Archive for Heaven
Contentment = Heaven on Earth
Keith and I are continuing to read “The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment” by Jeremiah Burroughs. There’s so much to “chew on” that I think I could just keep reading this book over and over and continue to glean truth for my soul.
I recently read a section on contentment which likened a contented heart to Heaven. My desire is to live a contented life and thus a restful, joyful one that is satisfied in Him alone…I have a ways to go!!
“Thus you see that contentment brings comfort to a man’s life, fills it full of comfort in this world; the truth is, it is even a Heaven on earth. What is heaven, but the rest and quiet of a man’s spirit; that is the special thing that makes the life of Heaven, there is rest and joy, and satisfaction in God. So it is in a contented spirit: there is rest and joy and satisfaction in God. In Heaven there is singing praises to God; a contented heart is always praising and blessing God. You have Heaven while on earth when you have a contented spirit…”
One Year Closer to Your Eternal Destiny
I have been reflecting on two things lately.
1. There are times in life when our emotions don’t follow our hearts. Although my heart is at peace in the Gospel I’ve been tossed and turned quite a bit recently by changing emotions and feelings. I think for me right now these are caused by pregnancy but I’m sure I’ll experience many different seasons throughout my life when my feelings confuse me. This has made me long even more for my eternal home where my emotions will be all joy and love for my Heavenly Father and those around me – no matter what the day or hour.
2. At the close of 2008 I am overjoyed to be 1 year closer to my eternal home. I’ve been reading more sermons by Jonathan Edwards that have served as reminders that my present home, earth, is a transient place. Every one of us is bound for an eternal home – eternal destruction apart from Christ or eternal life available in Christ.
“The home to which we aspire and for which we pant is not only a promised, it is also a perfect and permanent home. The mixed character of those seasons we now call repose, and the shifting places and changing dwellings we call home, should perpetually remind us that we are not, as yet, come to the perfect rest and the permanent home of heaven. God is the believer’s present home and Jesus his present rest. Beneath the shadow of the cross, by the side of the mercy seat, within the pavilion of a Father’s love, there is true mental repose, real heart’s ease, and a peace that passeth all understanding, to be found even here where all things else are fleeting as a cloud and unsubstantial as a dream…It is enough that I am journeying toward the heaven that is my rest, and that I am one year nearer its blessed and endless enjoyment.” Octavious Winslow (1808 – 1878)
I praise you Father for your grace and mercy that allows sinners like me to find security in your love and eternal plan!!
Suffering and Death: A Gateway To Unending Joy!
A couple of months ago I finished the book “Heaven” by Randy Alcorn. If you haven’t read this treasure I would definitely recommend it. There are some repetitive parts but overall it has blessed my soul and changed my life on this earth forever. Here’s a quote from the book that, even when you are surrounded on all sides by suffering/death and there’s no end in sight, any Christian can cling to and remember this is only a gateway.
“Anticipating Heaven doesn’t eliminate pain, but it lessens it and puts it in perspective. Meditating on Heaven is a great pain reliever. It reminds us that suffering and death are temporary conditions. Our existence will not end in suffering and death–they are but a gateway to our eternal life of unending joy. The biblical doctrine of Heaven is about the future, but it has tremendous benefits here and now. If we grasp it, it will shift our center of gravity and radically change our perspective on life.” Randy Alcorn
Pregnancy and My Savior
I recently found out that I’m pregnant! Keith and I are rejoicing in this miracle and gift from the Lord. Although we are full of excitement I’ve definitely felt like it’s often been squelched as I’ve battled numerous migraines, intense nausea and even more fatigue than normal.
Yesterday, once again, I experienced the overwhelming sufficiency of God’s word to meet all of my needs. I have been reading through the Gospel of John and in the passage I read yesterday Jesus was addressing His disciples concerning His upcoming crucifixion and future return.
““I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.” (John 16:20-22)
Not only was this a much needed reminder that the extra symptoms I’m experiencing are temporary and that they will be overshadowed by the joy we will experience when our little one arrives, but that my joy will be made complete when my Savoir Jesus returns to take me to heaven.
Whatever you are battling with, remember – this is temporary. Now is your time of grief but if you are a follower of Jesus Christ He is coming again to save you and no one will be able to take away your joy!
The Beauty of Complete Fulfillment
This quote by Mark Buchanon makes my heart happy! Oh to know the feeling of complete rest and the satisfaction of my soul! Come Lord Jesus, Come quickly!
“Why won’t we be bored in heaven? Because it’s the one place where both impulses–to go beyond, to go home–are perfectly joined and totally satisfied. It’s the one place where we’re constantly discovering–where everything is always fresh and the possessing of a thing is as good as the pursuing of it–and yet where we are fully at home–where everything is as it ought to be and where we find, undiminished, that mysterious something we never found down here….And this lifelong melancholy that hangs on us, this wishing we were someone else somewhere else, vanishes too. Our craving to go beyond is always and fully realized. Our yearning for home is once and for all fulfilled. The Ahh! of deep satisfaction and the aha! of delighted surprise meet, and they kiss.”
