Have you ever received a gift that you can term as a great one? A gift doesn’t necessarily have to be expensive to be significant. After all, a gift value is not measured in monetary terms. The best award is the one not only fills your life with happiness but also has a great value in your personal life. Out of the many gifts open hopes to receive, there is a one that is above all; the Gods gift to humanity. The Lord has provided us with many things, but the greatest of all remains to be his sons sacrifice-Jesus Christ (Mathew 20:28) as the verse states, ransom is the most important gift that brings eternal happiness and fulfills the most crucial needs. Ransom is the most significant expression of the Gods love for us.
Ransom
This is merely the Lord’s way of delivering the humankind from death. (Ephesians 1:7) We need to recall what took place at the Garden of Eden to understand well the meaning of this particular bible meaning. We can much appreciate the value of ransom as a gift if we have a clear understanding of what was lost when Adam and Eve sinned.
After God created Adam he gave him a precious; He gave him the most expensive thing – human life. Think of what Jehovah planned for man- perfect mind and body, no growing old, no getting sick or even dying. As a prefecture creature, he had the best relationship with the Lord. In (Luke 3: 38), Adam was the Gods son and the, so he enjoyed all the privileges of having a loving father. God maintained conversations with his heavenly son,
Giving him assignments and informing him the tasks were to be done. – (Genesis 2: 16, 17)
What the Bible means to Adams image
(Genesis 1: 27), God created man in his image. That does not necessarily mean he looked the same with God because God is a spirit as learned in the 1st chapter of this book. (John 4: 24) –God doesn’t have the blood and fleshy body. Being created in the likeness of God means that Adam had the qualities of God like wisdom, love, power, and justice.
The Adams disobedience to god led to his death (Genesis 3:17). Adam lost for himself, and his future offspring’s this precious life. Though he sins entered into the world through only one man, it spread to all generations. Jehovah came to the rescue of humankind through ransom. This ransom idea involves two things: first, it is the price paid to bring something back. Secondly, it is the price that pays or covers another cost; just the same way an amount is made to cover injuries.
He sent his perfect his perfect spirit son to the world. He did not just throw any creature but used the most precious one- the begotten son (JOHN 4:9-10). This son was miraculously transferred to Mary’s womb then born as a perfect person not under sins penalty (Luke 1:35). Jesus endured profound suffering before he met his death. His agonizing death was characterized by whipping and nailing at torture stake. He underwent through all this to seek forgiveness for our wicked ways. Although Satan challenged him while he was still alive by putting him under trials, he proved his faithfulness by maintaining a perfect integrity regardless of the Satan’s actions. On the third day after his crucifixion, he rose back to his spirit live (Hebrews 9:24). God was pleased by his son’s sacrifice as this delivered humankind from sin and death.
Importance of ransom
Despite our sins, we enjoy endless blessings and forgiveness of our sins.
Jesus’ sacrifice brought forgiveness of the sins committed by humanity. All the people sin either by their action or word. We must, however, be repentant regardless of our faith to gain total forgiveness (Colossians 113:14). This God’s gift came as a complete surprise to us. What it happened in the humblest wrap-Jesus Christ was born in an unstable place (feeding trough) then clothed with rags.
Jesus is the best gift as he was sent to the world to deliver, heal, save, redeem and be a friend who could meet all our needs. Having a human body, he was able to identify our problems and provide for any situation. He was a substitute for what we were unable to pay him graciously paid without owing any debt. The gift of Jesus is everlasting since it doesn’t spoil or go bad and hence can never be thrown out.
Jesus Christ is the best gift God gave him freely to us even when we did not deserve to earn such an award. His love never diminishes or fades, but it remains continually and consistently available.
Author Bio: John Alex is a Scholar who loves to write and share his own ideas and beliefs with others.He also own’s a website HolyArt.com which sells online church goods.
To live loved we need to live out of our God-created identities. It’s who He says we are that matters, not what others say about us. It’s important for us to be so full of Jesus that he seeps out in our daily conversation. Listen to this message to learn more.
L – live Loved
Downloads: Live Loved Notes | Live Loved Daily Bible Reading Plan
Here is a question a friend of mine asked me a little while ago about the plot line of the Dan Brown book The Da Vinci Code I thought I’d post my response below because I know others are asking the same question.
Question:
Why did Jesus call himself the son of man instead of the son of God?
