Rapture? Millennium? New Earth? What Will Life Be Like?
Recently it’s occurred to me that we spend a lot of time learning about how to live an effective Christian life now… but we pay little attention to what life will be like once this life on earth is through.
So much of our walk with the Lord is built on hope! The hope of heaven, the hope of our inheritance, the hope of living in Christ’s presence. But we spend little time learning about what it is that we are specifically hoping for. That’s concerning. How can our sons and daughters live in the expectation and hope of eternity with God when we spend so little time teaching about it?
We talk about the millennium, but we have little understanding of what we will do. What will our purpose be?
We understand that God will make a new heaven and a new earth and we will live eternally with Him as our Sovereign Lord and King. Yet, if you ask any believer, I guarantee, there would be more questions than answers and most only have a vague idea, at best, of what our life will be like at that point.
It’s no wonder we hear young people say “I do want the Lord to return, but I want Him to wait until… (insert marriage, children, career, travel, etc.) Our sons and daughters lack the longing for being present with Christ because they don’t have a clear picture of HOW it will be better than what they know right now. They’re only told it will be.
If I’m honest, when I was young, I didn’t know much about life beyond that which I knew and experienced to that point. When I thought of heaven, I pictured masses of people, wearing white, standing around in a nondescript cavernous space, singing hymns to the Lord. I mean, don’t get me wrong, who doesn't love a good hymn sing? But for eternity? It just didn’t hold the massive appeal that my parents and older believers said it should. And no one took the time to teach about it. Oh, there was teaching on the Tribulation, for sure, but when we got to Revelation 21 and 22, it was a quick fly-over with few references to the other places in Scripture that described God’s promises. For an extroverted, visual learner, it was a colorless, bland outlook. I struggled with guilt because it was supposed to be what I longed for, yet I didn’t know much about it and it didn’t seem overly exciting.
As I lived my life, I found joy and pleasure in spending a day at the barn and riding a horse through the woods. I communed with the Lord in nature, enjoyed seeing, hearing, feeling all of the wonder of creation while riding and being one with a horse. There was something in that experience that I felt and couldn’t put into words. I enjoyed walking through the woods, exploring, listening to the sounds of the birds and talking to the Lord about my hopes, my burdens, and listening to Him. I loved spending time with friends, especially those who shared my values and convictions, those moments when iron sharpened iron and our friendships were deepened in conversations about the Lord. Could it be that God would give me experiences and pleasures like this in His presence? What was it about eternity that I could really look forward to?
What was it about eternity that I could really look forward to?
Why would God give us a lifetime of doing things we enjoy here, seeing beauty, knowing love, feeling joy and pain, heartache and bliss, only to have an eternity of monotony? He wouldn’t and He won’t!
Oh, dear friend, that’s not what He has planned at all!! This life is a foretaste!! It’s a shadow of what is to come!
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9
If we have good things here, IMAGINE the good we will enjoy in His presence?!
If we have good things here, IMAGINE the good we will enjoy in His presence?! God gives us continual ‘hints’ of what we will enjoy…are we paying attention?
““For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind.” “But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing and her people for gladness.”” Isaiah 65:17-18
Jesus said, “I will go to prepare a place for you.” Jn 12:2 When we invite someone to come and stay, we don’t just welcome them in the door and leave them standing in the entry. No, we bring them in, make them feel welcome, we give them a comfortable place to rest and we entertain them. We have a meal, conversation, and share our lives with them. Jesus is preparing a place for us, just for us! He’s getting ready to welcome us into His home- which will be our home, prepared just for us.
That heavenly banquet…
Will we enjoy food in Heaven? Absolutely!! Our Shepherd will dine with us in the most fabulous feast of perfect foods, delicacies from every culture and land- created by Him for our pleasure!
““I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven;”” Mt 8:11
Imagine sitting with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob while we enjoy a banquet! Leaning over to ask the Apostle Paul a question, gathering around Jonah to hear what it was really like in the belly of the fish, listening to Daniel recount his hours in the lion’s den, hearing Jesus tell us that He loved us so much He willingly went to the cross to bear our sin- and He would again and again, but once was sufficient for all. Imagine walking hand in hand with Jesus in the fields and meadows of heaven, feeling that nail scar touching our own palm and knowing that if it had not been for His love for us, that scar would be our own and our destiny so different.
Worship is a way of life and will continue to be
But what about work and hobbies? Oh, I believe He will give us joy in working and creating things that bring glory to Him. You see, worship isn’t just going to church on Sunday and singing songs, praying, and learning. Worship is a way of life. Everything you do points to what you value. So if we value Christ, our lives will reflect that in the way we speak, work, play, and rest. It will be reflected in how we interact with others, how we celebrate joy and how we grieve and mourn loss. All of that will be heightened in the presence of Christ- imagine! He will wipe away every tear! Our daily lives will be a living model of worship to the Savior in all that we do, using our gifts, talents, skills, and in our deep fellowship with others who are doing the same!
