Tag: Heaven

Are You Sure You’re Going to Heaven?

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Do you ever wonder if you will make it to Heaven? Do you consider your entrance into Heaven something of which you cannot be ultimately sure until you die? If so, then you need to understand that God has given us a deposit to guarantee our admission to God’s home.

Unlike a physical ticket or admission pass, God’s people receive an unbelievable gift as their guarantee for Heaven. The gift is a Person – the third Person of the Triune God, the Holy Spirit. He is the proof positive that we have access to Heaven upon our exit of this world.

We read the glorious words of 2 Corinthians 5:4-5 in the New Living Translation, “While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.”

Do you see that my insurance on a new, heavenly, undying, and sinless body is the Holy Spirit living in me? How much more proof could I possibly need, but to have God living in me moment by moment? Despite the struggles and strains of life, in my heart abides the Spirit of God, and He gives me a peace that goes past the turmoil and sadness of this life. He witnesses to my spirit that I do, in fact, belong to God and to Heaven.

Again, we read of the coming day of redemption, the time when we are fully redeemed (bought back) from brokenness and this old world. Listen to Ephesians 4:30 in the English Standard Version: “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”

The Holy Spirit actually provides the seal that declares that my entrance to Heaven is as good as done! For what more could I ask?

This Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ. Jesus sent His own Spirit to live in His followers when He exited the world and ascended to Heaven. That precious Spirit is the guarantee that we also will exit this world and go to Heaven. Jesus paid for my salvation, and His Spirit witnesses to my salvation. Jesus is the way to Heaven, and His Spirit is the deposit I hold for that day. Until I am able to see Jesus, I have Him living in me by His Spirit.

– Shelli Prindle

Can You Be Sure?

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Belief in a vague idea of Heaven and Hell is one thing, but confidence in the place to which you are personally headed is another, as I experienced in a recent encounter.

God never meant for our destiny to be unclear in the least. He intends for us to have assurance of the outcome of our lives, and I believe that is one reason the devil tries frantically to steal from humans a true understanding of their eternal condition.

Have you ever heard someone say falteringly, “I hope I make it to Heaven” or “I’m trying to be good so I can go to Heaven”? Those who say such things demonstrate a hesitance to declare with boldness a truth about their future … and their present.

After getting a refill on my iced tea at a local restaurant, I paused at the table of an older gentleman with whom I have tried to have several conversations about Jesus. This dear man struggles with guilt about many things – including his service in Vietnam. In the past, I have assured him that we are all on equal ground as sinners and that I am no better off before God than he is. We all have selfish hearts and are corrupted at the core. The only difference is that I have trusted Jesus to be my righteousness for me, because He bore the penalty of God’s wrath against me at the Cross.

On one particular afternoon, this man was sharing a conversation he had just had with a cardiac nurse who was trying to discern whether or not he understood the seriousness of his condition. He told me that he proudly declared to her, “I am not afraid of dying; everyone has to die.” Then he said to the nurse, “The only thing we have to be afraid of is where we go after we die … and no one can know that ahead of time!”

Wow. This confused gentleman actually had the first part of his idea correct to some degree; for Jesus said, “And do not fear those who kill the body [Satan and his followers] but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him [God] who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28, ESV) Obviously, there is validity to a healthy fear of our soul ending up in Hell.

It is the second part of this man’s thought that I had to immediately and gently confront, for it was way off base. His real fear was in the not knowing that he could know where he was headed.

I looked at him, addressed him by name, and said, “Yes you can know where you are going. I know. I know because I believe in Jesus and trust His sacrifice for my sin.” I could have added, “And I have trusted His life for my living”! However, my hurting friend soon changed the subject – still not ready to deal with the main issue of his soul.

The Bible is unequivocal in its assertion that we can know our destiny. The Apostle John proclaims I John 5:12-13 (ESV), “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.”

Notice – amazingly – that our assurance of our place after death is directly related to our current status of life. Those who are certain of Heaven in the future have that confidence based on the reality of Jesus’ life in them presently. If a man, woman, or child has the Son of God as the source of their forgiveness and hope, then that person already has life. Eternal life is a continuum. It begins with true, life-changing belief in Jesus (not simply mental assent) that continues drawing us closer to Him and His will, and then it culminates in the reality of Heaven.

Do you have the Son of God? Really have Him? For you who want the promise of Heaven, He cannot simply be a mental concept or a part of your life. He must be your life. That life He gives you is eternal. He gives it now, and He sustains it past your death and into an infinite future. Amen!

IF YOUR MAN DOESN’T WIN: A Broad View of Politics and God’s Plan

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The Apostle Paul declares in Romans 13:1 (ESV), “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities.” He boldly added in verse seven, “Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.” Clearly, God’s plan is one that requires order and includes human government because of man’s sinful nature. We will not all keep reign over our own behavior, therefore, a higher human authority established by God must do so. Some people allow God’s principles to rule generally over their actions because they have relationship with God. Others throw off the thought of God and His authority and must be directed in behavior by outside influence rather than the Spirit of God in their hearts. This need for outside parameters when internal criteria are rejected is expressed beautifully in Psalm 32:8-9 (ESV),

    I [God] will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Be not like a horse or mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you.

God’s desire is a man who willingly accepts God’s rule in His life. However, due to our fallen nature; God intervenes with human authority’s influence when we fail to restrain ourselves. Human government is a tool of God for a broken universe filled with broken people.

