Thursday, June 13, 2013

Considering Heaven


From Creature of the Word by Matt Chandler, Josh Patterson, Eric Geiger.
Heaven is an eternal gathering of people enthralled with praising God. Someone with no desire to corporately rejoice in Him is not exactly prepping well for the eternal gathering that is to come.
When we and the people in our churches consider whether we really want heaven or not, we must realize that we are not simply asking ourselves if we prefer heaven to hell. Choosing one thing over another doesn't necessarily mean we love the thing we choose. If given the choice to eat spinach or broccoli, you may choose broccoli. But that doesn't mean you love broccoli. It may only mean you don't want to eat spinach. Heaven is not for people who just want to skip hell. Heaven is reserved for those who love Jesus, who have been rescued by Him and who long to praise Him. If someone doesn't have much use for praising Him now, it's foolish to think they're ready for heaven. Those set apart for the eternal corporate worship gathering enjoy the temporary gathering of the Church on earth... A church gathered for worship should embody a sense of awe and anticipation because of the One who has rescued the worshippers. (40-1)

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

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