Created in God's Image

by Carrie Puckett

Okay, so when Julia, our host blogger, asked me to post a guest blog...I responded with a quick no. But she talked me into it. I’m not happy to say that I caved and agreed to do this. I find this very intimidating. Sure, I can come up with sarcastic, maybe even witty words. But to write something that is prepared as a devotion is a whole different thing. I’m not like Julia, in that I don’t read a passage and a three point, alliterated lesson out on paper. Nope, never happened to me. Therefore, I give you this preface so that your expectations are low. If they’re low….go ahead and lower a little further. Here we go…

I am reading a book right now that is entitled, Created in God’s Image and it has caused me to think about the creation of man in a whole new way. It’s exciting and convicting all at the same time. Sure, it is astounding enough that God chose to create us and pursue a relationship with us. But once you attempt to grasp that, another great mystery is that He created us in His likeness or His image.

Genesis 1:26a Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…”
Genesis 1:27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Being created in His image brings up a whole host of questions and thoughts. One issue that comes out is God’s choosing to create humans, not animals in His likeness. Animals are an important part of God’s creation, but they do not bear His likeness. Also, Christ came as a human--a man--because man was created in the image of God. We reflect the image of God (although it is a marred image due to our sin) and Christ’s bears the perfect image of God. Christ gives validity to the teaching of the image of God. This is something that we share with Christ, being created in the image of the Father.

So, I guess you may be saying, “This is great, but how does this affect me in my everyday, rush-rush, have to deal with people (sometimes annoying) kind of life?” I’m glad you asked. The relevance for us is that Christ is the perfect image of God. Colossians 1:15 says, “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.” (Also see 1 Corinthians 4:4, 6 and Hebrews 1:3). Therefore, His example of how to lead and minister is perfect. We are to love God and love man. The way that we show our love to man is to recognize his importance. The people that we are forced to deal with in our rush-rush lives are created in God’s image. This supersedes any importance the world could place on someone. So when the annoying person comes into the office for the 15th time in one day or someone who is obviously lonely tries to start up a conversation that you don’t have time for, or when in a moment of arrogance you feel that no one in your vicinity can converse on you level, remember that God chose to create them and not only that but He made them in His image, His likeness.

Being Filled with the Holy Spirit

by Shirley Bickley

There is a lot of talk about the Holy Spirit today. People speak of visions,dreams,tongues,etc.
Many outward displays on television are said to be a working of the Holy Spirit.

We must take a look at what scripture says about this. The Word of GOD should be our authority. Ephesians 5:18 says : And do not get drunk with wine,for this is dissipation,but be filled with the Holy Spirit.

To be filled with the Holy Spirit is just a daily surrender to Jesus Christ,a self denial,to forsake the world. Paul tells us to be imitators of God and to walk in Love just as Christ also loved us and gave Himself up for us, as an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma (Ephesians 5:1).

We can't be filled with the Holy Spirit when we are so filled with the world. We just do not have a hatred of sin. The truth about most of us is that we do not walk in the light but are conformed to the world. Paul gives us a list of things that are not fitting for a saint in Ephesians 5:3,4

1.Immorality- this can be a movie we watch,revealing clothing.a dirty joke at our work place

2.Greed- we all have to fight this

3.Filthiness and silly talk,coarse jesting

Paul says these things must not even be named among you, He also said that we must understand the will of God in Ephesians 5:17--His will for us is to be filled with the Holy Spirit!!!

When one is filled with the Holy Spirit instead of speaking in tongues we will be speaking psalms, hymns, spiritual songs, our hearts will be in love with Jesus and we will be making melody to Him, this will produce an attitude of thanksgiving, wives will be submissive to husbands, and husbands will love wives as Christ loved the church. Marriage will be a man and a woman. Children will obey parents.

This is what the world is waiting to see, a true outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

I would like to recommend that you all read Ephesians 4,5,6. Study it, pray through it, practice it, teach it to your children. Then we will experience the true filling of the Holy Spirit and GOD will be glorified !!

The Potter and the Clay

written by: Belva Puckett

Remember the old invitation hymn: Have Thine own way, Lord; Have Thine Own way; Thou art the potter, I am the clay. Mold me and make me after Thy will; while I am waiting, yielded and still……………………

Holy Bible, New Living Translation Jeremiah 18
1The LORD gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, 2“Go down to the shop where clay pots and jars are made. I will speak to you while you are there.” 3So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. 4But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so the potter squashed the jar into a lump of clay and started again. 5Then the LORD gave me this message: 6“O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation Isaiah 45
9“Destruction is certain for those who argue with their Creator. Does a clay pot ever argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, ‘stop, you are doing it wrong!’ Does the pot exclaim, ‘How clumsy can you be!’ 10How terrible it would be if a newborn baby said to its father and mother, ‘Why was I born? Why did you make me this way?’”11This is what the LORD, the Creator and Holy One of Israel, says: “Do you question what I do? Do you give me orders about the work of my hands?