We must keep in mind that government consists of human beings and so is inherently fallible. God’s intention for authorities is clear and expressed in Romans 13:3-4 (ESV),

    For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.

Generally, then, God intends authorities to promote good and punish evil. We know beyond the shadow of any doubt that this does not always happen. Without reference to myriad contemporary examples, think of the Apostle Paul’s personal experience. Though he writes very succinctly of government’s meaning, he was killed under the reign of Emperor Nero. He and Peter were martyred by authorities because they were Christians! In both of their lives, authorities acted perversely – in direct contradiction to God’s expressed purpose for government. Paul was not a fool, and he understood what we apprehend – that government fails at many points – just as people do.

Nonetheless, people of God understand the importance of government within its human limitations. It is both a creation and tool of a sovereign, unfailing God. As a created institution, it must align itself with God’s truth in order to fulfill its right aim. Government is not a stand-alone entity, and it is not the solution to the human dilemma. Jesus Christ stands alone as the Way to existence as God intended. No man, woman, or child will ever experience the right-working, soon-coming, perfected and re-made universe without first entering into a relationship with the Creator through Jesus Christ. The answer to human failure and misery is spiritual in nature. People need reformed on the inside – in the spirit. A right spirit in a woman gives her the power to live as she should, and that new heart can only come from God.

Good behavior, good laws, good decisions, good government, good families, good economic plans, good relationships, and good education – all these are the result of an inside job, if you will. A person is delivered first from his enslavement to sin’s power, and then he can act rightly on a more consistent basis. With the Holy Spirit of God abiding in his clean heart, a man can now act as one should whose goal is a right-working, God-glorifying universe (the ultimate goal of God!). Note the incredible thoughts of Charles Colson (2007),

    Today’s enthusiasm for political solutions to the moral problems of our culture arises from a distorted view of both politics and spirituality – too low a view of the power of a sovereign God and too high a view of the ability of man. The idea that human systems, reformed by Christian influence, pave the road to the Kingdom – or at least, to revival – has the same utopian ring that one finds in Marxist literature. It also ignores the consistent lesson of history that laws are most often reformed as a result of powerful spiritual movements. I know of no case where a spiritual movement was achieved by passing laws. (pp. 343-344)

Vital is our responsibilty to keep God’s order of things from being turned inside-out. Government is an important part of God’s plan; government is not the salvation of man. God is the Savior, and He is in the business of transforming people’s individual lives so they can help transform the world around them – including political systems.

Throughout history, governments and rulers have both succeeded and failed in their proper endeavor. We thank God for the privilege of observing His hand in the working of the government of the United States in many ways throughout the years. We think also of atrocities resulting from governmental rule – including our own political system. We often stand in speechless horror when we think of the sins committed and the misery wrought by political entities. Going directly to the Word of God, we have many examples. There is faithful Daniel who is tossed into a den of lions during the sixth century B.C. by decree of the Persian King Darius because Daniel refused to stop praying to His Savior. Daniel’s firm trust in God (his spiritual underpinning) resulted in his deliverance from the lions and a counter decree by King Darius charging citizens to reverence the God of Daniel.

There is the Apostle Paul, whose last years were spent often in prison under the authority of the Roman government. Nonetheless, faith in God grew as people witnessed the spiritual strength God gave to Paul despite the grave error and persecution of government. We see Paul gazing intently at his heavenly citizenship even as he walked this earth and sat in chains. The Word of God rang out with divine power despite – perhaps even because of – the evil committed by a government turned against its God-given intention. As he sat in a dungeon, chained to a Roman soldier, Paul wrote Philippians 1:12-14 (ESV),

    I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

The apostle saw God using this circumstance – this perversion of government – to God’s glory! Paul knew the only true answer for the human condition was found in salvation. If his imprisonment meant more souls could enter the greatest place to be a citizen – Heaven – then Paul counted persecution worth the cost. He no doubt prayed for His release and the turning in repentance of Roman authority, but he patiently waited on the greater plan of God while doing so. Paul lived rightly, honored human authority rightly, and prayed rightly; but he staked his life on a greater reality than this world’s system. Hear his amazing words written from prison in Philippians 3:20-21 (NIV),

    But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

In line with Paul’s words are those of Russell Kirk as quoted by Colson (2007),

    Christian faith may work wonders if it moves the minds and hearts of an increasing number of men and women. But if professed Christians forsake heaven as their destination and come to fancy that the state . . . may be converted into the terrestrial paradise – why they are less wise men than Marx.

Yes, Heaven is our destination. Its perfect justice and overwhelming beauty will be the result of God’s miracle in human hearts. Jesus died so we could live rightly. Note I Peter 2:24 (NIV), “[Jesus] himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness.” In Heaven, we will finally live rightly without hindrance!

For now, our encumbrance is a sinful nature. That nature prohibits perfection in both individuals and institutions. But it does not prohibit the purpose of God! God is transcendent, existing outside the universe and independent of any institution. He is able to fulfill the truth of Ephesians 1:11 (ESV), “[God] works all things according to the counsel of his will.” All things. Not some. All. Everything. Without a wasted circumstance. Incredibly, He even works the result of every presidential election after the counsel of His own will!

