Heaven Archives

Heavenly minded or earthly good?

Many people have requoted or rephrased Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.’s famous statement: “Some people are so heavenly minded that they are of no earthly good.” You can follow this link if you are curious about Holmes himself, but suffice it to say, the man was brilliant. That said, his now famous quote misses the mark.

I couldn’t discover the context for Holmes’ quote but did read in the Wikipedia article that his father was a minister and hoped his son would follow him into the ministry. Oliver’s dad enrolled him in the Phillips Academy to spend a year in theological training. Holmes changed schools a year later describing the professors at the academy as having “bigoted, narrow-minded, uncivilized” attitudes. It’s possible his years there contributed to his famous statement about people being so heavenly minded that they are of no earthly good. It’s also possible that Holmes believed himself to have a superior intellect to those who taught biblical truth.

C.S. Lewis didn’t agree with Oliver Wendell Holmes

Ten years after the death of Oliver Wendell Holmes, another brilliant man was born. He, like Holmes, was considered a literary scholar and gifted author. C.S. Lewis is famous for becoming a brilliant theologian as well.

While Holmes said, “Some people are so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good,” C.S. Lewis had very different thoughts. Lewis’ book Mere Christianity was published in 1952 and is considered to be a literary and theological classic. It continues to be a best seller in Christian apologetics today. My husband Jim has often jokingly said, “I’m pretty sure no one can get into heaven until they read Mere Christianity” (Although when he reads this blog post he might tell me, “I’m not joking!”). Everyone who knows my husband, also a brilliant mind, knows he is a HUGE fan of Mere Christianity.

Lewis has very different ideas from Oliver Wendell Holmes about being “heavenly minded.” In Mere Christianity Lewis said, “If you read history, you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next. The apostles themselves, who set on foot the conversion of the Roman Empire, the great men who built up the Middle Ages, the English Evangelicals who abolished the Slave Trade, all left their mark on Earth, precisely because their minds were occupied with Heaven. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this: Aim at Heaven and you will get earth ‘thrown in’: aim at earth and you will get neither.”

Lewis taught Christians that the most important way to be of earthly value was to be heavenly minded. Lewis points to world history to make his point, not his own intellect, as amazing as it was. C.S. Lewis died the same day that JFK was assassinated in Dallas. His death passed almost without notice because of the news. In many ways I’m reminded of the verse that says in heaven, “The last shall be first and the first shall be last.” Earth lost a president the same day heaven gained a theological genius.

How heavenly minded do you choose to be?

I took a break while typing this blog post to go get my mom from her assisted living and take her to a cemetery that is just up the road from our home in Tyler. We sat on a bench labeled “Croswhite-Denison” and looked at the grave marker with my parents’ names. Dad passed away in July of 2016 and my mom is eighty-seven and slowing down. Jim and I purchased four plots side by side, and I began the process of having my dad’s remains moved from Dallas to his spot here in Tyler.

I enjoy thinking of my dad fishing in his heavenly boat on a breathtaking lake in heaven with St. Peter. Dad loved fishing and went every chance he could. I can’t know what heaven will be like, I just know it is perfect. My dad, fishing in that boat, would be his idea of perfect.

I sat next to Mom on the bench that marks Dad’s burial place, and one day, will mark hers and ours. It is easy to think about heaven as I sit typing this blog post. My thoughts aren’t sad, they are hopeful. It will hurt to lose my mom one day, but there is joy knowing I’m just handing her to Jesus. I’ll see my parents again, in heavenly bodies that won’t decay and enjoying heavenly moments that will never end.

We need to be heavenly minded so that we can be filled with the hope that is our future reality in heaven. We need to be heavenly minded so that we make earthly choices that will be blessed eternally. We need to be heavenly minded so that we can do the most “earthly good” possible. Heavenly minded will help us to be Spirit-led on earth.

Earthly good from a heavenly mind.

Whenever I think of being heavenly minded I think of Philippians 4:8 that says, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8).

Paul wrote his letter to the prosperous Roman colony of Philippi while under house arrest in Rome. He knew it wasn’t an easy life for the Christians in that city, and Paul wanted them to have joy, regardless of their circumstances. Christians today have a lot in common with those Philippian Christians as well as many Christians throughout history who have wrongly been labeled, “bigoted, narrow-minded, uncivilized.”

There has never been a time in world history that Christians weren’t being persecuted somewhere. Open Doors reports that “More than 365 million (one in seven) Christians face high levels of persecution for their faith – and persecution is becoming dangerously violent in countries on the World Watch List. Attacks on churches and Christian properties sky-rocketed in 2023 as more Christians than ever faced violent attacks.”

With all the world’s rhetoric these days, we have a great need to be “heavenly minded.” Look again at the things Paul taught us to think about and then obey Paul’s admonishment. Think on those things. The earthly good you will do this week can be the product of your heavenly mind, filled with the heavenly thoughts you choose to think about.

C.S. Lewis said, “Aim at Heaven and you will get earth ‘thrown in’: aim at earth and you will get neither.” What will you aim towards today? Jesus said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

Oliver Wendell Holmes is often quoted, but his words are not fully true. Jesus taught his disciples what C.S. Lewis taught in Mere Christianity. The best way to accomplish earthly good is to live heavenly minded. Seek God as your King, seek to be filled by his righteousness, and you will have it all, now and in heaven.

Jesus paid it all

Recently I was at a restaurant enjoying lunch with three new friends. We waved at a man from our Sunday School class who came in while we were eating. Later, our server told us that he had picked up the check for the whole table. His gift made us feel grateful and gifted by his kindness.

