Live Now Live Later

                                                                 

 

Being With Jesus

When I think about Heaven and the glimpses that the bible gives us on what that will be like I can’t help but get excited. I believe that’s why they are in scripture so that our anticipation and expectation will supersede anything that this world has to offer. A world of NO pain, suffering, or crime. A place where it will be beautiful and glorious whose builder and maker is God. Much, much, more.

But after studying what I believe we can expect when we transition into eternity over the last several years, all of the things that we can expect to see and experience won’t mean anything if Jesus IS NOT there.

Here’s what I mean when I say that. I’m married to my wife Virginia. She’s a lucky woman indeed 😉 Recently, we went on an amazing trip to San Francisco and I don’t say this because I’m a 49ers fan, but because the city is really beautiful. We did a lot together on this trip for instance riding bikes through cities and across the Golden Gate Bridge, horseback riding, watching sunsets over the ocean, driving mini carts through downtown in rush hour (that’s was totally her idea), museum tours, whale watching, and the list could go on.

I say all that to say if Virginia wasn’t with me, even though I could have still went and did all of those things, I would have had a miserable time. She’s what made it interesting and fun. Us being together and enjoying those things. The same is to be said with Jesus in Heaven. There are some amazing things lying on the other side of this earthly life, some things our finite minds couldn’t comprehend, but what will bring enjoyment in Heaven is not the things to do or see but the CREATOR of the things Himself: Jesus.

Apostle Paul’s desire to be with Christ was so strong, I believe it captivated his thoughts most of the days of His Christian life. He said to the church in Philippi

“As long as I’m alive in this body, there is good work for me to do. If I had to choose right now, I hardly know which I’d choose. Hard choice! The desire to break camp here and be with Christ is powerful. Some days I can think of nothing better”.

Think about this for a second. Try to imagine from Paul’s perspective of wanting to be with Christ. All of his sufferings that he told the church in Corinth about in his letters. For instance, being beaten with rods on 3 separate occasions by the Roman guards. Not to forget on 5 different occasions being whipped by the Jews receiving 39 lashes usually for what they would deem as punishment for Blasphemy. The list of some of his sufferings goes on and on (2 Corinthians 11:24-28, 1 Corinthians 4:11-13). Despite ALL of that, he still had a desire to remain on earth for the sake of the people to help them grow and mature in the Lord. Yet the daily thought of being united with his master for all of eternity I believe is what kept him going and motivated. Knowing that one day the man Jesus who appeared to him on the road to Damascus would not respond with the words “Saul, Saul, Why are you persecuting me” , but instead would hear “Paul, Paul, Well Done thou GOOD and FAITHFUL servant.

Unlike the 12 apostles, Paul did not get to spend 3 years with Jesus. He didn’t have the same experience like they did. Much of what he learned about what happened was passed down to him from them (1 Corinthians 15:3). Much like the same with you and I. I’ve heard of cases where people say Jesus has appeared to them or they heard an audible voice, but for the most part the MAJORITY of us have not experienced Jesus the way his first century followers did. We’ve spent our lives praying by faith being led by the Holy spirit in our hearts.

Paul later on would get his head chopped off by the Roman emperor Nero. Just imagine 5 seconds after his death finally standing before the man he had been serving on earth for almost 30 years. Being united with the person he tirelessly preached about hoping for the salvation for not only all of Israel , but all of mankind. I can only imagine what that must have felt like for him and Jesus. I think much the same for myself. I think about that first time of being able to hear him speak and hug Jesus. What a feeling that will be! The closest thing I could compare this too would be with my wife. Now normally we’re only separated for a few hours because of work, but in the early part of 2015 our older daughter had a heart failure and would require a transplant in a different state. Because of this situation and with us having other kids, it forced us to have to separate. Sometimes for as long as 2 weeks and let me tell you seeing her those times and being able to embrace her was something special. Now that was only 2 weeks, imagine 40,50,60 years and so on being down on earth everyday like many of us. Gathering on Sundays to hear and talk about our lord and savior. Leading up unto the day which is destined for all of us should Christ not come back first which is passing from death to life. That moment, those years, the centuries to follow with Christ will be more enjoyable than anything you’ve ever experienced on earth (Psalms 16:11)

Consider this…

What did Jesus primarily do with his disciples while he was here on earth? TEACH

Even after he was gone, Holy Spirit continued as promised by Jesus to teach and lead them into all truth (John 16:12-13). Revealing Christ to them and how he must suffer throughout the old testament while also showing them what to expect in the coming future.

