Sunsets

Heaven’s Treasures

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments

I dreamed I was at heaven’s door

I heard its hinges creak

Around its frame a light shone out

As it opened for the King

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“What have you brought?” He asked

“From your time on earth now through”

I didn’t know what I could say

I just had to tell the truth

 

So I talked about the mission’s trips

And how each day I prayed

And how I often read His word

And all the tithes I gave

When I stopped – he paused

And then He gently said

Those were not from your truest heart

But just rituals instead”

“But the forgiveness you gave your parents

When divorce left you alone

And love you shared with strangers

When you opened up your home

And sorrowful repentant tears

And confessions in the night

Those are the things I treasure here

And are precious in my sight!”

Far Beyond all Hope

/ pastorpete51 / 4 Comments

And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”  Revelation 21:5

While love deals with what we hold in our hands and faith, with what we cannot see – hope deals with that which lies far beyond. You may love your wife, your family or your friends for who they are; but our hopes for them lie far beyond what we can imagine they can be. As John stood in amazement seeing the vision of what was to come, he heard a voice telling of new and amazing things that lay far beyond anything he could conceive. I can promise you that I will paint a picture of you, but since I am not a great artist you can imagine what the final canvas would look like. But when the God of the universe promises to make everything new we must pull up short in astonishment and ask, “What could that be?” What could He be planning with unlimited power at His command? What can He have prepared with His unfathomable wisdom for we who love and trust Him? What will our relationship of sons look like once we begin to come face to face with His pure and loving heart? Do we have any idea what lies beyond? NO! But we do stand up on tip-toe straining to see just over the horizon into the things to come that lie far beyond!

Excerpt from 31 Days of Hope

31 Days of Hope

31 Days of Hope

 

When will we get home?

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He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:7-8

“When are we getting home?” the kids used to pester their mother and I from the back seat of our car many years ago. Whether it was one hour or one day, no matter how many times we explained,  they never seemed to be able to just relax. In much the same way the disciples of Jesus who had just finished a three and a half year apprenticeship and a forty day journey of stress, sorrow and then joy wanted to know when they would  get to the end of their journey. They could have picked up a lesson from the prophet Jeremiah who looking at all the disasters around him in Jerusalem probably wondered the same thing himself. How gracious of our God to come to us, and not to just yell into the back seat, “Just sit down and be quiet!”. God knows the depths of our anxious thoughts and He comes to give us the blessed and healing assurance. that He knows not only the end of the journey but also all the stops along the way! Some days I really need to remind myself of the words of this song – “Now I’m riding in the back seat, and I find that that’s the very place to be. Now I’m riding in the back seat. And I’m leaving all the driving to the chief!”