“Invest in the Eternal”

Luke 12:32-34

Today’s scripture continues to support the current sermon series on the Sermon on the Mount. This week’s focus is on Matthew 6:19-34 and the reading from Luke is very similar to Matthew 6:19 which reads as follows: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.”

When I read these verses the phrase “invest in the eternal” comes to mind. If we are walking in obedience to Jesus’ commands and recognize that our true citizenship is in heaven then investing in the eternal only makes sense.

So how do we do this? It occurs to me that only three things in this world are going to last forever – God, His Word, and people. Given this short list, a strong focus on growing in our relationship with God, studying His Word, and investing in the people God brings into our lives are logical priorities. In the gospels Jesus gives us examples of how to live this kind of life. He prioritizes prayer (relationship with the Father), He shows a firm grasp of scripture (the OT during His time on earth), and in today’s reading He puts a focus on people (helping the poor). Thanks be to God for Jesus’ examples and the opportunities we have at UALC to grow in our efforts to “invest in the eternal”.

I have lived long enough to see things in my life that I thought were “all important” (treasures) fade away. They didn’t last. But God’s love, the truth of His Word, and the people He loves (all people!) remain – forever!

“But our citizenship is in heaven.”

Philippians 3:20-21

“But our citizenship is in heaven.” It is good to be reminded of this fact isn’t it? The 24 hour news cycle, social media, busy lives … often cause us to forget this essential truth. We can become totally absorbed by the things of “this world” and be overwhelmed by all that we are exposed to.

Through the scriptures God calls us to live differently. In 1 Peter 1:17 Peter refers to us as “strangers here” and in 1 Peter 2:11 he identifies us as “strangers and aliens in the world”. This supports Paul’s statement in today’s reading regarding our citizenship.

So how do we live as citizens of heaven? Certainly worship, prayer, the sacraments, and fellowship are essential elements of living out our faith. But our minds and God’s word also play a significant role. In Philippians 3:19 the last sentence describes those who are opposed to the faith. Paul states, “Their mind is on earthly things.”

Contrast this with Romans 12:2 where Paul challenges believers to be “transformed by the renewing of your mind”, or Jesus’ words in Mark 12:30, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength”. What do we allow into our mind? What do we think about? What do we talk about? Reading, hearing, studying, and memorizing God’s word are key practices that can help us live as citizens of heaven. Of course, we cannot do this on our own, but only through the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Let’s challenge each other as brothers and sisters to live out our faith by demonstrating our true citizenship. What a witness for Jesus we could become if we would follow this practice in today’s culture. As encouragement we only need to refer to today’s reading where Paul states that “we eagerly await a Savior from there (heaven), the Lord Jesus Christ…”.  Let’s celebrate our true citizenship in the days and weeks ahead.

The Promise

Revelation 21:1-5, 21-27

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%2021%3A1-5%2CRevelation%2021%3A21-27&version=NIV;NLT

 

⁵ And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.”      NLT

 

Promises bring with them the sense of a new beginning; a fresh start; a new adventure. A wedding, for instance, ushers in the promise of a new life together; of new love; of a future family.

 

We’ve all made promises. And we’ve all broken them. Who hasn’t made a New Year’s Resolution to lose weight, only to give up soon thereafter? Or promised to be on time

from now on, and ended up late for your next meeting? But God’s word is “trustworthy and true”.

 

God has made a promise to those who believe and follow Him; to those whose name is in the Book of Life. It’s the promise of the New Jerusalem; of Heaven.

 

² I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”      NIV

 

It sounds beautiful doesn’t it? It’s the ultimate promise that brings with it hope for the future, a new beginning, and a new life. It defeats death; stops shame; washes away guilt. This is where believers will live in the presence of God for eternity.

 

Author Stephen Covey wrote, “Begin with the end in mind”. For believers, the New Jerusalem is the end. So if you begin there, how does that affect your life between now and then? How does it affect you on a daily basis; on your decisions, your relationships, your job, or your finances?

