Be Thankful: He Restores my Soul

Be Thankful: He Restores my Soul

Psalm 23:3
"He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake."

This ties in with something I didn't talk about in the last post...

God leads us to still waters!
Have you ever seen still waters? What are some of its characteristics?
1. Calm
2. Peaceful
3. Deep!!!

Think about a river, the shallow parts are usually the most rough, but the deep parts...they are usually calm!
Still waters are Deep!

So, how do still waters relate to Soul restoration?

What else is deep? How about our relationship with God Himself?

2 Corinthians 4:7-15
Treasures in Jars of Clay
"But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you."

This is a picture of our lives...rushed, busied, and Soul depleting!

"Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, 'I believed, and so I spoke,' we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God."

But as God draws nearer to us, and we to Him...the grace of God extends to more and more people!

God makes us lie down in Green pastures...where we meet with Him.
God leads us to the Deep, still waters...where we are in fellowship with Him.
And this is where He restores our Souls!

God's Grace is an Amazing thing!
It is never ending...and only increases!
This is something that cannot be described by words...it is only something that you can experience from God!
No matter where you are in life, no matter what you have done...God's Grace extended through the person of Jesus Christ, is more than enough...it will fill you up and restore your Soul!

In Christ,

David

Be Thankful: He leads me beside still waters

Be Thankful: He leads me beside still waters

Psalm 23:2
"He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters."

God leads me!

I don't know about you, but the more I go through life, I find one thing to be true:
When I try (key word, TRY) to take control of my life and do what I want...Life is hard, and I fall flat on my face. But...
When I let God sit in the Drivers seat...Life is much less complicated!

I love what the psalmist says in Psalm 119:105
"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

Is this not the Truth? God has given us all the answers that we will ever need in this life, in His Word!

Listen to what God says in Isaiah 42:16
"And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them."

We were all blind...blind to the things of God at one point. Yet, here we are today! God has been faithful to His promise! Thank You LORD!
Some reading this are still blind...Jesus Christ is the Light of Life, the only cure for Spiritual Blindness...

John 1:1-5
The Word Became Flesh
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

John 8:12
"Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'"

John 14:6
"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"

It is a wonderful thing, that God would care for us so much...that He would lead us and guide us to Himself! The only place that we can experience True Joy!

Thank You Jesus!!!

In Christ,

David

Be Thankful: He makes me lie down in green pastures

Be Thankful: He makes me lie down in green pastures

Psalm 23:2
"He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters."

God makes us rest!

Have you ever had a long week at work...and thought, "Yes, the weekend is here...I can rest." Only to have the busiest weekend ever?
This world is on the move...Everything needs to be done NOW!!!!
We have convenience dining, Fast Food, and Drive through!
We have Cell phones, Smart Phones, and Text messaging!
And Malls, Shopping centers, and Online buying!
This world is all about getting things and getting them fast!

Man...just thinking about the deadlines I have makes me want a vacation!

It is refreshing to know that God will make us rest!
After all, our bodies were created with a need for rest! And God instituted Rest!

Genesis 2:1-3
The Seventh Day, God Rests
"Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation."

God rested!
God doesn't need to rest, but He was teaching us that we need rest, we are not designed to be on the go 24/7!!!

God says this to Job, a man that pretty much every bad thing that you can think of, happened to him!

Job 11:18
And you will feel secure, because there is hope; you will look around and take your rest in security.

Jesus says this to us!

Matthew 11:28-29
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."


Hebrews 4:1-4
"Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, 'As I swore in my wrath, "They shall not enter my rest,"' although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: 'And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.'"

Hebrews 4:10-12
"for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."

Rest is not just from work. We were also designed for work...Subdue the earth (Genesis 1 and 2).

Rest is found in the Person of Jesus Christ!
Rest from Sin! This is the biggest Rest that we can ever have!

Because of Christ...His death (payment for sins)...and His Resurrection (conquering of sin), through His power...we are also "More than conquerors!" (Romans 8:37)
And we have "Rest" from sin...though this will not fully come about until the Resurrection of the Dead.

One other interesting Point.
We will be made...to lie down!
Sometimes it is necessary for the Shepherd to break the legs of the sheep. You see the sheep might keep wandering off (because the grass is always greener...away from Christ...Not...but like it or not, we do wander away.) And every time, the Good Shepherd brings the sheep back. But to keep it from wandering again, the Shepherd will break one of the sheep's legs. This is a kind gesture and is done to keep the sheep safe and give it rest.

Has Christ ever broken you?
It is painful to be broken, but it is always for good. We grow and become more like Christ as He gently performs surgery to repair our broken bone and open wound.

Are you resting in Christ?
Are you willing to let Him break you and grow you?

In Christ,

David

Be Thankful: I shall not want

Be Thankful: I shall not want

Psalm 23:1
"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want."

What does it mean, I shall not want?

I shall lack no good thing!

More importantly:

Christ will Satisfy my every need!

Is Jesus Christ all sufficient in your life? Is there something else that you are placing infront of Him?

God loves us, and the greatest gift that He has freely given us is....

Himself!!!!

John 17:24
"Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world."

What does Jesus ask? He asks that, in the end, we might see His glory. His love for us makes Himself central. Jesus is the one being for whom self-exaltation is the most loving act. This is because the most satisfying reality we could ever know is Jesus. So to give us this reality, He must give us Himself. The love of Jesus drives Him to pray for us, and then die for us, not that our value may be central, but that His glory may be central, and we may see it and savor it for all eternity. Divine love labors and suffers to enthrall us with what is infinitely and eternally satisfying: God in Christ. That we might see His glory--for that He went to the cross!

If you were in Heaven and asked someone if they were Humble...what would they say?

If they said, "Yes." Then they for that instant would cease to be humble.
If they said, "No." Then they would be lieing.

I think they would reply, "Christ is All."

Christ will be our everything! Here in this place, Now...Christ should be our Everything!!!

