After Life (13) - Where

Where does our future life take place? Some say on this earth, while other say their will be a new heaven and a new earth somewhere else. Here are some scriptures.

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness (2 Pet 3:10-13.

Peter says that the heavens (ouranos) will disappear (v.11). Here he must be referring to the sky, however it is not clear how the sky disappears. It may be that the glory of Jesus appearance is so dazzling and bright that the sky cannot be seen. The expression “destruction of the heavens by fire” (v.12) is interesting, because Peter does not use the usual Greek word for destruction. The literal meaning of the word he uses is “loosen”. The sky being loosened up by fire may just mean that the universe is shaken up.

Peter says that the elements will be “loosened by fire” (v.10) and “melt in the heat” (v.12). This suggests a real transformation, but may not mean total destruction. The earth and everything in it will be “laid bare” (v.10). This suggests a lot of destruction, but it does not mean that the earth will be totally destroyed. It also has a sense of things that are hidden being exposed.

Peter’s message is that the earth and the atmosphere will be really shaken up by Jesus return, but he does not seem to be saying that the universe will actually disappear.

Both Peter and John speak of a new heavens and a new earth.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them (Rev 21 1-3).

These references do not explain whether the word “new” is used in the sense of “totally different” or in the sense of being “totally renewed”. I suspect that it is the latter. The whole universe will be so totally transformed by Jesus coming that it will appear to be totally new.

We must also remember that once we have spiritually bodies, we will be able to see the spiritual dimension of the universe as clearly as we now see the physical dimension. And because the spiritual dimension is vastly more important than the physical, it will appear to be totally different. It will be like God has taken the lid off the universe so we can see everything.

The only way that I can think about this is to imagine an ant living in the middle of my lawn. All he can see is enormous columns of green grass and the brown soil it grows in. He may see some of the microbes in the soil and the structure of the worm holes more clearly than I can, but essentially he lives in a two dimensional world of green and brown. If the ant could come up to my level and see the world from where I see it he would see a totally different world. He would see mountains, trees, animals and stars that he had never seen before. Although nothing had changed, he would feel like he was living in a totally new world.

When we see this world in both the physical and spiritual dimensions, our experience will be similar, although the contrast will be even greater. The best way to describe such an experience in human words might be to be as a new heaven and a new earth.

After Life (12) - Description of Eternal Life

The Bible tells us what this heavenly Kingdom will be like.

1. The saints will be clothed with spiritual bodies (1 Cor 15:44).

   He who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit. Rom 8:11).

   It is hard to imagine what a spiritual body will be like, but all the limitations of our physical bodies will be gone. Our new bodies will be imperishable. They will not deteriorate, and will be impervious to pain and sickness. This will be a glorious existence. We shall bear the likeness of the Lord's glorious resurrection body (Phil 3:21). Our present bodies are not adapted for the state of things that will exist in the heavenly Kingdom so they will be changed.

   I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand (John 10:28).

   The expression "eternal life" is used 36 times in the New Testament This makes it a better expression for describing our future life the heaven.
2. We will still be human. Our spiritual bodies will bear a resemblance to our physical bodies, in such a way that other people will be able to recognise us. We will be able to communicate with them.
3. There will be glorious fellowship among the saints. We will be able to share with the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, martyrs, and all those who have been redeemed. At present our friendship is limited by time and by the number of people with whom we have contact. In heaven we will have infinite time to develop friendships with numerous people. There will be thousands of other people with similar tastes and interests and many more with different ones. The extension and the perfection of friendship will bring great blessing to everyone.
4. There will be no marriage during the eternal life.

   Those who are considered worthy of taking part in this age and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels (Luke 20:35,30).

   To many married couples this seems rather strange, but in heaven we will actually have deeper fellowship with all people, than we now have with our spouses. And though we are not married, we will actually have a deeper relationship with our spouses. However, this does suggest that family will not be an important institution in the future life. God will be the Father of all.
5. God’s people will possess powers that are unknown at the present time. This will partly come from the intimate fellowship with God, but at the same time, our faculties will be expanded.