 

God has made you a promise that he will keep. He is faithful. His word is trustworthy. Let’s keep His promise, The Promise, at the forefront of our mind.

 

 

 

 

The Seed of Life

It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.

1 Corinthians 15:44-45

Have you ever thought about what Adam looked like? Envision him.

Now think about the last baby you met. Did he or she look like the parents?

Probably so, at least in a broad sense. Boil it down and we all look the same - nose in the center of the face, two eyes above, a mouth below, legs at our waist and arms at our shoulders. We all act alike too. We eat, we sleep, we sin, we hate, we love.

The reality is universally observable: Produced life is remarkably similar to the producer(s). Fish produce fish, birds produce birds, and humans produce humans. There’s no mistaking one for the other.

So we understand how we are born in a natural sense, but how are people born in a spiritual sense?

Jesus says, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” (John 3:5-6) 

This Spirit that gives birth to our spirit is the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Therefore, just as we are like our parents (and by derivation Adam) in a physical sense, we are like Jesus Christ in a spiritual sense. Our spiritual lives reflect his character as defined in Galatians 5: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. And more than that, just as our natural bodies are mortal like Adam’s, our spiritual bodies are immortal like Christ’s!

“For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:22)

You are alive in a natural sense, but are you born again of the Spirit of Jesus Christ? And has this second birth into immortality changed the way you live your mortal life?

Did Jesus Really Say They Would Certainly Die?

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. …

And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

Genesis 3:1-7, 22-24

Do you ever get confused about what Jesus really said? Do you ever question the severity of the consequences if we ignore what he said?

I have. I know others who have. It seems the serpent always begins with the same tactic ...

Did Jesus really say, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me”?

Well, who would want to believe that? Now the faithful adherents of every religion outside of Christianity are separated from God. But Jesus really said it (John 14:6). They will certainly die.

Did Jesus really say, “If you do not forgive others their sins, your father will not forgive your sins”?

I once had to teach this verse to a fifth-grader. We began by talking about some of the bad things that could happen to him in school. He carried on for a long while about his righteous anger at the suggestions and the many creative ways he would inflict his wrath on his enemies if such things came about. This verse stopped him cold. Jesus really said it (Matthew 6:15). Those who live in anger and unforgiveness will certainly die.

Did Jesus really say, “If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned”?

Not according to a few Bible studies I’ve attended. Once saved, always saved is a far more comforting doctrine and the easier the path to that label “saved” the better. After all, who wants to consider the possibility that our self-deceived loved ones who said the sinner’s prayer and then went right back to sinful living aren’t going to be with us in Heaven? But Jesus really said it (John 15:6). Those who do not remain in him will certainly die.

Did Jesus really say, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven”?

This verse came up at a Bible study I attended, and one of my friends was so unsettled by it that she decided to stop thinking about it and pretend it didn’t exist. But Jesus did say that (Matthew 7:21). There are those who think they know the Lord who will certainly die.

To some up all this dreariness, here’s what Jesus said: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)

The Perfect Biscuit

Revelation 22:1-6

My daughter Tara had a pet labradoodle that was like a big kid; a VERY big kid. Kendal was hyperactive and had very little discipline to resist jumping on you and licking you when you walked in the door. Despite this, Tara was able to teach her a good trick.

When Kendal would sit still for a minute, Tara would put a doggie biscuit on her nose and tell her to wait. Kendal would sit there wistfully looking between Tara and the biscuit on her nose. Finally, when Tara would give the command, Kendal would inhale the biscuit.

This is a perfect example of delayed gratification. We all practice delayed gratification every time we resist buying another pair of shoes or the perfect golf club. Or limit what we eat instead of eating without limit.

As followers of Christ, we practice delayed gratification when we resist the temptation to act out on our sinful thoughts in hope that one day we will enjoy the presence of God in Heaven. John paints a picture of Heaven as Eden restored; a paradise without blemish.