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My Response:
I’m a big fan of speculative fiction. I read it and write it myself. The problem with speculative fiction that basis itself in some portion of reality is that people can forget the facts and concentrate on the speculation. I’m not a big fan of Dan Brown, basically because I find his plots plodding and predictable. I also don’t like liberties he takes with history.
A perfect example of this is the assertion that Jesus never claimed divinity. He used the term son of man, because he obviously was a man and not God and so later writers had to create his divinity later.
I don’t like it when Christians set up a straw men to knock down and I don’t like it when writers do it either.
Without getting into the veracity of scripture – which is an excellent study in itself – let’s look at what the Bible actually says about Jesus calling himself God.
We will find:
A. While He favoured the term “Son of Man” but also used the term “Son of God” for himself, allowed others to use it for him, and was almost stoned for calling himself “I Am”.
B. There are good reasons He favoured the term Son of Man
A. He favoured the term “Son of Man” but also used the term “Son of God” for himself, allowed others to use it for him, and was almost stoned for calling himself “I Am”.
1. Jesus used “Son of Man” to describe himself most of the time.
2. While He seems more fond of using the term “Son of Man” He did call himself the “Son of God”
John 3:16-18. 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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
John 5:25 I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.
John 10:36 what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, `I am God’s Son’?
John 11:4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”
John 17:1 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.”
Mark 14:61-62 But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Matthew 11:27 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
3. He allowed other people to call him the son of God
a. The Father
Luke 3:21-22 When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
b. The Tempter
Matthew 4:3-7 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: `Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'” Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “`He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: `Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'”
c. His Disciples
John 1:49-50 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that.”
Matthew 16:15-17 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.”
John 11:25-27 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” “Yes, Lord,” she told him, “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”
John 20:28 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
4. When he equated himself with God, those listening understood better than we do…and tried to stone Him.
John 8:58-59 “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.
5. John is very concerned with us knowing Jesus was very God.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
(‘The Word’ is Jesus, as is obvious from verse 14: ‘The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us’.)
John 1:18 No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.
John 20:31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
B. There are good reasons He favoured the term Son of Man
1. Precedence
People would have known about Daniel’s prophecy of the Son of Man coming at the end of time, but there seems to be no developed theology like their was around the term “Messiah”. It was a term with precedence but no real expectation.
2. Timeline
When we study the life of Christ, we see He was never in a hurry. He knew when he was supposed to return to Jerusalem to die. When people went to stone Him, He slipped away, knowing that was not how He was to die. Early on in His ministry, we see Him telling people He healed not to tell anyone else and we can only speculate why, but I ’m confident it was because He was following the Father’s timeline. Using the term Son of Man allowed Him not to be thrust on an earthly throne or killed for blasphemy.
3. Connection with humanity
Jesus was fully man. No one thought God would become man. It was only through revelation that people understood Him to be Messiah. Isaiah prophecies about him 900 years earlier, “My servant grew up in the LORD’s presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him.” Isaiah 53:2. He was a normal guy. Yet he was fully God. He equated himself with God by claiming “I AM”. That makes Him a liar, a lunatic or very God.
I can see him using “son of man” more often to show His love for us.
Paul describes this love for us:
Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal’s death on a cross. Because of this, God raised him up to the heights of heaven and gave him a name that is above every other name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:6-11 (New Living Translation)
I know Dan Brown’s characters assert Paul changed Christianity and Christ’s message. But what Paul writes is consistent with the message of Jesus. He was both the son of Man and the Son of God.
And yes, it does take special revelation to understand that even to a level where we don’t blow or minds. I still don’t understand it fully. But I trust Him.
Here’s another question from a RevTrev reader. I encourage people to read the Bible daily in order to live LOVED.
Question
I would like to get suggestions on how to develop better habits of bible study.
How do you recommend a person get into a routine of digging deeper into scripture so that it has a greater influence on/in their life?
Answer
Thanks for the question. It’s one I often get and I find a lot depends on the person and season of life.
Recently I told a busy mom to download a copy of a vocal Bible so she could listen to it as she fell asleep – with five young kids she’s run off her feet and feeling guilty she can’t stay awake.
I’ve personally used a Bible Reading Plan to stay on target for a goal. I want my kids to read the Bible regularly but I don’t want to be dogmatic on it, so I’m thinking of creating a Bible reading plan for them that won’t be too much, but give them enough so they can learn to listen to God while reading.
Here are some tips I’ve picked up on my own journey.
1. Decide to do it ahead of time. The old “If I wake up with my early set alarm I’ll get up” rarely works unless God REALLY has something to say to me. I need to decide the night before, “I’m getting up at ______, so I can spend time with God”.