   So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; (1 Cor 15:42-43).

   Our powers of perception and reason will be vastly increased. This will lead to a constant increase in knowledge and understanding. The spiritual world will contain immense mysteries for the saints to study and explore. The vast increase in knowledge will be used for the glory of God in his Kingdom.
6. Authority will be exercised on God's behalf by the saints in the heavenly Kingdom. The extent of the authority given will depend on the responsibility shown in this present life. In the parable of the ten minas, Jesus said that the most trustworthy servant would be given ten cities to rule, once the master returned (Luke 19:17). He had cared for only ten minas, yet he was given ten cities to rule as his reward. Those who have exercised their authority responsibly here on earth will exercise great authority in eternal life.

In all this we see the tremendous mercy of God. Salvation is a free gift from God. Those who are chosen to belong to the kingdom of heaven receive the privilege as a free gift. Even the good works they have done have been prepared beforehand by God. All the tremendous blessings described here are totally undeserved. Only a gracious God could give such a wonderful gift.

More here

After Life (11) - Eternity with God

The word that is used the most in reference to our future life is "kingdom". Jesus said that the righteous shall inherit the kingdom that has been prepared for them since the foundation of the world (Matt 25:34). Speaking of the future life, he said,

The righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father (Matt 13:43).
And I will confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me (Luke 22:29).

Our future life is not just a state of eternal bliss, where the saints bask in God's glory. It is a kingdom in which they rule with Christ. Our life on earth is a time of training to prepare us for ruling with Christ.

Adam was placed by God in the Garden of Eden, but that was not to be his final resting place. Once he had learned to care for the garden, he was to go out and subdue the rest of the earth. In the same way, our time on earth is a period of training, in which we learn how to rule. The Kingdom of our Lord is an eternal kingdom, which will continue after the last judgment in the spiritual realm (2 Pet 1:11).

After Life (10) - Language Limitations

We have a problem with understanding the heavenly realm because we live in a three dimensional world (four, if time is included). All our categories of thought are shaped by the world in which we live. Our language is inadequate for describing the spiritual dimension to life. The New Testament uses physical images to describe the spiritual dimension, but these will always be inadequate to describe something that is beyond description.

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him (1 Cor 2:9).

Our human minds are not even capable of understanding what this universe looks like when perceived from the spiritual dimension as God sees it.

When we think of heaven, we tend to think of a place where God dwells. The problem is that God is spirit, so he is not confined to one place. The heavenly realm is not a three dimensional world like the one we live in, so the idea of “being somewhere” does not mean what it means here on earth. The same applies to expressions like “third heaven” or “highest heaven”. These phrases do not mean that the heavenly realm has layers like a multi-level building. Up and down do not mean the same in a spiritual world as they mean in this physical world. The expression “highest heaven” is just an attempt to describe the total difference between the physical world and the spiritual world.

The description of the heaven realm in Revelation 21 should be understood in the same way.

The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. He measured its wall and it was 144 cubits thick, by man's measurement, which the angel was using (Rev 21:15-18).

John is trying to describe the wonder of the spiritual realm using human words, but they are inadequate for this purpose, so we need to be careful how we interpret them. Length, width and height will not mean much in the spiritual world, so they should not be taken as a literal description. The walls were 144 cubits thick by “man’s measurement”, but thickness does not really mean anything in the spiritual world. Jesus proved this when he appeared to the disciples hiding behind physical walls in a locked room after his resurrection. Thick walls could not keep Jesus out.

John reminds are that these dimensions are “man’s measurement”. He is using human categories of thought so that he can communicate to us, because that is all we can understand, but earthly categories cannot fully capture the glory of the heavenly realm.

The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass (Rev 21:19-21).

I doubt that gold and emeralds will have much value in the future life. Peace and love and truth will be the important values. The problem is that the human mind cannot conceive of a place where love and peace have replaced height and width as the core dimensions. Using precious jewels was a way of describing the indescribable using things of value to a human mind.

