Questions about Heaven

I had a couple good questions asked about “The Rapture” message especially related to 1Thessalonians chapter 4. 

 ”The scripture seems to imply that people who have died are just dead, and will be raised to heaven only at the time of Christ’s return.  Yet we all seem to believe, and state, that our deceased loved ones have gone to heaven and wait for us there.  Do our souls after death just go into some limbo state?  Or do our souls, as believing Christian’s, immediately go to be with God?

The Bible tells us that “To be absent from the Body is to be at home with the Lord!”  (2 Corinthians 5:8)  Thessalonians is talking instead about the great day of the Lord, when God redeems all His Church into His eternal Kingdom, dead and living, through the resurrection,  meaning when we die our Spirit is lifted to God and then waits for the day of the resurrection of the Body and the transformation of God’s people and God’s Church (sin and death done).  When Jesus died, His spirit immediately was lifted to God but 3 days later He experienced a bodily resurrection.   In Matthew 16:3,4 we have Jesus meeting with Elijah and Moses on the Mount of Transfiguration, two men that had died long before, and yet their spirits had been in heaven, too waiting for the full resurrection.  Jesus also tells the story of Lazarus, the rich man, who, while in hell looks up into heaven and sees Abraham in “God’s bosom”    The Bible speaks often of the spirit/soul in each person.  In Thessalonians the word “Sleep”  is used, a word often used for the death of a Christian meaning the Body is “Dead, asleep” but the spirit is still alive.  This has been the belief of almost every Protestant Church since the reformation, and I believe, the clear belief of the early Church. The spirit that God created and placed in each person is not going to remain in a grave until The Rapture, nor do I believe is capable of remaining in a grave, but will be reunited with the Body at the last day.  This is the purpose of redemption and salvation that Jesus already walked through for us.

The Picture is that Jesus comes back to earth with those who had ”been asleep” meaning their bodies are dead, and often dust, but their spirits are with him in the place prepared as John 14 tells us. Then the resurrection takes place, a transformation “Like unto His glorious body”.  God’s purpose since the garden has been to restore what had been lost This calls for the full resurrection of body as well as the soul which happens  for the Church at the point of the rapture. God will have His Church and will not lose His people.  The same God that created the earth will recreate it.

