No Tie-Breaker Needed

To keep me from becoming conceited… there was given me a thorn in my flesh…to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness” 

2 Corinthians 12:7-10a

Recently, one of the children in “Family Circus”, said, “Mother said No. Daddy said Yes. I’m going to Grandmother and ask her to break the tie.” That may work in a family, but with our God, there is no tie-breaker. His Yes is Yes and His No is No.

The apostle Paul learned this well. After his dramatic conversion, God sent him to carry the Good News to the Gentiles. With fellow believers, their travels took them as far as Turkey and Greece. Along the way, Paul faced many trials – he was flogged, beaten, imprisoned, and shipwrecked.

Churches were established and many became followers of Jesus Christ. Paul was evidently tempted to think that this was all his doing. He evidently was tempted to get a little puffed up and boast. It wasn’t his personality or his enthusiasm, but the message of his Savior. Our scripture relates his confession and God’s very definitive answer.

Reading further in his letters, we learn that Paul quit focusing on the problem and began to appreciate it, realizing that it was Christ’s strength working in him. He confesses that the weaker he got the stronger he became because he let God take over.

After Paul pleaded with God three times to take away his thorn, he accepted God’s answer. Not only did he accept God’s answer, but he was cheerful about it and controlled his words.

How would we have reacted? I don’t believe God gets angry by our repeated requests. The sooner we learn that His No is No, we can follow Paul’s example and bring glory to Him with our attitude and our actions.

Lynda S.      

A Good Wife

The LORD then said to Noah,

“Go into the ark, you and your whole family,

because I have found you righteous in this generation.”

Genesis 7:1

Noah was 480 years old when God told him to build the ark. It took him 120 years to build this "graphic illustration of the message of his life”*. (Stay fit! When you are old, God may ask you to do something really big!)

So, what were Noah’s wife, his three sons and daughters-in-law doing all of this time? Surely they were doing their part in the preparation: storing up food, preparing for the families’ clothing and personal needs, and helping to furnish the various animals’ quarters for this first cruise ship journey, all the time hearing the sarcasm of their neighbors. Let’s call Mrs. Noah “A Good Wife”. (Forgive me, please, but can’t you hear Tammy Wynette singing “Stand by Your Man”?)

Genesis 6:8 tells us that Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. Given the rest of the story, I believe that Noah led his family in obedience to God. Picture yourself during these hard years of preparation. See yourself as the rain begins to fall; as the animals come and enter the ark; as you enter this boat and the door is closed. Can you hear the panicky cries of the voices outside?

After almost a year in the ark, the whole family came out. They were all alone! Noah and his good wife became the second father and mother of the human race. Wow! We serve a God who is faithful to those who obey him. Only a few may receive the historical recognition of a Noah, but all of us can be included in His plans. God uses us little people to make big changes, He sees us through the storms, and blesses us with a one-of-a-kind rainbow!

(Remember: the ark was built by amateurs, the Titanic was built by professionals.)

Lynda S.      

*Life Application Study Bible, page 21.

Obedience and Blessings

“We have only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. 

Matthew 14:17

One of the best known events of Jesus’ ministry is the feeding of the five thousand. It was certainly significant to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John since they each included their remembrance of the afternoon in their gospels.

Jesus was tired and wanted to rest, but crowds followed Him. With compassion, He healed and continued to teach. As evening approached, He asked His disciples where they could get food. “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered (Matthew 14:17).

Jesus gave thanks, and 5000 men plus women and children were fed with twelve baskets left over. Imagine that you were there. What would be going through your mind?

John’s account of this miracle includes something not in the other’s accounts. Jesus said, “Have the people sit down” (John 6:10a). Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted (John 6:11a).

New insights for me:

o The huge crowd obeyed him, at least the ones who were fed. Am I obeying what He has told me? Are you?

o God can and does multiply whatever we give Him. It may be food as with the boy who shared his lunch. It may be our time, our talents, or our treasures. What can you give Him today?

o The boy’s mother had probably baked the bread that he took with him.

There are many, many times when no one knows what part we had in blessing others. We may not even know ourselves, but God does. Could it be you?

As you go about your activities today, would you carry this visual picture with you? The boy returns home. Listen as he walks in the door of his home. Can you hear him? “Mom, you aren’t going to believe what happened today!”

Lynda S.      

PBPGINFWMY*

Being confident of this that He who began a good work in you will carry it to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. 

Philippians 1:6

What do you have on your “Someday, I’ll” list?  You know, something that sounds like a great idea or maybe something that you have even started. We are great starters, but not always great finishers. The good news is that God always finishes what He starts.

