In Heaven.
There are a tremendous number of books out there about Heaven. Some authors
suggest that they have been given the chance to visit in a near-death experience or
just as a gift from God. Scripture does include some bits of information, some from
Jesus, that lifts the veil ever so slightly but leaves us with just a sliver of information
about a place we long to see and inhabit.
I CAN tell you, without a doubt and without a visit, what will not be there! SIN.
If you take just a moment and try to wrap your brain around that fact it can leave
you with a headache. No sin? Not any?
One reason it is so very difficult to envision such a situation is the fact that we are
mired in a broken world where sin abounds. It is pervasive in our own lives, even if we
have been justified into Christ and remains an on-going battle, even with the help
and guidance of the Spirit of God. Many people who are not regenerated don't even
acknowledge that they have a sin problem, may not be aware of the danger
there-in or just do not really care.
The problem is that GOD does care! He is completely opposed to any sin, one
sin is enough to bring His holy wrath. Try living the next hour without one sinful
thought or action. Good luck with that!
In Heaven, there will simply be none of the sin we encounter and battle against
here on earth. Your first thought might just be that there will be no enjoyment
there. Wrong. Any enjoyment we derive from sin in this time-space is false,
fleeting and spoiled. There will be total enjoyment in a place where we are
loved and love the very God who created us.
That's how it was supposed to be in the garden. Man living with God,
His companion and loved creation. That same relationship that the Son had
before time with the Father shared with mankind formed in the image of
God. It is going to be amazing, phenomenal, wonderful and those words
don't even come close to giving it justice.
Praise our God!
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
What if there was no God...
Psalm 139: 16
Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written every one of
them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
Purpose. How and why did we become who we are? One could, as many do,
just assume that all is random chance, that we were somehow related to something
that crawled out of the slime and muck eons ago by mistake; then mutated or
evolved into cogent human beings. It certainly is a stretch, isn't it? Some
see that as much more plausible than a creator God who formed us, each one,
by Himself with perfect and complete knowledge of who we were and what
our lives would look like from day one to the final breath. We are surely
here for a purpose, either of our own direction or in God's plan for us as a part
of the whole.
What, then , do we do with suffering? Pain? Sadness? Death? Just results
of random chance, forks in the road that we have chosen at random? Karma?
What do we do with the observation that some lives seem so different from
others? If we cannot lean into a God who loves us and cares about us when
things turn for the worse, we are left alone. If we cannot trust that there is
a reason for what occurs, a plan for us both here and after we die, then
all seems pointless and rather bleak. Nihilistic would be the word to
describe anyone who sees no plan, no purpose, no ending but lack of
existence.
The old saying is that we come into the world naked and alone and leave
in a similar way. I choose to believe that before even time began we were
foreknown by a God who has a purpose for our lives. He is not ambivalent,
not unaware, not uncaring, not withdrawn; He is there in your heart, He
has called you and you are His. It is a wonderful place to be even in the worst
of times. He knows you because He formed you from the beginning to
be His child.
Praise our God!
Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written every one of
them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
Purpose. How and why did we become who we are? One could, as many do,
just assume that all is random chance, that we were somehow related to something
that crawled out of the slime and muck eons ago by mistake; then mutated or
evolved into cogent human beings. It certainly is a stretch, isn't it? Some
see that as much more plausible than a creator God who formed us, each one,
by Himself with perfect and complete knowledge of who we were and what
our lives would look like from day one to the final breath. We are surely
here for a purpose, either of our own direction or in God's plan for us as a part
of the whole.
What, then , do we do with suffering? Pain? Sadness? Death? Just results
of random chance, forks in the road that we have chosen at random? Karma?
What do we do with the observation that some lives seem so different from
others? If we cannot lean into a God who loves us and cares about us when
things turn for the worse, we are left alone. If we cannot trust that there is
a reason for what occurs, a plan for us both here and after we die, then
all seems pointless and rather bleak. Nihilistic would be the word to
describe anyone who sees no plan, no purpose, no ending but lack of
existence.
The old saying is that we come into the world naked and alone and leave
in a similar way. I choose to believe that before even time began we were
foreknown by a God who has a purpose for our lives. He is not ambivalent,
not unaware, not uncaring, not withdrawn; He is there in your heart, He
has called you and you are His. It is a wonderful place to be even in the worst
of times. He knows you because He formed you from the beginning to
be His child.
Praise our God!
