Are You Ready?
For the third time in 7 days I will be presiding over a funeral and standing graveside as a family grieves and mourns thier loss. As a pastor unfortunately, not an uncommon occurrence. In the midst of it all, we cannot escape questions about eternity. What about life after death? What's next? I will leave you with a simple question...Are You Ready?
You can't ready yourself, only Christ has the power to deliver you from death to eternal life.
Who Is Our God?
Many have ask is there a difference between gods? To which I would respond with a resounding yes! The one true God, creator and sustainer of the universe is the God of the living not of the dead! He is my God, and He has redeemed me by His Son Jesus Christ!
In response to the Sadducees who did not believe in the resurrection Jesus said...
He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.
Mark 12:27
What Will We Be Like In Heaven?
An age old question with a lot of speculation. But scripture gives us an answer.
For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. Matthew 22:30
It doesn't say we are angels, there is a difference between humanity and angels. Christ came to redeem humanity not angels. We will have some angel characteristics or qualities and there will be no marriage in heaven as a result.
No More Confusion
Wouldn't that be great, we all just speak the same language. No barriers, open communication between countries and people's. Just think how much better off we would be. Well think again. "And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech."
Genesis 11:1
Read the rest of the story in Genesis 11. One language and guess what they wanted to do...disobey God and build a tower to heaven. So language barriers are so bad after all, else we would try to build another tower and tell God what to do. Of coarse we tend to do that anyway, dont we? Only when sin is once and for all eradicated will we be able to communicate without barriers. Looking forward to that day.
Noah...From Righteousness to Drunkenness
It doesnt take long to go from the moutain top to the valley spiritually. One foolish decision. Noah, yep that's Noah from the Bible. He knew better, remember what it was like before the flood? He just survived the historic flood and had honored God with an altar and sacrifices. And Noah began to farm and cultivate the ground and he planted a vineyard. He drank some of the wine and became drunk, and he was uncovered and lay exposed inside his tent.GENESIS 9:20-21. We are so often just like Noah, spiritual success than we fall to temptation.
Have you ever made the statement, "I forgot about him or her"? I am so glad that God doesn't forget us. A simple yet profound statement after the flood...."And God remembered Noah..." Genesis. 9:1. Thank you Lord for having me constantly on your mind as your word says..."You will never leave us nor forsake us"!
"It all started in a garden, but it ends in a city. We have an urban future." Harvey Conn Westminster Seminary.
It will be a urban future unlike anything we have every experienced here. New York city is the city that "never sleeps". Our Heavenly city will be a place where no artifical light will ever be needed because of the light of the Lamb of God will shine eternally and timeless.
