HEAVEN

Time with Jesus - 1 Dec 2013

Hi all,

Attached herewith, please find a copy of my latest Daily Light Meditation in rhyme and metre.

Today’s meditation looks at “heaven”. What it is or is not like, is beside the point. For me, anywhere with Jesus would be heaven. The question we must ask is whether or not heaven is our ultimate destination. Many years ago, Dr A W Tozer wrote an article called, “The Way of Christ is still Narrow” Reading what he wrote over 60 years ago and looking at what we see in that which claims to be “born again Christianity”, it seems nothing has changed.

We who follow Christ in these perilous times are engaged in a war that has many fronts. Action ebbs in one sector only to flare up in another or two or ten others. The enemy is everywhere, assuming many forms and taking at any given time whatever shape best serves his evil purposes, and he is for that reason often mistaken for a friend.

Traditionally fighting men have proudly worn the uniform of their country, and could be identified as far as they could be seen. In World War II the Nazis sometimes donned the uniforms of Allied soldiers and thus managed to destroy some who would otherwise have been on the defensive against them. But this trick was no Nazi invention. It dates back to that hour when the, devil in the guise of a friend won the confidence of Mother Eve and brought about the downfall of the race.

Deception has always been an effective weapon and is deadliest when used in the field of religion. Our Lord warned against this when He said, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves”. These words have been turned into a proverb known around the world, and still we continue to be taken in by the wolves.

There was a time, no longer ago than the 1920’s & 30’s, when a Christian knew, or at least could know, where he stood. The words of Christ were taken seriously. A man either was, or was not a believer in New Testament doctrine. Clear, sharp categories existed. Black stood in sharp contrast to white; light was separated from darkness; it was possible to distinguish right from wrong, truth from error, a true believer from an unbeliever. Christians knew that they must forsake the world; and there was for the most part remarkable agreement about what was meant by the world. It was that simple.

But over the last 30 years a quiet revolution has taken place. The whole religious picture has changed. Without denying a single doctrine of the faith, multitudes of Christians have nevertheless, forsaken the faith and are as far astray as the Modernists, who were at least honest enough to repudiate the Scriptures before they began to violate them.

Many of our best-known preachers and teachers have developed ventriloquist type tongues and can now make their voices come from any direction. They have surrendered the traditional categories of religious thought. For them there is no black or white, there is only grey. Anyone who makes a claim to having “accepted Christ” is admitted at once into the goodly fellowship of the prophets and the glorious company of the apostles regardless of the worldliness of his life or the vagueness of his doctrinal beliefs.

I have listened to certain speakers and have recognized the ingredients that went to make up their teachings. A bit of Freud; a dash of Emile Coué; a lot of watered-down humanism; tender chunks of Emersonian transcendentalism, auto-suggestion a la Dale Carnegie; plenty of hopefulness and religious sentimentality, but nothing hard and sharp and specific. Nothing of the either/or of Christ and Peter and Paul. None of the “Who is on the Lord’s side” of Moses, or the “Choose you this day whom ye will serve” of Joshua: just tender pleading to “take Jesus and let Him solve your problems”.

If such as I here describe were cultists or liberals of one stripe or another, I would say nothing more about it; but many of them are professed Evangelicals. Press them and they will insist that they believe the Scriptures and accept every tenet of the historic Christian faith; but listen to them teach and you are left wondering. They are building upon sand; the rock of sound theology is not under them.

The notion is now pretty well disseminated throughout the ranks of current evangelicalism, that love is really all that matters and for that reason, we ought to receive everyone whose intention is right, regardless of his doctrinal position; granted of course that he is ready to read the Scriptures, trust Jesus and pray. The unregenerate sympathies of the fallen human heart adopt this foggy creed eagerly. The trouble is Holy Scriptures teach nothing of the kind.

The apostle Paul warned against what he called “profane and vain babblings” as for instance that of Hymenaeus and Philetus, stating that their words would “eat as doth a canker and overthrow the faith of some”. And what was their error? They merely taught a spiritual resurrection instead of a physical one.

“If a man hath the mind to get the start of other sinners and be in hell before them,” said an old divine, “he need do no more than open his sails to the winds of heretical doctrine, and he is like to make a short voyage to hell; for these bring upon their maintainers a swift destruction.”

This is nearer to Paul’s view than is that of the new evangelical latitudinarians. The way of the cross is still narrow.

