Tag Archives: heaven

October 31 – A Ticket To Heaven

Matthew 19, Mark 10

The rich young man wanted to be sure he was going to heaven. So he asked Jesus to tell him how. Jesus answered:

Don’t murder anyone. Don’t commit adultery. Don’t steal or lie. Don’t defraud anyone, and honor your parents.

Check. Check. And check.

“Got that covered,” the young man said. “Anything else?”

I love how Mark 10:21 puts it. Jesus felt a love for this guy. He didn’t condemn him or correct his view of himself, even though Jesus could see right into this young man’s heart and see his sin. Jesus threw out the ultimate test for him: sell everything you have, give it to the poor, and follow Me.

Some might look at Jesus’ response as being in support of a works-based salvation. Please don’t base your faith on one passage of Scripture.

The other day, as I read Luke 14 about the cost of being a disciple of Jesus, it became plain to me that following Jesus costs everything. And, being that Jesus Himself said He is the only way to the Father, going to heaven involves going through Him, which means surrounding everything to Him.

I believe when Jesus gave the young man that checklist of requirements for gaining heaven, He wanted the young man to see that he had already forfeited his ticket. He may have not murdered anyone. But can anyone honestly say they have NEVER lied, or that they ALWAYS honor their parents? (Come on. I was a teenager once, and so were you). I believe Jesus wanted the young man to see his need of the Savior.

But he didn’t. Instead, he felt pretty self-righteous. Jesus said it’s hard for people like that, those who are rich in the things of this world, those who are self-sufficient, to enter heaven, because either they don’t see the need to ask forgiveness, or they hold out on God. They don’t surrender themselves completely to Him.

And that’s what He requires. Don’t mistake this passage for a honey-do list. There is no way to earn your salvation which will result in eternal life with the Father in heaven. You are a sinner. You need the Savior.

Jesus has already paid the price of admission for you. He went to the cross so that He could forgive you when you ask Him to. He is ready and eager to hand you the ticket to heaven that He bought for you. Because, as He said:

All things are possible with God.

Even saving the likes of you and me.

October 26 – I Never Knew You

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Luke 12-13

Will God really send good people to hell? Certainly there won’t be preachers and Sunday School teachers there, right? Won’t people who volunteer at the homeless shelters, those who never lie or cheat, people who are kind and thoughtful, get a free pass?

I can promise you, according to Scripture, that God will not send one holy person to hell. There will not be one sinless person in that fire. Zero.

But Jesus said that some of the people who were following Him, who heard His teachings, will knock on the door of heaven only to hear God say, “You can’t come in. I never knew you.”

The World Series started last night. My brother-in-law and nephew were there, amid thousands of people wearing their Indians’ shirts and hats, and waving their red towels to cheer on the home team. Thousands of people stood at the same exciting moments, chanted the same words, praised the same players, complained about the same umps, and most of them had 100% of their attention on that field.

But I only know two of the thousands of people who were at that game. Many people dressed like my loved ones. Many acted like them, even said the same things my loved ones said. But if all of those baseball fans knocked on my door, I’d only let two of them in.

Now some of the opposition were easily detected. They were the ones in the light blue shirts. They were not Indian fans. Their clothes were different and they cheered at different times in the game. They neither looked nor acted like my loved ones. So if they came to my door, I could weed them out easily.

But it’s the rest of them, the ones who looked and acted like my loved ones that aren’t so easily detected. But not knowing them, I wouldn’t let them in, either, even if they looked the part.

Looking like a Christian, learning to talk like a Christian, doing Christian things, doesn’t mean God knows you. Jesus tells us the only way the Father can know any of us is if we go through Him. His blood. His forgiveness. His Way.

And only those whom God knows will be welcomed into eternity with Him.

Does He know You?

July 15 – Spoiler Alert

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2 Chronicles 27, Isaiah 9-12

Are you the person who reads the last chapter of a book first? I’m not. I like to unveil the story one page at a time.

Do you, when watching a movie with someone who’s seen it before, continue to ask what will happen next? Are they going to be ok? Do they find the treasure? Did the butler do it? Do they fall in love?

I am reminded that as I read God’s Word, especially words of prophecy, God’s already seen the movie. He can tell us what’s coming because he has already seen the end. He’s read the last chapter.

Even though we view them as things that will happen, God sees them in the past tense. That blows my mind.

What a comfort to know that, after all the craziness of life on earth, God is still standing. And He wants me standing with Him!

So here’s the spoiler alert: Jesus, sitting on the throne forever. Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace… from then on and forevermore!

That’s how the story unfolds. And, for those of us who know Jesus as our Savior, we’re going to be ok!

June 12 – The Indescribable

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I Kings 7, 2 Chronicles 4

It’s hard for me to picture the finished work from the description of the building of Solomon’s Temple. I’m a visual learner, so sometimes the words themselves aren’t enough for me to see.

For years, I read about the sea made of cast metal, built to stand in front of the temple. I had a rough picture in mind as to what it looked like. But when I saw the drawing of a someone who had researched, and had done the math, I was astounded at how wrong my own rendition of the sea had been. I hardly recognized it. The sea was actually much larger, and grander, than I’d imagined.

