“Stand up if you want to go to heaven!” the preacher exhorted his congregation. The worshipers rose as one, with the exception of a man in the front pew.
“Are you telling me you do not want to go to heaven?” thundered the preacher.
“When I die, yes,” the man responded. “But I thought you were getting up a load right now.”
We all want to go to heaven, but none of us are eager to get there. Like the front row guy, we want to wait until we are old and gray. This coming week we are going to examine heaven in this blog. What are you expecting in heaven?
Tags: heaven
There are times when I get weary with life and its never ending struggles. Some times I just want to cry out, “Even so, Lord Jesus, come quickly”. I long to be in His presence and out of the pressures down here. Apparently, that has been the sentiment of believers for centuries. Consider the words of the final closing verse of The Church’s One Foundation:
Yet she on earth hath union With God, the Three in One,
And mystic sweet communion With those whose rest is won
O happy ones and holy! Lord, give us grace that we,
Like them, the meek and lowly, On high may dwell with Thee. Amen
Tags: church, heaven, hymns
The apostle Paul wrote, “The time of my departure is at hand” (2 Timothy 4:6). ‘Departure’ is a nautical term that suggests shipping out, weighing anchor, slipping the lines that tether us to this world and getting underway. When we refer to a ship’s Departure, we are actually referring to the beginning of its journey, not its end.
For believers in Christ, death is not an end but a beginning. It means leaving this old world behind and getting to a better place, completing the purpose for which we were made. It’s a time for joy and excitement and a hearty “Bon Voyage!”
If Jesus is the captain of your ship, He already knows the dangers in the waters and what lies ahead. Are you ready for departure?
Tags: death, departure, heaven
I feel a little helpless today. I’m not supposed to lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk, yet our 13-year old Chocolate Lab, Allie, has been sick for a couple of days, and we had to get her to the vet this morning. Anita had to do most of the lifting, because Allie probably weighs 50 lbs. He diagnosed her with a serious infection and we had him keep her there for treatment with an IV. Shortly, he called to say she went into shock and died. Neither of us could lift her, and I knew I shouldn’t be digging a hole, so we called our boys.
They both took some time off work to help us out, digging the hole, picking her up from the Vet’s, and burying her. I really appreciate their help. We’ve raised Allie since she was a pup. Although she was part chicken, she always let us know when company was near. And, after the kids all flew the coup, she was great company for Anita. We’ll miss her.
There is nothing in the Bible about animals going to heaven. But, we know that there are horses in heaven. Heaven is a place for the redeemed of the Lord, and animals don’t need a Savior, because they never violated God’s laws (Sin) in the first place. What do you think? Will our pets be in heaven?
Tags: heaven, pets