Heaven waits

I think about Heaven often these days. When I stand in that cemetery next to the grave of my wife and my parents, I consciously reach for hope and Heaven.  Much of we think we know about Heaven are just from our imagination, from movies, or pop songs; and they are wrong because they are projections of what we know in this world. Here is what I do know from the inspired Word – God has prepared a whole new, wonderful existence for those who are ‘in Christ’ without pain, endings, sin, or grief.  Before you start to form a picture of people in robes, strumming harps, and floating around on clouds, read on.
 

Kevin Miller illustrates the difficulty that we have grasping the joy of Heaven in this way.
“Let’s imagine that I tell my four-year-old son, “Andrew, when you grow up, if you get married, your honeymoon will be one of the most delightful and wonderful times of your life.”
He says, “Oh, you mean I can take my toy dinosaurs along?”
“Uh, no . . . you probably won’t want to. But you’ll still have a fantastic time.”
“Well, can Jeffrey from next door come along on my honeymoon?”
“No, sorry,” I tell him.
“I don’t know if I want to go on a honeymoon, Daddy. It doesn’t sound like any fun.”
“Trust me, Andrew: you will enjoy it, even though you can’t understand it right now.”
Heaven will give us incredible joy—but at a higher, richer level than we’ve ever experienced. It’s natural not to understand it all now.” Discipleship Journal : Issue 57. 1999

Just as a 4 year old cannot imagine a honeymoon, Heaven defies our understanding. Even if the Lord tried to explain it all to us, we just wouldn’t get it. The writers of Scripture saw visions and tried describe what they saw using the language and images that were available. Isaiah, Zechariah, and John tell us about amazing creatures that circle a Throne, about smoke, and seas of glass. We must not doubt their word, but we are wise to understand that they are using earthly language to tell us about a completely unearthly place! If we force the metaphors too literally, we may miss the true wonder of what God has planned for our eternal home.

What do we know about Heaven that brings us hope and keeps us on track while we wait to go there?

God is there!
The God we’ve loved from a distance, Whose purposes and plans sometimes confuse us, Who actions are beyond our figuring out, will be our Friend, will be accessible, and we will worship Him “face to face.” John attempts to show us the wonder of that moment and says, “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. 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.” (Revelation 21:3-4, NLT)
 
The beauty of it is beyond imagination.
John talks about dazzling splendor, streets of gold, and pearly gates! How do you describe things for which there are no words?  God is the Builder, the Architect, of the place where I will spend eternity. When I see beauty in  rose, the display of colors in a bird’s plumage, the intricacy of the design of my eye – and remember that He did all this and so much more for my temporary home;  I get enthused about living in that forever home He’s prepared for His people.

All things are made new- no rust, no death, no sin! 
“And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” (Revelation 21:5, NLT) Everything we know is subject to decay and all living things ultimately die. New things deteriorate. Babies grow into aged people. Shiny things become dull. Heaven knows no time, no depreciation, no aging. Jesus urges us to “Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy…” (Matthew 6:20, NLT)


Joy will be complete! 
Life’s happiest moments always end. No, I am not being a pessimist. It is simply the truth. The joy of a baby’s birth also carries the knowledge of mortality. A wonderful relationship is ended by relocation. Heaven knows nothing of that kind of thing. There only joy reigns. There no ends are anticipated, no sorrow invades, no disappointment lurks in the shadows.

The BIG question is this - are you prepared for Heaven?

You will not enter because you are good enough, joined a church, or were  a ‘nice’ person. We are saved by grace through faith – period.  I am going to Heaven because of Who I know, not because of what I have done. Christ died to save sinners.  In Him this is our promise: “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.” (Matthew 25:34, NLT)

Do not lose sight of Heaven. 
The promise keeps us on track when the Enemy tempts us with sin.
Heaven’s promise gives us hope when life’s challenges rise up and seem ready to crush us.
And, Heaven is our inheritance.

Here is a word from the Word.  “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." (John 14:1-3, NIV)  I believe it, do you?

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Do you admire my Christianity?