We must pray continually. We must act righteously in a dark world. We must vote. We must promote the heart of God to a world in trouble. Ultimately, though, we must trust in God. We must put all our hope in an infinitely big God who saves people one at a time now and will save the entire world system one day for those who trust in Him. No matter who the president is, God is the ruler of every inch of reality. Put your hope in Him, and influence others to do the same. Tend to the spiritual matters of the heart, and political matters will fall into line – along with all other interests. For there is a King greater than all kings, and His name is Jesus. He was born in the days of evil King Herod (Matthew 2:1). God allowed even His own Son to endure governmental injustice. Though Herod sought to kill Jesus, Jesus lived on! The plan of God for our salvation endured. Herod died. God’s purpose continued. That is the way it will always be. Evil is vanquished; God’s goodness prevails. No matter what it ever appears in this imperfect world, the curse will one day be fully erased! (Revelation 22:3)

God’s man wins! His name is Jesus.

Reference:

Colson, C. (2007). God & Government: An Insider’s View on the Boundaries Between Faith & Politics. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Reality Just Beyond the Glass

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I sit behind a polished windowpane
Hearing the hum of heated air through vents.

On the other side of the glass
Lie trees in autumn splendor on a hillside.

The gentle breeze takes yellowish foliage
To a carpet of gold and green below.

Wafting in every direction under sunlight,
Drop beautiful leaves.

On goes a gorgeous shower of what was,
Making room for what will be.

The sunbeams on the shimmering trees
And the continual dance of the season proceeds;

As I sit behind glass panes in a building made by man,
Peering out at the artistry of God.

On the wall beside me hangs a framed photograph
Of an autumn scene.

While beautiful the picture is,
It does not compare to the reality just beyond the glass.

What comes directly from God
Cannot be adequately reproduced by man.

Chairs, buildings, heating systems, automobiles,
Framed art, calculators, tennis shoes, cherry pie, basketballs.

All these reflect the mind of our Creator,
Who designed our minds to design these things.

Yet, for all we make,
Nothing compares to what God creates!

Galaxies, mountains, antelopes, apple trees,
Sunshine, emeralds, sharks, bluebirds, waterfalls.

I appreciate the comfortable library in which I sit.
I enjoy looking out its windows when the ice of winter comes.

But my soul longs for the day
When I will not be separated from any of the handiwork of God.

I wait for the day when the city in which I walk
Will not have been manufactured by the hand of people.

Come quickly the day when everything about existence is as beautiful and rich as God intended,
Untainted by the messiness of humanity.

I wait for . . .
“The holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.”

A city that comes from Heaven, right down from the throne of God!
This will be my home!

In that day, nothing will be unsatisfactory
Because nothing will be “once-removed” from God’s perfection.

All will be as He desires,
Which is – in our heart of hearts – what we, in fact, desire.

We will work beside Him then,
For He will finally and fully dwell with us.

The work of men will be the work of God,
For then we shall completely please Him.

All creation will be new – and uncursed –
Never wearing out, never growing old.

We will create and enjoy and explore forever
Because of the grace of precious Jesus . . .

When we finally enter the reality just beyond the glass.

“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face.” (I Corinthians 13:12, KJV)

“I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.” (Revelation 21:2, ESV)

What Does It Mean to Live, and What Does It Mean to Die?

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In my observation of discussing death and entrance to the next life with various people, most are apt to give the same type of answer to the question, “Why are you not ready to die (or be taken to Heaven) at this particular time?” The vast majority give a reply something like this: “I want to live on earth at least a little longer because I have not yet _____.” (Insert into the blank space any number of various experiences, e.g., travelled to a foreign country, gotten married, earned my doctoral degree, held my first grandchild, owned my own home, etc.) Even though most of the people I have spoken with are Christians, the basic response remains unchanged. People are not ready to die because some desired earthly experience has yet eluded them. If the people with which I have interacted through the years are truly representative of Christian feeling on the subject, we would be tempted to conclude that the Apostle Paul was out of his mind when he wrote the letter to the Philippians.

Under Roman house arrest and the shadow of his own execution, Paul penned these stunning words, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21, NASB). My mathematical mind forms succinct equations: Living = Christ and Dying = Gain. The strong and intellectual apostle boldly proclaimed a truth so simple, yet so antithetical to our regular way of thinking. Paul believed – and was inspired by God to record – that to die is actual gain. No matter what Paul had or had not experienced to date in his life, he knew that his death would result in a tangible gain that far surpassed any unrealized goal. No matter what supposed earthly pleasure or experience Paul might not have had, he knew that the reward of Heaven wiped out the loss by infinite measure.

Many Christians today believe our best life is this life – within a broken universe. Wrong. Our best life is the one to come – in the presence of God. The recreated heavens and earth, the restored bodies, the whole minds, the healed relationships, the contented hearts basking in the uninterrupted blessing of God, the everlasting adventures in the universe that is then made right, and an unbroken relationship with God will more than make up for anything we perceive ourselves as “losing” here. Paul stood firm in the reality – the unequivocally substantial nature – of Heaven. Thus, he could declare without doubt that his death is really gain . . . solid, true gain.

Let us go back to the other equation, “To live = Christ.” How many of us can proclaim that equation without reservation? How do I view living? Is life for my enjoyment? For my happiness? For my fulfillment? From a biblical perspective, the answer is “no.” My life should be defined in one beautifully simple way, “Christ.” I am always amazed and inspired by Paul’s firm grasp of God’s truth. This apostle actually believed and lived the equation, “To live = Christ.” Paul was not in the business of the Gospel for himself. He did not seek glory, admiration, or pleasure. He resolutely sought to make Christ known through both the everyday moments and the pinnacle experiences of his life. Paul would not have said, “Let me live on earth a little longer so I can take a dream vacation or complete a five-year plan of mine.” Paul would only say, “Let me live on this broken planet longer only if it means people will see Jesus in me.”

