Tag: heaven

Is Being a Christian a Present Reality or a Future Hope?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date October 23, 2016
2 Comments on Is Being a Christian a Present Reality or a Future Hope?

Our Perspective on What it Means to Follow Jesus Shapes How We Think and Act

I’ve met people so fixated on heaven that they squander their time here on earth. Not only do they miss the opportunities before them, but they also offer a negative example to the world of what it means to be a Christian.

They treat life as a burden and react to every disappointment as a stoic martyr. With long faces they measure their time on earth as an ordeal to endure, one that prevents them from obtaining heavenly bliss.

Yes, our future hope in heaven is significant, but if that’s the only reason to be a Christian, we’re missing what God wants from us and has to give us – now.

Life is a gift, an amazing gift to enjoy and to use and to share. We need to make each minute count for Jesus today, not sit in a corner and count each minute until it’s time to leave.

Years ago I largely missed the delight of my senior year in high school because I was so fixated on what was to come next. High school loomed as a time to tolerate, a hurdle to jump over, before I could move on with life.

I even let relationships languish because I didn’t see them as part of my post high school reality. I lost that time and can’t reclaim it.

Yes, I can’t wait to get to heaven and enjoy eternal ecstasy, but I also can’t wait for the opportunities of each new day. In some small way I want to be the hands, the face, and the love of Jesus to those I meet.

I want to encourage those who are discouraged, to help those in need, and to point those who are searching to a better way.

When Jesus told us to pray for our daily bread (Matthew 6:11), it was a reminder to take each day as it comes, one day at a time, and not rush to the next one. We need to make the most of today, whether it is our last one or we have thousands more.

God has given me my time on earth for a reason. If I don’t make the best of it, I may not be ready to fully embrace my future with him in heaven.

As the saying goes, “Today is the first day of the rest of our lives.” We need to live it to the full for Jesus.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

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Tags daily bread, eternal life, heaven, Jesus, serve God

Bible Insights

All Things Are Possible With God

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date October 6, 2015

Getting into Heaven is Impossible Without God

A rich man asks Jesus how to get to heaven. The man reels off a list of all he’s done, of all of God’s commands that he’s kept. He waits for Jesus to affirm him, but deep down he knows he still falls short. “What else must I do,” he asks?

Then Jesus hits him in the wallet. “Give all your money and possessions to the poor. Then follow me.”

The man walks away despondent. He’s not ready to put Jesus first in his life and follow him instead of relying on money.

Then Jesus explains to his disciples how hard it is for people who put their trust in money to make it into heaven. But it’s not just the rich people who are at risk.

Jesus adds more: getting into heaven is impossible if we try to do it on our own. The good news is that “with God, all things are possible.”

This is an indirect way to remind us that we can’t earn our salvation. It is a gift from God.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Matthew 17-19, and today’s post is on Matthew 19:26.]

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Tags follow Jesus, heaven, salvation

Bible Insights

Can an Actionless Faith Save You?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date September 8, 2015

Can an Actionless Faith Save You?

There are some people who try to earn their way into heaven. They do good and obey God’s commands—at least most of them anyway. They work hard their entire life to get God’s attention.

Surely when their time comes, God will throw open the doors to heaven.

With a wide smile and a gracious gesture he will say, “Well done good and faithful servant.” But he could say, “Go away, I don’t know you.” They’re really not sure. They hope they’ve been good enough, but doubt lingers.

Others laugh at this approach. They say you can’t earn your way into heaven. Eternal life is a gift, given in grace and received by faith. They say a little prayer and figure it’s all good. They have their get-out-of-hell card.

Since heaven is a present, they continue living a life unchanged. They set God aside and live for themselves.

Is faith alone enough to save them? Maybe it is and maybe it’s not. James writes that it’s through our actions—that is, our good deeds—that we confirm our faith.

Yes, we are saved by God’s grace through our faith, but then we prove it by showing his love to others through our actions.

We need to have faith and then we need to do good deeds. Both are required.

[Matthew 25:19-23, Matthew 25:12, Ephesians 2:8, Romans 6:1-2, James 2:14-17]

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Tags doubt, faith, grace, heaven, hell

Bible Insights

What Does it Mean to Have Fallen Asleep?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date July 9, 2015

The Bible sometimes uses the quaint phrase fallen asleep. It’s a polite way to say that someone died. I smile at this ambiguous language and wonder why Bible writers used a euphemism instead of being direct.

