eternity

Heavenly Assignments

“In his defense Jesus said to them, ‘My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.’” – John 5:17 As we talked about yesterday, non-work is not ideal, but our culture is bent towards thinking that leisure is King. We have come to believe that Heaven is a place where we sit around eternally and eat from a buffet, float on clouds, and fly. However, the truth is that there will be work for us to do there, too, but it will be the best kind of work. In the next life, we will have meaningful, life-giving assignments, the type that we were meant to experience before the fall. In short, it will be avodah. There are probably many of us who think seriously about the afterlife and at one time or another feared that it might be boring. The good news is

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A Kingdom Perspective

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” – Matthew 6:33 I know this verse is familiar, and that’s good, because it’s really important, especially in the times in which we’re living. After watching the world be turned upside down by an unexpected pandemic and witnessing the instability and heartache it’s caused on many levels, a lot of us have been forced to embrace a paradigm shift. Much of what we’ve put our hope in for a long time has been removed, and the Lord has peeled back the layers of worldly security that we unknowingly held on to. In the absence of certainty in the areas of health, freedom, and finances, we’ve come face-to-face with not knowing what the future holds — and my prayer is that it’s driven us straight to the heart of God. You see,

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You Are the High Bidder

“Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?” – James 2:5 I really loved my Grandma and Grandpa Schuller, and I also really loved spending time at their house. In fact, some of my fondest memories revolve around family gatherings in that special place, and it was a source of major sadness when they both passed away and the property was sold. Worse yet, their belongings were listed in an online auction, so even family members had to pay for the things they wanted. As you can imagine, it felt strange to spend money buying back their stuff, but there were a couple items I knew I needed to have. One was a VHS tape of my grandpa giving a Christmas sermon

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On Earth as It Is in Heaven

“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” – Matthew 6:10 Not only do I love the Lord’s Prayer because it’s the perfect model for us to follow as we approach our Heavenly Father but also because it reflects the heart of God. Jesus taught us to pray: “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.” Though it’s easy to gloss over that phrase, it actually paints a very powerful picture of the manner in which the Lord of Creation wants His will, priorities, and power to prevail on this planet. Many of us get so focused on reaching eternity that we forget there is work to do here and now. While it’s tempting to discard the future of the world, especially when it looks chaotic and uncertain, it’s important to remember that as Christ’s disciples, we are

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Born to Triumph

“Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.’” – Revelation 5:5 Merry Christmas! Though it’s been an unprecedented and bumpy road that’s brought us to this December 25, today can be a milestone we’ll never forget, because when we walk through seasons of turmoil and loss, God brings our hearts closer to that which is eternal. While our focus in times gone by has been on entertaining, presents, and holiday “perfection,” this year has made it clear what’s most important. In 2020, none of us will take for granted good health, food on our table, a job that pays the bills, or the loved ones who surround us (even virtually). More importantly, we won’t forget the Guest of Honor at our Christmas

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A Glory Greater Than Gold

“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.’” – Matthew 2:1,2 The Christmas story is full of unexpected encouragement, and though it’s become almost too familiar, its many truths take on new meaning in seasons of testing like the one in which we’re living. I believe this is especially true as we examine the gifts the Magi brought to Jesus — each one of them has the potential to help us as we sort through the 2020 experience. To offer some background, unlike traditional depictions of the nativity, there were probably a lot more than three “wise men.” In fact, the party that traveled from the east was more like

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Rooting for you…

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
-Revelation 21:4

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Forever…

“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.”
-John 5:24

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Third movement…

“’For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord.”
-Isaiah 55:8

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