Woodstock Christian Church

I'm beginning to see a trend take place over the past few years for the month of May. It seems that the month of May is a month of ends and beginnings. To start with, May symbolizes the end of school years at all levels. Graduations begin in May, even for high school level schools as they graduate their students at the end of May. Of course, college students are heading out in May, unless you take summer classes. Many will graduate with degrees and be looking to impact the world in their field of choice.

May also seems to be the end for a lot of prime time shows. You see a lot of season finales to some of your favorite shows (unless you are a fan of “ Heroes” , which ended earlier due to the writer's strike at the beginning of the year). Many people are fans of shows like Grey's Anatomy, Lost, CSI, Law & Order, The Office, and E.R. These and many other shows will have people tuning in to see where the storylines are going to go and what to look forward to for next season. Our world loves a good storyline and the reason these shows are so good is because they are written to captivate a certain audience. Some love drama, suspense, romance, comedy, and all the other genres that make these shows so good. So, people gear up to watch how their favorite shows will end. What will I be watching? I'll be watching Smallville because I love what they've done with this season.

May also issues in the beginning of blockbuster movies that people have been waiting for since the end of 2007. Movies like Iron Man, Speed Racer, Sex and the City Movie, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, and the big one Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull will have many hitting the theaters, despite the fact that it costs nearly $10 just to get a movie ticket. People like to see something new and no doubt these films will cause floods of people to file into the movie theaters nearest them.

And for the state of Georgia , May issues in the hot days of summer and boy oh boy can they get HOT! Sunscreen will sell better than the morning newspaper and department and specialty stores will have great business with their summer line of clothing. People will make their final preparations for vacations and begin getting their kids plugged into YMCA programs and looking to see what the community as a whole is offering for kids during the summer.

So yes, there are a ton of endings and beginnings that are associated with the month of May. It's a mindset that our world has created over the past several years. Kids look forward to a break from school (as well as teachers). Families look forward to a change of pace from the “normal” schedule. Media outlets look forward to revenues from sales of tickets and merchandise. May creates a buzz for looking to the up-and-coming summer.

So, what does this all have to do with anything related to Christ? Just one thing: Anticipation. We all know that life snags us into its world and tries to keep us there. But there is another world to look forward to. What is that you ask? It is our home in heaven!!

We are told in the Bible that one day, this world will end. God's inspired word shares that we need to be ready because one day one of two things will happen:

We will no longer be on this earth due to death.

We will no longer be on earth because earth will be gone.

God tells us through inspired writers that this world is temporary. Today's video technology will be unable to capture the beauty of heaven. Heaven will have its own distinctiveness and majesty. It is God's place of residence, so it has to be so much more than we can imagine. Jesus told his followers that when he returns to heaven (which has happened), he will begin preparing a place for every believer in heaven to live in. And not only is He doing that, but He promised to come back to Earth and let people know that the bed is made and the room is ready for occupancy! Every person who has put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ has this to look forward to. Many will meet Jesus face to face for the first time! Many will finally get to meet His Father! It is going to be a day that will replace the most memorable moment on earth. Philippians 2 tells us that “at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow…and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

The Book of Revelation gives us a sneak peek into what our new home will be like. But like the trailer of a movie gives us a “sneak peek” into the actual movie, I look at the book of Revelation as a movie trailer. The good stuff will be the day it comes. Yes, we are still waiting to go to God's movie theater and see a never-ending movie, but it will be worth the wait. Just make sure that you have your ticket ready. You won't be able to enter the theater without a ticket. What ticket do you need? It is a stamp of approval that shows you are a child of God. How much is the ticket? It's already been paid for by God's son, Jesus, who when to Calvary to purchase it. Who can come? Anyone who has confessed that Jesus Christ is the Son of the Living God, repented of their sins, and have been baptized into the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins and given the gift of the Holy Spirit. Once you have those things, and then get ready for the greatest show ever shown. You want to know who the stars of the show are. The stars are God the Father, Christ the Son, the Spirit of Truth, the angles already there, and every single believer in Jesus Christ. Jesus will even meet you at the ticket gate and say “Come on in and get ready to be a part of a story that will never end.” So, make sure you are prepared. But also make sure that other people are prepared as well. Heaven's theater will have plenty of seating and there will be no worries of a “sell-out”.

Everyone likes to get excited about something new. What else more will cause anticipation than the day Jesus returns and we enter into a life that will be so much more than we experience right now! Remember, have your ticket ready!