Tag: Heaven

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.

I shouted for Jim as I ran to the back of the house.

I’ve done a LOT of laundry in my life, and I know when something doesn’t sound right. The washing machine was pumping out the water, but the drain hose had popped out of place.

When Jim reached the utility room, I was lying on top of the washing machine, unsuccessfully poking the drain back down the little hole in the wall, attempting to stop the washing machine and turn off the water all at the same time. Jim and I spent the next hour cleaning up the mess. My kitchen sink faucet needs to be replaced, so I will just add the utility room mess to that list. Life is full of these Lucy and Ricky moments.

That leads me to the first of the seven things you won’t find in heaven:

1.  There are no repairmen in heaven.
   Nothing will ever break in our heavenly mansions—nothing will ever stop working. We spend a lot of time and effort on earth fixing things that will always break down again someday. What is broken in your life today? It won’t be broken in heaven.
2. There will be no health care workers in heaven.
   I stayed home this weekend because I was worried I might be coming down with the flu. I had already received my flu shot. After a good day of rest, I woke up feeling much better. We will never see a hospital, a doctor’s office, or a CVS in heaven. Our heads won’t ache, our bones won’t age, and we will never worry about lumps, bumps, or fevers. How much time and effort do you spend trying to stay healthy? That will be free time in heaven.
3. There will be no banks, bills, or taxes in heaven.
   Everything will be free and free to give. There will never be people who think they don’t have enough—or who think they have too much. What would you do today if you knew you would always have enough to keep and enough to give away?
4. You will never find a jail, a prison, or a police officer in heaven.
   Safety and justice will be our constant reality. Where would you go or what would you do if you weren’t worried about what might happen? How would you sleep if there weren’t any noises or thoughts that kept you awake?
5. You will not find a museum in heaven.
   It won’t matter how things used to be. It won’t be important to put valuable antiquities behind glass or art on guarded walls. Everything will be available for everyone to enjoy. The past, the present, and the future will exist at the same time in heaven. How would your life be different if the present moment was the only moment that mattered?
6. You will never find a celebrity in heaven.
   Everyone will be just as happy to sit with you as they are to sit with Billy Graham, Mother Teresa, or the apostle Paul. Think of a Christian you have admired for years. That is how everyone will think about you in heaven.
7. Finally, because seven is a perfect number, the final thing you won’t see in heaven—Kleenex.
   Yes, you heard it right. Kleenex will not be necessary in heaven because there is no more grief, no more illness, and no more sad stories on the news. How many tissues have you used in your lifetime? How many more are in your future? None will be needed in heaven.

Why should a Christian stop and think about heaven?

Because the apostle Paul wrote, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” (Colossians 3:1–4).

If we take a few minutes to contemplate eternity, how will that change our thoughts and actions today?

Maybe we won’t notice what is broken and focus instead on what will last forever. Maybe we won’t be overly concerned with our physical health and will make our spiritual health a higher priority. Maybe we won’t think about our bank statement as much as our treasure in heaven. Maybe we won’t fret over temporal fears on earth and choose instead to find peace in our eternal promises.

Museums on earth could remind us that nothing stays the same until we reach eternity, where nothing changes. If we think about heaven, we will be less impressed with celebrities and more impressed with the average people around us, including our own reputation.

And now you’re wondering what I could possibly say about Kleenex to conclude this blog post. Here is my thought: What if every time we reach for a Kleenex, we try to set our minds on things that are above?

If you are like me, you would think of eternity a LOT more often. Christ will come and take every Christian home to heaven. After Christ who is our life appears, we will never need to reach for a Kleenex again. Until then, why don’t we use that earthly necessity to remind us of the many things we won’t need in heaven? Maybe all of us will choose heavenly priorities for our earthly lives a little more often.

Life is a road trip to heaven best lived with your destination in mind. Travel lightly—God wants to provide everything you need for your journey, and Jesus will have everything ready when you arrive.