In Christ,

David

Be Thankful: The Lord is my Shepherd

Be Thankful: The Lord is my Shepherd

Psalm 23:1
"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want."

Why should I be thankful that the LORD is my shepherd?

Shepherd:
1. One who herds, guards, and tends sheep.
2. One who cares for and guides a group of people, as a minister or teacher.

A Shepherd guards, tends and holds together His flock of sheep!
A Shepherd cares for, guides, and teaches His people!

Read Isaiah 43 and John 10 together.

Isaiah 43
Israel's Only Savior
"But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life. Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you. I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.' Bring out the people who are blind, yet have eyes, who are deaf, yet have ears! All the nations gather together, and the peoples assemble. Who among them can declare this, and show us the former things? Let them bring their witnesses to prove them right, and let them hear and say, It is true. 'You are my witnesses,' declares the LORD, 'and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. I, I am the LORD, and besides me there is no savior. I declared and saved and proclaimed, when there was no strange god among you; and you are my witnesses,' declares the LORD, 'and I am God. Also henceforth I am he; there is none who can deliver from my hand; I work, and who can turn it back?' Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: 'For your sake I send to Babylon and bring them all down as fugitives, even the Chaldeans, in the ships in which they rejoice. I am the LORD, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.' Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, who brings forth chariot and horse, army and warrior; they lie down, they cannot rise, they are extinguished, quenched like a wick: 'Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. The wild beasts will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches, for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people, the people whom I formed for my self that they might declare my praise.' 'Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob; but you have been weary of me, O Israel! You have not brought me your sheep for burnt offerings, or honored me with your sacrifices. I have not burdened you with offerings, or wearied you with frankincense. You have not bought me sweet cane with money, or satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices. But you have burdened me with your sins; you have wearied me with your iniquities.' 'I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins. Put me in remembrance; let us argue together; set forth your case, that you may be proved right. Your first father sinned, and your mediators transgressed against me. Therefore I will profane the princes of the sanctuary, and deliver Jacob to utter destruction and Israel to reviling.'"

John 10
I Am the Good Shepherd
"'Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.' This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So Jesus again said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.' There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. Many of them said, 'He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?' Others said, 'These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?'"
I and the Father Are One
"At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, 'How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.' Jesus answered them, 'I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not part of my flock. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one.'" The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, 'I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?' The Jews answered him, 'It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.' Jesus answered them, 'Is it not written in your Law, "I said, you are gods"? If he called them gods to whom the word of God came--and Scripture cannot be broken-- do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, "You are blaspheming," because I said, "I am the Son of God"? If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.' Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands. He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first, and there he remained. And many came to him. And they said, 'John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.' And many believed in him there."

We have good reason to be Thankful. God is our Shepherd! He is looking out for us and guiding us. He will never let us go!

Never Let Go -- Matt Redman

Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
Your perfect love is casting out fear.
And even when I'm caught
in the middle of the storms of this life,
I won't turn back, I know You are near.

PreChorus:
And I will fear no evil,
For my God is with me.
And if my God is with me,
Whom then shall I fear?
Whom then shall I fear?

Chorus:
Oh no, You never let go,
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go,
In every high and every low
O no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me.

Verse 2:
And I can see a light
that is coming for the heart that holds on
A glorious light beyond all compare.
And there will be an end
to these troubles, But until that day comes,
We'll live to know You here on the earth.

Bridge:
Yes, I can see a light that is coming
for the heart that holds on,
And there will be an end to these troubles,
but until that day comes,
Still I will praise You,
still I will praise You.

PreChorus:
And I will fear no evil,
For my God is with me.
And if my God is with me,
Whom then shall I fear?
Whom then shall I fear?

Chorus:
Oh no, You never let go,
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go,
In every high and every low
O no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me.

Verse 1:
Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
Your perfect love is casting out fear.
And even when I'm caught
in the middle of the storms of this life,
I won't turn back, I know You are near.

Thank You Jesus that You are always there for us, that You will never let us go, and we can be/should be completely satisfied in You!

In Christ,

David

Also, check out Ezekiel 34! What a promise from God!

Prophecy Against the Shepherds of Israel
"The word of the LORD came to me: 'Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord GOD: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered; they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them. Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: As I live, declares the Lord GOD, surely because my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts, since there was no shepherd, and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves, and have not fed my sheep, therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: Thus says the Lord GOD, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them.
The Lord GOD Will Seek Them Out
For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice. As for you, my flock, thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and male goats. Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pasture; and to drink of clear water, that you must muddy the rest of the water with your feet? And must my sheep eat what you have trodden with your feet, and drink what you have muddied with your feet? Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD to them: Behold, I, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. Because you push with side and shoulder, and thrust at all the weak with your horns, till you have scattered them abroad, I will rescue my flock; they shall no longer be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep. And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the LORD; I have spoken.
The LORD's Covenant of Peace
I will make with them a covenant of peace and banish wild beasts from the land, so that they may dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. And I will make them and the places all around my hill a blessing, and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing. And the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield its increase, and they shall be secure in their land. And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I break the bars of their yoke, and deliver them from the hand of those who enslaved them. They shall no more be a prey to the nations, nor shall the beasts of the land devour them. They shall dwell securely, and none shall make them afraid. And I will provide for them renowned plantations so that they shall no more be consumed with hunger in the land, and no longer suffer the reproach of the nations. And they shall know that I am the LORD their God with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, declares the Lord GOD. And you are my sheep, human sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Lord GOD.'"