Shalom

Jim & Phyllida Strickland 

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – 1 Dec 2013			Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give
©	These devotionals are the intellectual property of Jim Strickland and copyright protected. You are welcome to copy and distribute them to anyone provided it is for non-commercial Christian purposes					©
INTRODUCTION			DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	HEAVEN
Some incidents in life are “welded” into memory. Those of us who were alive at the time, can tell you exactly where we were when President Kennedy was assassinated. I was in the Drawing School in my employers offices. Everything seemed to stop. It was as though the incident was frozen in time. I could hardly believe what I was hearing. Things have never been quite the same again. The next time there was a similar experience was in July 1969. I was at home watching TV. We had just heard the voice of Neil Armstrong saying, “Tranquillity Base” here. “The eagle has landed”. Shortly afterwards the TV was receiving pictures relayed from the moon. We could see Armstrong climbing down the steps. Then those famous and unforgettable words, “One short step for a man. One giant leap for mankind”. For me it was a surreal experience. I wasn’t there; probably never would go there. But somehow it came across as if it was something of a personal achievement. Almost as though I was standing there myself. I understand many people experienced something similar. When the three astronauts arrived back in USA, they were bombarded with questions. Everyone wanted to know what it was like walking on the moon! We’d seen Armstrong and Aldrin doing a sort of kangaroo hop as they walked on the moon. Even so, everyone wanted to hear from them exactly what happened and what it was like. There were three men who travelled to the moon back then. Two men walked on it. I’ve always tried to spare a thought for Michael Collins. He remained behind orbiting the moon while the other two were doing their kangaroo hops. He was as much a part of the expedition as the others. But he had to stay behind and watch. So near and yet so far! Another and similar expression would be, “Always the bridesmaid but never the bride!” Most of us look up at the moon occasionally and wonder what it was really like up there on 20th July 1969. All we really know is what we have been told by those who have been there and from video’s taken while men were there. In many ways it’s much the same with our knowledge of heaven. We know Jesus knows all about it. We can only say what we’ve heard. He is the only person we know of who has had personal knowledge of what it is like. Some claim that they have been on a conducted tour with Jesus or an angel. Have they really had such an experience? I can’t say. They claim to have been there. I’ve no reason to believe or disbelieve them. I’d like to think they are being truthful. Some of their comments have been a tad unscriptural. But they may well be sharing with us an aspect of a deeply held belief. There are times when faith and expectations are difficult to distinguish from each other. One thing we all need to remember is that God intends creating new heavens and a new earth. He has also given us a hint of what it will be like. The last two chapters of the Book of Revelation lift the “lid” enough for us to begin to anticipate what is in store. A city big enough to fit into our moon! The men of Apollo 11 didn’t think of that one. Gates of pearl. Foundations of precious stones which “shimmer” in polarised light. Trees which bear fruit 12 times per year and with leaves with healing properties. Yes, it will be magnificent. But for me the crowning glory of heaven will be the undiluted presence of the Living God! Jim & Phyllida Strickland			17 "Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth, and no one will even think about the old ones anymore. Isaiah 65:17 NLT	What do we know of heaven? There isn’t very much. Lots of speculation and lots is double Dutch! Some say they’ve been taken there and have been shown around. I can’t contradict them. They say it’s what they found. Is it really genuine? We truly cannot say. I trust that they are accurate, or they’ll have led astray, Many trusting Christians, who’d like to know some more, About the truth of heaven and what they’re looking for. There’s problems with our visions, our concepts and our dreams. All of them are filtered through our own religious schemes. We think it should be that way! There’d be a great concern, If it were any other. And so folk quickly learn, Not to make an error in some miniscule detail! Please do not reject it. Admit you too can fail. And though you’ve no intentions of leading folk astray; Perhaps what you have mentioned did not occur that way. But heaven will be wonderful. Far better than we guess. The presence of the Master. His love! His holiness! Perhaps a little sadness about those we do not see? And lots of real thanksgiving the Lord’s admitted me! There’s an existing heaven. But it will pass away. There’s going to be a new one when God decides one day. He says He’ll be creating a new heaven and new earth. And frankly, I can hardly wait to see it come to birth. This earth of ours is plundered, polluted and defaced! It’s been the home of sinners, who’ve utterly disgraced This planet God created. He will incinerate, Anything and everything which we have known to date. Then we’ll see the new one. The one He has prepared. And we will be so thankful the old one wasn’t spared. It will be very different. The sea will disappear. The sun and moon not needed. God’s light constantly near. There’ll be no need for crying; and tears will pass away. There’ll be no more sickness and pain won’t come to stay. Death will be defeated! Swallowed up by life! The bride of Christ assembled will be The Master’s “wife”. For this we are all waiting. But something’s still in store. The Father said He’ll dwell with us until forevermore. He’ll dwell among His people; and by His special grace, We will have the privilege of looking at His face. It will be truly heaven. It’s not just an address. It’s living with the Father in truth and holiness. This is what we’re waiting for. This is His great reward. With Father, Son and Spirit! Forever with the Lord! Jim Strickland Written 1st December 2012
			22 "As surely as My new heavens and earth will remain, so will you always be My people, with a name that will never disappear," says the LORD. Isaiah 66:22 NLT
			13 But we look forward to what God has promised-a new heaven and a new earth-a place where everything that has God's approval lives. 2 Peter 3:13 GW
			1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." 5 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 21:1-5 ESV