Then the angel showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb [Christ], ² in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. ³ There will no longer exist anything that is cursed [because sin and illness and death are gone]; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve and worship Him [with great awe and joy and loving devotion]…         AMP

The Amplified Bible titles these verses, “The Perfect Life”. This is what waits for those who follow Christ. Everything will return to how God intended it to be in the beginning; to live in His presence, in a constant perfect relationship.

Like Kendal, if we are patient and disciplined and willing to practice delayed gratification, we will enjoy the “perfect biscuit” that is waiting for us.

The Buckeye Faithful

Revelation 7:9-17

When we moved to Columbus in 1985, we had no idea how rabid Buckeye fans could be. However, we quickly learned when virtually every time we were introduced as moving from Lansing, Michigan, the response was invariably the same, “Well at least you’re not a Michigan fan!”

 The center of these comments came from the rivalry between Ohio State and the University of Michigan. It was perpetuated by their coaches in the 70’s – Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler. However, since the year 2000, U of M has won only three times. This was to be the year when the tide turned, or so they thought.

Last Saturday, Ohio Stadium was packed with 106,588 mostly Buckeye fans. It was a sea of red screaming for their team. A friend of mine, who has season tickets, said he had never heard the crowd as loud when during the game Ohio State blocked a punt and ran the ball in for a touchdown.

Similar to “The Game” last Saturday, here is a different kind of victorious scene.

 ⁹ After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. ¹⁰ And they were shouting with a great roar, “Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!”            NLT

John draws us a picture of believers who surround the throne of God worshipping Him. Because no matter what happens in life; no matter how bad our circumstances are; no matter how painful life is; when all is said and done; God is victorious. And His victory ultimately is ours.

 The people who John was writing to were suffering great persecution. John himself had been exiled to an island penal colony because of his faith. Through this passage, he was giving them a vision of hope; of purpose; of salvation. He was giving them a reason to not compromise, but to keep putting one foot in front of the other. 

That reason still exists today for you and for me. We may not experience victory every minute of every day, but it is there waiting for us. That’s a promise made by the Living God who is faithful yesterday, today and forever.

 Therefore, like the Buckeye faithful, let us “shout with a great roar”, only not for the Scarlett and Gray, but for our victorious Lord.

Consistently Inconsistent

1 Peter 2:11-12

Ever been told to “lead by example?”  Reminded that you never know who’s watching and to be mindful of how your actions affect others?

As Christians we’re called to cast aside our selfish tendencies and serve as an example by following His Word.

Peter’s letter begins with the following verse:  To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, so we surmise he’s referring to Christians living amongst pagans in the Roman Empire. 

He implores them to abstain from sin and do good deeds.  He encourages them to be examples of a Christ-centered life. 

There are also some who interpret “foreigners and exiles” to mean Christians living on Earth.  We are in the world, but not of the world.  This planet is not our true home, Heaven is, and while we’re here waiting, we’re called to invite others to share in a life with Christ.

So what kind of example are we setting?  I can only speak for myself and say, my example is consistently inconsistent.  I try to do the right thing, but most often my words and actions are not His words and actions.  

Lord, help me be more consistent in the example I set. If I call you Father, may I live as your child, leading others to you.  Use me to show that this life isn’t “it.”  There is something glorious awaiting those who believe - eternal life with you.  Amen

      

Am I Going to Heaven or Not?

READ: Romans 3:21-31

Scripture often reveals truth in stark contrast to what we hear about Christianity. Such is the case today.

Ever hear that good people go to Heaven and bad people go to Hell? Big problem: There are no good people. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. All deserve to be punished, yet all are freely justified by Christ’s sacrificial atonement. Does that mean all are going to Heaven? No. Only those who accept this atonement Christ freely offers are saved; without it, any one of us would be going to Hell. No wonder Paul instructs us not to boast in our good works, but to boast only in the cross of Christ!

So, then, if it’s not what you do, but what you believe, is God’s grace a free pass to sin? Little problem: Definitions. Believe doesn’t mean profess as true; it means accept as true. And if we accept something as true, we act on it. So to believe in Christ is to obey his teaching - all of it! Hence the conclusion in James 2:14-26: Faith without works is dead.

