I have visited 47 states and lived in one of the most beautiful of them for more than 30 years. But the best is yet to come. Heaven, the future home of believers, is not just beautiful; it is perfect. Here are some things we can expect to find in Heaven:
• face-to-face fellowship with Jesus;
• reunion with Christian friends and loved ones;
• absolute holiness;
• unending joy;
• perfect peace;
• pure worship;
• perfect knowledge;
• meaningful service;
• boundless energy and health;
• homes custom-designed by the Carpenter of Nazareth.
Now, here are some things that will be absent from Heaven:
• evil;
• disease, bodily injury, aging, anxiety, fear;
• prescriptions;
• eyeglasses, canes, crutches, wheelchairs, walkers;
• crime;
• scandals;
• suffering;
• good-byes;
• regrets;
• negativity;
• diabetes, arthritis, sinus trouble, heart problems, flu, cancer, etc;
• taxes;
• unemployment;
• poverty;
• prejudice;
• accidents;
• threats;
• terrorists;
• wars;
• home repairs;
• insurance premiums;
• medical bills;
• arson;
• natural disasters;
• bad weather;
• bad hair day;
• disappointment.
I hope each of us can give others a little foretaste of Heaven by the way we live on earth.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
My Passports
My United States passport arrived yesterday. It is my second passport, although it is my first U.S. passport. I entered the United States in September 1954 with a Canadian passport when I enrolled at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. Now a United States passport is required to enter Canada, something I expect to do in two or three weeks.
I have two brothers. One lives near Niagara Falls, New York. The other lives near Niagara Falls, Ontario. They live on opposite sides of the Niagara River, but in two different countries. My passport will allow me cross the river and visit my Canadian brother and the area where I grew up.
Life can be complicated. Although I am the middle son, I am the only Scottish-born son. So the United States passport identifies my place of birth as the United Kingdom. My parents left Scotland and settled in Hamilton, Ontario, just before the Great Depression. My older brother was born In Hamilton, and then my parents moved back to Scotland, where I was born. When I was three, they moved to Canada again, this time with my older brother and me in tow. We settled in Ottawa, where my younger brother was born, and then two years later we moved to St. Catharines, Ontario, where my brothers and I grew up. Bill, my older brother moved to the Niagara Falls, New York area when he was 18. I have lived in the United States since 1960 and became a U.S. citizen in 1967.
Now that you have a brief history of the Dyet family, let me draw your attention again to the passport. It was issued July 8, 2009 and carries an expiration date of July 9, 2019. In order to use it, I must attach my signature.
January 18, 1952, by faith I signed my name to a passport that permits me to enter Heaven someday. Its authorization is John 3:16, and it will not expire. Unlike the United States passport, my passport to Heaven required no application fee. Jesus paid for it by dying for my sins on the cross. If you do not have a passport to Heaven, I hope you will believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior. He is the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6).
I am looking forward to crossing the Niagara River and reaching the place I used to call home, but eventually I will cross another river and reach my eternal Home.
“He will keep me till the river
Rolls its water at my feet;
Then He’ll bear me safely over,
Where the loved ones I shall meet.”
I have two brothers. One lives near Niagara Falls, New York. The other lives near Niagara Falls, Ontario. They live on opposite sides of the Niagara River, but in two different countries. My passport will allow me cross the river and visit my Canadian brother and the area where I grew up.
Life can be complicated. Although I am the middle son, I am the only Scottish-born son. So the United States passport identifies my place of birth as the United Kingdom. My parents left Scotland and settled in Hamilton, Ontario, just before the Great Depression. My older brother was born In Hamilton, and then my parents moved back to Scotland, where I was born. When I was three, they moved to Canada again, this time with my older brother and me in tow. We settled in Ottawa, where my younger brother was born, and then two years later we moved to St. Catharines, Ontario, where my brothers and I grew up. Bill, my older brother moved to the Niagara Falls, New York area when he was 18. I have lived in the United States since 1960 and became a U.S. citizen in 1967.
Now that you have a brief history of the Dyet family, let me draw your attention again to the passport. It was issued July 8, 2009 and carries an expiration date of July 9, 2019. In order to use it, I must attach my signature.
January 18, 1952, by faith I signed my name to a passport that permits me to enter Heaven someday. Its authorization is John 3:16, and it will not expire. Unlike the United States passport, my passport to Heaven required no application fee. Jesus paid for it by dying for my sins on the cross. If you do not have a passport to Heaven, I hope you will believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior. He is the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6).
I am looking forward to crossing the Niagara River and reaching the place I used to call home, but eventually I will cross another river and reach my eternal Home.
“He will keep me till the river
Rolls its water at my feet;
Then He’ll bear me safely over,
Where the loved ones I shall meet.”
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Just Wondering
I suppose it is a mark of old age to reminisce and wonder. I have been reminiscing about Christianity in the old days and wondering when . . .
Feelings replaced objective truth.
Rock replaced “Rock of Ages.”
Movie clips replaced sermon illustrations.
Theater seats replaced pews.
Holding hands for prayer replaced folding hands for prayer.
“Judge not” replaced church discipline.
“Hip” replaced “holy.”
Obscure church names replaced denominational names.
Celebration replaced consecration.
Pop psychology replaced theology.
CEO pastors replaced shepherd-pastors.
“What do you feel about this?” replaced “What has God said about this?”
People of faith replaced born-again Christians.
Kingdom replaced church.
Kingdom work replaced working for the Lord.
Speech seasoned with cuss words replaced speech seasoned with salt.
Meaningless choruses replaced meaningful hymns.
A few people carrying Bibles to church replaced everyone carrying a Bible to church.
Consumerism replaced proclaiming God’s Word as it is to people as they are.
Just wondering. Of course some of the items on the list are neither moral nor immoral; they are amoral. However, I find some of amoral items abnormal. Along with wondering when these things happened I am wondering why they happened and where we go from here.
Feelings replaced objective truth.
Rock replaced “Rock of Ages.”
Movie clips replaced sermon illustrations.
Theater seats replaced pews.
Holding hands for prayer replaced folding hands for prayer.
“Judge not” replaced church discipline.
“Hip” replaced “holy.”
Obscure church names replaced denominational names.
Celebration replaced consecration.
Pop psychology replaced theology.
CEO pastors replaced shepherd-pastors.
“What do you feel about this?” replaced “What has God said about this?”
People of faith replaced born-again Christians.
Kingdom replaced church.
Kingdom work replaced working for the Lord.
Speech seasoned with cuss words replaced speech seasoned with salt.
Meaningless choruses replaced meaningful hymns.
A few people carrying Bibles to church replaced everyone carrying a Bible to church.
Consumerism replaced proclaiming God’s Word as it is to people as they are.
Just wondering. Of course some of the items on the list are neither moral nor immoral; they are amoral. However, I find some of amoral items abnormal. Along with wondering when these things happened I am wondering why they happened and where we go from here.
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