Now
Hebrews 11:13 Each one of these people of faith died not yet having in hand what was promised, but still believing. How did they do it? They saw it way off in the distance, waved their greeting, and accepted the fact that they were transients in this world.
:14 People who live this way make it plain that they are looking for their true home.
:15 If they were homesick for the old country, they could have gone back any time they wanted.
:16 But they were after a far better country than that–heaven country. You can see why God is so proud of them, and has a City waiting for them.
This special offer that will open up a world of opportunity is yours today, but you only have 60 seconds left to claim your special invitation. (While a countdown clock counts the remaining time-)
I love those sites with this marketing strategy- the sense of urgency to get in on something before it’s too late. And, I’ll admit that I have, from time to time, taken my unique and special opportunity, clicked the link, and usually found myself with a chance to part with hard earned cash for something of uncertain real or useful value. To buy into one of these schemes is to believe in something that cannot be seen or touched; it’s only represented by words and maybe some pictures, video or audio clips describing the magnitude of this special opportunity. The real deal- the part that is actually sensed and lived, though, is withheld from being delivered until there is enough belief in the promise for there to be commitment of resources. What is really being sold isn’t the item itself as much as the belief that it exists and that it can be yours upon your immediate action.
Once bitten by what ends up as a scam or after having a barrage of cheesy offers that lead to dead ends in their validity, it’s easy to become very skeptical of any and all banners proclaiming how special is this moment of opportunity. There may be wisdom in this that will keep one from being taken, but there is also a chance that the real opportunity of a lifetime is being missed, that there really is a tangible item somewhere that will be delivered as promised. Every day I get to trash a large number of offers to which I cannot afford to commit my time. To check each one of these offers could consume a large portion of each day and take away from what is really important in my life. But, what if there really is a financially liberating opportunity that ends up in the deleted folder? What if the time taken and the committed resources could really produce as promised?
This may be part of the reason many people don’t take the time to discover more about the opportunity of salvation that is on a countdown right now, whether they care or not. It would seem that this may be just another undeliverable promise that will end up in nowhereville. They may have heard from ‘reliable’ sources that this really isn’t all it’s cracked up to be - that ’so-and-so’ tried it with no apparent change or help. The problem is that to pass up this one and just toss it in the junk mail repository is to not only miss out on the promised goodies that are your bonus for signing up today, but it’s a missed opportunity to take on a whole new identity with a completely new community of opportunity takers. And, there is also a penalty for not utilizing your special invitation.
To finally be sold on the incredible offer of heaven citizenship, however, will require the entry level commitment of everything- your heart, mind, soul and resources. Talk about risk- this is the ultimate payment for something that might not even be touchable at the moment. Its reality may just have a written or verbal representation. In fact, for some of the promises associated with this identity, there’s a very real possibility that you’ll never receive them at all during your lifetime. Eternal life doesn’t recognize the limitations of earthly existence. And yet, once belief has taken over and the promise of eternity begins to dwarf the temporary things that are touchable, real and fulfilled life can be found living with an assurance of the promise right here and right now- in this special moment of opportunity. The clock is ticking though. It’s the chance of a lifetime and beyond, but it must happen right now or else……..
2 Corinthians 6:2 … behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
