October 22, 2010

"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." Revelation 21:5

Shakespeare once said, "Brevity is the soul of wit."

That being true, John the Revelator, is a genius! He says a lot in just this one brief verse.

Let's take a few minutes to reflect on what he tells us.

Our God is seated on the throne!

What does that mean to us? Everything!

It means He is sovereign - fully in control. He is large and in charge! Nothing happens in this universe without His permission or approval. When the world seems chaotic - like now - it is controlled chaos because He is omnipotent!

If you know Him as your Father and if you are committed to Jesus as your Savior, you don't have to worry! God has given you an abundant life now - His grace, His guidance, and His guardian angels! And He has guaranteed you an eternal life! The best part of the eternal life is that He will be there and in control!

Our God is making everything new!

How do you improve on perfection? God can! And He does! In Reve;ation 21 we see that God makes a new Heaven and a new earth! This is the REAL new world order!

Our God is so great and so dynamic and so intelligent and so creative that, though He never changes, He is always getting new ideas and better ideas and has the power to tweak and improve His creation! That is why we can spend eternity and never get bored!

So that tells us that as good as it is now - it will only get better! Always!

For you and me, the best news of all is that He made us new and He renews us every day!

Third, God is trustworthy and true!

Wow! It is good to know that Someone as powerful as God is trustworthy. We know in our world power corrupts. We are accustomed to leaders who become corrupted by power once they are trusted with that power by their people. God is not like that! Praise His Name!

What that means is that you can depend on Him - always! It means you can hope in Him - always! It means that you can commit to Him - safely! It means what was true yesterday will be true today - and tomorrow! There is a constant in the universe! There is an anchor - a sure foundation for all of time and eternity!

Get your heart and mind around this little piece of good news! Rejoice in this knowledge of God! Give Him praise and honor today! Walk in peace, and confidence and security today. Live in hope of tomorrow!

God is on the throne!

October 21, 2010

"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." Rev. 21:3-4

Who is the most impressive person you have ever met? God knows them all!

What is the most impressive thing you have ever witnessed? God allowed it to happen!

Where is the most impressive place you have been? God created it!

For a God Who knows all, does all, and created, how do you impress Him? What impresses Him?

Looking at Revelation 21 and 22 it is impossible to not be impressed by the glorious vision of Heaven! But I can't help notice two things that impress God.

First, it is relationship that impresses God! In the midst of all that splendor and glory it is people that excite God! He gets to dwell with them and they will dwell with Him! They will belong to Him and He will belong to them!

Think about how important relationship is to God! I am amazed at how much He values relationship with you and me! In the beginning He created a beautiful earth where He could dwell with man. And in the midst of that glorious creation which He had pronounced "good" - He crafted a paradise called Eden

After sin ruined paradise He began to form a nation of people He could call His people and He prepared a place for them to be with Him after they came to the end of their earthly journeys.

Now John tells us in this portion of Scripture that God wasn't content with Heaven, He will create a new Heaven and a new earth! He wants the best for His people!

Second, it is restoration that impresses God!

Heaven will be a place where paradise is restored. All that sin spoiled will be restored! A perfect place and a perfect relationship with a perfected people! What the first Adam lost the Second Adam restored through His sacrificial death and resurrection!

"God will wipe away every tear". Tears are the result of relationships gone bad or relationships rejected or relationships interrupted by death. Strained relationships strain the human spirit and cause tears to fall. Out Heavenly Father drying those tears is symbolic of the restoration that God will finally bring to His Universe! This is the REAL "new world order". God's order will be restored. His Kingdom will finally come and His will will be perfectly done for ever more!

So, while you and I are busy being impressed by Heaven God will be busy being impressed with us!

AWESOME!

October 20, 2010

"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." Revelation 21:3

Sunday we are going to preview Heaven based on the snapshot John gives us from this great portion of Scripture. Even though he struggled to find adequate words to describe what he saw, what he tells us sure sounds good!

As grand and magnificent as Heaven is, what makes Heaven eternally satisfying is that God is there! And His Son, Jesus is there! And the people of God are there!

The home you grew up in wasn't so much about the dwelling you lived in or the material possessions you had, it was about who lived there. Your parents were there! Your siblings where there. Love was there - unconditional love. Security was there. Acceptance was there. Encouragement and validation were there. Guidance and discipline were there. All of your emotional, physical and relational needs were met there.

If you happened to enjoy those things in a nice building in a fashionable neighborhood, that is all the better. But it wasn't the house that was significant it was the home!

Likewise, before we being the tour of Heaven, I want to focus on the main thing that makes Heaven, well - heavenly. It is relationships! It is being loved by God and by God's people. It is meeting Moses and Noah and Abraham and David and Daniel and all the other great heroes of the faith! It is never having to say good-bye again to family and friends. It is having those relationships that have added so much joy and value to our earthly life taken to new dimensions! Pure joy! Pure love! Pure trust! Perfect knowledge!

Heaven is a real place! Heaven is an unbelievably magnificent place! We can't conceive of it with human minds but even when we behold it we will struggle to comprehend it!

