Heaven: Our Home

As we have gone through this series on Heaven, we have been looking to scripture to fuel our imagination as to what Heaven is like. We have been pushing ourselves to think and explore about our final destination. As we conclude this series, scripture confronts us with this reality: just imagining Heaven is not enough. It is more than our destination, it is our home. Just like where we live now, our homes grounds us, centers us, and determines our entire orientation. Where you live right now determines, what you consider to be “up north” or “out west.” Your home determines what roads you are familiar with and what Wal-Mart you go to.

It is the same with Heaven. When we take the leap from simply imagining Heaven, to having a strong knowledge it is where we belong, it effects what we value, what we pursue, and how we determine success.For a believer, Earth is not our home, Heaven is. Most of us sense that we belong in Heaven, but the problem is we expect this to be Heaven. This life is not Heaven, and if we have that expectation, we will be disappointed. However, the good news is, we can start, even now, investing and preparing and re-orientating ourselves for the true home we were made for.

In what ways do you think people expect Earth to be Heaven? What are some ways we can orientate ourselves according to our true home? I'd love to hear your thoughts...

Heaven: What will our bodies be like?

One of the hardest things to imagine about Heaven is our bodies. It just seems so foreign, so fictional to be in a different body in an entirely new realm. It is hard to get those thoughts out of a dreamy vague picture, and into a reality so vivid, that it changes our perspective. Paul addresses those questions in a letter to the church in the Greek city of Corinth.

Paul teaches that everyday we see an obvious picture of what happens to us, when we look at growing plants. At some point a seed was placed into the ground and the shell or fruit surrounding it, began decomposing. God grows that seed into a beautiful tree far greater than the small seed that was put into the ground. Paul argues the same miracle of God growing that tree precisely how He wants it, is the same miracle of our bodies dying and becoming something profoundly greater. Paul teaches us that it should not be hard to imagine God creating a new body, because of all the incredible variety of creation here on earth and throughout the universe.

This understanding of our future invincible bodies, should give us peace as we now live in this perishable body. Fear of death should not paralyze this life. In fact, we should live in a healthy balance of longing for what is to come, while we celebrate what He has given us here on earth.

What are some things that you long for in heaven? Why is it so hard to overcome our fear of our mortality? Share your thoughts with your Church.

Heaven: What are we going to be doing?

Is Heaven going to be boring? Eternity is a hard thing to grasp: year after year, century after century, millenium after millenium. Psalm 16:11, tells us, "You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore." So we know that Heaven will be incredible beyond our imagination, but what could we possibly do that will continue to be exillerating epoch after epoch?

Genesis 2, gives us some insight. It describes what Adam and Eve did before sin entered the world. What we find is they "worked and kept the garden." They actually had a job and a responsibility. We may think of work as a punishment placed on the human race. But when we really stop to think about it, working, creating, accomplishing, exploring, are some of the most energizing things about our lives. It is what makes us feel most alive. Certainly there are things that contaminate work, making it painful and monotonous. But think about the pleasure of an author holding his newly published book for the first time. Or an architect, at the ribbon cutting of a building that was at one point only an idea in her head. In Heaven, our work will contain only the exhilarating elements.

What are some things about work that are truly enjoyable? What are the things that contaminate it? How can you recapture that joy and vision and creativity that you may have lost?

Heaven: What will our relationships be like?

Loved ones, bring some of the richest joy, this life has to offer. Though I am not one myself, I have observed the overwhelming joy of a grandparent with their grandchild. We are all aware of the joy two best friends have, laughing together and sharing experiences together. The beautiful familiarity found with siblings. The rich companionship blossoming in a vibrant marriage. But, people can also bring the worst of this life. Poisonous bitterness can ravage us. Someone’s competitive spirit can instantaneously ruin a friendship. Two family members succumbing to pride can block reconciliation indefinitely. No matter what anyone says, words hurt far worse than sticks and stones.

But imagine all the beauty without the beastliness. Imagine all the laughing until we feel like throwing up, with none of the insecurity. Picture all the companionship with none of the competition. Frankly, it is hard for us to grasp the potential exhilaration relationships will bring us, when all sin has been abolished. One day when we are in heaven, and we have eternity to laugh together, explore together, discover together; we will finally see the relational capacity we were meant for. Prior to Heaven, even the best moments we long to have back, are a vague, muted version of what we will have. As for right now, the scripture calls us not to wait to make that a reality. Today, we are to put away all the things that are toxic to our relationships, and embody all that will vitalize them.

What are you looking forward to the most about being with other people in heaven? What do you imagine yourself doing? What do you think is an important thing you want to embody, to purify your relationships even now.

Happy Anniversary!

This week marks the 7th anniversary of West Pines Community Church! We have much to thank God for as we think through our history. I immediately think of faces who have found the Lord through the work God has done in our church. I think of our church home, and the deep friendships that wrap around us, supporting each other. The sweet fellowship and in depth study during small groups. I think of the baptisms and the baby dedications. Some of my most cherished memories are the times of communion, especially the one where we jotted down confessions on scraps of paper, and they were literally nailed to a cross. I think of the many outreach events and service projects that we have given so much together, to serve our community. What a beautiful work God is doing through our church family.

Whether you have been apart of the Body for a few weeks or several years, share with your church family how being a part of West Pines has impacted you.

Heaven: What will it be like?

Even since childhood, we have wondered what happens to us when we die. The simple question of what will heaven be like, is not just a childish question, it is something we all still carry with us. Especially, as we grow older, we become more and more aware of time passing by, real thoughts of life and its length. But is there anyway that we can know what comes next? Should we just accept the bland, stale imagination of our culture: halo’s and harps and white robes?

Scripture paints a far more vivid and tantalizing picture of heaven. In Romans 8, we learn that all of creation, fruit and trees and animals and flowers, are groaning, waiting to be set free. In other words, one day God will finally set free all of creation in the final day. At that time, we, who are believers in Jesus, will live eternally with Him on the New Earth. So as incredible as this creation is, this is a muted, chained, under-performing creation, that longs to be set free for its potential. This passage says that, the worst, most depressing, despicable parts of this earth are not even comparable with how incredible the New Earth will be. This give us hope in the midst of our suffering.

Have you ever taken time to search scripture and use that as fuel for your imagination about Heaven? Share with your Church family, how thoughts of Heaven encourage you through difficult times.

Baptism

Many of us who have grown up at church, were baptized at some point. It is something found in some form, in every Christian church. It is obvious that there is a rich tradition behind this, but what is it that makes it so significant? Is there something in the water, that is doing something to us? Baptism is a powerful symbol, that represents something so significant that, it makes this symbol indispensable. Though my wedding ring is simply a symbol, I wouldn’t dream of not wearing it. Like a wedding ring, baptism is a powerful proclamation of a personal commitment.

What does baptism represent? It represents that, since I have accepted Jesus’ sacrifice as my salvation from the penalty of my sin, and have committed to make Him the boss of my life, I share in the effects of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. Specifically, the wrong things I do, my sin, used to have total control over me. But now that sin, died with Jesus. I have a new life, just like Jesus had when He rose from the dead. I am literally buried in the water, like Jesus was buried, and raised out of the water, like Jesus was resurrected, to walk a new kind of life, one that desires to live God’s way. For those of us who have been baptized, we look back at our baptism as a marker, to remind us that we are to be living a life that has victory over sin.

What has been your baptism experience? Even if you were baptized as a baby, have you considered being baptized as a believer, to symbolize the new life you have because of Jesus? Have you ever used your baptism as a reminder that you have a new life of victory over sin? Share your thoughts with your church family.