Good Morning Friends,
In a society that continues to overvalue progress and personal achievement, even our spiritual lives could become performance oriented. We think about levels and phases and stages, but in the life of the Spirit these measurements are not as important as the process in our goal of heaven for ourselves and those we love that is fueled by the love of God and each other. In fact, as we age, I would argue that all the faith baggage is reduced. It is not about shame but joy springing from forgiveness. Here our relationship in the Spirit and with Jesus allows us to carry a lightened load and as an ox team yoked to one more mature in the work we have been assigned. All of us are important in this work for the Body to function well. We have to be all in as individuals and collectively as well, for really what do we take with us when we die but the impression God has left on our lives. So today we contemplate heaven and our own salvation now and not just in the Sweet By-and-By. And this brings us to today’s question about getting there from here… about belief, love, forgiveness, submission, and faith. But of all the things we link with salvation, I wonder if it is even appropriate to ask, What Matters Most About Getting To Heaven?
Scripture: When he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them. Then some people came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this fellow speak in this way? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” At once Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were discussing these questions among themselves; and he said to them, “Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and take your mat and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”–he said to the paralytic– “I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home.” And he stood up, and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
Mark 2:1-12 (NRSV)
Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest is still open, let us take care that none of you should seem to have failed to reach it. For indeed the 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, just as God has said, “As in my anger I swore, ‘They shall not enter my rest,’” though his works were finished at the foundation of the world. For in one place it speaks about the seventh day as follows, “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.” And again in this place it says, “They shall not enter my rest.” Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall through such disobedience as theirs.
Hebrews 4:1-5, 11 (NRSV)
things that we have heard and known, that our ancestors have told us. We will not hide them from their children; we will tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. He established a decree in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach to their children; that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and rise up and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments; and that they should not be like their ancestors, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God.
Psalm 78: 3- 8 (NRSV)
“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11: 28-30 (NRSV)
Message: Honestly getting sleep…rest is more important than most people realize. It clears out our mind and allows God to bring us peace with no desires and no unmet wants but still purpose. Sounds a bit like heaven and a bit like a dream where we work out all the anxiety and turn to experience bliss eternally. No little fat cherubs playing harps perhaps but a strong resonance of music that alters our brain in creating a reality even here on earth. Interestingly there is a relationship between rest and the pregnant pause in the music and in creation itself that might just give us some insights into what is important about our image, experience, and goal of heaven. And of course, I live on the Paradise Coast of Florida and have friends in Montana who do not only live in God’s country but claim God lives there even now and part of the experience is true and part the Chamber of Commerce’s marketing. Jesus undoubtedly must either smile at all this or weep as he did for Jerusalem. There is not much in between. Friends, the thing is that Jesus must be the heart of all that we might claim heaven even on earth to be and the rest part and most certainly the dream part has got to be about Jesus. For without a well-formed heart to guide a well-formed life and mind our efforts come up short in being renewed for the Kingdom now and to come. The heart and the head need to converge with our hands and God’s handiwork for conversion to be completed. And we need Jesus to lead us in this experience. For all our efforts do not do much good until we submit to Jesus to help us to seek the face of God in everything, everyone, everywhere…all the time. And this is where we offload the baggage including our misconceptions of heaven. First off there are three heavens described in the Bible and two other places described where the dead go. This morning we focus on heaven. The first heaven is what is called the firmament or sky. Think of clouds and birds of the air. And honestly, we get to experience this when we fly and especially when we parachute out of a plane or even sail a boat. But this is not the paradise we go to when we die. This is the realm of birds, butterflies and clouds that surround the entire earth. The second heaven mentioned in the Bible is where the stars, the sun, and the moon reside. This is the space beyond the earth, and it covers the entire universe. It is as far as the human eye can see with the help of gigantic telescopes such as the Hubble Space Telescope and beyond. The third heaven is typically unseen and is the residence of God, including Jesus Christ even though God is not limited in time and space. This is the location where we picture the throne of God and where the holy angels surrounding His throne sing day and night. We will have to wait on the Lord for the final answer. But what is interesting now is that heaven and God’s rule exists today and through the power of the Holy Spirit even in the thin places here on earth…in those special moments we get a glimpse into a different dimension of reality that cannot be described accurately in all its splendor, glory, beauty, and majesty. It is my belief and hope that those who have died in Jesus Christ are present with the Lord in this dimension. You may have read or heard about many who have died and seen heaven for themselves. They describe such a realm that is beyond description with light and dreamlike memories. Some who have died and come back to life have said they have seen their lost loved ones in heaven, their family, friends, and some even their pets. The sheer number of those who have seen heaven and came back from death is hard to refute. What this means is that the experience of heaven is for real even if only in our minds for now. Heaven in this sense does exist, but also as Christians we have the hope of a time with Jesus Christ in this different dimension. A new heaven and earth are foretold as well for God’s ultimate glory that calls for a new spirituality rooted in the Kingdom of God. And frankly this heaven on earth may be harder for us to accept. For sure God is going to surprise us.