Revelation and Dispensationalism

I received a question basically asking me what I think of Dispensationalism.  This is a huge question.  For me to be able to answerat all I have enclosed a “classic” dispensational Chart.  Dispensationalism divides history both Biblical and Kingdom up into dispensations, with God often dealing differently with people during each dispensation.  For many who divide history up in dispensations we are now in the Church or grace age.  Some will also take the Church age, the last 2,000 years, and divide it up as well, with periods in Church history defined by the seven letters to the seven churches in asia, most who do this say we are now in the Laodicean Church period, the lukewarm Church.    But for those who structure salvation history by dispensations you can have many different divisions, names, and causes for that dispensation. There is the dispensation of innoncence or the time in the garden of Eden.  There is the dispensation before Noah’s flood, and then the dispensation of promise after.  There is the dispensation of the law, or Israel.  Included in dispensationalism is the age of a tribulation, a milliniual reign, Etc.  For the dispensationalist there are sucessive periods in history with each defined by a particular covenant with God, law is one,  grace is another.  This doctrine was originally defined by a Scottish pastor in the Bretheren movement named John Darby over 150 years ago.  Classic dispensationalists separate the Church from Israel and believe that God will keep Old Testament promises to Israel  as a nation, and that the Church has a separate line of grace that defines it.  The key componentof dispensationalism is that one day there will be a milliniual reign on earth, one thousand years, where Christ and His followers will rule the world from Jerusalem.  But again, there are huge divergences in beliefs and breakdown in dispensational teaching.  In recent years people lie Hal Lindsay and Tim LaHay have championed dispensational teaching.  Dispensationalists almost always believe in a 7 year tribulation preceded by a rapture of the Church and concluded by the 1000 year millenium, then Christ returns to judge the living and the dead and a new heavens and a new earth begins.  I will seek to address some of this in upcoming messages.  Now what do I think?  When people have tried to put God in a box they have almost always been wrong.  The religious leaders of Israel did this when they defined their understanding of the messiah and when He came they missed Him.  God is a God of surprises. What a surprise that He would die for us to save us.  What a surprise that He would deliver His people through a man named Moses.  Could we find a more unlikely character than Paul to be the apostle to the gentiles.  Who would have guessed that 2,000 years would go be before Christ has come when the early Church thought His coming was immanent.  I belive in Christ’s return one day.  I believe that one day there will be a new heaven’s and a new earth with no more mourning, crying or pain, a place where Christ is the light of that place.  I believe God will be faithful to His followers and will not lose one.  I belive that whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved and that God loves me and I love God.  I believe God is a God of grace but I also believes He will one day judge those that turn their back on Him.  I believe in heaven, the resurrection, and that life is eternal.  Maybe dispensationalism is the way to understand the Bible, I have a tendency to think not and that God wishes we spent more time worshiping Him and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ rather than trying to figure out the future.  Again, I will say more about this in the messages to come.  I think Dispensationalism is fascinating and sincere people for that last 150 years have tried valiantlyto break down the Bible is more understandable ways.  Jesus did not do this as a teacher and neither did Paul, so maybe we go to far.  As we walk through Revelation together I hope we can come together on the Biblical truths that save us and define us, as well as understand the amazing time in history we live in.  What do I know for sure.  Jesus Christ will return to the earth one day.  God’s people will be separated from those who are not.  There will come a judgement.  The earth will end one day and God will bring a new one.  We will see Him face to face and not look through the mirror dimly one another.  No one can pluck us from His hand.  And as Peter tell us, “God is long suffering, not willing that any perish but all inherit everlasting life”.

Thoughts on the Antichrist

This weekend I begin a new message series on “The Revelation of St. John the Apostle,” this by special request from tons of our church family in response to a survey I did last summer.

Maybe one of the most overwhelming images that people often get from Revelation is the idea of “The Antichrist!”  Question:  how many times does Revelation mention the word Antichrist?  Answer:  none!  Though an evil character who calls the world to worship Him instead of God, a character that is against Christ is mentioned.  This is probably surprising to many.  The central figure of Revelation is not the Antichrist; it is the Christ, Jesus.

In the last 80 years or so, many world leaders have been claimed to be the Antichrist including Franklin Delano Roosevelt (because he began Social Security numbers, and Revelation talks about people getting a number to buy and sell).  Of course, many thought Mussolini, the fascist dictator of Italy at the beginning of WWII, was him.  Others pointed at Hitler, some at John F Kennedy because he was Catholic, others to every Pope, some Kissinger, a few Nixon, some even Ronald Wilson Reagan (because each of his names had 6 letters, 666).  Martin Luther claimed the Pope was the Antichrist, the Pope said Martin Luther was the bad guy.  In recent years, claims have been made that Sadaam Hussein, Osama Ben Laden, Putin, Ahmadinejad and even Obama are the Antichrist.  One pastor recently claimed that Oprah Winfrey was surely the Antichrist (seriously).  Even if someone figures out who this mysterious figure is or isn’t, it doesn’t change a thing.  The Task of the Christian is still to follow Jesus Christ.

The story of Revelation is the story of the relationship between Jesus Christ and His Church, a story of redemption, of faithfulness and faith, of God’s love for His people, of a time that will come when sin, death and evil will die, and God, good and life finally wins.  We see it in the beautiful picture of a new heaven and a new earth as portrayed at the end of the book:

“God will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death;  there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away . . . He who overcomes will inherit these things and I will be their God and they will be my children!” Revelation 21:3 b4, 7

Our task is never to be obsessed with the Antichrist, but instead obsessed with Jesus.

I hope you will join us at one of our worship services as we take a look at Revelation, the last book of the Bible.

