Heaven

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BODY SOUL AND SPIRIT

(Matthew 10:28) Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

(Hebrews 4:12) For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joint and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

We are made up of these three parts, a body, a soul, and a spirit.  Our first scripture from Matthew points out that here in the physical world only our body can be killed,but in the spiritual world we can lose our souls in hell, and God alone has power over our souls.

 I think that these words from Jesus are given to help us understand the difference in the temporal world verses the eternal world.  Think of it.  The short time we spend here compared to the never ending of eternity.  God has placed the choose of what will happen to our souls in our hands.  Jesus’ words expose the reality of Just living our lives here and forgetting the eternity to come.  Placing all our hopes in these few years here on earth can lead to our eternal demise. 

Our body is confined to the physical world.  Our soul and spirit live on after our body dies. The second scripture from Hebrews uses the word “even” with the idea of dividing soul and spirit.  I surmise that soul and spirit are closely connected because they would be difficult to separate.  From this point on I don’t have much understanding about the difference between soul and spirit.  I do know that the soul contains the essence of who we are, and Jesus died to save our souls from hell.  As to our spirit, the Bible refers to the spirit of man but doesn’t seem to give details.  

What will it be like in eternity and what we will be like when we get there? Leaving the body and still existing, this is a great mystery.  God loves us.  All we need to do is to put our body, soul and spirit in his hands.

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THE LAST DAY

(Psalm 139:15&16) My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.  Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Isn’t it interesting to think of the fact that the Lord has numbered our days.  That’s an indication of an intimate relationship.  God knows, for each of us, the last day of our earthly life.  He knows when we will come home to him. God knows when our last day will come, but we don’t.   Not knowing when the last day will come helps us to put our concern about that day in the hands of the one who does. I don’t want to leave my mortal body until that last day comes, but I don’t want to stay one moment longer. I trust God to have perfectly planned out my days.

When I was young, I remember wanting to die at a ripe old age, in my own bed, and with my family and friends gathered around.  Considering my current age, I’m pretty sure the ripe old age part will come true.  However, we don’t have to worry about what it will be like on our last day.  God has got it already planned out.

There are aspects of the last day that are exciting. It is the last day of our earthly striving. As the Apostle Paul says, “I have fought the good fight; I have finished the race.”   It is also the day we enter our eternal rest in heaven, and we get to meet face to face with our Lord and Savior.  Laying down our earthly body will bring some sadness, and probably some pain, but there is eternal life and a new body waiting for us on the other side.

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FOOLISNESS OR RELATIONSHIP

(1 Corinthians 1:18) For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

There are those who think that Christianity is a myth, and that those who follow the teachings of Jesus are week people who need a crutch in life.  They do not see the wonders of God in his creation.  The people who see life this way have no hope of eternal life, for they are perishing.

As a Christian, I have a relationship with God.  Jesus died on the cross to pay for my sins, and he opened the way to connect me with the God who created me.  I am promised eternal life with him.  I talk to him, and he talks to me.  He guides my life, and he is always with me.

Many people are walking down the wide road to destruction, not knowing that a relationship with their creator is waiting for them.  All they need to do is divert to the narrow road that leads to eternal life.  On the narrow road, they will find relationship with their creator and a renewal that begins in this life.

We who have found the Lord carry a great secret that can easily be revealed.  Having the opportunity to present this secret is the ultimate experience.  The truth is that it is no longer a secret.  The message of the cross is opened to everyone.  Even though they may consider us the foolish ones, when a person is willing to seek and find out if it’s foolishness, a soul finds eternal life.

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HOPE

(Ephesians 1:18) I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people.

Where I live the summers are very hot.  Often we have weeks where the temperature is more than a hundred degrees every day, and it barely cools off over night.  Occasionally we get a break when the day time highs are in the upper-nineties, and the overnight temperatures descend into the low sixties.  However, the heat returns, and we suffer through the hundred plus days until summer comes to an end.

Hope supports us through the summer months.  We know that cooler weather is coming.  It cooled down last year, so in hope we trust that the pattern will continue.  Meanwhile, we do our best to patiently wait for the heat to end.    

