Heaven

Encouragement from Paul

Painting by Richard Serrin
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” Col. 3:1-4

I can see Paul with his parchments in this cold, dank prison cell. Praying for his church. Praying for us all. This gives me encouragement today, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses” people we may not even be aware of….praying for us, for the race, and at last the finish line…..”let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Hebrews 12:1

May you be surrounded by the peace of Jesus today….

To see more of the artwork of Richard Serrin go here.

God’s Adventure Club


“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out of your door,” he used to say. “You step into the Road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to. J.R.R. Tolkien

The magic of a new day, a trail untried, the magical bend in the curve, the mystery of not knowing where it goes, the hope of new adventure, the challenge of not letting go of the great mystery that is life. Sometimes it is not easy to remember that we are all a part of God’s grand scheme of things.
Greer, Arizona

I pray that we can see a glimmer of eternity in the little everyday moments today, capture them and hold them close for we have no certainty that they will come again. These times are dear, every last one, for each of them takes us nearer and nearer to our future forever home.

“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14

Our future home…..

Grounds, Mt. Angel Abbey, St. Benedict, Oregon

What is the thing you most look forward to about Heaven, other than eternally being in God’s presence? For me, I think it is that there will be a sense of being totally “complete.” There will be a sense of rightness about it all. In this life we are always confronted with something that is just not fair, not right; there is a sense of something out of balance, even when things are right in our world, they are wrong for someone else.

I know people who are extremely happy about the immigration bill that just passed and some who are extremely upset by it. Some think it is “just” and some think it is “unjust.” Until we get to Heaven that is our reality on this earth. But here is true justice, there is a way we can all go to Heaven, because God is just!

Jesus made it possible. He took all that was wrong and made it right, permanently. This is not wishful thinking this is fact……”And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” John 14:3

Lord, I pray for people to find hope in You today. Circumstances change, but You never do. Thank you for the light of Your Word and Your Holy Spirit who guides us into all truth, comforts us in our distress and magnifies our joy. I pray that where there is confusion and darkness, Your light will shine forth as the noonday sun! In Jesus name, Amen.

Thy Kingdom Come…..


As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. Matthew 3:16

As I was meditating on the Lord’s prayer this morning, I was thinking about what it means to bring God’s kingdom to earth. When Jesus prayed in Matthew 6 verse 10 “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” what did he really mean? How can we bring heaven down to earth? What I came up with is love. We simply can’t love properly without the Holy Spirit. Jesus knew that. When he left he knew we would be hopelessly inadequate to do His work without help. Big help. God sized help.

I think about why it is so hard for us, even Christians, to love each other. We let our differences, our self, our past, old hurts, and everything else get in the way. But the Holy Spirit moves all that aside when we give Him room to work. He makes it possible for us to truly love each other, and not just put up a fake pretense of it, really love each other. That’s the kind the world needs to see. Real genuine love….the world sees enough of the other kind, and it doesn’t last. True love comes from God and has the power to change lives. Change eternity.

When we really start to love each another the way Jesus did, it can’t help but spill out into the world. Rend the Heavens and come down Holy Spirit! Give us cooperative hearts that let you work within us so we can see more of Heaven here on earth.

And….

Lord, let me have a prayerful heart in dealing with people so that I may love them with Your love. Amen

“This, then, is how you should pray:
” ‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Matthew 6:15

An invitation

Photo by Ben James
You’re invited!
To: The wedding supper of the Lamb
Date: Sometime in the future
Dress: Come as you are, clothed in righteousness
Time: For all eternity
Guest list: All who accept the invitation
Then I heard the sound of massed choirs, the sound of a mighty cataract, the sound of strong thunder:
Hallelujah!
The Master reigns,
our God, the Sovereign-Strong!
Let us celebrate, let us rejoice,
let us give him the glory!
The Marriage of the Lamb has come;
his Wife has made herself ready.
She was given a bridal gown
of bright and shining linen.
The linen is the righteousness of the saints.
The Angel said to me, “Write this: ‘Blessed are those invited to the Wedding Supper of the Lamb.'” He added, “These are the true words of God!” Revelation 19:6-9
Jesus said:
“Don’t let this throw you. You trust God, don’t you? Trust me. There is plenty of room for you in my Father’s home. If that weren’t so, would I have told you that I’m on my way to get a room ready for you? And if I’m on my way to get your room ready, I’ll come back and get you so you can live where I live. And you already know the road I’m taking.” John 14:1-4