And So, if the King and ruler of our hearts is Jesus, we have a chance at overcoming our sins through the power of the Holy Spirit and moreover to receive our eternal rest. What really matters in seeking to love God and to love others for what we call heaven is really more about the Kingdom of God. We really do not want to be so heavenly minded that we are of no earthly good. And it is about the rule of Jesus’ love even more than our own. For when Jesus is in the heart of our lives good things can happen that last even if we are not in control. But the heart and the head need to have unity for conversion to be completed and friends caring for each other helps this occur in the power of the Holy Spirit. The journey is both inward and outward as well as upward. And here I have learned that the spiritual journey is about unity, diversity, opportunity, and God’s glory. We read the Bible aloud. We meditate on its message. We pray. And on occasions we ask questions and then radically apply the answers we glean to our present situations by making rational decisions. Some of us are churchmen, others are missionaries and philanthropists…still others are seekers. There is the power of the Resurrection, and we need to apply this vast and largely untapped power to the issues of what is keeping us from being in a better relationship with God. What matters is that we descend with our mind through the roof and into the heart of our condition and there at the feet of the Lord who sees everything within us, stand facing God in the prayer of our friends and then take it to the streets and into our homes. Here we discover that we are not in control. Here we discover God moving in our lives. Here we discover that Jesus really is our friend preparing us for heaven even though we do not understand it all. Here we discover that when all is said and done, it is Jesus’ faith and trust in Father, experienced in fellowship with us that is important. This is how we experience love that matters and honors God. What really matters, friends, is not the hole in the roof or the debris on the floor but the love of others. The experience of supreme bliss is about unity in the presence of God. Hopefully, we get a sense of that when we worship and then take this experience out into the world to bring a little of heaven to earth. After all, Heaven has motivated Christian social action for thousands of years. And it was precisely because people believed in the Resurrection that peasants and fishermen and uneducated people changed the world. But when we say the Apostles Creed, we take it one step further in what we believe beyond just Christ’s Resurrection to our own. It begins with the love of God. All else is a shadow.
Pray for clarity, movement, alignment and focus on the reason we exist. Pray we realize that we are to model the way of Jesus, and that death is not to be feared or dreaded if we are followers of Christ. Pray that when we die, those who have accepted Christ will enter God’s presence and eternal rest. We realize that we will receive new bodies that do not age and enjoy eternal life in heaven. Pray we see past the pain and sadness of the world because we see with a heavenly perspective and know that God is using the suffering on earth for his eternal plan. Pray that we realize that heaven will include everything we need. Pray, even though we cannot even imagine the joy that we will experience when we are in the presence of God, we believe that someday we will finally be at home with the Lord. Pray we discover that Jesus is our friend as well as Savior. Pray we discover the power of faith and trust in God experienced in fellowship. Pray we experience how to love and obey. Pray that we do not neglect our spiritual development of love. Pray that our inward spiritual development is formed, reformed, and transformed in that place of the heart where we individually experience love and collectively encounter God. Pray we are moved to express this love received in love given to others through ministry. Pray that the seat of our will come together with the source of all our physical, emotional, intellectual, volitional, and moral energies so that we are moved in a constant prayer to a place where we are chiseled day by day into the likeness of Christ…in the law of love. Pray we rejoice in the authority of Christ. Pray we learn in fellowship to love God and one another. Pray this love cuts through our barriers to open a connection…a change…a transformation that glorifies God forever.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 