A Few Good Surprises

I've received quite a few surprises lately, and they haven't all been good. Last night, though, I received a call I almost didn't answer because I thought it was a telemarketer. When I saw a call back from the number,  I finally answered and received the happiest news I've had in a while. 

It was the Category Coordinator calling to inform me that my novel is a finalist in the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) First Impressions Competition. I've worked hard on the novel, but I entered on the spur of the moment and promptly forgot about it. It was a surprise to remember I'd entered, and even more of a surprise to find my novel is a finalist. (I'm seriously thrilled.)

This morning, I had another surprise. I've read 2 Corinthians before, but I'd forgotten about Paul going to third heaven. My first thought was, "there's only one heaven," but I decided to keep an open mind and check it out a little further.

As it turns out, there are three heavens. I don't know if there are more, or not, but for now, I'm holding to three. I won't list all the Scripture I've searched and the commentaries I've read, but please trust that I've checked this out. 

The multiple heavens description is based on the understanding of the ancients, who saw the sky/air/atmosphere/etc as non-contiguous, heavenly layers. First heaven, then, is where the clouds are and the birds fly. Second heaven is where the stars are located. Third heaven is where God resides. 

Hebrews 4:14 tells us Jesus has "passed through the heavens." I have long wondered about the term "passed" used instead of "died," so this was another surprise. When Christians have "passed," they have "passed through the heavens" to their eternal destination. 

Ephesians 4:10 says Jesus "ascended far above all the heavens." I don't know where that lofty place is located, or if there are multiple stories/levels in third heaven, but I do know His people will be with Him wherever He is. (Based on John 14) 

Paul wrote that, in third heaven (where God is) he heard "inexpressible words" and experienced "surpassing greatness of revelations." (Col 2:4,7) When we get to third heaven, then, we'll all be surprised, and in the best way of all. It's better than we think, and the streets of gold and pearly gates will not be the best parts, the presence of God will be.

One day, we will all "pass" to our next destination, either heaven or hell. According to Paul, heaven is much more wonderful than we can imagine. Hell is almost certainly worse than we can imagine, too. We'll be surprised, either way. 

The thing that should not surprise us is the destination to which we arrive. That's determined here on earth. Do we follow Jesus (not just claim to follow) here? Then we'll be with Him in eternity. Do we reject Jesus here? We'll spend eternity away from Him. 

What kind of surprise will greet us in eternity? We choose whether our eternal surprise will be wonderful or horrible based on our response to Christ. Let's choose well.

"And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him." Hebrews 9:27-28 nasb

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If you're looking for an advent devotional, check out my book The Road to Bethlehem: An Advent Prayer and Devotional Guide, available on Amazon.

In case you missed the last blog post, here's the link: Why Sutherland Springs Still Needs Our Prayers

Heavenly Perfection

I've had heaven on my mind lately, and it's sounding very attractive. One moment of Bible study after another has pointed heavenward. 

This is "Conference Week" around our office. Global Outreach's annual missions conference is this weekend, and missionaries have arrived off and on all week. 

They were faceless names until their arrival, even though I'd heard stories about them from the other Home Office staff. One after another, they've walked in the building and I've recognized them from their picture. They've recognized me from mine. All the weeks of praying for them have suddenly come together when I've seen their beautiful faces.

We've hugged and exclaimed, "I've heard so much about you." and "I love you already." We've sat and chatted about life and ministry, hopes and dreams. Every time, I've thought, "This is what heaven will be like," and I've longed to enter those beautiful gates.

Today, I read a verse I've read many times before, but it took on a new, and heavenly, meaning. 

"Therefore, you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Matthew    5:48

In the preceding verses, Jesus had told His followers to be more than the Pharisees.  Be intentional about getting rid of your sin. Don't resist the ones who are evil, but turn the other cheek. Go the extra mile. Give. Love. Even love your enemies. Do what's hard, and do it to honor our Heavenly Father. 

In the process, a wonderful thing will happen. We will become "finished", complete, mature. 

It's the idea behind "finishing school", in which teenaged girls were (traditionally) taught those things that "finish" their training in preparation for taking their place in society. The rough edges are worn off and they learn to be mature, gracious, kind, equipped for adult womanhood.