But I thought the New Covenant of God’s grace replaced the Old Covenant of the Mosaic Law? Nope. As it turns out, we don’t nullify the law by faith, we uphold the law. By believing in Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit he gives, we live according to the moral law God gave Moses. When we fail, the sacrifice of Christ atones for us, but by the Spirit we are assured of God’s final victory: not only our freedom from the penalty of sin, but our freedom from the power and presence of sin as well.

Welcome Home

Revelation 21:1-7

Where is home for you? Several years ago, my siblings and I had a family reunion in Charleston, WV. All of us were born there, although we moved when I was four. For my older brother and two sisters though its home.

My brother and sisters at Panther Rock in 2014.

Still it was fun to watch them reminisce as they walked down Valley Road. Each house seemed to be the home of a memory; the memory of a friend and some mischief they got into like building rockets that were more like a bomb made from steel pipes and gun powder. Later we visited Panther Rock, a great place to climb around as a kid, although not so much when you’re a senior.

 Home is where the heart is. Home is where we belong. Home is where we are going. John draws a great picture of this for us.

 ³ I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among

his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. ⁴ He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”      NLT

 Life on earth is temporary and can often be like running on a treadmill. We can invest our time and energy on advancing our career. We can drive our kids from sport to sport, never ending. We can fight with personal demons that debilitate and destroy. We can do all this and more, but never find home.

But there will come a day when none of it matters anymore. And on that day when we do go home, our Heavenly Father will be at the door to welcome us. To take us into His arms and say, “Well done my faithful daughter; my faithful son. Welcome home.

(Feel free to use this link to enjoy the song Home by Chris Tomlin.)

Walk in the Light

December 12                                                                                             

Scripture Reading
Read Isaiah 2:1-5 and reflect on the passage.

“He will teach us His ways, so that we may walk in His paths…let us walk in the light of the Lord.” As I read this passage from Isaiah, I am humbled and filled with hope. We will never, no matter how much we pray and study, truly know the Lord’s ways and paths—not until we are fully restored in heaven. We talk about walking in the light of the Lord here on Earth—following and imitating Jesus as best we can.

But I dream of heaven, where I will actually walk in the real, present, tangible light of Jesus. On earth, we have light inside us given by Jesus, but in heaven, as we walk upon the mountain of the Lord, further up and further in, we will walk not only with light inside us, but with the light of Jesus all around us. This is God’s beautiful promise that I rejoice in. This is hope when I feel burdened by the darkness in the world—that, just like Isaiah says, someday God will settle all disputes and everyone will put down their weapons. All nations will stream together and walk in the light of the Lord.

Questions
1. Until we walk in heaven's light, how can we better carry and demonstrate the light of Jesus inside us?
2. How can we better give thanks and praise to God for the light that He gives us and the paths He guides us along?

Prayer
Jesus, thank you for the light I carry in me today, and that someday I will walk in it upon the mountain of my Father.

                                                                                                                            Kelsey Payne

Better Is One Day In Your Courts

I love music.  Worship songs allow me to lean into God and catch a glimpse of what it will be like in heaven.  I particularly love songs that come straight from scripture. Psalm 84 is one of those scriptures that has been put to music.

How lovely is your dwelling place,
    Lord Almighty!
2 My soul yearns, even faints,
    for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out
    for the living God. -Verse 1,2

Better is one day in your courts
    than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
    than dwell in the tents of the wicked.  -Verse 10

Click here to listen to Better Is One Day, by Matt Redman

As you listen to the words. Spend some time thanking God for your blessings. It is so easy to take each day for granted. 

Psalm 84 also says

Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
they are ever praising you.

Blessed are those whose strength is in you, 

whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.

Lord Almighty,

blessed is the one who trusts in you.

Read  Psalm 84 here

At The End of The Day, You Get To Go Home

It’s hard to be a parent. As my son approaches his 11th birthday, I am challenged even more to make sure he is equipped for life in the world. His father and I know he is going to meet people who will tease him, challenge him, and outright try and make life hard. Instead of trying to stop every bully, we are trying our best to help Evan know how to handle himself in rough situations.