2. Create a time and space to meet with God. For me it’s almost always in the morning. Sure I like reading the Bible in the evening and I’m praying throughout the day, but having that time set apart in the morning helps the rest of the day to flow naturally towards thoughts of God. My space is my garage. It’s holy ground for me…and I’m in no way technically inclined.
3. Be open before God. Often I find myself not wanting to spend time with God when I haven’t done it in a while. It’s like I’m afraid to hear what my Dad has to say because I know something isn’t right. It’s foolish right? God knows everything. I’m not hiding anything from him. One tool I’ve found useful is to pray the psalms…that is, read them to I find one that has the same feeling I feel and then pray it out to God. I’m amazed 3,000 years ago people had the same problems I have. Sure, they probably didn’t have to spiritualize “my enemies attack me”, but the feeling is the same.
4. Have grace for yourself. I often have more grace for other people than I do for myself. “I should know better…” But God’s not interested in a relationship based on rigid rules. He’d rather have us lavishly love. There are going to be times you don’t meet with God. Keep them short and strive to be conscience of Him at all times.
5. Embrace God’s grace for you. It’s easy for me to go into awe at the thought of God. The One who spoke the 100,000,000 stars into being, invites me – through the blood His Son shed – to be overwhelmed with glimpses of Him. It’s humbling when you consider it.
I hope that helps. I have Bible Reading Plan for every week of my Live LIGHT coaching series. It’s one of the tools I give people to live LOVED.
Thanks so much. I do think I need to write more about this. I’m really interested in getting more into Bible memorization. I’m testing out a few tools now.
Lessons from the Twin Brothers Jacob and Esau – Part 2
This is a continuation of Julie McElroy’s guest post. The first part is found here. Don’t forget to check out Julie’s information below.
Sometimes it is not so easy to know what God’s plan is for you. God’s signs are not usually bright, neon, flashing lights, but often times more subtle. As we live here in the fallen world, we our tempted quite often, and these temptations confuse us
into giving in. They are powerful and can override our values and morals in times of vulnerability.
So, you go with your gut – the little voice that is telling you the right thing to do. That may just be your “subtle” hint. On the flip side, don’t take advantage of vulnerable, or even naïve people. Don’t try to trick people to get your way, like Jacob did.
Live the life He would want you to. Be kind to others and love. It always goes back to that. Love your family, parents, children, friends, neighbors, and even your enemies.
We live in a society where people want everything NOW, and many people take advantage of that desire, like Jacob. Think of the marketing and ads that are out there!
“Quick, quick, get it now!”
This doesn’t mean to be lazy and indecisive all the time. Sometimes you have to make quick decisions and take advantage of opportunities when they are the right ones. Life is short. Don’t live a life in fear either or question EVERYTHING. We are here to enjoy life and God will guide you.
Simple: Do the right thing and love one another.
I think the bottom line is to not be blinded by greed or selfishness or instant, unhealthy desires. Jacob knew his brother was hungry, so he took advantage of him because he was greedy and selfish! He did not love his brother in the way we are supposed to love. If he did, he would not have tricked him TWICE!
Esau should have been strong and not given in to Jacob’s manipulation. He should stand on his moral ground and resist temptations. Esau gave into temptation because he was weak. But, we all have weak moments – every single one of us. We are human. We are not Jesus. The devil will try and prey on our weakness. We have to stand strong and be patient. Patience is good. But, love is better. Love IS patient and kind and is not self-seeking (1 Cor 13:4-7).
While there are multiple lessons in the story of these twins, the bigger lesson is we should love our brothers and sisters as God loves us. We should do the right thing. Even when it is hard to do. No, especially when it is hard to do.
Julie McElroy
Freelance Writer / Blogger
Check out my blog: Inspired to Writeand my NEW blogLove Musings
We need to understand the good God has for us. Is God really good? Is He is a good mood? Let’s examine the life of Christ to see the “good” that His obedience brought Him.
Paul tells us that because of Christ’s obedience, He got something good.
Philippians 2:5-11 (New International Version)
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Let’s jump ahead to the book of Revelation to see some of the good things Christ was given because He obeyed. The passage in Revelation 5 draws out what Paul told the Philippian Church.
Revelation 5:12
In a loud voice they sang:
“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!”
Power Wealth Wisdom Strength Honor Glory Praise
I remember reading this passage as a child and thinking, “Why does Jesus need wealth?” Why does He need power or wisdom or strength or honor or glory or praise?