Heavens’ Slums?
Lake Louise in Alberta, Canada
Could Lake Louise be considered Heaven’s Slums? Obviously I don’t believe that heaven will have slums but recently I’ve been contemplating the beauty and majesty we will experience in heaven. The more I read about heaven, the more I realize that this world’s beauty won’t even come close to it’s majesty. One of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been is Alberta, Canada. I’m overwhelmed that the Canadian Rockies are only a “taste” of what’s to come.
Revelation 21:18-23 “The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass. I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.”
Humbled In The Chaos
The Lord opened up a wonderful ministry opportunity for Keith and I that involved traveling to FL for a month this summer. Afterwards we visited our families in SC, NC and VA and hosted some friends from out of town shortly after our return. This week we were forced to stay at friends’ houses until our air conditioner could be replaced (it died last weekend). All this to say things have been chaotic and we are craving “normalcy.”
While feeling discouraged/weary this week I was reminded/challenged by 3 things:
1. My home is in heaven. I am WAY too comfortable here on this earth and shouldn’t depend on physical earthly comforts to revive my soul. Only Christ alone can be my foundation and can satisfy a weary soul. No matter what my circumstances bring my soul can be at rest.
2. If I were to heed the advise of Edward’s (see previous post) I would’ve realized earlier that this trial is an opportunity to enrich my soul. I almost “let slip” this season of enrichment.
3. Although I don’t deserve anything, the Lord has blessed me abundantly. I have a place to lay my head while on this earth – unlike Jesus Christ who deserved one but did not (Luke 9:58).
Lord, please help me to use every moment to enrich my soul and to lean on you completely for peace and rest!
“For the former things have passed away”
In this world I often feel as if my fight against sin is unending and I feel weary from the battle. In these moments the phrase “for the former things have passed away” (Rev. 21:5) serves as a reminder to my soul that the end is in sight. Soon we will know what it means to be holy and no longer fight. I wonder what this peace will feel like? Can you imagine how much more energy we will have to glorify the Lord as opposed to being bogged down by this burdensome weight? Come quickly Lord Jesus that we may bask in your Holiness – that which we don’t deserve but which you offer to those who love you!
Revelation 21:1-5 “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
Our main concern – Eternity
Sometimes in this life I get so distracted, living as if I own my time and disregarding what God’s word tells me about eternity. The truth is we are all bound for an eternal place, whether it’s heaven (life with Christ) or hell (suffering without Christ).
In his sermon “The Many Mansions” Jonathan Edwards explains that eternity should be our main concern here on earth. “Therefore let it be your main care to secure an everlasting habitation for hereafter.” God’s word tells us that if we repentant of our sins and follow Jesus Christ we will live in eternity with Him – this is the greatest gift we could ever ask for! Which eternal dwelling are you headed for?
John 3:35-36 “The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”
I Thessalonians 4:16-18 “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.”
Motivation to Persevere
There are so many reasons to cling to Christ in the midst of trials. One reason I was recently reminded of is that when we trust in the Lord, whatever the circumstances, satan is defeated and Christ is glorified.
James Montgomery Boice speaks of this in his commentary on Romans when we writes,
“For when you do the right things, God is glorified and Satan is shown to be a failure. This victory is complete in itself. It does not need to be added to. Nothing can diminish it or take it away. Moreover, every victory for us like this is a promise of victories yet to come. Every act of good in this life is a victory and points to Christ’s final victory. Every quiet triumph of faith over fear and pain in the hour of death is a victory, a defeat of Satan, whose ultimate but ultimately ineffective weapon is death…It points to the final victory of the resurrection. All trust in Christ points to faith in his return, when Satan and his angels will be totally destroyed. This is the great and final victory. It is for this that we both long and wait.”
If you are feeling weary in battle remember this promise, “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.” Romans 16:20
Eternity – The Greatness of God
Recently, as I’ve been meditating on eternity, I have found myself overwhelmed by God’s greatness. Only God is so great that His wonder and greatness could fill eternity. One thing I’ve realized as the Lord has changed my perspective on eternity is that instead of feeling anxious/fearful about going to an eternal place, I should be humbled and amazed that I serve a God who is bigger than time and space and who will take an eternity to reveal His love towards me, His child.
1 Chronicles 29:11 “Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom;you are exalted as head over all.”
Psalm 93 “The LORD reigns, he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed in majesty and is armed with strength. The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved. Your throne was established long ago; you are from all eternity. The seas have lifted up, O LORD, the seas have lifted up their voice; the seas have lifted up their pounding waves. Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea—the LORD on high is mighty. Your statutes stand firm; holiness adorns your house for endless days, O LORD.”
