heaven

LONGING FOR GOD

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New believers eventually come to realize there is an ebb and flow in our walk with God; there are highs and there are lows, mountaintops and valleys, sunshine, and gloom. Those of us who have been believers for any length of time have come to know the reality of what Jesus said in His Sermon on the Mount: “For He [God] gives His sunlight to both the evil and the good, and He sends rain on the just and the unjust alike” (Matthew 5:45).

This side of heaven, Christians suffer the same losses unbelievers suffer: We lose loved ones unexpectedly; we battle then lose to disease; our marriages become distressed — and sometimes dissolve; we lose our job, our home; sometimes our closest friends betray us; etc., etc.

With this glaring reality, I think we do Christianity an incalculable disfavor when we peddle the false gospel of “Believe in Jesus and your troubles will be over!” There is no round-the-clock “cloud nine” walk with God.

This is one of many reasons why I love the Bible: it never sugarcoats the walk with God! Psalm 42 is a great example of what I mean. Here, the psalmist captures well this reality and the corresponding mood of gloom that comes over us when life goes south.

For brevity’s sake, let’s focus on verses 5-6, where we read: “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you…”

For another take on this passage, notice with me how the Amplified Bible translates this: “Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become restless and disturbed within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence. O my God, my soul is in despair within me [the burden more than I can bear]; Therefore I will [fervently] remember You…”

There is actually a dialogue going on here — between the author and himself! No, he’s not schizophrenic; he’s simply employing what psychologists call “self-talk.” This is a kind of mental therapy whereby we simply tell ourself the truth, believe it, and the result is finding our way out of crippling emotions such as depression, anxiety, fear, etc. BTW: The ins and outs of how this works are wonderfully presented in the classic book Telling Yourself The Truth by William Backus and Marie Chapian!

Notice that the psalmist never denies how he is feeling! What he does do is remind himself to 1) Put his hope in God and 2) Remember that the day will come when his struggle will be over. Rick Warren puts it like this: Every trial has a beginning, middle, and an end; trials don’t come to stay — they come to pass.

At a most distressing, terrifying point in his life, David reminds himself that: “… You are my God. My times are in Your hands” (Psalm 31:14).

Sure enough, God came through, for later in the psalm David writes: “Praise the LORD, for he has shown me the wonders of his unfailing love. He kept me safe when my city was under attack. In panic I cried out, `I am cut off from the LORD!’ But you heard my cry for mercy and answered my call for help” (vv. 21-22, NLT).

He will likewise prove Himself faithful to all who steadfastly maintain their trust in Him.

EXPECTATION OF HEAVEN

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Knowing we’ve been forgiven by the Lord gives us the resultant, wonderful expectation of heaven. In a message entitled “The Treasure of Grace” Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) said,

“Perhaps never does the joy of forgiven sin come out more brightly than it does on a dying bed. It has often been my privilege to test the power of religion [Christian faith] when I have been sitting by the bedside of the dying. There is a young girl in heaven now, once a member of this church. I went with one of my beloved deacons to see her when she was very near her departure. She was in the last stage of consumption [pulmonary tuberculosis]. Fair and sweetly beautiful she looked, and I think I never heard such syllables as those which fell from that girl’s lips. She had had disappointments and trials, and troubles, but all these she had not a word to say about, except that she blessed God for them; they had brought her nearer to the Savior. And when we asked her whether she was not afraid of dying, ‘No,” she said, “the only thing I fear is this, I am afraid of living, lest my patience should wear out. I have not said an impatient word yet, sir; I hope I shall not. It is sad to be so very weak, but I think if I had my choice, I would rather be here than be in health, for it is very precious to me; I know that my Redeemer liveth, and I am waiting for the moment when He shall send His chariot of fire to take me up to Him.’

“I put the question, ‘Have you any doubts?’ ‘No, none, sir; why should I? I clasp my arms around the neck of Christ.’ ‘And have not you fear about your sins?’ ‘No, sir, they are all forgiven; I trust the Savior’s precious blood.’ ‘And do you think that you will be as brave as this when you come actually to die?’ ‘Not if He leaves me, sir, but He will never leave me, for He said, ‘I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.’

