There is no practical way to fully illustrate the difference between Heaven, our eternal abode, and that in which we live today. We could pour a glass of water into a sparkling crystal goblet, and to the naked eye it would look pure.
We could take another crystal goblet, fill it half full with the same water, and then proceed to add dirt from the ground outside. We could stir through it until it became mud. By holding the two goblets next to each other, there would be a stark difference.

It would be easy to see how dirty the one goblet’s contents are, but it would take a microscope to discern the ‘dirt’ in the seemingly pure water. By magnifying the water droplets, the water that seemed to clear at first, suddenly becomes ‘scary.’ Unidentifiable creatures dart back and forth, while some seem to hang effortlessly in space. That which looked so pure, is actually filled with small particles of dirt and creatures, betraying its pristine appearance.

Though our original contrast between goblets is not a precise illustration, it can act as an inferior picture of Heaven as compared to our present world. Heaven really is pure. There are no ‘dirt’ particles there, nor are there unwelcome ‘creatures’ floating around. Heaven is perfect, and will act as our forever home after we leave this life.

The letter to the church at Galatia includes a description of what Christ did for us by His sacrificial death.  By paying for our sins on the cross, Jesus provided for us not only a means of forgiveness, but also a way out of this world to that which is perfect.  Referring to Christ, it says in…

Galatians 1:4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:

Jesus gave Himself to die on the cross to pay for our sins in order that He might deliver us from this ‘present evil world.’

Just like that goblet which was filled with mud, the world is filled with sin, and every conceivable offence to the nature of Christ. Every man is a sinner by nature, and even our righteousnesses are as ‘filthy rags,’ according to Isaiah. ‘There is none good,’ and ‘we are all gone out of the way.’

Jesus died that we might have an escape from this evil world, and by trusting Christ, we will be delivered from this world to Heaven when we die. However, I believe there is another truth presented in this passage. Christ did not only die to provide for us an eventual ticket to Heaven; His death and resurrection made it possible that we could be freed from this present evil world even while we still lived in and a part of it.

As we fill our hearts and minds with Christ, the temptations of the world lose their charm, and Heaven’s glories begin to be enjoyed today.  Let’s take advantage of the deliverance Christ offers us, and begin breathing Heaven’s air today.

One of the ways that God seeks to be an encouragement to His children is by reminding them of the extraordinary future He has prepared for them. God’s mercy is on full display every time He mentions the glories He has waiting us in Heaven.

First of all, the most sanctified one of us is still hopelessly lost in his sin, apart from the redemptive work of Christ. In ourselves, there is nothing worth saving; we are all as filthy rags. But, glory to our God, His blood purchased for us freedom from the stain of sin, and Heaven is now the future home of all who have come to Jesus by faith, and have trusted in Him for salvation.

What will it be like…Heaven, that is? How can we comprehend the beauty and majesty of the place God calls home? The Bible gives a few small clues, but much of its splendor will be hidden to us until we actually are welcomed in.

I believe that Christ is greatly desirous of revealing His glory to us, and has plans of keeping Heaven constantly filled with venues bringing glory to Him, and wonder to us. There’s no way that our mortal minds can begin to comprehend what lies ahead. The better we get to know our Lord, the more we begin to understand His heart for us, and the confidence that instills, that Heaven will be fulfilling, and full of joys.

Paul, in writing to the church at Ephesus, sought to encourage them by writing in…

Ephesians 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

I can’t think of a way I could have worded his thought more beautifully. The grace of the Lord Jesus will be ‘exceedingly rich’ toward us. It was His grace that saved us, and it is His grace that sanctifies us. However, we have only begun to experience the depths of His grace. Those riches will be explored in Him forevermore.

Notice how He will show us His grace; it will be in His kindness.

I have known folks who expressed to me a certain degree of fear of Heaven. Because there is so much we don’t know about it, those unknowns can be sometimes unnerving. However, knowing that all the goodness of Christ in His grace is going to become the hallmark of our existence there, and that His motivator towards us is His kindness, I’d say we have nothing to fear.