Eternity, His Glory and My humility
One of the wonderful joys of Christian living is that we serve a God who delights in us and desires to help us understand Himself better. Over the past year and a half I have experienced this in an overwhelming way. After realizing that my view of heaven/eternal life was quite feeble and even a source of anxiety for my soul, I began to ask the Lord for a better understanding of Heaven. I asked Him to fill me with a deep longing for this place and once again I have been overwhelmed by His faithfulness.
During the process I was extremely humbled as the Lord convicted me that the reason I didn’t long for Heaven was that I didn’t love Him enough. The Lord showed me that a longing for Heaven is actually a longing for His glory and renown!
The Lord is faithfully answering my prayers by growing my love for Himself and His glory (although my love will always be inadequate for such a glorious God!). He has specifically answered my prayers by filling me with a deep longing to live with Him in eternity. I no longer fear the thought of eternity but yearn to be with my Heavenly Father who is the fulfillment of every need I have.
Psalm 108:1-5 “My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul. Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let your glory be over all the earth.”
“thoughts of our rest”
As we face the uncertainties and difficulties that life brings, continual meditation on the promised land is sure to bring you joy and peace. Because our hope is sure we can live abundant lives despite our circumstances.
Richard Baxter seemed to understand the weight of the Christian’s hope when he said, “Our liveliness in all duties, our enduring of tribulation, our honoring of God, the vigor of our love, thankfulness, and all our graces, yea, the very being of our religion and Christianity, depend on the believing, serious thoughts of our rest [heaven].”
1 Peter 1:3-5 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”
2 Peter 3:13 “But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.”
Revelation 21:1-4 “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.”
What Wondrous Love Is This!
As I was listening to this hymn tonight I was humbled by Christ’s unfathomable love.
The phrase “Christ laid aside His crown for my soul” moved me as I was reminded that God loved me so much that He sent His Son to die for me. He suffered greatly on my behalf so that I might live with Him one day. I deserved the brutal death that he experienced but because of His grace I will never know suffering like that.
Hebrews 9:27-28 “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”
1 John 4:10 “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”
Stand Firm, there is Hope!
Whatever you face today stand firm in the truth of the Gospel. Scripture promises that if we repent of our sins and follow Christ we will be victorious in the end.
Colossians 1:22-23a “But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation–if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel.”
Hebrews 12: 1-2 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
Psalm 33:11 “But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.”
Hebrews 6:19 “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”
“Content to travel uphill”
Jonathan Edwards once said, “The way to Heaven is ascending; we must be content to travel uphill, though it be hard and tiresome, and contrary to the natural bias of our flesh.“
I find this quote so challenging. As Christians we are called to live radically different lives (including being “content to travel uphill”). Sometimes living this way is particularly difficult and we feel tiresome and weary. Keeping an eternal perspective will grant you peace and joy throughout life’s journey.
Revelation 22:3 “No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.”
John 16:33 “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world!”
Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
Present sufferings, Future Hope!
Another wonderful reminder from Romans 8 is that whatever horrible earthly trials or sufferings we may experience in this life won’t even be “worth comparing” to the glory we will experience in Heaven.
Romans 8:18 “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”
Heaven: the Journey
Sometimes, even as followers Christ, we may go hours, days or even weeks without thinking about heaven. It would do us well to rearrange our thinking concerning the Eternal Life to come. Jonathan Edwards put this much more brilliantly when he said:
“How worthy is heaven, that your life should be wholly spent as a journey towards it. To what better purpose can you spend your life? How can you better employ your strength, use your means, and spend your day, than in traveling the road that leads to the everlasting enjoyment of God; to his glorious presence; to the new Jerusalem; to the heavenly mount Zion; where all your desires will be filled, and no danger of ever losing your happiness?”
If you would like to know more about the road that leads to everlasting life feel free to send me a note in the following box. Please include your email address so I can respond.
Heaven: “Living in Between”
I recently read a book by Stephen J. Nichols called “Heaven on Earth: Capturing the Vision of Living in Between.” I gleaned so much from this book but one thing that stands out was Jonathan Edward s’s call for believers to live life now in light of heaven. Edwards was a man who lived in light of eternity. The more we grow in our love for God and His glory we will begin living in this light. In a chapter called “Being good citizens” Nichols writes
“In the words of C.S. Lewis, we are to point out to those who live in the Shadowlands that there is a real world to come. But we are to do more than that. We best point the way to the world when we offer glimpses of that world in this one. We point the way to heaven when we speak its language and live by it’s customs on earth.”
Colossians 3:1-4 “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”
Heaven: Bound for the promised land!
I love this reminder from Joni Eareckson Tada which says “Suffering keeps swelling our feet so that earth’s shoe’s won’t fit.” In other words our trials are reminders that we are not supposed to be comfortable on this earth – if we trust in Christ we are bound for eternity in the presence of God!
Isaiah 35:3-5 “Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who have an anxious heart, ‘Be strong; fear not! Behold your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God He will come and save you.’ Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.”
