Category: Heaven

This Side is not Forever

10/19/2012

When you break a window of a car, it is completely broken. The design of the tempered safety glass makes it shatter when it breaks. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating the fruit from the tree they were not supposed to eat from, it shattered the perfect world God had designed for them.

Tomorrow, I will attend the funeral of a classmate of my oldest son. I am certain there was a rule in God's kingdom that no parent should ever have to bury any of their sons or daughters. The cancer was discovered in April of this year and six months later their oldest girl will forever be younger than thirty.

Her classmates will mourn her death and wonder why. Her husband will go home to an empty house and never be able to start a family with his young bride. Her parents will face a Thanksgiving and Christmas with a vacant chair and only memories of the daughter that filled the room with her smile.

On this side of eternity are joys and hardships. On the side of eternity that their daughter is on there is a forever life with the Father, His son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Every tear will be wiped away. There will be no more injustice. Love will be pure and joy will be continuous. My friend I wrote about yesterday may soon make entrance into the other side of eternity.

No one lives on this side of life forever. Our thoughts, hopes and dreams are all on this side of eternity, but should have a trajectory into the other side. Tomorrow's funeral will remind us that this side is not forever.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

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Aching for Eternity

10/18/2012

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My friend is dying.
Things that were important in her life and in the life of her husband have changed dramatically. Their lives are fully committed to Jesus Christ. They have served as missionaries in Mexico and in a Hispanic church in the US for more than a decade. Their love and trust in God is unwavering. If there is any change in that relationship it is a change of greater love, trust and dependency.

Leaves on the yard, emails to check, and contacts to make have all faded into the background of importance. Life in recent days focuses on whether there is an ability to stand, tolerate pain, and finding a position that is bearable. Conversation that brings a smile to her face is a cherished moment.

A miracle is needed. Prayers of faith are lifted for her healing. Leaving this life seems like such a tragic event. My friend has shared to her husband that she is ready to go home. There are too many better things in the forever life with Jesus. Jesus will wipe every tear from her eyes. No more sickness. No more pain. She will recieve a glorified body. There will be only pure love and joy in the presence of the One who created all things including my friend.

Cancer has brought her to an edge of eternity. Each of us is brought to that edge also when those we love are at that threshold.
2 Corinthians 5:1-9 NLT
For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. 2 We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. 3 For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. 4 While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. 5 God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee He has given us His Holy Spirit.
6 So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. 7 For we live by believing and not by seeing. 8 Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please Him.

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Olympic Opening Ceremony

7/27/2012

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The Games of the XXX Olympiad begins today! Tonight is the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Summer Olympics. The ceremony includes the honoring of the host nation’s head of state. Her majesty, Queen Elizabeth, will be greeted by Jacques Rogge, the president of the International Olympic Committee.

After the honoring of the head of state, the parade of athletes enters the stadium. By tradition, the Greek team enters the stadium first and the host team, Great Britain enters last. In between those two teams is a procession of the teams nation by nation entering in alphabetical order according to the language of the host nation. Once all of the teams are in the stadium, the Queen will declare the games officially open. The Olympic flag is raised while the Olympic national anthem is played. An athlete, judge, and coach hold a corner of the Olympic flag in their left hand and with their right hand raised, they vow to compete and judge according to the rules of the games.

The Olympic flame will now enter the stadium passing through the athletes to the final Torchbearer who will ceremoniously light the cauldron indicating the beginning of the games. The flame will burn for the remainder of the games. A total cast of 15,000 performers will take part in the opening and closing ceremonies watched by an estimated 4 billion people around the world. (More information can be found on the official Olympic website http://www.london2012.com)

I will be one of the 4 billion watching. The world population as of today is 7,028,946,064 people. If Jesus Christ returned today, I would be one of the more than 7.029 billion viewers watching from my knees. I would not only be watching, but participating. The Bible says that those who have Jesus as their highest treasure will join Him.

Romans 14:11-12 It is written:
“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,
‘every knee will bow before Me;
every tongue will confess to God.’”
12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

1 Thessalonians 4:14-18 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him. 15 According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage each other with these words.

There will be an amazing celebration as Christians meet the Lord in the air and heaven comes to earth. The eternal flame of life will mark the forever life with Jesus. Nations will gather from the farthest corners of the globe. Hands will be raised in praise and worship to the One we have vowed allegiance to during our lives on the old earth. A cast of thousands upon thousands will take part in the opening of a ceremony that will never close or end!

When you watch the Olympic opening ceremonies, what images of heaven do you have?

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A Cemetery Perspective

6/5/2012

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I took a fairly long prayer walk in the community this morning. I needed to purchase some supplies for the church, so I walked to the store. While walking, I prayed for my family, the church family and our community. While at the store, I heard good news about a store worker’s son whom I was praying for. On the return walk, I enjoyed more talking and listening to Jesus.

I decided to walk through Union Cemetery partly because I saw it on the news last night. Thieves had taken bronze markers which were on the graves of those who served in the military. The high value of metals is the assumed reason for the thefts. A generous business owner in the community is providing the funding to purchase new markers to replace the ones stolen. During the interview by the reporter, the business owner told that he felt he had been given much and wanted to pass it on.

Even on a beautiful summer morning, walking through a cemetery changes your perspective. It reminds us that we are not here forever.

I am thankful for the spiritual leaders in our community who helped make a special place in the cemetery for those babies that were never born or lived very briefly. There is a large grave stone which reads, “In remembrance of those who were never born.” Babies that miscarried, were aborted, or made such a brief appearance that there was not a service or burial can be grieved for and remembered. Parents have placed gravestones with one date on it, their child’s name, and sometimes a verse or note of love. One family comes on the anniversary of their daughter’s/sister’s birthday and releases balloons into the sky. They wonder what she is experiencing in heaven with Jesus and they look forward to a wonder filled reunion.

There are lots of questions and mystery about life on the other side of eternity that a walk through a cemetery arouses.

1 Corinthians 15:50-57 (NLT)
50 What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever.
51 But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! 52 It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. 53 For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.
54 Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.
55 O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
56 For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. 57 But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Tell me about your perspective from a recent walk through a cemetery.
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Forever is a Really Long Time.

4/10/2012

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Have you ever thought that you just might get bored in the kingdom of heaven?

You thought about the concept of forever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever. The conclusion is that forever is a really long time and you just might run out of things that would hold your interest?

I used to have those thoughts. Now I think about family gatherings, vacations, and times together with close friends. They are such good times and it seems like they just started and we need to say goodbye or check out or leave for home. They never seem to be long enough.

Heaven will be like the greatest event ever experienced that never ends! The best times we enjoy here on earth will be surpassed by the times in the kingdom of heaven.

Easter was a wonderful time! Our church leaders and volunteers made our service great for children, first-time guests and for everyone else. My children and extended family gathered at our home for an Easter dinner and we enjoyed each others company. At the end of the day we bid each other sad farewells because it was getting late. Easter Sunday was ending. We had run out of time.

Eternity never runs out of time. We do not need to sleep in the kingdom of heaven. We will never tire, get sick, experience failure, or feel far from God because we will be in His presence 24/7.

The lyrics from a chorus about heaven reminds us of its wonder.
Heaven is a wonderful place,
Filled with glory and grace,
I want to see my Savior’s face,
Heaven is a wonderful place!

Philippians 3:20-21 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.

What comes to your mind when you think about heaven?
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This Side is not Forever

Aching for Eternity

Olympic Opening Ceremony

A Cemetery Perspective

Forever is a Really Long Time.

Mark Radeke

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