Tag Archives: Heaven

Why We Rejoice in Trials

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There is a theme that imerges all across scripture. We see it in the life of the Israelites, we see it early in Jesus’ ministry, we see it in Paul’s writings, and we see it today in 1 Peter.

This theme is this – when you are tested, when there are trials and troubles, when there are worries, rejoice! Be happy! Be excited!

Don’t let the trials and troubles you face get you down. In fact, the more trials you face, the more excited you should be!

Israel was tested. Jesus was tested. Paul was tested. We see Peter reference that testing today.

Listen to what Peter writes in 1 Peter 1:6-7:

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Why? Why should we be happy about testing? Why should we rejoice in trials?

Two reasons. First, something better is coming. This world is not the end. This life is not the end. This trial is not the end.

There are times in our lives when we are going through a trial and we think that this time of testing will be end of it all. But you know what happens? It’s not. We survive. We move on. We keep going.

These times of trial are not the end. And in fact, something better is coming. Something more life giving is coming. This is not the end.

And we rejoice secondly because these times of testing, they are just that. A test. They will make us better. They will make us stronger. They will make us more faithful.

And they make us cling to Jesus. They make us hold fast to what matters most. They make us hold on to what matters.

These trials won’t last forever. But Jesus will. Life in God will. That will last for all of eternity. So, today, if you are going through a tough time, hold fast to what matters most. Hold onto life. Hold onto faith. Hold onto what is most important.

Today, rejoice in your trials. And know that something better is coming. And let this time draw you closer to God.

Today, rejoice!

The Best is Yet to Come

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There is a biblical command to keep our eyes on things above. There is this notion that our eyes, and our lives, are to fixed on what really matters.

Not the things of this world that are shifting and changing, but the things of heaven that remain constant and the same.  Listen to what it says today in Hebrews 8: 5-7

They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.”But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.

In this passage, we see the author of Hebrews say this – they were serving a copy and a shadow of heavenly things. That’s a powerful concept.

Think about this for a minute. There’s some good stuff in this life. There are moments that are really amazing. Moments where we feel the power of God. Moments where we feel the movement of the spirit. Moments where we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is using us.

These are truly life changing moments.

And Hebrews tells us that these moments are just a shadow of heaven. The best is yet to come.

So, live life. Enjoy it. Serve God. Live fully. Love fully. Be salt and light. Work for good. Work for God. Wring every drop of life out of this life.

But always remember, that the best is yet to come.

The Stuff of Earth

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It’s tempting sometimes to think that our help comes from the stuff of this world.

Our help, our hope, our salvation – it comes from the economy. Or it comes from our job. Or it comes from our status. Or it comes from, well, whatever.

When the stuff of this world seems to be out of whack or out of character, we can think, well, what hope do we have? What chance to do we have? What prayer do we have.

We can only focus on the stuff of the world, and forget eternity.

Listen to Psalm 146: 3-6 this morning:

Put not your trust in princes,
in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.
When his breath departs, he returns to the earth;
on that very day his plans perish.
Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,
who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
who keeps faith forever;

This Psalm reminds us that our hope is not in the stuff of this world. It’s not even in ourselves. For all of us, even the most awesome among us, are but a breath.

One day we will draw our last breath upon earth and our time here will be done.

This is not eternity. This is not forever.

Our hope is not the passing stuff of this world. It is in the eternal hope of God.

He will not disappoint us. He will not fail us. He will not forsake us. His hope is real and forever and lasting.

And we can truly trust in it today.

Today, where is your hope? Where is your trust? In the stuff of earth? Or the stuff of heaven?

Today, may we realize that our true hope is not in the stuff of earth. May we realize our true hope is in the king of heaven.

An Arrow Pointing to Heaven

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One of my favorite quotes by Rich Mullins was when he talked about how our job in life was to simply be an arrow pointing to heaven.  All of our lives should be lived out in that way, pointing others to God and to His mercy and life.

We don’t live this life for us.  It’s not for our glory. It’s for  God’s glory.

Sometimes, through, it can be hard to remember that.

We see something happen in Acts that could have really trip Paul and Barnabas up:

11When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, ‘The gods have come down to us in human form!’ Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. . . 14When the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting, 15’Friends, why are you doing this? We are mortals just like you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.

I’m sure we’ve all had folks think a lot of us before, but probably haven’t had too many folks tell us that we are a god.  Paul and Barnabas had been working really hard for the Gospel.

They’d been beaten, been kicked out of towns, been locked up.

Most of the time they were despised in the towns they were in.  In many towns they had literally been run out of town.

And now, finally, someone likes them! The entire town rises up and says, hey, you’re awesome.

You’re a god!

They knew it wasn’t true. They knew they were just flesh and bone. And part of me wonders if that didn’t feel good to them, for at least once, not be stoned out of a town.

But, they remembered what they were there for, to be an arrow pointing to heaven. And they used the fame they’d acquired to talk about the Gospel.

Today, that’s our job as well. We are to point to God with all we do. All we say. All we are.  We are to use the circumstances of our lives to point to God.

There’s a lost and dying world out there, in need of hearing and seeing the love and grace of God.  And it’s our job to point it that God.

With all that we have and all that we are, may we be that arrow pointing to heaven today.

The Long View

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I had a professor of mine that used to always talk to us about the notion that the Christian faith is not just a future thing, it is a now thing.  It is a present thing. I’ve always liked that.

We’d don’t follow Jesus to simply get into heaven.  We don’t follow Jesus to avoid hell.  Now, both ofthose things are good things and things I’d like to do!  But the great thing about the life found in Jesus Christ is that it is life that is found today.

Right now.

In this moment.

As Christians, we aren’t just living for the future. We are living for today.  We don’t have to wait until we get to heaven to experience the power and joy and grace of God. We can experience that right now.  As Jesus taught us in John 10:10 – we can have that abundant life. Today.  Right now.

And that’s kind of my default position.  I know heaven will be great and awesome and all that. But, I don’t worry too much about it at this point in my life.  I feel like this life, lived to God, is pretty awesome too.

But, Paul gives us (and especially me) a very healthy reminder today in 1 Corinthians 15

30 And why are we putting ourselves in danger every hour? 31 I die every day! That is as certain, brothers and sisters, as my boasting of you-a boast that I make in Christ Jesus our Lord. 32 If with merely human hopes I fought with wild animals at Ephesus, what would I have gained by it? If the dead are not raised,
“Let us eat and drink,
for tomorrow we die.”
33 Do not be deceived:
“Bad company ruins good morals.”

If there is no life beyond this life, than this make this life all that matters.  If there is no life beyond this life, then where is the need for bravery?  For courage?  For doing what is right, no matter what?

In this life, we need the courage to do what God calls us to. Sometimes it’s scary. Sometimes its terrifying. Sometimes we don’t want to do it, we are afraid of the results, we are afraid of the response people will give us.

We are just scared.

That’s when we need to take the long view.  This life is not the end. There is something greater and better for us. There is a true life, beyond this life, we are a peace with God completely and know the life He has truly intended for us.

And to me, that gives me even more courage and desire to fully live here on the earth!  For I know that God is with me, and I have nothing to worry about!

And this moment, whatever it is that is just killing you. That is worrying you.  That is taking your joy, you sleep, you life, you hope.  It will pass.  It is not the end of your life.  Don’t take the short view. The view of only today.

Take the long view.  There is life beyond this that you made for.  Live fully!  Live boldly!  God is with you!  You have nothing to fear!  You were made for more than this moment.  You were made for eternity.  May that knowledge  help us to live for God with all that we are, in this moment.