But far more significant than the splendor of the place will be the people who will be there!

Are you onen of them?

October 19, 2010

"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." Rev. 21:3

The late and great C. S. Lewis once said, "If nothing in this world satisfies me, perhaps it is because I was made for another world."

It is hard for me to find a shirt that fits. Here's why, my neck is pretty big, my arms are short, I am big through the shoulders and I am longer from the waist up than I am below the waist. So, to get a shirt that fits my neck then the sleeves are usually too long. If I get one with an athletic cut it fits me in the neck and shoulders but tends to be too short and I can't keep it tucked in. So, it seems I am destined to spend my days on planet earth tucking in my shirt-tail or rolling up my sleeves. My kingdom for a comfortable shirt!

For a believer, living in this world often feels like a tight pair of shoes - it just doesn't fit. We don't fit it and it does not fit us. It doesn't fit our vision or our values.

In this Scripture, John reminds us why that is so. This world is not our home. We were designed for eternity and for paradise and this world is neither eternal nor is it holy. As believers, we walk with Jesus and as we do He changes us and conforms us to His image. The more that happens the less this world fits.

Since Adam and Eve, who were designed for Paradise, were evicted from Eden there has been a longing in the human spirit. This latent and yet powerful desire has shaped every human culture and every political, social and economic system since that time. Wars have been fought over competing ideas of paradise or utopia. That is the source of the current conflicts we face with the war on terror abroad and the political strife at home.

This world is not our home. It will never fit right. Even though we spend our time, energy and money trying to add to our comfort level, it still never quite fits.

Christ never called us to fit into this world. He calls us to allow His World and His Spirit and the trials in this world to FIT US for His eternal Kingdom that He is preparing for us!

Are you devoting all your efforts to fit into this world or are you being shaped for His? How will you know the answer?

By the comfort level you have in this world. The less comfortable the fit, the more fit is your soul!

October 18, 2010

"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

There is something comforting and soothing about the word "home". Home is our favorite place on earth! Rightly so! But, knowing that most of our lives will be lived in eternity it is good to know that he will have an eternal home!

Jesus promised that He would prepare a home for us - a home near His so we can be with Him in His forever place! This week we are going to take a close up look at that marvelous place called "HEAVEN"!

Henry C. Morrison was a great missionary who served the Lord in Africa for over 40 years. On the way back to United States, he began to wonder “will anyone remember us? Will anyone recall who we are? Will anyone meet us at the boat?”

Well, unknown to Henry Morrison and his wife, Teddy Roosevelt, President of U.S., was also on board that ship. He had gone to Africa for a hunting tripWhen ship pulled into New York harbor he looked to see if anyone had come to welcome them back home. Thousands of people were there cheering. Bands were playing. There were signs, banners, and billboards everywhere saying, “Welcome Home”. Henry and his wife were so excited about the crowds of people that were there to welcome them home and they went down to get their luggage, came back to the deck of the ship to get off and they realized that the parade of people were already gone. They had come to welcome Teddy Roosevelt.

Henry Morrison went to his hotel room with a heavy heart. As he sat there on the bed, he asked his wife, “Honey, I just don’t get it…for 40 years we poured our lives into ministry and service. And yet we come back to America and not a single soul comes to welcome us home!”

His wife came and sat down next to her husband, she put her hand on his shoulder, and comforted him with words that he would never forget, “Henry, you have forgotten something, you’re not home yet!”And may that be of comfort to you. It does not matter what takes place in this life, your reward is in heaven. Always remember, “You’re not home yet.”

Heaven will be the ultimate eternal place that believers can call home! That place is being prepared for you right now! One day you will receive a royal, "Welcome home!"

October 17, 2010

“HAPPILY EVER AFTER?”

Week Five – “Body Beautiful” I Corinthians 15:35-52

Everyone has an “ever after”. Some will have a “happy ever after” and some will not.

The “happy ever after” place is Heaven. We have talked about that.

Last we talked about the “horrible ever after” place called hell.

Now that we know where our spirits will go, what happens to our bodies after we die? Will we float around on clouds forever?

I. THE NEW BODY IS REAL, V. 36-38

Why do you think the Great Apostle addresses this issue?

Then, like now, there were many false theories and bad ideas about what would happen following death – both to the spirit, but in particular – to our bodies.

Surveys say 30% of Americans believe in reincarnation……..

Even more troubling is 20% of professed evangelical Christians say they also believe in reincarnation.