I fear we have negated God’s life and death equations in our lives by adding or subtracting our ideas. The equations are simple: Living = Christ and Dying = Gain.

Pondering Stephen Hawking’s Statements

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I am pondering the profoundly sad conclusions of Stephen Hawking, the brilliant physicist. Although God has given to him a valuable brain, Mr. Hawking has chosen to disregard his Creator and, therefore, His Creator’s unfathomable plan.

As reported by Liz Goodwin on May 16, 2011, at “The Lookout,” a Yahoo News Blog, Stephen Hawking said, “I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail. There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark.” Given all of his scientific musing, I cannot understand why Hawking does not recognize that computers are always the result of design, and so the metaphorical “computer brain” must also be the consummation of design. Humans contrive computers and build them of earth’s content, and the devices stand devoid of soul or consciousness. God created people and the universe out of nothing, and He deposits in His grand creatures, humans, a living soul. A computer shows similarities to a brain (although it is far less superior than the human organ) precisely because the CPU is designed by people whose minds are made in the image of God. God created human minds, and His creatures make computers. Hence, we trace God’s hand in the technology. Computers being the obvious result of intricate human planning, why cannot Hawking see that human brains must also be the result of intricate divine planning?

Of course there is not an afterlife for broken down computers . . . because there is no “now” life for computers. Mankind alone received at creation the “breath of life” from God. However, the “human computer,” as Hawking may like to refer to it, has life now. People (and their minds) were made to live. God has prepared for them an afterlife. Evidenced throughout history is man’s innate desire to live. Always, people have generally had a great aversion to death. Carlos Eire (2010) quotes Pierre Chaunu,

    The death of any human being is an outrage; it is the outrage par excellence, and all attempts to diminish this outrage are contemptible, no more than opium for the masses . . . Death is the unacceptable. The annihilation of one memory cannot be compensated for by the existence of the universe and the continuance of life. The death of Mozart, despite the preservation of his work, is an utterly evil thing. (p. 1)

Even the atheist philosopher, Bertrand Russell, admitted to a need for “safety” regarding annihilation. As Eire (2010) also quotes Russell, “Brief and powerless is Man’s life; on him and all his race the slow, sure doom falls pitiless and dark. Only within the scaffolding of these truths, only on the firm foundation of unyielding despair, can the soul’s habitation henceforth be safely built” (p. 14). Eire then adds his own thought, “Safety in despair: if that is not a leap of faith, nothing else is” (p. 14).

We humans long for eternity because we were made by an eternal, transcendent God. The Bible declares, “[God] has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11, NIV). Having been made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26), we have a slight grasp on eternity – we sense it and we long for it. When we call on the God of the Bible for salvation, He grants to us eternal life. While we cannot yet know the experiential reality of that fact in its fullness, we begin to operate in a hope that “blows our mind.” One day, when we stand in the presence of our Creator, the perfect will come, and the partial will be done away (I Corinthians 13:10). We will begin to see clearly the amazing, true nature of eternity. For now, we trust the “imperishable seed” that has been planted in us through the Word of God (I Peter 1:23, NASB).

As far as heaven being a “fairy story for people afraid of the dark,” I am not so much scared into Heaven, as I crave what I know is the greater reality. Just because the idea of everlasting life in a perfect place seems too good to be true does not make it untrue. In this life we often say, “[This or that] is too good to be true” because this world is, in fact, a sinful mess. We find ourselves held within a realm of brokenness and incompletion because of sin. We must believe in and live for a home of righteousness that is infinitely greater than the present universe in its collective state of rebellion against God in order to realize what is actually “not too good to be true”! Ironically, genuine fear should come into the picture only when dealing in damning reality, not made-up tales. What should justly haunt humans is the very real existence of Hell, a place of complete separation from God and all that is right. Heaven is not a fairy tale, and Hell is to be feared.

When Stephen Hawking was asked what humans should do to lend meaning to their lives since we are all destined to power-down like computers, Hawking said, “We should seek the greatest value of our action.” This is the point that confuses me the most. If, as Hawking posits, nothing of our existence survives the death of the body, the value at its highest point evaporates. For, no matter what earthly good someone achieves – whether medical advances for the sick, accruement of great wealth for family, the provision of more entertainment for bored masses, the enhancement of personal rights, or any other earthly thing – all of this comes to naught quickly for both the one who acts and the one who receives. The paradigm of the atheistic person leaves no room for anything lasting in the case of any individual person. The “greatest value” of any action amounts to nothing in just moments, hours, days, or years.

On the other hand, the simplest of obedient acts for the sake of Jesus Christ and His kingdom leads to the proliferation of eternal things. When I deal in eternal investments – prayer, human conversations, study of the Bible, kindness to others, generosity reflecting God, teaching others of His Truth, etc. – I get a return on my action that is currently unimaginable to me. The greatest value is not any finite amount, but rather an infinite reality. Matthew 6:19-20, II Corinthians 4:16-18, and I Peter 1:4 are just a few of the places in God’s Word where the reality of eternal investment is made clear.