After Life (9) - Heaven

Most Christians believe that when they die, they will go to “heaven”. Therefore it is quite surprising to find that the word heaven is rarely used to for our future life in the New Testament.

The Greek word for heaven, "ouranos" is used in a number of ways in the New Testament.

1. The atmosphere is often referred to as the heavens. “Ouranos” is the normal word for describing the sky.
2. God is also said to dwell in the heavens, especially the highest heavens. The word heaven is used to describe the spiritual realm.
3. The word heaven is only used to twice to describe the dwelling place of those who inherit eternal life (Matt 5:12 and Col 1:5). However, even in these verses it describes where our reward comes from more than its location.

   Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven (Matt 5:12).

The word heaven is generally used in the New Testament to describe the spiritual dimension of life. This spiritual dimension exists now. Through the Holy Spirit, we can interact with the spiritual dimension now, even if we cannot fully see into it. Heaven is not a place we will go to in the future. God’s will should be done on earth as it is in heaven, now.

After Life (8) - Two Classes of People

There will be two classes of people at the last judgment.

1. People who have heard the gospel of Jesus Christ will be judged on whether they have accepted or rejected him. Those who have placed their trust in Jesus will go to eternal life. They are the ones whose names are written in the book of life (Rev 20:12,15). Those who have rejected Jesus will be condemned (Matt 10:32,33; John 12:48; 2 Thes 1:6-10).

   Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son (John 3:18).

2. Those who have not heard the gospel will be judged on the basis of what they have known of God's ways. Every person has some knowledge of God. His power and divine nature is made plain in creation, and his requirements are revealed to each one by his conscience (Rom 1:20; 2:14,15).

   All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law (Rom 2:12).

   In the same way those who have not heard the gospel will be judged apart from the gospel, on the basis of the truth they have known. (This applies especially to children.)

More here.

After Life (7) - The Nature of the Judgement

The Bible makes a number of important points about the last judgment.

1. The judgment is a definite future event. Each person will appear before God, where their eternal destiny will be determined and manifested (Rom 2:5).

   He has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he appointed Acts 17:31).

2. The man appointed to be judge is Jesus (Acts 10:42).

   The Father judges no one, but has trusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father (John 5:22,23).

   Jesus is the right person to be the judge of all mankind. He is a man, so he understands all the trials and temptations that we face. No one will be able to say that Jesus does not understand the reason why they have sinned. He knows all things, so he will be able to judge perfectly. Jesus will be absolutely fair, and because he is full of mercy, he will treat everyone with compassion. He is the best person we could possibly have as our judge. His personality, character and experience make him ideal for this role.
3. The last judgment takes place at the general resurrection, immediately after the second coming. It does not take place when we die, so it is not going on now. Jesus will return and the last judgment will follow (1 Cor 4:5; Acts 17:31).

   The Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done (Matt 16:27).

4. All humans must face judgment. No person who has lived on earth will be immune (Matt 25:31-46; Matt 13:37-43; Romans 14:10,12; 2 Tim 4:1). Jesus will judge both the living and the dead.

   We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad (2 Cor 5:10).

   The angels will also appear for judgment (2 Pet 2:4). Satan will also be judged (Rev 20:10.
5. People will be judged according to their works while on the earth. Judgment will not be based on what people may claim to have done, but on their actual deeds as God sees them. The good deeds or sins of parents will not count; each person will be judged on the basis of their own life (Rev 22:12; 1 Tim 5:24,25).

   God will give to each person according to what he has done (Rom 2:6).

6. Both the character and deeds of each person will be revealed to God. Each person will have their whole life revealed in a moment of time. They will see themselves as God sees them. Every word, deed, and thought, and all secrets will be revealed (Rom 2:16). No one will feel unfairly treated, because Jesus will see them as they really are. They will know that their fate is deserved.

   Men will have to give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken (Matt 12:36).

