Saturday, January 24, 2009
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Heaven
***Originally posted on Facebook on July 2nd, 2008***
I can't wait to die. This life is one trial after another. One disappointments begets the next. If we focus on it, it will suck us, drown us, pull us into the mire from which there is no escape. But this short term stay, this "boot camp" life that is merely a brief precursor to the eternal joy we can have is empty and shallow and devoid of anything significant.
Revelation 12:12 "Therefore, rejoice, O heavens! And you who live in the heavens, rejoice! But terror will come on the earth and the sea,for the devil has come down to you in great anger,knowing that he has little time.”
John 12:25 "Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity."
When I look to the future and see that it will not always be like this, present troubles seem to fade in intensity. People will wrong us, gossip will destroy, moth and rust will destroy, the monotony of the 9 to 5 will set in, thieves will break in and steal, life will beat us down. For many, death is merely the doom that binds us all. For those few who are Saved, it is the final victory, the crossing of the finish line to collect our reward for a life lived in pursuit of God and righteousness.
2 Corinthians 5:2 "We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing."
1 Peter 1:4 "...and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay."
For me, I can't wait for this to come. We will not be floating around on puffy clouds playing harps. We will be able to experience perfect communion, a perfect relationship, a perfect friendship and fellowship with the God who created us. There are estimated to be 100 billion galaxies in the observable universe. Our galaxy alone as 200 to 400 billion stars. What if you had a chance to explore that for eternity? To float through the gas clouds of Jupiter, stand on the surface of Pluto, view the center of the Sun with your own eyes? We will never be able to comprehend all of the events we will experience in heaven.
Colossians 3:1 "Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand."
2 Corinthians 5:1 "For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands."
This mortal coil is temporary. It's a shell that will fade away as the years pass. It will slowly fail us until one day it will refuse to work. Everything in life will fade with us at the same time. And when we go, we take nothing but our souls with us.
Colossians 3:2 "Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth."
Philippians 3:14 "I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us."
There are two places you will go when you die. There is one way. It is the narrow path that few take. The wider paths go along more scenic routes. They attract more followers because they are full of lies. They come to dead ends and most will not realize it until it is too late. I know where I'm going when I die. Do you?
Ephesians 2:6 "For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus."
Romans 5:21 "So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
I can't wait to die. This life is one trial after another. One disappointments begets the next. If we focus on it, it will suck us, drown us, pull us into the mire from which there is no escape. But this short term stay, this "boot camp" life that is merely a brief precursor to the eternal joy we can have is empty and shallow and devoid of anything significant.
Revelation 12:12 "Therefore, rejoice, O heavens! And you who live in the heavens, rejoice! But terror will come on the earth and the sea,for the devil has come down to you in great anger,knowing that he has little time.”
John 12:25 "Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity."
When I look to the future and see that it will not always be like this, present troubles seem to fade in intensity. People will wrong us, gossip will destroy, moth and rust will destroy, the monotony of the 9 to 5 will set in, thieves will break in and steal, life will beat us down. For many, death is merely the doom that binds us all. For those few who are Saved, it is the final victory, the crossing of the finish line to collect our reward for a life lived in pursuit of God and righteousness.
2 Corinthians 5:2 "We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing."
1 Peter 1:4 "...and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay."
For me, I can't wait for this to come. We will not be floating around on puffy clouds playing harps. We will be able to experience perfect communion, a perfect relationship, a perfect friendship and fellowship with the God who created us. There are estimated to be 100 billion galaxies in the observable universe. Our galaxy alone as 200 to 400 billion stars. What if you had a chance to explore that for eternity? To float through the gas clouds of Jupiter, stand on the surface of Pluto, view the center of the Sun with your own eyes? We will never be able to comprehend all of the events we will experience in heaven.
Colossians 3:1 "Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand."
2 Corinthians 5:1 "For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands."
This mortal coil is temporary. It's a shell that will fade away as the years pass. It will slowly fail us until one day it will refuse to work. Everything in life will fade with us at the same time. And when we go, we take nothing but our souls with us.
Colossians 3:2 "Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth."
Philippians 3:14 "I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us."
There are two places you will go when you die. There is one way. It is the narrow path that few take. The wider paths go along more scenic routes. They attract more followers because they are full of lies. They come to dead ends and most will not realize it until it is too late. I know where I'm going when I die. Do you?
Ephesians 2:6 "For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus."
Romans 5:21 "So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
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