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
Now I lay me...
down to sleep
I pray the Lord my soul to keep
If I should die before I awake
I pray the Lord my soul to take.
God bless:
Amen
It was an every night, on the knees, prayer the preceded being tucked into bed
and sung to by my father. I am sure that the words meant nothing to me even
though I am quite sure that my parents tried to explain things. As I look back
and look at now, I have become aware of the significance of this prayer for
God's provision.
We are never more vulnerable than we are when asleep! We are at the mercy
of a God who has provided for our bodies to somehow be able to arise in the
morning with eyes that would open and joints that would function. We are
also at the mercy of the evil one who probably could care less about our safety
and who would stop at nothing to influence us whether conscious or not.
Even as children we just assume that we will awaken to a new day or a late-
night trip to the fridge.
It is faith that allows us to drift off; and it is fact that we may, in actuality,
not awaken to a new day; we may awaken from a soul's journey to either be
with the Lord or to Sheol. Regardless, we are not in control of our awakening
outcome. Just as we assume that the sun will rise on a new day, we assume
that we will arise in safety.
I have come to, once again, pray to my Father in heaven each night. I am
asking Him the same basic things that the childhood prayer was asking; for
His provision. I am His creature and He is in charge. My days are as
pages in a book and there will come a final page. I just want Him to know
that I wish for His will to be done. I cherish His sovereignty and loving-
kindness and am fully aware that I am His.
Praise our God!
I pray the Lord my soul to keep
If I should die before I awake
I pray the Lord my soul to take.
God bless:
Amen
It was an every night, on the knees, prayer the preceded being tucked into bed
and sung to by my father. I am sure that the words meant nothing to me even
though I am quite sure that my parents tried to explain things. As I look back
and look at now, I have become aware of the significance of this prayer for
God's provision.
We are never more vulnerable than we are when asleep! We are at the mercy
of a God who has provided for our bodies to somehow be able to arise in the
morning with eyes that would open and joints that would function. We are
also at the mercy of the evil one who probably could care less about our safety
and who would stop at nothing to influence us whether conscious or not.
Even as children we just assume that we will awaken to a new day or a late-
night trip to the fridge.
It is faith that allows us to drift off; and it is fact that we may, in actuality,
not awaken to a new day; we may awaken from a soul's journey to either be
with the Lord or to Sheol. Regardless, we are not in control of our awakening
outcome. Just as we assume that the sun will rise on a new day, we assume
that we will arise in safety.
I have come to, once again, pray to my Father in heaven each night. I am
asking Him the same basic things that the childhood prayer was asking; for
His provision. I am His creature and He is in charge. My days are as
pages in a book and there will come a final page. I just want Him to know
that I wish for His will to be done. I cherish His sovereignty and loving-
kindness and am fully aware that I am His.
Praise our God!
Monday, December 14, 2015
As to celebrating Christmas.....
Go ahead and enjoy the family, friends, presents, tree, etc. as long as the emphasis
is on Christmas: the birth of Christ!
Listened to a wonderful sermon, yesterday, by Allen Knox, pastor of Crossroad
Christian Church of McKinney, Texas. The basis for the sermon was Isaiah 9-
a wonderful prophetic scripture about the King to come. He suggested that
in Isaiah 9: 6, the world's emphasis tends to be on the birth of a child, not the
arrival of a promised King. I wholeheartedly agree.
Does that mean that we should ignore the secular aspects of Christmas that
the world, and most Christians, partake of? I believe that is not at all necessary;
that the created can enjoy these things within the context of an understanding
that the events surrounding the birth of a child, The Child, God Himself, were
simply the most important event, ever.
Family? God created relationships. His relationship and love for His son, a
relationship that was in effect before the beginnings of time, was a basis for
Him creating in the first place. That love was to be shared with those created
in a plan that took a hit but will eventually play out successfully. God's
institution of marriage, His working out of procreation and, indeed, His love
for those He created make celebration of family perfectly understandable at
this time.
Presents? The most awesome, priceless present ever given was born a
helpless child in the Bethlehem area to Mary. His birth was, by the lack
of accounts, normal; His conception, totally miraculous. Sharing
presents with those we love is simply a reflection of what God did on the
night that bright star shone down.
Food? We are invited to partake, at His request, of the body and blood of
Christ each time we enjoy the sacrament of communion. He is the Bread of
Life, He gives the living waters. He is life and He sustains us. Early church
members centered around sharing of food for fellowship and worship of
He who provides.
