Come Down, Lord!

In April of 1993 my grandmother was reflecting on her cancer operation from a year before. She noted that all reports were good, and then she wrote, “I don’t know about tomorrow, I just live from day to day… but I know who holds tomorrow. And I know He holds my hand.” * The next month she passed away. Her death was unexpected and took all of us by surprise. But it wasn’t a surprise to God. This had been the plan all along. And when His work in her was complete and her race finished, He—who had always had her firmly by the hand—gently ushered her into glory. And there she finally grasped what she had previously believed: that death is gain (Philippians 1:21). Faith gave way to sight, and she found herself then—as now—more alive than ever. Over the last few days I’ve been thinking about the words of that old hymn. None of us knows about tomorrow. But we do know Who holds it. We know what He is like. We know He is good and wise and kind. More than that, we know He is love . We know what...

  The Bible teaches us that before the return of Christ there is a bliss that our souls will enjoy in the presence of Jesus, but that bliss is not the full glory to come when God makes a new heaven and a new earth. What will it be like?  I want to name 5 things that will characterize the heaven to come.   First, there will be an end to everything that is evil. No more aches and pains, no more weakness and tiredness, no more disease, no more brokenness or disability, no more confusion or memory loss, no more wicked perversions, no more haters of God, no more idol worship, no more heresy, no more blaspheming the precious name of Jesus, no more weariness in worship, no more hard heartedness in praying, no more rebellion, no more dishonesty and stealing, no more anger or disappointment or misunderstandings or broken relationships. no more covetousness, but only contentment. no more sadness and tears, but only joy.   Second, perfection .  What I have alr...