On America’s Got Talent six very talented people got sent home. Twelve people competed for a place in next week’s final and only half of them will get to perform. It is a highly flawed system of honing it down to one winner. There are singers (opera and country), a magician, a stand-up comedian, dancers and acrobat dancers. This is like putting a pile of fruit on a table and saying the apple is better than the pear or the plum is better than the banana. First prize is a million dollars; however, that is paid out over forty years. So it isn’t quite as exciting as they make it sound.
How thankful we must be to know heaven is not a prize. It is a gift. Number two – there is room for everyone. I have on occasion spoken with people who believe only 144,000 will be in heaven. How sad to think that our heavenly Father would so discriminate among His children. The Book of Revelation does speak of 144,000 but it also speaks of a multitude of redeemed that is so big it is uncountable. I like that so much. Number three – We are not compared to anyone. We are all in the same category. We are all sinners saved by God’s grace. If we are not all saints then there are no saints. It is just that simple.
Heaven will be filled with apples, pears, plums and bananas and all of us will be just as wonderful as watermelons. The gift will not be paid out over forty years. All of it will be given at once and then repeated annually (whatever that means) forever. There is plenty of room in God’s fruit basket.
Written by Roger Bothwell on September 12, 2013
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