When we All Get to Heaven

An Unexpected Gift

/ pastorpete51 / 5 Comments 
I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. Philippians 4:18 ESV

Last week our small group had a party to signal the beginning of a summer break. Each person brought a dish of some kind, and we even invited some of our neighbors to join us. What a wonderful time it was talking about our summer plans and upcoming travels. Towards the end of our get-together, one woman asked offhandedly if I might be interested in her old guitar which she was thinking of donating to the thrift store. I didn’t hold out much hope about her instrument, but I offered to take a look, expecting a worn-out guitar in a dilapidated case. How surprised I was when Ginger walked with carrying a professional case, which when I opened revealed a very nice Yamaha in near perfect condition. Though the strings were overdue for changing, when I put a new set on I was delighted with the tone. Unknown to our friend Ginger, I had prayed a while back for a new guitar but had forgotten about it. Excitedly I called and thanked her for such a beautiful and unexpected gift! That got me to thinking about other unexpected gifts we read about in the Bible. Of course, we must begin with God’s amazing and unexpected gift of salvation, but in today’s verse, the Apostle Paul also shows his gratitude for a gift from friends. He had neither asked for nor expected them to send him anything, but when they did, he wrote to say thank you. He says that gifts like these are a fragrant offering an acceptable sacrifice and they make the heart of God glad. Let’s be thankful for those rare moments when we receive such gifts, because in them we see a tiny reflection of the heart of Jesus who came as the most unexpected gift of all! I do hope you will enjoy one of the first songs I got to play with my new gift. Have a blessed Sunday everyone!

The Story of Two Parrots

/ pastorpete51 / 7 Comments 
Seek the Lord while he may be found;
 call upon him while he is near; Isaiah 55:6 ESV
If we have received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, then we are on the way to be with Him in Heaven. But how we will get there are what our journey will be like is in large part up to us. Today's verse calls us to seek the Lord while He may be found. Jesus also told us, that if we seek, then we would find. Are we seeking to walk closer with Him? This week as we sang the hymn, "When We All Get to Heaven", I shared a story of helping a friend of ours to move. This lady had lots of animals, including a dog, three cats, two tanks of fish and two large birds which were either parrots or macaws (Maybe my bird loving readers can explain the difference for me). We saved those birds for the last trip, but their cages were so big that there was only enough space for one of them to ride up front with me. The other, I wedged in between the boxes in the back of my pickup, and then covered him with a thick blanket. The good news was that everyone made it safely to our friend's new apartment. The bad news was that the parrot (or macaw) in the back was terrified when he got there! Susan told us it took him a week to get back to normal! The question I have for you today, is "How do you want to get to heaven?" If your salvation is assured because you have received Christ as your Savior and Lord, then I am delighted. But as you journey along through life, how close you walk with Jesus will determine the joy you will experience and be able to share with others along the way. So how would you like to arrive in heaven? Do you want to ride up front with Jesus or be wedged in between the boxes in the back with a blanket over your cage? Just a thought as you start this new week and I hope you will enjoy our hymn singing at Sunshine Christian Village from this past Saturday. If we seek the Lord while He may be found, He will give us a far more blessed journey along the way!

When We Get to Heaven

/ pastorpete51 / 6 Comments

 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 2 Corinthians 5:6 KJV

Just a few weeks ago I spent part of an afternoon with my 92 year old friend Evelyn. Since her daughter and son-in-law had left that morning on the way to the Ark Encounter and her son wasn’t coming until late afternoon, she was spending most of the day alone. So I packed up my guitar, a bit of apple cake I had made the night before and came by to keep her company for a while. At first I mostly listened as Evelyn talked to me about growing up in the 1930’s-40’s and then about her late husband who had been in the church choir as well as tidbits of family history. Finally as she was winding down, I mentioned that I had my guitar out in the car and if she would like I would bring it in so I could sing her a few of her favorite hymns. “Oh I don’t think so.” she said firmly.

“Well then I’ll still need to bring it in.” I answered politely. “The heat in the car will damage the wood.” I explained.

“”Oh if you’re going to bring it inside anyway, then go ahead and play me a few songs.” Evelyn told me. “But I can’t sing.” she added as I headed out the door. So I came in with my instrument and began warming up with, “Just a Closer Walk With Thee.” She nodded and smiled but continued a silent audience, so I encouraged her by saying, “You know even if you don’t think you can sing anymore, God is listening to your heart singing. He doesn’t care what anyone thinks it sounds like.” Then, I continued with several other hymns, until finally I began the first verse of “How Great Thou Art.” My habit while I sing the chorus of that song, is to close my eyes and imagine God surrounded by mighty angels and crowds of worshipping saints. What a thrill went through me as I opened my eyes between verses and noticed Evelyn singing along, this time with both her heart and lips!

On Mother’s Day Evelyn had a fall in her home. She wasn’t injured in the fall but because she was too weak to stand she was taken to the hospital and then admitted to the ICU. Of course our small group prayed for her to recover and at first it looked like our dear friend was rallying, but it was not to be. God had made other plans than we had and on this past Saturday Evelyn stepped from her frail body here on earth into heaven. This morning at Panera’s where I meet with a small men’s prayer group, I leaned from her son-in-law, that the last song Evelyn heard was my simple recording of When We All Get To Heaven. I don’t mention this to make it seem something special but to encourage you not to underestimate the small and simple things that God gives you an opportunity to do for others. You will never know how much the cup of cold water you give some one is needed and how fleeting your opportunity to give it. Below is the YouTube session the song she loved. I will bet dollars to donuts she is singing better than ever with all her heart right now in the presence of the Lord who listens to every song.

Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, to all the souls you can, in every place you can, at all the times you can, with all the zeal you can, as long as ever you can. John Wesley