Tag Archives: heaven

Lovely

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“For great is Your love, higher than the heavens.” Psalm 108:4

We can’t make God love us less—He died for us.
We can’t make God love us more—He died for us.
But sadly we are free to ignore His love and die for ourselves.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
John 3:16-18

Breath of Heaven

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Breathe deep of the heavenly air.

For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. Romans 5:5

The love of God is the air of heaven, and the joy of earth. You breathe it in then breathe it out.

Breathe in––God’s love is greater than all my failures.
Breathe out––I can rest easy for His love watches over me.

Breathe in––Jesus loves me, and died in my place.
Breathe out––His life for mine, such love overwhelms me with gratitude.

Breathe in––The Spirit of God has freed me from the dark powers of this world.
Breathe out––peace and blessed assurance the victory is won.

Breathe in––God’s love surrounds me, and will never leave me.
Breathe out––I am His, and He is mine.

Breathe in––God’s love makes me what I was meant to be.
Breathe out––A reflection of Him to those around me.

Breathe in––Jesus loves me, and sent His Spirit to live in my heart.
Breathe out––Jesus loves you, and invites you to breathe Him in.

It may take you a number of slow deep breaths to have His love sink in, but I can guarantee even after a thousand years you have not begun to breathe in the depths of God’s love in Jesus.

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:17-21

A Place Where Heaven Touches Earth

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Where earth and sky meet

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:1-6

And we can touch Heaven.

Heaven and Hell Pictured

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The heavens declare the glory of God

The heavens declare the glory of God.  Psalm 19

Being in the presence of God is wonderful beyond description. Sometimes a picture, or during special moments in prayer, I catch a whiff of what that will be like. Then it makes my spirit soar. But, I think, only when we are before the throne of God will we truly know what the abundant life is all about.

“I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)

The absence of God is a horror of equal dimension in the other direction. Only those caught in Hell will realize the depth of this hopelessness. There is no picture I have to convey this, so I will only put forth the words of Jesus in describing such a place:

“But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.” (Mark 14:21)

A Glimpse of Heaven

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Looking up Snow Lakes Trail into the Enchantments

Looking up Snow Lakes Trail into the Enchantments


At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like angels in heaven. Matt. 22:30

This verse gives us a little peak into life after death. It is not meant to be a complete picture of heaven, just a glimpse. For someone who has lost a family member it can be very reassuring. When I think of my parents, to know they are “like angels” helps me deal with the loss. I look forward to the day when I can join them. Some people will be like the Sadducees (a Jewish sect that did not believe in the resurrection) calling Jesus’ statement “hogwash.” Reading in Matthew 22 Jesus’ responds to the scoffers: “you are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.” No doubt my understanding of heaven is incomplete and sorely lacking, but I do know that Jesus loves my parents, and His power goes way beyond my understanding. Therefore, if I am mistaken about what the phrase, “they will be like angels,” means. I error on the side of being too shallow and meagerly.

Heavenly Vision

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Heavenly Vision

Phil Yancey in his book on prayer, mentions that Jesus prayed in difficult circumstances as a reminder of His true home.

“And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” (Luke 21:41-42)

When I take a photo of a beautiful scene it reminds me that I am longing for a better place. A home where there is no evil, no death, and no destruction. A place where life is all it was created to be. The photograph becomes a prayer: a reminder of my true home.

Grief, in some sense, is also a longing for a place where death does not touch those we love, where suffering ceases and life can be truly enjoyed. Our grief then becomes a prayer: a reminder of our true home.