To live a great Christian life does not mean you must become famous. Some of the most well-known people on earth could be the least known in heaven. Likewise, the most well known in heaven could be the least known on earth. Having a great Christian life is not about fame. Rather it is having a life that is pleasing to the Lord and hearing on that great Judgment Day, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (see Matthew 25:21 NKJV).
Great Christians are the ones who find the true Christian life. This life is the greatest adventure that one can experience, and we are all called to be a part. If we walk with the Lord as we are called to do, our lives will be the most interesting and compelling we could ever live. Nothing is more fascinating than God, and nothing is more exciting than following Him.
Christian history is rich with accounts of those who followed the Lord, making them some of the most remarkable people to ever walk the earth. Even so, it is likely some of the greatest never made it into our earthly histories. These are not lost as they will certainly have made the eternal history of heaven, the one recorded in The Books of Life. These are the true history books that have documented human history accurately. Having our names recorded in them is worth far more than any treasure in the earth.
Even so, we have been blessed that the lives of many great ones are recorded for our edification today. These are our spiritual fathers and mothers, and studying their lives is one way we fulfill the commandment to “honor your father and mother” (see Deuteronomy 5:16). This is the only commandment with a promise of longevity and that life will “go well with us” if we obey. Better than just having an enjoyable life is having one that makes a great impact for the King. We will have eternity to enjoy the Lord, but the Scriptures make it clear that this life will determine who we are and what we do for eternity.
History came from the words His-story. We will understand on the Judgment Day how all human history really was about Christ. As we are told in Ephesians 1:10, all things will be summed up in Him. How are the things that we are now engaged in related to Him and His purposes? The degree to which they are engaged with Him will determine whether our life on earth was great or not.
If you enjoy discovering great treasures of wisdom and knowledge in history, I would like to share with you one of the things I am excited about. This year I will be teaching history at MorningStar University in a greater depth than I have in the past. Every second week of the month at MSU will be devoted to this, and I will have seven weeks to go as deeply as I can into the fruit of my forty-five years of study. I promise you it will not be boring. Others I consider to be historians will be joining me to teach this course, and they will share important insights from history that are relevant to our times.
Each of these weeks will be a complete course, but they will also build upon each other to go deeper. It will be an overall survey of human history, with a focus on church history and linked to biblical prophecy. The basic goal is that everyone who has been through these courses will have a clear understanding of where we have been, where we are, and where we are going. This is to prepare those called to make history.
Those who cannot commit to MSU for the entire year can come for a week, or other individual weeks, of their choosing. Through MSU Online, students can also complete courses they may have missed and earn credit towards a degree. For those who cannot come at all, or who just want to audit classes for the knowledge, DVDs of the courses will be available. Information about this will be posted on our website.
I am sharing this with you because those who are prone to read things like this Word For The Week are the kinds of people we are looking for at MSU. Everything we are teaching at the school is going much deeper this year than it has ever gone before, and the material covered is an amazing resource. It could have a major impact on the life of a true sojourner.