Have you ever watched a building under construction?  A tall fence may be built around the building site, but there are usually peep holes. You can look through the peep hole to see the work in process.

When God starts construction in us, He will complete what He starts in spite of the hang-ups, bad decisions, sins, and circumstances that we face. A Sunday Morning Bible School teacher in my church often says “and you can take that to the bank”. None of us is perfect. When you see us doing something or saying something that doesn’t remind you of Jesus, remember that you are just seeing us through a peephole. We are His work in progress.

I’m encouraged when I read the story of Genesis. As God finished each day of His creation, He proclaimed, “It is good”. That is every day until he created man, and then He didn’t say “It is good”. Do you know what He said?  Oh, yeah!  He said, “It is very good” (Genesis 1:31).

Okay, Ladies, let’s cut each other some slack being confident that our God has begun a good work in us. He’s not through. When you are tempted to say, “I wonder why she does that.” Just say, “Bless her little heart, she’s a work in progress”.

Dear Father, again I thank You for Your continuing love and discipline. Just when I start feeling “saintly”, I say or do something that humbles me. I am blessed learning how You loved and used others even as You continued Your work. Please use me. Amen

*Please be patient. God is not finished with me yet.

Lynda S. 

Joy, Joy, Joy

I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

John 15:11

In most doctors’ offices, there is a chart picturing levels of pain. The question may come, on a scale from one to ten, what is your current pain level? Using that scale, what is your joy level today? 

A number one may mean that you are digging deep to find joy. You may be worried or even sad. Would a five be sort of joyful or thinking about being joyful?  And then there’s the top of the scale. If that’s where you are, you are bursting with joy, feeling good.

 Do you remember the little chorus that we used to sing?  I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, down in my heart, down in my heart, down in my heart. That’s a ten for me.

My mother used to diagnose my joy level.  She would say, “you’ve got your hummer going again.”  I realized that I was humming along as I did my chores, shopped, or drove around. To her, that was a good sign that things were going okay in my life. 

I rediscovered my hummer recently.  I catch myself humming in my house, while I’m shopping, perhaps driving. A cashier or another shopper often comments to me, “sounds like you are really happy”.  And so I am.

You may be familiar with the passage of scripture in Galatians 5:22 which lists fruit of the Spirit. The first three are love, joy, peace. When I love God first and others second, a real sense of His peace comes over me. And what is between love and peace? There it is-JOY! Go for it!

Lynda S.

The FIve Solas: Soli Deo Gloria

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.  Romans 11:36

Ah, the fifth Sola. As stated in the Westminster Shorter Catechism: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” Soli Deo Gloria! All I do, all I say, all I think is to that end—to glorify God. Soli Deo Gloria wraps up the soul purpose of man and ties it with a neat little bow. It is not about me; it is all about God. I cannot tell you how many times I have gotten that wrong.

Think about it: all things are caused by or originate in God (are from him), are powered or sustained by Him (are through him), and are for His pleasure (are to him). To whom else belongs the glory! Paul reminds the Romans (11:33) of the deep, deep ways of God: Oh the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!     

Listen to the sounds from around the throne in heaven: “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power, for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created” (Revelation 4:11 KJV). And at the end of time, saved or not, every tongue (will) confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:11).

In what is known as His high priestly prayer (John 17), Jesus clearly states that His work on earth was Soli Deo Gloria, to glorify His Father; “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do” (17:4). 

So why not I? As Paul reiterates: To him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen (Ephesians 3:20-21). Glorifying God should filter down into every nook and cranny of my everyday life: So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). The end result, that others may see your good deeds and glorify God in return (1 Peter 2:11).

Soli Deo Gloria! Only to God’s glory.

Nancy P

The Five Solas: Sola Scriptura

The holy Scriptures are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 

2 Timothy 3:15-17

Ladies, time to connect some of the Sola dots today. There is nothing more certain in my mind than that by grace alone (Sola Gratia), through faith alone (Sola Fide), because of Christ alone (Solus Christus), I have been justified (made righteous) for this life and the next. But on what do I base my certainty? That is not an idle question now, nor was it in the sixteenth century.  

You see, in the 1500s it was becoming more and more obvious to Luther and the Reformers that the Pope and others of the prominent religious often erred in their sermons and edicts; or worse, twisted the words of God to their liking, teaching it to their congregants as Gospel truth. I say, not much has changed today.

