tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78610735370087728862024-03-13T10:33:16.019-07:00Discovering HeavenExpand your desire for Heaven and your motivation to bring others with you.Vance Kesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16027908021166803408noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7861073537008772886.post-41512112243962364932022-01-09T14:10:00.001-08:002022-01-09T14:10:37.604-08:00No Pain of Any Kind<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Many are familiar with God’s promise of no more pain given
in Revelation 21:4</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">He will wipe away every tear
from their eyes, and death will not exist any more -- or mourning, or crying,
or pain, for the former things have ceased to exist.” – Revelation 21:4 (NET)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">It is exciting to think that in Heaven, we will never be
hurt in any way that will cause us to shed tears. You will never have pain from
a stubbed toe or accidentally cutting yourself. Can those things happen in
Heaven? God only knows. But if you do, it won’t hurt.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">I encourage you to meditate on how nothing can hurt our
resurrected bodies. If we cannot feel pain and cannot die, there will be nothing
to be afraid of in Heaven. The fear of pain or loss drives almost everything we
do in this life. Having fear taken away will be a massive relief, giving us
unlimited possibilities.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The promise of no pain goes beyond physical pain to include
emotional pain. That is why this passage also tells us there will be no grief
or crying. You will never feel pain from someone betraying you or saying cruel
things about you or to you. We also know this because there will be no sin in
Heaven, which means people will always interact in love (see <a href="https://discoveringheaven.blogspot.com/2021/08/no-sin-allowed.html">No
Sin Allowed</a>). Even if that were the only difference between this life and
the next, it would still be awesome. But there is much more awaiting us.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">There are other implications from the simple promises in this
passage. Not everyone will make it into Heaven. There will be people you knew,
likely even loved, who will be in Hell. When God promises no mourning in
Heaven, it doesn’t only mean there will be no death. It also includes mourning
for those not with us. That is why some translations use the word grief in place
of mourning. This promise means He will somehow take that pain from us. Some
believe we won’t remember those not in Heaven. However, that seems highly
unlikely because it would leave huge holes in your memories. (An upcoming post
will discuss how we will likely remember our lives here, but you can read about
it <a href="https://vancekessler.com/files/QuestionsAboutHeaven.pdf">here</a>
if you want.) I trust that God can accomplish this even if I do not know how He
will do it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">1 Samuel 28:15-19; Matthew 13:40-43; Revelation 6:9, 21:12-14</span><o:p></o:p></p>Vance Kesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16027908021166803408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7861073537008772886.post-48008918185586327012021-12-05T14:27:00.001-08:002021-12-05T15:29:48.072-08:00Freedom of Worship in Heaven<p><span style="font-size: medium;">What do you think of when you imagine yourself worshipping God in
Heaven? For a long time, I envisioned standing around singing praises to God. I
still believe we will all sing praises to Him (maybe even while playing those
cliché harps), but (and that’s a big but) we will worship God in many other
ways as well.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Reading the book <i>Sacred
Pathways</i> by Gary Thomas reminded me that people worship, or connect with,
God in different ways. Gary came up with nine categories of worship approaches.
Singing is one way to worship, but people show God how they love Him in many
forms. Your appreciation for God may be at its highest while quietly meditating
on Him, surrounded by the majesty of His creation. It’s hard to imagine God taking
away your favorite way to honor Him when we get to Heaven and forcing you to
only sing to Him.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">In Heaven, I’m sure King David will sing psalms to God with all
his might while playing his lyre. Moses may walk around New Earth praising God
for his provision and beauty. Elijah may find a tall mountain where he can be
alone with God in a cave thanking Him for all He has done. Luke may explore New
Earth while praising God for His intricate design. Tabitha may show her love
for God by doing all she can to help her brothers and sisters in Heaven.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">How do you currently praise God and express your love for Him?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">How will you worship God in Heaven? Will you marvel at His new
creation while thanking Him for it? Will you find a quiet spot to meditate on
the greatness of God while expressing your love for Him? Will you make as much beautiful
noise as you can, doing your best to express the love exploding out of you?
