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11/23/2020   Revelation 3:12 

The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name.

-  The passage above raises an image of the terrible fate of Bootstrap Bill in the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise—he died and was transmogrified and embedded into the walls of a ghost ship.  To be honest, I find it difficult to talk about heaven itself in sermons or funerals or simple discussions with either believers or those who are confused about religion but are honestly exploring the issue of eternal life.  As a young man, I was grateful for my salvation and for the presence of God in my life, but was never really motivated by the thought of being issued a harp, crown, white robe, new name, white stone, or other rewards mentioned in the Bible. 

-  Hollywood and storytellers like Mark Twain leave people with twisted ideas about heaven.  Many religions concieve of life after death in odd ways, like Nirvana, Valhalla, or the Happy Hunting Grounds.  When it comes to the idea of eternal life, I think people are more motivated by an aversion to Hell than a desire for heaven.  Some even convince themselves that hell will be more desirable than heaven.  Many religions do away with hell altogether.  Athiests and secular humanists have an advantage in winning over the hearts and minds of people because of the disconcerting way heaven is presented in the Bible.

-  In all of this, I see the wisdom of God.  He desires most a vital ongoing relationship with us, while we in our selfish natures can be drawn to the benefits of loving God, rather than to God Himself.  This leaves us with an unsatisfying relationship and with troubling ideas about the Kingdom of God. 

-  Jesus tells us the way to hell is broad and the way to heaven is narrow, and few find it.  God wants us to seek Him not just above all else, but to love Him only – 100%.  As we draw closer, the Spirit of God give us a true glimpse of what awaits us in eternity.  “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has it entered into the heart [and imagination] of humankind, the things that God has prepared for them who love Him.  But God has revealed it to us by the Spirit…” [1 Corinthians 2:9-10].

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