What If You Owned A Hawaiian Island?

You’d still be poor if…

What if you owned a Hawaiian island? This week Carolyn and I got to visit the Hawaiian Island of Lanai. It’s the sixth-largest Hawaiian Island. It is 98% owned by one person.

That person is Larry Ellison. He’s currently the 5th wealthiest person in the world, according to Forbes magazine.

Kind of impressive, huh?

But here’s the interesting thing that Jesus said about being wealthy:

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36 KJV)

What was Jesus saying? He was saying that without salvation, you are a pauper, even if you owned a Hawaiian island.

I don’t know anything about Ellison’s spiritual life, but I do know that with Jesus he would be eternally wealthy. Without Jesus, he would be a poor man.

It’s the same for everyone.

And what is more important, being financially rich, or being spiritually well off? That’s an easy one, for as Zig Ziglar used to say, “You’re going to be dead a lot longer than you are alive!”

Here is what the psalmist wrote about this: “For you, a thousand years are as a passing day,     as brief as a few night hours.” Seventy years are given to us!     Some even live to eighty. But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble;     soon they disappear, and we fly away.” Teach us to realize the brevity of life,     so that we may grow in wisdom.” (Psalm 90:4, 10, 12 NLT)

We’re here for just a little while, and then we give a report. The psalmist wrote about this also:

“We wither beneath your anger;     we are overwhelmed by your fury. You spread out our sins before you—     our secret sins—and you see them all.” (Psalm 90:7&8 NLT)

So what if you owned a Hawaiian island? It really means nothing. In fact, wealth brings plenty of issues such as:

• Fears of theft

• Fears of kidnapping

• Lots of people asking for help

• Temptations to pride and self-righteousness

I’m not knocking wealth—many great biblical and historical people have been wealthy. The problem is financial wealth without salvation.

So earn as much money as you can. I think it would be great if you owned a Hawaiian Island.

But don’t miss out on what is most important!

To receive eternal salvation by accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord click HERE.

For more help on this topic, see these resources on my website:

• Who Needs Jesus, I’m a Good Person

• Facing Death Fearlessly

• How to Prepare for Eternity Now and Face Death with Confidence Later

• How I made a Killing in Real Estate and You Can Too!

• Podcast: Will someone lose their salvation if they commit terrible sins?

Yesterday, Today and Forever

Jesus is Always the Same

Our world is changing so quickly. Growing up, we didn’t have color TV until I was in high school. Gas cost 32 cents a gallon and some really great candy bars only cost 5 cents!

Now we have incredible cameras on our phones that we can use to create videos such as the one attached to this post. We can our food without heat, travel to outer space, and communicate instantly via the internet to family and friends on the other side of the world.

My “virtual assistant” Humaid lives in Sri Lanka (near India).

Just as I was writing this my phone gave a news update saying, “North Korea says it successfully tested engine of intercontinental ballistic rocket.” We can’t help but wonder when a madman will get his hands on a nuclear weapon or dirty bomb and kill who-knows-how-many people with one blast!

God help us.

In this world of crazy fast-paced change, at least one thing stays the same: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8 NLT)

Aren’t you glad at least one thing is constant.

And not only is He the same, but He has promised: “I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved.” (Matthew 5:18 NLT)

That means, if God said it in the Bible, it is true and it will happen! Jesus is the same and His Word stays true yesterday, today and forever.

Wow, that gives me a lot of comfort in this discomforting world. It should give you a lot of comfort also.

To learn more about this comfort, check out the following resources:

• Salvation

• Podcast: Will someone lose their salvation if they commit terrible sins?

• Facing Death FearlesslyWho Needs Jesus, I’m a Good Person

• How to Prepare for Eternity Now and Face Death with Confidence Later

For more biblical advice and insight into ageing, heaven and eternity, see my articles and podcasts:

• Hungry for Heaven

• Podcast: How can I age gracefully and productively to the glory of God?

• How Moving is Like Going to Heaven

• What Can We Learn from a Cemetery Under a City Park?

• Podcast: Why would God take away our free will in heaven for eternity?

• Podcast: Isn’t Christianity arrogant to claim to be the only way to heaven?

• 5 Reasons Getting Older is Awesome

• How to Age Gracefully in the Light of Jesus’ Resurrection

The Heavens Declare The Glory Of God

a short video from Sedona, Arizona

Recently Carolyn and I got to go on a short vacation to Sedona, Arizonarecently and see the remarkable red rock formations. We’re big hikers, and it was an ideal place for hiking twice a day. We loved it. We left the day after my birthday so it was kind of a birthday celebration trip.

As you can see in this short video, the beauty of creation in Sedona reminded me of this verse which talks about how the heavens declare the glory of God:

“The heavens declare the glory of God,     and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech,     and night to night reveals knowledge.” (Psalm 19:1-2 ESV)

We read something similar in Romans 1:19-20: “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” (ESV)

For more help with hearing the voice of God through creation and other means, please see my article on Five Ways God Speaks to Us.

The vast majority of people throughout history have known there is a God by observing creation. They recognize that the heavens declare the glory of God. But they are often confused about who He is. To allow us to know more about Himself, God has given us His written revelation, the Bible.

For more insights into how we can know God though the Bible, check out these resources on my site:

• Salvation

• 4 Reasons You Can Love and Trust the Bible Today

• How Digging in the Dirt Proves the Bible is Reliable

• Have You Written Your Own Bible?

• Podcast: How do we know we have the right books in the Bible?

• Podcast: Why do some Bible versions omit certain verses?