At the end of the day, though, we remind him that you will be coming home to us. Evan knows that home is a safe place where he can be honest with his struggles, get help where needed, and be ready for the next day.

Our scripture today offers that same type of hope. God has sent us out into the world, but he does not sugar coat it, he says plainly that we will be persecuted, betrayed by family and friends, and some even put to death.

Jesus states that we will be hated because of him, but hope come when he calls us to stand firm because he will give us wisdom to speak. Our accusers will not be able to resist or contradict the truth we speak and ultimately, we will win life. Persecution, hate, betrayal and death are not to be taken lightly, but God will equip us to resist the evil that people will send out way and in the end, we will get to go home to him.

Read today passage here. Luke 21:12-19

The Hope of the 60’s

 (Heaven is our future)

Revelation 22

 

 

The 60’s generation thought we were the hope of the future. We thought we were going to correct all the mistakes that our parents had made; that politicians had made; that the establishment had made.

 

Then came the assassinations of John F Kennedy, Martin Luther King and Robert F Kennedy. It was a tumultuous time with the Viet Nam war, demonstrations and Woodstock.  Yet, we thought we were the hope of the future.

 

What keeps you going when you fail to meet your own expectations; your own hopes; your own dreams? What keeps getting you up in the morning after life knocks you down? What keeps you trying when circumstances seem hopeless?

 

When John wrote the book of Revelation, circumstances did seem hopeless. Emperor worship was being enforced. Christians were facing greater and greater hostility, even to the point of martyrdom. John himself had been exiled to Patmos, which was a penal colony, probably for his missionary activities.

 

God’s Covenant of Hope always seems to include fruitfulness. He started in the Garden of Eden; continued with the promise of a land filled with milk and honey; and concludes with the promise of the restoration of Eden. See if you can visualize this idyllic garden that John describes.

 

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb ² down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. ³ No longer will there be any curse. NIV

 

“No longer will there be a curse”… In the 60’s, we thought we would put an end to the

curse. We were wrong. Only the Living God can do that. Through the promises of Revelation 22, He gives us hope. Not only is it hope for us as believers, but also for us to share with others in a world without hope... Come.

 

 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%2022&version=NIV;TLB

https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/niv/Rev.22

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saints in Heaven - Revelation 7:9-11

Judy Matthis, my good friend and one of the original Daily Bible Blast writers, wrote on the topic of All Saint's Day back in 2010. With her permission, I am posting it here today. Judy is wonderful writer who has a heart for Scripture...

How would you describe heaven?

John has seen a vision of heaven and tries to put into words what he saw. He saw people from all over the world standing before the throne and in front of God. There were so many that they couldn't be counted. They wore white robes and held palm branches in their hands. They joined the angels in worshipping God in loud voices, "Amen! Praise, glory, and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever! Amen!" (v 12)

John says the people had experienced terrible persecution on earth. They had experienced pain, suffering, hunger, thirst, and catastrophes. As they gather around the throne of God, they experience joy, because He will lead them and "wipe away every tear from their eyes." (v 17b)

We celebrate All Saints day this Sunday. It is a time to think about the joy of heaven and our loved ones who are there. It is also a good time to think about our relationship with Jesus. Have you committed your whole life to Christ’s care and control? If not, it’s a good time to consider it.

We don’t know what is beyond this life on earth. We do know that God has made the hope of heaven a reality for us through His Son Jesus Christ. God has promised that all who believe in Him and commit to Him will have eternal life. We’ll have the joy of entering heaven and worshipping at the throne of God. He’ll welcome us when we leave this life. Isn’t that awesome!

Read today's text on Biblegateway.

The Face of God

Revelation 21:22-22:7, 20-21

 

 

In 1991, I met Greg Lashutka when he was running for mayor of Columbus for the first time. We were passing each other in a church hallway. Being a good politician, he stuck his hand out to shake. Afterwards, I was so nervous that I couldn’t think of anything else to say other than, “Boy you’ve got big hands”.