When we love as God loves, even loving those who are least lovely, we make a start at being "finished", mature, complete. We begin to be a little more like God.

As I read that verse this morning, I realized that heaven is a place where we are "finished". God loves us all, even at our unlovely worst. Like the missionaries who've arrived this week, He "loves us already". Even when we are unlovely. 

Heaven will be filled with that kind of unconditional, agape love. 

Of course we'll have arrived in a place where there will be no sin or unloveliness, so, if we want to be "finished" for heaven, we need to get started now. Take a look around. There's plenty of unloveliness into which we can take God's love.

Even though we're not yet perfect, let's act as if we are. Let's love as if we've already arrived at maturity. In the process, we might find that God uses our acts of love to rub off our rough edges and make us more like Him.

Mature. Complete. Perfect. Ready for heaven.
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In case you missed yesterday's post, here's the link: The All Important IF
#mature #Jesus

Lou's Grave Garden

Ole Lou was a big dog. I didn't realize quite how big until I started digging the hole to bury him. After I'd dug as much as I could dig, and had a hole that seemed enormous, Sam took a turn. When Ryan came home, he looked at the grave, shook his head, and picked up a shovel. He kept at it until the work was done.

After Lou died, I wrapped him in a sheet, and lowered him into the hole we'd all worked to dig. There wasn't an inch of extra room. I filled it in and mounded the dirt on top, just like Sam told me to do.

The red dirt piled high has left a raw, ugly scar in the backyard that jars me every time I see it.

I've given considerable thought to beautifying the spot and making a kind of memorial to the dog we loved for fifteen years. Ryan and Lou grew up together. He was a much-loved part of our family, and stayed as cheerful as ever to the very last. 

I wanted to plant something over his grave, but the summer heat was too hot for new shrubs. At last, I made my plan. I'd plant zinnas now, and put a re-blooming azalea there in the fall. It would be a kind of grave-garden.

My seeds arrived in the mail one day last week. When I plant those seeds just under the surface of the ground, I don't have to worry about what will grow. Zinna seeds grow zinnas. Every single time.

That's what happens when we plant seeds. Watermelon seeds always grow watermelons. Spinach seeds always grow spinach. Flower seeds always grow flowers. 

In that same way, the choices we make on a daily basis are like seeds sown in the garden of life. We have the option, every day, to sow seeds of righteousness or seeds of idolatry and futility. The choices we make, in lifestyle, in actions, and attitudes, will bear fruit consistent with those choices. 

It's vitally important for us to sow wise and godly choices every day, for those seeds of choice bear fruit both now and in the hereafter. 

Worldly choices bring worldly rewards, but that isn't the kind of yield that carries over into eternity in the way we'd hope. It's only the seeds of righteousness that yield both a beautiful life now and joy in the hereafter.

Today, let's take a look at the harvest from our choices and make sure we're bearing fruit that yields an eternal reward.

"and the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit, and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty." Matthew 13:23 nasb
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In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: Stinky Hearts and Circling Vultures

Here's the link to the prayer guide: The Prayer List 
Here's the link to my Global Outreach page: Leanna Hollis MD
#Heaven

The Somewhat Controlled Burn

I was already in my pj's and the Wonder Dogs and I were surrounded by a stack of pillows on my bed, working on my presentation for Saturday, when their heads came up and they started to bark. I shushed them several times before I realized they might not be barking for fun. 

We went to the door and I found that The Hired Hand and His Son had returned to check on a burning brush pile.

The two men pulled the rest of the brush into the pile and The Hired Hand commented on the sage grass around the lake.

"I hate weedeating that sage grass. It gets all tangled up in my Weedeater," I complained.

He stuck both hands in the pockets of his overalls and looked at me with a bland expression. "We could burn it off. Wouldn't take long."

"Okay. When do you want to do it?" 

The Hired Hand sighed, looked at His Son, and shook his head. "It's better to do it when the dew is on the ground. Go get your matches."

I have to admit that I didn't think this idea through. Not even for a second. I just ran to the house, got the matches, and hurried back.