He doesn’t. But He’s worthy to receive it, because He did what was right and was obedient.
That’s part of the good God has in store for you – power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise. When we fear God, seek God and Obey God, any power, wisdom, strength, honor, glory and praise He allows us to have is easily turned back to Him. We realize it’s not us, it’s His grace and love.
But wealth can be trickier. We might be tempted to push it off into eternity and think it’s not for today. What are you going to do with any of that in heaven?
“I’ve got wealth” you say in heaven. “Big deal” I’ll say. “The streets are paved with gold.”
This topic is a very sensitive one, so we’ll be exploring it more in the next post on this topic. What do you think of it so far? Feel free to disagree. I’m working through this myself.
I want to tell you the story of heaven today. I’m convinced Oliver Wendell Holmes got it wrong when he said people can be “so heavenly minded that they’re no earthly good,” (Yes, that’s not a scripture verse, it’s from Oliver Wendell Holmes) In my experience I find Christian who aren’t heavenly minded are no earthly good.
I’m not saying we go around wishing things where different, waiting for the day Jesus returns to right every wrong and to judge perfectly. I know when I consider heaven, it motivates me to see as much of it here on earth as I can. I’ll need to unpack that statement, but there is much that scripture teaches us about heaven that I want to make time for in this post. Suffice it to say, heaven is where the Father’s will is done perfectly and I want to see His will done on earth as it is in heaven.
Because He’s good and He’s in a good mood.
I want us to consider heaven today…
Because it will encourage us not to worry about others worry about… and we’ll have peace.
It will encourage us to watch not the world but for the world to come… and we’ll have joy.
It will encourage us to stand ready by His grace… and in his righteousness.
This brief life on earth is the preface, not the book, the preliminaries, not the main event, the tune-up, not the concert. You were created for so much more than you could ever possibly experience or even conceive in this life. Inside your spirit you know that it’s true. You cry out for justice, you want good to always be done, the pain that sin causes sickens you… when you slow down enough to notice.
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It’s because the core of who you are has been ruined for everything less than your destiny.
Some of you husbands just think your wives like to complain… No. It is because she lives in a fallen world that has yet to be redeemed in a body that has yet to be perfected and her spirit resists accepting that she has been created to live in anything less than her destiny… you go girl.
Just remember the eternal perspective if you’re one of those given to complain… you’re not complaining about your husband not putting the toilet seat down. You’re complaining because you were created for heaven and heaven is not yet here… but it’s coming.
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Romans 8:21-23 NLT
All creation anticipates the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And even we Christians, although we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, also groan to be released from pain and suffering. We, too, wait anxiously for that day when God will give us our full rights as his children, including the new bodies he has promised us.
Jesus told us he’d be coming back…
John 14:1-3 NIV
“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 m
ay be where I am.
What does the Bible say heaven will be like?
Heaven will be a lot like earth, only so much better than earth that it seems like an insult to describe it like earth. I’m not trying to lower your expectations but I want to give you some frame of reference… This world is a shadow of things to come – a pale reflection see through the glass darkly.
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This world is where we live… Heaven is the place where God is.
Home of Christ, angels, and redeemed. Only for those who know Christ, whose names written in Lamb’s book of life.
1 Peter 3:21-22
and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also–not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand–with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.
This world really exists…
Heaven is located up and out there, outside our own universe. It is solid. Real. Not airy. Not ethereal. Tangible.
1 Thessalonians 5:16
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.
In this world we have bodies… In heaven we will have resurrected bodies Facts of our Resurrected Bodies
It will be a recognizable body. 1 Cor. 13:2
It will be a body like Christ’s body. 1 John 3:2
It will be a body that will permit eating. Luke 24:41–43; John 21:12–13
It will be a body in which the spirit predominates. 1 Cor. 15:44, 49
It will be a body unlimited by time, gravity, or space. Luke 24:31; John 20:19, 26
It will be an eternal body. 2 Cor. 5:1
It will be a glorious body. Rom. 8:18; 1 Cor. 15:43
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In this world we have houses and cities….In heaven we have homes and the new Jerusalem Heaven is a city whose builder and maker is God. A city by definition consists of residences. People live together. No isolation.
Hebrews 11:10
For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
City will have walls, gates, streets. Three gates on each side, 12 gates total. Access from all over new earth.
Revelation 21:21
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.
No down payment, closing costs, mortgage payments, property tax, utility bills.