After Life (6) - Final Judgement

The last judgment is the great watershed between history and eternity. The second coming marks the end of history. The final judgment marks the beginning of eternity. Each person will be judged on the basis of all that they have done while living on earth, and will receive their reward in eternity. There is a picture of the last judgment in Revelation 20:11-13.

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done.

Every person will stand before the judgment throne of Christ. All that they have ever done will be revealed to them from the records that have been kept. The books are probably not literal, but each person will see their whole life pass before their eyes. Only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life will be saved.

All people will rise and face Jesus. Those who have been in Hades will be brought before his throne. Even the sea will give up its dead. This is the general resurrection that was spoken of by Jesus in John 5:28,29:

Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out — those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.

All people will share in this resurrection. But only those whose names are in the book of life will rise to true life. The rest will rise to condemnation (Acts 24:15; John 11:24).

After Life (5) - The Second Coming

When history is complete Jesus will appear again.

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever (1 Thes 4:16-17)

Christians who are still alive on earth will be caught up into the air to be with Jesus. At the same time, the souls of the saints who have died and are in Paradise will have their bodies raised. Clothed in spiritual bodies they will return with Jesus when he comes in ther air.

We will then be ready to live with Christ in glory forever. We will all go together to the last judgment to receive our final reward, eternal life with Christ.

More here

After Life (4) - Hades

When people who have rejected Jesus die, they go to Hades to await the last judgment. "Hades" is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word "Sheol", which means the dwelling place of the dead. Because they have not experienced the first resurrection and are spiritually dead, Hades is a shadowy existence. The souls of the wicked go there, but they have no life, because their spirits are dead.

Jesus holds the key of death and of Hades (Rev 1:18). At the end of the age, Hades will give up its dead prior to the last judgment.

The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. (Rev 20:13).

Hades is a place of transition, a temporary dwelling place for those who have rejected Christ. At death they go to Hades to await the judgment. After the last judgment Hades will be destroyed, because its purpose is complete (Rev 20:14).

The only New Testament description of Hades is in the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). The rich man went to Hades when he died, while Lazarus went to Paradise (v. 22). . The events described take place while life is still going on upon the earth, so they are prior to the second coming (v. 27). This confirms that Hades is to the unrighteous, what Paradise is for the righteous.

Jesus parable does not tell us much about what Hades is like and we must be careful about reading too much into a parable. What we can be certain is that Hades is not a pleasant place and the rich man did not want to be there.

The Bible does not tell us where Paradise and Hades are located. They exist somewhere in the spiritual dimension of universe.

More here.

After Life (3) - More Paradise

The Bible tells us something of what Paradise is like:

1. Paradise is a conscious existence. Hebrews 12:1,2 speaks of a great crowd of witnesses, who are aware of our struggles on the earth. People who have died will be able to pray for those still on earth. In Revelation 6:9-11, the souls of the martyrs are heard crying out to God, and praying about events on earth.


2. The souls of the saints will be made perfect in holiness. Hebrews 12:23 speaks of the "spirits of righteous men made perfect". Man does not become perfect by discarding his body. Both body and soul have potential for good and evil. The souls of the saints will be made perfect in Paradise.


3. The suffering of life on earth will be ended (Rev 7:16,17).


4. Paradise is a place of rest.
   

   Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. "Yes," says the Spirit, "they will rest from their labour, for their deeds will follow them” (Rev 14:13).

5. Jesus will be at the centre of Paradise. All those who go there will have the privilege of being with him. They will experience all the glory and blessing that comes from being close to Jesus, who has gone to prepare a place for his followers.
   

   I am going there to prepare a place for you... I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. (John 14:3).

   Paradise is a temporary dwelling place for disembodied regenerate souls, where they remain until the last day when Christ returns.

More here

After Life (2) - Paradise

Jesus will return to earth at the end of the age to bring in the last judgment. This raises an important question. What happens to people between when they die and Jesus returns? The Bible explains that we all go to a temporary dwelling place to await the final judgment. Those who know Jesus wait with him in paradise, while those who do not know him wait in Hades.