This is the real kicker:

We will be learning throughout all of ETERNITY.

Some people believe that all of a sudden once we transition we will know ALL THINGS. The verse to support this idea is usually from 1 Corinthians 13:8-9. Paul is not telling these believers that after death we will become omniscient (all-knowing) like God. What he is saying is that we will no longer be split and confused with various opinions about God’s Word. There won’t be a need for a diversity of denominations because the person who work in the bible makes it hard for us to see eye to eye at times will be personally teaching us HIMSELF. The ONLY person who is said to be and will be omniscient is God (Isaiah 46:9-10).

What Kinds of things will we learn?

In Genesis 2 I believe we get a glimpse of what is to come in eternity. Its evident that God had to TEACH Adam certain things. He gave Adam a job to which Adam didn’t know what that was and had never worked before. That requires being TAUGHT. God also gave Adam a wife. Adam had never had a wife. God had to TEACH  him how to put up with her mess……

JUST KIDDING LOL

Seriously though, He had to be explained EVERTHING. From his and her body parts including what they do. Also how to have SEX! Yes I said it. Why would you assume they would know what to do? Now only that but how to dwell with her according to knowledge (1 Peter 3:7). He had many different NEEDS from her and he needed to be TAUGHT that. Not to mention how to work and tend to the garden, raising kids, learning about the animals, how to swim, and the list could go on. What I’m trying to show you is that Adam being New to this beautiful world had a lot to learn. Likewise, You and I being new to a re-created New Heaven and Earth, will have a TON to learn and we get all of eternity to do it!

The other day I asked a co-worker of mine who is a Christian did she ever think she would get the opportunity to travel to Jupiter before she dies. Having a strange look and knowing I was up to something she responded No and that she didn’t want to go! I laughed. She responding by asking why? I said that when we look into the skies and see the sun, moon, and stars. Not to forget if you can afford a good telescope some of the nearby planets. We’ve only been able to see some of these things, but we know NOTHING about them. What about being explained the innermost workings by the creator himself.  You talk about being in awe! I don’t want to go to far down that road because it will lead into the 4th part of the series.

EVERYDAY we will be learning something new and it won’t be boring or get tiresome. It will captivate us and have us wanting to know more. Jesus will be the most fascinating person we will have ever listened to. He will intrigue us in a way never experience. We won’t ever want to leave his physical presence and when we do head off to go do other things we will be looking forward to the time to reunite again.

Think about this

In 3 years of earthly ministry, He has captivated the minds of billions of people over the last 2,000 years which include believers and non-believers.

In Just 3 years!?!

We haven’t even seen him and he has caused this effect. Imagine actually being with him physically everyday…. We will need another word for CAPTIVATION at that point but the good news is that He will TEACH us that too.

As the church has progressed throughout the centuries, we are heading towards the GREAT Wedding. I loooove weddings especially the reception.

Biblically, the church (God’s People) are described in different ways throughout the scriptures to portray our relationship to Jesus. The one I like most is how our relationship is like a marriage whereas we are portrayed as the Bride while Christ is portrayed as the Groomsmen. Typically in Jewish custom, after the proposal was accepted by the future bride the groom would say something like “ I am going to prepare a place for you “, and  “I will return for you when it is ready”.   The usual practice was for the young man to return to his father’s house and build an additional room there. He was not allowed to skimp on the work and had to get his father’s approval before he could consider it ready for his bride. The place to which the bride was to be taken had to be BETTER than the place she had lived before. If asked the date of his wedding he would have to reply, “Only my father knows.”

Meanwhile the bride would be making herself ready so that she would be pure and beautiful for her bridegroom. During this time of waiting she would wear a veil when she went out to show she was spoken for (she has been bought with a price).

As we the church are the bride in wait, our groomsman Jesus has gone off to prepare an AMAZING place for us (John 14:2-4). We will spend all of eternity in his presence doing a lot of AMAZING things that scripture reveals and I will point out later.  We will be looking forward to the next day more than the former. Never getting enough of our Savior.