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I still read an online Billy Graham devotional most nights before I go to sleep. A recent devotional focused on John 8:32 where Jesus said, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
I picked up R. C. Sproul’s, The Reformation Study Bible to see if I can insert Jesus’ name in my mind for “the truth” in that verse. Their interpretation of that verse said,”Holding to the teaching of Christ who is the truth (14:6) leads one to the truth that sets a person free from slavery to sin. Salvation is not obtained by intellectual knowledge as the Gnostics imagined, but by a vital relationship with Jesus Christ and a commitment to the truth He revealed (18:37).”
Embrace Jesus.
Matthew 28:19, John, Hebrews 6:10, Revelation 20:12, Revelation 22:20
Three weeks ago, it was Easter Sunday. That day, I cranked Chris Tomlin’s song, “Even So Come” about Revelation 22:20 (“…Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”) Around Easter time, my family and I watched, The Gospel of John, a 3-hour movie, that immersed us in the life of Jesus. Also about that time, I ran across a website, iblp.org, that was about the records God keeps including:
- The Works of All People“I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works” (Revelation 20:12).
- Every Godly Work“For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have showed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister” (Hebrews 6:10).
In addition, the Billy Graham devotional (billygraham.org), had said, “When we engage in evangelism we are obeying His great command to “go and proclaim.” In doing so, we are hastening the day of His return.”
I was slow in figuring out that the song, movie, website, and devotional were all related. May we remember to increase our godly deeds, including evangelism, so that when King Jesus comes, He won’t have to see our life’s recorded godly works filling the equivalent of a baby’s board book. Let Him see a tome.
John 14:2-3, Isaiah 11:6-7, Revelation 21, 22, 4:3-5
My family has a habit of reading the devotional, Our Daily Bread each day. Recently, one writer wrote about someone who assumed Heaven is boring. The writer quickly mentioned that when they went to the Grand Canyon, they were in awe at one part of God’s creation. The author concluded that Heaven would not be boring. I would like to add reasons I think Heaven will not be boring:
- Jesus will be there!
- Wolves, lions and bears can reside there (like a beautiful zoo with no cages).
- The sun is not needed because God Himself provides all of the light with no night.
- The River of Life is in front of God’s throne.
- Lightning and thunder come from God’s throne.
- There is a rainbow encircling His throne (no more waiting for the weather conditions to be just right for a rainbow).
- The main street is made out of GOLD. God doesn’t have to mine for gold, since He can just make it.
- New Jerusalem’s walls will be decorated with jasper, sapphire, chalcedony, emerald, sardonyx, amethyst (my favorite), etc. Is that enough precious stones for you?
- There are lots of mansions in Heaven.
- Jesus said He’d “prepare a place for you” which implies individual things might be included, like your favorite wild animals.
Will Heaven be boring? Maybe one day’s highlights would be strolling down the golden street, hugging a lion, and doing a backstroke in the River of Life while watching lightning shoot out from God’s throne. That sounds exciting to me! Why would God make Himself a boring place to live? That’s an insult to Him. God is GOD and everything will be perfect. Trust Him to provide eternal entertainment.
My mom returned our book, “Heaven is for Real” this past week. If you haven’t heard about it, it’s about a boy, Colton, who claimed to visit Heaven during an appendectomy. I believe him since his story doesn’t counter the Bible. Chapter nineteen is entitled, “Jesus Really Loves the Children.” One example of Jesus’ love for children is in Matthew, where Jesus talked about giving good gifts to children.
I know God loves our kids. I have a recent example of how much God loves our daughter, Emily. Emily and I had a Biblical conversation while driving home from an event. As we pulled in the driveway, I felt satisfied that her questions were answered. Five days later, I half-listened to a morning devotional, but knew that the writer had talked about losing wedding/engagement rings. Then, one or two days after that, the kids were practicing tennis in the afternoon when I decided to sit down at a picnic table in a nearby shelter. Before I sat down, I noticed something shiny and small on the concrete floor. On closer inspection, I saw it was a child’s toy diamond that had become dislodged from a play ring. I remembered the devotional about the lost rings and decided to read all of it on my phone. It reminded me of the Biblical conversation I had with Emily almost a week before. After the kids were done practicing tennis, as we were walking, I asked Emily if she remembered that conversation. She did, but she had additional questions that I didn’t know about, but God did. I listened to her and I again was able to answer her questions. Evidently, it was important to God that Emily get answers to her extra questions. Those answers were good gifts from God. He showed He cared about her questions by lovingly and patiently going to great lengths to get them answered.
Colton was persistent in telling his parents how much Jesus loves kids. Jesus’ words in the Bible revealed His love for children, and I’ve seen evidence of that love. If you have kids, please remind them that Jesus loves them!
Ethan, Emily and I looked at a devotional today that brought up a Biblical reference to milk and honey. In Exodus 3:8, God talked to Moses, and told him His plan to get the Israelites out of their oppressive slavery situation in Egypt and to “a land flowing with milk and honey-”
After we were done with the devotional, our young son, Ethan, said that since there was a lot of milk and honey in that land, there would have been a lot of cows and bees too. I had never thought of that.
Big Bible Fan 