Tomorrow is Maundy Thursday which, for me, has always been the most holy and profound day of the Easter season. That is the day Jesus sat with his disciples for the last time, before he gave his life for theirs. Jesus was gifting their lives that day, only they couldn’t yet comprehend all that he was doing.

Later, Judas would be devastated to the point of suicide for his betrayal of Jesus.

Peter would be shamed and grieved when he heard the rooster crow the next morning.

John would sit at the foot of the cross with Mary, and both were likely grieved with thoughts of “What could I have done to stop this?”

Earlier in the upper room, Jesus had washed the feet of his disciples as yet another way to say, “I would do anything for you because I love you with God’s great and perfect love.”

Jesus was born to die, and on Good Friday he “paid it all.”

“Jesus Paid it All”

Churches would often sing the hymn “Jesus Paid it All” as an invitation for those worshiping in the congregation to come profess their faith in Christ. Others would join the church or simply use that time as a reminder of the sacrifice Jesus made. For some, the King James vocabulary or simplicity of the music might keep them from experiencing the profound truth of the lyrics.

I have included a link to one of my favorite versions of the great hymn. I’ve been blessed to see Fernando Ortega lead worship many times. He sits at the piano and shares his gift of music with people. He isn’t there to perform. He is there to help those listening experience the Lord’s presence and power through worship.

I hope you will pause, turn off all distractions, and spend some time immersed in this version of that great hymn.

Jesus Paid it All answers the question, “Why Easter?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5DyeCx8H4U

I wish you a happy and holy Easter

I will enjoy all the moments of Easter Sunday. I love the crowds in church, the smiles, the spring flowers, and the new Easter clothes—especially the new clothes on the children that day. If ever there was a time for ruffles and patent leather shoes, it’s Easter Sunday.

The music proclaims the joy of Jesus’ resurrection and the hope that is ours in Christ. The tomb was empty and proved Jesus has power over earthly death and the ability to provide eternal life. We all love the celebration of Easter, but it’s so important not to miss the holy purpose of the day.

Jesus came to save souls and make disciples of all nations. Easter isn’t Easter unless we understand the entire purpose of Christ’s life.

Who will come for an Easter service this year and meet Christ?

There will be several in your church this Sunday

Some interesting facts from my husband Jim’s Lenten message this week:

63 percent of Americans say that they are Christians.
81 percent of Americans say they will celebrate Easter.
43 percent of our population is planning to attend an Easter service at church.

Jim’s point: The difference between those who say they are Christians and the number who will celebrate the holiday means many millions of people are celebrating a holiday they don’t truly understand.

The pews this Sunday

Jesus was about to raise Lazarus from the dead. He told Lazarus’ sister Martha, “‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?’ She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world’” (John 11:25–27).

It is safe to say that several people will be in your church this Sunday who will come to celebrate Easter and who identify themselves as “Christian.” It is likely that many of them may not understand what is necessary to actually become a Christian. They have never said to Jesus, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, and I know I need you to forgive my sins, and, as the old hymn states, I trust you can ‘wash me white as snow.’”

I like to look for those people on Easter Sunday. I like to pray specifically for the uneasy, unfamiliar, and sometimes uninvolved. Easter is an important Sunday. If we will pray, speak to, invite, and encourage people, we might get to enjoy seeing God change their lives before the next Easter Sunday.

Easter is a powerful day of important truth. Jesus didn’t die so that one day we could enjoy our eternal life. Jesus died so that we would enjoy our eternal life from the moment of our salvation. Christians live each day knowing they will never die. We just stop breathing on earth one moment and start breathing in heaven’s air the next. That’s what it means to place our hope in Christ.

Jesus paid it all—and we can live with eternal gratitude

Maundy Thursday is my moment each Easter season. I like to dwell on those upper room words of Jesus and the garden moments spent in prayer for and with his disciples. You might want to spend some time reading about the Easter moments from John chapters 12–20. John was the beloved disciple, and his words reveal the heart of Easter through the disciple who loved Jesus, stood by him, and spent his entire life serving him.

Take a few moments to listen again to the holy purpose of Easter through Fernando Ortega’s version of “Jesus Paid it All.”

Easter is summed up in the words of that hymn: “Jesus paid it all. All to him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain; he washed it white as snow.”

I pray you will have a happy and holy Easter Sunday because you have had a holy and profound Maundy Thursday.

Let’s live as blessed Christians, enjoying our certain hope of heaven today. We serve Jesus because he has served all of us. He paid it all. Now, we owe him our all.

May your Easter be filled with joy and purpose as you worship the One who paid it all.

Do you have faith for the future?

I watched the GOP presidential debate last week with hope. After the debate, I realized my hope for our country isn’t based on any certainties. America will always be one election away from better times, worse times, troubling times, or times of peace and satisfaction.

The older I get, the more I realize that my trust isn’t in my government, it is in my Lord. I will always vote my conscience, and I will always try to vote for the person I think is most able to handle the job. I won’t treat the presidential election like a beauty pageant, voting for the person I think “looks” the best. The most important part of a beauty pageant should be the questions asked and answered, not the dance in the evening gowns that starts the show.

I will watch all the debates and vote for the person I think has the best answers. But, I live in a country where the majority of people might vote for the person who was funny on a late-night talk show, or who had the best commercials on TV or social media, or who looks like the most popular person at the moment. We shouldn’t jump on a bandwagon until we know where the wagon intends to go.

