Heaven

Our Heavenly Country

/ pastorpete51 / Leave a comment

But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. Hebrews 11:16 ESV

Two months ago few of us bothered to worry much about our seemingly invincible economy or give more than a second thought to  some medieval plague striking from out of the blue.  But since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic many of us have  been  rudely awakened to just how fragile our American dream really is. In my own personal experience I discovered that the house we had just put on the market, could not be shown to anyone. The visit to see our grandson’s graduation was cancelled and our 47th anniversary dinner (Tomorrow) is going to be take-out from Olive Garden.

 

But no matter our experience in this crisis, what the Apostle Paul tells us still holds true.

For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling. 2 Corinthians 5:2

I am not saying that the sufferings our friends, family and neighbors are passing through don’t matter. What I am discovering is that I have had my eyes focused on things of only temporary value while rarely remembering what matters most. But now that Heavenly country shines brighter than ever and it is not only for me but for anyone who will trust Jesus as Lord and Savior. On the cross Jesus has purchased for us a home with no taxes due, no repairs scheduled and which will never go up for sale. All He has asked us to do is to point others to a place that is better than our American dream. It is our heavenly country where what matters most will never pass away! Have a great week everyone. God bless and stay safe!

Packing a Suitcase For Heaven

/ pastorpete51 / 3 Comments

Cast your burden on the Lord , and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.
Psalms 55:22 ESV

Some burdens feel like an overweight suitcase dragging behind us as we run through the airport of life.  But God promises us that if we ask Him, He will carry it for us. In God’s calendar He has marked a day for our departure from our planet and like every other trip we must pack our suitcases. We have a close friend who has traveled so often that he joked that he could pack for overseas in 15 minutes. The reason for his boast was that he had learned the secret not only of what to bring, but also what to leave behind. When we pack for heaven that is doubly true. First be sure to include lots of mercy. Mercy takes up almost no space at all and considering how often we mess up here on earth I need plenty! 

Second be sure to include the portion of faith that God has given you. Remember that in heaven we will still walk by faith because even after we see His face we still need to trust in His goodness. And don’t forget to stuff in so much love, joy and praise that you may need to sit on your suitcase to get it closed. The way to have enough room for all these is learning what to leave behind. The first thing to take out is bitterness because it will make our luggage way too heavy. And as you are tossing that out you can put complaining back on the shelf as well. God won’t be interested to hear from us about our brother or sisters faults. He will instead show us how much it cost Him to forgive ours. God is so good and any day one of us will stand before Him. What we choose to pack or not pack for our most important journey will stay with us forever. Be sure to travel light!

 

 

God Loves Me Enough

/ pastorpete51 / 1 Comment

For she said, “If I touch even His garments, I will be made well.” Mark 5:28 ESV

In the culture of her day, she was a woman, who nobody wanted to be around. People considered that her disease made her unclean and that possibly God was punishing her for some hidden sin or failure. But on that day she broke the social norms which said that she should stay far away from Jesus because she believed that God loved her enough to heal her.

Do you ever wonder whether you are good enough for God? Does the way you are treated lead you to isolate yourself from others and sometimes even God? If you answered yes, then welcome to the club! All of us secretly wonder at times whether we are good enough to make the cut when it comes to God. But faith works, not when we simply believe that God is capable enough to do some miraculous act; but when we boldly risk our reputation on the fact that yes indeed: God loves me enough.

He loves enough to be born in a stable in Bethlehem. He loves me enough to teach me how to pray and to wash my feet just as He did for His disciples. He loves me enough to surrender His will as He prayed in the garden. He loves me enough to submit to a humiliating death on the cross for my sins. He loves me enough to meet me outside the tomb; just as He did for Mary. And last and best of all He loves me enough to forgive my sins, come to live in my heart and to give me a place in heaven where He loves me enough to let me sit close by His side forever!