 

Being in the presence of someone who is famous, successful and powerful can sometimes be intimidating. And in Lashutka’s case, he had something else going for him. He played tight end for Woody Hayes at Ohio State, and later in the NFL. Needless to say, he was a big man… with big hands!

 

In Exodus 33:20 God spoke to Moses saying, "You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live." After being in God’s presence Isaiah wrote, "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty." When Simon Peter fell at Jesus’ feet, Luke wrote, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”

 

What is it about the face and presence of God that is so difficult, if not impossible, for us as humans to encounter?

 

In today’s passage John is describing Heaven. In it, he makes this amazing statement: “They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads”. Despite how people have always reacted in the presence of God, in Heaven we will see His face. We will be in His very presence.

 

I am reminded of the song “I can Only Imagine” by Mercy Me.

I can only imagine what it will be like
When I walk by your side
I can only imagine what my eyes will see
When your face is before me

Surrounded by your glory
What will my heart feel?
Will I dance for you Jesus,
Or in awe of you be still?
Will I stand in your presence,
Or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing Halelluja,
Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine.

 

In Heaven we will see the face of God and rejoice; not hide in shame. In Heaven we will

be in His presence; not in a temple. In Heaven, the River of Life will wash over us; not sin and guilt. In Heaven, no longer will there be a curse; but only joy in the presence of God.

 

John wrote these words in Revelation 21:  ^“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

 

Thanks be to God! Amen.

 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%2021%3A22-22%3A7%2C%2020-21&version=NIV;TLB

https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/niv/Rev.21.22-Rev.22.7

 

 

 

 

 

John 14: 1-7

The Way

The Holy Trinity is such a mystery. Though we may believe, it is not possible for us to understand how it can be that three are in one. We generally think from an earthly, 3-D perspective, and have no concept of the heavenly realm.

Jesus attempts to comfort his disciples, just as God’s Word through the bible is here to bring us peace. “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” John 14:1 Jesus goes on to tell them about preparing a place in his father's house and coming back for them so they will be where he is.

Thomas (the doubting one) inquired of Jesus when He told the disciples; “You know the way to the place where I am going.” John 14:4

Just as we would, Thomas was thinking of a pathway or road to get to the place Jesus referred to. Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” John 14:5

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” John 14:6-7

As this story continues Philip also questions Jesus and asks to see the Father. Considering all the things the disciples saw and heard while in the company of Jesus, it’s hard to believe Jesus wasn’t a bit frustrated as he replied; “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” John 14:9

Is belief in Jesus the only way to find salvation? Jesus’ answer is clear from this passage. Many may call Christians narrow-minded, yet as a true Christ follower there is only one passage way to the promise of eternal life. We lay down our doubt, and with faith we seek to understand something we likely will not be able to comprehend until we are no longer of this world.

By faith we believe that The Way of The Cross is the only way!

John 9:42-48

Why does God send people to hell?

He doesn't!

The Lord counsels us, guides us, directs us and reminds us over and over again.   He warns us, models for us, commands us, and offers us a grand reward.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Mark 9:42-43 And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believes in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell.

These words of Jesus are not threats, they are warnings. He is not condemning, he is cautioning. God does not want to see any of his children enter into hell.

I doubt the picture we have in our mind of someone cutting off their hand is literally what Jesus meant, but it is that serious. It’s an illustration of our God’s great forgiveness if we are sincere in our repentance.

His love is extreme, just as our dedication to him should be. When we do wrong, we must not only sincerely confess and repent, but do something about it that causes us to change and not repeat the offense. Sometimes that means making an extreme transformation in our life that may be very difficult at the time.

We may wonder what God is waiting for. Why doesn't he come and fulfill his promise right now? This world is a mess. It may be wise to take advantage of God’s delay. 

2 Peter 3:9  The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

2 Peter 3:14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace with him.

Read/Listen to John 9:42-48