We will spend the next couple of weeks talking about Heaven in our community time. This is a great topic and one that we should have no problem spending two weeks on. First, let me say that heaven is being in the presence of God. It is something that is better than anything we can imagine. We have ideas and images that are associated with heaven. Some are better than others. But the idea behind all that is to say that heaven is awesome.
The book of Revelation tells us that at the end, after the final judgment, that creation is restored. There is a new heaven and a new earth. That the heavenly Jerusalem comes down out of heaven, and rests on the earth, and God lives with his people in this place.
This is the hope of heaven that we will forever live with our God in our bodies, which will no longer be corrupted by sin, sickness or death, and that we will live on the earth. Most people think of heaven as a spiritual kind of place in the clouds. But that is not the case. At least that is not how the Scriptures speak of this. The Christian hope is not that we are with Jesus when we die, although that is nice. The Christian hope is resurrection and living in creation the way that it was intended to be. That is our hope.
This means that we don't have to just focus on death, but we can focus on life, because that is what the resurrection is ultimately about, life. And, in the church we get to experience a foretaste of the feast to come. Not year and years down the road, but right now. This is one of those things that seems kind of simple on the surface, but the more you think about it and unpack it, the more you realize how deep this all is.
We as the church get to live in the reality of heaven. Which is a really awesome blessing. And when we live in this reality it changes our perspective on everything. It is really very cool and I am looking forward to talking more about this with you.
As always, feel free to post questions and responses here. Next Monday I will be on spring break, so there will be no post. But that does not mean that the conversation can't continue, so please feel free to make use of it. Blessings and God's peace. I will see you back here in two weeks.
Sincerely,
Pastor CJ Ransdell
1 comments:
Happy Easter Pastor C.J.!!
As we know GOD despises sin and there are a lot of accounts of his displeasure of creatures (human beings and angels) sinning against HIM. As you know, scriptures described Satan as being prideful and wanting to be greater than GOD. The results of this action, from Rev 12:7-9, was that Satan and his followers were hurled down from heaven to earth by Michael and the good angels (Rev 12:7-9).
Speaking for myself on this one, it is IMPOSSIBLE to imagine a day in my life without sinning. And this being Easter Sunday I know that Jesus died for all my sins (past, present, and future).
Okay here is my questions…If Satan and other angels were in heaven and got thrown out b/c of their sin (thinking they were better than GOD), what assurance do I have that I will not be thrown out of heaven? Now Jesus bought my ticket to heaven because of his death, however, I don’t want to get there and to be hurled away from heaven, like Satan and his followers. So when we say that Jesus died for my sins are we talking about the time I live here on Earth? Or does this include time on Earth and Heaven? And if your response to me is that it covers both, does God wire up an anti-sinning filter in our heads? I am assuming that we have free will in Heaven, which scares me b/c I know of my sinful nature here on Earth.
I have a few more questions regarding Heaven but I think I will stop with this one for today.
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