How do we have faith for the future if faithful people aren’t deciding the future?

Stick with me on this one and read this blog post all the way to the end.

A Forbes magazine article

I ran across an article in Forbes written in May of 2022. The title caught my eye because it was about key predictions for 2050 (Note: You may need a Forbes subscription to read it.) It was about an interview with a man named Jacques Attali who has written over eighty books and has been involved in several financial and technology companies. He is also seen as someone whose predictions for the future are invaluable to those in business.

To sum it up, Attali was asked to predict what he saw coming for the United States and the world in the coming decades.

It wasn’t encouraging.

Attali predicted the continued decline in America and doubted that the US would remain the world’s dominant superpower. He then said that the decline of this country would be similar to the decline of the Roman Empire. When Rome fell, no “successor” was ready to step in and take its place. He noted that no other nation is able to step into America’s leadership roles.

Attali also noted that when Rome fell the “Dark Ages” followed because there was a “deceleration of human progress, declining living standards, and a bleak period in the development of art, literature, and culture.”

Christians should note that the Dark Ages was also the period of time many in the Catholic church called the “Golden Ages.” The church became the leader in education and the preservation of cultural values. Some historians call this the “Age of Faith.” The Protestant Reformation followed in the sixteenth century.

The thing to remember

I have to admit, I was getting pretty low as I read this article. Attali’s words made perfect sense based on the realities seen in the evening news. Then, I read these statements in the article that gave me pause.

The article said, “It’s no longer inconceivable that we might one day transcend our mortality by overcoming the effects of aging or replacing parts of our bodies with artificial or mechanical components. But if we are heading towards an eternal life (or at least, greatly increased longevity) where we will live as mindless consumers or slaves to a corporate hierarchy, is there any point?”

That is the moment in the article when “man’s truth” denied the truth of God’s word. Man will never be immortal or eternal here on earth. The consequences of the first sin took care of that. We should never read an article like this one in Forbes apart from the light of Scripture. Attali is a brilliant man with a lot of knowledge. His predictions have validity based on the realities in our world.

Christians need to remember this: God is still on his throne. His word is proven truth. Our Creator is always king of his creation.

More things to remember

Most, if not all of my readers are students of God’s word and people of faith. We know what the Bible says God can do, and we know what the Bible says God will do. We know God and we know world history.

The knowledge we have is balanced by this biblical wisdom: God is the king of his creation but honors the free will he created in humankind. We know God is able to change the course of history, but we also know that he allows history to be impacted by the choices and consequences of man’s free will. We know we serve a God of miracles who is above the ways of this world and can intervene at any moment. We also know we serve a God who has promised to intervene at some point as the world fails and comes to its end.

When we read predictions from a man like Attali, we do that remembering to evaluate his words by the truth of God’s word.

What is the point?

Referring to Attali’s predictions, the author of the article rhetorically asked, “Is there any point?”

Attali said, “There is no simple answer to that, but if you want to avoid a life which is absurd, I would suggest it is to say simply and with humility that we don’t know the reason why mankind is here on Earth, we don’t know the reason that a million years ago an entity arose which can ask the question ‘why am I here?’”

He then said, “The only thing we can do here in the middle of the universe is to have a better mankind and to hope one day to find the answers to these questions.”

God gave us the answers to those questions. Christians need to make certain others know how to find the answers they need.

Christians need to view the American culture today like Paul taught the Corinthians to view their Roman culture thousands of years ago. Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, an important city in the Roman Empire, saying, “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16–18).

Do you have faith for the future?

Christians need to remember to see our culture like Paul taught the Corinthians to view theirs. We don’t lose heart because we don’t lose our faith. Everything on planet Earth is transient. We are called to live our earthly lives with an eternal perspective.

I will always vote my convictions and place my hope in a president who shares those convictions. I love this country, but my faith is in God. I will serve this country because I feel like America is called to be an example to the world. But I want to be careful not to place my faith or hope in a country instead of in God. This is a democracy and the popular vote, the vote that reflects our citizens’ free will, is going to win.

The decline of the world is the promise of Scripture. My hope for all of us was Paul’s hope for the church in Rome: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (Romans 15:13).

Rome did fall. The church did rise up. Eventually, the world improved. That is the pattern of world history. That pattern won’t change until Jesus returns. Until then, we have the power of God’s Holy Spirit and the hope of an eternity in heaven.

I don’t know what will happen in America, but I have great faith for the future. The “God of hope” fills me with “all joy and peace in believing.” Let’s choose to walk in his Spirit and we will “abound in hope.”

Holy sheep

Yep. I said it to get your attention.

For my whole life, I have used the letters “HS” as an abbreviation for “Holy Spirit.”

Like a lot of things in our English language, apparently those letters are now a texting term that means something VERY different!

Last week, I was speaking at our chapel service at Possum Kingdom Lake. I have a lot to do in the next two months and I had given myself several days out there to be still, think, pray, write, and prepare to teach Bible studies. I am recording four Bible studies out of Psalm 23.

I won’t title the study “Holy sheep,” but I could have!

We often associate the twenty-third psalm with a difficult time in our lives, and it is often quoted at funeral services to give comfort. It is a good psalm for those times, but it is equally important that we use it as praise for God’s care in our lives today. David actually wrote it as a praise.

The real key to the blessing of the twenty-third psalm is this: The Lord can’t be your shepherd until you admit you are a sheep. The point of the psalm is to teach you how to be a “holy sheep.” (Hence my blog title!)

