Temporal vs. Eternal Values

July 17, 2018

“Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”  (John 17:3)

To appreciate eternal values we must define these two words: eternal and temporal.  Eternal literally means “that which was, that which is, and that which always shall be.” Temporal relates to “that which is temporary.”

Jesus made it clear that we have eternal life because we are related to the true God and believe in the One Whom God sent. Jesus and God are eternal and we have eternal life because we believe and are related to them. We must also make the observation that eternal life is referring to a quality of life as well as a quantity of life.

The word value also needs to be defined. The dictionary tells us “a value is that quality of any certain thing by which it is determined by us to be more or less important, useful, profitable and therefore desirable.”

When we bring these concepts together (eternal, temporal and value) we should realize we are discussing what is more and less important, useful, profitable and therefore desirable in this life and in the life to come.

An eternal value is that the eternal is a greater value than the temporal.

The Apostle Paul wrote: “Truly, if our hope in Christ were limited to this life only we should, of all mankind be the most to be pitied!” (1Corinthians 15:19 J.B.Phillips)

Paul so highly valued the eternal he sacrificed his life here for what he was sure awaited him in eternity.

Do you value the eternal more than the temporal?

Dick Woodward, 16 July 2013

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Seeking Jesus

December 10, 2016

“…Wise men came saying, “Where is he?” (Matthew 2: 1, 2)

Christmas cards tell us that wise men still seek Him. Wise men still find Him. Wise men still worship Him and give gifts to Him. We can add this observation: wise men (and women) still ask the question: “Where is He?”

If we want to know where Jesus is today, we should look where the Love is. Paul writes that He is a specific quality of love. (1Corinthians 13:4-7)  If we tap into that quality of love we will find ourselves connecting with God, and discover that God is connecting with us. (1 John 4:16)

The great Christmas word,“incarnation,” literally means “in flesh.” (John 1:14)  The Bible tells us that incarnation also means relocation. God wants to express the quality of love God is where people are hurting. If we will intentionally place ourselves where people are hurting, as we become conduits of God’s love that addresses their pain we will discover where God is and where we want to be for the rest of our lives.

We must also look where the Light is.  Then, we can deliberately place ourselves where others live in spiritual darkness and ask God to pass the Light of Christ through us to address their darkness.

And we should look where the Life is. The Apostle John writes that God has given us a quality of life God labels “eternal life.” (1John 5: 11, 12) We can experience this quality of life ourselves, and we can become conduits of that Life for others.

We can go, or God may place us with the hurting, those living in darkness, and those suffering from a low quality of life. As we become God’s conduits, that’s when we discover by experience where Jesus is.

Dick Woodward, 13 December 2011

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Dick Woodward (October 25,1930 – March 8, 2014)

March 8, 2016

Since today marks the two year anniversary of Dick Woodward’s passing, the Editor would like to share something a little different from ICM’s website.  Instead of words from Dick Woodward, here are words about Dick Woodward from one of ICM’s African ministry partners:

17 March 2014

We have just learnt about the departure of our Leader, Teacher and trainer Rev Dick Woodward, that we have come to know and love for some years now and whose teaching has been and still will be the foundation and the guidance to our churches, correcting our marriages shaping our doctrines and illuminating our understanding with the Mini Bible College, he is and will be always a blessing to our churches and pastors and mostly to myself and family.

What will be my excuse before God? What will be your excuse before God? If Woodward could do what he did in the ability of his God, what will be your excuse with the same God?

If Woodward could despise his pain and serve his God to the last day of his life and impact so many lives up to my little village – what will be my excuse?

Let us continue to perpetuate the purposes he lived for.

Our Pastor is not gone he is still with us through his work although he sleeps in death.

Amen – (from the Editor!)

Mama and Papa bedDick & Ginny Woodward in their “African Outfits” the Editor had made for them in Tanzania (worn on Sundays to dress up!) Now they’re worshiping together with Jesus in the Presence of Everlasting Love…

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Values Clarification and Application

August 6, 2013

“Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for Him is a waste of time or effort.” (1 Corinthians 15:58, The Message)

We are exhorted by the Apostle John to confess Jesus Christ (1 John 4).  That is a compound Greek word that means to speak the same thing or to agree with the values of Jesus.  I challenge you to clarify your value system and apply these eternal values I have focused for you.  The eighth and final eternal value is:  the work of God is a greater value than the works of man.

In his two swan songs (Psalm 127 and the book of Ecclesiastes) Solomon told us it is possible to work very hard in vain our entire lives when we work for the wrong things.

Many years ago a Methodist missionary, who had labored in India for fifty years, was saying farewell to the people of India, whom he loved very much.  He had won the respect of many of the large gathering of influential, high-caste Indian political and professional leaders who gathered for his farewell address.  After he proclaimed the Gospel that night in the mighty energizing power of the Holy Spirit, his concluding words to them were: “If what I have told you tonight and for the past fifty years isn’t true, it doesn’t matter; but, if what I have told you is true, then nothing else matters!”

I want to conclude my perspective on these eternal values the same way that missionary concluded his message to those leaders in India.  If what I have written about the meaning of these eternal values isn’t true, then what I have written here doesn’t matter.  But, if what I have written here is true, then nothing else matters!

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Temporal and Eternal

July 16, 2013

“Now this is eternal life: that they may know you,  the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”    (John 17:3)

To appreciate eternal values we must define these two words.  The word “eternal” literally means “that which was, that which is, and that which always shall be.”  The word “temporal” relates to that which is temporary.

Jesus made it clear that we have eternal life because we are related to the true God and the One Whom He has sent.  They are eternal and we have eternal life because we are related to them.  We must also make the observation that the words “eternal life” are referring to a quality of life as well as a quantity of life.

The word “value” also needs to be defined.  The dictionaries tell us “a value is that quality of any certain thing by which it is determined by us to be more or less important, useful, profitable and therefore desirable.” When we bring these two concepts together we should realize we are discussing what is more or less important, useful, profitable and therefore desirable in this life and in the life to come.

A second eternal value is that the eternal is a greater value than the temporal.  The Apostle Paul wrote: If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable (1 Corinthians 15:19 NKJV).  Paul so highly valued the eternal he sacrificed his life here for the rewards he was sure awaited him in eternity.  If there were no eternal dimension he should be pitied.

Do you value the eternal more than the temporal?

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A Revelation of Reality

July 10, 2013

“Whom have I in heaven but You? And earth has nothing I desire besides You.”   (Psalm 73: 25)

The author of Psalm 73 has a problem.  He envies the wicked because they always seem to prosper while God is forever chastening him and putting him through hard times that grow his character.  The Psalmist becomes a great model for us as he takes his problem into the sanctuary where the Lord shows him the end of the wicked.  That changes his attitude toward the wicked from envy to pity and compassion.

How would it affect your outlook on life if God permitted you to spend five minutes in hell — or in heaven?  Both experiences would probably make you an evangelist.

The Psalmist goes on to write:  “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength (reality) of my heart and my portion forever.”  By this he means that God is the great Reality in this life.  Jesus said the same thing when He prayed: “This is eternal life that they might know You the only true God and Jesus Christ Whom You have sent.” (John 17:3)

When we have a revelation of eternal reality we will realize that the things we leave when the Lord calls us home are not worth living for while we are here.  As Peter considered the great Day of the Lord in which every material thing will be dissolved he asked the question, “Since everything will be dissolved in this way, what kind of people ought you to be?” (2 Peter 3:11)

The answer to Peter’s question is that we should be people who know God and make Him known in every nation.  This is how we hasten the coming of that great Day of the Lord.

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