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Scripture: Ephesians
6:2; Colossians 3:1-3, 15; Romans 8:37-39
There are hints in the Bible as to what God has prepared for us, not
enough to paint an exact picture of Heaven, but just enough to whet our
appetites, a little morsel here and there to make us long for more, small
reminders that earth is not our final home. The Word tells us that what Heaven
is in actuality is beyond our fondest imaginations, but He reveals to us
glimpses of glory by His Spirit.
Since we are united with Christ in the Spirit, Paul tells us, we are
seated with Him in heavenly realms. All too often we get discouraged because
instead of looking down on the circumstances that distress us, we are
bowing low under the load of care.
Come with me to the throne of God, where Christ is seated at His right
hand. God has promised that Jesus will rule until He has put all His enemies
under His feet. In the Spirit, this is where we belong NOW, above all of the
strife and chaos of the world below.
Take this glimpse of glory into your today. Remove your soul from the
strife here below. Remember you are seated with Christ in Heavenly Places and
will rule with Him until all enemies – including fear, doubt, despair,
depression, hatred, malice, conflict, betrayal, sadness, moaning and whatever
else is tearing at and fretting your soul – until all the devious devices of the
enemy are put below our feet!
We rule united with Jesus now, we are victorious now, we are more than
conquerors through Him that loved us NOW.
Prayer: Lord, remind me when circumstances try to bow me low under the
servitude of their care that I rule over them in heavenly places in Christ.
Amen.
Scripture: Psalm
16:11, 93:2, 104:13-15; Isaiah 57:15 (KJV); John 3:16; 2 Peter 3:8
Did you ever stop to think how we are controlled by the clock, harassed
by the hour, minions of the minute, and slaves to the second? As the days,
months and years pass, we count out our lives. Our very existence is tethered to
time.
What would life be like if we could live without reference to the
calendar or clock? What if the limitation imposed by the tyranny of time were
removed? What if we could inhabit eternity; what if time as we know it is no
more?
The Bible teaches us that God is a being not limited by or tethered to
time. He remembers that we are such creatures, and corresponds to us through
time, but He inhabits eternity. To God, the Scriptures teach us, a day is as a
thousand years, and a thousand years is as a day. It’s almost impossible for us
to grasp that concept. If we live to be 100, it is considered unusual and
noteworthy. A thousand years is TEN times that amount. Can you imagine living
365,000 days and it seems like only a 24 hour day? Or to invest 1,000 years in a
project so huge that it’s only equivalent to a day’s work?
Scientists tell us that one of the main hindrances to interstellar flight
is the time needed to travel from one star to another. The nearest star would
require a journey of hundreds of years and many generations of astronauts to
complete just a one-way trip! The logistics of preparing for such a journey are
mind-boggling indeed. But suppose that you were not limited by time. Such an
undertaking could be accomplished at the speed of thought - instantaneously!
Imagine what works of art could be achieved if the artist had an
unlimited time to complete them. What scientific discoveries, what heroic
exploits, what stupendous vacations, what enormous family reunions – what could
one accomplish if not tethered to time! What eternal pleasures we will enjoy
with our eternal Father!
An old hymn goes like this:
When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound, and time shall
be no more,
And the morning breaks, eternal, bright and fair;
When the
saved of earth shall gather over on the other shore,
And the roll is called
up yonder, I’ll be there. (
James M. Black, 1893)
Do you want to be there too? When we enter eternity, no longer tethered
to time, when the limits imposed by the clock and the calendar are off? Trust in
Jesus today and join us in eternity, the place not tethered to time.
Prayer: Lord, I may grow weary here, counting my life by the clock, but
remind my heart that eternity calls, and one day I’ll no longer be tethered to
time. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture: John
11:25; 1 Corinthians 15:35, 42-44, 47-49
Today a very popular device is a GPS – meaning “Global
Positioning System”. Such an electronic helper fixes your current position by
latitude and longitude* using satellites orbiting the earth. Not only does it
tell you where you are, but by using a mapping system, it can tell you how to
get to where you want to go – at least on earth. Although a GPS is an amazing
device, it does point out a human limitation. We are bound to earth by gravity,
and our journeys, except for a fortunate few in space capsules, space shuttles
and the space station, are earthbound.
Imagine if you will a device called a UPS, a Universal
Positioning System that will tell you your exact position in the universe and
allow you to go wherever you desire in the
universe by a universal mapping system. Imagine also that your body was
capable of such travel at the speed of
thought. Wouldn’t that be amazing?