I think the same thing about heaven. I believe when we get there we’ll experience something much grander than streets of mere gold, gates of mere pearls, mansions, and an enormous banquet table. Oh, those are the words John used to describe what he’d seen in his vision. Those are the words he used to describe the indescribable.

I have an idea that when we finally stand in the Presence of God Himself, we won’t have the words to describe it, either. We’ll only have words to praise Him.

I’m looking forward to that!

June 10 – Is This Sandbox All There Is?

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Proverbs 22-24

The little boy doesn’t want to stop playing in his sandbox, so he ignores his mommy when she calls. He wants to play with the neighbor kids instead of taking a bath in the middle of the day. So when his mom picks him up to carry him inside, he kicks and screams. “No! I want to play. Why can’t I play?”

The mommy puts him in the warm bath and begins to wash her little boy, but he sobs. He slaps her arm away. Then, when she smacks his bottom, he pouts. He pouts as she dries him off, and puts his new clothes on him. Brand new jeans, and a new t-shirt with his favorite Ninja Turtle on the front. But he still pouts, arms crossed tightly in front of him.

The mommy scolds him. He pouts. She tries speaking softly, soothingly, lovingly. She hugs him. He still pouts. She buckles him into the carseat and he begins to cry. “I wanna play in my sandbox,” he says over and over.

“We’re going to Grandma’s house,” the mommy says. The little boy loves going to Grandma’s. But he stubbornly says, “No! It’s not fair. I wanna play.”

When they arrive at their destination, the mommy has to pull his arms away from in front of the boy where they are still tightly crossed. She runs her fingers through his still-damp hair, and straightens his shirt.

Taking his hand firmly in hers, they walk into Grandma’s house.

“Surprise!” he hears. He sees colorful balloons and streamers, presents and cupcakes. His cousins and friends are there, laughing and welcoming him. They begin to sing, “Happy Birthday.”

The little boy looks at his mommy standing beside him with a huge smile on her face. “It’s all for you,” she says.

The sandbox is forgotten. Let the party begin.

Solomon tells us not to envy what other people have. He assures us God has something better for us who are His children. The thing is, we only see our world in the space of a sandbox. God has a much bigger view of our lives.

So when Solomon tells us the humble will receive a reward of riches, honor, and life, we might think that means we’ll get a bigger sandbox, and get to play in it longer. When Solomon says generous people will be blessed, we think that means we’ll get a raise so we can buy more toys to play with in our sandbox.

Solomon tells us not to envy sinners because the reality is, they have no hope. You see, God is getting us ready for the party He’s got planned for each one of us.

We might see it as unfair that we don’t have the state-of-the-art sandbox our neighbor has. We can’t imagine there is anything better than having that sandbox. But God sees way beyond that sandbox.

We might feel the sting of his discipline. But sometimes He has to smack our bottom to get us ready. We might pout or complain or question. But God wants to take us firmly by the hand and get us to what He knows is ahead.

And what is ahead is so much better than a bigger boat, or a better job, or fame, or even health.

In my example of the little boy, it would have been so much easier on him if he’d gone without a fight. And that’s how I want to make my own journey to where God is taking me. I don’t want to fight Him, or question Him, or demand anything from Him. I want to put my hand in His and let Him lead me.

Because I believe that where He leads is so much better than this sandbox I’m living in right now.

April 27 – My Territory

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I Chronicles 6

This chapter continues to list genealogies. And it tells about the territories that were given to the Levites, cities of refuge, and the pasturelands. It’s kind of repetitive. Not exactly an exciting read.

I’m sitting here watching my nephew play with his two pre-school children. They are snuggled together on my couch, each with a stuffed animal, and using silly voices to talk to each other. There are lots of giggles.

This is my territory. It’s not the condo we’re in here on this lovely island. It’s the people God has given me to love and care for. These are the precious ones I want to have in my life my whole life.

It occurs to me that when God gave cities and land in the Promised Land to the Israelites, he gave it to families. It was never about the land. It was all about the people. It was about the families.

I don’t ever want to get so caught up in “things,” a career, fame and fortune, that I neglect the dear ones God has blessed me with. It’s the people here in this condo complex where I live. It’s people in the workplace, in school, or wherever God has opened doors for me.

It’s never about my address.

It’s about the souls God allows me to share life with. May I protect my territory by praying for them, for introducing them to the Savior.

When I get to heaven I certainly won’t be wearing those designer jeans, or carrying the key to an ocean front property. No one will care if I’m CEO of a major company.

But I want to take my territory with me into eternity. I want the souls of those people I love to be with me forever.

Lord, help me to care for the territory You have given me. I pray for my sisters, their families, and the families of the next generation. I pray for my neighbors, my friends, co-workers. Give me the opportunity to introduce them to You. And may You find their hearts eager to accept Your grace. I want to be a good steward of the territory You’ve given me. May You find me faithful.

Feb 16 – Unclean! Unclean!

