January 17th

A Glimpse of Gory

I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago…was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words. 2 Corinthians 12:2,4

What do you think Heaven will be like? Studies show that most American Christians think that Heaven will be just one great, big, unending church service. How sad is that?

I mean, a lot of church-goers don’t even come for all of church. They either like the music and leave before the preaching starts or they like the preaching and come late so they don’t have to endure so much music. And then these people, discouraged about what they expect in Heaven, turn toward the things of this world to find whatever they can down here.

Listen, if Heaven is nothing more than a bunch of halo-wearing, harp-playing, cloudsitting little cherubs with wings, I’m not going there. It’s like, no wonder people are out to seek significance and satisfaction here on this planet, in this life, when they’ve been given very little to look forward to in Heaven.

Gang, let’s take it from someone who glimpsed Heaven that these pictures I’ve described so far are nothing like the real thing. In fact, our witness Paul tells us that Heaven can’t be described by human words.

It would be like you trying to describe the sunset at La Jolla Shores with the green grass coming up to the white sand and the waves breaking and the pinks and the oranges and the reds of the sunset to someone who’s been blind their entire life.

You say to your blind friend, Oh, how I wish you could see this. And he says, So do I. Explain it to me.

And you’re like, Well, the greens are so green.

And he’s like, What’s green?

I don’t know, but it’s nothing like the sand, which is so white, reflecting the sun. What’s the sun?

I don’t know, but it’s turning orange and pink.

What’s pink?

I don’t know. It’s a combination of red and…

What’s red?

He just is not getting it. And neither do we yet. We have no ability to understand what God has in store for us in Heaven.

So let’s stop telling lies about Heaven that make people think Earth is the better deal and instead start talking about it as it really is-indescribable Paradise-and invite our friends to the higher place.

Prayer Father God,

Thank You for such a wonderful place as Heaven will be! Please help me to change how people think about Heaven so we can live together with our eyes set on the eternity You have for us!

Amen