But I think there might be more to it. To say fallen asleep is not merely an understated way to communicate that someone’s life is over. It’s a hint that there is another life awaiting us after death, that we will awake to a new kind of existence.

Just as natural sleep is a respite between one day and the next, so too figurative sleep is a transition from one form of life to another.

While our body ceases to function, our spirit moves on to a new dimension. And we must first fall asleep to make that transition.

When the Bible talks about those who have fallen asleep, it’s more than a gracious way to say someone died, it’s the suggestion there is even more to look forward to as we move into the spiritual realm. But first we must sleep; we must die.

Read more those who have fallen asleep in Matthew 9:24, Mark 5:39, Luke 8:32, John 11:11, Acts 7:60, Acts 13:36, 1 Corinthians 11:30, 1 Corinthians 15:6, 18, 20, and 1 Thessalonians 4:14-15.

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Tags death, eternal life, heaven, hope

Bible Insights

Do Angels Have Wings?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date March 26, 2015

God’s Messengers

I’m not sure if I assumed it or someone taught me, but I always thought seraphim and cherubim were two special classes of angels.

Though seraphim and cherubim aren’t mentioned often in the Bible (2 and 69 verses respectively), angels make a much more frequent appearance, in some 290 places.

In none of those passages does the Bible call angels seraphim or cherubim. (The dictionary labels all three as “celestial beings.”) Although seraphim and cherubim have wings, no verses say that angels do.

Do Angels Fly?

The Bible never says angels fly, though there are some hints they are occasionally airborne, but as supernatural beings, they don’t need wings to go vertical.

Angels are mentioned more times in the New Testament (182 times) than in the Old (108 times), with Revelation giving them the most coverage (77 times), followed by Luke (24 times) and Acts (22 times).

We don’t know if angels have genders or not, but one verse (Judges 13:21) implies that particular angel is masculine, so I refer to angels as “him” rather then “it.”

While we see seraphim as worshiping God and cherubim as hanging out with God in heaven and attesting to his glory, angels serve as God’s messengers to us. They show up unexpectedly, suddenly appearing and then disappearing.

Do Not Be Afraid

Apparently either their arrival or their form is frightening, because they often say, “Do not be afraid.”

If an angel ever visited me, I wonder if I’d shrink back in fear. I’d like to say I wouldn’t, but I suspect I would.

Regardless of how I react, I will want to listen carefully to what the angel tells me, receiving it as a word from God.

[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Judges 13-15 and today’s post is on Judges 13:21. See 290 verses that mention angels.]

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Tags angel, glory, heaven, supernatural

Bible Insights

Are Cherubim Angels?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date March 19, 2015

Last week we asked if seraphim are the same as angels? We discovered there is no biblical evidence to suggest they are. Now we ask the same question about cherubim.

The Bible mentions cherubim much more than seraphim. In fact, there are 69 verses (in the NIV) with either cherubim (the plural form) or cherub (the singular form).

All but one of these mentions are in the Old Testament, many relating to the construction of the tabernacle and temple.

Just as with seraphim, none of these 69 verses says that cherubim are angels. The dictionary defines them as “celestial beings,” just as it does for seraphim.

Cherubim have wings and fly, but they also have hands. Their wings make a loud sound and can be heard from far away. Some are in heaven, around the throne of God. David even writes about God riding them.

Although cherubim are not angels, they are some amazing supernatural beings.

Next we’ll look at what the Bible teaches us about angels and then archangels.

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Tags God, heaven, King David, supernatural

Bible Insights

One Mistake is One Too Many

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date August 8, 2013

Last week we talked about Moses’ mistake of hitting the rock instead of speaking to it. He did this in disobedience to what God told him to do. The Bible calls this sin.

As a result of Moses’ mistake, that is his sin, he was only permitted to see the land God promised to give to the people, but he could not enter into it.

This is a great illustration of the idea of following all the rules but one and then not getting into heaven because we’re not good enough.

We can’t earn our way into heaven, because just one “oops” removes that chance. Fortunately, the way to heaven is much easier; it’s called faith.

