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Life is short

B-A-C

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Joined
Dec 18, 2008
Messages
11,809

A Vapor in Time, A Soul in Eternity​

By Ray | August 04, 2025

I've been around for a while.. I'm in the middle of my sixth decade., I find myself more aware than ever of how short life really is. The Bible calls it a vapor—a blink in the timeline of eternity. Even the largest number imaginable, a googolplexian to the googolplexian power, doesn’t begin to touch the edge of God’s eternal timeline.

We often think life is hard—and sometimes it truly is—but compared to eternity, it’s a brief moment. And in that moment, the decisions we make matter forever. Whether we live to be 100 or not, our time here is short. But it’s not meaningless. It’s the proving ground for eternity.

Scripture References​

  • James 4:14 – Life is a vapor
  • 2 Peter 3:8 – A thousand years is like a day to the Lord
  • Psalm 90:12 – Teach us to number our days
  • 2 Corinthians 4:17 – Light and momentary troubles produce eternal glory
  • Revelation 21:1–4 – The New Jerusalem
  • Revelation 20:15 – The Lake of Fire
  • Genesis 1:27 – Male and female He created them
  • Deuteronomy 22:5 – Cross-dressing as abomination
  • 1 Corinthians 6:9 – Effeminacy and unrighteousness
  • Romans 9:20 – The clay does not question the potter

Reflection​

We live in a time where gender identity and roles are being redefined, often in response to trauma or cultural pressure. But God’s design is intentional and good. Men and women are created with distinct strengths—women with nurturing and encouragement, men with discipline and protection. These roles are not interchangeable, and no surgery or hormone can replicate the full design God embedded in each gender.

Many who pursue gender transition do so during deep emotional struggle, hoping to escape pain or find belonging. But true healing comes not from rejecting who God made us to be, but from restoration through Christ. God doesn’t make mistakes. Psalm 139:13–14 reminds us we are fearfully and wonderfully made.

Challenge​

Are you living with eternity in mind? Are your choices today shaping your forever? Don’t waste the vapor. Use it to glorify God, love others, and walk in obedience. Remember, even if life is hard, it’s just a blink compared to eternity. And eternity is not just long—it’s outside of time.

Prayer​

Lord, help me to number my days. Let me live with eternity in view. May my short time on earth reflect Your eternal glory. Amen.
 
Rom 8:18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.
Rom 8:19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. (NLT)
 

A Vapor in Time, A Soul in Eternity​

By Ray | August 04, 2025

I've been around for a while.. I'm in the middle of my sixth decade., I find myself more aware than ever of how short life really is. The Bible calls it a vapor—a blink in the timeline of eternity. Even the largest number imaginable, a googolplexian to the googolplexian power, doesn’t begin to touch the edge of God’s eternal timeline.

We often think life is hard—and sometimes it truly is—but compared to eternity, it’s a brief moment. And in that moment, the decisions we make matter forever. Whether we live to be 100 or not, our time here is short. But it’s not meaningless. It’s the proving ground for eternity.

Scripture References​

  • James 4:14 – Life is a vapor
  • 2 Peter 3:8 – A thousand years is like a day to the Lord
  • Psalm 90:12 – Teach us to number our days
  • 2 Corinthians 4:17 – Light and momentary troubles produce eternal glory
  • Revelation 21:1–4 – The New Jerusalem
  • Revelation 20:15 – The Lake of Fire
  • Genesis 1:27 – Male and female He created them
  • Deuteronomy 22:5 – Cross-dressing as abomination
  • 1 Corinthians 6:9 – Effeminacy and unrighteousness
  • Romans 9:20 – The clay does not question the potter

Reflection​

We live in a time where gender identity and roles are being redefined, often in response to trauma or cultural pressure. But God’s design is intentional and good. Men and women are created with distinct strengths—women with nurturing and encouragement, men with discipline and protection. These roles are not interchangeable, and no surgery or hormone can replicate the full design God embedded in each gender.

Many who pursue gender transition do so during deep emotional struggle, hoping to escape pain or find belonging. But true healing comes not from rejecting who God made us to be, but from restoration through Christ. God doesn’t make mistakes. Psalm 139:13–14 reminds us we are fearfully and wonderfully made.

Challenge​

Are you living with eternity in mind? Are your choices today shaping your forever? Don’t waste the vapor. Use it to glorify God, love others, and walk in obedience. Remember, even if life is hard, it’s just a blink compared to eternity. And eternity is not just long—it’s outside of time.