Box in hand, I asked him, "Now what?"

"Strike a match and light the sage grass."

I lit the top of the tallest grass and they both rolled their eyes. "Light it from the bottom." He sounded patient but there was a lot of eye rolling between the two of them. In my defense, it was my first time to light a brush fire.

I knelt down, lit the bottom of the grass, and the fire took off. Did I mention how much sage grass there was? The fire happily danced from one bunch of grass to the next, helped by my long fireplace matches. 

I still did not stop to think this through, mainly because I trust The Hired Hand and His Son to be in charge of whatever adventure we undertake.

The Son cleared off a place at the end of the grass so the fire would stop. To be perfectly candid, we expected the fire to burn to the end of the grass, meet the clear place, and stop.

That was not what happened.

Someone mentioned the three old dead tree stumps together in the line of the fire, and someone might have mentioned wishing they'd burn, too. No one expected what happened next. The first stump caught on fire.

The Hired Hand said, "Well, good."

It was burning like a torch in the night and looking lovely when the dead tree on the other end of the line of stumps started smoking.

His Son said, "Hey, Daddy, look at that."

Flames burst from the middle of that dead tree and sparks started flying. It was like the Fourth of July without the sound effects. 

"Well, that is just great. Now we have to stay and watch these things burn." He didn't sound like it was great, but I thought it was pretty cool.

We watched for a long time before the third stump caught fire. Sparks flew up from all three dead trees and it was so beautiful, I could hardly believe it. The smell of wood smoke on a cool spring night was marvelous, and I suggested I get some marshmallows.

The Hired Hand and His Son looked at each other and then at me, but didn't say a word. I left the marshmallows in the house.

The pictures don't do it justice, but I walked back toward the house to survey the scenery. It was stunning and more than a little shocking. The night obscured everything except the fire, which was burning all along the edge of the lake.

In the dark, it looked like fire was everywhere, and I shuddered. The scene before me was sobering, and it wasn't fun anymore.

This is what hell looks like, I thought, only worse, and I'm glad I'm not going there.

In case you've wondered, Scripture tells us that there is a literal hell and we all deserve it. I know it's not popular to talk about hell and damnation, but if we don't know we're in peril, we won't understand we need saving.

We do need a Savior, though, and that's why Jesus came. To SAVE us from the penalty of our sin. (Romans 3:23 - all have sinned. Romans 6:23 - the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus)

The evil one seeks to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). Jesus came to save us from his clutches, and he did. (1 Corinthians 15:55-57)

Death, where is your sting? Gone because of Jesus. 

He gave us a choice. Choose the evil one and his eternal hell fires or choose Jesus, His righteousness, and heaven.

If you'd seen the fire I saw last night, the issue would be crystal clear. 

When the choice is between good and evil, choose GOOD.

When the choice is between Jesus or Satan, choose JESUS.

When the choice is between Heaven or hell, choose HEAVEN.

We have been given a choice, and our eternal destination depends on the choice we make.
Choose well.

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In case you missed yesterday's post, here's the link: Occupying the Life God Intended
#WednesdayWisdom #hell #heaven #Jesus #Christian #linesfromleanna

Grateful heart: Family

The view from our balcony

I'm celebrating Thanksgiving at the beach with my family this week. As a total homebody, being away is a mixed blessing for me. This week, though, I've taken a part of home with me because of the people who are here. Once again, I've been reminded that home is more about the people within the walls than the walls themselves.

We've walked on the beach for hours, gathered bucket loads of shells, laughed, and played together. It's been good. Tomorrow, most of us will begin our treks toward home.  

As good as the time has been, as sweet as the companionship, a part of me is already packing my bags and loading the car... at least in my mind. A part of me is already heading home.

That may sound shocking, because our time here has been nothing but good and there are no other people in this world with whom I'd rather share these days.

The truth, though we often forget it, is that this world is not our home and we are all, whether we realize it or not, already headed home. 

