Heaven - will we know one another?

As one who believes, firmly, that there is a heaven, and a hell, I find it interesting that so many, who make no claim to being disciples of Jesus, or even to being "religious", have their own concept of the former (and seem to ignore the latter!). The reason for this may be very basic - it is "in our DNA"! The writer of the Book of Ecclesiastes said: "... He [i.e. Almighty God] has put eternity into man's mind, ..." (Eccl 3:11), and we are unable to fully delete the concept from our being.

I think of this a lot when I see people wishing loved ones who have died - often many years ago - a "Happy Heavenly birthday" on the anniversary of that person's date of birth. This is done, in Facebook, with increasing regularity - and with no thought that the person may not even be "in heaven"!

The written Word of God teaches, very clearly, that only those who are in a right relationship with Almighty God will spend eternity in His presence. For those of us who have lived at any time during the past almost 2,000 years, that means having accepted the Lord Jesus - God in human flesh - as our Saviour; accepting that we are sinners who cannot save ourselves; repenting of our sins; and depending, entirely, on His atoning* sacrifice at Calvary.

The Bible also teaches that "... in the resurrection they [those who have died and been raised to eternal life] neither marry nor are given in marriage , but are like angels in heaven." (Matt 22:30). So I was more than a little surprised to read a Facebook post (I am currently banned from posting, etc., but may still read!) from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association that read:

"On June 14, 2007, Ruth Graham passed away at her home in North Carolina—surrounded by her husband and 5 children.

“I am so grateful to the Lord that He gave me Ruth, and especially for these last few years we’ve had in the mountains together,” said Billy Graham. “We’ve rekindled the romance of our youth, and my love for her continued to grow deeper every day. I will miss her terribly, and look forward even more to the day I can join her in Heaven.”

We rejoice that now, Mr. and Mrs. Graham have been reunited in their heavenly home."

I can find nothing in the New Testament to support such a view. Indeed, I am not at all certain that I will even know other people in heaven. Those words of the Lord Jesus would certainly indicate that married couples will not be "reunited" - read the quotation in context!   

The only thing of which I can be, and am, certain is that I will be in the Lord's presence - probably not in "heaven" but on the "new earth" (see II Pet.3:13; Rev.21:1). And, just as He walked in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve, before the fall, He will walk with His people there. "Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be with them;" (Rev 21:3). All things will be made new (Rev 21:5) - and that must surely include our bodies; our minds; our natures; and our memories.

The only question is: "Will you be there?" If you are unable to answer that question in the affirmative, then please ask for help from a genuine disciple of Jesus. If you are unable to identify one, then you may contact me using the e-mail address above. There are also some links at the right-hand side of the page, towards the bottom, that may be of help. Whatever you do, don't let it be 'nothing'. Your eternal destiny is at stake!

* If you don't understand this word, then why don't you purchase my first book: "Great Words of the Faith". It explains, in everyday language, this and many other words. ALL royalties are paid, directly, to release International in support of the persecuted church. Link at the top of the blog.

"Eating" the Word!

In Lewis Carroll's well-known book, "Alice in Wonderland", there is a scene in which Alice shrinks, and then grows. There is a potion that makes her shrink, but it is a cake that makes her grow. So it is eating that causes her growth.

On Sunday, I was preaching on, among other things, the importance of the written Word of God for the growth of both the individual believer, and the local fellowship. However, our attitude to that Word is of paramount importance. The prophet Jeremiah stated that: "Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart;" (15:16). Ezekiel had a similar experience: "And He said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.” Then I ate it; and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey." (3:3).

In both cases the Word of God is viewed as pleasant food for our spiritual lives, satisfying our spiritual hunger and, like Alice's cake, causing us to grow - albeit, not physically! As we meditate upon that living Word, that is "...  sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." (Heb.4:12), our craving for spiritual knowledge, divine wisdom, and clear guidance, is fulfilled.

There are those who maintain that, for proper digestion, every mouthful of physical food should be chewed a minimum number of times (the precise number varies, according to who is asked!). The same is true of the Word of God. James M Gray, a former president of the Moody Bible Institute, commented on Jeremiah 15:16 by saying: "There is a great difference between finding the Word, and eating it. ... Putting the Word into your mind is like holding food in your mouth; it allows you to get the first full taste of it. ... Turning a Scripture around and around; thinking of it from many points of view; asking questions about it; and searching for its meaning in a commentary, is like chewing. It makes good assimilation possible."

Dr Gray continued: "The only way to hold the Word in your mind is to memorise it! Make this task as easy for yourself as possible by fixing your attention on ony a small portion at at time. This way, it can be recalled throughout the busy day. You will find that concentrating on the meaning of each word and phrase will give you new strength and joy, and help you to become fruitful for the Lord."

That advice, given 100 years ago, is just as relevant today! One of my very close friends, here in France, has often said that the Church in the West is dying of ignorance - ignorance of the Word. I agree! Many are spiritually weak because they are not 'eating' the Word on a daily basis. We would not expect to live, physically, on one meal per week, provided by another. Why should we expect to be spiritually alive, and in good health, if our only Biblical input is a Sunday sermon?!

May I encourage you, if you are a disciple of Jesus, to ensure that you feed every day. It's the only way to growth!