Is there a greater thrill than to know someone's life has been permanently transformed because you reached out to them?
It is sweet to know your sister was saved through your series of
conversations, or that you helped to disciple a struggling couple whose
marriage was headed toward an inevitable divorce, or that you preached a
sermon that God was kind enough to use in someone's spiritual
awakening.
Each of those things are treasured experiences — but none of them are intended to sustain our joy.
Jesus’ chose 72 of his followers and sent them out in his name. And
they found incredible success in healing the sick and in watching
demonically sabotaged lives get radically and immediately repaired. The
experience must have been intoxicatingly fun.
But ministry success wasn't the most stunning thing, and Jesus warned
his followers of that when they returned. He told them to look beyond
the fruit and see an eternal foundation: "do not rejoice in this, that
the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written
in heaven" (Luke 10:20).
Written in heaven. That’s what he wanted them to see and us to see.
Our highest joy is to know that our names are written in heaven. Knowing
we are heirs to the bliss of God's eternal presence is the foundation
for our greatest joys. Continue at Tony Reinke
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