Prayer​

Lord, help me to number my days. Let me live with eternity in view. May my short time on earth reflect Your eternal glory. Amen.
You are doing just fine brother
 
Are you living with eternity in mind?
funny you brought this up, one of the most influential books of my life (other then the Bible) is from eternal perspective ministries, called money, possessions and eternity. Now I read this book years ago, but felt I needed to read it again just to help stir my spirit and fire me up about eternity. It really a most in depth bible study on how we handle our things, and how that will effect our eternity. Amazing life changing book. Scripture is clear your heart is wear your treasure is, if we are storing up treasure in heaven, as told by Jess are heart will be for eternity. But if we are falling for the temporary trappings of this world that all one day will be burned up and lost with no value, our perspective will be a lot different with the things we have.

Jesus tells us no only to store up treasure in heaven, but how to do it. Direct conflict with a world that tells us to save save retire live our best life now, kind of sounds like the parable of the big barns.. But Jesus tells us to give it away and you will have treasure in heaven, eternal treasure, NOW that is the best ROI I have heard. How we handle out possessions and money is a direct litmus test on our faith.

What was the first thing the church did when they received the holy spirit, they got together sold everything they had, to care for each other so no one had a need. Is that not remarkable. God himself tells us to test him on giving, and see if he does not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.

It amazes me so many with a earthly perspective spend so much time and effort they put in to preparing for retirement, that will last 10-20 years and do not give a second thought about eternity. Eternity is not going to be the same for the drug addict who gave his life to the lord on his death bed, and the missionary who served the Lord his whole life, they will both be in heaven, but one will treasures stored up, while the other will not.

Praying for you brother Ray, please pray for me as well. I get so distracted easily I pray protection from myself !!!
 
funny you brought this up, one of the most influential books of my life (other then the Bible) is from eternal perspective ministries, called money, possessions and eternity. Now I read this book years ago, but felt I needed to read it again just to help stir my spirit and fire me up about eternity. It really a most in depth bible study on how we handle our things, and how that will effect our eternity. Amazing life changing book. Scripture is clear your heart is wear your treasure is, if we are storing up treasure in heaven, as told by Jess are heart will be for eternity. But if we are falling for the temporary trappings of this world that all one day will be burned up and lost with no value, our perspective will be a lot different with the things we have.

Jesus tells us no only to store up treasure in heaven, but how to do it. Direct conflict with a world that tells us to save save retire live our best life now, kind of sounds like the parable of the big barns.. But Jesus tells us to give it away and you will have treasure in heaven, eternal treasure, NOW that is the best ROI I have heard. How we handle out possessions and money is a direct litmus test on our faith.

What was the first thing the church did when they received the holy spirit, they got together sold everything they had, to care for each other so no one had a need. Is that not remarkable. God himself tells us to test him on giving, and see if he does not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.

It amazes me so many with a earthly perspective spend so much time and effort they put in to preparing for retirement, that will last 10-20 years and do not give a second thought about eternity. Eternity is not going to be the same for the drug addict who gave his life to the lord on his death bed, and the missionary who served the Lord his whole life, they will both be in heaven, but one will treasures stored up, while the other will not.

Praying for you brother Ray, please pray for me as well. I get so distracted easily I pray protection from myself !!!
I know exactly what you're saying. For my wife and I we have never saved a retirement fund. It's not because I believe in the Rapture because I don't. It's because the Lord has shown me enough of the future that I know that it won't matter, having a retirement fund or not. Because all that's going to be taken away. And I'm in my 60s now. Every time a company I work for her wants me to get into the 401K plan I refuse. Because I know that God doesn't want me to take it, that my life and all that I do is in God's hands not mine
 
Men and women are created with distinct strengths—women with nurturing and encouragement, men with discipline and protection.
BAC, I am in complete agreement that men are men and women are women and that we should not try to confuse the two. But I don't understand your description of their individual strengths, although I do agree that the woman was created more in the role of nurturing, for we are the ones who give birth to the babies. But would you mind explaining your logic on assigning a woman's strength as encouragement, and not assigning that to the male? And would you please define what you mean by men's strengths being discipline and protection? And do you believe that most men, even most Christian men, are truly serving in the roles of the protector and the one who exercises biblical discipline? And is this based on any passages of Scripture in particular? I am just trying to understand the message you are wanting to convey with this statement, so thank you for any help that you are willing to provide in helping me to understand. Sue
 
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