Before he was a king, he was a shepherd

David was the youngest son and unable to go to war against the Philistines. That’s probably why he was in the fields, watching over the sheep. Sheep were a valuable asset to a family for food, clothing, and income. Anyone who has raised a son knows a young boy gets easily bored and looks for something to do.

David didn’t have a video game or an iPad so he challenged himself with his slingshot. David was smart. He knew if he got talented with the slingshot, he would never have to get too near to a wolf in order to chase him off.

David was very brave when he laid down Saul’s armor and just took his slingshot out there to defeat Goliath. David knew he was good at hitting what he aimed at. That said, he also knew that without God’s help to guide his aim, he would probably die. Faith + talent = success.

David had learned a lot from caring for his sheep. He knew his sheep needed a shepherd to find a green field, still waters, and the rest they needed to stay safe and healthy. David also knew that a shepherd needed daily help from the Good Shepherd along the way.

Psalm 23

Theologians believe that Psalm 23 was written as David’s praise for God’s provision and protection in his life. David was forced to run from Saul for many years. It was the Lord who had protected David from Saul and other enemies. Sometimes God protected David from himself. David’s praise in the psalm can be ours today.

The twenty-third psalm begins: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake” (Psalm 23:1–3).

Psalm 23 is a unique song of praise because of the word translated as my. Usually, psalms were written as corporate praise. In other words, typically the psalm would have said, “The Lord is our Shepherd.” Instead, it is written about David’s personal relationship with God. Psalm 23 describes the personal relationship God wants to have with each of his sheep so that they can live a holy life.

You and I are sheep, in need of a Shepherd. A relationship with God has always been a personal, private decision to choose God’s provision for our souls. The rest of the psalm is the praise able to be offered only by those able to say “The Lord is my shepherd.”

Our Good Shepherd

Why does God want us to consider ourselves sheep in need of a shepherd?

Like David, each of us has talents and abilities. David knew he was good at slinging stones and hitting his target. The real story of David and Goliath is the strength and trust it must have taken for David to face a giant, knowing his talent would only be successful if God used it. David understood he was a sheep so he trusted his Shepherd.

When we place our faith in God as our shepherd, we have everything we need. Contentment in life is about enjoying what we have instead of striving for something we don’t really need. “I shall not want” is the choice to be contented with all that God has provided.

God leads us to green pastures and still waters. Sheep were constantly moved around from place to place. They would eat everything and then move to a new field to do the same thing there. Sheep didn’t know which direction to wander so they had to be led. Sheep have no real way to defend themselves so they needed a shepherd with a rod and a staff. And Israel is full of wadis that could turn from a dry riverbed to a quiet stream and then to a roaring river. If their coats were wet and heavy, the sheep would easily be swept away.

Our Good Shepherd wants to guide our lives so that he can provide us the care, provision, and protection we need. But he would rather guide us along his paths of righteousness instead of calling us back from our own paths of independent, self-reliant strength.

The Shepherd’s goal

God wants us to be holy sheep. A good shepherd knew how to separate his sheep from others and keep his flock secure while he led them to their pasture. The word holy means set apart. The shepherd’s job was to guide and protect his flock.

God wants us on the path of righteousness, the path that makes us right with God, for his name’s sake. God wants us to be his sheep so that we will follow his Shepherd, Jesus Christ, all the way to heaven.

If you wonder how much God values his plan for your life, just remember the parable Jesus told about the lost sheep. Jesus would leave everything to come find you!

Can you say “the Lord is my Shepherd”?

The whole world is mourning the death of Queen Elizabeth II. She will always be one of the most unique stories in world history. She faithfully attended chapel services, and her faith was an important part of her life.

When she passed away, I thought about what it was like for her to enter heaven’s gates. She had once said, “For me, heaven is likely to be a bit of a come-down.” She had the best this world could offer, but I bet if she could, she would say, “I was wrong about that.”

The Good Shepherd has led her to the “green pastures” of heaven and there is nothing left to want.

Can you say “the Lord is my shepherd”?

If so, just remember you are called to be a holy sheep!

Stick to his paths of righteousness and his mercies will follow you all the days of your life. You will one day live like a queen or king when you “dwell in the house of the Lᴏʀᴅ forever” (Psalm 23:6).

We don’t stay sheep forever!

The mystery of Christ’s return and marriage

I was reading my youngest son, Craig’s, First15 devotional (If you haven’t tried it you should!). Craig was writing about the promise of Christ’s return and said, “He’s so overjoyed to walk in relationship with you right now, but like you, he longs for something greater. Like a bridegroom patiently awaits the marriage ceremony, he’s waiting, expectant for what is to come.” That sentence gave me pause for a couple of reasons. First, I have never spent a great deal of time thinking about how Jesus feels about his return. Second, those thoughts made me think about God’s mandates for the marriage relationship in a new way, as it relates to the end times.

We have heard Bible lessons, sermons, and often thought about Christ’s second coming. The emphasis is usually about the hope we have as we wait for Jesus to return. Revelation teaches us that when Jesus comes again we will go to heaven and experience the glory of eternal life. We don’t know very much about heaven. Scripture is amazingly limited on the subject and I’ve often wondered why. I think it would be easier to speak and teach about salvation if I had a few more details to promise people. Scripture tells us some things about heaven and they are all good. But, what is God serving at the banquet? What will the mansion look like? Are the streets truly gold or just gold in color? And, how will we talk with others? What about the relationships we will have eternally with our spouses, our friends, our family?

