Heaven. The Bible doesn’t give us a lot of detail about heaven, but what we know thrills the soul. In the Revelation, the Apostle John describes some of the characteristics of this promised land for believers (Revelation 21:1-4). Yes, heaven is going to be an incredible place, but I want us to think about heaven today, not in the direction of a place we are going, but to a Person we will see.
Pleasing God, Making Disciples of Jesus Christ
Pleasing God, Making Disciples of Jesus Christ
Ministries
Proverbs 1:2-7 – To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth —
Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles.The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
I know today’s theme has obvious answers. We have responsibilities that won’t allow us to simply pull up the covers and snuggle in for a long winter’s day of sleep. In today’s scripture, there are two spiritual truths which will energize and motivate us to get out of bed and into our day with eternal purpose: the love of Christ and our union in Christ. These two truths enable us to start each day, no matter the season, with joy, purpose, and a rejoicing heart.
A couple of things happen in the Christian life as one grows older and deeper in the Lord. These things are signs of spiritual maturity. The first one is we grow humble and realize how little we know of the Christian life. A second sign of growing mature in the Lord is taken from Jesus’ example in responding to Pilate’s accusations and applied to the amount of talk we do. Take a journey back in our Christian lives. Did conversations occur when we should have listened more and talked less?
Once we experience new birth in Christ, we begin the process of growing in Christ; a growth in grace and knowledge of Him. This process is what theologians call “sanctification”. As it unfolds, we learn this is a cooperative work with the Lord. We may pray and pray and pray, even beg God to help us know and grow in Him but nothing happens without our effort. It has been said concerning spiritual progress and service, “Work as if it all depends on us and trust as if it all depends on God.”
Giving. It is the very nature of God. He gives – a lot and overflowing. The most familiar verse in the Bible reads, “For God so loved the world that He gave” (John 3:16). And He does so, not reluctantly, but freely and fully. Our Lord even told us, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). Yes, God is the Supreme Giver and has left us in the life of the Lord Jesus the example to follow. And in our relationship with the Lord, the best thing we give Him is ourselves; all of us.
A faith untested and untried is a faith which must not be trusted. It will fail every time the storms of life come. It will not stand the crashing waves of tough circumstances. It is of sand, not the solid rock of Christ and His Word, and will be washed away at the first sign of difficulty. And to ensure we have the type of faith which holds during trying times, God tests us. He tries His children with intense and severe tests. He told us so – “Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction” (Isaiah 48:10).