It was the Apostle Paul, writing to the church at Corinth, who said, "For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens..." Paul lived his life as a journey, headed to his final, eternal, destination. "I prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord...." 2 Cor. 5:1,8 nasb

Until we reach eternity, let us live with one eye on our final destination, for we like Paul, are on a journey. We, too, are already headed home. 

Early morning quiet

My morning walking track 

Family

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In case you missed any of the past week's posts, here are the links:   Nigerian Nightmare,  Grateful Heart: Maggie Protects her Master, Grateful Heart: Hard Times, Red Hot Christmas Pickles and the Broken Jar, Grateful Heart: The Beginning of Stories, Grateful Heart: Blessing of Position, and Grateful Heart: Wonder Pickle.

The most read post of the last week: Praying for Peace.
#family #heaven #thisworldisnotmyhome #eternity #journey #Jesus Christ

Going Home

This has been a great trip. My travel was (almost) easy, I made every connection (barely) and my luggage and I arrived safely. I've spent three days with people I dearly love. 

We've caught up on each other's lives, worshipped together, prayed together, and considered the weightier matters of life. We've enjoyed updates from the Focus on the Family ministry staff and been awed by how God has worked since we've been here last.

Every day has been a treat, but today is the day to which I've been looking forward since I left my house.

I'm going home.

This will be a long day of travel with a drive to Denver, flight to Minneapolis, long layover, then another flight to Memphis, followed by the drive to Blue Springs. 

It doesn't matter how long or how arduous the journey, because I'm going home.

My house is not the newest, the biggest, or the most elegant, but it's home and I can hardly wait to be there. I want to snuggle with my dogs, walk by the lake, sleep in my own bed, drink my own coffee. I want my routine.

As I was packing my suitcase this morning, I was reminded of the journey I will eventually take, the one that carries me to my "real" home. Before He left, Jesus promised His disciples that He was going ahead of them to His Father's house. He'd prepare a place for them, and one day He would come back for them. 

Jesus is preparing a place for me, too. One day, He's coming back for me, as well.

When that day comes, there will be no hesitation. I'm going and will be glad for the journey, because there is nothing better than going home. 

I don't know what I'll see first, but I'm hoping for the great white throne of God with Him on it and His Son by His side. The emerald rainbow. The thunder rolling and lightning flashing. The wild and worshipping lion-calf-eagle-man creatures flying about. The crystal sea and the tree of life. The multitudes singing Holy, Holy, Holy and worshipping at the feet of Jesus. 

When I get there, I'll be joining that multitude, worshipping and praising God. 

Nothing else will matter. 

Of course, I want to see my family and friends that have gone before. I want to meet Enoch, that great man who walked with God and was not, because God took him. I hope to find George Muller and William Tyndale and tell them thank you for the lives they lived and the examples they set. 

Most of all, though, I want to see Jesus, because He's the point. He's the reason I've walked this life I'm living, made the choices I'm making.

Jesus is the most important part of this life and the next. 

If you haven't realized that yet, now is a good time to consider your life - both this one and the next. One day, we will all see truth. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. One day...

There's good news. We don't have to wait for "one day".  We can know Him now, serve Him now, and wait with expectation for that glorious day when we leave our troubles and sorrows and pain and suffering behind.

One day, we'll be going home, and when we do, there is nothing in this world that can hold us, nothing we can take along. 

It will be all about Jesus, because it already is. 

#heaven #goinghome #Jesus

In case you missed yesterday's post about attitudes, here's the link: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2015/10/the-costly-bad-attitude.html

Confessing Jesus Before Men: Truth and Life

"And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God; but he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. (Luke 12:8-9 NASB)

Confess before men" is a phrase that, in Greek, means to say the same the same things about Jesus that He says about Himself. In this series, we have reviewed the I AM's, including I AM the Bread of Life, I AM the Light of the World, I AM the Door, I AM the Good Shepherd (pasture), I AM the Good Shepherd, I AM the Resurrection and the Life, and I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life (the way).

We return to the passage in John to consider it in more detail.