I imagine heaven is too complex for an earthly mind to comprehend. I don’t think we own the right vocabulary for God to explain heaven. How does a person explain trigonometry to a two-year-old . . . who speaks a different language? I don’t know very much about heaven, but I know everything I need to know. Heaven is real. Heaven is eternal. And heaven is the place where we will know Jesus face to face, in his glory. Craig’s devotional caused me to think about why Jesus is so anxious for us to be there. Jesus is excited for us to gain heaven, and he is looking forward to being with us in a perfect, sinless, brand new relationship. He endured his time on earth and his suffering in death to make sure we could go to heaven. Eternal life is the greatest gift Jesus could give us and he loved us. Even we want to give our best gifts to the people we love. Of course Jesus wanted us to have heaven!

That led to my second thought. I’ve been doing some extra teaching and speaking lately. I typically speak from an outline and pray that the Holy Spirit will fill in the rest. Lately, I’ve heard myself referring to the marriage relationship and God’s call for people to remain virgins until marriage. When that subject comes up I see a lot of discomfort in the young faces in front of me. God’s word is very clear about the marriage relationship, but most young people don’t believe those verses are relevant any more.

A recent CNN article reported, “Eighty percent of unmarried evangelical young adults (18–29) said that they have had sex.” That number is probably low based on those who choose not to admit it. Evangelical young adults are the people we see in churches and Bible studies each week, and at least eighty percent of them are not remaining virgins until marriage. Does that still matter to God, and how does that relate to our eternal relationship with Jesus?

Craig’s First15 referred to the passage Christ gave us about his second coming. Revelation 21:2 says, “And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” The picture from Revelation of Jesus’ return is that of a bridegroom waiting for his bride. That picture was meant to describe the beginning of a new and wonderfully close relationship we will have with Jesus after his second coming. That passage assumes people would understand the difference between a relationship before and after marriage.

Marriage is God’s plan for our lives because it is the closest explanation we have for our relationship with Christ on earth, versus our relationship with him in heaven. Thinking about Jesus, waiting for his bride, the Church, with the same anticipation a virgin groom feels, waiting for his virgin bride on their wedding day, is the most accurate description Scripture could give for the way Jesus is waiting for us today.

Maybe all of us need to spend a little more time emphasizing the sanctity and importance of marriage. We won’t be popular. We probably won’t be considered “relevant.” But we will be teaching the important truth of God’s word. God wanted people to understand our eternal relationship with Jesus. Biblical marriage was the best way for us to understand how Jesus anticipates our eternal relationship together in eternity, but also our present relationship with him on earth.

We are waiting. We wait with joy, we wait with longing, we wait with hope and expectation. And Jesus feels the same way about waiting for us. We are supposed to be waiting. Christians need to stay pure in our earthly relationships out of gratitude and obedience to our eternal “bridegroom.” I think Jesus wants us to start talking about “virginity” a little more often. God’s position has not changed, but the church’s position quietly has. We are often choosing not to offend, but, what is the cost of going silent on this subject? The next time it comes up, pray and ask God for the words he wants you to speak.

There is an eternal reason for a biblical theology of marriage. Hang on to God’s truth, for heaven’s sake.

This article was originally published on March 7, 2017.

At the perfect time, Jesus will return

We drove past an old cemetery in Mineral Wells, Texas, that was marked with a historic seal. That seal means some of the headstones probably date back to the Civil War or earlier. I’m fascinated by the history and all the stories represented by the headstones. In many ways, cemeteries tell the stories of life on earth.

A new thought occurred to me as we drove past that cemetery: there are no cemeteries in heaven.

Last week, I taught a verse from Romans that has returned to my thinking several times since. I realized that it needed to be my words for the blog post this week.

The verse is from Romans 5, and I prefer the wording in the NIV version that says, “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6). God picked the perfect time to send Jesus to this world so that he could live and then die for the ungodly.

Jesus was born the first time, at a perfect time, and he came for the sake of the ungodly. When Jesus returns, it will be a perfect time as well, but the next time Jesus steps into this world, he will come for the godly.

The perfect time

Many articles relate to the phrase “at a perfect time,” and many quote verses from the prophets. Jesus picked the perfect time in history to be born in a Bethlehem stable. He began fulfilling Old Testament prophecy with his first moments on earth. But there are also a lot of practical, earthly reasons that made it a “perfect” time.

Rome was the world power of the day, and the world was unified under one government, as it had never been before. The phrase “all roads lead to Rome” explains one of the most important reasons for Christ’s timing. For the first time in history, people, soldiers, and ideas traveled, and everyone’s worldview grew as a result. Not only were roads built for travel, but the shipping industry was also vastly improved and ports had opened up to vessels from all over the known world.

Would the early Christians have been able to leave Jerusalem for other cities without those roads, ships, and the protection they offered?

The Greek language was the universal language of the day. Every city had people who knew Greek and could serve as teachers and translators. Would the news of Christ have spread throughout the region if everyone had needed to learn Hebrew to understand it?

And, most importantly, God’s people were truly looking for their Messiah, knowing the prophets had promised God would send him to restore and save them from the hardships of this world.

So, on that spring morning in Bethlehem, Jesus was born. Paul described the first coming of Christ saying, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4–5).

Jesus entered the world at the perfect moment in history so that all people could be redeemed by his sacrifice and become God’s adopted children. And the adopted children of God were promised a new home.

