Heaven

I just finished teaching a six week Sunday school lesson from the book Heaven by Randy Alcorn. It’s a wonderful book and I condensed it down to about fifty pages for my lesson. But here’s one thought from it I really wanted to share. It’s from the section “Living in the light of Heaven”

Once we are saved we should ask ourselves what we can do today, tomorrow, next week or next year to live a life that pleases God and also stores up treasures on the New Earth to be laid at Christ’s feet for His glory. All of our choices and decisions should exalt Christ.

What will last for eternity? Every service to the needy, all money to feed the hungry, every cup of cold water given to the thirsty, every investment in missions, every prayer for the needy, every effort invested in evangelism and every moment spent caring for children.

Galatians 6:7-8 tells us we’ll reap in eternity what we’ve planted in this life.

What else will last for eternity? God’s Word and people. So invest in people and spend time in His Word.

Peter wrote: 2 Peter 3:11-14 11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.

Revelation 21:1, 3-5 1Then 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. 3 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. 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.”
5 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.”

We were all made for a person and for a place. Jesus is the person and Heaven is the place.

Knowing Christ

Mark 1:21-31 21They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. 23Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil[a] spirit cried out, 24"What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!"
25"Be quiet!" said Jesus sternly. "Come out of him!" 26The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.
27The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, "What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him." 28News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.
29As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. 30Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her. 31So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.

Our Pastor, Kurt Gebhards, is preaching on the Gospel of Mark this year and yesterday's sermon on 1:21-31 had some especially interesting thoughts.

In verses 23 – 28 Jesus commands the demon out of a man. The demon knew who Jesus was and he feared him and then he obeyed him! We need to know who He is, fear Him and obey Him! The difference is, the demon does this grudgingly and with great frustration, while we need to do it with great joy! Just “knowing” is useless! The demons know! Our knowledge is unto salvation! Our faith is of the heart, not just with the head. Demons say He is the Savior. We say He is MY Savior!

And in verses 29 – 31: what we take from these verses is when Peter’s mother-in-law got sick; they immediately turned to Jesus, even though He hadn’t healed anyone yet. When we are in trouble or sick, the first thing WE need to do is turn to Jesus. Through prayer and through the resources in His Word.

And when she was healed, she got up to serve Him. We are saved to serve. Jesus brings healing not as an end in itself, but as our beginning to serve. Our freedom from sin is for us to bear fruit. Being born again is the start of our ministry. The strength He gives us isn’t for us, but to glorify Him!