Where have we been?

Well, it's been way over one year since I wrote on this blog. I've been trapped in business, facebook an Twitter. I really like writting and not sure why I left the blog, but I hope to be back shortly with things that God is placing on my heart and mind. The older I get, seems as if I have more to write about but less time to do it. So if you will keep coming back, I'll do my best to get started again. It takes time to build a blogisphere audiance but I will give it my best try. See you in a few.

Looking at First John

I love reading First John.It is so plain and simple and perhaps since I'm plain and simple, that's why I love to read it. It's apparent that this John is the Apostle John as his writtings here refer back to the gospel of John in several of the verses. This Epistle doesn't seem to be written to any one particular church, but maybe to all who read it. It's almost like it is written on a flyer and given out to the general public. 1. That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life--. The message that John speaks of here is the same message that Jesus gave to His followers. It is a message that they heard. The heard it from the mouth of Jesus with their own ears. It was not hear-say, it was not public opinion nor was it voices on the street. They heard the message that John is writing about with their own ears directly from Jesus Himself. They not only heard Jesus speak this message but they were there in person with Him and they saw Him with their own eyes. Again, it was not something someone else said they saw, it was with thier own eyes, so unless they were deceived by their own eyes, they saw as they heard Jesus speak. They touched Jesus after the crucifiction, John reminds us that Doubting Thomas needed to touch his pierced hands and side before he would believe it really was Jesus. I'm certain that the love the Apostles had for Jesus would have been a touching love, one that shows concern and abiding love for the Savior. Now John refers to Jesus as the Word. John referred to Jesus as the Word in the gospel of John by saying "the Word became flesh" and in Revelation 19:13 he refers to Jesus as the "Word of God" John also on many occassions referred to Jesus as the Life. In John 2:4 he refers to Jesus as the Life and that that Life was the Light of men. He is the resurrection and the Life. So in First John 1:1 we are told up front what to expect because John is giving us a front row seat to knowing Jesus.
Do you know the Word of Life? Do you really know who Jesus is? Stay tuned and we will blog out First John for you.

Not sure what happened.

It's been seven months since I looked at blogging or even thought of blogging. Didn't even view this sight for the entire time. Now what makes a person do that? I use to blog two or three times per week and stayed in touch with all those who were blogging and then seven months and I don't even look at it. Well, I've traded blogging for tweeting and facebooking I guess. Facebook and Twitter get you more people to talk to. I had very few people who reponded to my blogs therefore, I went to Twitter. Now everything I say, goes to the number of folks who follow me. My friends on facebook are numerous and I can get my message out to many who may or may not want to read what I have to say. So, I might just get back to blogging just to give it one final try. But will have to think on that one for a while. In the meantime, find me on Twitter and on facebook. God bless and stay tuned. You never know, I might just be back here before long.

Just need more time

Haven't blogged for almost a month now and I just can't find the time to put thoughts together so that someone might just make sense of them. I still want to talk more about Heaven, but that takes much time that I just don't have right now. So for those of you (1 or 2) who read my blog, please be patient with me until I can slow down enough to write something that peeks your interest. God bless you in the mean time and I will get back soon.

Old Jerusalem----New Jerusalem

In 1997, I was privledged to travel to Israel with my Pastor, Dr. Johnny Hunt and about 80 other people. This was a dream come true for me as I had always wanted to go and never dreamed that I would actually get to go. You see, I always had to dream what it was like and I've seen pictures of it, but I've had to imagine mostly.
Well, let me say in the outset that I'm not a very good dreamer because everything that I saw was so much different than what I had imagined. Everything is stone! Rocks galore everywhere you look. The mount of Olives, The Eastern Gate, The Old City within the Gates and the city outside the Gates. Mount Calvary, The Garden tomb, The Dead Sea, Jerico, Sea of Galilee, Capernium. I could go on and on and never express what all I saw. Being able to walk in the same places that scripture tells us that Jesus walked. Imagine how He must have felt walking through the streets of Old Jerusalem and how He wanted so much for them to believe that He was the Son of God and yet many didn't believe and many wanted Him dead and they got their way finally. Yet, you and I know that even death, the grave and even Hell couldn't defeat our Savior. Yes, I couldn't imagine the felling of knowing that I was right there perhaps even in the same spot that Jesus was at one time. What a felling, What a City, What a Savior. Well we're told in Scripture in Rev. 21:2 that there will be a new Jerusalem coming down from heaven from God. Yes He created the Old Jerusalem and He is creating the New Jerusalem and I can't imagine what it will look like either. My dreams of heaven I'm sure come mighty far from what it really will be like. God gives us detailed description of the architecture, walls, streets, and other features of what He calls a city which I believe is a literal geographical location. Physically resurrected people living in a physical environment. God calls this city which the New Jerusalem. The old Jerusalem will be done away with and a new one will be where we abide with Him for ever and ever. Read Revelation 21-22 and get some a glimer of vision as to what this city might look like and then just know that imagination will never be sufficient to keep you from being at awe when we finally see the New Jerusalem and when we get to see Jesus.

