Genesis 1:26 (NIV); Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, in Our likeness, and let them
rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all
the creatures that move along the ground.”
Each year the celebration of Easter causes us to hone in on the cross. Of course we experience the
effects of the cross every day, but the official celebratory holiday brings the actual event into focus.
It’s important to note, however, that the redemptive work of Christ did not begin there. God did not
suddenly decide, on a whim, that the world needed to be saved and that He was the One to do it. This
month we will take a look at God’s plan of redemption from creation to Calvary.
The universe was not made for itself. And our planet was not just made to exist. God created the
earth with a caretaker in mind. Right from the get-go, God sought to create something relational.
The universe He created was glorious, and Eden was magnificently beautiful, but it wasn’t the beall
and end-all. The fish and the sea and the birds and the air were a creative invention, but they
were not made in the image of the Creator. Only man received that mysteriously awesome breath
of life. What a moment! What a privilege to be one of those God-breathed creatures! God sought
something with this Adam – and seeks something with you – that is unique to all creation. There was
interaction in Eden. There was vision. There was honour. Adam and Eve were given the honour of
responsibility. They were given the vision to be creative with what the Father had created. And they
were instinctively interactive with their Maker. He spoke to them. He walked with them. He protected
them. And all this because He wanted relationship with them.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. How does it feel to know that you are one of these mysterious God-breathed creatures? Spend
some time worshipping God for making you. Ask Him to show you what He enjoyed creating in
you.
2. What is an area in your relationship with God that you would like to grow in? Spend some time in
prayer asking Him to help you to grow in this area.
3. Listen in prayer and ask God to respond to your request. What does He want to say about His
plans of growth for you?
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Friday, March 30, 2012
Foundations March 31, 2012
Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Proverbs 8-9
Our Greatest Joy
Psalm 63:1 O God, You are my God; earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh faints
for You, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. (ESV)
Being with God is the heart and soul of Heaven. Every other Heavenly pleasure will derive from
and be secondary to His presence. God’s greatest gift to us will always be Himself. To see God
will be our greatest joy, this is the wonder of our redemption – to be welcomed into the presence
of our Lord and to see Him face-to-face. David longed for this in Psalm 27:4, “One thing have I
asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of
my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple.” David was preoccupied
with God, He longed to be where God was and to gaze on His beauty. To see God’s face is to
behold His beauty. Jesus said, blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God (Matt. 5:8). In
Heaven the barriers between God and man will forever be gone. Eden’s greatest attraction was
God’s presence. The greatest tragedy of sin and the curse was that God no longer dwelt with His
people. His presence came back in a small way in the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle and the
Temple. One day, Christ will return and make a new people, a New Earth, and a new universe in
which He will dwell among His people, fully and freely. To see Jesus – what could be greater? The
most exhilarating experiences on Earth will seem tame in comparison to the thrill of seeing Jesus.
Being with Him, gazing at Him, talking with Him, worshipping Him, embracing Him, eating with Him, walking with Him, laughing with Him…imagine!!!
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. How does seeing Jesus face to face excite you?
2. David longed to be with God and was preoccupied with beholding Him. Pray that this longing
would grow in your heart; that you would earnestly desire to dwell with Him for all eternity.
3. Of all the pleasures of Heaven, being with God will be the greatest. The cool thing is that
you can know Him now; you don’t have to wait until Heaven. Ask the Lord to deepen your
relationship with Him. Pray that He would truly become your closest friend.
4. What are some of the things that God has revealed to you about Himself and about Heaven
through this month’s devotionals? Thank Him for these things.
Our Greatest Joy
Psalm 63:1 O God, You are my God; earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh faints
for You, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. (ESV)
Being with God is the heart and soul of Heaven. Every other Heavenly pleasure will derive from
and be secondary to His presence. God’s greatest gift to us will always be Himself. To see God
will be our greatest joy, this is the wonder of our redemption – to be welcomed into the presence
of our Lord and to see Him face-to-face. David longed for this in Psalm 27:4, “One thing have I
asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of
my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple.” David was preoccupied
with God, He longed to be where God was and to gaze on His beauty. To see God’s face is to
behold His beauty. Jesus said, blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God (Matt. 5:8). In
Heaven the barriers between God and man will forever be gone. Eden’s greatest attraction was
God’s presence. The greatest tragedy of sin and the curse was that God no longer dwelt with His
people. His presence came back in a small way in the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle and the
Temple. One day, Christ will return and make a new people, a New Earth, and a new universe in
which He will dwell among His people, fully and freely. To see Jesus – what could be greater? The
most exhilarating experiences on Earth will seem tame in comparison to the thrill of seeing Jesus.
Being with Him, gazing at Him, talking with Him, worshipping Him, embracing Him, eating with Him, walking with Him, laughing with Him…imagine!!!
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. How does seeing Jesus face to face excite you?
2. David longed to be with God and was preoccupied with beholding Him. Pray that this longing
would grow in your heart; that you would earnestly desire to dwell with Him for all eternity.
3. Of all the pleasures of Heaven, being with God will be the greatest. The cool thing is that
you can know Him now; you don’t have to wait until Heaven. Ask the Lord to deepen your
relationship with Him. Pray that He would truly become your closest friend.
4. What are some of the things that God has revealed to you about Himself and about Heaven
through this month’s devotionals? Thank Him for these things.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Foundations March 30, 2012
Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Proverbs 7
No More Curse
Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is
written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree” (ESV)
When Adam and Eve sinned they brought a curse into the world. After Adam sinned the ground
was cursed so when the curse is reversed then we will no longer engage in painful toil (Gen. 3:17)
but will enjoy satisfying caretaking. There will no longer be thorns or thistles (vs. 18). We will no
longer ‘return to the ground’ (vs. 19), swallowed up in death. Since the fall, people have needed
to spend the majority of their productive years in the pursuit of food, shelter and protection against
theft and war. We have been distracted and debilitated by sickness and pain. The removal of the
curse means that creation will finally be restored to what God intended (Rom. 8:19-21). Christ
will turn back the curse and restore to humanity all that we lost in Eden, and He will give us
much more! Randy Alcorn teaches that “God will lift the curse not only morally (in terms of sins)
and psychologically (in terms of sorrows), but also physically (in terms of thorns in the ground).”
Christ’s redemptive work will cover the entire curse until every sin, every sorrow and every thorn is
reckoned with. Christ not only rescues people from destruction, He will rescue the entire universe
from the destructive powers of sin. He will transform a dying earth into a vital New Earth, fresh and
uncontaminated, no longer subject to death and destruction. When Christ returns, He will not just
save man from death and destruction; He will also save the entire universe from the curse of sin,
death and destruction. He will take our old and dying world and change it into a vibrant New Earth,
fresh and uncontaminated, no longer subject to chemicals, pollution, destruction and death. Jesus
is the cure for all the environmental problems on earth. No matter what efforts we do on earth as
humans they all pale in comparison to the restoration that Jesus will do when He restores the Earth
upon His second coming. This planet is doomed without Christ’s return. The earth can only be
delivered by being resurrected by Christ upon His return.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. What excites you about the curse being removed when Jesus comes back? What are you
looking forward to having reversed?
2. Jesus really is the answer, not just for all our problems, but for all global problems too. Spend
some time praising Him for what He accomplished on the cross by defeating death and sin –
not just for you but for the universe!
3. Pray that Jesus would return soon, to reverse the curse!
No More Curse
Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is
written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree” (ESV)
When Adam and Eve sinned they brought a curse into the world. After Adam sinned the ground
was cursed so when the curse is reversed then we will no longer engage in painful toil (Gen. 3:17)
but will enjoy satisfying caretaking. There will no longer be thorns or thistles (vs. 18). We will no
longer ‘return to the ground’ (vs. 19), swallowed up in death. Since the fall, people have needed
to spend the majority of their productive years in the pursuit of food, shelter and protection against
theft and war. We have been distracted and debilitated by sickness and pain. The removal of the
curse means that creation will finally be restored to what God intended (Rom. 8:19-21). Christ
will turn back the curse and restore to humanity all that we lost in Eden, and He will give us
much more! Randy Alcorn teaches that “God will lift the curse not only morally (in terms of sins)
and psychologically (in terms of sorrows), but also physically (in terms of thorns in the ground).”
Christ’s redemptive work will cover the entire curse until every sin, every sorrow and every thorn is
reckoned with. Christ not only rescues people from destruction, He will rescue the entire universe
from the destructive powers of sin. He will transform a dying earth into a vital New Earth, fresh and
uncontaminated, no longer subject to death and destruction. When Christ returns, He will not just
save man from death and destruction; He will also save the entire universe from the curse of sin,
death and destruction. He will take our old and dying world and change it into a vibrant New Earth,
fresh and uncontaminated, no longer subject to chemicals, pollution, destruction and death. Jesus
is the cure for all the environmental problems on earth. No matter what efforts we do on earth as
humans they all pale in comparison to the restoration that Jesus will do when He restores the Earth
upon His second coming. This planet is doomed without Christ’s return. The earth can only be
delivered by being resurrected by Christ upon His return.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. What excites you about the curse being removed when Jesus comes back? What are you
looking forward to having reversed?
2. Jesus really is the answer, not just for all our problems, but for all global problems too. Spend
some time praising Him for what He accomplished on the cross by defeating death and sin –
not just for you but for the universe!
3. Pray that Jesus would return soon, to reverse the curse!
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Foundations March 29, 2012
Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Proverbs 5-6
The End or the Beginning
2 Peter 3:11-14 11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you
to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God,
because of which the Heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the Heavenly bodies will melt
as they burn! 13 But according to His promise we are waiting for new Heavens and a new earth in
which righteousness dwells. (ESV)
Just before he was hanged by the Nazi’s, Dietrich Bonhoeffer prayed aloud, “Oh, God, this is the
end; but for me it is just the beginning.” Death should not be romanticized. Death is painful and
it’s an enemy but for those who know Jesus, death is the final pain, the final enemy. As Christians,
we must not fear death but rather crave God’s perspective on the death that awaits us. Death
cannot separate us from Christ; in fact, it actually unites believers with Christ. Believers should
not cling desperately to this life but rather anticipate the life that is to come. So what do we do in
the meantime, what do we do as we live our 70-80 years here on earth? We build for eternity! We
have a brief opportunity now to build into the next life by serving God now and loving Him with all
your heart, soul, mind and strength. We must use the resources of time, money and energy to build
into His Kingdom. Once we realize that there are only two destinations – Heaven or Hell – we are
much more prone to make sure that we are living in such a way as to make the most of the time that
we have. Our choices today matter! Knowing that death is not the end but rather the beginning
changes everything. It gives shape and meaning to our present lives, it keeps us from becoming
trapped in Satan’s lies and distractions. Anticipating Heaven motivates us to live spotless lives
here and now. Focusing on Heaven should affect our activities and ambitions, our recreation and
friendships, and the way we spend our time and money.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. What are some of the ways that focusing on Heaven has affected your life?
2. Do you have God’s perspective on death? How can you grow in seeing death the way that
God sees it? Pray that you would grow in seeing death as the beginning and not as the end.
3. Pray that as a church, our anticipation of Heaven would motivate everything that we do. Pray
that those around us would see that we are living for another age and that this would motivate
them to take their faith seriously.
The End or the Beginning
2 Peter 3:11-14 11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you
to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God,
because of which the Heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the Heavenly bodies will melt
as they burn! 13 But according to His promise we are waiting for new Heavens and a new earth in
which righteousness dwells. (ESV)
Just before he was hanged by the Nazi’s, Dietrich Bonhoeffer prayed aloud, “Oh, God, this is the
end; but for me it is just the beginning.” Death should not be romanticized. Death is painful and
it’s an enemy but for those who know Jesus, death is the final pain, the final enemy. As Christians,
we must not fear death but rather crave God’s perspective on the death that awaits us. Death
cannot separate us from Christ; in fact, it actually unites believers with Christ. Believers should
not cling desperately to this life but rather anticipate the life that is to come. So what do we do in
the meantime, what do we do as we live our 70-80 years here on earth? We build for eternity! We
have a brief opportunity now to build into the next life by serving God now and loving Him with all
your heart, soul, mind and strength. We must use the resources of time, money and energy to build
into His Kingdom. Once we realize that there are only two destinations – Heaven or Hell – we are
much more prone to make sure that we are living in such a way as to make the most of the time that
we have. Our choices today matter! Knowing that death is not the end but rather the beginning
changes everything. It gives shape and meaning to our present lives, it keeps us from becoming
trapped in Satan’s lies and distractions. Anticipating Heaven motivates us to live spotless lives
here and now. Focusing on Heaven should affect our activities and ambitions, our recreation and
friendships, and the way we spend our time and money.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. What are some of the ways that focusing on Heaven has affected your life?
2. Do you have God’s perspective on death? How can you grow in seeing death the way that
God sees it? Pray that you would grow in seeing death as the beginning and not as the end.
3. Pray that as a church, our anticipation of Heaven would motivate everything that we do. Pray
that those around us would see that we are living for another age and that this would motivate
them to take their faith seriously.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Foundations March 28, 2012
Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Proverbs 4
Cultivate a Love for Heaven
Colossians 1:3-5 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for
you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5
because of the hope laid up for you in Heaven. (ESV)
A.W. Tozer wrote, “In nature, everything moves in the direction of its hungers. In the spiritual
world it is not otherwise. We gravitate toward our inward longings, provided of course that those
longings are strong enough to move us.” We must spend our lives cultivating our love for Heaven
by meditating on what Scripture says about Heaven, praying for this desire and through talking to
others, including our kids, about Heaven. When we begin to focus on Heaven then our present
lives take on a whole new focus – our earthly lives begin to matter and our conversations with
loved ones matter. Work, leisure, creativity and intellectual stimulation matter because they are all
eternal. What God tells us about our future lives enable us to interpret our past and serve Him in
our present. As Christians, it’s time to stop acting as if Heaven was a myth, an impossible dream,
a relentlessly dull meeting, or an unimportant distraction from real life. We need to see Heaven for
what it is made for. If we do, we’ll embrace it with contagious joy, excitement and anticipation and
we’ll influence many to want to go there too!
