Being with the EPIC crew was again a privilege this morning. I appreciated very much the way everyone participated in the lesson and all the questions that people asked. I enjoyed the interaction.
I read a quote this morning from Anthony Hoekema, and I thought you might want to see it written down. "The Christian hopes for far greater blessings in the future, not because he now has so little, but because he already has so much," (The Bible and the Future).
This morning challenged me to think about a narrow view of worship. I stumbled around trying to answer one of the questions asked in class, and I think it's because my thinking on worship is too restricted. Ever worshipped God in the middle of a basketball game because the game was so fantastic? Ever been in a conversation so rich that it made you worship? How about seeing a piece of art that made you love God more because of its beauty? I'm pondering whether one of the reasons we have a hard time imagining life in the New Heaven and Earth is because we don't think about worship in broad enough categories. Please add to these thoughts with a comment or a question.
I probably won't be with you next Sunday (Feb 4). My older son, Ben, is hoping to play football in college, and this weekend he has official visit in Virginia. We tried to get a flight back on Saturday night, but couldn't. When I'm back with you, we'll take a look at Old Testament prophecy before diving into the book of Revelation as we continue to find Biblical reasons for hope for the future.
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4 comments:
On Sunday as you were talking about God dwelling with us I got to thinking about that and wondering about how that will work. Is the whole of the Trinity going to be with us, or just Jesus as he reclaims the earth? What about God and the Holy Spirit? Will they be in heaven? Will they be in bodily form or Spirit form? Is there any Scripture that speaks to that?
I think of two things. Col 1:19 say, "For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him." In that sense, when we see Jesus physically reigning on the New Earth, we are seeing God. We're not seeing a portion of God; we're seeing God in his fullness. The Bible also pictures the New Heavens and the New Earth. So, in that sense, we will have access to Heaven, the place that God dwells. Maybe that is talking more about where God the Father dwells, but I'm a little careful to split up God. After all, he's omnipresent.
I don't know if I cleared anything up there. Sorry.
Lee,
I have thoroughly been enjoying the series. It's definitely making me think. I had a great conversation about heaven with my friend that I brought after church. I remember you talking about some
churches/denominations that taught about a secret rapture. Will you direct or explain to me what this is? I haven't ever heard of it, but apparently a lot of people have.
Basically, the secret rapture is an idea that flows out of dispensational theology. People who hold to the secret rapture say that Jesus will come in the air, the trumpet will blow, the bodies of the dead in Christ will be raised, and Xians who are alive will be caught up to be with Christ in the air. So far, so good. But then, they say that Christ and his hosts return to heaven for 7 years. During that time, the earth goes through the Tribulation. This is the time when the Jews realize that Jesus was the Messiah and turn to him in faith. It's also the time with the AntiChrist rises to persecute the church and set up a one-world government. At the end of the 7 years, Jesus returns physically to the earth and takes control. Then is the judgment and the ushering in of the New Heavens and Earth, as we've talked about.
If you want to know more, Google rapture. There's all kinds of stuff out there, including a lot of real wackiness.
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