The sales professional was really trying to “connect” with me. He found out where I lived and named a few landmarks to show his familiarity with ‘my’ place. After inquiring about my work as a pastor, he talked about his own involvement in his church. He is a good guy but he wasn’t really interested in building a real friendship. He wanted to sell me a truck! Making me feel like his friend was a part of the process; and I would be forgotten the moment I signed the contract. His motives were about profit, not about me. (I did not buy the truck, by the way.)

Jesus spoke of a similar kind of insincerity that involves something far more serious than a sales transaction. “Some people,” He said, “do their ‘acts of righteousness’ just to be seen and to impress others, not from pure devotion to the Lord.” Ouch! That criticism stings because all of us, at one or another, has done something ‘religious’ for reasons other than worship, haven’t we? He addressed the religious leaders piety in three areas – giving, prayer, and fasting – to teach us about genuine ‘religion’ in our lives. “Don’t turn it into a show, an act to gain applause,” He said.

“Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing." (Matthew 6:1-3, NIV)  Being charitable is a laudable, a worthy part of a Christian’s life. Generosity that flows from thankfulness, from love for the Lord and others, from compassion for the needy is to be part of how every Christian lives. But, if we feel the need to get our name on a plaque, to have our gift praised, or to give more when offered some public recognition; our charity is tarnished by self-interest. God will not bless such giving because we already have the reward we really desired – applause and admiration! Pure giving will be richly rewarded – “Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”  I love to know the smile of my Father, don’t you?

Similarly, Jesus warned about praying better in church than in our own bedroom!  “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full." (Matthew 6:4-5, NIV) Let’s be clear. Jesus is not condemning prayer meetings. Corporate prayer is a blessing. When we pray with others, the power of heaven is released. He tells us to find 2 or 3 to agree with us in prayer. Jesus was condemning prayer that is addressed to the crowd instead of the God on His Throne! If we feel the need to change our voice, to speak in multi-syllable words, to add rhetorical flourishes in our public prayers – we are missing the point of true prayer. And, once again, Jesus tells us that when others admire our piety, we have our reward.  God doesn’t need to answer those prayers because we were not really talking to Him anyway. "Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace." (Matthew 6:6, The Message) Some of the most profound prayers I have ever prayed were of few words, formed more with tears and sighs!

When we are focused on honoring the Lord, on devotion rather than appreciation, our piety takes on a deeper quality and pride is robbed of the power to make us offended! Oh, what a glorious thing. How many times have we done the right thing for the wrong reasons and then, when others failed to show the kind of gratitude we think we were owed, our soul turned sour? Is that godly? Is that really how the Spirit would lead us?

Søren Kierkegaard, a Danish philosopher and theologian, reminds us that our worship is best offered, not as a performance for people, but for an Audience of One. He said that we always must keep this in mind; that God is the audience of worship, that we are like actors performing not for each other but for Him, and that those who ‘lead in worship’ are only there to serve as prompters, hidden as it were in the wings, unseen, unnoticed. This is not imply that our lives should not have a quality and beauty about them that is notable. Jesus said "let your good deeds shine out for all to see.” Why? So they will think we are something special, so they will admire our devotion? “No,” He says, but rather “so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." (Matthew 5:16, NLT)

What a paradox! When I forget myself in holy service and devotion, the Spirit infuses my generosity, prayer, and piety with a life and quality that attracts attention – but for the One living in me.

Lord, make me pure and holy in my motives.

Forgive me for robbing You of Your glory by

seeking admiration or attention that belongs only to You.
Jesus, help me to dethrone Self and enthrone You,

giving away myself with no thought for appreciation or approval.

Help me to be content to know Your smile.  Amen

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Give me one pure and holy passion.

Give me one magnificent obsession.

Jesus give me one glorious ambition for my life;

To know and follow hard after You!

To know and follow hard after You,

To grow as Your disciple in the truth,

This world is empty pale and poor,

Compared to knowing You my Lord,

Lead me on and I will run after You!