So Scripture had to be declared the supreme authority upon which all teachings must be based, all faith must rest. Hence the fourth Sola, Sola Scriptura—Only Scripture. Truth was not up to the whims of man; truth was spelled out word for word in the Holy Bible, for everyone to see. Just read above—it is the holy Scriptures which give you the wisdom you require to base your faith on, for salvation. And it is the same Scriptures which equip you for righteous living.

And how do I know the Scriptures are the prime source for truth? Whew—big question. If I say, “because the Bible tells me so”, I am in much of a circular argument. But that is exactly what it says. More definitively though, the New Testament writers were eyewitnesses to the events they chronicled, to the point of death. Meanwhile Jesus confirmed, in words and by His life, the prophecies of the Old Testament. The reliability of the early manuscripts is accepted, extra-biblical writers like Josephus concur, and archaeology verifies events of the times.

I understand that not all knowledge is found in Scripture; but all that is necessary for salvation and life certainly is. And as scientific facts are made clear, I find them compatible.

  

My aim then is to be like the Berean Christians who: received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true (Acts 17:11). I intend to measure all circumstances, all teachings, all advice even from godly friends, all promptings of the Holy Spirit, against the yardstick of the Word of God. Sola Scriptura!

Nancy P

The Five Solas: Sola Fide

Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.”  Galatians 3:11

Once Solus Christus was established, once Sola Gratia came to be understood, Sola Fide logically followed. Only Faith! What else could the third Sola be? For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Only because Christ did it, only because God’s grace desired restored fellowship, do we come to the point of being saved through our faith. And this faith is a gift of God. As Martin Luther said, “Faith is not a human response but a work of God through the means of grace.”  

I said faith logically follows our revelation of Christ’s redemption and God’s act of grace, but apparently the step of faith is not logical at all. The sixteenth century Roman church was diluting personal faith by elevating self-merit as the way to be saved. Today, many have adopted the faith-plus theology: faith plus works, faith plus goodness, faith plus the law. If I am good enough, if I do enough, if I keep the rules, are all words in their repertoire. Everyone will get to heaven by the way he or she chooses.

Not so. Justification is not to be taken lightly, and most certainly not something I can do on my own. Justification means made righteous. In my natural born state, I am guilty no matter how good I think I am. I can do nothing to erase my guilt. It is Christ who nailed all my guilt to the cross. In that one act, redemption was done, complete, finis! It means the curtain of the Law which I cannot keep, which separated me from a Holy God, is torn in two.

But that is a divine truth I must buy into, or in other words, have faith in. Faith means I am persuaded. It means that God has opened the eyes of my heart with His gift of faith. It means I am confident in what Jesus did for me. It means I am bathed, clean in God’s grace. In plain English, Saving is all (God’s) idea and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish (Ephesians 2:8 MSG).

Only Faith!

Nancy P

The Five Solas: Sola Gratia

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive in Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

Ephesians 2:4-5

Of the five Solas the next, Sola Gratia, Only Grace, may indeed be the most beautiful to behold while the most difficult to define. It is apparent that grace births grace in many forms, but we focus on that primary grace which oozes from the heart of God. As Charles Swindoll (The Grace Awakening Guide, Page 3) says, “It is on this great theological word that our eternal destiny hangs, for the undeserved favor of God is our only hope of being accepted by Him.”

The Greek word for grace, charis, speaks of unmerited favor (mercy) shown to us by God. It is a gift, totally undeserved yet gladly given. Think of where we were: dead in transgressions. Adam and Eve fell out of God’s good grace with one careless action. How different am I?

Yet because of his great love for us God extended His grace to us down through the ages, through the wanderings and rebellions and exiles and returns, to the birth of His Son, to the hanging on a cross, through all my sins, be they unintentional or willful.

That is original grace, God’s grace, rich in mercy and compassion and tenderness and love, in abundance to the point of overflowing. Grace big enough to pull me out of the world’s muck into heaven, should I grab hold of it.

It is obvious to me that, apart from grace I would not know the majesty of the Lord, nor the sacrifice of Jesus. Why not love? Well, love can be tough. Why not mercy? Because mercy can stop with forgiveness, falling short of restoring relationship. Grace extends both love and mercy into eternity: And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:6-7).

Ah, grace. What words can describe you? What beauty embodies you! Sola Gratia it is. Thank you Almighty God. Thank you Jesus.

Nancy P

The Five Solas: Solus Christus

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name (the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth) under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.  

Acts 4:12

 Ladies, a curious set of five has come my way this past year: the Five Solas. At least, these five were curious to me, never having crossed my radar in concert. This week let us measure together the enduring quality of the basics of the Reformation.