Revelation

This weekend I began a message series on Revelation, the most misunderstood and misused book of the Bible. It was not written to just foretell the future, it was written to encourage the Christian. If I am not encouraged in the reading, then I either am reading it wrong, don’t understand who Jesus really is, or I have yet to enter into a saving relationship with a loving savior whose full character is not complete without the picture of Him shown in Revelation. Yes Jesus is compassionate and gentle, He died for our sins, was raised from the dead, teaches us how to live, but He is also Lord and King: “In His right hand He held seven stars; and out of His mouth came a sharp two edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining its strength, and when I saw Him, I feel at His feet as a dead man. And Jesus laid His right hand on me, saying, Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the Living one; and I was dead, and behold I am alive forevermore and I have the keys of death and hell”! (Revelation 1:16-18)

Thoughts from a Motorcycle

On my study leave I got to take my motorcycle out to east Texas. As I was riding early one morning, enjoying the quiet, the fresh air, and the many trees that lined the road; it dawned on me how “Comfortable” I was, and then I remembered what I was like when I picked up motorcycle riding in 2003 after 25 years of not riding. When I got on the bike I consistently asked God to keep my safe, help me not kill myself, and to guide my ability. But on this East Texas morning I had not done that. Why? Because these last few years I have learned to ride well, gained competence and skill, and began to trust in my own learned ability. I was much less conscious of how much I still needed God for everything, to keep me safe, help me not kill myself, and guide my ability. I repented and and asked God to forgive and keep me safe despite my arrogance. As we serve God in the church and in all of life, as we life, work, love, try to make good choices I think the exact same thing often happens. We learn how to do the things we must do, even how to be realitively good Christians. Some of the things that once filled us with fear and trepedation no longer bring us to our knees, asking God for help. We find ourselves simply going through the motions of life without the relationship with God we used to have and without the spiritual undergirding that is so important. We become comfortable with our life habits and skills and leave God out more than we intend. Jesus had a deep peace, but I don’t think He ever became comfortable as he faced the challenges of His life. Bruce Wilkinson whe led Back to the Bible for many years, and also wrote the best seller The Prayer of Jabez spoke of a time of depression and burnout. In reponse to this season of his life he went to see a pastoral counselor in California. The advice was simple, “Bruce, you have competent in what you do and you have always been talented; you have learned to trust this competence and talent more than God, unlike when you began your ministry and asked God for help in everything, and it is killing you”.(Paraphrase) A huge part of being a spiritual person, I believe is constantly being dependent upon God, walking with Jesus, seeking the Holy Spirit, asking God for help and guidance in everything. When we substitute competence and habits for God, we are headed for a fall. We either began to seek God again, or we add greater callings and change in our lives from God that require us to ask for help. If you are feeling “Comfortable” with your competence and life, as I did on the motorcycle, its time to get a little scared again and venture into serious prayer as we share the life and death work together of following Jesus Christ, an adventure with far greater consequences and rewards that just the life and deat adventure on a motorcycle.

The statue of Liberty

The inscription on the Statue of Liberty speaks volumes of our past, and I pray our present and future. “GIVE ME YOUR TIRED, YOUR POOR, YOUR HUDDLED MASSES YEARNING TO BE FREE, THE WRETCHED REFUSE OF YOUR TEEMING SHORE. SEND ME THESE THE HOMELESS, TEMPEST TOSSED TO ME. I LIFT MY LAMP BESIDE THE GOLDEN DOOR.” The countries of the world have many images and feelings concerning the US, but whether it is Iran, Russia, Zimbabwe, counties under dictators or oppressive regimens, those nations with different religions, and parts of the world grindingly poor, many in those nations observe this nation and covet the liberty and freedom we sometimes take for granted. Daily people do anything they can to become a part of the American dream, a dream of freedom and opportunity, a dream I believe has been given to us by a providential God and funded by the blood and sacrifice of so many throughout our history. Recently, our Vice President led a Citizenship swearing in ceremony in Iraq, for who, soldiers who were already defending the dream of liberty and celebrating in personal sacrifice for the simple inscription this beautiful lady stands for, the only nation in the world with such a Jesus blessed invitation. God bless America.