Then there is His wondrous, glorious creation that awaits us! Imagine, if we enjoy being outdoors now, how much more amazing it will be in the New Earth where there is no corruption of sin, no thorns on roses, no sting in the scorpion or bite from the mosquito?! If nature holds us captive with beauty in a fallen world, how much more will it be in a perfect one?!
“The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.
The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” Isaiah 11:6-9
Shalom, once again
The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord!! Everything will be at ‘Shalom’ once again- in perfect harmony with God and in worship and celebration of Him. There will be no coup attempt from the enemy to overthrow the Lordship of Christ because the enemy will be banished forever. We won’t have competing values, or struggles with temptation. We will live as God intended, a return to Eden of sorts, where we will walk and talk with the Lord in the cool of the day and enjoy the work that He gives us in the perfection of His creation. The tree of life will once more be available to us and oh, the sweetness of that fruit! Life-giving, refreshing, and boundless! Ours to enjoy!
“I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God” (Revelation 2:7).
“…On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month;” Rev 22:2
There is so much yet that we need to learn. And there is much we need to encourage our sons and daughters with, even today. Are they truly looking forward to eternity with Christ, or is it just what comes next? Do they have an excitement for life in a sinless world? Do they comprehend what God has in store? Let’s have these conversations! Do we know everything? Of course not, but imagine the joy of discovery as we learn together! It might offer a little taste of heaven that we can enjoy here!
Today, let’s pray that our sons and daughters develop an eternal perspective of what is to come, the joy that is set before us when we step into Christ’s presence and the deep purpose and fulfillment that are promised for eternity in an uncorrupted world where God reigns unchallenged and forever.
“Oh, Father, You hold so much in store for us, yet we don’t understand it and we rarely seek to learn more about it. I pray that You would assure (name) that their eternal inheritance is so full of the very best of everything You create, all that You own, all that You can so generously provide that we will be overflowing with joy, gratitude and fullness in Your Presence. Give them tangible reminders of what You have in store. Assure them that they will have purpose. Remind them of the deep and refreshing fellowship they will enjoy with You and with other believers. Show them the wonders of Your creation here and remind them there is so much more they will see and experience. Open their eyes to see wonderful things in Your word (Ps. 119:18) that would affirm Your promises of what awaits us when we meet You face to face. Lord, we await Your return with anticipation, but please help us to learn and understand more of what we are awaiting! Our minds are so limited and this sinful world is all that we know. Holy Spirit, work in us to understand the things of God more clearly so that this world loses its charm and our hearts and minds long for the next. You are more than we can imagine and how amazing is that, because if we could, it would mean you are limited and small. Oh, great God and Father, thank You for being more than we can grasp and for giving us the promises of greater things! I pray that You would move and work in this generation. Turn their eyes to You. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
If you would like more resources on God’s promises and the hope of Heaven and life beyond the grave, I highly recommend Randy Alcorn’s book Heaven. You can also follow his ministry, Eternal Perspective Ministries. https://www.epm.org/
Pray without ceasing!
Are you praying for a prodigal?
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When We’re Waiting for an Answer
Think about this. Each night we go to sleep and we give little thought to whether the next day will arrive. We just know that it will.
But tomorrow has never existed before. How can we be so sure it will come? In spite of that question, we don’t worry about whether it will be there when we wake up. We just know that it will. We don’t lie awake wondering what we’ll do if the day doesn’t dawn. We don’t make alternative plans in the event that there is a sudden change or an unexpected twist.
God always brings the new day. It’s always on time. It’s a new creation and a thing of beauty. The birds awaken and begin to sing. The sky melds from its dense blue-black to begin showing hints of pinks and purples, oranges and yellows The sun peeks over the horizon and then everything is seen in the light of the new day.
Psalm 65:8 The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy.
Yet, we often don’t even think about it, do we? We wake up just expecting the day and we get ready and go about our business.
What if?…..What if we approached our deepest prayers in this way? What if we brought them before God, laid them at His feet and then rested, knowing and expecting that He will answer right on time and in the perfect way?
Psalm 143:8 Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.
God is continually creating right before our eyes, and some of it has become so mundane to us that we miss it. We miss the extravagance of His blessing and the beauty of His creativity. Could it be that we miss His provision and His response to our prayers as well because we’re looking for other things?
Do we spend the night wrestling and worrying rather than resting in His faithfulness to always provide just what we need at the right time?
And we worry. We are consumed by our concerns. Yet the Lord of all creation is the Lord of our heart and He knows our burdens. He already has answers and He knows the perfect time and way in which He will deliver them. All we need to do is trust Him. And wait. We can rest secure knowing the God of creation knows our needs and He is the only one capable to meet them perfectly and the timing is HIs too. He’s never late. And His answers are never incomplete or lacking.
