Give Them Heaven

Scripture

He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

~Revelation 21:4, NLT

Quote

Heaven is so infinitely glorious and our finite minds so limited, that we only dimly receive its grandeur.

~William F. Graham

Dallas Willard’s last words to his granddaughter were: “Give them heaven.” We all need a little heaven now and then. The world will give you hell and personally, I don’t care for it. I don’t watch the news because it skewed, bias and practically all of it is bad news to a believer. Who wants to hear bad news? Wouldn’t it be great to have one network committed to sharing good news. Good things happen every day but we don’t hear about them. So, we need a little heaven, right this very minute. Yes, we need a little music, need a little laughter; we need to a little praise ringing through the rafter, and we need a little heaven, happy ever after; we need a little heaven now. In spite of what Junior Hill says, I was a young man when he came to my home church for a revival and I remember him preaching on heaven. It was the first time I had ever heard a sermon on heaven that salted my appetite for going there. Of course, I did not want to go to hell, but my perception of heaven was a ghost like existence among the clouds. Junior made heaven real and it created a longing in my heart to go there. Of course, we are not saved by a place. Satan was in heaven at one time; so our salvation is not in heaven itself but in Jesus and of course without Jesus, heaven would not be heaven.

When I think about heaven, I think about all the things that will not be there. John mentioned a few in the Revelation: no more tears of sorrow, no more death and no pain. All our fears and insecurities will be gone forever. We will not feel guilt; we will not be encumbered with weakness and we will not be burdened. Sin, Satan, the flesh and worldly lust will be banished. No more temptation. No more evil thoughts. Not more funeral homes, and no hospitals. No children in wheel chairs and no preachers who cannot sing. No more disappointments, no more heart breaks, no more discouragement and on and on I could go, but the big thing about heaven is Jesus. I never knew my brother Joe David or my grandfather whose name was also Joe David and I do miss my parents and will be thrilled to be reunited but it is the presence of Christ that makes heaven heaven. This is why we sing Jesus, Jesus, Jesus: Sweetest Name I know, fills my every longing and keeps me singing as I go.

Extra

Down just a tad in our mid-week worship but not bad considering the weather. Sunshine today and then I think it is going to get cold. According to my weather apt we are going to have cold Christmas. Lincoln is going to get to come home for a few days, PTL. I Thessalonians 5:17, Pray without ceasing, pray constantly; in other words, never stop praying.

Have a good day and thanks for reading the blog.

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