Isaiah 6

Isaiah 6 -- Todd Agnew

I saw the Lord, seated on a throne, high and exalted
And the train of His robe filled the temple
Above Him were angels, with six mighty wings
And with two they’d cover their faces
With two they’d cover their feet
With two, they’d fly
With two, they’d fly… and sing

(Chorus:)
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty
The whole earth is full of His glory
He’s glorious

I said, “Woe to me, I am ruined
I am unclean, and so are all my kind
But my eyes have seen the King
The Lord Almighty

(Chorus:)
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty
The whole earth is full of His glory
He’s glorious

An angel flew to me and he had fire in His hand
He put it to my lips and God took away my sin
He took away my sin

(Chorus:)
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty
And the whole earth is full of His glory
He’s glorious
You’re glorious

In Christ,

David

My Jesus

My Jesus -- Todd Agnew

Which Jesus do you follow?
Which Jesus do you serve?
If Ephesians says to imitate Christ
Then why do you look so much like the world?

Cause my Jesus bled and died
He spent His time with thieves and liars
He loved the poor and accosted the arrogant
So which one do you want to be?

Blessed are the poor in spirit
Or do we pray to be blessed with the wealth of this land
Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousness
Or do we ache for another taste of this world of shifting sand

Cause my Jesus bled and died for my sins
He spent His time with thieves and sluts and liars
He loved the poor and accosted the rich
So which one do you want to be?

Who is this that you follow
This picture of the American dream
If Jesus was here would you walk right by on the other side or fall down and worship at His holy feet

Pretty blue eyes and curly brown hair and a clear complexion
Is how you see Him as He dies for Your sins
But the Word says He was battered and scarred
Or did you miss that part
Sometimes I doubt we'd recognize Him

Cause my Jesus bled and died
He spent His time with thieves and the least of these
He loved the poor and accosted the comfortable
So which one do you want to be?

Cause my Jesus would never be accepted in my church
The blood and dirt on His feet would stain the carpet
But He reaches for the hurting and despised the proud
I think He'd prefer Beale St. to the stained glass crowd
And I know that He can hear me if I cry out loud

I want to be like my Jesus!
I want to be like my Jesus!

Not a posterchild for American prosperity, but like my Jesus
You see I'm tired of living for success and popularity
I want to be like my Jesus but I'm not sure what that means to be like You Jesus
Cause You said to live like You, love like You but then You died for me
Can I be like You Jesus?
I want to be like my Jesus

In Christ,

David

Be Thankful

Philippians 4:4-7
"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Supplication:
1. To ask for humbly or earnestly, as by praying.
2. To make a humble entreaty to; beseech.
3. To make a humble, earnest petition; beg.

What do we have to be Thankful of or for?

Well, a few posts back is a series about the "5 Surprises you will Discover in Heaven!"
Are you reading this? Then you can be Thankful that you have breath and are alive!
There is always good in every bad situation...you just need to look for it and focus on it!

I know I have posted on this before, but it is to good not to come back to!
Psalm 23
The LORD Is My Shepherd
A Psalm of David.
"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever."

Please correct me if I am wrong, but I believe the context of this Psalm is that David wrote it while He was being hunted down by His...Son! Absolom!
The fear comes out in Vs. 4 "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death."

But let's take a look at the many, many things that David was Thankful for in this time!
I count 13!

Vs. 1
1. The Lord is my Shepherd! He watches over us and protects us...Check out Isaiah 43 and John 10.
2. We lack no good thing! I shall not want...He is my "All in All"!

Vs. 2
3. He makes us rest...for our souls! When we rest, God restores our souls!
4. He leads us! We are not on our own in this life!

Vs. 3
5. He Restores our souls!
6. He guides us through life!

Vs. 4
7. He stays with us in Scary times! Through the valley of the Shadow of Death!
8. He protects us from danger (enemies)! With His rod and staff!

Vs. 5
9. He feeds us well! That would be an understatement!
10. He anoints us with Healing Love!
11. He fills us to overflow!

Vs. 6
12. He pursues us with his goodness and mercy!
13. He invites us to live with Him forever!

I will expand on these in the following days and weeks!

In Christ,

David

2 Great Songs

Center -- Charlie Hall

You're the Center of the Universe
Everything was made in You Jesus
Breath of every living thing
Everyone was made for you

You hold everything together
You hold everything together

Christ be the Center of our lives
Be the place we fix our eyes
Be the Center of our lives

We lift our eyes to Heaven
We wrap our lives around your life
We lift our eyes to Heaven, to You

Oh Christ, be the Center of our lives
Be the place we fix our eyes
Be the Center of our lives


In Christ alone --

In Christ alone, my Hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Her in the Love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
'Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground, His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in Victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
'Til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand!

In Christ,

David

Anchors of the Resurrection

Anchors for the Soul found in Christ's Resurrection!

What do you say to a friend when things are going bad? -- "Hold on, Hang in there!"

But what is it that we are supposed to hold onto through these storms?

What are these Anchors that hold us steady in the Great storms of life?

Christians all over the world gather in great numbers to remember and celebrate the bodily and physical resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. This historical event confirms our confidence in the words of Christ and gives strength to the souls of men and women to face whatever challenges in life they may face. 1 Corinthians 15, explores the vital place that Jesus' resurrection has in human history and reveals that it provides two anchors for our souls as we face the storms of life.

1 Corinthians 15:1-26
The Resurrection of Christ
"Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you--unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed."
The Resurrection of the Dead
"Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death."

1. Our Faith is Certain!
Because of the resurrection of Christ!
Faith = Belief in the unseen
Christ's Resurrection makes Faith certain!
We believe that just as Christ was raised, we also shall be raised! Because of His resurrection, our Faith in our resurrection is assured!
Vs. 3 "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,"
Christ died for our sins -- taking God's wrath upon himself!

However...

That is all WORTHLESS without the resurrection!
Vs. 16-17 "For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins."

But...

Vs. 4
"that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,"
Christ was buried! He did die! AND was Raised according to the Scriptures!!!

Why is this phrase...."According to the Scriptures" added?

The Old Testament points forward to Christ
The Gospels and Acts are what the Old Testament is point toward...the Event!
The New Testament is explaining what God did...there is no other way!

"According to the Scriptures" helps us understand what God was doing!
And destroys any possibility of the Resurrection being a Hoax!