Psalm 5:3 In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.
Psalm 88:13 But I cry to you for help, LORD; in the morning my prayer comes before you.
It’s the waiting that we struggle with, isn’t it? Yet, when we go to sleep at night, we know the morning will come. We just have to wait the appropriate amount of time and then it will dawn.
Our hearts are often heavy for our sons and daughters, aren’t they? Whether it be the choices they’re making or the struggles they're facing, we wrestle in prayer on their behalf, pleading with the Lord for answers and deliverance. We love them so much, it consumes us. We hurt for them and we want to see things made better, made new. What if we allowed our prayer life- our conversations with God- to transform us, too?
Psalm 92:1-2 It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High, proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night,
Did you read that? Read it again! “Proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night,”
What if we approached prayer and expectation just that way. When we wake up, we remind ourselves of His love- He delivered the new day and He longs to give us good gifts. And then, at night, we take time to remind ourselves of God’s faithfulness- we can lie down and sleep because we know He will bring the new day- He always does.
If God can create and deliver a whole new day, every day without fail, giving us a day that never existed before, that we are powerless to control its arrival and departure, and then He guides us through it, He can surely answer our biggest prayers and carry our heaviest burdens, can’t He?
In ancient Israel, watchmen would stand on the walls of Jerusalem and would keep watch for enemies in order to call out and put the city on alert for attack. The city could sleep in peace because the watchmen did their work. Likewise, the watchmen would call out when morning dawned, waking everyone to the new day. In the dark of the pre-dawn hours, people might stir and become restless, wondering how soon it would be until they would hear the call, and then it would come! They waited, not wondering ‘if’, but ‘when’. They were confident in the answer.
Psalm 130:6 I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.
We may have the most heartbreaking situation, the most dire need, but Friends, God sees it and He’s not indifferent to it. He’s creating the perfect response that fits His plan and will bring Him glory. And isn’t that the point? He will reveal it at the perfect time and in a way that sets our heart at rest.
Let’s be waiting in faith. Watching with trust. Let’s be confident that just as God brings the new day without fail, He will answer us and our deepest prayers in the same, faithful-God way.
Psalm 90:14 Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
Write out a prayer today that not only details your heart’s burdens, but affirms the goodness, faithfulness and perfect deliverance of God. As Psalm 92:1-2 tells us, let’s proclaim God’s love in the morning. Then, when you go to sleep tonight, proclaim His faithfulness; remind yourself of Who He is.
Finally, pray Psalm 5:3 and wait in expectation. The Lord is working. We don’t see the dawn in the darkest hour of the night, but we know it’s coming because God is faithful. Cling to His faithfulness and proclaim His love. Don’t give in to the enemy who wants us to fear the darkness will endure forever.
Pray without ceasing, friends. And then pray more.
A Call to Faithfulness
2 Timothy 1:7-9
“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”
This week we’re taking a deeper dive into praying for faithfulness for our sons and daughters. We want to be specific and targeted as we pray.
What is faith? Faith, according to Strong’s Concordance (1), is defined as the persuasion or conviction of the truth of something. In the case of the believer, it is the conviction that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the only means of forgiveness of sin and salvation of our souls. It is the conviction that we are sinners, saved by grace, dependent on the sacrificial atonement of Jesus Christ on the cross for our sin and the conquering of death through His resurrection and ascension. Faithfulness, then, is holding fast to that conviction, continuing unwaveringly in a life that reflects that conviction and a full dependence on the grace of God received through the gospel. Faithfulness is not just a ‘knowing’, but living out an unwavering commitment to Jesus Christ.
2 Timothy reminds us that we, as believers, were called by God before the beginning of time. Before God created the world, before the fall of man, God knew who his children would be. He knew; and He called us into fellowship with Him.
1 Corinthians 1:9 says “God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
God doesn’t call us only to watch us struggle and flounder to follow Him. He is faithful to support, protect, encourage and equip us.
Today, we want to pray that our sons and daughters understand their calling and realize it is not just a ‘label’ but that it requires action to ‘guard the good deposit’ and that they ‘keep the pattern of sound teaching’.
We must pray that they hold fast to the truth of the gospel and that they don’t just have ‘head knowledge’ but that they are intentional to live faithfully so their life reflects their calling by the Lord to a life surrendered to Him.
Pray that they rely on the Lord for strength, protection and equipping in faithfulness so they are purposeful and directed in their walk with the Lord.
Pray without ceasing.
G4102 - pistis - Strong's Greek Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g4102/niv/mgnt/0-1/
Don’t forget to join us for an online Bible Study on Faithfulness on Tuesday, October 5 at 8pm EST. Can’t make it"? No worries, tune in to the youtube recording and watch it later! Join us on A Simple Gathering on Facebook!! Membership is free and the resources are fabulous!!