Stephen Hawking has great knowledge of math and science. Sadly, he has suppressed the truth. I say this standing on the authority of the Word of God. Romans 1:18 makes clear that those who reject God and His Gospel are those who actively “suppress” or “hold back” the Truth. Truth is in front of us, revealed generally, through all God has made (Romans 1:20); and it is available especially to all who cry out for it, as Jesus is the Truth (John 14:6). He stands ready with His Word to answer those who will quit pushing back, with tired arms, the obvious Truth. I pray even Stephen Hawking responds to His Holy Creator and is made new by Jesus and fit for Heaven – the place that is not too good to be true (II Corinthians 5:17 and Revelation 21:1-5).

Reference: Carlos Eire, A Very Brief History of Eternity (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2010)

Living in Heavenly Places

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A recent, sweet conversation with my nephew reminded me of our access to all spiritual blessings of the heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3). My nephew assured me that he remembered vividly a ten minute period of time that occurred eight years ago. He recalled the place we were during a moment of emotional distress and the words I spoke from the Bible concerning the New Heavens and New Earth. That precious boy’s eyes lit up as he listened to me review that conversation of long ago and my counsel that Jesus will keep His promise to make things right so that one day people who love each other will no longer have to be separated. As we remembered together, I could see the wheels of his mind turning furiously. He had held onto the truth of God’s Word all this time. For him, the book of Revelation and II Peter had been sealed as reality.

What struck me the evening of our recollection is the power of spiritual blessings. When we focus on and access the stuff of God’s Word and kingdom, eternal and life-changing phenomena occur. Though much of the time the drudgery of everyday living can mask the workings in the spiritual realm, God moves through us when we choose to think and act in the heavenly arena. For example, I just encouraged a friend of mine who uses the text message medium to send Bible verses to others. In a world of technological overuse and abuse, I wanted her to know that often the Lord confirms His leading through her “heavenly thinking” when it comes to such a common thing as text messaging. This woman accesses the spiritual blessings of God’s Word, chooses to think about her Savior during the course of ordinary days, and then positively affects another person’s walk with the Lord. Eternal differences are made rather than just the proliferation of more gibberish so common to texting.

Paul instructs in Ephesians 1:3 (NASB), “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” How many times do we miss those spiritual blessings simply because we do not recognize our position in the heavenly places? A dinner table in a restaurant, for example, can be a heavenly site when food and laughter are shared and savored to the glory of God. Our Lord made us to enjoy the earth He has created, and we reflect His image in holy fellowship with one another. The location on the map is one thing, but children of God are seated in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6) and allow God to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary.

A year or so ago, one of my young relatives expressed the need for some school clothes that fit well. I went to a department store and a drug store and stocked up on clothes and supplies for him. I felt the glory of God in those stores, because the act of obedience was in the spiritual realm. The clothing became a tool for Heaven. I wrote a letter to go with the supplies and outfits, and I explained that all of our needs are ultimately supplied by Jesus. He is the reason and the source of all we receive. Clothing a loved one became sacred.

How often do we waste our time stuck in the ordinary? God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing! He tells us these blessings are in heavenly places in Christ. Make no mistake about it, a New Age type of spirituality is not what is mentioned here. We have access to the blessings because of – and in – Jesus Christ! We used to be dead to spiritual things, but the sacrifice of Jesus made us alive! (Ephesians 2:4-5) Now we ought to live – and live abundantly! A bird flying through the yard now reminds us of the freedom from sin we have in Jesus. The simple acts of reading and thinking now remind us of the creativity and orderliness of our great God, who has things yet unimaginable in store for us. A drink of iced tea reminds us of His faithfulness to quench our spiritual thirst and bring contentment even now. A look at the tall trees stretching toward the sky, growing more intricate with each expanding branch, hints of our approach toward Heaven and the New Jerusalem.

Please live in heavenly places in Christ. Be always communing with Him and ponder His Word (Psalm 1:1-2). Be perpetually giving Him glory as we stand amazed at all He has given and all he does. Make moments and experiences count for eternity. We have been blessed with all spiritual blessings; we have to live in heavenly places in Christ.

Why Doesn’t God Do Something?

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I had the recent privilege of sitting with a young lady after I had preached the Word of God at a women’s event. The woman was crying, and she told me she was angry. After having endured the drug overdose death of a friend and having witnessed the neglect and disability of children, she wanted to know, “Why doesn’t God do something?” She added, “Why does God not hear the cries of people?”

We sat for some time as I listened and shared. Our productive time ended in sincere prayer and led me to think through more thoroughly the Bible’s clues to what God is doing; because, my friends, He is doing something, and He will do something. Our human inability to see and understand it all does not negate the reality of a supernatural God’s working.

First, God sees what happens. “The LORD looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men; from His dwelling place He looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth, He who fashions the hearts of them all, He who understand all their works, ” declares Psalm 33:13-15 (NASB). God is fully aware of the good and bad deeds of all people. He is cognizant of every pain suffered, every injustice endured, every sin committed, every oversight, every evil scheme, and every disappointment. He takes it all into account. In fact, I was recently encouraged while reviewing Bible passages I have memorized. I came to Ephesians 3:17 (NASB) and was reminded it is God’s desire that “Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” Christ dwells in my heart! He is right there in the mix with all the emotions I experience! Of course He knows exactly how I feel. Of course He is paying special attention to all the feelings of His people! He understands the works of all people, and He dwells particularly in the midst of His children’s hearts.