First, are you ready to enlarge your theological vistas? Good. We begin with a Latin lesson: Sola simply means alone, or only. As Luther and Calvin and other Reformers pulled away from the Roman Church in the sixteenth century, it was important they state the foundation of their belief system succinctly. I think you will agree their Five Solas are not only foundational, but enduring.

To begin with, the church in Rome had put the saints on a pedestal, level with Jesus. You could pray to the saints and get a pass into God’s presence. Hence the first Sola, Solus Christus, Only Christ. There is no way to the Father but by the Son. Jesus leaves no wiggle room: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

In essence, Only Christ defines the Christian faith. Christ and the cross are the crux of Christianity. If we cannot agree on that point, how can we be called Christians (little Christs)? Even more basic, the Son presupposes the Father, the only true God (John 17:3). As the apostle Paul argued over and over again, the gods of the Gentiles were frivolous. It was “the God who made the world and everything in it (who was) the Lord of heaven and earth. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being’” (Acts 17:24,28). The argument persists with the philosophical who flat out deny God and heaven and hell, expecting life to end in oblivion.     

Today, sadly, many affirm Christ as a good man, a charismatic teacher, a caring person, and in the next breath drop Son of God from His resume’. Yet somehow they seem certain they will one day join God in heaven.  

Never fear ladies—fundamental doctrine is sound: there is one true God, and a heaven, and only one way to heaven. Only Christ cannot be circumvented: For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men (1Timothy 2:5-6).

Nancy P

The Unused Bank Account

Brothers, think of what you were…Not many of you were wise…But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise: God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.  1 Corinthians 1:26-27

The newspaper article told a sad story. An elderly woman had died alone, living in apparent poverty. Her neighbors in the rundown building where she lived said she had existed as frugally as possible.

Practical Christianity

Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?  James 2:15

 

 The woman behind the counter smiled warmly as I gave my glasses to her for repair. “You don’t recognize me, do you?” she asked.

Good Times and Bad

 A friend loves at all times…

Proverbs 17:7

 

Sometimes God brings special people into our lives. For me, Brenda was one of those people.

The Example

 Likewise teach the older women…to teach what is good. 

Titus 2:3

 

I don’t think I’ll ever forget Eloise. Although she was thirty years older than I, she  seemed to have endless energy. Many of her generation at our church thought they were too old to take part in the ministries, but not Eloise.

Like-Minded

…make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Philippians 2:2

Years ago I belonged to a church God was blessing until one member got mad at the pastor. The angry man began a campaign to get rid of him. Before long, the church was in turmoil. Eventually, the pastor resigned and about half the members followed him. They started a new church a few miles from the old one. 

Of course the entire community heard about the situation. Behind closed doors many of them shook their heads and snickered over the Christians who couldn’t get along. 

God is dishonored by bickering among His people. He wants belivers to avoid disharmony and pursue unity. Plainly speaking, He wants us to get along. Then we can focus on fulfilling His purpose. 

The apostle Paul talks about the importance of unity in the second chapter of Philippians. In verse 2 he urges the believers to be like-minded, to love one another, and be one in spirit and in purpose.

Being like-minded doesn’t mean we will all necessarily want the new carpet in the sanctuary to be green. Some of us may prefer another color, but that’s okay. We can have different opinions about the carpet and other matters and still be one in spirit and purpose.

Our unity isn’t threatened by our having different opinions. It’s threatened by our failing to love one another. It’s threatened when our sin nature demands, Satisfy yourself. Put your wants and needs first. Get your way. 

When we love one another, our different opinions aren’t important. They don’t become huge issues. Instead, our focus is on what we share: the gift of salvation, being part of God’s family, and doing the work He has given us.

Father, help us to love one another

Carol 

Rescue The Perishing

The challenging opening words of Fanny Crosby’s wonderful hymn “Rescue the perishing, care for the dying” still hums in my mind when I think of the beautiful red bird I rescued from my cat.

As I was holding the stunned bird in the warm comfort of my hand, I thought How often do I relax trustingly in the loving restful comfort of my Savior’s care?

All I did was chase a cat to rescue the bird from certain death.  Jesus gave His life to rescue me from certain eternal death and I act like I do not trust Him enough to relax from my “anxiety du jour”.

God’s Word is filled with pleas to come to Him for rest from weariness, for freedom from fear, for peace, comfort, and safety.

“Cast all your anxieties on Him because He cares for you”  (1^st Peter 5:7).

“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

For, like the rescued bird, the greater battle for my eternal safety has already been fought and won and I can trust and relax in the care of my Rescuer, my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Lord, help my vacillating trust of being strong one day and weak the next day to be solid and strong in YOU everyday.

