Skip to main content

Where The Streets Only Have Names

  David L Payne really wanted to settle in Oklahoma. The only problem was that this was before it was Oklahoma and it was Indian Land. Payne thought since some areas in Indian Territory were unassigned, they should be allowed to be settled. So, he and his followers, known as Boomers illegally crossed into the land and set up a town near what would become Oklahoma City. The town, which he called Ewing, was cleared and streets were laid out in just a few weeks. Yet that is all it was a layout. Before anything could be made, Federal troops arrived and escorted the group out of Indian Territory. Ironically, when the Land Ran would open this land to settlers, people grabbed it up so fast they didn’t leave room for streets. When they finally got around to it figuring that out, the street on the east didn’t match the ones on the west.  Jogs had to be added and land taken back to make it all work.

  It turns out building a city is a little more complicated than people think.



  In John 14:3 Jesus tells, "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” Heaven is a prepared place. Jesus has made it just right. The streets are ready lined with pure gold (Revelation 21:21) Everything in order and made to be perfect. Revelation (21:16).

  Yet, not just anybody can go in. Heaven is a prepared place made for prepared people. Only those whose name is in the Lamb’s book of life will be allowed in. Jesus wants us there; he made the preparation but we have to make sure that we can be there. Sin doesn’t exist in heaven and we can’t either if we still are in our sins.

 No city on earth is perfect. But the City made by God is

for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

Hebrews 11:10

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Until Midnight

    In Acts 20, there is the tragicomic event surrounding a young man by the name of Eutychus. He did what a lot of folks before and after him did, he fell asleep during a sermon. Unfortunately, he was setting in in the third story window at the time. So instead of nodding off and hitting the pew in front of him, he fell to his death. The good news was the apostle Paul was delivering the sermon and had the ability to bring him back.       I don’t know, however, if we can judge Eutychus too harshly. The sermon had gone on till midnight. Paul wouldn’t finish it up till daybreak. That’s a long lesson. I know some folks that might want to jump out of a window if I had a lesson that long, yet these Christians wanted to be there to hear Paul.   Don’t get me wrong, I’m not pushing for all night sermons but I think we might need to adopt these folks' dedication. They knew that Paul was only in town for a limited time only and they were determined to ...

The Gift You Give Yourself

    I always hated buying gifts for my Mom. If I got her something like a new set of pans, it was like saying “Here’s something you can use to go make me something to eat”. A gift for her was seemingly a gift for me.   There are however gifts you give that benefit you more than the receiver. For example, forgiveness. When you give it, you are giving it to yourself as much as you are giving it to them. Jesus said that when we forgive others it means God is forgiving us our wrongs (Matthew 6:14-15).  I once read: “ Heaven is where everyone's forgiven. Hell is where nobody's forgiven.  So, when we forgive we pull heaven down into our lives.  When we withhold forgiveness, we pull hell up into our lives ” Give yourself something nice today, Forgive.

Mysterious Ways

    William Cowper didn’t see any reason to live.   He decided that he’d jump off the bridge over the Thames. So, he called a cab to take him there.   But that night in 1763, a thick fog enveloped London. It was so thick the cab driver couldn’t find the bridge and couldn’t even find the way to take William home. In frustration, he ordered the driver to stop and get out to get his bearings. He walked up to the nearest house to read the number and it was William's house. Gone now were William’s thoughts of suicide and instead a new idea came into his head. So, he went in and wrote these words: God moves in mysterious ways His wonders to perform. He plants his footsteps in the sea And rides upon the storm.  You fearful saints, fresh courage take; The clouds you so much dread Are big with mercy and shall break In blessings on your head.     I sometimes wish we could see all the ways God watches over us when need it. There are...