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Leviticus 11-13

I wonder what it was like for a person who had to live outside the camp because he was unclean. God was very specific in his instructions concerning leprosy. The priest had to inspect the infected person, and if any spot no matter how small was identified as leprosy, that person had to live by himself, away from family and friends.

Unclean! Unclean!

Could the leper hear the laughter of the people inside the camp? Could he smell the aroma of dinner cooking over a campfire? Was there dancing and singing inside while he was forced to remain alone and  separated from all the activity? I bet those seven days seemed like an eternity. It would for me.

In a way, I think hell will be like that. Alone, separated, outside the gates of heaven, an eternity to realize their own uncleanness. Will they hear the praises and singing of those who were made clean by the blood of Jesus? And will those happy sounds magnify the shame of  being forced to sit in their disease of sin?

The Old Testament leper could console himself with the hope that after the seven days of exile, a priest could pronounce him clean again, and he could return to the camp. There will be no such hope for those in hell.

Jesus, our High Priest, will have the final say. He will declare clean those of us who have accepted His grace, the forgiveness He bought with His death on Calvary. And He will pronounce “Unclean” everyone who has rejected Him, even those who tried to enter heaven by some other means than the blood of the Savior.

There are two eternities. One is inside the camp where God is. The other is an eternity outside, in darkness and solitude, an eternity of living in uncleanness and regretting every decision that sent them there.

I’m praying for you.

Feb 6 – Dinner With God

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Exodus 22-24

It must have been exciting to be one of the seventy elders of Israel who had dinner with God on the mountain. (Exodus 24:11) It wasn’t just Moses who saw God.

They saw the God of Israel and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire as clear as the sky itself. (verse 10)

Think of it!

Sometimes I find myself wishing I could sit and talk with God over a bowl of chili. I’d like to see the pavement under His feet, to hear His voice.

But while I walk this earth I have the privilege of having that very same God living right inside of me. I have His very words written as a love letter to me. I have His attention every minute of every day.

When the seventy elders walked back down that mountain, they walked away from God’s Presence. And that’s something I’ll never have to do.

One day I’ll see His face. I’ll hear His voice. I’ll feel His arms around me. I’ll know exactly what it was those seventy elders experienced that day on the mountain, and more.

Forever.

Dear God, I look forward to that day. And I thank You that until that time comes, You promise to stay right here with me. I love You.

Jan 23 – Good Old Boys

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Genesis 32-34

I went on a Gospel Music cruise last week. (That’s why I’m playing catch-up with my posts today) We had a great time listening to great music and seeing a little bit of the world I’ve never seen before. Our hearts were blessed by the groups who sang throughout the week.

One group, the Dixie Melody Boys (I think) sang a song entitled “Good Old Boys”. Good old boys don’t get to heaven because they are good old boys. Living according to what someone thinks is right isn’t enough.

Simeon and Levi got revenge on Hamar and the whole city because Shechem had raped their sister. He needed to be punished according to what the brothers believed, so they gave what they thought was their right to give – death to every man, looting, stealing, kidnapping.

But their dad, Jacob, was not happy when he heard what his sons had done. Jacob didn’t shake his head and say, boys will be boys. He told his sons they had made a bad situation worse by their actions.

We humans tend to adopt our own standards of right and wrong. There are some people who refuse Jesus, yet are really nice folk. And some believe that should be enough to get them into heaven.

A verse ran through my head as I thought about this passage today. It tells us that there is a way that seems right by human standards, but in the end it leads to destruction.

The Bible is clear that there is only one way to the Father, one way to heaven. That is through the blood of Jesus. Only. It is by grace we are saved. Not of works so that no one can brag they’ve earned it on their own.

No, good old boys need Jesus just as much as the bad ones. All have sinned.

Yep. Even the good old boys.

Jan 8 – A Statement Of Faith

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Job 17-20

Job is feeling insignificant, like what he is saying and experiencing isn’t important. His hopes and dreams are lost, and his friends seem to only want to explain it away. Job tells them there isn’t a wise man among them. (I smile)

In chapter 19 Job says even if he is suffering consequences for doing something wrong, like his friends suggest, “my error lodges with me.” Then he continues to try to explain to his friends what he is experiencing and feeling in the moment. I can almost hear him plead, “Just hear me.”

But then Job gives a powerful statement of faith, beginning in 19:25:

As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth. Even after my skin is destroyed, yet from my flesh I shall see God; whom I myself shall behold, and whom my eyes will see and not another. My heart faints within me!

Once again this man of God acknowledges that God is alive and well, and one day Job assures his friends he will see God. Job is absolutely sure that this life is just the opening act, that the heart of the matter lies beyond the grave.

And Job trusts God even during this difficult and confusing time of life. My prayer is that you, too, have the same resolve. Even if you never get the answers you think you deserve during this lifetime, I pray the thought of seeing your Redeemer face to face causes your heart to faint within you, too. I know for myself, just thinking about looking into Jesus’ eyes brings joy and anticipation.

And in a very real way, the promise of being in the presence of the One who loved me and gave Himself for me, makes the cares of this life a bit more bearable, a bit less consuming.

I know that my Redeemer lives!