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. How does your enthusiasm or lack of enthusiasm for Heaven affect those around you and
their desire to want to go to Heaven?
2. Ask the Lord to show you ways that you can grow in cultivating a longing for Heaven.
3. Pray that all that you do (your work, leisure, creativity, intellectual stimulation, etc.) would all
take on an eternal focus. Ask the Lord to show you what that would look like for you.
4. Spend some time praising God and thanking Him for helping you focus your life on what
matters, on the eternal!
Cultivate a Love for Heaven
Colossians 1:3-5 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for
you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5
because of the hope laid up for you in Heaven. (ESV)
A.W. Tozer wrote, “In nature, everything moves in the direction of its hungers. In the spiritual
world it is not otherwise. We gravitate toward our inward longings, provided of course that those
longings are strong enough to move us.” We must spend our lives cultivating our love for Heaven
by meditating on what Scripture says about Heaven, praying for this desire and through talking to
others, including our kids, about Heaven. When we begin to focus on Heaven then our present
lives take on a whole new focus – our earthly lives begin to matter and our conversations with
loved ones matter. Work, leisure, creativity and intellectual stimulation matter because they are all
eternal. What God tells us about our future lives enable us to interpret our past and serve Him in
our present. As Christians, it’s time to stop acting as if Heaven was a myth, an impossible dream,
a relentlessly dull meeting, or an unimportant distraction from real life. We need to see Heaven for
what it is made for. If we do, we’ll embrace it with contagious joy, excitement and anticipation and
we’ll influence many to want to go there too!
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. How does your enthusiasm or lack of enthusiasm for Heaven affect those around you and
their desire to want to go to Heaven?
2. Ask the Lord to show you ways that you can grow in cultivating a longing for Heaven.
3. Pray that all that you do (your work, leisure, creativity, intellectual stimulation, etc.) would all
take on an eternal focus. Ask the Lord to show you what that would look like for you.
4. Spend some time praising God and thanking Him for helping you focus your life on what
matters, on the eternal!
Monday, March 26, 2012
Foundations March 27, 2012
Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Proverbs 2-3
Living in Light of Heaven
Philippians 3:20-21 20 But our citizenship is in Heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord
Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body, by the power that
enables Him even to subject all things to Himself.
C.S. Lewis said, “I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, which I shall not find
till after death; I must never let it get snowed under or turned aside; I must make it the main object
of life to press on to that country and to help others to do the same.” Our real home is in Heaven
and eventually on the New Earth. Have you ever gone on a trip and gotten homesick? Have you
ever craved your mom’s or wife’s special home cooked meals? Home brings comfort, it’s the place
where we can be ourselves, sit back and relax. When you’re on a long trip then coming come
brings a sense of anticipation as you get closer and closer. For some people the thought of home
brings back bad memories but our true home in Heaven will only have good qualities. It will never
burn down, flood or be blown away. Randy Alcorn says, “Home isn’t just a metaphor for Heaven;
it describes a physical, actual place built by Jesus. It’s a place you will share with loved ones and
friends, a place of fond familiarity, comfort and refuge, a place of marvelous smells and tastes, fine
foods, and great conversation; a place of contemplation and interaction, and expressing the gifts
and passions that God has given us. It’ll be a place of unprecedented freedom and adventure.”
The many vague stereotypes of Heaven actually hurt us far more then we realize. They diminish
our anticipation of going to Heaven and living on the New Earth they keep us from living like they
are our real home.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Have you ever thought about Heaven and the New Earth as being your real home? Why
would this thinking help you grow in righteousness and holiness?
2. Read Randy Alcorn’s quote, written above. Is this the sort of place where you would want to
spend all of eternity?
3. Pray that the Lord would impress on your heart the idea that Heaven and the New Earth is
your real home and that your desire to go there would grow.
Living in Light of Heaven
Philippians 3:20-21 20 But our citizenship is in Heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord
Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body, by the power that
enables Him even to subject all things to Himself.
C.S. Lewis said, “I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, which I shall not find
till after death; I must never let it get snowed under or turned aside; I must make it the main object
of life to press on to that country and to help others to do the same.” Our real home is in Heaven
and eventually on the New Earth. Have you ever gone on a trip and gotten homesick? Have you
ever craved your mom’s or wife’s special home cooked meals? Home brings comfort, it’s the place
where we can be ourselves, sit back and relax. When you’re on a long trip then coming come
brings a sense of anticipation as you get closer and closer. For some people the thought of home
brings back bad memories but our true home in Heaven will only have good qualities. It will never
burn down, flood or be blown away. Randy Alcorn says, “Home isn’t just a metaphor for Heaven;
it describes a physical, actual place built by Jesus. It’s a place you will share with loved ones and
friends, a place of fond familiarity, comfort and refuge, a place of marvelous smells and tastes, fine
foods, and great conversation; a place of contemplation and interaction, and expressing the gifts
and passions that God has given us. It’ll be a place of unprecedented freedom and adventure.”
The many vague stereotypes of Heaven actually hurt us far more then we realize. They diminish
our anticipation of going to Heaven and living on the New Earth they keep us from living like they
are our real home.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Have you ever thought about Heaven and the New Earth as being your real home? Why
would this thinking help you grow in righteousness and holiness?
2. Read Randy Alcorn’s quote, written above. Is this the sort of place where you would want to
spend all of eternity?
3. Pray that the Lord would impress on your heart the idea that Heaven and the New Earth is
your real home and that your desire to go there would grow.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Foundations March 26, 2012
Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Proverbs 1
Faith and Works
2 Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may
receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” (NIV)
1 Corinthians 3:13-15 “… [The] fire will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If what he has built
survives, he will receive his reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved,
but only as one escaping through the flames.” (NIV)
Paul wrote today’s verses to the Christians at the church of Corinth. He is speaking of the judgment
where all Christians give account of their lives on earth. Jesus blood cleanses us from all the
sins that would have kept us from Heaven but it doesn’t exempt us from the judgment of how we
conducted ourselves as believers – whether good or bad. It is evident that this judgment does not
determine destination (vs. 15) but rather the rewards a person will receive in Heaven. There are
two key things to remember:
• Belief and repentance determines your eternal destination
• Behaviour and works determines your eternal rewards
Many people get this backwards and believe that you earn Heaven but when you get into Heaven
all the rewards are free. Whether or not you end up in Heaven or Hell will be determined by
whether or not you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ. Matthew 7:21 tells us that not everyone
who says to Jesus, “Lord, Lord” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. It’s not about giving Him lip
service, going to church or even serving Him (although these things are important); you must have
faith in order to be born again. Once you enter Heaven, you will give an account for your life.
Some people that go to Heaven will receive little to no rewards; others will have piles of rewards
awaiting them in Heaven. How you live your life will determine your rewards. What you do today
will determine what Heaven will be like for you someday. God has an individualized life plan of
good works for each of us to do and He will reward us according to whether or not we do them. In
the next life, God will reward your faithfulness in this life.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. If you were to give an account for your life today, what would that look like?
2. Spend some time in listening prayer, asking the Lord to show you what good works He has
called you to do. Commit to obeying Him in these areas.
3. Thank the Lord for the opportunity to earn the Heavenly rewards that He desires to give you.
Faith and Works
2 Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may
receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” (NIV)
1 Corinthians 3:13-15 “… [The] fire will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If what he has built
survives, he will receive his reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved,
but only as one escaping through the flames.” (NIV)
Paul wrote today’s verses to the Christians at the church of Corinth. He is speaking of the judgment
where all Christians give account of their lives on earth. Jesus blood cleanses us from all the
sins that would have kept us from Heaven but it doesn’t exempt us from the judgment of how we
conducted ourselves as believers – whether good or bad. It is evident that this judgment does not
determine destination (vs. 15) but rather the rewards a person will receive in Heaven. There are
two key things to remember:
• Belief and repentance determines your eternal destination
• Behaviour and works determines your eternal rewards
Many people get this backwards and believe that you earn Heaven but when you get into Heaven
all the rewards are free. Whether or not you end up in Heaven or Hell will be determined by
whether or not you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ. Matthew 7:21 tells us that not everyone
who says to Jesus, “Lord, Lord” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. It’s not about giving Him lip
service, going to church or even serving Him (although these things are important); you must have
faith in order to be born again. Once you enter Heaven, you will give an account for your life.
Some people that go to Heaven will receive little to no rewards; others will have piles of rewards
awaiting them in Heaven. How you live your life will determine your rewards. What you do today
will determine what Heaven will be like for you someday. God has an individualized life plan of
good works for each of us to do and He will reward us according to whether or not we do them. In
the next life, God will reward your faithfulness in this life.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. If you were to give an account for your life today, what would that look like?
2. Spend some time in listening prayer, asking the Lord to show you what good works He has
called you to do. Commit to obeying Him in these areas.
3. Thank the Lord for the opportunity to earn the Heavenly rewards that He desires to give you.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Foundations March 25, 2012
Second Chances???
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient
with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (NIV)
Does God give us a second chance after death, to choose Him? No. God gives people every
chance possible before they die to choose Him. After they die, no one will be able to say, “If only
you had given me another year, I would have made a decision to follow you.” The Bible teaches
that God is delaying the return of Jesus precisely to give everybody all the time He possibly can so
they will come to Him. God is fair; He isn’t trying to make it difficult. He’s patiently giving as much
opportunity as possible for people to choose Him. Now is the time for the second chance, the
third chance, the fourth chance, etc. There won’t be another chance after you die. The doctrine
of purgatory simply doesn’t exist in Scripture. Having a second chance after you die actually is
coercive. It’s like holding a paddle over a young boy and saying, “are you sorry for hurting your
sister?” You would get the answer “yes” no matter if he was sorry or not because he just wants to
avoid punishment. A person with a second chance after death would not be choosing God or His
Kingdom; he would only be choosing to avoid judgment. Heaven, however, will be populated with
people who chose God and His Kingdom because they love and desire Him. Perhaps you scoff at
the whole notion of Hell. Let this illustration help focus your sight. “Two men owned farms side by
side. One was a bitter atheist, the other a devout Christian. Constantly annoyed by the Christian for
his trust in God, the atheist said to him one winter, “Let’s plant our crops as usual this spring, each
the same number of acres. You pray to your God, and I’ll curse Him. Then come October, let’s see
who has the bigger crop.” When October came the atheist was delighted because his crop was
larger. “See you fool,” he taunted, “what do you have to say for your God now?” “My God,” replied
the Christian farmer; “doesn’t settle all His accounts in October.”
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. God is fair and because of that there are no second chances after you die. Are you ready to
meet Him if you were to die today? If not, what do you need to do in order to be ready?
2. Heaven will be populated with people who choose God, not people who merely are choosing
to avoid judgment. How are you choosing God today? What fruit is in your life as evidence
that you have chosen God?
3. Pray that the lost will realize that there are no second chances after they die and see the
importance of choosing God now.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient
with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (NIV)
Does God give us a second chance after death, to choose Him? No. God gives people every
chance possible before they die to choose Him. After they die, no one will be able to say, “If only
you had given me another year, I would have made a decision to follow you.” The Bible teaches
that God is delaying the return of Jesus precisely to give everybody all the time He possibly can so
they will come to Him. God is fair; He isn’t trying to make it difficult. He’s patiently giving as much
opportunity as possible for people to choose Him. Now is the time for the second chance, the
third chance, the fourth chance, etc. There won’t be another chance after you die. The doctrine
of purgatory simply doesn’t exist in Scripture. Having a second chance after you die actually is
coercive. It’s like holding a paddle over a young boy and saying, “are you sorry for hurting your
sister?” You would get the answer “yes” no matter if he was sorry or not because he just wants to
avoid punishment. A person with a second chance after death would not be choosing God or His
Kingdom; he would only be choosing to avoid judgment. Heaven, however, will be populated with
people who chose God and His Kingdom because they love and desire Him. Perhaps you scoff at
the whole notion of Hell. Let this illustration help focus your sight. “Two men owned farms side by
side. One was a bitter atheist, the other a devout Christian. Constantly annoyed by the Christian for
his trust in God, the atheist said to him one winter, “Let’s plant our crops as usual this spring, each
the same number of acres. You pray to your God, and I’ll curse Him. Then come October, let’s see
who has the bigger crop.” When October came the atheist was delighted because his crop was
larger. “See you fool,” he taunted, “what do you have to say for your God now?” “My God,” replied
the Christian farmer; “doesn’t settle all His accounts in October.”
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. God is fair and because of that there are no second chances after you die. Are you ready to
meet Him if you were to die today? If not, what do you need to do in order to be ready?
2. Heaven will be populated with people who choose God, not people who merely are choosing
to avoid judgment. How are you choosing God today? What fruit is in your life as evidence
that you have chosen God?
3. Pray that the lost will realize that there are no second chances after they die and see the
importance of choosing God now.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Foundations March 24, 2012
Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Job 41-42
Heaven vs. Hell
Hebrews 6:1-2 Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity,
not laying again the foundation of … the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. (NIV)
Matthew 10:28 … be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in Hell. (NIV)
We have already learned that when Christians die they immediately go to be with the Lord in
Paradise. One day, this Heaven will come down to dwell on the New Earth. The New Earth will
be fresh and teaming with new life and beauty, void of death, decay and disease. Christians will
receive new, youthful and recognizable bodies also void of death, decay, aging or disease. We’ll
enjoy meaningful work and relationships. There will be nations, states and cities. But does
everyone go to Heaven? Jesus didn’t teach that everyone will be saved in the end (universalism).