Was the Resurrection of Christ a Hoax?

No--
1. Why would these fishermen from Galilee lie? Most of them died preaching the Resurrection of Jesus Christ! Would you die for something you know is a lie? I didn't think so!
2. If the Religious officials could have presented Christ's body to prove the Disciples wrong, don't you think they would have?
3. A story was fabricated that the guards fell asleep. Ummm...the penalty for that was death! I don't think the guards would have taken that risk...they didn't fall asleep!

Vs. 12-19
"Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied."

The stakes here are way to high!
1. If Christ was raised, we can take Him at His word...and trust that we also will be raised if we believe in Him!
2. If Christ was not raised, we preach in vain, we make God out to be a liar, and we are still in our sins! "We are of all people most to be pitied."

2. Our Future is Secure!
Vs. 20-26
"But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death."

Jesus was First...Firstfruits -- This implies that there will be more!!! That means us! All who are in Christ!

We are all in Adam by Birth, we have a sin Nature and we can choose to sin. Because we are all in Adam from birth, we all die.

All those who are in Christ will live! This is not because of a physical birth, but because of a Spiritual Birth!
This Spiritual Birth can only happen through the power of the Holy Spirit allowing a person to freely give control of their life over to Christ.
Romans 10:9-10
"because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved."

What is our Anchor for the Soul?

Christ!

In Christ,

David

He has Risen! He has Risen Indeed!

He has Risen!
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the Foundation of the Christian Faith.
Without the resurrection, the Cross is meaningless!

The resurrection of Jesus Christ gives hope to all the world. Lets take a look at this resurrection hope through the eyes of Mary Magdalene, one of Jesus' followers. By observing a moment in the life of Mary, we will see the power and glory of our only Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Hope in the Midst of tragedy!
Take a long look at the world that we live in, remember 9-11, the London Subway bombings, the Tsunami, the recent major earthquakes, Hurricane Katrina, and many other natural disasters.
Let alone all of the Personal tragedies we all go through each Year!

We all need Hope!
Hope is the one thing that gets us all through...without Hope, we are utterly lost!

Matthew 28:1-10
The Resurrection
"Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, 'Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.' So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, 'Greetings!' And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, 'Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.'"

Mary Magdalene:
Most likely she was a prostitute, she had an illness (the Bible is not specific as to what it was), she came from a despised city, she was single and living in a culture that was unfriendly to single women bettering their lives. And she was possessed by 7 demons!
Then she met Jesus of Nazareth!
He cast out the demons, healed her, and gave her hope of a better life!
Then, the man that gave her this wonderful hope was beat to the point of Death, despised, spit upon, made a public mockery, and hung on a cross until Dead.
In that moment...All Hope was gone!

Or was it?

Who would have blamed her for now going to the Tomb that Sunday morning? I certainly would not have!

But what if she had not gone? Just think about that! She would not have seen the Angels at the Tomb...let alone Christ, Alive!

But she did go...and here is what we can learn from her experience!
1. The hope of the resurrection intersects and interrupts our lives.
Vs. 8 "So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples."
Fear and Joy together can be found only in the presence of Hope!
The fear of not fully understanding what is happening, the fear of knowing that you saw Jesus die, but now seeing Him alive and talking with you! The Reverential Fear of knowing deep down in your heart that this man, Jesus...is God!
The Joy of Hope restored! The Joy of having your friend back! The Joy of knowing deep down in your heart that this man, Jesus, your friend...is God!
And then in Vs. 9 Seeing Christ face to face! What a Joy!!!

Mary went from Disaster to New Life and New Hope!

It was the same with Peter...from His denial of Christ in Luke 24 to New Life and New Hope!

It was the same with the rest of the disciples...from Broken and Hiding men to Changing the World with the Gospel of Jesus Christ...the Good News is not merely the Cross...moreso it is the Resurrection and the Hope of New Life that it brings!!!

2. The hope of the resurrection is the ONLY solution to life's ultimate disaster!
What is life's ultimate disaster? Eternity without Christ!
Are YOU prepared for Death? and I don't mean having a will and insurance!
Are you 100% sure that if you die you will spend eternity in Heaven?

Eternal life is not based on being good!
Ephesians 2:8-9
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."
Romans 3:23-26
"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus."

Eternal Life is all about Christ and what He has done! He must be received into your Heart!
Romans 10:9-10
"because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved."
John 1:12
"But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,"

3. The hope of the resurrection must be responded to.
The resurrection is the most hopeful thing that has been offered to us!

There are 2 types of Fear!
A. Paralyzing Fear: Not accepting Christ and Eternal life that He offers!
B. Energizing Fear: The Hope of the Resurrection and a Personal Relationship with Christ!

Check out Vs. 9 again!
"And behold, Jesus met them and said, 'Greetings!' And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him."
Jesus revealed Himself...then what? They came up to Him! We must go to Him as well!
They bowed down! We must bow our hearts and lives!
This is not a cold and stoic bowing, this is personal! As they bowed the took hold of his feet and worshiped him!!!!!

We can approach God and have a Personal Relationship with Him because of Christ!
Reverence and Intimacy = Personal Relationship with God!

It is not about us and what we can do!

It is about God, and what He has already Done!!!

Do you accept it?

In Christ,

David

5 Surprises You will Discover in Heaven: A Review

5 Surprises You will Discover in Heaven:

Surprise #1: The Nature of Heaven:
A Renewed, Recreated, resurrected, Redeemed Earth! Heaven and Earth are One!

Surprise #2: The People of Heaven:
1. We will still be the same person in Heaven...having our own personality!
2. We will still be physical...having bodies...although perfected (free from sickness)
3. We will still be limited...having expanded capacities, but still limited.
4. We will still be made in the Image of God with out the curse! Having Creative capacity!
5. We will be Freed Forever from Sin and the Curse!