When a believer arrives at the end of life on this earth, their body dies, but their soul lives on (2 Cor 5:6-9). When they came to faith, they were born again of the Spirit. This is the resurrection of the soul; their spirit has come to life.

For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it…. "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life (John 5:21,24).

The first resurrection allows the soul to live forever.

The soul of the believer goes straight to Paradise to be with Jesus. He said to the penitent thief:

Today you will be with me in Paradise (Luke 23:43).

Christians have the assurance that their believing loved ones go to be with the Lord when they die, because they have gone straight to Paradise. It is an intermediate state, where God’s people wait for the last judgment, at which they will receive their final reward.

After Life (1)

As an economist, I am interested in valuations. That leads naturally to thoughts about the last judgement. Economists are interested in incentives. That leads on to thoughts about heaven an hell.

A few years ago, when I did a detailed study of these topics, I was strangely surprised. We do not go to heaven when we die. Hell is not what we think it is.

Over the last few weeks I have been tidy up my notes on these topics. I will share some of the highlights in the next few posts.

Democratic Elections

Our government is in the process of passing a new Electoral Finance Act. It limits the amount that people can spend on supporting political parties. It also allows the politicians to spend taxpayers money on their political campaigns. The whole process has been a circus. The bill has been ammended several, but lawyers say it still does not prevent the problems it was intended to resolve. This is normal democracy.

Bill Bonner was writing about America, but he describes the situation here very well.

If the idea of democracy is that voters put their heads together and select the most worthy candidate, the whole thing is a fraud. Just look at Congress. What voters really do is select the fellow with the best haircut, the best line of guff, or the smoothest fundraising machinery. And it helps to have name recognition. That’s how popular actors – such as Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger – were able to break into the business. People do not really select the best man for the job; they have no way of knowing what the job is or who would be best for it. Instead, they buy their candidates like bath soap...based on the jingle that most appeals to them.

Elections

Australia has just held a national election. We have had extensive coverage on our TV news.

Watching intelligent adults passionately arguing about which of two mediocre men should control their lives and spend their money for them is quite an embarrassing sight. The worst thing is that they believe that they are engaged in a noble activity.

Justice (24) - Perfect Justice

Human justice is always limited. We will all receive perfect justice at the last judgment.

We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad (2 Cor 5:10).

At this court only reliable witnesses will get a chance to speak.

God will give to each person according to what he has done (Rom 2:6).

All the evidence will be brought forward.

Men will have to give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken (Matt 12:36).

Perfect process will be followed.

The Judge will have endless wisdom and perfect knowledge of law. He will have lived through all the trials of life on earth, so he will understand the temptations that we have faced. He will also be amazingly merciful.

The Father judges no one, but has trusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father (John 5:22,23).

Jesus will be the judge and he will provide perfect justice for every person. All the injustices that have been done on earth will be put right.

The outcome of this court’s decisions will not be equality.

We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad (2 Cor 5:10).

The same is true of Christians.

If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames (1 Cor 3:12-15).

Some Christians will receive a great reward, but others will be saved by the skin of their teeth. No one will complain, because they will have received perfect justice.

Thats the end of this series. Thye full series can be found here.
I will look in more detail at the last judgement next week.

Justice (23) - Love and Justice

A modern tendency is to equate love and justice. This is not correct. Love fulfils the requirement of justice, but it is not the same as justice. Paul said,

The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law (Rom 13:9-10).

Paul is saying that if we love one another, we will not covet or steal or murder. We cannot break the law if we are living in love. If we love one anther, we will fulfil all the requirements of the law. Love fulfils justice, it does not replace justice.

Love does not eliminate the need for justice. In a sinful world, people will often choose not to love, so injustices will still occur. Love cannot undo injustice. Justice will always be needed to deal with injustice.