Will you dance for Him? Will you examine all He has made and marvel at his
wisdom and power? I believe there will be souls in Heaven doing all these
things.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Here on Earth, everything we do (and I literally mean everything)
is tainted with our selfishness. The degree varies, but even our righteous acts
are like menstrual rags (Isaiah 64:6) in their purity. This selfishness applies
to how we worship God as well. We may go to church on Sunday morning, but, oh,
it would have been nice to have slept longer or to have relaxed at home
instead. We may take a meal to the woman who just had surgery, but, in the back
of our minds, we wish it hadn’t cost so much or taken so long to prepare. We
may share the gospel with an unbeliever, but we walk away feeling proud of
ourselves. Just as Isaiah said, even our best acts are tainted.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">It will be impossible to have pride or selfishness in Heaven
because those are sinful feelings. Our worship of God will finally be pure and
without taint. Not only will we be in His presence, but our connection to him
will not be hindered in any way!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">You will be able to worship God in Heaven in your favorite way with
no barriers.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif;">Psalm 119:12-16, </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">Isaiah 64:6; </span><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;">Romans 1:20</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Vance Kesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16027908021166803408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7861073537008772886.post-38345077186869747642021-11-12T15:41:00.001-08:002021-11-12T15:42:20.292-08:00Fruit of the Spirit<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">We’ve looked at the physical aspects of Heaven, that is the New
Heaven and New Earth, and we’ve also seen how sin cannot occur there. Now we
will focus on the characteristics of Heaven. Many are already familiar with the
promise God gives us about Heaven in Revelation 21:4:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">He will
wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will not exist any more - or
mourning, or crying, or pain, for the former things have ceased to exist.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Most people who long for Heaven look forward to no more crying,
pain, or death. Yet, the Bible promises so much more.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">In this life, we struggle against our fleshly nature:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">For the
flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires
that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to each other, so
that you cannot do what you want.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Galatians
5:17<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">We often fall short of what we know we should do because of the
struggle with our sinful nature. In Heaven, that struggle will be removed.
There will be no part of us that will fight against what the Spirit desires. We
will constantly be bearing the fruit of the Spirit.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoQuote"><span style="font-size: medium;"><sup><span style="line-height: 107%;">22</span></sup><span style="line-height: 107%;">But the fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, <sup>23</sup>gentleness,
self-control. Against such things there is no law.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Galatians
5:22-23<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Try your best to imagine an eternity where these qualities are spilling
out of everyone at all times. It is difficult to picture because it is so
foreign to us. In this life, even when we perform a good deed, there is a hint
of selfishness tied to it or a bit of regret. It will not be that way in
Heaven.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">You will instantly be able to completely trust anyone you meet.
You will never get into a heated argument. You will never lose your patience.
Everyone will go out of their way to show kindness to you just as you will for
anyone else.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Galatians 5:17-25 Romans 7:13-8:11, Revelation 21:4</span><o:p></o:p></p>Vance Kesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16027908021166803408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7861073537008772886.post-22462507658930496612021-08-12T18:38:00.001-07:002021-08-12T18:38:54.453-07:00 No Sin Allowed<p><span style="font-size: medium;">The problem with this world is sin. It was <i>very good</i> until sin
corrupted God’s creation in the Fall of man. All sickness, death, fights, and
bitter feelings are a result of sin. Jesus tells us it will be different in
Heaven:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><sup>40</sup>As
the weeds are collected and burned with fire, so it will be at the end of the
age. <sup>41</sup>The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather
from his kingdom everything that causes sin as well as all lawbreakers. <sup>42</sup>They
will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and
gnashing of teeth. <sup>43</sup>Then the righteous will shine like the sun in
the kingdom of their Father.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Matthew 13:40-43<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">In Heaven, there will be no temptations or selfish desires. We
will sin no more. If you think about it, that is logical. God promised Heaven would
last forever, so it must be impossible for His new creation to become corrupted
by sin like this one. Therefore, sin must not be possible in the eternal New
Heaven and New Earth, or we would end up in the same condition we are in now.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The promise of our afterlife being eternal was around even before
Jesus promised it to us:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Many
of those who sleep<br />
in the dusty ground will awake - <br />
some to everlasting life,<br />
and others to shame and everlasting abhorren</i>ce.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Daniel 12:2<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Think about the implications of not having sin or temptations in
Heaven. You will no longer be tempted to get even with someone because of
something they did against you. You will never have inappropriate thoughts
about someone else. You will never be tempted to cheat someone or lie to them.