John 14:2
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 you think you’d never like the city, it’s because you’re thinking of earthly cities, with litter and dirt and crime. The heavenly city will have all the freshness and vitality and openness of the country with all the vibrancy and interdependence and relationships of a city. And there will be no racial divisions between people.
In this world oceans divide people… In heaven…
Water. No oceans to separate people of earth but fresh water–a great river, flowing not stagnant.
Revelation 22:1
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb
We travel in this world… In heaven There will be travel…
Revelation 21:27
Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
People will go from one place to another. Gates never shut. Our means of travel may be interesting–we are told we will be like Jesus and that his resurrection body is the prototype of ours. He walked through walls with his resurrection body. Perhaps we will have the option of walking, or traveling at the speed of light, or even the speed of thought.
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In this world we remember… In heaven we’ll remember..
We know that in the heavenly city there will be memorials to the twelve tribes and to the apostles. Remembrance is something very important to God. We will sing of Christ’s redemption, his space and time history death on our behalf. Christ’s resurrection body bore the nail scars–this itself reminds us of redemption.
We’ll know our loved ones in heaven. We’ll know even those we didn’t know on earth. Peter James and John recognized Moses and Elijah in the transfiguration. They had died 900 years earlier and nobody had a picture. Christ’s resurrection body resembled him–the disciples had a hard time recognizing him at first, but they thought he was still dead!
You don’t become ignorant when you go home with Christ, you become enlightened. Heaven’s joy is not based on being uninformed but in having an accurate perspective.
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In Heaven there is light…
Light. No secondary sources. No generators and power lines, not even the sun. Illumination right from God himself–the lamb is the lamp. There will be no night–could be a variation in brightness; maybe a gentle suffused light.
Revelation 21:23
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.
In Heaven there will be trees and seasons…
Revelation 22:2
down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
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And animals…
Revelation talks of several angels riding out on horses. Elijah–chariots and horses of fire come to and from heaven. Elisha–God sent horses and chariots and warriors from heaven.
Revelation 19:14
The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.
Heaven is the culmination and progression of the kingdom of God in it’s redeemed state.
Those of us who long for justice, justice for the racially oppressed, for the politically persecuted, for the unborn children need to remind ourselves not to give up hope, not to become embittered. Heaven will bring great relief to the suffering, the hungry, the hurting. No crying, no pain, no sorrow, no more death. No hospitals, cemeteries. No sin.
Revelation 7:16-17
Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
No evil. No fear. No abuse, rape, murder, drugs, drunkenness, no bombs or guns. Walk streets at night.
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We Enter Into our Destiny
No miscommunication or fear of misunderstanding. total intimacy with Christ. We are told that he will give each of us a new name. A personal name that will mean much to us and to him.
Revelation 3:20
Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name.
Heaven will be deeply appreciated by the handicapped that will not be handicapped any longer. Think of those who can walk and run and hear. Think of those blind from birth that will see for the first time. The hymn writer Fanny Crosby said, “Do not pity me for my blindness, for the first face I ever see will be the face of my Lord Jesus.”
Revelation 21:4
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.”
And think what heaven will mean to the mentally handicapped, who will wake up in heaven to great powers of understanding and learning. Who, will be as free in their minds as those who were crippled on earth will be free in their bodies.
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There will be great joy in heaven….
And just thinking about it now should give us Joy and Peace.
That’s not all I mean by Heaven is the culmination and progression of the kingdom of God in it’s redeemed state.
Let me explain. There are five things we do in this life for eternity. Four of them we will do in eternity.
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Worship
Revelation 19:1-3
After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for true and just are his judgments. He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries. He has avenged on her the blood of his servants.” And again they shouted: “Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever.”
See Revelation 5 and 15 and 19.
There will be no temple, no church buildings. We will need no props to worship him. PowerPoint is not eternal.
Christ will be the focus of all. Worship will be unaffected, without pretense, and without distraction. We will lose ourselves in worship of Christ, and before we turn to the duties at hand we may suddenly realize that we were so caught up in worship that we have spent the last hundred years gazing upon the Lamb.
We will worship Christ in singing. In Revelation 5 we are told of a choir of angels of ten thousand times ten thousand–that’s a hundred million. And then we are told that the whole rest of creation joins these 100 million. The 100 million are merely a little ensemble up front. Can you imagine the power of the song? If hearing gathered voices praise God as one moves us in this life, what will this be like in eternity?