Just way to busy

Well, I had meant to blog more about Heaven by now but I've just been busy. Life seems to come at me with large blows or not at all. It's either feast or famine! I hope to get something written by next week, but can't bet on it. Have you noticed how everything seemed to move over to facebook and then nothing much here. Well, I like this medium much better than facebook. Who really cares what someone is doing right now? By the time we get it read, they aren't doing it any more. So it means nothing. Then all those people who say they are your friend that you don't even know. They write they are going to the bathroom and that's way more information than I need or want. Then you learn that some of the people that you thought you knew, are really different than you thought. They just aren't who they pretend to be or at least it doesn't seem that way. Oh well, I really like the blogging best and hope many of those who use to be here, will get tired of facebook and tweeter and come back to the old blogging site. Hope to bring another heaven message soon.

Misconceptions of Heaven

If I were to ask you what you think heaven is like, many of you would answer, "I don't have a clue", some would say, "It's like "and you would tell what you think it is like" and I've even heard this. "The Bible says that we can't know what heaven is like and they would quote 1 Corinthians 2:9 which says, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard. Nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him." If we stopped right there, perhaps we all could agree with their perception that there's no way we can know. However, if we continue on in verse 10 we read this; "But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes the deep things of God." Well, now, that sure sounds like it's possible to perceive heaven and know what it is like by allowing God's Holy Spirit to reveal it to us. So now, let me ask again, What do you think heaven is like? Your answer may be "I don't know" or "I haven't thought that much about it" or it could be, "I don't really care, I just know that I'm going there". Whatever your answer is, I do believe that God has given us glimpses of heaven and I also believe God wants us to know some of the things we can expect. If that's true, let's think about heaven and what it might be like.

First things first! We must admit that Jesus is in heaven and any where Jesus is, would be heavenly. The fact that Jesus is there may negate every other aspect of heaven and it just could make it a mute question. However, because Jesus has gone back there to prepare for us a place, then anything that Jesus has to do with, we should be excited and anticpating what it will be like. Second, we will also see friends and family there. Yes, I believe we will see people we know such as my Dad and my Mom and my Grandparents. That too will be heavenly for me to be able to talk to them again and to be able to worship with them again and we get to do this in the presence of Almighty God, Lord of Heaven, Savior, King and Heavenly Father.
Thirdly, the Apostle John writes, "The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. Can you imagine a peral that big? Imagine this, these gates are set in walls that are two hundred feet thick. How about those streets of gold that look like transparent glass. Can you imagine, that heaven will be fourteen hundred miles wide, deep and high. Now that's big. If you can, imagine the size of the United states west of the Mississippi River and then imagine that footing going fourteen hundred miles into the air. Remember this will be a new heaven and a new earth and so oxygen is not a problem for our Creator and the earth's orbit perhaps will certainly be different than now, but again, for our creator, no problem.
Can you imagine a new body, a new resurrected body that is no longer subject to sin. You see, heaven isn't absence of the body, but the attainment of a new sinless body. A Spirit without a body or a body without a spirit in incomplete and not human. No where do we find that we no longer are human. Remember, God created man sinless and it was man who committed sin,however God meant for men to be sinless.
Revelation 21:1, 3-5 says; Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth And I heard a loud voice fromt he throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. He who was seated on the throne siad, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."
Yes Heaven is going to be a great place and I've only mentioned a couple of things that we know about heaven, but we can be assured that heaven is real, heaven is where God is and Heaven will be our Eternal home.