Every thought will be honorable and good. You will never make a choice you will
regret.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Many wonder if we will have free will if we are not free to sin.
Does God have free will? By nature, He is incapable of sinning, yet I don’t
think anyone would say He does not possess free will. Our resurrected condition
will be like God in that we will be incapable of sinning, yet we will be free
to choose among an infinite array of good choices, just as God does.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Being face to face with God in Heaven will be glorious. However,
that is not something we can relate to. But we can all relate to the daily
temptations of life, so having those temptations taken away is one aspect of Heaven
we can greatly desire.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">What excites you about having no more temptations in Heaven?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Matthew 13:37-42;
Luke 6:43-45; John 3:36, 5:24, 10:28; Romans 7:14-25, 8:1-13; Galatians 5:15-25</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>Vance Kesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16027908021166803408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7861073537008772886.post-41376835167839809622021-05-31T14:04:00.002-07:002021-08-12T18:39:11.404-07:00New Heaven and New Earth<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The last post talked about how Jesus’s resurrected body was a physical body you could touch just as ours will be when we are resurrected. Therefore, it makes sense that the New Heaven and New Earth will be a physical place on which these bodies will dwell.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Revelation tells us this current world will be replaced:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><sup>1</sup>Then I saw a new heaven
and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had ceased to exist, … <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><sup>3</sup>And I heard a loud voice from the
throne saying: “Look! The residence of God is among human beings. He will live
among them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them. – Revelation
21:1,3<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christ came to earth to reconcile it, not to do away with it:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><sup>19</sup>For God was pleased to
have all his fullness dwell in him, <sup>20</sup>and through him <b>to
reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven</b>,
by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. – Colossians 1:19-20<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Yes, this current earth will pass away, but it will be
renewed or replaced with something better and eternal. Our future home would
not be called New Earth unless it will have similarities to this current earth.
There are things of great beauty here: sunsets, flowers, and love. Finding such
beauty in a fallen and decaying world is encouraging because it seeds our
imagination for what might await us in an eternal creation that is perfectly in
tune with God with no corruption. The beauty we find there will be far beyond
what we can see now.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">What might God create there to delight us? The Apostle John
speaks of being taken up on a high mountain as he watched New Jerusalem descend
to New Earth (Rev 21:9-10). Which makes it seem we will have mountains on New Earth.
And why not? Mountains are a beautiful display of God’s power and creativity.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">If the New Earth will have mountains, what else do you think
God may put there to display his creative powers and his love for beauty? Imagine
what a world uncorrupted by sin and man’s selfishness could look like.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Romans 8:18-21; 1 Cor 15:53; Colossians 1:19-20; Revelation
21:1-3, 9-10</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p></p>Vance Kesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16027908021166803408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7861073537008772886.post-32447326555177109072021-02-08T19:00:00.005-08:002021-08-12T18:39:53.338-07:00Jesus’ Resurrection<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life</i> (John 14:6). That’s why when we have serious questions, the first and best place to look is to Jesus. There is no bigger question than what happens to us when we die. The Bible makes it clear that if we put our faith in Christ, we will be with Him in Heaven after our deaths. What is not as clear is what that life will be like. However, once again, looking to Jesus helps us find answers.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Bible gives us clues about our eternal home, but the
most direct and visible information comes from the source of truth: Jesus. He was
with His disciples for forty days after He was raised from the dead, showing them
His resurrected body and proving He had risen from the dead.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">What did Jesus show His disciples about His resurrected
body? He made it very clear that it was a physical body: <i>Touch Me and see,
because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have</i> (Lk
24:39). He made a point of eating in front of them (Lk 24:43). He was able to
walk around with holes in His side and hands (Jn 20:27). He even popped in and
out of locked rooms (Jn 20:26). Those are just the obvious things.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Why should examining what Jesus did in His resurrected body