"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; 

no one comes to the Father but through Me." John 14:6 NASB

The word translated as "truth" is alētheia and indicates truth in all matters, including the certainty of fulfillment. If Jesus is the truth (and He is), then every word He said is true. Every prophecy will be fulfilled; every promise can be claimed with certainty. 

zōē is the word translated as "life". This word is rich and filled with such depth of meaning that it deserves a closer look. Blue Letter Bible defines this word as "life real and genuine, a life active and vigorous, devoted to God..." This "life" is not a boring life of stone walls, dim light, and rote chants. This "life" is vibrant, active, alive. It's exciting, with new adventure around every corner and the hope of eternity in the future, where it will be even more wonderful.

Jesus was many things, but he was never boring. If our lives are boring, we're missing something vital in our Christian walk. What Jesus came to give us was LIFE and He intended for it to be abundant, fulfilling, and productive. Is that the kind of life we're living? If not, why not?

Our Lord intends life to be more than 9-5 work and a few hours of television every evening until we fall asleep on the couch. He intended us to make a difference in the kingdom of God. In what ways are we making an investment in the kingdom of God? In what ways are we spending our time for Him? How are we using our gifts for the body of Christ?

One of the exciting things we will enjoy in eternity is seeing the spiritual fruit of the seeds we have sown in this world. We won't enjoy it though, if we have planted no seeds. Let's be sure we're making a difference in this world with the life Christ has given us. Plant seeds. Make a difference. Change the world. 

He is the life, our life, and it's very exciting... IF we live it the way He intended.

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Our Father, I give you the life I'm living now and ask You to give me Your abundant life. Help me to sow seeds for You, to make a difference in the world.  Help me to see Your hand at work around me and to join in with what You are doing. Help me to live abundantly. in Jesus name, Amen.

The One thing we should fear

"I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him! (Luke 12:4-5 NASB)

"Don't be afraid," Jesus was saying. (We looked at this in yesterday's post. You can see it here.) Even if someone threatens to kill you, even if they do kill you, I've got this, He told his disciples. Being killed is not the worst thing that could happen. Going to hell is the worst thing. Everything else pales in comparison.

I don't have to be afraid, and neither do you. There is only one thing we should fear, Jesus told His disciples. Fear God, who has the final say about our eternal destiny. He is omnipotent and He makes the rules about who spends eternity with Him and who does not. 

The word translated as fear is phobos and indicates a reverential fear. According to Vine's, this is "not a mere 'fear' of His power and righteous retribution, but a wholesome dread of displeasing Him." This kind of fear, it says, should "inspire a constant carefulness" in the way we act, both toward God and toward our fellow man.

We serve a God of grace and love and mercy, all of which He offers willingly to us. We can have His grace, love, and mercy in abundance. BUT. We will have them on His terms. 

As parents, we make rules for our family and expect them to be followed. When rules are broken, there are consequences. The point of rules is not to be mean. The rules serve to create order, ensure safety, respect authority, and make an environment conducive to the expression of love and joy. The rules, when followed, bring peace.

The One who is Creator and Sustainer of the Universe has also made rules for those of us who live here. He expects us to follow them. The point is not to be mean. Like the rules in my home, they are designed to create order, ensure safety, respect authority, and make an environment conducive to love and joy. The rules make a peaceful place to live.

The issue of eternity is pretty simple. We can choose heaven or we can choose hell. If we choose hell, we can do anything we want. It won't matter what we do; there will always be a place waiting for us in hell. If we choose heaven, that choice comes with a caveat. Choosing heaven means choosing God. It means we try to do things His way. 

Love as He loved. 
Give as He gave. 
Serve as He served.

There is one thing for certain. We will choose. Whether we intend to or not, we will make a choice about our eternal destiny by the life we live and the One we serve (or don't serve). What kind of choice are you making with your life?