His return will be perfectly timed

I was reviewing the book of Romans for my Bible class, getting ready for our last weeks of the study. I taught a significant verse from each chapter, which is why I was reminded of the verse about the perfect timing of Christ’s birth. One thought led to the next, and I began to wonder what the perfect timing of Christ’s return would look like.

I’ve heard discussions about the end times, but those discussions end with the certainty that none of us will predict that time and all of us will be surprised. The point of the end-times discussions should be that we are living aware, expectant, and ready. Jesus’ parables teach us those truths.

The apostles thought Jesus would return in their lifetimes. There have been many times in church history that would have indicated his return was imminent. Yet the church remains in the world, still looking.

Consider all those things that indicated a “perfect time” the first time Jesus came to earth. Then consider all that has happened in recent years as a result of the internet.

The whole world is open for travel at the push of a button.
There is one language, or a program that enables a computer to translate.
The movement of ideas and information can travel anywhere a smartphone can go.

We began our internet ministry years ago and later realized that, for the first time in human history, Christ’s words from the Mount of Olives were able to be fulfilled. Jesus said, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14).

It is interesting, even exciting, to realize the perfect time for Christ’s return could be soon. It could also be a thousand years more. That said, predicting Christ’s second coming is not the point of this blog post.

The next time Jesus returns, it will be for the godly.

Who are the godly?

Most Christians don’t think of themselves as godly, but we are. We belong to God, and through Christ’s sacrifice we have been made godly.

We could all pick up paper and a pen and create a long list of ungodly decisions we have made . . . just last week! But, that isn’t the way Scripture defines who is godly.

It’s important that we hold the biblical viewpoint that says, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence” (2 Peter 1:3).

Godly people are those who belong to God through faith in Jesus. We will never act completely godly until we are completely God’s, in heaven. Until then, we can glimpse our potential through his Holy Spirit.

Jesus is coming again

There are a lot of reasons to believe this would be a perfect time for Jesus to return. There is every reason to live like it could be tomorrow. Jesus would tell us to share the gospel until time is perfected by his return, or when we are perfected in heaven.

I hope those thoughts will linger in our minds this week.

This might be that perfect week and we want to be ready.

The Perfect Lottery Dream Home

If you read this blog regularly, you know I enjoy a lot of the programs on HGTV.

I usually tape Lottery Dream Home on Friday nights. I enjoy watching people look for homes after their lives have been changed by a winning lottery ticket. I am going to say . . . I’m not comfortable with the host, for obvious reasons. But I do enjoy seeing all the homes people look at, knowing they can afford them.

I was watching a rerun of the show when I started to imagine what my dream home would be like.

My perfect dream home

I would want lots of bedrooms so my kids and grandkids could come hang out.

I would want lots of cabinets so I could keep all of my “stuff” to enjoy.

I would want a big closet with three sections: maybe one day, probably never, and good to go.

My shoes would be labeled once a year, worn-out but comfortable, and worthy of wearing.

My kitchen could be labeled Thanksgiving and Christmas and The Rest of the Year.

I would want lots of “self-cleaning” windows and air conditioners that always worked.

I would want a study for Jim and a reading room for me.

Finally, I’d want a master bath that made me smile.

My not-quite-perfect home

I spent all morning washing windows. They looked amazing, until the sun came up the next day. Why can’t I get my windows completely free of smudges and streaks?!

I spent a long time searching my kitchen cabinets for a bowl that I knew I still owned. Now, I’m spending time wondering who I gave it to or where I left it.

The air conditioners are all running nicely. I’ll pause here so I can find a piece of wood to knock on.

The truth is, I currently live in my favorite house, of all we have owned. (And, in our forty years of marriage, we have owned six different homes.)

If I won a lot of money, I would stay in this house.

That is a nice thing to be able to say.

I might install those “self-cleaning” windows if I could. (BTW: If any of you invent those, I’ll go on Shark Tank with you. We could make a fortune!)

Finding a dream home

The Dream Home episode I watched featured a young couple who had won a lot of money on a lottery ticket. Before their good fortune, they had been living in a smaller home, with her brother and his wife and their combined children. (I hope she got her brother something wonderful with their winnings too!)

The couple had bought a beautiful home in a wonderful neighborhood, and their lives were radically changed. Their children each had their own bedroom. No one had to share a bathroom, and everything looked new and perfectly on trend.

Their living situation had radically changed, but did winning the money change them?

The truth behind most wins

I read an interesting article in Reader’s Digest about life after winning the lottery. The article discussed the things we will probably never hear about on that popular dream home show.

70 percent of all lotto winners spend or lose all of their winnings in the first five years.
Count on being exploited by others, often family and friends.
Whatever you win, someone else won more.
Those who worked for wealth will rarely consider a winner of wealth as an equal.
Your friendships and other relationships will be changed.
Yet most people are glad they won anyway.

The perfect home is yours—Jesus promised

Jesus told his disciples that he was going to heaven to build them a mansion, complete with the dream closets, kitchens, and always-working appliances. It will be decorated with eternally perfect furnishings and never need cleaning. (Notice I don’t have a biblical reference for that statement. That is my own wording of John 14:1–3 from the HGTV version of God’s word.)

The actual translation is, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also” (John 14:1–3).

Those are some of the most comforting words in Scripture. Jesus intended them to be comforting. He knew his disciples were facing one of the most difficult seasons of their lives. They were going to need to be able to look beyond his death to the resurrection.

Nothing would be “perfect” in their lives, except their faith and the rewards of their faith. Things would be good, but not perfect. All of us will get a “dream home” someday, but not on earth.