Those who are not saved go to Hell (Sheol, Hades, the grave) which eventually will be cast into
the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20:14). Hell and the Lake of Fire are real places. Hell was not part of the
original creation but rather Hell is something God was forced to make because people chose to
rebel and turn against Him and the purposes for which they were made. Hell will be filled with
people who have chosen to persist in God-defying rebellion. God hates Hell and hates that people
go there (Ezekiel 33:11). In fact, Hell was made for the devil and his angels (Matt 25:41). Jesus
paid a huge price so that you wouldn’t have to go there. Sin separates us from a relationship with
God (Isaiah 59:2). God is so holy that He cannot allow sin into his presence (Hab. 1:13). Because
we all are sinners we are not entitled to enter God’s presence. This means that Heaven is not our
default destination, rather Hell is. Unless our sin problem is resolved, through accepting Jesus
Christ as our Lord and Saviour, the only place we will go is our true default destination – Hell. It is
of paramount importance to make sure you are going to Heaven, not Hell, by accepting and living
with Jesus as Lord of your life. If you have any questions about this then please call the church,
someone would be happy to meet with you.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Have you accepted Jesus as Lord of your life and are you living with Him as the functional
Lord of your life? If not, what is holding you back? Ask Him to be the Lord of your life today –
what are you waiting for?
2. Pray that people would see the deceitfulness of universalism and the importance of accepting
Jesus as the One way to eternal life in Heaven.
3. God desires for all to repent and accept Jesus as Lord. Pray that as a church we would be
effective in evangelism and bringing in the harvest.
Heaven vs. Hell
Hebrews 6:1-2 Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity,
not laying again the foundation of … the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. (NIV)
Matthew 10:28 … be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in Hell. (NIV)
We have already learned that when Christians die they immediately go to be with the Lord in
Paradise. One day, this Heaven will come down to dwell on the New Earth. The New Earth will
be fresh and teaming with new life and beauty, void of death, decay and disease. Christians will
receive new, youthful and recognizable bodies also void of death, decay, aging or disease. We’ll
enjoy meaningful work and relationships. There will be nations, states and cities. But does
everyone go to Heaven? Jesus didn’t teach that everyone will be saved in the end (universalism).
Those who are not saved go to Hell (Sheol, Hades, the grave) which eventually will be cast into
the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20:14). Hell and the Lake of Fire are real places. Hell was not part of the
original creation but rather Hell is something God was forced to make because people chose to
rebel and turn against Him and the purposes for which they were made. Hell will be filled with
people who have chosen to persist in God-defying rebellion. God hates Hell and hates that people
go there (Ezekiel 33:11). In fact, Hell was made for the devil and his angels (Matt 25:41). Jesus
paid a huge price so that you wouldn’t have to go there. Sin separates us from a relationship with
God (Isaiah 59:2). God is so holy that He cannot allow sin into his presence (Hab. 1:13). Because
we all are sinners we are not entitled to enter God’s presence. This means that Heaven is not our
default destination, rather Hell is. Unless our sin problem is resolved, through accepting Jesus
Christ as our Lord and Saviour, the only place we will go is our true default destination – Hell. It is
of paramount importance to make sure you are going to Heaven, not Hell, by accepting and living
with Jesus as Lord of your life. If you have any questions about this then please call the church,
someone would be happy to meet with you.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Have you accepted Jesus as Lord of your life and are you living with Him as the functional
Lord of your life? If not, what is holding you back? Ask Him to be the Lord of your life today –
what are you waiting for?
2. Pray that people would see the deceitfulness of universalism and the importance of accepting
Jesus as the One way to eternal life in Heaven.
3. God desires for all to repent and accept Jesus as Lord. Pray that as a church we would be
effective in evangelism and bringing in the harvest.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Foundations March 23, 2012
Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Job 39-40
Relationships in Heaven
Luke 16:9 Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then,
when your earthly possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home. (NLT)
When God created the world He stepped back and pronounced it very good. Yet, God said that
there was one thing that wasn’t good – that man was alone (Genesis 2:18). God designed us for
relationships not only with Himself but also with others. According to today’s verse, our Christian
friends in Heaven appear to be those whose lives we’ve touched on Earth now. If you gave to the
Christmas offering at church then someday there will be hundreds of people who have been helped
by the ministries that this offering was supporting who will run up to you and say “thank-you”. They
will throw their arms around you and you will enjoy companionship with them! Heaven is going to
be one big family in which all family members are friends and all friends are family members. Many
of us treasure our families but others have endured heartache from twisted family relationships.
In Heaven our relationships will be harmonious. What great news! Some people worry about
what kind of relationship they will have with their spouse in Heaven. On earth, people with good
marriages are each other’s best friends. There’s no reason to believe that you won’t be best
friends in Heaven too. The institution of marriage will end, having fulfilled its purpose but nothing in
Scripture hints that deep relationships between anybody in our lives will end. What about children?
You will still have relationships with your children in Heaven, assuming that they are saved.
Relationships matter to God, what we do here touches strings that vibrate for all eternity. There’s
every reason to believe that we’ll pick right up in Heaven with relationships from Earth. We’ll gain
new relationships too and we’ll deepen old ones. There is continuity between this life and the next
which suggests that our relationships and lives have eternal consequences. Paul speaks of his
anticipation of being with the Thessalonians and encourages them to look forward to rejoining their
loved ones in Heaven.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Who are some of the people whom you have invested time, money or energy into? Does it
encourage you that they will be your friends in Heaven? Does it make you want to invest more
into people?
2. Spend some time praying for lost loved ones. Your prayers matter, you have the potential to
be with these people for all of eternity, if they get saved! How does this motivate you to endure
faithfully in prayer?
3. Thank the Lord for His love of relationships, that there is no loneliness in Heaven but joy and
lots of friendships!
Relationships in Heaven
Luke 16:9 Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then,
when your earthly possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home. (NLT)
When God created the world He stepped back and pronounced it very good. Yet, God said that
there was one thing that wasn’t good – that man was alone (Genesis 2:18). God designed us for
relationships not only with Himself but also with others. According to today’s verse, our Christian
friends in Heaven appear to be those whose lives we’ve touched on Earth now. If you gave to the
Christmas offering at church then someday there will be hundreds of people who have been helped
by the ministries that this offering was supporting who will run up to you and say “thank-you”. They
will throw their arms around you and you will enjoy companionship with them! Heaven is going to
be one big family in which all family members are friends and all friends are family members. Many
of us treasure our families but others have endured heartache from twisted family relationships.
In Heaven our relationships will be harmonious. What great news! Some people worry about
what kind of relationship they will have with their spouse in Heaven. On earth, people with good
marriages are each other’s best friends. There’s no reason to believe that you won’t be best
friends in Heaven too. The institution of marriage will end, having fulfilled its purpose but nothing in
Scripture hints that deep relationships between anybody in our lives will end. What about children?
You will still have relationships with your children in Heaven, assuming that they are saved.
Relationships matter to God, what we do here touches strings that vibrate for all eternity. There’s
every reason to believe that we’ll pick right up in Heaven with relationships from Earth. We’ll gain
new relationships too and we’ll deepen old ones. There is continuity between this life and the next
which suggests that our relationships and lives have eternal consequences. Paul speaks of his
anticipation of being with the Thessalonians and encourages them to look forward to rejoining their
loved ones in Heaven.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Who are some of the people whom you have invested time, money or energy into? Does it
encourage you that they will be your friends in Heaven? Does it make you want to invest more
into people?
2. Spend some time praying for lost loved ones. Your prayers matter, you have the potential to
be with these people for all of eternity, if they get saved! How does this motivate you to endure
faithfully in prayer?
3. Thank the Lord for His love of relationships, that there is no loneliness in Heaven but joy and
lots of friendships!
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Foundations March 22, 2012
Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Job 37-38
What Will We Do in Heaven?
Isaiah 9:7 His [Jesus] ever expanding, peaceful government will never end. He will rule forever
with fairness and justice from the throne of His ancestor David. (NLT)
The Bible’s picture of Heaven is a picture of resurrected people at work in a vibrant society on a
resurrected Earth. We’re going to help God run the universe! Work in Heaven won’t be frustrating
or fruitless; instead it will involve lasting accomplishment, unhindered by decay or fatigue and with
enhanced and unlimited resources. We’ll approach our work with enthusiasm and we’ll reign with
Christ and exercise authority, leadership and make important decisions. We’ll set goals, devise
plans and share ideas. Our best work days on this present earth cannot compare with the work
that we will do on the New Earth. What we are responsible for in the next age will be determined
by how we spend our time, money and resources in this age. What this means is that it is
important for us to steward our time, our talents and our lives well now because stewardship now
will be the only thing that limits you in the future. If God has given you children, parent them with
110% energy, to the best of your ability. With your money, with your time – be a steward now! It
affects your opportunity to discover and rule and learn in the Kingdom to come.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Are you pursuing accomplishments on earth (that will fade) or are you living for lasting
accomplishments in Heaven? How can you change things up in your life in order to live for
what lasts in eternity?
2. What pleasures are you willing to forgo here on this earth in order to better prepare yourself
for the day when you get to feast with Him in eternity?
3. How are you stewarding your time, money, talents and resources? Are you investing in your
children? Are you being a good steward of the gifts that God has given you? Ask the Lord to
show you an area where you can grow in this.
4. Thank the Lord for what He has shown you today. In His goodness He is helping you now so
that you can enjoy lasting benefits in eternity. What a great God!
What Will We Do in Heaven?
Isaiah 9:7 His [Jesus] ever expanding, peaceful government will never end. He will rule forever
with fairness and justice from the throne of His ancestor David. (NLT)
The Bible’s picture of Heaven is a picture of resurrected people at work in a vibrant society on a
resurrected Earth. We’re going to help God run the universe! Work in Heaven won’t be frustrating
or fruitless; instead it will involve lasting accomplishment, unhindered by decay or fatigue and with
enhanced and unlimited resources. We’ll approach our work with enthusiasm and we’ll reign with
Christ and exercise authority, leadership and make important decisions. We’ll set goals, devise
plans and share ideas. Our best work days on this present earth cannot compare with the work
that we will do on the New Earth. What we are responsible for in the next age will be determined
by how we spend our time, money and resources in this age. What this means is that it is
important for us to steward our time, our talents and our lives well now because stewardship now
will be the only thing that limits you in the future. If God has given you children, parent them with
110% energy, to the best of your ability. With your money, with your time – be a steward now! It
affects your opportunity to discover and rule and learn in the Kingdom to come.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Are you pursuing accomplishments on earth (that will fade) or are you living for lasting
accomplishments in Heaven? How can you change things up in your life in order to live for
what lasts in eternity?
2. What pleasures are you willing to forgo here on this earth in order to better prepare yourself
for the day when you get to feast with Him in eternity?
3. How are you stewarding your time, money, talents and resources? Are you investing in your
children? Are you being a good steward of the gifts that God has given you? Ask the Lord to
show you an area where you can grow in this.
4. Thank the Lord for what He has shown you today. In His goodness He is helping you now so
that you can enjoy lasting benefits in eternity. What a great God!
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Foundations March 21, 2012
Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Job 35-36
Is Heaven Boring?
Psalm 16:11 In your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
(NKJV)
Will heaven be boring? This question is often asked by people who fear Heaven. We seem to have
the wrong notion that Hell is the place where all the fun people hang around together, shoot pool
and joke with friends whereas Heaven is a boring place filled with clouds and harps. This could not
be farther from the truth. Hell is a place of torment and isolation, where friendships and good times
do not exist. Hell will be deadly boring. Everything good, enjoyable, refreshing, fascinating and
interesting is derived from God. Without God there is nothing interesting to do. In the presence of
God there is no boredom, there is only joy and pleasure! We won’t be bored in Heaven! Our belief
that Heaven is boring betrays a heresy – that God is boring. There’s no greater non-sense. Our
desire for pleasure and the experience of joy comes directly from God’s hand. Are we so arrogant
as to think that fun was invented by humans? People wrongfully assume that sin is exciting and
righteousness is boring. We’ve fallen for the devil’s lies. His most basic strategy, the same one he
employed with Adam and Eve, it to make us believe that sin brings fulfillment. However, in reality, sin robs us of fulfillment. Sin doesn’t make life interesting; it makes life empty. Sin’s emptiness leads
to boredom. Where there’s fulfillment, where there’s beauty, when we see God as He truly is – an
endless river of fascination – boredom is simply impossible. Those who believe that excitement can’t
exist without sin are thinking with sin-poisoned minds. Drug addicts are convinced that without their
drug they can’t live happy lives. Yet everyone can see that drugs make them miserable. Freedom
from sin will mean freedom to be what God intended, freedom to find far greater joy in everything.
Heaven will be filled with joy and eternal pleasures.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Have you ever thought that Heaven will be boring? Confess that you have believed this lie,
asking the Lord to forgive you.
2. Everything good, enjoyable, refreshing, fascinating and interesting is derived from God. What
does this tell you about the kind of relationship that you can have with God right now? Do you
have this kind of relationship with Him? How can you grow in feeling this way about God?
3. Pray that the church would recognize the emptiness of sin and that they would be motivated to
pursue the God who has pleasure at His right hand.
Is Heaven Boring?
Psalm 16:11 In your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
(NKJV)
Will heaven be boring? This question is often asked by people who fear Heaven. We seem to have
the wrong notion that Hell is the place where all the fun people hang around together, shoot pool
and joke with friends whereas Heaven is a boring place filled with clouds and harps. This could not
be farther from the truth. Hell is a place of torment and isolation, where friendships and good times
do not exist. Hell will be deadly boring. Everything good, enjoyable, refreshing, fascinating and
interesting is derived from God. Without God there is nothing interesting to do. In the presence of
God there is no boredom, there is only joy and pleasure! We won’t be bored in Heaven! Our belief
that Heaven is boring betrays a heresy – that God is boring. There’s no greater non-sense. Our
desire for pleasure and the experience of joy comes directly from God’s hand. Are we so arrogant
as to think that fun was invented by humans? People wrongfully assume that sin is exciting and
righteousness is boring. We’ve fallen for the devil’s lies. His most basic strategy, the same one he
employed with Adam and Eve, it to make us believe that sin brings fulfillment. However, in reality, sin robs us of fulfillment. Sin doesn’t make life interesting; it makes life empty. Sin’s emptiness leads
to boredom. Where there’s fulfillment, where there’s beauty, when we see God as He truly is – an
endless river of fascination – boredom is simply impossible. Those who believe that excitement can’t
exist without sin are thinking with sin-poisoned minds. Drug addicts are convinced that without their
drug they can’t live happy lives. Yet everyone can see that drugs make them miserable. Freedom
from sin will mean freedom to be what God intended, freedom to find far greater joy in everything.
