he must be pleased at my effort. But effort is in vain unless it is done with his power and direction, grace and love. For Christ makes me pure and guides me into his arms. Knowing him and walking with him, waiting on him, through the battles of life, working to be an overcomer, brings the spiritual food to help stay on the straight and narrow road. He tells me to look straight ahead, wear my spiritual armor, have nothing between myself and my creator.
So I pray for those who don't have a clue what that feels like, the twisted minds and hearts and things done. They need to find Jesus before he comes back. It is the only way. Even for those who do good but do not have a relationship with Christ or refuse to submit to his will for their life or reject the gospel and salvation. Only he can change their hearts. Praying for the twisted and unsaved to find him, and for me, to receive grace and not try in my own effort to do good and believing in that power of prayer, I do not doubt he wants everyone to come to him. His word guides me. It is life in a twisted world.
I want to be away from this world and discover my new journey through eternity. Be free of all the sin in the world and pain, suffering... See my loved ones and brothers and sisters in Christ, the brilliance of his majesty. I long for it. What a wonderful place to go to!!!
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