I love my house, but the A/C is going to break someday (where is that piece of wood?!).

The windows are going to get dirty again (unless one of you can invent a self-cleaning version.)

I love almost everything about my house today, but it isn’t perfect.

The reason our heavenly home is a perfect mansion is because it has one luxury that can’t be acquired here on earth: we aren’t “with Jesus” face-to-face.

Jesus hasn’t taken us to heaven yet, to be with him.

The sure bet

Your odds, on average, of winning a big prize in the lottery are about one in fourteen million. But no matter how much you might win, you won’t be able to buy the perfect mansion.

Perfect mansions can only be purchased by Jesus and only received as a gift.

And, when each of us who are saved move to our heavenly mansion one day, we will find the guest room has already been occupied—permanently.

If you are a Christian, you have made the only “sure bet” there is in this life. The odds of winning your mansion are one in one. Our faith in Christ guarantees that our lives will be changed and heaven is our future.

Whom do you know that needs a winning ticket?

Everyone deserves to own a dream home someday.

Live blessed: He is coming soon

Jesus is coming—soon.

Have you ever wondered why Jesus said he was coming soon?

It’s been more than two thousand years since Christ appeared to John on the island of Patmos and gave him the book of Revelation.

Toward the end of the revelation, Jesus said, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place. And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book” (Revelation 22:6–7).

I included these verses in my teaching last week, with a new thought. Most sermons about this passage are about the ultimate end of our world when Jesus returns for the final time. The book of Revelation teaches us that everything on earth is temporal, with a beginning and an end. We are supposed to live like Jesus could return tomorrow.

But, again, it’s been more than two thousand years.

What did Jesus mean by “soon”?

How should we define soon?

My mom and I spent the weekend driving to northern Arkansas and then back again. I took Mom to her brother’s funeral service. She is the youngest child in her family. She had ten brothers and three sisters. Now, Mom is the only one still living.

I watched the photo montage the funeral home put together and wondered how Grandma and Grandpa were able to raise fourteen children to be such fine human beings. But they did. Now, they are in heaven, except for my mom. She will join them one day, but today, she is without all of them, and my dad too.

The good news: Jesus is coming soon.

A wonderful woman from our church in Midland, Texas, was lying on her deathbed. Her family was gathered around quietly singing a hymn. She had not spoken in several days when she sat up and exclaimed, “Jesus!” and then she was gone.

Jesus had come to bring her home to heaven. It was sooner than the family expected it would be.

And that’s the point. We might not say that two thousand years is an accurate description of “soon,” but how many times have you lost someone you wished could have lived a few more years? Did their death feel like it came too soon?

Jesus is coming soon.

For all of us, it will be less than one hundred years from now, fifty years from now, twenty years from now—or sooner. If that makes you feel concerned, look at what Jesus said right after “Behold, I am coming soon.” He said, “Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book” (Revelation 22:7).

What does the Revelation promise to bless?

Are you living a blessed life now?

If you are, the return of Christ is something to anticipate, not fear. The book of Revelation promises blessings to all of us. When last did you find joy in those promised blessings?

Jesus said:

We are blessed by reading the Book.

Jesus said, “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near” (Revelation 1:3).

The last book of the Bible is the only book of the Bible that promises blessing to the reader.

And again, Jesus said, “For the time is near.” The book of Revelation is not easy reading. In fact, it is a book to be studied with a good commentary in hand. (I suggest The Expositor’s Bible Commentary.)

When last did you read the book of Revelation?

Jesus promised a blessing to everyone who does.

We are blessed by dying in Christ.

Jesus said, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. ‘Blessed indeed,’ says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!’” (Revelation 14:13).

Jesus taught us to look at the death of a Christian, especially a Christian who has lived their life in great service to the Lord, as a wonderful reward, a blessing. My dad died with a smile of peace on his face. My uncle, who only recently gave his life to the Lord, died with a smile on his face. The woman in Midland, who sat up on her deathbed and called out to Jesus, was glad to see him.

If we are in Christ, we are blessed when we die!

We should live today, blessed by that assurance.

We are blessed by living “ready.”

Jesus said, “Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!” (Revelation 16:15).

Simply put, we should be steadfastly faithful all of the time so that we are okay with Jesus returning any time.

Live today like it could be tomorrow.

Christians were blessed at the moment of their salvation.

Jesus said, “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:9).

When faithful Christians pass a mirror, they should see the reflection of a person who is already abundantly blessed! We have been invited to be the honored guest of Jesus at the eternal banquet of heaven. We are invited to the best meal of our entire lives, for every moment of our eternal lives. And with our eternal bodies, we can eat whatever we want! (That last sentence is more my thought than God’s. But, it seems likely.)

Maybe we should “look” at our invitation a little more often. It is printed in gold.

Christians are blessed by keeping our lives clean.

Jesus said, “Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates” (Revelation 22:14).

We are “washed” by the blood of the lamb. That is, the blood that was shed by Jesus on the cross for the forgiveness of sin. A Christian has forgiveness. We are blessed every time we confess our sins and receive his mercy and cleansing. Christians will live eternally clean, but we can receive his cleansing today as well.

It’s better to seek forgiveness now and arrive in heaven as “clean” as possible.

Are you blessed and ready?

Jesus is coming soon.

He said it, and for most of us, the day will come sooner than we think it should. That’s the point.