Tree? Okay this one's a stretch. Just watch the eyes of young children as
the lights are reflected in their eyes gazing at a Christmas tree. Amazement,
Joy, Excitement.... Christians are supposed to enjoy life; God agrees, I
believe.
Christmas means the Birth of Christ. All that is done should be within the
context of that birth, of the arrival, for the first time, of our Lord and King,
Christ Jesus.
I say enjoy a very Merry CHRISTMAS.
Praise our God!
is on Christmas: the birth of Christ!
Listened to a wonderful sermon, yesterday, by Allen Knox, pastor of Crossroad
Christian Church of McKinney, Texas. The basis for the sermon was Isaiah 9-
a wonderful prophetic scripture about the King to come. He suggested that
in Isaiah 9: 6, the world's emphasis tends to be on the birth of a child, not the
arrival of a promised King. I wholeheartedly agree.
Does that mean that we should ignore the secular aspects of Christmas that
the world, and most Christians, partake of? I believe that is not at all necessary;
that the created can enjoy these things within the context of an understanding
that the events surrounding the birth of a child, The Child, God Himself, were
simply the most important event, ever.
Family? God created relationships. His relationship and love for His son, a
relationship that was in effect before the beginnings of time, was a basis for
Him creating in the first place. That love was to be shared with those created
in a plan that took a hit but will eventually play out successfully. God's
institution of marriage, His working out of procreation and, indeed, His love
for those He created make celebration of family perfectly understandable at
this time.
Presents? The most awesome, priceless present ever given was born a
helpless child in the Bethlehem area to Mary. His birth was, by the lack
of accounts, normal; His conception, totally miraculous. Sharing
presents with those we love is simply a reflection of what God did on the
night that bright star shone down.
Food? We are invited to partake, at His request, of the body and blood of
Christ each time we enjoy the sacrament of communion. He is the Bread of
Life, He gives the living waters. He is life and He sustains us. Early church
members centered around sharing of food for fellowship and worship of
He who provides.
Tree? Okay this one's a stretch. Just watch the eyes of young children as
the lights are reflected in their eyes gazing at a Christmas tree. Amazement,
Joy, Excitement.... Christians are supposed to enjoy life; God agrees, I
believe.
Christmas means the Birth of Christ. All that is done should be within the
context of that birth, of the arrival, for the first time, of our Lord and King,
Christ Jesus.
I say enjoy a very Merry CHRISTMAS.
Praise our God!
Monday, November 30, 2015
the ramifications of sin
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1: 9
For those forgiven of sin, there are some things missing: guilt, lack of assurance, innate
rebellion. One thing that isn't missing is sin; it continues in an all-out battle between
worldliness and righteousness, a battle that goes on at many levels and one that will
continue until the return of He who will set all things straight.
In the meantime, the question becomes, do those who have been saved face any
ramifications of continued sin against God? I believe that sin always brings implications
and ramifications to all created by God.
Though Jesus was not 'created' by God, he, nevertheless, walked this earth challenged
by temptations just like the ones that we face; the difference was that He, fully man
and fully God, did not sin. Can you imagine the ramifications had He sinned? All
would remain lost. He was the second Adam, the One sent by the Father to secure
salvation for all.
What about our sins? Alistair Begg, in a sermon given on Psalm 2 entitled, 'Deliverance,'
from April 28, 1991, relates a wonderful story he had heard as a boy. Let me try to
paraphrase it:
The boy has reached the age where he begins to act out against his father. In an effort
to show the boy that there are implications to his behavior, the father begins pounding a
nail into the woodshed door each time the boy misbehaves. This goes on and the
nails accumulate until the boy comes to his father and asks to be forgiven. His father
agrees to forgive him and to remove the many nails from the door of the woodshed.
The next morning, the father finds his son sitting by the door, now free of nails,
crying. When he asks the boy why he is crying, the boy answers that though the
nails are gone, the holes remain.
I would never doubt the scripture above because it is God's Holy word. I do,
however, believe in my heart, that we continue to be affected by our sins. Take
a moment and remember the risen Christ, entering the upper room and showing
Thomas His hands. The holes remained! In a very real sense, whether or not
you believe that all sins, past, present and future were loaded onto Jesus at the
cross, there is a great motivation, I believe, to not add additional sins. It
is, in the end, a matter of the heart. Our heart and His heart. Ramification.
Implication. One who died with our sins imputed so that we could be His
righteousness.
Praise our God.