Fellowship
Revelation 19:9
Then the angel said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”
Christ promised we would eat and drink at table with him; plus come from all over to sit at table with Abraham and patriarchs. We will feast at the marriage supper of the Lamb.
There will be an endless supply of water and food. No famine or drought. No food poisoning, no indigestion, no high or low blood sugars.
(BTW I have a Christocentric Theology of food that allows me to enjoy every meal with Christ and His body.)
Eating is not just to eat–the table is the center of conversation and fellowship. We will meet and converse with other inhabitants of heaven. God tells us we’ll fellowship with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. We’ll meet David and Ruth and Esther and John the Baptist and Mary and Peter. I look forward to meeting and feasting with Origen and Anthony and Patrick and Charles Finney and Smith Wigglesworth and C. S. Lewis (and you – won’t we have a lot to catch up on?).
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Discipleship
We will learn, progress in knowledge. When 1 Corinthians 13 says we will know in full, it’s in contrast to seeing through a dark glass. We will know accurately. But we will not be all-knowing. Only God is that, and we will never be God.
Ephesians 2:6-7: ” . . . in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace…”
A continual learning more about God, who can never exhausted.
Right now 11% of our brain is used. I know in heaven we’ll have new minds with our new bodies, but consider even what we have now to be amazed at what’s to come.
Theology is the understanding of God and we will be able to understand God in what he reveals to us and throughout his creation. How long will you spend studying a black hole? Why not? Who has placed in us the thirst for knowledge and understanding and beauty? Our Creator. And because he is a Creator he will go right on creating.
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Service
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 forever and ever.
We are called joint heirs with Christ. We will own property, residences in heaven. We will enjoy those treasures that we have laid up for ourselves in heaven while on earth.
Revelation 22:5 says we will reign with Christ over the earth. Luke 19 tells us those who have been faithful in this life will be placed in authority, some over one city, some five, some ten. 1 Corinthians 6 tells us we will judge or rule over angels.
How else will we serve Christ besides ruling? Well, we will be creative and exercise abilities–all will sing and some will play instruments. (Harp and trumpet mentioned, but no doubt many other instruments too.)
We will no doubt compose, write, paint, carve, build. We will exercise our God-given gifts, and continue to develop and perfect our talents.
No time to talk about the rewards we will be given… but they are many…
[Tweet “We’ll have amazing things to do in heaven. @revtrev”]
Evangelism
This is the one eternal purpose that is only for this time… and this is where I want to get back to the importance of story and this is where I want to get back to keeping watch and being ready.
The only thing that is keeping Christ from returning, is the fullness of time… when the full number of people come into his kingdom. This is the only thing we can’t do for eternity and so that’s why we make it a priority in this life.
Paul told Philemon
Philemon 1:6
I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.
What is part of the every good thing we have in Christ? HEAVEN.
One of the reasons we’re not excited about heaven is because we are not actively sharing our faith. One of the reasons we are not actively sharing our faith is because we are not excited about heaven.
[Tweet “We can’t do evangelism in heaven. @revtrev”]
Another reason why we don’t share our faith is that we’ve been shamed into doing it and it hasn’t gone well. Bill Johnson says “without power, the gospel is not good news” and he follows it up with “we owe people an encounter with the love and power of God”.
When we bring Heaven to earth, God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven. Is there sickness in heaven? No. So we know it’s not God’s will for people to be sick on earth and we can pray with faith and see them heal.
[Tweet “We can only heal the sick this side of heaven. @revtrev”]
In fact, Christ sent his disciples out and told them to “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons and raise the dead”. (Matthew 10:8) Then when He commissioned His disciples he told them to make disciples “teaching them to obey everything I’ve commanded you.” (Matthew 28:20). That has to include healing the sick, cleansing the lepers, casting out demons and raising the dead.
Incidentally, these are 4 things we can’t do in heaven. We can only do them here in this fallen world that screams out for reconciliation. When we do, we bring heaven to earth. We bring the circumstance into agreement with the Father’s will. And it’s so much fun to share your faith in love and power.
I did a review for Kevin Dedmon’s book “The Ultimate Treasure Hunt” that you may want to check out if you want to tools to bring heaven to earth.
I want to tell you the story of heaven today. I’m convinced Oliver Wendell Holmes got it wrong when he said people can be “so heavenly minded that they’re no earthly good,” (Yes, that’s not a scripture verse, it’s from Oliver Wendell Holmes) In my experience I find Christian who aren’t heavenly minded are no earthly good.