Second, God is waiting to bring final judgment. Although it does not appear that God is correcting wrongs and answering desperate pleas, He will act one day with finality and accuracy. For now, He is waiting because “[He] is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (II Peter 3:9, NASB). God’s judgment of the horror of sin and its effects is so terrible, so final, and so unimaginable that He wants to ensure all have had a chance to repent and turn to Him. Please do not be disturbed by the unimaginable nature of His judgment, for you know the indescribable horror resulting from sin throughout the centuries. The judgment is commensurate with the gravity of sin. Somehow, God’s waiting provides a way for all to have opportunity to repent before facing God’s wrath.

Third, the judgment lies on the other side. The essence of Biblical Christianity is faith. Hebrews 11:6 (NASB) proclaims, “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He exists and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” Faith declares that God’s people will be rewarded – on the other side of death. Likewise, Revelation 20:13-14(NASB) states, “Death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.” Faith also declares that God’s enemies will be punished on the other side of death. While we reap natural consequences in part in this present world, precise and comprehensive judgment and reward takes place at another time.

Do you believe this? Can you affirm what Paul said in I Corinthians 13:12 (NASB), “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face”? Do you believe that the next world is the right world? (II Peter 3:11-13, Revelation 21:1-5) Do you believe that the God who made everything out of nothing actually has a New Heaven and a New Earth to follow an accurate and final judgment? Do you believe that the omniscient God of the universe can sort out the rights and wrongs of every human heart? Do you believe that He will serve justice because He is – by His very nature – just?

If you believe these things, then you will be most miserable unless you also believe that Jesus Christ stands waiting to absorb your guilt! As I counseled that sobbing young lady, allow me to tell you that you also can “throw your sin on Jesus, because He can handle it; you cannot!” II Corinthians 5:21 (NASB) says, “[God] made [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Only an infinitely powerful and completely holy God can handle our sin. We cannot pay for it. We cannot hold it inside. If we do not take it to God now, then He will judge us later. Sin demands payment. An infinite, holy God can absorb that sin in one, finite moment of time (just as He did on the Cross). On the other hand, a finite, sinful human being could never pay for his or her own sin. A person would have to go on forever, in complete separation from God without ever finding rest or resolution for the sin problem. Hell is as logical as Heaven, and both lie on the other side.

God has done something, He is doing something, and He will do something. Trust the work of Jesus on the Cross two thousand years ago as payment for your sin, assist God in the mission to see others repent while we await the final judgment, and – finally – hope in the realities of the other side!

Get a Taste of This Kingdom!

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Weariness. Struggle. Disappointment. Separation. Helplessness. Grief. Illness. Battle. Pain. Regret. Fear. Disillusionment. Sorrow. These are just a few of the words to describe parts of our experience in the kingdom of this world. By “this world,” I mean the aggregate of all things earthly – the entire system of this currently broken cosmos. Temporarily, Satan is permitted to exert influence and humans are free to rebel against God. Hence, the Psalmist notes, “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed” (Psalm 2:2, ESV). The apostle Paul also reminds us of the devil who is “the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2, ESV). The force of evil rebellion is wielded, and God’s creation suffers.

Enter Jesus Christ. Diving wholeheartedly into the mess, Jesus begins to tread the dirt of this earth two millennia ago. At the inauguration of His ministry, he walked to Capernaum by the Sea of Galilee and began preaching some of the sweetest words I have ever heard, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17, ESV). The kingdom of heaven is at hand! Praise God! We can now begin to sense the infiltration of a kingdom ruled by what is right; the invasion of all we have longed for has begun!

Just in case we are questioning what the rule of God’s righteousness is honestly like, Jesus works His way through all of Galilee “teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people” (Matthew 4:23, ESV). Did you catch the wonderment of His action? Jesus healed every disease and affliction that broken humans could present to Him. He single-handedly demonstrated the heart of God . . . to cure what ails and destroys us. This heart of God prevails with the kingdom of heaven, so let us go back to Jesus’ prescription for the ushering in of that glorious kingdom.

Jesus exhorted, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The prerequisite for my part in this kingdom is repentance. I must rightfully acknowledge my guilt in the hellish schemes of a sinful heart. I must confess that I am a sinner, and that I desire to be forgiven of my sins. The gist of repentance bids me go further – to agree to turn away from sin and toward God by the power Jesus grants to me. A repentant heart says, “I run to God and away from sin; and I desire to never look back, even though I know the cost will be great.”

You will notice that after calling people to repentance in anticipation of God’s kingdom, Jesus approaches individuals and asks them to follow Him (Matthew 4:18-22) – not just in a walk by the lake, but in a walk of self-denial and God-exaltation. He asks Peter and Andrew to come with Him, and both men left their fishing nets and embarked on a relationship with Jesus Christ. They deemed Him worth the adventure and all that would be asked of them.

After the call to repentance and the invitation to follow in the everyday walk of life, Jesus begins to display the heart of the heavenly kingdom with His miracles. How overjoyed the disciples must have been to begin realizing the momentous nature of that of which they had become a part. God wants things right! He wants our hearts right, our words right, our actions right, our relationships right, our bodies right, and our universe right! Jesus began in that small province in the Middle East to shine forth hints of what the kingdom of heaven is, and what indescribable joy we shall experience when – finally – “the kingdom of the world [becomes] the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ” (Revelation 11:15, ESV).