For those forgiven of sin, there are some things missing: guilt, lack of assurance, innate
rebellion. One thing that isn't missing is sin; it continues in an all-out battle between
worldliness and righteousness, a battle that goes on at many levels and one that will
continue until the return of He who will set all things straight.
In the meantime, the question becomes, do those who have been saved face any
ramifications of continued sin against God? I believe that sin always brings implications
and ramifications to all created by God.
Though Jesus was not 'created' by God, he, nevertheless, walked this earth challenged
by temptations just like the ones that we face; the difference was that He, fully man
and fully God, did not sin. Can you imagine the ramifications had He sinned? All
would remain lost. He was the second Adam, the One sent by the Father to secure
salvation for all.
What about our sins? Alistair Begg, in a sermon given on Psalm 2 entitled, 'Deliverance,'
from April 28, 1991, relates a wonderful story he had heard as a boy. Let me try to
paraphrase it:
The boy has reached the age where he begins to act out against his father. In an effort
to show the boy that there are implications to his behavior, the father begins pounding a
nail into the woodshed door each time the boy misbehaves. This goes on and the
nails accumulate until the boy comes to his father and asks to be forgiven. His father
agrees to forgive him and to remove the many nails from the door of the woodshed.
The next morning, the father finds his son sitting by the door, now free of nails,
crying. When he asks the boy why he is crying, the boy answers that though the
nails are gone, the holes remain.
I would never doubt the scripture above because it is God's Holy word. I do,
however, believe in my heart, that we continue to be affected by our sins. Take
a moment and remember the risen Christ, entering the upper room and showing
Thomas His hands. The holes remained! In a very real sense, whether or not
you believe that all sins, past, present and future were loaded onto Jesus at the
cross, there is a great motivation, I believe, to not add additional sins. It
is, in the end, a matter of the heart. Our heart and His heart. Ramification.
Implication. One who died with our sins imputed so that we could be His
righteousness.
Praise our God.
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
In everything give thanks.... 1 Thess. 5: 18
Thanksgiving is once again upon us. I was told this morning by someone who enjoys
history trivia that Thanksgiving became a national holiday celebration during the term of Franklin Roosevelt. So, I guess the original pilgrims did not invent the holiday, which is
the answer that I probably would have given, if asked.
For those of us who have been touched by a gracious God and called to His family, every
single day ought to be a day of giving thanks. Like everything else, when we are busy with
worldly things, and yes, we do get busy in living here on this earth, we can allow
ourselves to postpone, if you will, giving thanks for those things that God has provided.
We may not be of this world, but we sure as sure can be are in it temporarily.
So here goes, and I am sure I will leave many things out:
Dear Gracious Magnanimous God...
Thank You for your sustaining grace. That which allows us to breathe, our hearts to
beat and these bodies to function in such a way that we can face the day ...
Thank You for your church! Thank you for the freedom, in this country, to worship
and love you within a church framework without fear of persecution, as faced by
many, many brace souls in this world ...
Thank You for family, friends, those we love; You invented relationships and have
blessed me with parents who cared, siblings I love, friends I cherish and a daughter
and granddaughter I would die for ...
Thank you for Your creation; it may be spoiled by sin, but it remains breathtakingly
beautiful and originally, creatively magnificent ...
Thank you for Jesus!!!!! His sacrifice, His ministry, His Resurrection, His
teachings, His intercession, His heart and His courage. Without Him, we are
lost ...
Thank you for Your Kingship! Somebody is in charge! Somebody knows us from
before time began! Somebody is with us each moment! Somebody loves us
enough to provide a Gospel of deliverance, unearned yet offered! ...
Thank You for the future! We have something to look forward to beyond this
temporal existence, we can look forward to being your adopted!
Goodness gracious, Praise our God!
Happy Thanksgiving!
history trivia that Thanksgiving became a national holiday celebration during the term of Franklin Roosevelt. So, I guess the original pilgrims did not invent the holiday, which is
the answer that I probably would have given, if asked.
For those of us who have been touched by a gracious God and called to His family, every
single day ought to be a day of giving thanks. Like everything else, when we are busy with
worldly things, and yes, we do get busy in living here on this earth, we can allow
ourselves to postpone, if you will, giving thanks for those things that God has provided.
We may not be of this world, but we sure as sure can be are in it temporarily.
So here goes, and I am sure I will leave many things out:
Dear Gracious Magnanimous God...