Then, we will be enveloped in the many ways the Lord has prepared to make us loved, fulfilled, and excited in Him.

The next time you get a little discouraged, think about those exceeding riches of His grace, given in His kindness to you. What a glorious future we have waiting!!

The church at Philippi held a special place in Paul’s heart. It was one of the places Paul visited in response to his ‘Macedonian Call.’ He found people hungry to hear his message of the gospel, and eagerly delivered it to all who would hear. Of course, while he was there, his antagonists stirred the pot and had him jailed. It was there that he and Silas sang and prayed at midnight, and the jailor and his family all got saved.

A church was established there, and though it grew quickly, it faced much persecution. Its members were not wealthy, and what they did have was often heavily taxed. Out of their poverty, they generously gave to meet the needs of Paul, especially while he was in prison some time later.

The church at Philippi was used by God to keep Paul going during some dark days imprisoned. They had very little, but were desirous of sharing what they had with Paul, and were used as a source of great encouragement to him.

Paul wrote them and said in…

Philippians 1:7 Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.

He told them that they were ‘partakers of his grace.’ The grace to which he referred was that which God had given him to help him, and encourage him to continue on. God’s grace was a healing balm to Paul, a wellspring of great joy and contentment. The darker the surroundings in which Paul found himself, the brighter was the grace that God imparted.

It was that grace, the wonderful grace of God that Paul told them that they had been partakers. They had suffered as he had suffered, and he knew that the same grace that had upheld him would also work to uphold them.

It was reassuring for Paul to know that God would not forsake the young believers who had trusted so sweetly in Christ to be saved. Their simple faith had grown to withstand the attacks the enemy sent their way. They were now a strong church, surviving by trusting God for all their needs, both physical and spiritual.

When Paul prayed for the churches, he almost always included a prayer for grace. He knew firsthand the importance of grace, and realized that without it, the churches would fail.

It would be a good addition to our prayers if we would include asking God to supply grace for each of our loved ones, and for each of our spiritual leaders. For, without God’s grace, we will not be able to continue on.

On Friday of the week leading up to Resurrection Sunday, otherwise known as Easter, we remember and celebrate Jesus going to the cross and dying for our sins. There is much debate as to the actual day in which Jesus was crucified, but there is no debate among Bible believers that He actually died and was in the tomb for three days and three nights before being raised from the dead.

Now, over two thousand years later, it is hard to fully comprehend the events of, and leading up to the cross. How could it be that the world could be so hateful to the One who came with the express purpose of giving His life to pay for their sins? How could He become the focused center of all the world’s hatred? What did Jesus do that was so inhumane and despicable that He would be sentenced by his own people to die by the most painful and shameful death possible at the time?

Jesus came to this earth with an impossible task…to draw all men to Himself. Because Jesus was the Light of the world, the sinful creatures were repulsed, and ran for cover. In the same way cockroaches flee the light, so sinful man hates to have his sins exposed, and runs as fast as he can back into his dark shadows.

Because Jesus threatened the sinful lifestyles of humanity, He became public enemy number one, and was resisted, rejected, and finally relegated to die. Those who condemned Jesus to die felt a sadistic pride over their accomplishment. They had rid themselves of the bothersome guilt they felt because of His preaching and teaching. They would now be free to carry on their proud and deceitful lifestyles without fear of condemnation. At least, that was what they figured.

The enemies of Jesus bet their very lives that Jesus was a phony. They despised everything Jesus did, and were somehow able to convince themselves that the truth right in front of them did not really exist. They tried to make Jesus into a common criminal. They bypassed lawful procedures, and pushed Jesus through their makeshift trials, manipulating verdicts by outright lies. Jesus never stood a chance.

Jesus was despised and hated. However, there will come a day, sometime in the future, when the sinful world that still hates Jesus, will visibly and clearly see Him return in power and great glory. On that day, all those without Christ will die inside from fear and regret. In that moment they will acknowledge they were wrong. But, their acknowledgement will be too late.

John wrote in…

Revelation 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

Though sinful man will wail at His return, we who know Christ will rejoice as Jesus comes as King of Kings to take over the world and become the Leader of the whole world.