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He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. (Psalms 103:10-11 NASB)

Our Father, You have not given us what we deserve and we thank you. Your lovingkindness toward those who fear, respect, honor You is too great to measure, and we thank You. Give us a dread of displeasing You and a constant carefulness in how we live. Give us a heart that fears You so that we can love, give, serve as You have loved, given, and served us.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Arcus Senilis and pressing on

"No one, after lighting a lamp, puts it away in a cellar nor under a basket, but on the lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light. The eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is clear, your whole body also is full of light; but when it is bad, your body also is full of darkness. Then watch out that the light in you is not darkness. If therefore your whole body is full of light, with no dark part in it, it will be wholly illumined, as when the lamp illumines you with its rays." (Luke 11:33-36 NASB)

We are currently taking a detour through a few eye diseases to help us understand the concept of "clear eye" and to make spiritual applications. We have previously considered Macular Degeneration, Glaucoma, Detached Retina, Cataracts, Diabetic Retinopathy, Diabetic Retinopathy #2, and Diabetic Retinopathy #3. You can click on the links to see those.

Our topic today is not a disease at all. Arcus Senilis is a white ring that forms at the outer edge of the cornea and is due to lipid deposits in the deep tissue. When seen in younger people, it can indicate a high cholesterol. In older people, it is considered a change of aging. 

When  I look at the white ring beginning at the outer edge of my own cornea, I am tempted to be dismayed. How can this be? I still feel 25 and I do not welcome signs of aging. That tiny sliver of white, however, is an inescapable reminder that I am growing older and am officially a "senior citizen." I am closer to eternity than I have ever been.

I haven't always lived with eternity in view, but it is on my mind these days. Just yesterday, my friend told me about her son's lifelong friend who has terminal cancer and is now on hospice. He is just a few years old than my own son. I suspect eternity is on his mind, too.

Perhaps we should all live with our eyes focused on eternity. If we remembered our eternal destination, we might be able to keep our present in perspective. The riches of this world are nothing more than dirt and stone in eternity, where gold is used to pave the streets. 

If we kept heaven in the foreground of our minds, would we make better choices in relationships? In priorities? I think we might. One day, we will answer for our choices, our priorities. As the time for giving answers draws nearer, I want to be prepared. It is only the blood of Jesus that cleanses us and makes us fit for heaven, but we will give an account of how we lived our lives. 

Every day is a gift, for we are not promised length of days. Each one that passes brings us closer to the time when we will see our Lord face to face. When the moment comes to cast our crowns at His feet, I want to have lived in such a way that I actually have a crown to cast. When we give account of our lives, I want my life to have borne fruit to give Him who gave His life for me.

We are closer to meeting Jesus face to face than we have ever been, no matter our age. Let us live our lives as those who have been redeemed, our eyes fixed on the final destination, our hearts centered on Christ. 

Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12-14 NASB)

Sending the Seventy: Part 26

The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name." And He said to them, "I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven." (Luke 10:17-20 NASB) 

(Note: this post is a continuation of part 23 and part 24 and part 25. You may want to read those before continuing with this post.)

Jesus had sent the seventy disciples out to teach and heal in the villages to which He was going.  They were not to take anything with them, but were totally dependent upon the hospitality offered in the places where they served. They returned after the trip, full of enthusiasm and bubbling over with joy. "Even the demons were subject to us in Your name!" they told Him. Jesus was as kind and encouraging as a proud daddy with a toddler taking his first steps. He told them that He had seen in the spiritual realm what they had seen in the physical. 

Metaphorically speaking, He had given them authority to "tread on serpents and scorpions". We saw yesterday that this did not mean to literally walk on snakes (nor handle them) but to participate with Christ in the fatal blow to the serpent's head foretold in Genesis 3:15 (and covered in part 24) "Nothing will injure you," He told them. We saw in part 25 that those who are obedient and following Christ can take comfort in the fact that the enemy cannot "injure" them by permanently wounding their faith.

We turn now to the last portion of this passage.

Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven. Luke 10:20 NASB

We are to focus on the eternal life Christ offers and not on demon-bashing. It's a matter of perspective. The spirits are not really subject to "us". The spirits are subject to "us" only because of the name of Jesus. To have the right focus on our authority over demons, over healing, or any other kind of service, we need to keep our focus on the One who makes our service possible. Jesus Christ. 

We are not only to keep our focus on Jesus, but we are also to rejoice that our names are recorded in heaven. This, dear ones, should be a source of great joy for us, because the enemy of our soul has no power in heaven. He cannot erase our names that are recorded there, nor the name of anyone else that is already recorded in heaven. This is amazing news! When Jesus said that they could tread on the serpents and "nothing will injure you", He was not just talking about physical injury. No matter what tactic the enemy tries against our faith, he cannot change the fact that, for believers, our names are written in heaven. What a cause for rejoicing! 