[Deuteronomy 32:51-52, Deuteronomy 34:4, James 2:10, and Ephesians 2:8-9]

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Tags faith, heaven, Moses, sin

Christian Living

What I Learned From The Great Divorce

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date May 5, 2013

Many years ago I read C. S. Lewis’s book The Great Divorce. It’s an allegory about heaven and hell, the connection between the two, and the perspective of their residents.

The imagery intrigued me, providing much to contemplate, yet I was mostly confused.

Yesterday, I attended a theatrical production of The Great Divorce. Being able to see and hear Lewis’s words helped me better understand, yet again, full clarity eluded me.

However, they offered an after-show Q & A with the director and one of the cast members who had studied Lewis. About a quarter of the crowd stayed and several cast members joined us.

A dialogue took place, a fuller understanding emerged. One person would share a line or passage they liked, and as more joined the conversation, greater insight resulted.

Some admitted to not understanding certain parts, but as others shared their perspective, the scene came into better focus.

One person asked a question and I thought, “He doesn’t get it at all.” But the discussion revealed that I was the one who didn’t get it.

The same applies to faith.

If we make the journey on our own—just like reading a book by ourselves—we may be intrigued, but confusion abounds. The result is more questions than answers.

If we add more senses and tap other ways of learning—just like watching a play—greater understanding can result, though clarity is still lacking.

However, when we experience faith in community, having a safe place to ask questions and engage in dialogue—just like our Q & A session—that’s when a deeper meaning and fuller comprehension unfolds.

The result is added depth and increased appreciation.

Faith isn’t supposed to be a solitary journey but a shared experience—anything less is a mere shortcut that serves to shortchange.

[Check out my follow-up post about The Great Divorce.]

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Tags C. S. Lewis, heaven, hell

Bible Insights

What is Eternal Death?

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date August 23, 2012

Since eternal life is the result of following Jesus, what’s the alternative? Might “eternal death” be the opposite?

If eternal life starts immediately when we begin our journey with Jesus, does eternal death start as soon as someone rejects him?

If eternal life results in heaven, don’t eternal death result in hell?

Some opine that eternal death is merely physical death; when the bodies dies, that person is forever gone; their spirit does not live on; it dies too. Death is the end.

However, that’s not my understanding. You can’t have the promise of heaven without the possibility of hell.

For those who follow Jesus, eternal life begins here and now when they align with him. When their body dies, their spirit continues on, enjoying eternal life in heaven.

For those who don’t follow Jesus, eternal death begins here and now when they disregard him. When their body dies, their spirit continues on, suffering eternal death in hell.

[See verses about eternal death in the Amplified Bible, the Message, and the New Living Bible]

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Tags eternal life, heaven, hell, Jesus

Reviews of Books & Movies

Book Review: Heaven is for Real

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date June 29, 2012

A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back

By Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent (reviewed by Peter DeHaan)

Not yet four years old, Colton Burpo’s life was slipping away. His burst appendix was misdiagnosed and left untreated for days. Now it was likely too late to save him.

His parents’ prayers became more desperate as Colton’s time on earth wound down; it was the darkest of times. Others were praying, too, many others.

Then overnight, Colton made a dramatic and unexpected turnaround. “A miracle,” said medical personnel.

This was dramatic enough, but what he naively revealed in the weeks and months that followed were even more so. As his life ebbed away, little Colton left his body and visited heaven.

There Jesus held him and comforted him, eventually telling him it was time to return. His daddy needed him.

While there, Colton also spent time with his great grandfather who died a quarter of a century prior and a sister his mother miscarried.

He learned of things no one had ever told him and corroborated obscure biblical details that were otherwise beyond his comprehension.

As the story develops, many more extraordinary revelations unfold as Colton shares his supernatural experience with childlike simplicity and unwavering conviction.

His story is eventually recorded in this credible chronicle so people would know “heaven is for real.”

Heaven is for Real is a quick read and an engaging narrative, offering hope and confirmation of the afterlife revealed in the Bible.

Read it for its story; read it to be inspired; read it so you will know heaven is for real.

[Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back, by Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent. Published by Thomas Nelson, 2010; ISBN: 978-0-8499-4615-8; 163 pages.]

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Tags heaven, hope, supernatural