Christmas In Heaven

Merry Christmas to all of you! (Christmas in Heaven, Greg Laurie, Harvest.org)

Christmas is a day of joy. But for me and my family, it is also tinged with sadness, because it is a day when Christopher's absence is intensely felt.

I have to tell you, Topher loved Christmas! It was always a big deal to him as a little boy, and when he became a father, he wanted it to be a big deal for his daughters. He always was so thoughtful in his choice of gifts and often made them by hand, which was always a special treat for me. He also had fantastic "wrapping skills," which I am completely devoid of.

On that first Christmas night, while the shepherds kept watch over their flocks, the angel brought this good news: "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people" (Luke 2:10).

This is how heaven celebrated the first Christmas. On this holy night, in effect, heaven momentarily came to earth. Heaven and earth are always co-existing, but sometimes they can seem worlds apart and other times separated by only a thin veil. When tragedy hits, when illness prevails, heaven can sometimes seem distant.

But when we join the angels in worship, and see God in His greatness, heaven can seem so very, very close. For us as believers, we are just a heartbeat away from heaven right now. As David put it, "There is but a step between me and death" (1 Samuel 20:3).

Christmas in heaven is better than Christmas on earth. It is pure bliss. Not twinkling lights, but the radiant light of heaven itself. Not metal angels on trees, but real, holy angels of God all around.

You see, in heaven there is peace. On earth there is war. In heaven there is perfect harmony. On earth there is often friction among family and friends. In heaven, feasting and perfection. On earth there is fattening food and expanding waistlines.

We don't need to sorrow for our loved ones who are celebrating Christmas in heaven, but we do sorrow for ourselves over their absence.

Today, however, remember to let the ones on earth you love know it. Tell them verbally. Because you never know if you or I or someone we hold dear might be in heaven next Christmas.

So have a blessed and merry Christmas day.

Time for What Matters

Time for What Matters

Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don't act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Ephesians 5:16-17

So what is the difference between a lie and an excuse? Not all that much. An excuse has been defined as the skin of a reason stuffed with a lie. Or another way to put it: an excuse is a lie all dressed up for dinner.

Even after we become Christians, we can still offer excuses. And sometimes we make excuses as to why we can't read the Bible: "Well, I am so busy. This life is so full. I just can't find time to read the Bible." Or, "The Bible is so big. I don't know where to start." Or, "Sometimes I don't understand it." Or, "You know, I read the Bible in church on Sunday. Isn't that enough?" These are excuses, not reasons.

Let's say that you got a call this week from your doctor, who said, "You know those tests we did on you? We need to talk." And when you meet with your doctor, you learn that you only have weeks to live. I would venture to say that your schedule would open up and that you would have time to read the Bible, because you would want to know about the afterlife that you are headed toward. I would predict that you would have time to pray, because you would need God's strength to get through what lies ahead.

You see, it all depends on our perspective. We will make time for what is important. We find time to read the newspaper. We find time to watch our favorite TV programs. We find time to surf the Web and spend hours looking at nothing. And yet we don't have time to open up the Word of God and let Him speak to us.

We need to make time for the things that really matter.

Greg Laurie
Harvest.org

Greg Laurie Crusade at Angel Stadium

Angel Stadium Crusade - August 13, 2011

Why God Allows Suffering

Who is God

What is the Meaning of Life?

Four Steps of Spiritual Growth

Heven and Hell

Becoming a Christian

Ready or Not - Matthew 24

Reconciled Again

It was at the cross that God and man were reconciled once again. At the cross, that which was lost in the Garden was regained. At the cross, the righteous demands of God were satisfied. At the cross, Jesus dealt a decisive blow against Satan and his minions. At the cross, our salvation was purchased.  http://harvest.org/ Greag Laurie

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The Great Commission!

Matthew 28: 16

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”


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