Talking Turkey

Three hundred million Americans. Fifteen people to a family gathering. Leaving out a few hard core southerners, some greenies and vegetarians, that could be ten million turkeys. That’s a lot of turkeys to be ready for one day in the year. (Roast New Zealand lamb with mint sauce is much nicer.)

In the old days, the American citizen grew his own turkey for Thanksgiving. This required a lot of planning and hard work. A turkey egg had to be hatched months before. Grain had to be grown and harvested. The turkey had to be fed and then killed and cleaned. Cranberries had to be pruned. Later they would be picked and made into jelly. Pumpkins had to be planted and hoed.

The post-modern housewife (oxymoron warning) knows nothing about grow turkeys. She does not know how to hatch a turkey egg or what a turkey eats. She does not know how to grow cranberries. For all she knows about turkeys, they might just fall from the sky. Yet on the week before Thanksgiving she walks into the supermarket and there is the exact turkey that she wants. She had not ordered a turkey in advance. She had not even told anyone that she would cook a turkey for Thanksgiving, but the turkey was there just when and where she needed it.

Actually millions of them in the thousands of places where people want them. How does this happen? The Department of Agriculture does not put out and order for ten million turkeys. Dick Chaney does not call on Halliburton to do the job. Congress never passed a law pork-barreling the production of turkeys. No, these millions of turkeys are provided right on time by the market.

Various market participants have independently taken the actions that are needed to get these turkeys to the tables. Months ago, turkey breeders made sure that millions of fertile eggs would be available just when the hatcheries needed them. The turkey hatchers made sure that millions of turkey chicks were born, just when the turkey growers were ready to start fattening them. Others put in place processing plants to kill and clean the fattened turkeys. All these agents responded to market information and the result was ten million turkeys ready for thanksgiving.

With all that demand you would expect prices to sky rocket, but that does not happen. The producers have produced so may turkeys that prices do not rise. In fact good specials are available for those who are willing to wait till the last minute. There are enough turkeys for some to buy to and give one to the poor. Some businesses give free turkeys to food banks and night shelters, so that the poor can eat turkey too. The only overpriced turkeys will be those that Halliburton supply to the troops in Iraq.

Christians often describe the market as an evil system that forces nice American people to become naughty materialists. This turkey business shows the market acting a servant of the American people providing them with what they want.

By now you will have gorged yourself on turkey and trimmings. You may even be feeling uncomfortable. Just remember that the market did not force you to eat that third helping. You chose to have those extra mouthfuls. (The post-modern man can cook turkey as well as his modernist mother).

The market took all the actions necessary over many long months to provide you with what you wanted when you wanted without you even telling anyone that you would want it. That is something to be thankful for.

Some homeless people will have missed out. Some families could not afford to buy turkey. But most Americans got the turkey they wanted, with no forethought or planning, except how to get the family together. That is something to be thankful for.

And if enough of you decide that you would prefer New Zealand lamb next year, the market will provide that too.

Justice (22) - Increases

God is a just. As his Kingdom grows, justice will increase.

The LORD works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed (Ps 103:6)
He will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice on earth.
In his law the islands will put their hope (Isaiah 42:4).

When his kingdom fills the earth, injustice will disappear. Evil governments and judges will be swept away. Godly judges will be raised up and God’s justice will prevail.

Until that day comes, innocent people will experience injustice. In some situations, Christian may be able to help the victims of injustice to receive justice by providing legal support or publicising their cause. Sometimes this will succeed, but often it will fail. Wherever justice fails, mercy should be waiting at the door. Evil governments can sometimes resist mercy, but mercy is harder to defeat than justice.

Justice (21) - Mercy is Free

No coercion is involved in generosity. Coercion can be used to reverse the effects of injustice. However, coercion cannot be used to reverse the consequences of life. Love and generosity must always be free. Paul constantly reminded the Corinthians about the need to be generous, but no once was forced to give.

Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work (2 Cor 9:6-8).

There should be no “compulsion”, because God wants cheerful giving. His promise is that he will give us “all that we need”, plus more. The more that abounds can be used to assist those in need.