One Pure And Holy Passion

Mark Altrogge

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Wise Counsel for the Anxious

Are you anxious? Anxiety wears many uniforms.  It can show up as stress, or worry, or fear. It can be a constant feeling of worthlessness or an overwhelming sense of doom. Anxiety can bring on physical symptoms including stomach cramps, profuse perspiration, and headaches.  Just about everyone experiences it at least occasionally, but for some it can become life-controlling, a battle each day just to focus beyond its deadly grip.

You are not a bad or defective person, if you are experiencing anxiety. Do you wonder “Why can’t I just be stronger?” or, “Why can’t I let it go?” Have you been told to, “Just snap out of it, it’s not that bad” only to feel worse than before? You may wonder if your faith is faulty or if you have done something that has caused God to turn His back on you. Maybe, you have tried to cope with your emotions with food, work, or some other distraction – finding none of those things offer more than temporary relief.

Peter offers us the inspired wisdom of God about anxious fears. I think he had learned these things because of his own feelings of anxiety. He dropped the ball more than once.  He was an impulsive man, familiar with the ache of regret. Most notably, at the critical moment of Jesus’ trial, he failed Jesus, his fear causing him to swear that he did not even know Him. The Bible gives a glimpse of his despair, so deep that he wept bitterly and, even after the Resurrection, went back to his old occupation as a fisherman in Galilee.  But, he healed and became a powerful leader of the Church. So, what did Peter learn from the Lord that he can teach us?

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings." (1 Peter 5:6-9, NIV)

First, acknowledge that God is God and you are not.  Of course we know that and yet many of us still try desperately to master our situations, to control all outcomes, to eliminate all uncertainty. The word that Peter used translated as “humble” for us is a word that means “to set aside pride, to take a low place, to act in an unassuming manner, to become plain.”  Please note that this humility is not the same as deciding to be a worthless person. It is a humility before the Lord, that focuses on His majesty and power. 

Then, throw the things that cause you to anxious on His shoulders.  God offers His hand to you, He knows where you are, what you feel. He knows what is real and what is the result of exaggerated fear. Yet, He cares! He will not give up on you or become frustrated by you. Jesus says “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30, NLT)

Next, Peter reminds us that anxiety needs to be met with Spirit-empowered choices: be self-controlled and aware!  Anxiety can make a person feel such desperation, he will do almost anything in the pursuit of relief. The person who kneels in the Presence of God, who waits in faith, who invites the Lord to help him carry the weight –  will find the ability to recognize the temptations for what they are and to reject them. It’s not always an easy choice, but with God in you, it is possible. Peter learned the hard way that when fear is raging the Evil One looks for opportunities to exploit it. But, God’s people are not victims, prey to be devoured! They are equipped to stand.

And so, Peter counsels us to remain in faith and to remember our trials are not unique or unusual.  It has been said that God’s Church is not a museum of saints but rather a hospital for sinners.  We are a fellowship that are to carry one another’s burdens, to be available to one another with love, gentle support, and powerful prayer.

Feeling anxiety? Be it just a touch of worry or a terrible storm, the wisdom of the Word is true. Ask for faith to be strengthened to receive it, to live it, today. "Be content with who you are, and don’t put on airs. God’s strong hand is on you; he’ll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you. Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You’re not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It’s the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith." (1 Peter 5:6-9, The Message)

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I've tried to win this war, I confess.

My hands are weary, I need Your rest.

Mighty Warrior, King of the fight,

No matter what I face, You're by my side.

When You don't move the mountains,

I'm needing You to move.

When You don't part the waters,

I wish I could walk through.

When You don't give the answers,

As I cry out to You.

I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in You!

Truth is- You know what tomorrow brings.

There's not a day ahead You have not seen.

So, in all things, be my life and breath.

I want what You want, Lord, and nothing less.

You are my strength and comfort,

You are my steady hand.

You are my firm foundation,

The Rock on which I stand.

Your ways are always higher,

Your plans are always good.

There's not a place where I'll go

You've not already stood.

Trust In You

Lauren Ashley Daigle | Michael Farren | Paul Mabury

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