Thank You for your sustaining grace. That which allows us to breathe, our hearts to
beat and these bodies to function in such a way that we can face the day ...
Thank You for your church! Thank you for the freedom, in this country, to worship
and love you within a church framework without fear of persecution, as faced by
many, many brace souls in this world ...
Thank You for family, friends, those we love; You invented relationships and have
blessed me with parents who cared, siblings I love, friends I cherish and a daughter
and granddaughter I would die for ...
Thank you for Your creation; it may be spoiled by sin, but it remains breathtakingly
beautiful and originally, creatively magnificent ...
Thank you for Jesus!!!!! His sacrifice, His ministry, His Resurrection, His
teachings, His intercession, His heart and His courage. Without Him, we are
lost ...
Thank you for Your Kingship! Somebody is in charge! Somebody knows us from
before time began! Somebody is with us each moment! Somebody loves us
enough to provide a Gospel of deliverance, unearned yet offered! ...
Thank You for the future! We have something to look forward to beyond this
temporal existence, we can look forward to being your adopted!
Goodness gracious, Praise our God!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Monday, November 23, 2015
Put away those Sunday worship shoes!
If one spends some time in Revelation 4 or 5, it becomes evident that there is a whole
lot of worshiping going on! One can argue about what the creatures represent, or
who the twenty-four elders are, but there is no doubt that the primary activity therein
is Worship.
I have become a whole lot better at worshiping God on Sunday, and I say that because
I wasn't always anything more than lukewarm about the whole experience. From
not really understanding or caring, I have become someone who looks forward all
week to Sunday so that I can sing, be in the Word and be taught by the Spirit through
the good work of the pastor.
The title isn't to suggest that I pull out some expensive shoes and clothes to attend,
it is more a confession that I am not doing so very well on the other six days of the
week. One might say that I am in danger of un-Godliness during the rest of the week
because there are big swaths of time when God just doesn't enter my thoughts or my
actions.
Obviously worship has multiple elements: prayer, reading the Holy Book, fellowship,
singing and just finding ways to support God's church. It is just that in light of what
this gracious, living God has done for me and continues to do each day of my life, I
think I should find ways to worship Him more frequently and more completely. I
probably shouldn't need some sort of reminder on the refrigerator or on a note-pad
on some electronic device to get my worship going.
To me, not worshiping God is More Difficult if one is aware of what God means in
life. Without God, We don't get out of bed, we don't eat, we don't pay our bills, have a family to enjoy, a roof over our heads.... I could certainly go on. His grace lies around every
corner and bend in our walk; how then, can we not worship continuously?
Well I'm working on it because I know that I must. I would like to invite you
to join me. Does it matter to God? I think so! Does it somehow augment our lives?
I really believe so; plus, it looks like we're going to be doing a whole lot of worshiping
when we get to Heaven! No time like the present to get going!
Praise out God!
lot of worshiping going on! One can argue about what the creatures represent, or
who the twenty-four elders are, but there is no doubt that the primary activity therein
is Worship.
I have become a whole lot better at worshiping God on Sunday, and I say that because
I wasn't always anything more than lukewarm about the whole experience. From
not really understanding or caring, I have become someone who looks forward all
week to Sunday so that I can sing, be in the Word and be taught by the Spirit through
the good work of the pastor.
The title isn't to suggest that I pull out some expensive shoes and clothes to attend,
it is more a confession that I am not doing so very well on the other six days of the
week. One might say that I am in danger of un-Godliness during the rest of the week
because there are big swaths of time when God just doesn't enter my thoughts or my
actions.
Obviously worship has multiple elements: prayer, reading the Holy Book, fellowship,
singing and just finding ways to support God's church. It is just that in light of what
this gracious, living God has done for me and continues to do each day of my life, I
think I should find ways to worship Him more frequently and more completely. I
probably shouldn't need some sort of reminder on the refrigerator or on a note-pad
on some electronic device to get my worship going.
To me, not worshiping God is More Difficult if one is aware of what God means in
life. Without God, We don't get out of bed, we don't eat, we don't pay our bills, have a family to enjoy, a roof over our heads.... I could certainly go on. His grace lies around every
corner and bend in our walk; how then, can we not worship continuously?
Well I'm working on it because I know that I must. I would like to invite you
to join me. Does it matter to God? I think so! Does it somehow augment our lives?
I really believe so; plus, it looks like we're going to be doing a whole lot of worshiping
when we get to Heaven! No time like the present to get going!
Praise out God!
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