Claudia Jackson

Of Birds And Men

Door opens.  Cat runs.  Cat pounces.  Cat catches bird.  NO!  NO!  Chase is on.  Cat caught.  Bird rescued.

All a prelude to a powerful God Moment. 

As I held the stunned, beautiful  red cardinal in my hand, my eyes filled with tears.  God had created this beautiful creature and He knows this little bird.

“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies?  Yet not one of them is forgotten by God”  (Luke 12:6).

I stood there soothing it and praying that it would live and fly out of my hand.

How much more God loves me.  “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows “ (Luke 12:7).    The Book of Psalms tells me “You know when I sit and when I rise, You perceive my thoughts from afar.  You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways” (Psalms 139: 2-4).

The bird blinks, clings to my finger, then flies away into the sky to do exactly what God created it to do----to glorify its Creator by its beauty in a world created for His most beloved creation, you and me.

As I am watching it fly away, I thank God for saving its life and for His great love of us, whom He rescued from certain death in the clutches of our prowling enemy.  “Be self-controlled and alert.  Your enemy prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8).

Cat mad!

Claudia Jackson

Are You Known?

Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne?  Though she may forget I will not forget you.  See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before Me. 

Isaiah 49:15-16

To paraphrase the theme song of a popular 90’s TV show, “people always want to be where somebody knows their name”.

I am personally uncomfortable walking into a room where I do not know anyone.  My hands sweating, a halt in my steps, and my eyes darting back and forth searching for a familiar face, any familiar face.  Have you felt that way, also?  I understand this is a fairly universal discomfort.

Well aware of my personal discomfort, you can imagine the joy I felt when I read in Second Timothy “God’s truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription:’The Lord knows those who are His’ “ (2 Timothy 2:19).

Hallelujah!!!  I do not have to introduce and re-introduce myself every time I come before my Lord for mercy, for grace, in petition, in adoration, worship, or gratitude.  HE knows me and remembers me. 

My name is written on His hands and in His Book of Life.

Dear Lord, there are many who long to be known and I pray they turn that longing toward You, so You will know them as Yours.

Claudia Jackson

To Filter or Not to Filter?

“Do you have a water filtration system for your home?” the colorful advertisement in the magazine queried.

No, but I have a filtration system for my life and it is the Word of God! 

I do not want my spiritual life to become debilitated due to personal or cultural influences that are hazardous to my spiritual health.  So, I must filter everything through God’s Word.  I must submit the emotional and everything else to the Biblical.  My emotions can lie to me, but the Bible never lies to me.

To use this spiritual filtration system, I must read and study God’s Word for myself, like the noble Bereans did.  The book of Acts tells us “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined Scriptures everyday to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11).

God can handle my questions, my expressions of frustration, disappointment, anger, pettiness, and peevishness when I put them through His filtration system. 

“Never will I leave you never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).

God’s Truth is a filtration device that can clean out the pollution caused by our worries and fears.

Lord, cleanse me and make me a clean, useful vessel for You.

Claudia Jackson 

Song of a Child and Song of the Ages

Three year old, Julie rocked and sang to her doll, “Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so.  Little ones to Him belong for they are weak, but, He is strong”.

As I listened to that sweet child voice sing the same words I learned as a child, I was stopped in my tracks.  Yes!  The brilliance of God’s love is that a 3 year old understands it.  It does not take a PhD in theology or a degree in astrophysics to understand and accept this profound truth.

I am saddened when I hear highly intelligent people scoff at what they call the “simple-minded” message of Christianity.  “It is too simple, there has to be more than that.”

The absolute brilliance of Christ’s message of love is its simplicity.  It is not God’s will that anyone should perish.  The book of Second Peter tells us “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone come to repentance” (2^nd Peter 3:9).  So everyone----small children, big children, adults, the intellectually weak and the intellectually strong can grasp this truth, have faith, ask forgiveness, and have eternal life.

Sing with me and believe, “Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so”.

Thank You, Lord, for the brilliant simplicity of your love and how through repentance and faith in You we can have eternal life.

Claudia Jackson 

New Beginnings: A New Heaven And Earth

Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.  For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.  According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.  For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.  

1 Thessalonians 4:13-17

Wow! What a future.  If we can just look at the big picture, our future just gets better and better the more we study God's Word.  Some day, whether we are alive or have died, we will all be caught up together in the sky to be reunited and to live with the Lord forever and forever.  What a picture!  What a future!  I can hardly wait.