According to the Bible, such a system is in our future if
we believe in Christ. Our bodies will take on the form of Jesus’ resurrection
body. He was able to appear at will instantly, be seen in one place, and then
instantly appear miles away. When He left the earth, He ascended up into a
cloud. (Luke 24:36-37, 50-51)
This isn’t science fiction, it is Bible prophecy. The
terminology for what would correspond to earthly latitude and longitude hasn’t
even been invented yet on earth. But no longer leashed to earthly longitude,
someday we’ll learn a whole new geography in Heaven and be able to explore the
universe at will.
Isn’t this exciting? You can experience it yourself by
trusting in Jesus. He has prepared a place for YOU in Heaven with an
indestructible new body and infinite wonders to explore. Why would you want to
spend eternity with anyone else?
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for the glimpses of glory you’ve shown us.
Prepare my heart for eternity as I trust you as my savior here and now. In
Jesus’ Name, Amen.
*Latitude
(North-South) and Longitude (East-West) are imaginary lines imposed on a global
map of earth to track location by the intersection of the lines measured in
degrees.
Scripture: 1
Corinthians 15:42-44, 50-54
Most people are very familiar with pain. It is the body’s early warning
system. Without pain signals, even a small scratch untended could become fatal.
But pain can become chronic and almost unbearable when injury or disease invades
the body. Imagine a body that is not subject to death, disease or pain, a body
that cannot die and be destroyed. Sound like a fairy tale? That’s what the Bible
promises to those who believe in Christ.
Not only will there be a new Heaven and earth when Jesus returns, but our
mortal bodies will be raised immortal, corruption shall put on incorruption, and
the earthly will put on the heavenly. No longer will we be dragged down by
disease, in dread of death, or paralyzed by pain. Imagine a life not limited by
physical disability, not lived in fear of “catching cold”, or getting cancer, or
becoming old and crippled with age. None will be crippled or disabled, bent over
or in wheelchairs in Heaven.
And what could you accomplish if you had the strength and agility of an
athlete? What if your body did not decay and die? How much time do we spend
tending to a body that seems determined to get sick and age? What would you be
able to do freed from that burden?
Thank God, if we trust in Christ, one day we will know! If you are
suffering today, Christ is your healer. But if you are not healed here and now,
one day you’ll trade this sickly body paralyzed with pain for one not subject to
the law of sin and death. Hallelujah!
Prayer: Lord, I look to you now as my healer, but thank you that one day
you’ll give me a body like Yours free from pain, disease and death. In Jesus’
Name, Amen.
Scriptures: John
4:10-14; 7:37-39, 2 Corinthians 4:11-12, 16-18
People have longed for eternal life since Eden and have
often tried to imagine what living forever and ever and ever would mean. There’s
the perennial image of angelic beings floating on clouds playing harps at their
everlasting ease. That sounds okay for a month or two, but forever? That would
be… well, boring.
Others have suggested that without the threat of death,
life will lose some of its’ spice and flavor. The idea is that a diamond only
sparkles at its’ best on a backdrop of black velvet, hinting that evil is
somehow necessary to our enjoyment of good. Oh, really?
We need a more robust concept of eternal life. Think of a
runner’s rush of endorphins, the glowing savor of a job well done, the exquisite
enjoyment of a concert under the stars, the thrill of the touch of a loving
caress, the satisfaction of an engaging hobby, the amazement at the wonders of
nature, the delight and sweetness of a newborn babe – think of what engages and
interests you – this is real living.
Now imagine that the wonder of these experiences did not
fade, that the body did not grow weak and tired, that the concept of rest
included doing, being and feeling. This is more like the concept of eternal life
that God has prepared for us than a languid lounging on clouds evermore.
Jesus compared eternal life to a spring of water
continually bubbling up on the inside of us. We moderns, who normally can call
up water at the touch of a faucet, are hard put to realize what a treasure a
spring was in Jesus’ day, especially one close by. With the gift of life handy
to your dwelling, an artesian well was a true treasure, more than worth its’
weight in gold. The ancients could easily grasp the concept of internalizing
such a gift and what it would mean.
Instead of death working in us as it does now, bringing
depression, dread and disease, imagine life continuously bubbling up forever.
And as water now gives life and is crucial to earthly existence, this spiritual
spring welling up will water us internally and externally without end.
The truly exciting part is that it’s not “pie in the sky
bye and bye”, but this eternal life starts now - as soon as we allow Jesus to
take over our life. Come to Him today and drink of life eternal!
Prayer:
Jesus, thank you for your living water
that renews and energizes me today and forever more. Amen.