Heaven will be filled with joy and eternal pleasures.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Have you ever thought that Heaven will be boring? Confess that you have believed this lie,
asking the Lord to forgive you.
2. Everything good, enjoyable, refreshing, fascinating and interesting is derived from God. What
does this tell you about the kind of relationship that you can have with God right now? Do you
have this kind of relationship with Him? How can you grow in feeling this way about God?
3. Pray that the church would recognize the emptiness of sin and that they would be motivated to
pursue the God who has pleasure at His right hand.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Foundations March 20, 2012
Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Job 33-34
What about Time?
Revelation 22:2 On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding
its fruit every month. (NIV)
Revelation 8:1 When He opened the seventh seal; there was silence in Heaven for about half an
hour. (NIV)
Revelation 7:15 Therefore, “they are before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His
temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tent over them. (NIV)
Some people are afraid to go to Heaven because they can’t comprehend something that is eternal,
that Heaven is forever. Isn’t forever a really long time? They fear that if we live forever and ever
without end that life is going to eventually become boring. One of the reasons that people have this
fear is because they hold a false view that eternity and time cannot co-exist. But if you take time
out of the equation then what you are left with is one big bright unchanging never-ending moment
for all eternity. There are a lot of Scriptures that talk about time in Heaven (three of them are listed
above, as today’s verses). The Bible is very clear that there will be time on the New Earth. We
have a wrong concept of time here on earth. In this present age, time means aging, it means that
people die and we are separated from them, it means that things that we have been looking forward
to come and end, the passage of time is often seen as a bad thing – people crave youth and vitality,
not becoming old and aged. Yet on the New Earth there will be no death and decay, the passage of
time will not be a negative thing. You will always have more to look forward to then you’ve had so far
in the past.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. How does a correct concept of time in eternity motive you to want to go to Heaven?
2. On earth we often equate time with aging and therefore see the passage of time as negative.
How will these things be changed on the New Earth?
3. What things are you looking forward to in regards to the New Earth?
4. Pray that as a church we would grow in our understanding of Heaven and that this would
motivate us to do Kingdom work and bring in the Harvest.
What about Time?
Revelation 22:2 On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding
its fruit every month. (NIV)
Revelation 8:1 When He opened the seventh seal; there was silence in Heaven for about half an
hour. (NIV)
Revelation 7:15 Therefore, “they are before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His
temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tent over them. (NIV)
Some people are afraid to go to Heaven because they can’t comprehend something that is eternal,
that Heaven is forever. Isn’t forever a really long time? They fear that if we live forever and ever
without end that life is going to eventually become boring. One of the reasons that people have this
fear is because they hold a false view that eternity and time cannot co-exist. But if you take time
out of the equation then what you are left with is one big bright unchanging never-ending moment
for all eternity. There are a lot of Scriptures that talk about time in Heaven (three of them are listed
above, as today’s verses). The Bible is very clear that there will be time on the New Earth. We
have a wrong concept of time here on earth. In this present age, time means aging, it means that
people die and we are separated from them, it means that things that we have been looking forward
to come and end, the passage of time is often seen as a bad thing – people crave youth and vitality,
not becoming old and aged. Yet on the New Earth there will be no death and decay, the passage of
time will not be a negative thing. You will always have more to look forward to then you’ve had so far
in the past.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. How does a correct concept of time in eternity motive you to want to go to Heaven?
2. On earth we often equate time with aging and therefore see the passage of time as negative.
How will these things be changed on the New Earth?
3. What things are you looking forward to in regards to the New Earth?
4. Pray that as a church we would grow in our understanding of Heaven and that this would
motivate us to do Kingdom work and bring in the Harvest.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Foundations March 19, 2012
Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Job 31-32
What Happened to the Heavenly City?
Revelation 21:10-11 And He carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed
me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of Heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God, its
radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. (ESV)
The Jews in New Testament times did not think of paradise and the Garden of Eden like we do
now – as two separate places; one in the past and one in the future; one earthly and one Heavenly.
Unlike us, the Jews assumed that the paradise where God lives now, and where godly people all
hope to go after they die, is the very same paradise – the Garden of Eden – that Adam and Eve
once lived in, way back in the beginning. They believed that the Garden of Eden continued to exist,
in Heaven, after Adam and Eve left it, and their hope for the future was that the Messiah would
one day welcome them back into that same Garden. This is important to realize because all of the
New Testament writers were Jews, and many of the people they were writing to were coming out
of a Jewish mindset. We know that the Garden of Eden is not on earth today and the Bible doesn’t
tell us what happened to it. We know that it used to be on earth, we know that it still exists right
now as part of the Heavenly City and we know that it will come down to the earth again someday.
Therefore, God must have taken it up from the earth at some point in the past. Believing that the
Heavenly city once went up from the earth is no more weird than believing it will one day come
down to the earth (Rev 21:1-4); if it can come down, it could certainly have gone up at some point.
Our best guess, and there are ancient Jewish writings which also attest to this, is that God took the
Heavenly city up from the earth during the Flood of Noah.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. When reading the Bible it is important to understand the Jewish mindset. Pray that as a
church we would grow in our understanding of the ancient Jewish people so that we can
continue to go deeper into the Word.
2. The Jews lived with the hope of living in Paradise one day with their God. Has your desire for
eternity grown through doing these devotionals? Pray that it will continue to grow and become
the centre of how you live your life here on earth.
3. Ask the Lord to give you deeper understanding of the Word of God and to grow you in being a
lover of Truth – His Truth, through His Word. Pray that the Scriptures would come alive to you
as you read and meditate on them.
What Happened to the Heavenly City?
Revelation 21:10-11 And He carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed
me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of Heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God, its
radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. (ESV)
The Jews in New Testament times did not think of paradise and the Garden of Eden like we do
now – as two separate places; one in the past and one in the future; one earthly and one Heavenly.
Unlike us, the Jews assumed that the paradise where God lives now, and where godly people all
hope to go after they die, is the very same paradise – the Garden of Eden – that Adam and Eve
once lived in, way back in the beginning. They believed that the Garden of Eden continued to exist,
in Heaven, after Adam and Eve left it, and their hope for the future was that the Messiah would
one day welcome them back into that same Garden. This is important to realize because all of the
New Testament writers were Jews, and many of the people they were writing to were coming out
of a Jewish mindset. We know that the Garden of Eden is not on earth today and the Bible doesn’t
tell us what happened to it. We know that it used to be on earth, we know that it still exists right
now as part of the Heavenly City and we know that it will come down to the earth again someday.
Therefore, God must have taken it up from the earth at some point in the past. Believing that the
Heavenly city once went up from the earth is no more weird than believing it will one day come
down to the earth (Rev 21:1-4); if it can come down, it could certainly have gone up at some point.
Our best guess, and there are ancient Jewish writings which also attest to this, is that God took the
Heavenly city up from the earth during the Flood of Noah.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. When reading the Bible it is important to understand the Jewish mindset. Pray that as a
church we would grow in our understanding of the ancient Jewish people so that we can
continue to go deeper into the Word.
2. The Jews lived with the hope of living in Paradise one day with their God. Has your desire for
eternity grown through doing these devotionals? Pray that it will continue to grow and become
the centre of how you live your life here on earth.
3. Ask the Lord to give you deeper understanding of the Word of God and to grow you in being a
lover of Truth – His Truth, through His Word. Pray that the Scriptures would come alive to you
as you read and meditate on them.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Foundations March 18, 2012
The Garden of Eden
Genesis 2:8 And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there He put the man
whom He had formed. (ESV)
If you were to ask most Christians to describe the Garden of Eden they would describe this big
garden that just kind of goes on and on. Kind of like a farmer’s orchard. But if that’s what Eden
was like, how would placing one cherub (with a flaming sword) in the east keep Adam and Eve and
all their descendants out (Gen. 3:22-24)? Why wouldn’t people be able to sneak in from the west,
north or south sides? We must realize that that the Garden of Eden must have had a wall around it,
with an entrance in the east. Only then would it make sense that a single cherub would have been
able to guard the way back into the Garden of Eden, from the east. We know that the Heavenly
Jerusalem has 12 gates through which people and angels may enter – three on each side (Rev
21:12-13) – then the Garden of Eden must occupy one ‘corner’ of the city. Of course, in a city as
large as the Heavenly city, a ‘corner’ could still very easily be hundreds of square miles! Today’s
verse tells us that the Garden of Eden was inside a much bigger area called Eden. When we start
to realize that Heaven is a physical place and the Garden of Eden is inside the Heavenly city itself
then it makes sense that Adam and Eve could walk with God in the cool of the day (Gen. 3:8). In
other words, God was physically living there, close to Adam and Eve, in Genesis 3. He didn’t have
to ‘zap’ down out of Heaven somewhere, because His Throne Room and Dwelling Place were
physically present in the Heavenly city. Of course, God’s Throne Room is at the top of His holy
mountain, not in the Garden; but whenever He wants, God came down into the Garden of Eden to
walk with them. Imagine the fellowship between the three of them as they physically walked with
each other!
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. God has always desired to be close to His people, to dwell with them. In what ways is He a
part of your life? How does He dwell with you?
2. As Christians, we should desire to grow in our personal relationship with Christ so that we can
dwell together with God more richly. How can you bring Him into your day today? How can
He be a part of all that you do?
3. How has your relationship with God changed the way you live your life?
4. Spend some time praying for loved ones and friends who are not in a vibrant and growing
relationship with God. Ask the Lord to give you specific names of people whom you can pray
for. Pray that they would embrace an authentic relationship with Him and have the desire to
grow.
Genesis 2:8 And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there He put the man
whom He had formed. (ESV)
If you were to ask most Christians to describe the Garden of Eden they would describe this big
garden that just kind of goes on and on. Kind of like a farmer’s orchard. But if that’s what Eden
was like, how would placing one cherub (with a flaming sword) in the east keep Adam and Eve and
all their descendants out (Gen. 3:22-24)? Why wouldn’t people be able to sneak in from the west,
north or south sides? We must realize that that the Garden of Eden must have had a wall around it,
with an entrance in the east. Only then would it make sense that a single cherub would have been
able to guard the way back into the Garden of Eden, from the east. We know that the Heavenly
Jerusalem has 12 gates through which people and angels may enter – three on each side (Rev
21:12-13) – then the Garden of Eden must occupy one ‘corner’ of the city. Of course, in a city as
large as the Heavenly city, a ‘corner’ could still very easily be hundreds of square miles! Today’s
verse tells us that the Garden of Eden was inside a much bigger area called Eden. When we start
to realize that Heaven is a physical place and the Garden of Eden is inside the Heavenly city itself
then it makes sense that Adam and Eve could walk with God in the cool of the day (Gen. 3:8). In
other words, God was physically living there, close to Adam and Eve, in Genesis 3. He didn’t have
to ‘zap’ down out of Heaven somewhere, because His Throne Room and Dwelling Place were
physically present in the Heavenly city. Of course, God’s Throne Room is at the top of His holy
mountain, not in the Garden; but whenever He wants, God came down into the Garden of Eden to
walk with them. Imagine the fellowship between the three of them as they physically walked with
each other!
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. God has always desired to be close to His people, to dwell with them. In what ways is He a
part of your life? How does He dwell with you?
2. As Christians, we should desire to grow in our personal relationship with Christ so that we can
dwell together with God more richly. How can you bring Him into your day today? How can
He be a part of all that you do?
3. How has your relationship with God changed the way you live your life?
4. Spend some time praying for loved ones and friends who are not in a vibrant and growing
relationship with God. Ask the Lord to give you specific names of people whom you can pray
for. Pray that they would embrace an authentic relationship with Him and have the desire to
grow.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Foundations March 17, 2012
Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Job 29-30
Origins of the Heavenly City
Genesis 2:9 And out of the ground the LORD God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant
to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil. (ESV)
Revelation 22:1-2 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing
from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either
side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves
of the tree were for the healing of the nations. (ESV)
For years theologians have discussed the question, “where is the Garden of Eden?’. Well, today
we’re going to look at that answer. We know that the Tree of Life is in the Heavenly City (Rev. 22:2);
we also know that the Tree of Life was on earth in the beginning (Gen 2:9) therefore the Heavenly
city must also have been on earth, in the beginning. If we know that the Tree of Life is inside the
Heavenly city, and if we also know that the Tree of Life used to be on earth, then it makes sense that
the Heavenly city must have once been on the earth as well. Unless you want to believe that God
zapped the Tree of Life up to Heaven, by itself, and transplanted it inside the Heavenly city after
Adam and Eve sinned. But why believe that? Especially when you consider the fact that the Bible
explicitly teaches that the Garden of Eden also still exists – inside the Heavenly city. Revelation 2:7
tells us that the Tree of Life is in the ‘paradise of God’. What most modern readers don’t realize is
that the phrase ‘paradise of God’ was specifically used by the Greek-speaking Jews and Christians
living in New Testament times to speak of the Garden of Eden. But this means that the Garden of
Eden still exists! It also means that the Garden of Eden is inside the Heavenly city. If we know that
the Garden of Eden is inside the Heavenly city, and if we know that the Garden of Eden was once on
earth (Genesis 2 – 3), then it only makes sense that the whole Heavenly city was once on earth too.
The only alternative is to believe that God zapped the whole Garden of Eden, by itself, up to Heaven
and transplanted it inside the Heavenly city after Adam and Eve sinned – which is just as weird, or
more, than believing that the whole city was once on the earth. The Garden of Eden still exists, and
it exists within the Heavenly city.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Thank the Lord for the continuity that is found in the Scripture, this shows God’s precision and
careful planning of His creation.
2. Thank the Lord for the insight that He is giving us into the Scriptures, that they are coming alive
and that as a church we are going deeper into His Word.