get us excited about Heaven? Because Jesus promises to give us a resurrected
body like His:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 27.0pt; margin-right: .25in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.25in 0in 27pt; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><sup>20</sup>but our
citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the
Lord Jesus Christ. <sup>21</sup>He will transform the body of our humble
condition into the likeness of His glorious body, by the power that enables Him
to subject everything to Himself.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Philippians 3:20-21<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Jesus will transform the sick, tired, and weak bodies we now
inhabit into bodies like His glorious, resurrected body. What
does that mean? We will dive deeply into that in future posts, so let your
imagination run with that promise for now.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Mark 16:9-12, Luke 24:13-43, John 21:9-15, Romans 6:5, 1
Corinthians 15:16-20, 35-49, 1 John 3:2-3 (all quotes are from the HCSB)</span><o:p></o:p></p>Vance Kesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16027908021166803408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7861073537008772886.post-28507539595135484622021-02-02T16:39:00.001-08:002021-08-12T18:40:26.329-07:00Discovering More About Heaven is Practical and Exciting<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> What gets you really excited? I mean can’t-wait, why-isn’t-it-here-yet excited. Most of us get excited about Christmas, but only during December (and maybe November). Your birthday may excite you (or depress you depending on your age) but only a few weeks prior to the event. Is there anything that excites you every day of the year? If you struggle to imagine something that could do that, you may not have looked closely enough at Heaven yet.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Are you ready to get more excited about what awaits you in Heaven? After studying Heaven for almost 10 years, I am more motivated than ever to get others excited about what our Loving Father is preparing as our eternal home. In this first post, I want to explain why getting excited about and learning more about Heaven is a practical endeavor. If you are like I was before I explored what the Bible says about Heaven, I rarely thought about it. Back then, I dreaded thinking about Heaven. That was because I envisioned an eternity of being before the throne of God in a purely spiritual state, singing for all eternity. When I looked to scripture instead of to culture for information about Heaven, I saw a drastically different vision. Now, rarely a day goes by where I am not encouraged by some aspect of Heaven and excited by it. I’ll discuss those in this blog in the weeks ahead.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">How is studying Heaven a practical use of your time? A greater appreciation of Heaven strengthens your eternal perspective, which is useful in many ways. One significant way it helps is dealing with trials that come upon us. If you can put any difficulty this life throws at you on the other side of the scales from the wonders of Heaven, the scales will slam down on the side of Heaven every time. I like the way Mother Teresa put it, “<i>In light of heaven, the worst suffering on earth, a life full of the most atrocious tortures on earth, will be seen to be no more serious than one night in an inconvenient hotel</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">.</span>” The Apostle Paul also had something to say about this:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoQuote" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Romans 8:18 (HCSB)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">It is essential to not let your thoughts get stuck on the difficulties of this life. There is no hope when we only look down at this life. We must lift our eyes toward Heaven, where our hope lies. The Apostle Paul encouraged us to focus our thoughts on heavenly things:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoQuote" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><sup>1</sup>So if you have been raised with the Messiah, seek what is above, where the Messiah is, seated at the right hand of God. <sup>2</sup>Set your minds on what is above, not on what is on the earth.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoQuote" style="margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Colossians 3:1-2 (HCSB)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Having a strong desire for Heaven can also encourage you to reach out to others so they can join you there. When I had little desire to be in Heaven, I also had little desire to teach others about Christ. I was afraid they would ask me what I thought about Heaven, and I would have nothing encouraging to say about it. Why would anyone want to face possible hardships in this life for the name of Christ, only to be bored for all eternity? I felt I had nothing to offer them. Sure, they wouldn’t go to Hell, but I couldn’t give them a hope of Heaven that was all that much better than Hell.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">I hope you will check back often for more encouraging thoughts about Heaven. They will strengthen your eternal perspective and get you more excited about Heaven while helping you understand why Jesus paid such a high price so we could be there with Him.</span></p>Vance Kesslerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16027908021166803408noreply@blogger.com0