conservation of momentum: card game

There are sort of three situations regarding final judgement described in Matthew 24 and 1 Corinthians 3-4. The first is the jackpot to those who Believe - the grand-prize for the "faithful, sensible servant" or the "overcommer" (Heaven). The crazy thing is that He will reward us for our faithfulness, but it's only by His Grace that we are able to have faith in Him and obey Him in the first place. The second situation is damnation, "weeping and gnashing of teeth" for those who do not Believe (Hell). The third situation is a little more subtle - I can't elucidate very much, but there are some who Believe and are saved who end up tragically investing their lives in non-eternal things, and it all gets burned up in the end.

1 Cor. 4:5 So don't make judgments about anyone ahead of time—before the Lord returns. For he will bring our darkest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. Then God will give to each one whatever praise is due.

1 Cor. 3:11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. 12 Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. 13 But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person's work has any value. 14 If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. 15 But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.

Matt. 24:45 "A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. 46 If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. 47 I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. 48 But what if the servant is evil and thinks, 'My master won't be back for a while,' 49 and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? 50 The master will return unannounced and unexpected, 51 and he will cut the servant to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Analogy
It's kind of like everybody is watching a card game. People come into the game-room at different times, and each person is spotted a random amount of chips and a game-ticket with a unique number for entry into the game whenever they want. Some people enter the game-room with a few chips, and other people enter the game-room with a stack of chips. There's a bookie walking around the room that runs a side-betting ring separate from the game, and every round, each person either has to ante up with the bookie or the dealer. You never win with the bookie (he cheats you every time), and the bookie even tries to get people who are playing the game to place side-bets with their chips.

Once you enter the game, you trade your game-ticket for a parking-validation stub with the same unique number. You never loose when playing the game with the dealer. You don't necessarily have to play your cards, but you don't get to keep them for the next round (use them or loose them). Every round you play, the dealer gives you a hand of cards, and if you play your cards wisely, then you accrue game-points (you get better at playing the game the more you play). Some people watching get so excited with the bookie and the side-betting that they never enter the game, and some people playing the game get distracted with the side-betting instead of playing the game. Sadly, some people are at the back of the room and haven't heard that there's a game to play - they don't know what their uniquely numbered game-ticket is for, so they just place side-bets with the cheating bookie.

Every so often, a security officer calls out a number, and if the number matches your unique number, then you have to leave the game-room and pay for parking. The thing is, parking costs infinity chips, so if you don't have a parking-validation stub, then you get thrown in jail - forever. If you do have a parking-validation stub ( i.e., if you played the game) then you get to go to the party on the top floor of the hotel - forever. Even better, the game-points you accrued while playing the game are redeemable for prizes at the party.

So, you have the choice to join the game and get your parking-validated, stop messing around with that dirty bookie, and play for points that count at the party!

Prayer
Heavenly Father, I pray that you will make me a faithful, sensible servant. Lord, I want to be an overcommer. Please don't let me get distracted with the things of this world. God, I want to honor you by focusing on things that are going to make a difference in eternity. God, I pray that you will prevent me from lusting for worldly things. God, please grow in me a desire to know You, to know your Scripture, and to obey you with a cheerful attitude. Father, I want you to build a structure on the foundation of Jesus Christ in my life that will glorify you. Lord, do this even today - make me victorious in Christ Jesus. I ask you in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.