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by Roger Born CHAPTER ONE Matthew 19:29 Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. TIME ENOUGH FOR LOVE "One day is like a thousand years."
It was a bright and sunny day. Richard, the old man, lay sleeping peacefully under
the tree on the hill. Although the sun was out, he was undisturbed in the shade as
he reclined peacefully on the carpet of grass. The sleeping gentle Leviathon, hidden
in his cave deep below the hill, breathed in unison with Richard’s dreams. A large
white rabbit ran near the sleeping man, and, looking all around, dodged down a hole.
Strangely, he wore no waistcoat, nor did he carry a watch. Songbirds sang nearby,
and little honey bees buzzed softly among the flowers nodding in the gentle breeze,
but Richard was all unaware. "Wake up son," said the youth gleefully. He sat down under the tree and gently repeated his request until the old man roused himself, yawning and blinking. "How long did I sleep, Father Hiram?" The white haired man asked, looking sheepishly into the clear gaze of the young man. The youth thought for a minute, a single finger on the side of his chin, and said, "About 20 years, Richard." The grey haired man was startled as he sat up, "That long? What have I missed?" Again the youth named Hiram was pensive. A little grin again playfully crossed his face, "Do you wish to go back to when you started, and continue from there, or do you wish to go on from this point in time?" As he stood and stretched himself, the old man thought for a bit, and finally expressed quietly that he would go back, to continue his life from the point when he first fell asleep. The youth quickly stood. As the old man rose and turned to go with the boy, he looked back at his sleeping form on the grassy knoll. They had already traveled back to the point when he started his long afternoon nap. He thought briefly about waking himself, but then shook his head. "No need for another paradox," He said to himself. Together they ran down the hill and into the wide, sunny meadow. As they were running, Richard did not grow tired, nor was he breathing hard. He felt completely fit, and his body gave him no sense of pain or problems. In fact he felt wonderful. ("Not bad for a man going on forty thousand years, that is!") "What's for lunch, Father, and how many of us will there be at home today?" The old man asked, as he stopped to stretch himself again. He ran to catch up.
and the ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. The boy stopped and sighed patiently before answering, "If you thought for a minute, the answer to your questions would come to you, 'son Richard.'" "I know, 'Father Hiram', but it is more fun asking you. You are the governor, and the record keeper for our family", Richard said. He too, put a single finger to the side of his chin thoughtully. "I don't want to keep you from doing your job, you know," he finished lamely, after a long pause. In heaven everybody knows everything. He knew that, but what was the point in having a conversation if you couldn't ask a few simple questions? Richard again continued, his grey eyes alight. "I remember now, Father. We are having our family ritual for this time of year, of an early period family recipe of lentils and barley stew, He continued. "There will only be a small number, 2,526 of our family there for the common meal. My own John and Betsy will be serving today." Hiram chuckled at his completely humble reply, as they continued on, now walking. "You do like it better when you can ask, don't you? After all these centuries, you are a delight to talk to. Most everyone else in our family is so introspective, it is hard to have a real conversation with them. You, on the other hand, are funny." "I guess I will take that as a compliment 'Father Hiram', many generations removed. What is it? Twenty-three generations removed? You were the first of our family to follow the Lord Jesus." "And you were the last, living in the last days and spending time mostly in prison because of your faith, dear Son, twenty three generations removed." Laughed Hiram. "You almost make me wish I were younger, Father." "And you make me wish I looked more my generational age. I might get more respect as Recorder." "Why don't you change then?" Asked Richard. He had never felt the desire to be a boy again. He glanced at Hiram's golden hair, which was closely cropped, and thought of his own white mane. "I might at that. I have always felt old, 'Son Richard.' I died at forty-one, an old man too soon wore out from the digging and hauling at the mines." Richard agreed, "While I died an old man of eighty-five.
Living, it seemed forever, in a worn out body that refused to die, so I
could finally come home."
Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. As they came to the top of another hill overlooking their estate, they stopped and looked at each other. Hiram put his hand gently on the old man's shoulder. "Interesting times we lived in, Richard, before Here. Come, I know your story, but there is pleasure in hearing you tell it to me. Can we skip lunch again for a while, and walk for a time together? We can always catch up again by coming back to this particular time." It was Hiram's turn to be humble.
"I saw a new heavens and a new earth. . ." Richard smiled, and then turned aside down the next fork along the main path leading toward their mansion of many, many rooms. This path would lead them to the River, which was but a small tributary of the great River of Life flowing from the City of God. (Ezekiel 47) The River of Life forever flowed out from the Throne of God on top of Mount Zion, in the center of the city of New Jerusalem. It came ouf of the City of God to water the whole earth. This smaller tributary near their home was only a few hundred miles across, and was named after their family. Here and there the River broke into smaller streams, watering their family land. Their land was a small inheritance of only a few hundred million acres. To the East of them, several hundred miles away, lay the little city of Christgate, in their nation of New Austria, on the planet which is called the New Earth. As they ran, Richard caught the smell of the wildflowers, ever blooming along these paths. Their sweet fragrance headily filled the warm afternoon air. This day was the Secondday. Six more days to the Firstday, when all the people on the planet went to New Jerusalem to worship and to party. This was the grandest kind of celebration that mankind had ever known. They were held every Firstday, and on each New Moon. (Isaiah 66:23) Here, the Firstday commemorated the very Firstday of their Victory in Jesus, their redemption, and the founding of the New Earth. On that day, a nation was born, and a brand new world was opened. (Isaiah 66:8-16, Revelation 20:11, 21:12) Richard recalled that the calendars were perfect Here; thirty days each in the twelve Gentile months, of a 360 day year. It was just as God had originally made it to be on the first earth, before the time of Joshua's little battle in Caanan. (Joshua 10) Life in the Here was sweet, and filled with peace. As he ran, he said a silent thank-you prayer to the Lord for it all. Jesus quietly answered in kind, reminding him that it was all for the pleasure of pleasing him, that He had done it. They presently came to the edge of a large stream leading to their river. They followed it, walking along the marble pavement wending along its bank. "Hiram, tell me, did you imagine in the time you spent on the old earth, that it would be anything like this?" "No, Richard. I could not begin to understand back then. Though I loved the Lord, and had put Him on in baptism, the preacher we had, and the Christian people we knew then, really had no idea that it would be so overwhelmingly full of life, beauty, and opportunity! I guess we thought it was some sort of sterile and pious little courtyard, where we would stand forever, singing and praising God," Espoused Hiram. "I had such a similar idea, Hiram. I once met one of those who forever stand in His presence. I envy them their position! It is always hard to leave His Presence, for He is so utterly beautiful. Yet, I cannot deny that this land given to us by His hand, and all these people of ours, including you. . . . Our family . . . I am ever at a loss for words to describe my joy at having all of you!" Hiram heartily agreed. "We are blessed indeed, Son! How is it possible that we, of all people, were so blessed by these things? I never could have dreamed that we would have been given such a glorious inheritance, so out of proportion to anything you or I ever gave Him. I still can scarce believe it is all ours!" Richard said, "I will add my 'amen' to that, brother. He is so awesome, and you and I are living in the time of Jubilee, in a free and open land with no laws or rules!" At a narrow bridge, they crossed the stream and continued South through another wide meadow encompassed by a tall forest. But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. NEXT CHAPTER Top Of The Page roger@borngraphics.com THE VERY BEST WRITING |