Isn’t life in Christ just like that?  We live in a world full of sin, and we personally deal with the sin within us.  Sometimes we have days full of love and peace.  Other times the battle is on, and we struggle through the hard times.  Yet we have great hope that the struggle will someday end, and we’ll be in the presence of the Lord forever.

Hope is the best way to navigate life.  Hope fills us with joy and gives us the strength to be patient in times of affliction.   Prayer keeps us in touch with our eternal Father so we can live our days anticipating our eternal future.  Our hope is in him who has promised us an eternal life basking in his love.  When we arrive at our final destination, hope will no longer be necessary. It will have fulfilled its purpose.  Till then, hope will be there to encourage us along life’s path.

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WHY DID GOD CREATE THE WORLD?

(Genesis 1:1) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

(John 3:16) For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

These are two very familiar scripture that most of us know by heart.  We know that God created the world, and we know that he went to great lengths to redeem us from our rebellion against him.  So I am using these two scriptures because I find them instrumental in answering the question that’s been on my mind. Here’s the question: “For what purpose was God moved to create the heavens and the earth?”  No one can know the mind of God, but in this case, throughout the scriptures, he has clearly let us know why he created.

After the six days of creation, the rest of the Bible is about God’s interactions with mankind.  And since the first sin in chapter three of Genesis, God began the process of bringing about the redemption of mankind. He has provided the means for us to return to relationship with him. And for those who have received his redemption, we have returned to a relationship with our God. Throughout eternity, we will be his children, and he will be our Father.  I think we have the answer to our question.  God wanted a family!

Even here in our fallen world, we understand what it means to have a family. It is something we inherently desire.  If we have a family, we are blessed; if we don’t have one, we long for one.  Granted family is a mixed bag here in our fallen world.  Some of us are blessed to have a family with good relationships, but many are not.  Yet we all wish that we could have a perfect family. 

Unfortunately, we will have to wait for the perfect family.  If we are willing to accept his offer, God has promised us a place in his eternal family.  Being a part of the family that God has been patiently waiting for is awesome, and it will never end.

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LIGHT

(Genesis 1:1-4)  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.  And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.  God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.

The first thing God brought to the earth was light.  Light, as the scientists tell us, is a combination of waves of energy and particles called photons.  This combination of energy waves and particles is still somewhat of a mystery.  God, who spoke light into existence, could easily explain it, but science is still working on it.

The word light is used 232 times across both the old and new testaments.  It is used to describe illumination and metaphorically to contrast with the darkness in our souls.  In 1 Timothy 6:16 we are told that God lives in unapproachable light.  The Apostle Paul was called to be a light to the non-Jewish gentiles (Acts 13:47), and we, God’s children, are called to be a light to those around us, and collectively we are called to be light to the world (Matthew 5:15&16).

The Apostle John in the first chapter of his gospel uses the idea of light to describe Jesus’ advent as the light sent to bring light to the world.  (John 1:4&5) In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.  Jesus brought us life and clarity by shining light on sin, and then he died that we might have the victory over sin and no longer live in darkness.

(Revelation 22:5)  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.

 In the beginning light was given, and at the conclusion of the first creation, we will move on to the new heaven and new earth and live in God’s eternal light forever.  The darkness will be gone.  Our future will always be filled with light.   

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METAMORPHOSIS

(Revelation 21:1-3)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, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them.  They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.”

As I read this passage of scripture, I thought, what a beautiful picture of our future, and I noted that what remains of the old creation are the creator and his children.  We his children will be changed into our eternal existence, and be with our God.

God has given many examples in creation to teach his children.  I love the life of the butterfly as an example of change.  The butterfly starts out as a caterpillar, but a change is coming.  Through a process that God set in motion the caterpillar will become a very different creature.  The change called metamorphosis takes the lowly caterpillar and produces a beautiful butterfly.

God is always with us as we continue our caterpillar existence here on the earth, but remember a metamorphosis is coming.  We have a beautiful, eternal future.  God is always with us, and we have glimpses of his presence from time to time.  In the new heaven and earth he will set his dwelling place among us.  We’ll have the delight of his presence forever.  Take time to contemplate the words of this scripture.  No matter what you might be facing, a smile is likely to arise from deep within you.