Origins of the Heavenly City
Genesis 2:9 And out of the ground the LORD God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant
to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil. (ESV)
Revelation 22:1-2 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing
from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either
side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves
of the tree were for the healing of the nations. (ESV)
For years theologians have discussed the question, “where is the Garden of Eden?’. Well, today
we’re going to look at that answer. We know that the Tree of Life is in the Heavenly City (Rev. 22:2);
we also know that the Tree of Life was on earth in the beginning (Gen 2:9) therefore the Heavenly
city must also have been on earth, in the beginning. If we know that the Tree of Life is inside the
Heavenly city, and if we also know that the Tree of Life used to be on earth, then it makes sense that
the Heavenly city must have once been on the earth as well. Unless you want to believe that God
zapped the Tree of Life up to Heaven, by itself, and transplanted it inside the Heavenly city after
Adam and Eve sinned. But why believe that? Especially when you consider the fact that the Bible
explicitly teaches that the Garden of Eden also still exists – inside the Heavenly city. Revelation 2:7
tells us that the Tree of Life is in the ‘paradise of God’. What most modern readers don’t realize is
that the phrase ‘paradise of God’ was specifically used by the Greek-speaking Jews and Christians
living in New Testament times to speak of the Garden of Eden. But this means that the Garden of
Eden still exists! It also means that the Garden of Eden is inside the Heavenly city. If we know that
the Garden of Eden is inside the Heavenly city, and if we know that the Garden of Eden was once on
earth (Genesis 2 – 3), then it only makes sense that the whole Heavenly city was once on earth too.
The only alternative is to believe that God zapped the whole Garden of Eden, by itself, up to Heaven
and transplanted it inside the Heavenly city after Adam and Eve sinned – which is just as weird, or
more, than believing that the whole city was once on the earth. The Garden of Eden still exists, and
it exists within the Heavenly city.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Thank the Lord for the continuity that is found in the Scripture, this shows God’s precision and
careful planning of His creation.
2. Thank the Lord for the insight that He is giving us into the Scriptures, that they are coming alive
and that as a church we are going deeper into His Word.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Foundations March 15, 2012
Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Job 25-26
The Heavenly City is Huge!
Hebrews 13:14 For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the City that is to come. (ESV)
At the end of the book of Revelation the apostle John saw a picture of Heaven, in the future,
coming down to earth – and what did he see? A city descending to the earth; this city is huge,
to be sure, but it has walls, clearly defined boundaries, and clearly defined measurements. It is
not infinite in size – it does not go on forever and ever, nor does it have fuzzy borders, nor is it a
‘spiritual’ place as opposed to a physical place. It is a real, physical, and material city that exists
somewhere in the universe today (see Revelation 21:1-4, 9-18, 21-26; 22:1-3). Heaven is not in
another dimension, if so; it couldn’t come down and rest on the earth. Since John called this city
the New Jerusalem many Christians have mistakenly believed that it is new in the sense that it
will only come into existence in the future. The New Jerusalem that John saw was nothing else
then Heaven itself, it’s the same place God is living right now, the place He has always lived. John
uses the words “New Jerusalem” to differential it from the Jerusalem that is presently on earth in
Israel. The New Jerusalem will come down and replace the earthly Jerusalem. This Heavenly city
is also very huge; in fact, it’s about 1500 miles by 1500 miles (Rev. 21:15-18). This means that
it would cover an area from Thunder Bay to Vancouver, down to San Diego. If the Heavenly city
had a perimeter it would take you 100 hours of steady driving with no breaks, at highway speeds,
to drive around it. By comparison, you could fit 1,606 New York City’s inside the New Jerusalem.
Remember, the New Jerusalem is a city therefore there won’t be miles and miles of empty land or
farmer’s fields. This city will be filled wall to wall, with people, angles, houses, shops, businesses
and magnificent buildings and architecture. The population of such a city could easily reach 12 or
13 billion people, almost twice as many people as live on the entire earth right now.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
Read Revelation 21.
1. What are some of the amazing things about the New Jerusalem?
2. In what way is your view of Heaven changing as you read this passage of Scripture?
3. Ask the Lord to impart to your heart joy as you meditate on the magnificence of Heaven.
Ask Him to awaken something in your spirit so that you can grasp the splendor of your
eternal dwelling place.
The Heavenly City is Huge!
Hebrews 13:14 For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the City that is to come. (ESV)
At the end of the book of Revelation the apostle John saw a picture of Heaven, in the future,
coming down to earth – and what did he see? A city descending to the earth; this city is huge,
to be sure, but it has walls, clearly defined boundaries, and clearly defined measurements. It is
not infinite in size – it does not go on forever and ever, nor does it have fuzzy borders, nor is it a
‘spiritual’ place as opposed to a physical place. It is a real, physical, and material city that exists
somewhere in the universe today (see Revelation 21:1-4, 9-18, 21-26; 22:1-3). Heaven is not in
another dimension, if so; it couldn’t come down and rest on the earth. Since John called this city
the New Jerusalem many Christians have mistakenly believed that it is new in the sense that it
will only come into existence in the future. The New Jerusalem that John saw was nothing else
then Heaven itself, it’s the same place God is living right now, the place He has always lived. John
uses the words “New Jerusalem” to differential it from the Jerusalem that is presently on earth in
Israel. The New Jerusalem will come down and replace the earthly Jerusalem. This Heavenly city
is also very huge; in fact, it’s about 1500 miles by 1500 miles (Rev. 21:15-18). This means that
it would cover an area from Thunder Bay to Vancouver, down to San Diego. If the Heavenly city
had a perimeter it would take you 100 hours of steady driving with no breaks, at highway speeds,
to drive around it. By comparison, you could fit 1,606 New York City’s inside the New Jerusalem.
Remember, the New Jerusalem is a city therefore there won’t be miles and miles of empty land or
farmer’s fields. This city will be filled wall to wall, with people, angles, houses, shops, businesses
and magnificent buildings and architecture. The population of such a city could easily reach 12 or
13 billion people, almost twice as many people as live on the entire earth right now.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
Read Revelation 21.
1. What are some of the amazing things about the New Jerusalem?
2. In what way is your view of Heaven changing as you read this passage of Scripture?
3. Ask the Lord to impart to your heart joy as you meditate on the magnificence of Heaven.
Ask Him to awaken something in your spirit so that you can grasp the splendor of your
eternal dwelling place.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Foundations March 14, 2012
Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Job 23-24
Heaven is a Created Place
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the earth. (ESV)
Colossians 1:16 For by Him [Jesus] all things were created, in Heaven and on earth, visible and
invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him
and for Him. (ESV)
Many Christians today imagine Heaven as devoid of time and with no beginning yet Heaven had a
beginning – it was built and created by God somewhere around the same time that the earth was
created. This is very important because it means that in Heaven there are real events that occur in
real time. In Heaven there are things that happened in the past, things occurring this very moment,
and things still yet to come in the future (in Revelation 8:1, for example, John describes there being
silence in heaven for half an hour). This is not to say that those in Heaven experience time the
same way we do, but they do live in time (just as we do). The Scriptures are clear – Heaven was
created, designed and built by God. That means Heaven had a beginning and that it has not always
existed. It also means that Heaven has dimensions, and it is made of various materials, and it is a
concrete, physical place. The Bible often uses the word “heavens” to describe three different things.
The first use of the word heavens is the sky, stars and atmosphere above us, basically what we can
see. The Bible uses this term to describe the place where birds live (Gen 1:20), where rain/snow/
thunder comes from (Gen 8:2), and where the sun/moon/stars reside (Gen 1:14). The second use
of the word heaven is the domain of the angels, particularly evil angels. This is the place where
evil powers operate (Eph. 6:12; Rev. 12:7-12; Job 1:6-7; 2:1-2; Ps. 82:1, 6-7). The third use of
the word Heaven is the dwelling place of God (1 Kings 8:30; Neh. 9:27; Ps. 33:13; Acts 1:10-11).
Jesus spoke of the Father being in Heaven fourteen times in the Gospel of Matthew alone. The
New Testament assures us that this Heaven (the dwelling place of God) is the place where we are
to store up treasure (Matt 6:20); mansions are built for us (John 14:2-3); our hope is (Col 1:5); our
citizenship is (Phil 3:20); our names are registered (Luke 10:20). Revelation 4 and 5 describes the
throne room of God in great detail – all the things which are described in those chapters take place
in this Heaven.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. What are the three different uses of the word “heaven” in Scripture?
2. Heaven was created, designed and build by God. What does this tell you about what it will be
like?
3. Read Revelation 4 and 5. What are some of the things that are going on in Heaven right now?
Heaven is a Created Place
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the earth. (ESV)
Colossians 1:16 For by Him [Jesus] all things were created, in Heaven and on earth, visible and
invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him
and for Him. (ESV)
Many Christians today imagine Heaven as devoid of time and with no beginning yet Heaven had a
beginning – it was built and created by God somewhere around the same time that the earth was
created. This is very important because it means that in Heaven there are real events that occur in
real time. In Heaven there are things that happened in the past, things occurring this very moment,
and things still yet to come in the future (in Revelation 8:1, for example, John describes there being
silence in heaven for half an hour). This is not to say that those in Heaven experience time the
same way we do, but they do live in time (just as we do). The Scriptures are clear – Heaven was
created, designed and built by God. That means Heaven had a beginning and that it has not always
existed. It also means that Heaven has dimensions, and it is made of various materials, and it is a
concrete, physical place. The Bible often uses the word “heavens” to describe three different things.
The first use of the word heavens is the sky, stars and atmosphere above us, basically what we can
see. The Bible uses this term to describe the place where birds live (Gen 1:20), where rain/snow/
thunder comes from (Gen 8:2), and where the sun/moon/stars reside (Gen 1:14). The second use
of the word heaven is the domain of the angels, particularly evil angels. This is the place where
evil powers operate (Eph. 6:12; Rev. 12:7-12; Job 1:6-7; 2:1-2; Ps. 82:1, 6-7). The third use of
the word Heaven is the dwelling place of God (1 Kings 8:30; Neh. 9:27; Ps. 33:13; Acts 1:10-11).
Jesus spoke of the Father being in Heaven fourteen times in the Gospel of Matthew alone. The
New Testament assures us that this Heaven (the dwelling place of God) is the place where we are
to store up treasure (Matt 6:20); mansions are built for us (John 14:2-3); our hope is (Col 1:5); our
citizenship is (Phil 3:20); our names are registered (Luke 10:20). Revelation 4 and 5 describes the
throne room of God in great detail – all the things which are described in those chapters take place
in this Heaven.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. What are the three different uses of the word “heaven” in Scripture?
2. Heaven was created, designed and build by God. What does this tell you about what it will be
like?
3. Read Revelation 4 and 5. What are some of the things that are going on in Heaven right now?
Monday, March 12, 2012
Foundations March 13, 2012
Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Job 21-22
Heaven is a Real Place
Philippians 3:20-21 But our citizenship is in Heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus
Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body, by the power that enables Him
even to subject all things to Himself. (ESV)
The Devil knows how important a proper perspective about Heaven is for forming an overcoming
mindset in Christians, so he has attacked that knowledge relentlessly throughout the centuries.
(He also has attacked our perspective on Hell). The Christian view of Heaven today is quite pitiful,
most Christians are bored by their concept of Heaven yet this should be the most exciting topic
in the whole universe. We’re going to spend our whole eternity living in this place! The following
shows the progression of Satan’s attack on the Christian perspective of Heaven. 1) Give people a
pitiful perspective of Heaven. 2) Make Heaven into this totally unreal place – like something out of
a Philadelphia Cream Cheese commercial – with clouds and little boy-girl angels wearing dresses,
with wings and harps just floating around all day. Once you do that to people’s view of Heaven,
they stop wanting to go there! 3) Once the Church’s view of Heaven becomes pitiful, Christians will
get bored of it. 4) Once Christians are bored with Heaven, they will cease to study it and they will
become uninformed. 5) When Christians become uninformed about Heaven they will live for this
life instead of the next one. This is exactly how most Christians live – for this life and not for the
next one. The fact is that Heaven is a real place – a physical place; with real buildings that had to
be engineered and designed and built, piece by piece; and there are real trees there, and real dirt,
and hot and cold temperatures; with real laws of physics and time. This is a place that we can learn
about and actually yearn to go to.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Why does the Devil attack our perspective on Heaven (and Hell)?
2. Why is having an accurate view of Heaven important in your daily walk with God?
3. What are some things about Heaven that you have learned already? Ask the Lord to show
you how this has affected your walk with God for the better.
4. Thank the Lord for growing your view of Heaven. Ask Him to continue to do this for you.
Heaven is a Real Place
Philippians 3:20-21 But our citizenship is in Heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus
Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body, by the power that enables Him
even to subject all things to Himself. (ESV)
The Devil knows how important a proper perspective about Heaven is for forming an overcoming
mindset in Christians, so he has attacked that knowledge relentlessly throughout the centuries.
(He also has attacked our perspective on Hell). The Christian view of Heaven today is quite pitiful,
most Christians are bored by their concept of Heaven yet this should be the most exciting topic
in the whole universe. We’re going to spend our whole eternity living in this place! The following
shows the progression of Satan’s attack on the Christian perspective of Heaven. 1) Give people a
pitiful perspective of Heaven. 2) Make Heaven into this totally unreal place – like something out of
a Philadelphia Cream Cheese commercial – with clouds and little boy-girl angels wearing dresses,
with wings and harps just floating around all day. Once you do that to people’s view of Heaven,
they stop wanting to go there! 3) Once the Church’s view of Heaven becomes pitiful, Christians will
get bored of it. 4) Once Christians are bored with Heaven, they will cease to study it and they will
become uninformed. 5) When Christians become uninformed about Heaven they will live for this
life instead of the next one. This is exactly how most Christians live – for this life and not for the
next one. The fact is that Heaven is a real place – a physical place; with real buildings that had to
be engineered and designed and built, piece by piece; and there are real trees there, and real dirt,
and hot and cold temperatures; with real laws of physics and time. This is a place that we can learn
about and actually yearn to go to.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Why does the Devil attack our perspective on Heaven (and Hell)?