Friends, as surely as the words of John 3:16 are true, the words of Revelation 11:15 are true. One day this world’s dark kingdom will be replaced with the kingdom of our Lord. Then we will witness in full what Galileans witnessed in part in the days of Jesus’ earthly ministry. We will see with our own eyes afflictions disappear, weariness turn to strength, love prevail without challenge, grief be obliterated, fear become trust, sorrow vanish, regret run away, the earth be restored to perfection . . . and Jesus take charge forever.

Get a taste of this kingdom now, and join me one day when we feast together with our Savior!

Imperishable Seed Beyond the Boundary of Science

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My recent trip to the local library led to my finding a new non-fiction book, “Long for this World,” by Jonathan Weiner. I have not read the volume, only its inside front cover. The book’s subtitle is “The Strange Science of Immortality,” and the last sentences of its main description are “could we live forever? And if we could . . . would we want to?”

The pursuit of immortality has always intrigued mortals precisely because we are just that – mortal. Created by an eternal God, we long for the everlasting. Having had death introduced to us with the commencement of human sinfulness, we most naturally long to regain what has been lost – eternal life. Those of an atheistic bent seek immortality by walking the path of science, hoping for continued advancements right up to the point of deathlessness. The problem is that science can only investigate the natural world, which – for the astute Christian – hints persistently at the attributes of the biblical God (Romans 1:20). However, the natural world alone contains not the solution for death. For the obliteration of ultimate human demise, we must turn to the supernatural. Science is limited by God; its boundaries are set in such a way that it cannot fix the human spirit. Only the Maker of both natural and supernatural things can reach into the depths of the unseen spirit of men and women, and only He can do work there. Death comes to the natural body because death has come to the spirit. The spirit must be fixed for the body to live.

Enter the glorious words of I Peter 1:23-25 (NIV), “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For ‘All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.’ And this is the word that was preached to you.” As God’s Word proclaims, not only are we as fleeting as the grass in the field, but our glory is as transitory as the flower’s blossom. One day we see it, and the next day it is withered. In stark contrast stands the mighty Word of God that literally endures forever.

The key for our help comes from verse twenty-three, which declares that we can be born again of a seed that never perishes. Inside a person, an eternal seed of life can be planted through the Word of God that has the power to carry a mortal over the chasm of earthly death into the astonishing reality of life everlasting. Moreover, this precious, indescribable Word is very close. Peter declares that this living and enduring Word of God “is the word which was preached to you” (I Peter 1:25, NIV). The Word that enables a sinful, dead spirit to be reborn into a righteous, living spirit is the Word about which you are reading right now! God has not kept this Word from us, but He has sent it to us!

The Bible is God’s written Word, and Jesus Christ is God’s living Word. At this very moment, He has come to you to deliver the incorruptible seed of life. A human spirit is dead because of sin; it needs a living seed planted in it in order to live and last forever. No string of scientific breakthroughs can ever blast through the impenetrable wall of mortality; only the eternal Word of God, Jesus, can carry a mortal past death to life.

Jesus said, “I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever!” (Revelation 1:18, NIV). Jesus begins alive. We begin dead. We are born into corruption by our very nature. Jesus is God, and so “Before the mountains were born or [He] gave birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, [He] is God” (Psalm 90:2, NASB). Jesus was alive before He came to earth, and He rose from death after bearing the penalty for our sin. Notice God’s Word says Jesus is the Living One, that He was physically dead for a brief period, and that He is presently alive forever and ever.

Jesus can plant the imperishable seed of His salvation in us. Then, we can follow Him in this world. Ultimately, we can follow Him in His pattern of life after death. One amazing day, we will be able to stand with Him in Heaven and say, “I was dead, but now I am alive forever because of Jesus!”

Back to the inside cover description of “Long for this World.” The last question is, “And if we could [live forever] . . . would we want to? In a world that is itself crying out for redemption and restoration (Romans 8:20-23), I believe we realize we would not want to live forever in the present state of things; with disaster, disease, and disappointment abounding in every direction. “This world” needs changed, just as we do. We long to be immortal, but in a perfect world. The flawless world is coming, my friends. In the same way that we are made imperishable – by the Word of God – this creation will be rendered right. II Peter 3:5, 7, 12-13 (NIV) tells us, “Long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water . . . By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men . . . That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.”

There it is . . . crystal clear. The Word of God brings an imperishable seed to humans and to the universe. Immortality is not so much a “strange science” as it is the loving work of a redeeming God. Our supernatural God blasts through the natural to deliver to us immortality and an unbroken cosmos, something science can never do. Though you may have enjoyed or endured many science classes, know also that the Word of God has come to you this day, offering an imperishable seed!

Rescue from the Wrath to Come

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“Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.” – I Thessalonians 1:10b (NASB)

There is a wrath to come. Oddly enough, I affirm that statement with both grief and gratefulness. God does not delight in the pouring forth of His wrath (II Peter 3:9, NASB). In fact, He delights in the demonstration of mercy (Micah 7:18, NIV). As one of His children, I also do not take joy in God’s wrath, but I imperfectly grasp its necessity.