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PEACE WITH GOD

(Romans 5:1) Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

(Romans 5:10) For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

In war people are at odds with each other.  Their relationship is broken.  Hatred and distrust guide their interactions, and this causes them to fight with and kill each other.  When a peace treaty is finally signed, the opportunity to rebuild their relationship becomes possible.  With man, the hurts and attitudes that caused them to be at war, and the horrors that came about during the war, stand in the way of reconciliation.  There is great mistrust to overcome.  It often takes generations for forgiveness to slowly enter the hearts of the opponents.  This is the way of humans, but it is not the way of God.

When Jesus paid for our sins on the cross and ushered in new life for us through his resurrection, God was immediately ready for us to return to him.  God’s great love for us, welcomed us into reconciliation with him. Jesus made peace with God possible.

This is how we became God’s enemies.  In the beginning we rebelled against God.  He warned us of the consequences if we rebelled, but we chose to ignore the warning.  We ate from the forbidden tree, and death entered God’s creation. Our rebellion devastated his entire creation. This produced a great separation between us and God, and it made us his enemy.  In spite of our bad behavior, God, driven by his infinite love, worked out a way for us to return to him.

So, here we are facing the greatest peace treaty ever offered.  All we have to do is trust God and open ourselves to a renewed relationship with him.  What we will receive in return is eternal life in a recreated new world that is full of peace and love.  These terms sound like a great opportunity.  I’m accepting.  How about you?

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FAITH IN OUR GLORIOUS FUTURE

(Hebrews 11:13-16) All these people were still living by faith when they died.  They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on the earth.  People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.  If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.  Instead, they were looking for a better country–a heavenly one.  Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

Abel, Enoch. Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Jacob are the people referred to in this Scripture.  They are the ones who admitted being foreigners and strangers on the earth.  Do you feel like a foreigner or stranger on the earth?  Maybe not, but think about the reality of our time here.  Our sojourn on the earth is a few short years compared to the eternal existence God has promised us.  In truth, we are simply preparing for the home that lies ahead.

Not to make light of our current lives.  The short period we are here is essential.  There are choices to be made and ministries to be carried out.  The most important choice is choosing Jesus as our savior and recognizing that his death on the cross and resurrection from the dead represent God’s provision for us. Through Jesus, we become sons and daughters of God’s promises.  As sons and daughters, we have an assigned purpose in God’s kingdom while here on the earth.  Like the faithful people of the past, we serve in God’s kingdom fulfilling what he has planned for us.

Looking ahead to what God has promised brings joy to us no matter what our circumstances.  Faith in our glorious future sustains us.  In hard times, we remember that this life is not going to last forever.  Our future lies in a country where there is no pain or sorrow.  Heaven will be filled with God’s love, and we will bask in his presence for eternity.

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  THE RETURN TO GOD’S PERFECT LOVE

(Genesis 2:25) Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

(Genesis 3:7) Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

From the last verse in Genesis chapter 2 to the 7th verse of chapter 3, a significant change came over Adam and Eve.  They began with no awareness of being naked; and then when their eyes were opened, they were ashamed and felt the need to cover themselves.  In the beginning, Adam and Eve only looked through eyes that saw good.  After the fall, their eyes were opened to also see evil.  The events of verses 1-6 in chapter 3 tell of their fall into sin.  With sin came self-awareness. 

Self-awareness has tainted the way we see each other and the way we love each other. Before sin came into the world, we were other focused.  We could love without thinking about ourselves.  Love in the pre-sin world was a pure love, a Godly love.  The kind of love God still gives to us, his perfect love.  But fallen man’s kind of love is infected by self-awareness. 

When we return to God through Jesus our Lord, he gives us his Spirit so we are empowered to fight against the sinful nature, yet it is a continual fight.  Selfishness, judgement, hatred, and unforgiveness get in the way.  We are born with a sinful nature into this world of tainted love.  We are trained by those around us to follow the selfish tainted ways of loving.  Yet there is hope for retuning to God’s perfect way of loving.

 We can trust in the hope of that day when Jesus will come and take us home to a place where perfect love again prevails.  The Apostle Paul speaks of this hope, (1Corinthians 13:8-10) “Love never fails.  But where there are prophesies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.  For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears”.