If you speak to an older person, they will almost always say, “Time is flying by!” They are genuinely surprised to look in their mirrors and see an older face looking back. I watched that photo montage and some of those pictures were taken decades ago. My mom and dad were sitting together at a picnic, smiling. She told me it seemed like yesterday.

Jesus is coming soon.

If you are living today with that hope, you are living a blessed life. If there are areas of life that could use some “washing,” then go to the fountain now and get cleaned up.

Heaven is real, and heaven is promised to those who have placed their faith in Jesus. My uncle wished he had made that decision earlier in his life. Who do you know that still needs to choose Christ?

Jesus promised you will be blessed by reading the book of Revelation. Let’s do that this week and obey the prophecy that inspires your soul. If we do, we will see the Lamb and the Spirit use us to give the hope of Christ to others.

Don’t wait.

He is coming soon!

The Mission of Christmas

The viral photo of Sully, a service dog, lying in front of the president’s casket, touched our hearts. The caption read, “Mission Complete. #Remembering41”.

Sometimes a picture does speak a thousand words.

The country will pause from the Christmas season to honor the life of our 41st president this week. I’m praying the service and the media broadcasts will cause people to think about their own lives, with a Christmas perspective. All of us are born with a mission to complete. The greatest satisfaction of life is knowing we have accomplished what the Lord intended us to do.

When Barbara Bush passed away, I remember thinking it wouldn’t be long before her husband joined her in heaven. My grandpa died eight months after my grandma passed. One of the great blessings of getting older is gaining a better perspective on the important things of this life. Heaven looks more like home when the people you love are living there.

The president told his best friend, Jim Baker, that he wanted to go to heaven. Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

I think President Bush desired to spend Christmas in heaven and God said, “Okay. We can do that.”

The Mission of Christmas

I was considering the Christmas story with a “Mission Complete” mindset. God had a great purpose for everyone that first Christmas, and they accomplished their mission.

Mary was preparing to be a wife when God asked her to be a mother too. She gave birth to the Messiah that first Christmas. Mission complete.
Elizabeth told Mary what she needed to hear. Those words of encouragement brought Mary great joy, when she most needed a strong faith. Mission complete.
Joseph planned to quietly divorce Mary when he found she was with child. Instead, he obeyed the angel, took Mary as his wife, and kept her safe. Mission complete.
The shepherds planned to look after their sheep that night. Instead, they saw a great light and went to look for a baby lying in a manger. They completed their mission by telling others what they had seen.
The wise men spent months following a star, in search of the king. When they bowed before their Messiah and honored him with their gifts, their mission was complete.
The angel Gabriel made sure that Joseph, Mary, and Jesus escaped to Egypt. The Messiah would live to become a man. Mission complete.

I found myself asking the Lord, “What is my ‘mission’ this Christmas season?”

Your Mission

There are always a lot of things that need to get done. But, I think President Bush would tell us the “whats” aren’t as important as the “whos.”

Maybe the question should be, “Who is my mission this year?”

I want to be able to say, “Mission complete.”

An important life will be remembered and honored this Christmas season. The grave of President Bush will be next to his wife and daughter’s graves at his Presidential Library in College Station. But his life is with them in heaven. Imagine their unique joy this Christmas as they celebrate the holiday with Robin again, after so many years apart.

Who has been on your mind as you read these words?

Jesus told his disciples, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). Let’s spend some time listening for that voice this Christmas season and working to obey his calling. It would be a blessing to pack up the Christmas decorations in a few weeks knowing our holiday is over and that mission is complete.

Paper Valentines and God’s Love

Valentines and chocolate hearts are flying off the shelf this week. This is a time when people think about those they love. I wish sharing God’s love with people was as easy as shopping for a card or making a reservation. People need to know that God loves them, but the Christian message of love is often lost to other voices.

I was amazed at the number of Super Bowl ads that encouraged people from many walks of life, many religions and many cultures to make whatever choices felt right to them. That is the message of love that so many in our culture are making popular. The Christian message of love says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). How do we encourage someone to love the Lord when our message stands opposed to what many people choose to believe? That’s an easier answer than it would seem.

People don’t trust every ad on the television, even when those ads promise things we want to believe. One Coca Cola Super Bowl ad featured a message of unity, tolerance and a new understanding of a love relationship but, according to a CBS news report, got a “C” from the Kellogg School of Marketing. A Budweiser ad showed their company working all night to put fresh drinking water in cans for hurricane victims. That ad depicted a love for neighbors in need and scored a “B.” Truth has a way of leaving a strong impression.

Our culture is offering people permission to define love, family and happiness any way they choose. It sounds good but that message is really more of a television ad than a true promise. God’s genuine love is powerful in its eternal nature. God’s word has endured for thousands of years and a cultural opinion will not oppose the truth for long. What does the Bible say about God’s love?

God has always loved you, and he always will. “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10 NIV).

God’s love is genuine, and is the love produced in our lives by his Holy Spirit. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. . .And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love” (From 1 Corinthians 13:4-14).

God’s love is a perfect, sacrificial love available to anyone who will choose to receive it. “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:12-13).

God’s people are called to be living examples of his love. Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law” (Romans 13:8-10).

It might seem like the message of God’s love is getting lost in our culture, but it really isn’t. Every time a Christian decides to share that truth with a friend, the message that has been true for thousands of years is taught again. Buy your cards, make your reservations and celebrate Valentine’s Day with those you love. But every day of the year provides opportunities to share the love of God with those who know his eternal truth. For God loved you so much, He gave you his Son.

Happy Valentine’s Day; you are greatly loved.