2. Why is having an accurate view of Heaven important in your daily walk with God?
3. What are some things about Heaven that you have learned already? Ask the Lord to show
you how this has affected your walk with God for the better.
4. Thank the Lord for growing your view of Heaven. Ask Him to continue to do this for you.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Foundations March 12, 2012
Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Job 19-20
Heaven, Eden and Restoration
Acts 3:19-21 19Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, 20that times of
refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send the Christ appointed for
you, Jesus, 21whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God
spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets long ago. (ESV)
Peter is very clear in this passage that when Jesus returns, His purpose is not to inaugurate a
brand new thing that’s never been before – His purpose is to restore things. Here’s the thing about
the word ‘restore;’ you can’t ‘restore’ something that’s never been. Restoration is all about the past
– you ‘restore’ something back to the way it once was. If you make something brand new, from
scratch, you haven’t restored that thing, you’ve created it. God’s plan for the end is not to destroy
everything and start from scratch; He’s going to take things back to the beginning with restoration,
renovation and re-generation. The apostle Paul is very clear that Jesus’ plan is to reconcile all
things in Heaven and earth – for there to be reconciliation between the things of Heaven and the
things of earth, the things of Heaven and earth would first have to have been together at some
point. You can’t have reconciliation between things which have never been together. Colossians
1:19-20 tell us that through Jesus all things will be reconciled to Himself, whether on earth or in
Heaven. In the beginning God made things perfect, the exact way that He wanted them to be.
When God created the universe in Genesis 1, He didn’t give His second best, He didn’t do a second
rate job – He made the best world possible. He made everything perfect. If God did His best in
Genesis 1 then that means there is no possible realm that is better for human beings to live in than
what God made in the Garden of Eden. Eden was Heaven. Eden is the blue print, the starting
point, yet God’s creativity is so infinite that things may continue to improve for all eternity. God is
not planning to utterly destroy planet earth in the end. Yes, there will be cataclysmic and fiery worldwide
judgments upon the surface of the earth but God’s plan is to eventually return to this earth
once Jesus has restored it therefore we will remain on this earth forever. Although we will be living
on the same earth, things will be vastly improved. Death will be defeated and things will be greatly
changed for the better – no droughts, no famines, no disease, no pollution, no cancer, no war…
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Why is restoration all about the past? How does Christ restoring the Earth show that Heaven
and Earth were once united?
2. Why does it make sense that Eden was the blueprint for Heaven?
3. Thank the Lord for the way He made the earth and how He’s going to restore it.
Heaven, Eden and Restoration
Acts 3:19-21 19Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, 20that times of
refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send the Christ appointed for
you, Jesus, 21whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God
spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets long ago. (ESV)
Peter is very clear in this passage that when Jesus returns, His purpose is not to inaugurate a
brand new thing that’s never been before – His purpose is to restore things. Here’s the thing about
the word ‘restore;’ you can’t ‘restore’ something that’s never been. Restoration is all about the past
– you ‘restore’ something back to the way it once was. If you make something brand new, from
scratch, you haven’t restored that thing, you’ve created it. God’s plan for the end is not to destroy
everything and start from scratch; He’s going to take things back to the beginning with restoration,
renovation and re-generation. The apostle Paul is very clear that Jesus’ plan is to reconcile all
things in Heaven and earth – for there to be reconciliation between the things of Heaven and the
things of earth, the things of Heaven and earth would first have to have been together at some
point. You can’t have reconciliation between things which have never been together. Colossians
1:19-20 tell us that through Jesus all things will be reconciled to Himself, whether on earth or in
Heaven. In the beginning God made things perfect, the exact way that He wanted them to be.
When God created the universe in Genesis 1, He didn’t give His second best, He didn’t do a second
rate job – He made the best world possible. He made everything perfect. If God did His best in
Genesis 1 then that means there is no possible realm that is better for human beings to live in than
what God made in the Garden of Eden. Eden was Heaven. Eden is the blue print, the starting
point, yet God’s creativity is so infinite that things may continue to improve for all eternity. God is
not planning to utterly destroy planet earth in the end. Yes, there will be cataclysmic and fiery worldwide
judgments upon the surface of the earth but God’s plan is to eventually return to this earth
once Jesus has restored it therefore we will remain on this earth forever. Although we will be living
on the same earth, things will be vastly improved. Death will be defeated and things will be greatly
changed for the better – no droughts, no famines, no disease, no pollution, no cancer, no war…
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Why is restoration all about the past? How does Christ restoring the Earth show that Heaven
and Earth were once united?
2. Why does it make sense that Eden was the blueprint for Heaven?
3. Thank the Lord for the way He made the earth and how He’s going to restore it.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Foundations March 11, 2012
Jesus Plans to Fix this World
Romans 8:20-22 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the
creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and
decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the
present time. (NLT)
Many evangelical Christians hold the belief that the world is completely ruined by sin so God is going
to take all the Christians out in the rapture and then destroy everything. There’s only one problem
with this view - the Bible does not teach that God is planning to destroy the world; it teaches that
He is planning to fix it. One day, the earth is going to be delivered from death, decay, rust, pain, the
common cold, AIDS, cancer, drought, storms, etc. This means that we are not leaving earth to go
to Heaven; we will be living on a fixed earth, a re-born earth, the New Earth. We are going to be
spending eternity in a real place; we are going to have real food, real relationships, real jobs, real
cities, and there will be real beauty right here on the New Earth! Revelation 21 speaks of the New
Jerusalem coming down. We often think about living in Heaven for all of eternity but that is actually
not true. We will be spending eternity here on the New Earth. Heaven is where God is right now but
in the future God is going to bring Heaven here to earth and the two will be merged into one. This
old earth will be re-born and we will spend all of eternity on the New Earth. Jesus will get rid of a
bunch of stuff in preparation for when the Father comes. Things like funeral homes, air pollution,
weapons, tainted water, hospitals, jails, temples and idols devoted to other gods, etc. will all be
destroyed by fire. God’s plan from the beginning of time has not been to destroy the earth but to
re-assert His authority over the earth. He’s going to fix this earth and created a beautiful place for us
to dwell for all eternity.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Read Revelation 21. What are some things that impact you about God when you read these
scriptures?
2. Why does it matter that you are going to spend all of eternity on the New Earth? What does
this tell you about the character of God and how He views His creation?
3. Spend some time thanking the Lord for all the beauty that He has created in our world. Ask
Him to grow in you an anticipation for the New Earth.
Romans 8:20-22 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the
creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and
decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the
present time. (NLT)
Many evangelical Christians hold the belief that the world is completely ruined by sin so God is going
to take all the Christians out in the rapture and then destroy everything. There’s only one problem
with this view - the Bible does not teach that God is planning to destroy the world; it teaches that
He is planning to fix it. One day, the earth is going to be delivered from death, decay, rust, pain, the
common cold, AIDS, cancer, drought, storms, etc. This means that we are not leaving earth to go
to Heaven; we will be living on a fixed earth, a re-born earth, the New Earth. We are going to be
spending eternity in a real place; we are going to have real food, real relationships, real jobs, real
cities, and there will be real beauty right here on the New Earth! Revelation 21 speaks of the New
Jerusalem coming down. We often think about living in Heaven for all of eternity but that is actually
not true. We will be spending eternity here on the New Earth. Heaven is where God is right now but
in the future God is going to bring Heaven here to earth and the two will be merged into one. This
old earth will be re-born and we will spend all of eternity on the New Earth. Jesus will get rid of a
bunch of stuff in preparation for when the Father comes. Things like funeral homes, air pollution,
weapons, tainted water, hospitals, jails, temples and idols devoted to other gods, etc. will all be
destroyed by fire. God’s plan from the beginning of time has not been to destroy the earth but to
re-assert His authority over the earth. He’s going to fix this earth and created a beautiful place for us
to dwell for all eternity.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Read Revelation 21. What are some things that impact you about God when you read these
scriptures?
2. Why does it matter that you are going to spend all of eternity on the New Earth? What does
this tell you about the character of God and how He views His creation?
3. Spend some time thanking the Lord for all the beauty that He has created in our world. Ask
Him to grow in you an anticipation for the New Earth.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Foundations March 10, 2012
Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Job 17-18
A Proper View of Heaven is Necessary for Endurance
Revelation 14:12 Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the
commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. (ESV)
Many Christians face tough times. All over the world Christians are persecuted, some are
imprisoned and others are martyred for their faith. As Western Christians, we often wonder how
they can endure so much pain. What motivates them to keep enduring when their lives are
full of suffering? In order to have this sort of endurance, these Christians keep their focus on
Jesus, Heaven and eternity and not on this life. A proper view of Heaven and Hell is necessary
for endurance in tough times and will be essential in the End Times. A robust expectation
of Heaven is essential for pulling Christians through hard times. Only when a believer truly
understands the prize at the end of the journey can he/she push through immense suffering with
an overcomer’s hopeful mindset. What motivated Abraham, Moses, Noah and Abel to sacrifice
comfort here on earth? What motivated them to endure suffering and do great things of faith?
They were looking past this lifetime to the next one. They were looking ahead to Heaven; they
weren’t looking for rewards or comfort in this life. This also applies to Hell, Jesus said, “do not
fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear Him who can destroy both body
and soul in hell.” (Matt 10:28, ESV). In other words, when the persecution gets really severe
and you’re really scared and you want to give up, just remember that Hell is way worse! The
key to enduring the horrible events of the end times is to remember how amazing Heaven will
be when the persecution is over and how much worse Hell will be if we give up.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. What keeps persecuted Christians from giving in? What strengthens them to keep
enduring and persevering?
2. What sorts of things would you find it easier to give up if you were focused on eternity in
Heaven instead of the comforts of this world?
3. Spend some time praying for our brothers and sisters who are being persecuted. Pray that
they would have a greater revelation of Jesus and eternity and pray that they wouldn’t give
up but continue enduring.
A Proper View of Heaven is Necessary for Endurance
Revelation 14:12 Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the
commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. (ESV)
Many Christians face tough times. All over the world Christians are persecuted, some are
imprisoned and others are martyred for their faith. As Western Christians, we often wonder how
they can endure so much pain. What motivates them to keep enduring when their lives are
full of suffering? In order to have this sort of endurance, these Christians keep their focus on
Jesus, Heaven and eternity and not on this life. A proper view of Heaven and Hell is necessary
for endurance in tough times and will be essential in the End Times. A robust expectation
of Heaven is essential for pulling Christians through hard times. Only when a believer truly
understands the prize at the end of the journey can he/she push through immense suffering with
an overcomer’s hopeful mindset. What motivated Abraham, Moses, Noah and Abel to sacrifice
comfort here on earth? What motivated them to endure suffering and do great things of faith?
They were looking past this lifetime to the next one. They were looking ahead to Heaven; they
weren’t looking for rewards or comfort in this life. This also applies to Hell, Jesus said, “do not
fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear Him who can destroy both body
and soul in hell.” (Matt 10:28, ESV). In other words, when the persecution gets really severe
and you’re really scared and you want to give up, just remember that Hell is way worse! The
key to enduring the horrible events of the end times is to remember how amazing Heaven will
be when the persecution is over and how much worse Hell will be if we give up.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. What keeps persecuted Christians from giving in? What strengthens them to keep
enduring and persevering?
2. What sorts of things would you find it easier to give up if you were focused on eternity in
Heaven instead of the comforts of this world?
3. Spend some time praying for our brothers and sisters who are being persecuted. Pray that
they would have a greater revelation of Jesus and eternity and pray that they wouldn’t give
up but continue enduring.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Foundations March 9, 2012
Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Job 15-16
Our Picture of God affects our Picture of Heaven
Revelation 4:1-2 After this [Jesus’ messages to the seven churches of Asia] I looked, and behold, a
door standing open in Heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet,
said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this [End Time events].” 2At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in Heaven, with one seated on the throne. (ESV)
Isn’t it amazing that before Jesus showed the Apostle John the vision of the End Times, He showed
Him a vision Heaven! This was God’s gift to John. God knows that a proper view of God/Heaven
is vital for endurance in the tribulation. God has not left us alone! Many Christian’s fear the end
times but you don’t have to live with this sort of fear. When we study Heaven our view of God
begins to automatically change. We see God in a clearer light and we begin to trust Him more. John
first received a revelation of Jesus beauty and of Heaven before Jesus shows him what is going
to happen in the End Times. This is significant; End Time events can’t be properly understood or
prepared for without a solid foundation of revelation about Heaven. This has to do with hope but also
with God’s Sovereignty. It’s only when we see the city where God lives and the throne where He sits,
that we can properly study the End Times, knowing that He is in control. If we don’t get a picture of
how big God is, then the traumatic events of the End Times will loom too large for us, and they will
defeat us. We must remember that:
• God is bigger than the End Times.
• God is not afraid of the End Times.
• God is in control of the End Times.
• God is the One who instigates the End Times.
• God is the One who ends the End Times.
• God has good purposes for the End Times.
Studying Heaven will grow our trust in God’s sovereignty as we see His authority and power!
Amazing!
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Do you sometimes fear the End Times? How would a greater revelation of God and Heaven
help these fears subside?
2. Look at the bulleted list of things about God listed above. Ask the Lord to solidify in your heart
each of these truths about God. Pray about each one of them, asking the Lord to deepen your
trust and faith in Him.
3. God is good, He is giving us ample time to prepare for the End Times and learning about
Heaven is part of that preparation. Thank Him for His goodness, for His mercy and for His love
in helping us prepare.