Two Facts:

Death Is Necessary For Resurrection – V. 36

The New Springs From The Old, Vv. 37-38

(Note His Illustration Of The Seed)

“We see that the blueprint for our glorified bodies are in the bodies we now possess. While orthodoxy (Christian doctrine) does not dictate that every cell of our present bodies will be restored in the resurrection, it does require continuity between our earthly bodies and our heavenly bodies. Just as there is continuity between our earthly bodies and the bodies we had at birth – even though all those cells and sub atomic particles have been replaced and renewed – so too there will be continuity from death to resurrection, despite the fact that not every particle in our bodies will be restored. In fact without continuity, there is no point in even using the word ‘resurrection’”. – (Hank Hangraaf – “Resurrection”)

Joni Eareckson Tada, is a beautiful lady, inside and out. She was paralyzed in a diving accident while still a teen and has spent the last 40 years as a paraplegic. She wrote about her trials in her book “Heaven Your Real Home”. “Somewhere in my broken paralyzed body is the seed of what I shall become. The paralysis that makes what I am to become all the more grand when you contrast the atrophied, useless legs against the splendorous resurrected legs. I am convinced that if there are mirrors in heaven (and why not?), the image I will see will be unmistakably ‘Joni’ although a much better, brighter Joni!”
(BARBARA)

THE NEW BODY IS REAL! Not only is it real but…..

II. THE NEW BODY IS RECOGNIZABLE

A question many have is this, “Will we know our loved ones and will they know us in heaven?”

Let me ask you this – “Do you think we will know more in heaven than we know now or will we know less?”

Of course! Not only will we be able to recognize everyone we love – we will love everyone we see it heaven!

Famous Missionary, Amy Carmichael wrote, “Shall we know each other in heaven? Shall we love and remember? I don’t think one need wonder about this or doubt for one single moment! For if we just think, we know! Would you be yourself if you did not remember? Your memories are an important part of you! We are told we shall be like our Lord Jesus and does He not know and love and remember? He would not be Himself if He did not! And we should not be ourselves if we did not!”

I find three examples of resurrected bodies in the Bible. Of course, there was Jesus, who appeared to thousands for 40 days following His resurrection. You will recall that he could be seen and recognized and touched and that he ate with them. His new body bore a new and improved version of His earthly body!

On the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter, James and John saw Moses and Elijah and they recognized them – even though they had never seen them before!

THE NEW BODY IS RECOGNIZABLE! Not only is it recognizable but….

III. THE NEW BODY IS RADICALLY DIFFERENT. V. 35

The New Body Will Be Indestructible – V. 42
Unlike our earthly bodies which age and wear out and are plagued by diseases – our new bodies will be perfect and stay that way forever!

The New Body Will Be Glorious, V. 43a

The word “glory” = “brilliance” – Philippians 3:21 says, “who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.”

The New Body Will Be Powerful, V. 43b

Jesus was able to walk through doors and into locks rooms………

The New Body Will Be Spiritual, V. 44a

Fitted for an eternal spiritual Kingdom – not ghosts or spirits………

THE NEW BODY WILL BE RADICALLY DIFFERENT! Not only that but.

IV. THE NEW BODY IS REVEIVED AT CHRIST’S RETURN, V. 51-52

Finally, Paul addresses the question, “Who will be resurrected and when?”

Those saints who have died will arise first and receive their beautiful eternal bodies.

The believers who still remain and are alive at the coming of Christ will then be supernaturally transformed as they rise to meet Him in the air.

The Apostle speaks to that in another passage:

“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.” I Thessalonians 4:16-17

WHAT IF YOU COULD HAVE THAT BEAUTIFUL BODY WITH NO DIETS OR WORKOUTS?

WHAT IF YOU WOULD SPEND AS MUCH TIME AND EFFORT AND ENERGY DEVELOPING YOUR SPIRIT AS YOU DO TRYING TO DEVELOP YOUR BODY?

YOU KNOW THAT BODY YOU ARE DYING TO HAVE. IF YOUR SPIRIT IS RIGHT WHEN YOU DIE YOU WILL HAVE THE BEAUTIFUL BODY ONE DAY – RESURRECTION DAY!

It Will Be Real – It Will Be Recognizable – It Will Be Radically Different – AND – It Will Be Received At Christ’s Return!

October 16, 2010

"When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." I Corinthians 15:54-57

I Corinthians 15 is truly one of the great chapters of the Bible! It is great because it captures the spirit of a great man (Paul) and the essence of a great Truth (the Gospel).

Please allow me to summarize several of the great Truths it expresses:

1) God is stronger than the enemy!

Satan's two biggest weapons were sin and death. Through the grace of God in Jesus sin was defeated on the cross and death defeated when He walked out of the grave on the third day.

2) Salvation is stronger that sin!

Because Jesus became a man and proved that temptation can be resisted and that holiness is possible. As a result of His holy life He was able to assume all of the sins of humanity and become the atoning sacrifice for sin! He became like us that we might become like Him.

3) Life is stronger than death!

Jesus had to die in order to conquer death. We have to die in order to become eternal. The wages of sin is death - spiritual separation from God that can lead to eternal death. But because Jesus surrendered to death and then defeated it through the resurrection, we gain victory over death by living in His life!

4) Eternity is stronger than time!

During life, time is pretty much our enemy. We try to learn to use it to our advantage but as seconds become minutes and minutes turn into hours and hour add up into days and days mount into months which multiply into years - well, you know - time wears us down and we die. BUT, when we die in Christ we get the last laugh on time as we are born into eternity! There are no clocks or calendars in Heaven!

If you notice a victorious tone in I Corinthians 15 - you are right! We ARE victorious because Jesus won the victory for us!

Do you have that victory?