Surprise #3: The Relationships of Heaven
1. Will be Rich
2. Will be Pure

Surprise #4: The Activity of Heaven
1. Worship
2. Learning
3. Fellowship
4. Rest and Pleasure
5. Work/Labor/Service

Surprise #5: The God of Heaven
1. The Centrality of God will Overwhelm us!
2. The Grace of God will Stun and Shock us!
3. The Worship of God will Consume us!

In Christ,

David

5 Surprises You will Discover in Heaven: Surprise #5 The God of Heaven

Surprise #5 The God of Heaven

Review:
Surprise #1: The Nature of Heaven: A Renewed, Recreated, resurrected, Redeemed Earth! Heaven and Earth are One!

Surprise #2: The People of Heaven:
1. We will still be the same person in Heaven...having our own personality!
2. We will still be physical...having bodies...although perfected (free from sickness)
3. We will still be limited...having expanded capacities, but still limited.
4. We will still be made in the Image of God with out the curse! Having Creative capacity!
5. We will be Freed Forever from Sin and the Curse!

Surprise #3: The Relationships of Heaven
1. Will be Rich
2. Will be Pure

Surprise #4: The Activity of Heaven
1. Worship
2. Learning
3. Fellowship
4. Rest and Pleasure
5. Work/Labor/Service

The God of Heaven
A story:
Bill and Sue lived in NYC. Bill had a brother who lived in San Diego. They rarely got to see each other, but Bill and Sue had been saving for a vacation and decided to go see Bill's brother. They looked online for the cheapest plane ticket to San Diego, however there were several layovers along the way. The most outstanding of which was in Dallas for five hours. Once in Dallas, Bill started down the list of things he had thought of to do to keep him occupied throughout the five hours. He read the news paper, read a book, listened to some music, wondered the terminal, talked to others who were waiting on flights. But all of this was exhausted within an hour. With four hous left Bill started to think of what He could do...and then He had an idea! Turning to his wife, he said, "we could take our nest egg (about $35,000) and go out and buy furniture and bigscreen tv's and a surround sound system and bring them into the terminal so that we wouldn't be so bored! Sue thought this was a great idea and added, they would still be here for our return trip...what a great idea.

Now wait a second....who in their right mind would do such a thing?

Isn't that what we do everyday? We spend our lives here not even thinking about the bigger picture! We don't often think about storing up our treasures in Heaven.

2 Corinthians 4:16-5:5
"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
Our Heavenly Dwelling
For we know that if the tent, which is our earthly home, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened--not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee."

1. The Centrality of God will Overwhelm us!
Any discription of Heaven without God as it's center is inadiquite! The permanant and real presence of God is first and foremost in Heaven!
Revelation 4
The Throne in Heaven
"After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, 'Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.' At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal. And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, 'Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!' And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 'Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power,for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.'"

Isaiah 6
Isaiah's Vision of the LORD
"In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: 'Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!' And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: 'Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!' Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: 'Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.'"

Both John and Isaiah got to see the thrown of God! And in both accounts it filled their view...actually in Isaiah's account the train of God's robe filled the temple! God will be so Big, Bigger than we can ever imagine. There is nothing, nothing that can prepare us for the Centrality of God in Heaven!

Revelation 21:1-3
"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.'"
God will be among His people!
Revelation 21:22-23
"And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb."
No localized Temple for God's presense...because He is among His people!
Revelation 22:3-5
"No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever."
We will see God's Face...the very thing that would have killed Moses when he asked to see God's Glory. This is God's Shakina Glory (if you know Hebrew!).

Read through the book of Ezra! There is an amazing story of how God comes first.
Breifly...The people come back to rebuild Jerusalem. They don't build the walls first even though there are many enemies still after them. No, they first build the Alter, then the Temple next! They put God first and have complete trust that God will protect them even without the wall!
This is the type of faith that we as followers of the One True and Living God should have!!!
God must come first!!!!!

Story:
Jeff has decided that his family deserves a new house to live in. As he is building the house, he also decides that he doesn't want to be controled by a roof. You see, when Jeff was a kid, his father had to reshingle the house every year. The roof controled his father's summer and Jeff wants nothing to do with that! So the house gets completed and the family moves in. They love the house and the wonderful summer nights spent just looking at the stars from the comfort of their own beds! However, the next night it starts to rain. Jeff quickly runs to the store to get tarps to cover the furniture and the rest of the summer goes well. Summer turn to fall and fall starts heading into winter. You see, Jeff and his family live in Wisconsin...were the winters aren't so nice! Jeffs wife and kids complain about the cold and Jeff adds more wood to the fire. Finally Jeff's wife gets to the point where she can't take it anymore. She asks, "why can't we have a roof?" Jeff replies, "My father was controlled by his roof, I will not!" To this his wife says, "Jeff, you are being controlled! You are being controlled by the lack of a roof!"

The point is, something is going to control us! What is going to control us? God, or something else? God must come first!

2. The Grace of God will Stun and Shock us!
Revelation 21:4-7
"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. And he who was seated on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making all things new.' Also he said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.' And he said to me, 'It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son."
Revelation 7:15-17
"Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water,and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
A. See how Great God is?
B. See what Heaven is like? What God has created for us!
C. See the utter foolishness of our sin and His extension of forgivenness through Christ!

Do you fully Understand what Christ has done for You? I don't think any of us can untill we get to Heaven! Truly I don't!
We will look back with tears in our eyes at our life, at our sin and we will weep! But God has promised to wipe away those tears from our eyes!

He has welcomed us into His family! For all eternity He will say, "You are my Son/Daughter, and I love you!

3. The Worship of God will Consume us!
Do you ever get distracted in your worship? Where you have to pull yourself back to God and away from the world? This is life on earth in our fallen state...we all get distracted! What is it that pulls us away?

Heaven will be much different! We will be so consumed with Worship that we will have to pull ourselves away from God to get anything done!

