Week 5
In more than a dozen places in the Bible, Jesus talks about his coming back to earth again
someday. Here is one example.
Matthew 24:30-31 (NIV)
30 "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. 31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
30 "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. 31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
For some people, this will be a day of great rejoicing. For others, this will be a day of great
mourning. People will mourn because they will realize that they have missed a great
opportunity. They missed the opportunity to be with Jesus and everyone who believes in him for
all eternity. They also missed the opportunity to be with Jesus in the living of their everyday
lives. Their lives were given to many things, perhaps many good things, but not to the things
that last forever. What they have done here on earth has no meaning and is gone forever. The
mourning of this loss is of ultimate grief and despair. The Bible describes it as the “wailing and
gnashing of teeth.” They will remain separated from God and all that they love, forever. The
Bible calls it Hell. (Matthew 8:12
Those who live with God will have the ultimate experience of rejoicing. Even though their old life will be gone, the new life that they will experience will be far beyond anything they could ever dream of. This will be a life lived with God and all who believe in him. This will be a life lived in harmony and peace. This is what the Bible calls heaven. Think about the love you have for the person you love most here on earth. Now imagine loving everyone in that same way who will be in heaven. Yet, it will be better than we could ever imagine, because we will then love with a pure love – with God’s love. Paul tries to describe God’s love in this way.
Those who live with God will have the ultimate experience of rejoicing. Even though their old life will be gone, the new life that they will experience will be far beyond anything they could ever dream of. This will be a life lived with God and all who believe in him. This will be a life lived in harmony and peace. This is what the Bible calls heaven. Think about the love you have for the person you love most here on earth. Now imagine loving everyone in that same way who will be in heaven. Yet, it will be better than we could ever imagine, because we will then love with a pure love – with God’s love. Paul tries to describe God’s love in this way.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NIV)
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude,
it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not
delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes,
always perseveres. 8 Love never fails.
This is what heaven is like. This is God’s perfect, unconditional love. This is the way God
originally designed our world to be, and he will bring it about when Jesus returns.
Until then, while we are living in this broken world, we are to be representatives of this new kingdom of God. We will not live perfect lives. God does not expect us to be perfect. But even in our brokenness, or especially because of our brokenness, God’s love and light will shine through. This light shines the brightest as we allow God to live in us – as we live in the Father’s house.
Time of Prayer:
1) 1 min – What is God saying to me through this devotional?
2) 1 min – What am I going to do about it?
3) 1 min – What do I want to say to God?
4) 2 min – Listen for what God wants to say to you now.
Until then, while we are living in this broken world, we are to be representatives of this new kingdom of God. We will not live perfect lives. God does not expect us to be perfect. But even in our brokenness, or especially because of our brokenness, God’s love and light will shine through. This light shines the brightest as we allow God to live in us – as we live in the Father’s house.
Time of Prayer:
1) 1 min – What is God saying to me through this devotional?
2) 1 min – What am I going to do about it?
3) 1 min – What do I want to say to God?
4) 2 min – Listen for what God wants to say to you now.