Our Picture of God affects our Picture of Heaven
Revelation 4:1-2 After this [Jesus’ messages to the seven churches of Asia] I looked, and behold, a
door standing open in Heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet,
said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this [End Time events].” 2At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in Heaven, with one seated on the throne. (ESV)
Isn’t it amazing that before Jesus showed the Apostle John the vision of the End Times, He showed
Him a vision Heaven! This was God’s gift to John. God knows that a proper view of God/Heaven
is vital for endurance in the tribulation. God has not left us alone! Many Christian’s fear the end
times but you don’t have to live with this sort of fear. When we study Heaven our view of God
begins to automatically change. We see God in a clearer light and we begin to trust Him more. John
first received a revelation of Jesus beauty and of Heaven before Jesus shows him what is going
to happen in the End Times. This is significant; End Time events can’t be properly understood or
prepared for without a solid foundation of revelation about Heaven. This has to do with hope but also
with God’s Sovereignty. It’s only when we see the city where God lives and the throne where He sits,
that we can properly study the End Times, knowing that He is in control. If we don’t get a picture of
how big God is, then the traumatic events of the End Times will loom too large for us, and they will
defeat us. We must remember that:
• God is bigger than the End Times.
• God is not afraid of the End Times.
• God is in control of the End Times.
• God is the One who instigates the End Times.
• God is the One who ends the End Times.
• God has good purposes for the End Times.
Studying Heaven will grow our trust in God’s sovereignty as we see His authority and power!
Amazing!
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Do you sometimes fear the End Times? How would a greater revelation of God and Heaven
help these fears subside?
2. Look at the bulleted list of things about God listed above. Ask the Lord to solidify in your heart
each of these truths about God. Pray about each one of them, asking the Lord to deepen your
trust and faith in Him.
3. God is good, He is giving us ample time to prepare for the End Times and learning about
Heaven is part of that preparation. Thank Him for His goodness, for His mercy and for His love
in helping us prepare.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Foundations March 8, 2012
Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Job 13-14
Sin Will Be No More!
Revelation 21:4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning
or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. (NIV)
Doesn’t the idea of a place with no death, mourning, crying or pain sound like a place where you
would want to spend eternity? Since the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23) then the promise of
no more death is a promise of no more sin. Sin causes mourning, crying and pain and if those
things never occur again then sin can never occur again. Christ died once to deal with sin and He
will never need to die again (Heb. 9:26-28; 10:10; 1 Peter 3:18). In Heaven we will receive the full
benefits of the righteousness of Christ that God bestowed upon us when we were saved. Right
now we do not enjoy the full benefits of this truth because our bodies are still full of sin, death and
decay but in Heaven we will experience a place with no death, no pain, and no sin! In Heaven
you will receive a new nature and you will experience complete freedom from the bondage of
sin. Through the power of Jesus and His Holy Spirit we can already begin to experience a lot of
freedom right now in this lifetime but we can’t even get close to what we’re going to have on the
New Earth. By offering Himself as an acceptable sacrifice for sin, our Saviour purchased our
perfection for all time. Nothing impure will enter the New Jerusalem not will anyone who does what
is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life (Rev.
21:27). There is no passage of Scripture that teaches that a person can sin and be evicted from
Heaven. Sin will be a thing of the past! What a glorious day! Since our righteousness is rooted in
Christ, who is eternally righteous, we can never lose it once we are there! Praise the Lord!
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. What sorts of things has Christ already set you free from? (examples: anger, lust, bad
attitudes, people pleasing, etc.). Thank the Lord for this freedom!
2. Spend some time thanking and praising Jesus for purchasing our salvation. It was at a great
cost - His own suffering and death. Ask Him to show you more things about what He has
done for you that you can be thankful for.
3. Ask the Lord to show you the name of someone who hasn’t experienced the gift of salvation.
Pray that they would come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Sin Will Be No More!
Revelation 21:4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning
or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. (NIV)
Doesn’t the idea of a place with no death, mourning, crying or pain sound like a place where you
would want to spend eternity? Since the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23) then the promise of
no more death is a promise of no more sin. Sin causes mourning, crying and pain and if those
things never occur again then sin can never occur again. Christ died once to deal with sin and He
will never need to die again (Heb. 9:26-28; 10:10; 1 Peter 3:18). In Heaven we will receive the full
benefits of the righteousness of Christ that God bestowed upon us when we were saved. Right
now we do not enjoy the full benefits of this truth because our bodies are still full of sin, death and
decay but in Heaven we will experience a place with no death, no pain, and no sin! In Heaven
you will receive a new nature and you will experience complete freedom from the bondage of
sin. Through the power of Jesus and His Holy Spirit we can already begin to experience a lot of
freedom right now in this lifetime but we can’t even get close to what we’re going to have on the
New Earth. By offering Himself as an acceptable sacrifice for sin, our Saviour purchased our
perfection for all time. Nothing impure will enter the New Jerusalem not will anyone who does what
is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life (Rev.
21:27). There is no passage of Scripture that teaches that a person can sin and be evicted from
Heaven. Sin will be a thing of the past! What a glorious day! Since our righteousness is rooted in
Christ, who is eternally righteous, we can never lose it once we are there! Praise the Lord!
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. What sorts of things has Christ already set you free from? (examples: anger, lust, bad
attitudes, people pleasing, etc.). Thank the Lord for this freedom!
2. Spend some time thanking and praising Jesus for purchasing our salvation. It was at a great
cost - His own suffering and death. Ask Him to show you more things about what He has
done for you that you can be thankful for.
3. Ask the Lord to show you the name of someone who hasn’t experienced the gift of salvation.
Pray that they would come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Foundations March 7, 2012
Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Job 11-12
Our Heavenly Bodies
Psalm 16:11You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand. (NIV)
In eternity, all your defects will be healed – if you are crippled, you aren’t going to be crippled in
Heaven. If you are blind or deaf you will have all 5 of your senses working again in Heaven. If you
have diabetes or cancer or back pain, your body won’t have the capacity to even experience those
things anymore. If your body is out of proportion due to a childhood sickness or some other disease,
those effects will be gone! Your mind will always be sharp and your senses will all work perfectly.
Everything in your experience here on earth is affected by the curse of sin and death, and we don’t
realize how big an effect those things have. You currently get tired, you get grouchy and sometimes
you can’t concentrate. Your body often doesn’t do what you want it to, and that’s at the best of
times. But your new body will not be affected by these things anymore. You will be full of life at all
times! Imagine a body that just hums with life; a body full of energy, yet able to focus; a body full
of joy; a body that is mobile and strong. Imagine a body where every sense and moment fills you
with pleasure – pleasures you could never have imagined experiencing here on earth: no moments
will ever dull or dreary, every moment will be filled with pleasure. You will RADIATE God’s glory.
Have you ever met a person or seen a person who completely lights up a room? If you could see a
resurrected person right now you would be in awe! The most beautiful person you’ve ever seen, the
most magnetic person here on earth could not compare to a resurrected person – a person who is
perfectly radiating God’s glory and vitality.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. What pains and problems are you looking forward to being healed of when you are transformed
and receive your resurrected body?
2. Do you find yourself complaining about these pains and problems? If so, how would a Heavenly
perspective change your attitude about these things?
3. Thank the Lord that we don’t have to live with our defects, pain, illness and alike! We all can
look forward to the day when pain will be no more! Hallelujah!
Our Heavenly Bodies
Psalm 16:11You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand. (NIV)
In eternity, all your defects will be healed – if you are crippled, you aren’t going to be crippled in
Heaven. If you are blind or deaf you will have all 5 of your senses working again in Heaven. If you
have diabetes or cancer or back pain, your body won’t have the capacity to even experience those
things anymore. If your body is out of proportion due to a childhood sickness or some other disease,
those effects will be gone! Your mind will always be sharp and your senses will all work perfectly.
Everything in your experience here on earth is affected by the curse of sin and death, and we don’t
realize how big an effect those things have. You currently get tired, you get grouchy and sometimes
you can’t concentrate. Your body often doesn’t do what you want it to, and that’s at the best of
times. But your new body will not be affected by these things anymore. You will be full of life at all
times! Imagine a body that just hums with life; a body full of energy, yet able to focus; a body full
of joy; a body that is mobile and strong. Imagine a body where every sense and moment fills you
with pleasure – pleasures you could never have imagined experiencing here on earth: no moments
will ever dull or dreary, every moment will be filled with pleasure. You will RADIATE God’s glory.
Have you ever met a person or seen a person who completely lights up a room? If you could see a
resurrected person right now you would be in awe! The most beautiful person you’ve ever seen, the
most magnetic person here on earth could not compare to a resurrected person – a person who is
perfectly radiating God’s glory and vitality.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. What pains and problems are you looking forward to being healed of when you are transformed
and receive your resurrected body?
2. Do you find yourself complaining about these pains and problems? If so, how would a Heavenly
perspective change your attitude about these things?
3. Thank the Lord that we don’t have to live with our defects, pain, illness and alike! We all can
look forward to the day when pain will be no more! Hallelujah!
Monday, March 5, 2012
Foundations March 6, 2012
Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Job 9-10
Our Heavenly Bodies
1 Corinthians 15:53-55 “For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die;
our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. Then, when our dying bodies have
been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: ‘Death is swallowed
up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’” (NLT)
As believers we have gotten so caught up in hating death, sickness, pain and decay that many
have started to hate their bodies. But our bodies aren’t the problem – sin, death and decay are!
So many people mistakenly say, “I can’t wait to leave this body behind!” This is a great error,
leaving your body behind is an Eastern religious philosophy and is not Christian. Paradise is
not an escape from this physical body and world to become one with the universe. God did not
create us to be non-physical beings. You were not created to become one with the universe, a
formless soul, or a spirit/ghost. You were created to be a distinct, unique, physical individual who
will experience life through touch, sight, hearing, sight, taste and sound. We must reject the pagan
beliefs that our bodies will be separated from our spirits for all eternity. We can tell a lot about
our resurrected bodies by looking at what Jesus resurrected body was like. His resurrected body
was physical – they could see His hands and feet, He had flesh and bones, He ate with them
in their presence (Luke 24:37-43). Jesus was recognizable, He did not get an entirely different
body but the old one re-made. That’s why the tomb was empty! Mary recognized Him because
He would have had the same skin colour and body features. You will be able to recognize your
loved ones and friends in Heaven. Some people have a hard time with this because they don’t
like their physical bodies. But remember that your current opinion of yourself is full of sin, jealousy,
covetousness and envy. Your perspective of yourself has been completely warped. On the New
Earth you will have a redeemed mind, you are going to be full of joy and confidence and you won’t
be seeking approval from others. You will be completely in love with the body God has given you.
You will no longer compare what you look like to what other’s look like. You will see every body
type as a beautiful expression of God’s incredible variety and creativity and you will love the variety
that God created.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. How does it comfort you to know that you will be able to recognize people in Heaven and that
you will have a physical body?
2. How do you think you will feel about your body when you are in Heaven, after your opinions
(which are tainted by sin) are redeemed and cleansed?
3. Thank the Lord for your future resurrected body, that it will be beautiful.
Our Heavenly Bodies
1 Corinthians 15:53-55 “For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die;
our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. Then, when our dying bodies have
been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: ‘Death is swallowed
up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’” (NLT)
As believers we have gotten so caught up in hating death, sickness, pain and decay that many
have started to hate their bodies. But our bodies aren’t the problem – sin, death and decay are!
So many people mistakenly say, “I can’t wait to leave this body behind!” This is a great error,
leaving your body behind is an Eastern religious philosophy and is not Christian. Paradise is
not an escape from this physical body and world to become one with the universe. God did not
create us to be non-physical beings. You were not created to become one with the universe, a
formless soul, or a spirit/ghost. You were created to be a distinct, unique, physical individual who
will experience life through touch, sight, hearing, sight, taste and sound. We must reject the pagan
beliefs that our bodies will be separated from our spirits for all eternity. We can tell a lot about
our resurrected bodies by looking at what Jesus resurrected body was like. His resurrected body
was physical – they could see His hands and feet, He had flesh and bones, He ate with them
in their presence (Luke 24:37-43). Jesus was recognizable, He did not get an entirely different
body but the old one re-made. That’s why the tomb was empty! Mary recognized Him because
He would have had the same skin colour and body features. You will be able to recognize your
loved ones and friends in Heaven. Some people have a hard time with this because they don’t
like their physical bodies. But remember that your current opinion of yourself is full of sin, jealousy,
covetousness and envy. Your perspective of yourself has been completely warped. On the New
Earth you will have a redeemed mind, you are going to be full of joy and confidence and you won’t
be seeking approval from others. You will be completely in love with the body God has given you.
You will no longer compare what you look like to what other’s look like. You will see every body
type as a beautiful expression of God’s incredible variety and creativity and you will love the variety
that God created.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. How does it comfort you to know that you will be able to recognize people in Heaven and that
you will have a physical body?
2. How do you think you will feel about your body when you are in Heaven, after your opinions
(which are tainted by sin) are redeemed and cleansed?
3. Thank the Lord for your future resurrected body, that it will be beautiful.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Foundations March 5, 2012
Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Job 7-8
Stages of Life
Luke 23:40-43 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are
under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But
this man has done nothing wrong. “Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your
kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” (NIV)
Most Christians make the assumption that there are two stages of life: 1) life before death, 2) life
after death in either Heaven or Hell. But in fact, the Bible teaches that there are three stages to
our lives: 1) life before death, 2) life after death, 3) life after “life after death”. When Jesus tells the
thief on the cross, “today, you will be will be with me in paradise” He knew that He wasn’t going to
be raised from the dead for three days. That means that between Friday and Sunday Jesus’ spirit
was somehow alive in paradise – heaven – along with this thief even though His body was still dead
here on earth; then on Sunday His body was resurrected, and rejoined with His spirit. So there were
3 stages to what Jesus experienced: 1. Life on earth in His body; 2. Two days of His spirit being
in paradise away from His body; 3. Spirit and body re-united here on earth after His resurrection.
These are the same three stages that all of us will pass through; assuming Jesus doesn’t come
back first. The three stages of life are:
1) What we are living right now, our spirits and our bodies are alive together here on earth
but our bodies are full of sickness and decay
2) Temporary separation of body and spirit upon death when our spirits go Heaven and our
bodies die
3) The stage begins on resurrection day, when Jesus returns, then our spirits and Jesus
return to earth and Jesus raises up our old dead bodies from the grave and reunites them
with our spirits and we spend the rest of eternity here on the New Earth in our resurrected
body, free from death and decay.
