Heaven (Elements of Existence) #AtoZChallenge

Mansion near Almelo, The Netherlands. Image taken by uploader. Category:Images of the Netherlands (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.
Daniel 2:44
New International Version (NIV)

       In the Bible we are given a few glimpses into Heaven.  In fact we get some rather detailed descriptions of what Heaven is like and even how big it is.  There is some controversy about the nature of Heaven and what these Biblical descriptions mean.  Whether what is said about Heaven in the Bible is literal or figurative is a debate that I won't get into here.   What I do believe is that Heaven is real and those who are the true followers of Jesus Christ will one day be with Him in Heaven.

         If we are to believe that there is a life eternal then it stands to reason that there is an eternal place where that life will be lived.   We can dream and speculate all we like about Heaven, but we won't really know what exactly Heaven is like until we get there (John 3:13).   Believe and receive is the motto that I will continue to express in A Few Words.   You will not see Heaven unless you are saved.

        Jesus said that he was preparing a place for his flock (John 14:2).  We have a true home for eternity.  What we do while in this earthly life determines where we will be for eternity.   I want to spend my eternity in Heaven.   This life that I live now has been God's gift to me and my hope is that this life will remain one of comfort and abundance for me.  There are no guarantees as to what this life will hold except that we will eventually die.

          Have you booked your reservation for a place in Heaven?  If not, Jesus would be more than happy to take it for you now.


For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.
Hebrews 13:14

New International Version (NIV)

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Do You Lose Patience With God?

Road to heaven (Photo credit: fd)

Then people will say,
    “Surely the righteous still are rewarded;
    surely there is a God who judges the earth.”

Psalm 58:11

New International Version (NIV)

        Human time is a lot different than God time    After all God has spanned an eternity before this nanosecond that is our lives even came to be.   We think in years that in some ways seem like a long span until we start nearing the end.  Then the years fly until this life is over.

         There is a future eternity awaiting us.  A glorious eternity with Jesus Christ.  Our Lord wants all of us to be there with Him in that eternity.   He waits for you, not like the impatient wait we might experience at the DMV or the doctor's office, but the patient waiting of a loving Father who wants to see us come to Him.  Come to Him in eternal life.

          Are you ready to enter His Kingdom?

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

2 Peter 3:9

New International Version (NIV)

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Death #atozchallenge

View over a cemetery in Belgium, 2010. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“Behold, all souls are Mine;
The soul of the father
As well as the soul of the son is Mine;
The soul who sins shall die..."

Ezekiel 18:4

New King James Version (NKJV)

       When sin was brought into a world created for perfection, that world was defiled.  Satan's importation of evil into the world also brought a process of entropy.  The world, the universe, and mankind is in a gradual process of decay until the point when the old will be destroyed and restored to perfection for all eternity.

      Through their Original Sin Adam and Eve brought the consequence of death to themselves and all humans thereafter.   We are now all susceptible to sin, hence death.  

      Death is something we all accept as a reality yet most of us go through life as though we ourselves may never die.  We know that death comes to all humans, but death is such a peculiar mystery that it is difficult to imagine ourselves in that state--or non-state if that is a way to think of it.

      We should strive for a sinless existence even though this is an unattainable goal for any of us.  To claim that we are sinless is to commit the sin of lying.  Sin is part of our human nature and we cannot rid ourselves of that part of  us.  We will sin and we will eventually die.

        This seems like a bleak proposition, but there is a wonderful flipside.   Death will not be a permanent state for those who look to God, accept Him, and love Him.   Jesus waits for us to join Him in an eternal paradise.   

         God is in charge of eternity.   Have you made the choice that will reserve your place in that eternity?

For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.

Romans 14:8

New King James Version (NKJV)

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Confess Your Sins

"Scripture...sets before us Christ alone as mediator, atoning sacrifice, high priest, and intercessor."—Augsburg Confession Art. XXI. Augsburg Confession, Article 21, "Of the Worship of the Saints". trans. Kolb, R., Wengert, T., and Arand, C. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 2000. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Confess Your Sins     

        Part of coming to Christ is recognition that one is a sinner.   Is our confession of sins meant for God who knows all things already?   Even if we confess to an intercessor such as a priest or even stand before a congregation letting all know that we have sinned, nothing is accomplished until we ourselves truly understand our own sinful nature.

        We are all sinners no matter how good we think we may be.   The person who thinks they are good is a person too proud to see or admit their failures.   We are all sinners and that's the bottom line.  Those who believe their sins are not all that big or are merely sins of thoughts that are never carried through are still sinners.   Sin is sin no matter what the size of it and the ultimate verdict of all sin is death.

        However, Jesus has given us a ticket to heaven if we believe in Him, trust in Him, and obey His teachings.   Jesus has taken the burden of our sin upon His back and bore it upon the cross.   His blood, His death, and His resurrection has made us clean and given us the opportunity of eternal life.  This is God's gift of grace.  Are you willing to accept it?

       An old saying goes "Confession is good for the soul".    It can feel good to give up the guilt that weighs us down when we have done something wrong.   This is a principle of psychology.  You can't change what you have done wrong in the past, but if you recognize that you have done it and make an effort not to do the wrong again then you are moving toward becoming a better person.

          Give it all to Jesus.  Confession of your sin is the recognition that you are weak and He is strong.  He is eternal.   And when you are cleansed then you can spend a joyous eternity with Him.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:9

New International Version (NIV)

 If you would like to know more about a true life change in a positive direction, then please read Take the Next Step. 

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