As you go about your day, take heart, disciples of Christ. Your name is written in heaven. It is already written in heaven and nothing can change that fact. Rejoice in that truth. One day, as a follower of Christ, you will stand at the gates of heaven and find that your name is clearly written there. Those gates will swing open and you will enter eternity where our Savior lives and reigns forever, so rejoice now, as you await that glorious day. Rejoice!

Heavenly Surprise

John answered and said, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name; and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow along with us." But Jesus said to him, "Do not hinder him; for he who is not against you is for you." (Luke 9:49-50 NASB)

In this passage, the disciples had seen a man casting out demons in the name of Jesus. He clearly had both power and authority to do this, and was succeeding in an area where the disciples of Jesus had recently failed. Because he was not "in the group", the disciples had tried to stop him. The problem was not that this man had not had a life-changing encounter with Christ. It was not that he was doing anything to hinder the Kingdom of God. He was actually serving Jesus faithfully. It was simply a matter of not being in the right group (their group). 

Jesus was very clear. "Do not hinder him." 

We discussed previously that there would be no denominations in heaven. This sectarianism so common today is not recommended nor encouraged in Scripture. Even the Jewish law had a provision for outsiders who embraced the faith. There will be no denominations in heaven.  

Several people commented yesterday that there will be no race in heaven. It might be better said that there will be no race issues in heaven. We will "know as we are known", which indicates that we will recognize people. I'm not sure how our bodies will look, but we will not have the frail bodies we have now. While we are on the topic, it's worth taking a closer look. 

When we enter heaven, we will not take even a morsel of "stuff" with us. All our material possessions will be left behind. Heaven does not have rich and poor sections. We all enter empty handed. 

This may surprise you, but we are not heading to an American heaven. It will not look like an American subdivision. We will not be dressed in American clothes. 

John, writing in The Revelation, described a huge crowd of people from "every nation, tribe, people, and tongue". They were all dressed in white robes, all holding palm branches, and all singing praises to God. (Rev 7:9) Did you notice that everyone is wearing the same outfit? The only designer clothes we will have are those designed by God Himself, and everyone gets them. There are no secondhand or cast off robes in heaven. We all get the same. 

This may surprise you, but any "crown" we receive for good deeds will not be staying on our heads. Revelation 4:10 clearly describes the 24 elders casting their crowns before the throne of God. We can expect that our crowns will go there too, and so they should. 

There is another little point that may surprise you. We are all together. Did you recognize that the huge crowd is made up of everyone from every country? We will all be mixed right in. The Africans, Mexicans, Americans, French, Spanish and every other nationality will be all mixed up together. I was hoping I could be in the African section because of the freedom in their worship, but it turns out that we will all worship freely there. 

I don't know if you noticed the palm branches. It turns out that worship in heaven is not much like the worship in most of the churches I've attended. We will be standing, holding Palm branches, waving them and singing. Our arms will definitely be raised. Just saying. It's impossible to wave a palm branch with your hands in your lap, so we might as well loosen up in worship this side of eternity. 

We all have the same clothes. We all put our crowns before the throne of God. We will all be singing praises to God in one big group, all nations and races together. We will all be standing and waving palm branches as we sing. With enthusiasm. 

Our churches were not meant to exclude anyone. They were never intended to be all one color or socioeconomic class. Our churches should look as much like heaven as we can make them. Multicolored, multicultural, enthusiastic, and free. Why aren't they? You know the answer to that question and you certainly don't need me to tell you. We are the problem. We are not heaven-hearted, but we are supposed to be. Imagine for a moment what our churches would be like if we relinquished our prejudices and inhibitions and allowed God to give us a heaven-heart, one that embraces all people and loves freely. Before long, our churches could become little diorama displays of heaven itself! What fun that would be! 

It was Jesus' prayer that we would be one body, unified and working together. Let's make sure we are. 

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