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Jots from Pastor Jon
Dear Friends,
One of the more captivating books I have read recently is 90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper. It is a true story of life and death. It was on the New York Times bestseller list with more than 3 million copies sold. On the way home from a conference Don Piper's car was crushed by a semi-truck that had crossed over into his lane. Medical personnel said he died instantly. During those 90 minutes, while his body lay lifeless inside the ruins of his car, Piper found himself experiencing the glories of Heaven, awed by its beauty and music. Ninety minutes after the wreck, while a minister prayed for him, Piper miraculously returned to life on earth, but retained the memories during those incredible moments in Heaven. Later, he recalled that he was greeted by a crowd of people who had already died. Years earlier, when his grandfather suffered a heart attack and died, Don had been with him. Now his grandfather was the first person to greet him and give him a hug. His grandfather's face communicated an ecstatic bliss. He was also greeted by Mike Wood, a childhood friend and a devout Christian who helped Don with his faith. Mike was popular and a great athlete who died at nineteen in a car crash. Don wrote, "When I attended his funeral, I wondered if I would ever stop crying. I couldn't understand why God had taken such a dedicated disciple. Now I saw Mike in Heaven... my pain and grief vanished... the joyousness of the place wiped away any questions."
Who will be at home in Heaven? Is Heaven the kind of place where everyone will be, or would some people feel like a fish out of water in the presence of God in the afterlife? Will every human who's ever lived end up in Heaven in the end? What is the entrance requirement to Heaven? Is it like the Academy Awards where some committee somewhere votes on whom to let in? Maybe you remember the movie Albert Brooks directed a few years ago called "Defending your Life". In that movie the character played by Albert Brooks has to prove before a heavenly court that he deserved to be admitted into Heaven.
The first place we look to for what qualifies entrance into Heaven is our own merit. After all, every other religion of the world presents its own unique method of gaining merit for the afterlife, to try to earn our way into bliss. Whether it's Buddhism's eightfold path to nirvana, Islam's four pillars, or Hinduism's cycle of reincarnation and karma, every major world religion presents a "do it yourself" way to gain merit for the afterlife. Multiply these major religions a hundredfold and you'll find all kinds of cults and sectarian groups promising their own brand of merit to earn access to heaven, whether it's Hare Krishnas, the Moonies, Scientology, Hinduism, Moslem extremists, or whatever. According to a survey by Time Magazine two years ago 62% of Americans think our merits play a role in determining whether we end up in heaven or not. Yet, when it comes to our own merits the Bible presents a very unflattering picture. We'll never make it by our own merits. Isaiah 64:6 -- "All of us have become like one who is unclean, all our righteous acts are like filthy rags ..."
The best we have to offer to present ourselves as deserving Heaven is woefully inadequate. We're like Cinderella trying to get into the big dance with only our backyard rags. The best we have to wear won't get us through the front door. We need something beyond what we can provide for ourselves, we need Cinderella's fairy godmother to provide a heavenly gown. You see, for all our attempts to do the right thing, all of us have miserably failed. This is why the Bible tells us very bluntly, "All have sinned and fallen short of God's glory" (Romans 3:23). We've all blown it, we've sinned, and that's caused us to be in a state of moral uncleanness, a condition of alienation and hostility from God. We've been quarantined from God's perfect goodness and holiness. So, the Bible offers us a different way to find entrance into heaven. (2 Corinthians 5:21) -- "For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ "(New Living Translation). The text literally reads, "He became sin on our behalf." This doesn't mean that he became a sinner, but that his perfect life was the sin offering for us, according to the Bible, Jesus never sinned, not once did he break God's law, not once did he fail to obey God to the fullest. This is hard for us to even imagine since all of us have grown so accustomed to failure and sin in our own lives, yet this is the clear claim of the Bible. He willingly and voluntarily became that sin offering on the cross so we could be made right with God, so Cinderella could exchange her filthy smock for a heavenly gown to gain entrance into the great dance. This passage is clearly claiming that entrance into heaven is gained through the merits of Christ. There are two totally different approaches to getting right with God. One way is the way every other world religion seeks, the way of self improvement, do-it-yourself righteousness, the way of relying on our own merits an seeking to establish our own righteousness before God. The other way -- the way of the Bible -- is a pure gift, because it's someone else's righteousness that comes to us and covers us.
ENTRANCE INTO HEAVEN IS AN UNDESERVED GIFT THAT'S MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST. This is good news, what Christians call "The Gospel", something that's exciting to share.
God Bless you all!
Love
Pastor Jon
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Words of Faith
Dear Church Family
What do the following words make you think about ???
"Supernatural intervention", "astounding miracles", "powerful preaching", "breathtaking escapes", "harrowing journeys", "life and death decisions", "courtroom dramas", "thrilling rescues", "action and adventure" ...
Perhaps a movie or a TV program comes to mind? No, I just read the above words in a commentary about the book of Acts.
This fall we are going to begin an in-depth Bible study on Acts. It truly is one of the most exciting books in the entire Bible. When we think back to the end of the Gospels and how the disciples were running scared and even denying their Lord, (Matthew 26:56; Mark 14:50; Luke 22:6; John 18:25 - 27) in Acts we see a great transformation has taken place with these same disciples.
Those frightened and disillusioned disciples seemed the least likely people to be boldly proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. What happened? What made the difference? Acts reveals the answer. Peter, John, James and the others were transformed from cowardly men to fearless, courageous and articulate spokesmen telling others about the resurrected Christ.
Acts is the history of how the early Church began. Though there was opposition, as well as persecution, the courageous Apostles and new believers continued to share the message of Christ's love and forgiveness. This showed the Christian movement was not the work of humans but of God. Yes, Acts is the history of the early Church, and the changed men and women who helped change the world.
It's wonderful that God wants to use each one of us to help bring His glorious life-changing messages of love, forgiveness, hope and eternal life to men, women and children everywhere.
Love In Christ
Faith
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