“There is faith, dear brothers and sisters; may we all have it and receive forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace.’”

This young girl was awaiting the chariot of God to pick her up and whisk her away, straight into the presence of Jesus Himself. Her confident expectation was rooted in God’s forgiveness through Christ.

Do you need forgiveness this day? Perhaps there’s someone you need to forgive — someone waiting for you to release them. Maybe God has been waiting for you to give what you’ve been given so that you can receive what the paralytic (Mark 2) received: healing.

THOSE WHO HAVEN’T HEARD

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Whenever the subject of heaven or hell comes up, a legitimate question often arises: “What happens to the people who have never heard of Christ? Will they be condemned for not believing in Jesus since they never heard of Him?”

Of course not! God is just and would not condemn anyone for rejecting a Christ they never had the opportunity to hear of. But, listen carefully: The person who has never heard of Christ is still not “off the hook” — there is another damnable offense which Scripture presents: Rejecting the knowledge of God as revealed in creation and the conscience of man.

Romans 1:18ff and 2:14-15 make this clear. You see, people will be judged according to the light they have/did have. God has revealed Himself to all men. Since all men distort (e.g. through pagan religion) and reject that knowledge (e.g. Romans 3:23) they are not innocent. God sent Christ to give people an opportunity for redemption from the guilt they already have. To those who respond to the revelation they have by sincerely calling out to know this Creator-God, God sends the gospel, for only in Christ can they be saved (Acts 4:12; Romans 10:1-17).

So we see the imperative nature of Christ’s commission to take the gospel to the ends of the earth: Only through Christ can man be saved; there are people everywhere who are ready to respond!

FLIGHT TRAINING

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A sign on a church marquis read “Interested in going to heaven? Apply here for flight training.” What is heaven like, anyway??

Well, it’s so incredible Jesus was willing to leave it, come to earth, in poverty and humility, be rejected and scorned and crucified so we could go there! It must be awesome

What is heaven? Well, we have Biblical “snapshots” of the place itself — and it’s incredible! As spectacular and awe-inspiring as the physical beauty of heaven will be, I believe the real essence and glory of it will be full, unhindered communion with God!

Let me see if I can explain what I mean. Can you recall ever being in a place where you felt safe, secure, and loved; a place where you just knew you were very special and accept- ed — and that would never change; a place where you felt important and confident?

That place, for me, was at the home of my grandparents, Dean and Thelma McCament. They lived in Temple City, CA. They had a neat place physically:
• a huge elm tree in the front yard — and other towering trees
• a ½-acre lot with fruit trees and blackberries in the back yard
• a huge greenhouse, swing set, playhouse built for my aunt Deanna
• an aviary with parakeets — and a fantail pigeon I donated!
• a “mysterious” workshop and shed out back — great for exploring!
• summer mornings I would awaken to the peaceful cooing of wild doves

As magic as all this was, the thing that made being there so unforgettable was that I felt loved, important, and safe when I was there. That I attribute to my grandparent’s faith in Christ. Jesus lived there! The thought never even crossed my mind that things would ever change — and they never did! In fact, after my grandfather retired in 1965, they moved to Corona, CA — and Jesus moved with them! There was the same presence in that home!

I believe that’s the essence of what heaven will be: There will be beauty for the eyes to behold; there will be many pleasurable things (unbelievable light shows and music and angelic choirs; rewards; being reunited with believing loved ones). But nothing will compare to the perfect communion we will have with our Father. No doubts, no pain, no fears. That’s heaven!
But you know, heaven begins here on earth. Jesus says, “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.” John 10:27-28

If Jesus Christ is your Shepherd and you’re listening to what He says to do with your life and you’re following Him, then you can say with absolute confidence, “Surely I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

I will dwell, not might or hope to. Your confidence is based on what Jesus has promised and nothing else. It’s up to Him, not you. Heaven begins here on earth when we ask the Creator of heaven to be our Shepherd and Savior. The more we seek Him the more of Himself He reveals to us; the more we seek Him, the closer we get to that full communion with God that heaven is all about.