This means that right now in Heaven, God is dwelling with all the spirits of all the believers who
have already died. This Heaven will come back to the fixed earth and become the New Earth.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. We are not merely spiritual or physical – we are both! Both matter to God. Think about some
of the physical things that you do (eating, working, leisure and hobbies). How can you do
these things in such as way so that they glorify God?
2. Pray that as a church we would grow in seeing all our activities as having spiritual implications.
That we would unite together the physical and the spiritual.
Stages of Life
Luke 23:40-43 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are
under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But
this man has done nothing wrong. “Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your
kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” (NIV)
Most Christians make the assumption that there are two stages of life: 1) life before death, 2) life
after death in either Heaven or Hell. But in fact, the Bible teaches that there are three stages to
our lives: 1) life before death, 2) life after death, 3) life after “life after death”. When Jesus tells the
thief on the cross, “today, you will be will be with me in paradise” He knew that He wasn’t going to
be raised from the dead for three days. That means that between Friday and Sunday Jesus’ spirit
was somehow alive in paradise – heaven – along with this thief even though His body was still dead
here on earth; then on Sunday His body was resurrected, and rejoined with His spirit. So there were
3 stages to what Jesus experienced: 1. Life on earth in His body; 2. Two days of His spirit being
in paradise away from His body; 3. Spirit and body re-united here on earth after His resurrection.
These are the same three stages that all of us will pass through; assuming Jesus doesn’t come
back first. The three stages of life are:
1) What we are living right now, our spirits and our bodies are alive together here on earth
but our bodies are full of sickness and decay
2) Temporary separation of body and spirit upon death when our spirits go Heaven and our
bodies die
3) The stage begins on resurrection day, when Jesus returns, then our spirits and Jesus
return to earth and Jesus raises up our old dead bodies from the grave and reunites them
with our spirits and we spend the rest of eternity here on the New Earth in our resurrected
body, free from death and decay.
This means that right now in Heaven, God is dwelling with all the spirits of all the believers who
have already died. This Heaven will come back to the fixed earth and become the New Earth.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. We are not merely spiritual or physical – we are both! Both matter to God. Think about some
of the physical things that you do (eating, working, leisure and hobbies). How can you do
these things in such as way so that they glorify God?
2. Pray that as a church we would grow in seeing all our activities as having spiritual implications.
That we would unite together the physical and the spiritual.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Foundations March 4, 2012
Feasting In Heaven
Isaiah 25:6 In Jerusalem [Heaven], the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will spread a wonderful feast
for all the people of the world. It will be a delicious banquet with clear, well-aged wine and choice
meat. (NLT)
Five times in the Gospels it records that Jesus spoke of the New Earth as being like a wedding
feast. There will be food in Heaven! We are going to eat and feast and talk and have lots of gettogethers
when the New Earth is founded. The resurrected Jesus invited His disciples to come
and have breakfast with Him (John 21:4-14) which proves that our resurrected bodies are capable
of eating food, real food. Other passages indicate that we’ll eat feasts with Christ in His Kingdom.
Jesus said to His disciples, “I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom
of God comes,” (Luke 22:18). These themes are repeated constantly in the Scriptures. Scripture
also teaches us that in Heaven we will never be hungry or thirsty again (Revelation 7:16) but this
doesn’t mean that we’ll lack an appetite or desire to eat. It just tells us that we won’t be hungry or
thirsty. In fact, Scripture is filled with more feasts than fasts. Who created our taste buds? Did you
know that on the New Earth food will taste better than anything we’ve ever eaten before? Food
isn’t just functional. If it was we could stick everything in a blender, mix it all together and drink it
without any regard for colour, texture or taste. Both the preparation of food and the presentation
of food are appealing to us so shouldn’t we expect boundless creativity in food preparation and
presentation in Heaven? We won’t “need” fine meals in Heaven, (in fact, we don’t need them now),
but we will enjoy them for the same reason we enjoy them now – because God made us to enjoy
them and to glorify Him as we eat and drink (1 Corinthians 10:31).
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Food and fellowship seem to always go hand in hand here on earth and it will be the same in
Heaven. Spend some time thanking the Lord for these two things – food and fellowship!
2. Have you ever considered that what you eat and drink can glorify God? In what ways do you
do this already?
3. Pray that you would grow in doing all things in such a way that they bring glory to God. Pray
that God would gently show you areas where you can give Him more glory.
Isaiah 25:6 In Jerusalem [Heaven], the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will spread a wonderful feast
for all the people of the world. It will be a delicious banquet with clear, well-aged wine and choice
meat. (NLT)
Five times in the Gospels it records that Jesus spoke of the New Earth as being like a wedding
feast. There will be food in Heaven! We are going to eat and feast and talk and have lots of gettogethers
when the New Earth is founded. The resurrected Jesus invited His disciples to come
and have breakfast with Him (John 21:4-14) which proves that our resurrected bodies are capable
of eating food, real food. Other passages indicate that we’ll eat feasts with Christ in His Kingdom.
Jesus said to His disciples, “I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom
of God comes,” (Luke 22:18). These themes are repeated constantly in the Scriptures. Scripture
also teaches us that in Heaven we will never be hungry or thirsty again (Revelation 7:16) but this
doesn’t mean that we’ll lack an appetite or desire to eat. It just tells us that we won’t be hungry or
thirsty. In fact, Scripture is filled with more feasts than fasts. Who created our taste buds? Did you
know that on the New Earth food will taste better than anything we’ve ever eaten before? Food
isn’t just functional. If it was we could stick everything in a blender, mix it all together and drink it
without any regard for colour, texture or taste. Both the preparation of food and the presentation
of food are appealing to us so shouldn’t we expect boundless creativity in food preparation and
presentation in Heaven? We won’t “need” fine meals in Heaven, (in fact, we don’t need them now),
but we will enjoy them for the same reason we enjoy them now – because God made us to enjoy
them and to glorify Him as we eat and drink (1 Corinthians 10:31).
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Food and fellowship seem to always go hand in hand here on earth and it will be the same in
Heaven. Spend some time thanking the Lord for these two things – food and fellowship!
2. Have you ever considered that what you eat and drink can glorify God? In what ways do you
do this already?
3. Pray that you would grow in doing all things in such a way that they bring glory to God. Pray
that God would gently show you areas where you can give Him more glory.
Friday, March 2, 2012
Foundations March 3, 2012
Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Job 5-6
Set your Sights on the Realities of Heaven
Colossians 3:1-2 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities
of Heaven, where Christ sits at God’s right hand in the place of honor and power. Let Heaven fill
your thoughts. Do not think only about things down here on earth. (NLT)
In today’s verse, Paul commands us to set our sights on Heaven. As Christians, if we want to live a
passionate life for God then we’ve got to fill our thoughts with Heaven. If we want to live a life that
pleases God then this needs to become a priority in our lives. The problem is that many of us have
a wrong picture of Heaven which has no power to inspire us to go out and live wholeheartedly for
God. Most think that Heaven will be boring, sitting on clouds all day playing harps, who wants to
live like that? Often people really only desire to go to Heaven because they know the alternative is
Hell and they know that they don’t want to go there. We have made our Heaven so spiritual that it
is no longer physically attractive to us. We’ve turned Heaven into an alien world that is completely
different from anything that we know and love here on earth. Its way up in the clouds, it’s made out
of gold; all we’ll do is sing, wear robes. These pictures are not motivating but rather discouraging.
No wonder we don’t want to think about Heaven. Yet the Bible has a lot to say about Heaven that
we haven’t bothered to unpack. In order for Heaven to have the impact that it should have on
our hearts we must set our sights on the realities of Heaven. What if Heaven wasn’t clouds and
harps but a place similar to earth (but a million times better) where we could work, play, and have
relationships? As we go through this devotional series, you may be stretched to think of Heaven
in different terms. This is because Heaven is not boring at all, in fact, everything about Heaven is
good, glorious, beautiful and wonderful because that is who our God is. How exciting it will be to
discover these things about Heaven!
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Do you have any views of Heaven that would lead you to not be motivated to want to go there?
If so, ask the Lord to help you release these ideas for His truth.
2. Ask the Lord to show you some of the good, glorious, beautiful and wonderful things that you
will experience in Heaven!
3. Thank the Lord for preparing Heaven as a permanent dwelling place for you in eternity! He is a
good God and He has prepared a great place for you to dwell with Him!
Set your Sights on the Realities of Heaven
Colossians 3:1-2 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities
of Heaven, where Christ sits at God’s right hand in the place of honor and power. Let Heaven fill
your thoughts. Do not think only about things down here on earth. (NLT)
In today’s verse, Paul commands us to set our sights on Heaven. As Christians, if we want to live a
passionate life for God then we’ve got to fill our thoughts with Heaven. If we want to live a life that
pleases God then this needs to become a priority in our lives. The problem is that many of us have
a wrong picture of Heaven which has no power to inspire us to go out and live wholeheartedly for
God. Most think that Heaven will be boring, sitting on clouds all day playing harps, who wants to
live like that? Often people really only desire to go to Heaven because they know the alternative is
Hell and they know that they don’t want to go there. We have made our Heaven so spiritual that it
is no longer physically attractive to us. We’ve turned Heaven into an alien world that is completely
different from anything that we know and love here on earth. Its way up in the clouds, it’s made out
of gold; all we’ll do is sing, wear robes. These pictures are not motivating but rather discouraging.
No wonder we don’t want to think about Heaven. Yet the Bible has a lot to say about Heaven that
we haven’t bothered to unpack. In order for Heaven to have the impact that it should have on
our hearts we must set our sights on the realities of Heaven. What if Heaven wasn’t clouds and
harps but a place similar to earth (but a million times better) where we could work, play, and have
relationships? As we go through this devotional series, you may be stretched to think of Heaven
in different terms. This is because Heaven is not boring at all, in fact, everything about Heaven is
good, glorious, beautiful and wonderful because that is who our God is. How exciting it will be to
discover these things about Heaven!
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Do you have any views of Heaven that would lead you to not be motivated to want to go there?
If so, ask the Lord to help you release these ideas for His truth.
2. Ask the Lord to show you some of the good, glorious, beautiful and wonderful things that you
will experience in Heaven!
3. Thank the Lord for preparing Heaven as a permanent dwelling place for you in eternity! He is a
good God and He has prepared a great place for you to dwell with Him!
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Foundations March 2, 2012
Bible Poetry Reading Plan: Job 3-4
Eternity is in Our Hearts
Ecclesiastes 3:11b He [God] has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot
see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. (NLT)
What is life going to be like after we die? For many of us, much of what we believe about heaven is
more like fairy tales and has been heavily influenced by the society that we live in. Typically there
are three types of people in the church. (1) Those that don’t know anything about heaven – and
admit it. You ask them to tell you about Heaven, and they’re honest, “I don’t know.” (2) Those who
think they know about Heaven – but are off the mark. (3) Those that have some really good ideas
about Heaven. Unfortunately, the third category is often the smallest group and often their thinking
is in the right direction but is vague and fuzzy. As Christians it is important that we have a firm
understanding of Heaven. Today’s verse tells us that we were made to be motivated by Heaven.
God didn’t plant the seed of eternity in our minds but in our hearts in order to motivate us to love
Him, serve Him, pray to Him and sacrifice for His Kingdom. When we let our picture of Heaven get
too fuzzy then it no longer does this for us. Instead, we find it hard to give up the hockey game to
go to cell group or we quit ministry because the workload gets too heavy. If our focus becomes
on eternity then we become willing to endure hardship or pain for the Kingdom’s cause. We lose
our addiction to selfish pleasures and comforts and begin to build into others and use our gifts and
talents for God’s glory.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Of the three categories of Christians listed above, which category would you fit into? Are you
happy with that or do you desire to grow in learning about Heaven?
2. What sorts of selfish pleasure and comforts do you think would be easier for you to overcome if
you spent more time and energy focusing on eternity and using your gifts for God’s glory?
3. We were made to be motivated by Heaven. Ask the Lord to grow in your heart a desire to learn
the truth about Heaven. Ask Him to open your eyes to see the truth about Heaven from the
Scriptures as you go through this month’s devotionals.
Eternity is in Our Hearts
Ecclesiastes 3:11b He [God] has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot
see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. (NLT)
What is life going to be like after we die? For many of us, much of what we believe about heaven is
more like fairy tales and has been heavily influenced by the society that we live in. Typically there
are three types of people in the church. (1) Those that don’t know anything about heaven – and
admit it. You ask them to tell you about Heaven, and they’re honest, “I don’t know.” (2) Those who
think they know about Heaven – but are off the mark. (3) Those that have some really good ideas
about Heaven. Unfortunately, the third category is often the smallest group and often their thinking
is in the right direction but is vague and fuzzy. As Christians it is important that we have a firm
understanding of Heaven. Today’s verse tells us that we were made to be motivated by Heaven.
God didn’t plant the seed of eternity in our minds but in our hearts in order to motivate us to love
Him, serve Him, pray to Him and sacrifice for His Kingdom. When we let our picture of Heaven get
too fuzzy then it no longer does this for us. Instead, we find it hard to give up the hockey game to
go to cell group or we quit ministry because the workload gets too heavy. If our focus becomes
on eternity then we become willing to endure hardship or pain for the Kingdom’s cause. We lose
our addiction to selfish pleasures and comforts and begin to build into others and use our gifts and
talents for God’s glory.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Of the three categories of Christians listed above, which category would you fit into? Are you
happy with that or do you desire to grow in learning about Heaven?
2. What sorts of selfish pleasure and comforts do you think would be easier for you to overcome if
you spent more time and energy focusing on eternity and using your gifts for God’s glory?
3. We were made to be motivated by Heaven. Ask the Lord to grow in your heart a desire to learn
the truth about Heaven. Ask Him to open your eyes to see the truth about Heaven from the
Scriptures as you go through this month’s devotionals.
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