I am aware of horrible things in this current world system: children starve to death, dictators wield unjust power, people suffer with myriad debilitating diseases, parents neglect and abuse little ones, angry people kill other humans, desperate people give up on themselves, natural disasters destroy homes and lives, people speak hateful words, humans die in loneliness, entire groups wage war on nations, and some orphans never find homes. In light of these observations, I thank God that one day He will set things right and refuse to allow sin to influence anymore. The Bible makes clear that the sinfulness of human beings has brought a curse to this world. All who choose to follow the sinful nature will have to be dealt with in order for God to bring to reality a right world. All who choose to follow Jesus and accept His righteousness in exchange for their sinfulness will abide eternally in that right world (John 3:36, NASB).

At the helm of sinful choices stands Satan. He leads those who want to follow him in rebellion against God and God’s ways. He leads the march against all that is right. Satan leads the march toward destruction, because God must pour out His holy wrath on sin and all its horror. Revelation 20:10 (NASB) declares, “And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” The greatest tormentor will be tormented so that horror will finally be confined. Atrocity and pain will be imprisoned with sinful rebellion in a place of God’s making. Justice will be served so that Heaven can flourish. There is wrath to come.

Following the ultimate demise of Satan, Revelation 20:14-15 (NASB) proclaims, “Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” And there we have it. All people who have chosen death instead of life by choosing sin instead of Jesus (Romans 6:23, NASB) will be confined to the same place of torment in which their leader will exist. The wrath of God Almighty will be poured forth on all the sinfulness that has perpetuated the horrible things of which I spoke earlier. God hates sin, and God hates what sin does. God also dignifies His human creatures. We are made in His image, with the freedom to choose. Sin, therefore, originates in the human heart (James 1:13-15, NIV). Unless Jesus is asked to stop it, sin continues to reign in the souls of those who choose it to be so. Therefore, the wrath of God must extend to those souls. In His mercy, God must one day eliminate sin and its indescribable damage.

Let us now focus on our hope found in the Scripture we are studying. I Thessalonians 1:10 (NASB, emphasis mine) describes our hope as “Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.” Jesus Christ, the Son of God, can rescue us from this wrath. He is our Way to the right world God is preparing (John 14:1-6, NIV). We have no chance of escaping God’s wrath but by divine rescue. Ours simply cannot be a mission of self-help. There is nothing we can do to change the bent of our heart from sinfulness to righteousness; for us, only one answer exists – rescue by Jesus Christ! He alone can make our whole being brand new – apt to love and serve Him (II Corinthians 5:17, NIV).

Two millennia ago, Jesus died on the cross of Calvary to suffer the wrath of God on behalf of humans He loves. The infinite, holy God bore the wrath of the infinite, holy God so that finite, failing humans who believe in Him may enjoy eternal life rather than suffer eternal wrath. God’s holiness demands justice. Jesus offered to meet the just requirement of payment for sin on our behalf by shedding His own blood. We must now run to Him and yield our hearts and lives to Him.

I have asked Him to save me from the wrath to come by re-making me so that I am fit for righteousness through Him. His sacrifice is my only hope. Please turn to Him this moment and ask Him to save you from the wrath to come. The divine rescue of Jesus – and the needed wrath of God – work together to give us the eternal hope that we will one day suffer no more!

What If Every End Were a Beginning?

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What if we could find a way to ensure that every ending is really a beginning? What if we could promise that the phrase, “Something wonderful is right around the corner” is more than just a platitude? After all, is not one of the great dilemmas of humanity the “race against the clock”? Do we not dread the end of what is good even while we enjoy it?

Consider a mind-blowing statement from God: “In the way of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death” (Proverbs 12:28, NASB). Right goes on forever; it simply cannot be stopped. When I follow the way of right, I will suffer no final blow of death. My peace cannot die if it is right – based squarely on Jesus’ victory; my dreams cannot die if they are right – pleasing to the God who designed me; my hope cannot die if it is right – planted on God’s strength, not mine; and my joy cannot die if it is right – based on my God unseen, not on fleeting circumstances. Astoundingly, not even my physical body will ever be overcome by death in any final sense if this body is walking the path of righteousness. My God promises death will be swallowed up in victory, and my body will go on in glory to experiences untold.

Even now, in the minute details of life, right goes on unstopped. Righteousness is the original plan of God; and though a fierce war rages against it, right has unmitigated victory. Our responsibility is to ensure we are walking rightly, holding God’s standard as our only benchmark – not the ideas of men.

Though a long-term plan be cut short, do not dismay if you are in the way of righteousness. For right is the continuum of God’s plan – the thread stringing this moment of apparent disappointment to the revelation of the good about to burst on the scene. Though it feels your spiritual investment produced no valuable returns, hang on. If not the passing of years, then Heaven itself will reveal the solidity of the investment. Nothing done on the path of righteousness shall ever be lost.

The power of this promise is stated beautifully in Isaiah 9:7 (NASB), “There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace; on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore.” When Jesus finally steps to the throne and God rules this universe unhindered by the devil He will have destroyed, His peace and government will increase eternally. Things will finally be as they ought to have been all along. With Satan and sin conquered, the peace will multiply boundlessly. Our enjoyment of God, His new creation, and His righteous rule will go on forever and ever. We shall love and explore always, with no hindrance of wrong.

My appeal to every reader is that you run into the arms of Him who shed His blood to make you new and right (I John 1:9 and I Corinthians 5:17). Put off no longer the endless promise of a right life, brought to us by the God-Man, Jesus Christ. Live for what never ends.