All we have to do is accept the invitation…..Counting my blessings today with thoughts of both earthly and heavenly homes.
A place of no tears, where sorrow and sighing are no more
Eternal light
Squeaky floors and screen doors
No more sadness, no more goodbyes
A tea pot on the stove
Reassuring hum of refrigerator
Shoes by the door
Books, books and more books
A river of life that runs right through the middle
Worn Bible
A barrel of firewood
Rustling grocery sacks
Car tires announcing arrival
The most beautiful music you could ever imagine
Squeak of ironing board
Eternal conversations with God
and loved ones
This makes #186 toward 1000 and beyond,
holy experience

Homesick

Home. We are all striving for it. We look forward to the weekend so we can go home. Maybe we’re still saving up to buy that first home. Those of us in the twilight of our lives sometimes find themselves wanting to go back in time to that “other” place called home that we had long ago when times were simpler. For some, home represents somewhere they never want to return. For others, home is recalled with such fondness that they find themselves returning there again and again to a place in the past; drawing comfort from old memories, happier times. One thing we all seem to have in common is that each of us has a definitive answer for what home should be. With a little variation I bet we would all come up with just about the same thing: The place where love is, the place of refuge, safety, peace; where we are loved unconditionally and find the strength to handle all the stresses and pressures of life “on the outside.”

I believe we are all a bit homesick, all at different stages of longing. There is a central truth hidden deep within us placed there by God Himself. Within our souls there is a feeling that something is missing. Things in our present home (earth) are not right. There is a sense of displacement that no amount of money can buy. Trying to recapture what was lost so long ago, we build and buy and plan but there is no escaping that we are homesick for heaven.

BUT there is good news; because of what Jesus did, the gates are once again thrown wide open…..Open to that home we lost so long ago. And all we have to do is accept the invitation! In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. ” John 3:3 And further, He confirms that Heaven is a very real place. “There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?” John 14:2 He also said when He was on earth that “the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

The apostle Paul had his focus on eternity. “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14) He kept his eyes on the prize. As an athlete training for a marathon, he knew that every little thing we do here on earth makes a difference for all eternity. Every thought, word, deed and action has an effect that reaches all the way to the throne of heaven. Knowing that radically changes how we live; it colors our very perspective,and it brings the kingdom of heaven down to earth, just as Jesus said! HE came to give us not only life, but abundant life here and now and eternal life in heaven! Now that is good news….

1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Rev. 21

"A Better Resurrection"

I HAVE no wit, no words, no tears;
My heart within me like a stone
Is numb’d too much for hopes or fears;
Look right, look left, I dwell alone;
I lift mine eyes, but dimm’d with grief
No everlasting hills I see;
My life is in the falling leaf:
O Jesus, quicken me.

My life is like a faded leaf,
My harvest dwindled to a husk:
Truly my life is void and brief
And tedious in the barren dusk;
My life is like a frozen thing,
No bud nor greenness can I see:
Yet rise it shall–the sap of Spring;
O Jesus, rise in me.

My life is like a broken bowl,
A broken bowl that cannot hold
One drop of water for my soul
Or cordial in the searching cold;
Cast in the fire the perish’d thing;
Melt and remould it, till it be
A royal cup for Him, my King:
O Jesus, drink of me.

Christina Rossetti (1830-1894)

“I have prayed for you….”

Is there anything we can’t go through when we realize that Jesus is interceding for us even now?

Art by Ron DiCianni, you can see his work at:
http://www.tapestry productions.com