Here is what Jesus preached in Matthew 4:17: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” The “kingdom of heaven” refers not only to life after death, but to the quality of our lives before death. In this sense, the “kingdom of heaven” and the “kingdom of God” are the same. Maybe it’s obvious, … Continue reading Getting in the way of God’s way
heaven
Who says who goes to heaven or hell?
I’ve been talking a lot about heaven and hell. But who goes where? In other words, what makes someone right with God and given a place in heaven, and what makes someone wrong with God and therefore banished from his presence after they die? And who decides these things? I know, I know. These are … Continue reading Who says who goes to heaven or hell?
What Jesus didn’t teach about most
This week I’ve been sharing some thoughts about heaven—that it will be better than anything we can experience in this life, and also that it is a place of INCREDIBLE joy. With that in mind, I also want to debunk a popular misconception: that the main thing Jesus taught about was going to heaven after … Continue reading What Jesus didn’t teach about most
Everything good in life multiplied times God
I’ve been talking about heaven; it will be anything but boring. It will be far better than anything we can experience on this earth. That can give us great hope through whatever we’re dealing with because the best is always yet to come. Here’s something else about heaven. Psalm 16:11 (ESV) says that in God’s … Continue reading Everything good in life multiplied times God
The best is yet to come
People have a tonne of misconceptions about heaven. One is that it’s going to be boring. This sentiment is captured in a Far Side comic where some dude sits on a cloud, bored out of his skull, saying “wish I’d brought a magazine.” But in Philippians 1:23, the apostle Paul says: “My desire is to depart … Continue reading The best is yet to come
Believing what we WANT to be true, verses what actually is
A 2007 Gallup poll revealed that 81% of people believe in heaven, but only 69% believe in hell. That seems strange to me. But it’s also very telling. We like to believe in things we like, but not in things we don’t. The Scottish theologian James Denney did a survey of Jesus’ teaching and found … Continue reading Believing what we WANT to be true, verses what actually is
How you picture your future
There’s an old story about two men who were thrown into a dungeon. One man learned that his family was dead. But the other learned that his family was alive and waiting for him if and when he ever got out. The one who learned that his family was dead wasted away and died rather … Continue reading How you picture your future
It’s a win-win (With thanks to Billy Graham)
Yesterday we learned that the great preacher Billy Graham passed away at the age of 99. So for today’s devotional, and as a testament to Graham’s own teaching, let me share a story he once told, and which captures something about the hope that was deep within him. There was a 30 year-old truck driver … Continue reading It’s a win-win (With thanks to Billy Graham)
Your John 3:16 moment
I had planned on writing about something else today. But a congregant just passed away and I felt the need to share this question with you. Are you ready for your own death? Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t think about it until it’s too late. In previous eras, people thought about death a lot … Continue reading Your John 3:16 moment
For those who think they’re “normal”
It’s waayyy too easy to erase ourselves from God’s equation. That’s what we pretend to do when we say or think something like this: “God is so huge and extraordinary. But my life is just so… small and normal.” Granted, I kind of get where that comes from. Thinking about the utter bigness of the … Continue reading For those who think they’re “normal”