Revelation 5:11-14
Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, 'Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!' And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, 'To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!' And the four living creatures said, 'Amen!' and the elders fell down and worshiped."
There will be no distractions in Heaven! Don't you just want the job of falling down on your face and worshiping God!!!

Here is a letter from a wonderful man that has not let a distraction get in his way of serving God!

John Piper Diagnosed with Prostate Cancer
January 6, 2006
Dear Friends,
I hope this letter will encourage your prayer, strengthen your hope, and minister peace. I am writing with the blessing of the Council of Elders of Bethlehem Baptist Church to help you receive the news about my prostate cancer.
At my annual urological exam on Wednesday, December 21, the doctor felt an abnormality in the prostate and suggested a biopsy. He called the next day with the following facts: 1) cancer cells were found in two of the ten samples and the estimate is that perhaps 5% of the gland is affected; 2) my PSA count was 1.6, which is good (below 4 is normal); 3) the Gleason score is 6 (signaling that the cancer is not aggressive). These three facts incline the doctor to think that it is unlikely that the cancer has spread beyond the prostate, and that it is possible with successful treatment to be cancer-free.
Before going with my wife, Noël, to consult in person with the doctor on December 29 about treatment options, I shared this news with the Bethlehem staff on Tuesday morning, December 27, and with the elders that evening. Both groups prayed over me for healing and for wisdom in the treatment choices that lie before us. These were sweet times before the throne of grace with much-loved colleagues.
All things considered, Noël and I believe that I should pursue the treatment called radical prostatectomy, which means the surgical removal of the prostate. We would ask you to pray that the surgery be completely successful in the removal of all cancer and freedom from possible side effects.
With the approval of Bethlehem’s executive staff and elder leadership, we are planning surgery in February. The recovery time is about three weeks before returning to a slow work pace, and six weeks to be back to all normal activities.
This news has, of course, been good for me. The most dangerous thing in the world is the sin of self-reliance and the stupor of worldliness. The news of cancer has a wonderfully blasting effect on both. I thank God for that. The times with Christ in these days have been unusually sweet.
For example, is there anything greater to hear and believe in the bottom of your heart than this: “God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him” (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10)?
God has designed this trial for my good and for your good. You can see this in 2 Corinthians 1:9, “Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.” And in 2 Corinthians 1:4-6, “He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God . . . If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation.”
So I am praying: “Lord, for your great glory, 1) don’t let me miss any of the sanctifying blessings that you have for me in this experience; 2) don’t let the people of Bethlehem miss any of the sanctifying blessings that you have for us in this; 3) grant that the surgery be successful in removing cancer and sparing important nerves; 4) grant that this light and momentary trial would work to spread a passion for you supremacy for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ; 5) may Noël and all close to me be given great peace—and all of this through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever, Amen.” I hope God will lead you to pray in a similar way.
With deep confidence that
“Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting. The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:54-57
Pastor John
With Sam Crabtree, Lead Pastor for Life TrainingKenny Stokes, Lead Pastor for SpreadingTim Johnson, Chairman of the Council of EldersRoss Anderson, MD, Bethlehem Elder

Who could blame a man diagnosed with Cancer for leaving his post to spend time with His family? But not Mr. Piper...I just love his attitude.

He has, and we must always strive to Set our Hope and Focus on Heaven!
Keep one eye on Earth and one eye on Heaven!

In Christ,

David

5 Surprises You will Discover in Heaven: Surprise #4 The Activity of Heaven

Surprise #4 The Activity of Heaven

Review:
Surprise #1: The Nature of Heaven: A Renewed, Recreated, resurrected, Redeemed Earth! Heaven and Earth are One!

Surprise #2: The People of Heaven:
1. We will still be the same person in Heaven...having our own personality!
2. We will still be physical...having bodies...although perfected (free from sickness)
3. We will still be limited...having expanded capacities, but still limited.
4. We will still be made in the Image of God with out the curse! Having Creative capacity!
5. We will be Freed Forever from Sin and the Curse!

Surprise #3: The Relationships of Heaven
1. Will be Rich
2. Will be Pure

The Activity of Heaven
What will we do with all that time?
1. There will be at least 5 types of Activity in Heaven.
A. Worship -- Check out Revelation 5 and the complete Soul Satisfying Worship of God!
B. Learning -- Again we are not Omni-Anything!
C. Fellowship -- Rich, Deep, and Pure!
D. Rest and Pleasure -- God instituted this in Genesis when He rested on the 7th Day...and it wasn't because He got tired! Also, everything that is created was originally for our good and enjoyment.
E. Work/Labor/Service

Lets focus on the Work/Labor/Service!
Heaven, I imagine will be a Bee Hive of activity! It will be God directed, Soul Satisfying, and God Honoring! As well as Deeply Fulfilling! Can you imagine you Job without sin?!

2. What is the Biblical evidence for Work/Labor/Service in Heaven?
Work was before the Fall! Genesis 1:28-31, God tells Adam and Eve to fill, Subdue, and Reign over the Earth and all that is on it! These are Work Words!
Work was not a punishment for the first sin. The curse was to frustrate our work! We were originally designed to work!

Revelation 5:9-10
"And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth."
God's people are a Kingdom and Priests! They will Reign on the Earth!
The Word Reign implies -- Activity, Order, Society...We have been Redeemed to Reign!

Revelation 7:13-15 and 22:3-4
"Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, 'Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?' I said to him, 'Sir, you know.' And he said to me, 'These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.'"
and
"No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads."
We will be serving God Day and Night!!!

Revelation 21:22-26
"And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day--and there will be no night there. They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations."
Kings...there will be Kings! Kings also imply Society and Culture! We will most definitely be in Active Service of the King of Kings!

Matthew 25:14-30
The Parable of the Talents
"For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.' His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.' And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.' His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.' He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.' But his master answered him, 'You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sowed and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'"
Vs. 21 Says, "His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; go and take your rest.'"
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Did that get your attention?
Vs. 21 Says, "His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.'"
I will put you in Charge of much! Those are workin' words if I have ever heard them!

