The sun might be setting in this picture but heaven is alight with God’s presence.
Our Bible Study for the past couple of weeks is over Randy Alcorn’s book “Heaven”. There are five sessions left so if the topic is of interest to you come on by on Wednesday nights. We have a covered dish fellowship meal at 5:30, prayer at 6:15 and we start watching the video about 6:30. You are welcome at all or part of the evening. So many of us have heard so much about Heaven, about what it is like and what we will be doing. So many different ideas and many of them have nothing to do with scripture. The Rev. Dr. Randy Alcorn bases all of his ideas and statements on scripture throughout the Bible. Here is an excerpt from his book.
“A fundamental article of the Christian faith is that the resurrected Christ now dwells in Heaven. We are told that his resurrected body on Earth was physical, and that this same, physical Jesus ascended to Heaven, from which he will one day return to Earth (Acts 1:11). It seems indisputable, then, to say that there is at least one physical body in the present Heaven.
If Christ’s body in the present Heaven has physical properties, it stands to reason that others in Heaven might have physical forms as well, even if only temporary ones. It also makes sense that other aspects of the present Heaven would have physical properties-so that, for example, when Christ is seen standing at the right hand of God(Acts 7:56), he is actually standing on something. Otherwise we would have to conclude that the resurrected (and thus, embodied) Christ has been floating for two thousand years in a realm without material substance. (He could, of course, but does he?) If we know there is physical substance in Heaven (namely, Christ’s body), can we not also assume that other references to physical objects in Heaven, including physical forms and clothing, are literal rather than figurative?”
We hope to find many scriptural answers to the many questions we have. At least we will hear scripture quoted to support Randy Alcorn’s opinions and we can make educated, spirit-led decisions about our future life eternal.
With a first name like Randy, I just have to listen to him.
Tuesday this beautiful group of United Methodist went to feed some hungry kids at Lamar’s Wesley Foundation. We fed 283 students a spaghetti and meatball lunch. There was also salad, bread, lemonade and cookies. It was a great time of fellowship and some hard work. We were busy serving for most of those 2 hours from 11am to 1pm. It is a great feeling to go with this group of people who support each other and all work so fluidly together. Other than the sauce splattered all over my shirt I think we left it all there. Good job Wesley United Methodist Church! God smiles when we take the Gospel message out to the world. Many different nationalities were represented by the students and they all were served with smiles on peoples faces who showed them the love God has for us all.
Jane and I attended a funeral Sunday afternoon and the funeral began with this song, Norman Greenbaum’s “Spirit in the Sky.” The video was taken from youtube and I thought it was well done. It was uploaded by “utuber423.” It has been a while since I heard this song but it sure brought back some memories. The song while not used in many funeral services is really pretty appropriate and relevant to the Christian message that you will hear when you go to most United Methodist funerals.
The funeral was ended with the Pastor singing “How Great Thou Art” and he sang it beautifully. What I received from the funeral was a picture of how the person who passed lived his life. I heard it described this way before, “with both feet on the gas wide open and when the end comes slide sideways into the grave.” This person lived his life as a friend to all and as a friend of Jesus Christ. That pretty much captures the Christian message doesn’t it. I have a friend in Jesus and He is going to recommend me to the Spirit in the Sky. I like that….
Last night at Wesley United Methodist Church we held a Holy/Maundy Thursday Service. We read from John 13:1-17, 31-35 and from 1 Corinthians 11:23-26. Read the Passion of Christ from John 18:1-19:42 and received Holy Communion.
We received Holy Communion last because we wanted the Passion of Christ to be fresh on our minds and in our hearts when we received the gift He has given us.
We are fast closing out the season of Lent. A time when we should be focusing more on Christ and less on ourselves. Remembering Jesus’ teachings about being servants to all. In Jesus’ day the lowliest of lowly jobs was to have to wash someone’s feet. The footwear of choice was a sandal of some sort and feet were usually pretty dirty. Walking around in the streets of Jerusalem was a dusty endeavor with all kinds of animal droppings and such to be dodged so it is pretty easy to understand why Jesus used such a lowly example of servant hood to example to His disciples what it meant to be a servant to others. He showed them in His washing of their feet that the love He had for them was able to go to extremes for them. Even the extreme of willingly, voluntarily giving His very own life for them. In giving His life He exampled the very depths of suffering that He would go to because He loved them (us) all so much. Such depths as being beaten, spit upon, whipped in the most cruel and punishing way to cause the most damage without causing death. Then He was paraded through the streets carrying His own Cross to be nailed to it and left to die.
Who among those you know would be willing to do that for the one’s you love! Many over the centuries have given their lives for what they believe in. They have become Martyr’s for the cause and love of Jesus Christ. That is the extreme example so what do you do in your every day life to example Jesus’ love for everyone you meet every day. That is really why He gave himself up for us. To help us think about thinking about others. How do you serve every day? What are your thought’s about people and who they are? Why do you ignore those in need? Questions we all need to dig deep down into to search our own hearts and maybe we can allow the Holy Spirit to work within us.
Have a blessed day by being the servant to the world and the one’s you love that Christ calls you to be,
Wesley United Methodist Church, Orange TX 