For those who would say that this is just a parable and that we can't read into it that much...

It is repeated in Luke 16 and Luke 19
In Luke 16:10-13, Jesus is no longer in Parable mode, He has gone into Teaching Mode.
"One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money."
If we are Faithful on Earth with the little that we are given, we will be intrusted with much more in Heaven!
Use what you have Well, it is only on Loan!!!

Life on Earth is Training for Life in Heaven!!!

It doesn't matter where you are called to serve! Whether it be in business or in ministry. What matters is Serving Well!!!

So how does this sound to you? Are you excited for Heaven? Completely fun and fulfilling work?
Well, Some who read this will not be going to Heaven!

Awe...Dave, why do you have to be such a downer, I was getting excited?

Well,

Matthew 25:34-40
The Final Judgment
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.' Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' Then they also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?' Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

And 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."

Take another look at that list...it is a sobering list! We all fall in that list somewhere!

Some wont go to Heaven!
Here is how you can know for sure that you will go!

Romans 3:23
"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"
Have you ever lied? Stolen anything? Disobeyed your parents or anyone in authority over you? Broke the Law? Looked at another in Lust?
If you say yes, You've sinned! If you say No, You have just lied, and sinned...so lets move on!

Romans 6:23
"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
We earn death by sinning, but God offers us a FREE Gift...Eternal life in Christ Jesus!

Romans 5:8
"but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
The debt we owed because of our sin was paid by God, in having Christ died in our place!

Romans 10:9-10
"because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved."
Self explanatory!

Romans 5:1
"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Our Faith in Christ Jesus, that He is our only Hope of Salvation is what gives us peace with God.

Romans 8:1-2
"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death."
And when we have peace with God, we no longer stand condemned!

Romans 8:38-39
"For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."
And nothing can take away what we have received through Christ Jesus!

John 14:6
"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"
This is it...there is only one way! If you want to enjoy Heaven...Christ must be your only hope at attaining Eternal Life.
We cannot earn it...it is a FREE Gift offered by Christ...and you must accept that gift to go to Heaven!

The Final Surprise...Tomorrow!

In Christ,

David

5 Surprises You will Discover in Heaven: Surprise #3 The Relationships of Heaven

Surprise #3 The Relationships of Heaven

Review:
Surprise #1: The Nature of Heaven: A Renewed, Recreated, Ressurected, Redeemed Earth! Heaven and Earth are One!

Surprise #2: The People of Heaven:
1. We will still be the same person in Heaven...having our own personality!
2. We will still be physical...having bodies...although perfected (free from sickness)
3. We will still be limited...having expanded capacities, but still limited.
4. We will still be made in the Image of God with out the curse! Having Creative Capasity!
5. We will be Freed Forever from Sin and the Curse!

The relationships of Heaven:
1. The relationships of Heaven will be Rich!
Heaven will be a very Relationally Rich environment, Relationships will be a Central Element of Heaven!
A. The Bible points to it: Genesis 2 -- Adam was Perfect, yet it was not good for Adam to be alone? Wait a second...Adam wasn't alone! God was with him! But God said in Genesis 2:18 "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him." So then God made the animals, but Genesis 2:20 records, "But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him."
So Genesis 2:21-25 says, "So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, 'This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.' Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed."
God was there with Adam, yet God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone;" so, God formed the animals, "But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him." So God created Woman from Man! We are relational beings, this relational state was before the curse, it was the original intent of God! We will have relationships...deep and meaningful relationships in Heaven!
See also: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, Luke 16:1-13 focus on vs 9, and 19-31, Matthew 8, and Luke 13.
Feel free to ask questions about these verses, but focus on the relational aspects and the implications.

B. Logic: We will live on a Renewed Earth with Cities -- Cities imply Relational Centers!

C. Witness of the Church through the Ages:
1. The Biblical Evidence...partially above
2. The Holy Spirit...testifying to our hearts
3. The Born Again Church and the Writings of the Saints: i.e. guys like Jonathan Edwards and Richard Baxter

The Relationships of Heaven will be Pure!
They will be without Sin and the Effects of the Curse!
Think about the best time you have had in your life! I bet you the reason why it was so good was mostly because of the PEOPLE you were with!
Now, think about the worst time you have had in your life! I bet you the reason why it was so bad was mostly because of the PEOPLE you were with!!!!

We can't excape it! We are relational! We need other people! But because of the fall, sin affects our relationships.

James 3 talks about how we cannot tame our tounges and how the curse has affected us.
James 3:9-10 "With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so."
It will not be like this in Heaven...Heaven will be Ephesians 4:29 fullfilled! "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."

Revelation 21:3-4 and 22:3
"And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.'"
and
"No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him."

Can you even imagine it? Everything will be perfect...all of our relationships will be without sin! No selfishness, greed, impatience, hatred, or anger! Can you imagine everything you do and say being 100% fullfilling to all!

Jonathan Edwards put it this way, "No inhabitants of that blessed world will ever be grieved with the thought that they are slighted by those that they love, or that their love is not fully and fondly returned...There shall be no such thing as flattery or insincerity in heaven, but there perfect sincerity shall reign through all in all. Everyone will be just what he seems to be, and will really have all the love that he seems to have. It will not be as in this world, where comparatively few things are what they seem to be, and where professions are often made lightly and without meaning. But there, every expression of love shall come from the bottom of the heart, and all that is professed shall be really and truly felt."

2 Surprises left to go!

I will be posting the final Surprise on Saturday...Just in Time for Easter!!!!

In Christ,

David

5 Surprises You will Discover in Heaven: Surprise #2 The People of Heave

Surprise #2 The People of Heaven

Reveiw:
The Nature of Heaven: A Renewed, Recreated, Ressurected, Redeemed Earth! Heaven and Earth are One!

Exploring the Biblical Data:
1 Corinthians 15:35-49
The Resurrection Body
"But someone will ask, 'How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?' You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. Thus it is written, 'The first man Adam became a living being'; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven."

1. Resurection Bodies are different and better, but there is continueity! Vs 35-41

2. Now-Perishable...Then-Imparishable! Vs 42

3. Now-Dishonor...Then-Glory Vs 43

4. Now-Weakness...Then-Power Vs 43
Greater capasity but not unlimited, we will not be God, we will not be Omni-anything!

5. Now-Natural...Then Spiritual Vs 44
More able to relate to God, Still having physical bodies, not just spirits.

6. Now-Like Adam...Then-Like Christ Vs 45-49
Earthly Heavenly

Philippians 3:17-21
"Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself."

We were created in God's Image (Genesis 1:26-27), but through the Curse (Genesis 3:14-19) we became Bent and Marred.

Luke 24:36-43
Jesus Appears to His Disciples
"As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, 'Peace to you!' But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. And he said to them, 'Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.' And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, 'Have you anything here to eat?' They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them."
John 20:24-29
Jesus and Thomas
"Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, 'We have seen the Lord.' But he said to them, 'Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.' Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you.' Then he said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.' Thomas answered him, 'My Lord and my God!' Jesus said to him, 'Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.'"
Acts 1:1-11
The Promise of the Holy Spirit
"In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. To them he presented himself alive after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, 'you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.'
The Ascension
"So when they had come together, they asked him, 'Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?' He said to them, 'It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.' And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.'"

Jesus has a Physical Body -- After His Ressurection! He was not just a Spirit! We are created in His image...if He had a physical body after His Ressurection...Why wont we?

Luke 20:34-36
"And Jesus said to them, 'The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.'"

Thought this was an interesting verse...there is no marriage in Heaven (we will discuss this in the next post), we wont be able to die anymore (the curse has been removed), we are equal to angels (this could be in power or position), and we are sons of God (angels are not referred to as sons of God!).

Brief Summary of the Biblical Data:
1. We will still be the same person in Heaven...having our own personality!
2. We will still be physical...having bodies...although perfected (free from sickness)
3. We will still be limited...having expanded capacities, but still limited.
4. We will still be made in the Image of God with out the curse! Having Creative Capasity!
5. We will be Freed Forever from Sin and the Curse!

More Surprises coming soon!

In Christ,

David

5 Surprises You will Discover in Heaven: Surprise #1 The Nature of Heaven

Surprise #1: The Nature of Heaven

How do you think of Heaven?
Is it this cloudy place? A Spiritual place...by that I mean disembodied spirits floating around? Other Worldly? Are there Harps? Is it an Eternity long Worhsip Service?
Almost everytime Hollywood trys to depict Heaven, they get it completely wrong!

The Bible indicates Heaven is....
A Renewed, Recreated, Restored Earth!
It is not us going up to God! It is God coming down to us on the earth!!!
Revelation 21:1-4, 9-14
The New Heaven and the New Earth
"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.'
The New Jerusalem
Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, 'Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.' And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed-- on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb."

The New Jerusalem -- God's Holy City -- Untainted by Sin! Coming Down...down to where? The New Recreated, Renewed, Resurrected Earth! God's dwelling place is now WITH man!!!

Most of what is going to be written in this series of posts has been shaped in my mind by Randy Alcorn from his book "Heaven". His writings have totally reshaped and reformed my view of Heaven. This is a brief overview of the main points in his book. Please by all means read the book...you will not be dissappointed!!!

The Biblical Data Supporting this Understanding.

1) Genesis 1 -- Everything in Creation is pronounced by God to be Good! Everything was as it was originally intended to be!

2) Genesis 3 -- Everything in Creation is now Cursed: This is supported by
Romans 8:18-23
"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies."
and Ecclesiastes 1:2-3
"Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?"

3) The Effects of the Curse are Death, Sickness, Selfishness, anything that tears down rather than building up.

4) God Promised to Renew the Earth to stop the Curse
Isaiah 66
Revelation 21
2 Peter 3 -- Did the Earth get completely destroyed in the flood? Only the wickedness and ungodlyness...the Earth remained! Could God destroy the Earth with Fire, yet allow it to remain, cleansed of all ungodlyness?
Hebrews 11:10, 16

5) The Center piece of the New Earth is the New Jerusalem!
In Revelation 21 it is given Human Measurements! It is 1/2 the size of the Continental U.S.

6) The Core of Heaven is Gods presence umong us!
Genesis 2 -- Gods original plan was to dwell among us as He did with Adam and Eve!
Revelation 21 -- God will once again make His dwelling among His People!!!
There will be no sin to prevent us from entering into His presence!

Picture It!
Have you ever gazed upon endless mountains or the rolling plains or a lush green forest and thought: This is so amazing, God, you're creation is so beautiful!
Doesn't a scene like that make you long for something better?
Doesn't it make you long for Home? Your Eternal Home?
I know I long for Home just writing this now!!!

Primary Objections to this Understanding of Heaven.
1) These passages are Metaphores not litteral.
2) Greek Plutonic Thought -- all creation is evil.

However:
1) May of the passages about Christ's First Coming are thought to also be Metaphoric...but they were fulfilled litterally! Why not the prophesies about Heaven?
2) Creation is not originally evil...it has been tainted by the fall. Not just a tiny little scatch...but completely tainted...but the original product created by God is good!
Also, we only know a physical existance! Take away the curse and we are still physical! Why would heaven be a non-physical place?

One key thing that I must always keep in mind when thinking about my Eternal Home, is that it has to be very similar to what God created in Genesis 1. When I think into the Future and what Heaven will be like, I also look to the past at what Eden was like. God dwelling with man in Eden and God once again dwelling with man on the New Earth!

Focusing on Heaven is not a bad thing...the Core of Heaven is God! Heaven is our Home! Is it not important to know about our Home? How can we want to be and go there if we don't know what it is like!!!

Four more Surprises to come!

In Christ,

David