Holy Bible, New Living Translation Isaiah 64
8And yet, LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We are all formed by your hand.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation Romans 9
20………………Who are you, a mere human being, to criticize God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who made it, “Why have you made me like this?” 21When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn’t he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into? 22God has every right to exercise his judgment and his power…..

As Scripture repeatedly shows us, HE is the potter; we are the clay--He does the planning, molding, shaping, building, constructing, fashioning, forming, devising, the reworking; He makes the indentations, the marks, and places His stamp of identification on us.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation Eph. 4:30
30And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he is the one who has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

We belong to HIM. We revolve around HIM. We follow HIS agenda. We have no personal rights--those were surrendered when we asked HIM to be our Savior and Lord. Because this is the way God designed it, and it is for our own good, we realize that we have one purpose after God saves us, and that is to become as much like Jesus as possible, and to bring others to know Him. That's it--in a nutshell!

Now this is where the rub comes. Making us like Jesus…………From the time we are saved until we die, we are in God's Pottery Class; He places circumstances and people in our path, and uses His Word and our time spent with Him in prayer to accomplish His will in us. We never know His best for us--the potential that He had in mind for us, if we don't do it HIS way.

A simple illustration of this principle involves a pliable clump of clay versus a clump of dried-out clay. The pliable clump can be shaped, molded and formed into whatever the one doing the shaping desires, whereas the dried-out clump isn't good for anything--it is hard, brittle and when an attempt is made to re-form it, it breaks into useless bits. That's a lot like us--as long as we stay pliable, by reading His Word daily, praying to Him, which involves listening as well as talking, dying to self--doing things His way, instead of ours, then we have spiritual potential. When we leave out those disciplines in our lives--we are useless to ourselves, others and God, and chaos results.

Few people have all the right ingredients in their background and few have always done it "RIGHT". That is why there is so much remolding, and remaking, throughout our lives; sometimes it can get uncomfortable and downright painful. All we need to do at those times, is to talk to God about it, and confess our misgivings and discomfort, admitting to Him that regardless, HE KNOWS AND DOES BEST! As we surrender and allow God to be the Potter He is designed to be, and we assume the role of the soft, pliable, and malleable clay---He can fashion us into the child of His dreams, the best we can ever hope to be. In so doing, we will not fail our loved ones, those who count on us, and most importantly, God Himself!

Guest Bloggers Next Week

As many of you know, I am preparing for a mission trip to Peru next week. Please be in prayer for me. I have been extremely busy preparing for it, and with my doctoral studies this week, so I am sorry that I haven't posted much this week.

However - I have invited some different people to be guest bloggers and so please stay tuned next week to see who they are!

Jesus: All Authority

Sunday morning in Sunday School, our lead teacher spoke to the kids about the authority of God. She didn't quite use those words, but she spoke to the essence of it. She told the kids that we were about to pray and that when we pray, we are speaking with God. She also noted that this was the most important kind of conversation we can have, even more important than speaking with the President. It reminded me that at times, I don't consider the true authority that God is. Jesus holds the ultimate authority in all things in this world. A familiar Bible story speaks to this.

The story of the paralytic in all accounts in the Synoptic Gospels reveals the high authority of Jesus Christ. The authority and divinity of Jesus is revealed through the miracle; the focus of the entire passage is not really that men took their friend to Jesus, although this application may be made. The true focus is the authority of Jesus (vs. 24 – but that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…”).

Jesus has authority over:

Our shame vs. 5 - Jesus forgave the man of his sins. And He has the authority to do that for all of us!

Our sickness vs. 11 - Not only did Jesus heal the man from the sin in his life, but He also healed his physical body. At times, we accept the sickness in our lives or our family member's life because of a lack of faith in God. We must remember that Jesus has all authority in this area.

Our skepticism vs. 7, 12 - Look at these verses and you will see the deep unbelief in the Scribes. These men were religious - but did not have a relationship with Christ. They didn't believe in Jesus as God's Son, and so to prove His deity and that He can forgive sins, Jesus told the man to get up and walk. Christ held the authority and the key to their skepticism, as He does to the ones you know who don't believe today!

The DaVinci Code

If you know me, even a little bit, you’d probably be able to testify to the fact that I am a conspiracy theorist. It all began when I was in 5th grade. I was assigned to do a book report on any United States president. I chose JFK. From that book report on, I was hooked on the mystery surrounding his death. As the years have gone by, I have become fascinated with historical events and the mysteries that people ascribe to those events (did you know that there are conspiracy theories about 9/11?). I am also interested in the truth behind secret societies, such as the Masons, the Mafia, the Illuminati, and even Hitler and the Gestapo. All the fascination boils down to the fact that there are secrets out there that I do not know. I am like a curious child looking for truth in all these things.

This is why I think the DaVinci code is such a hot topic. Everyone is intrigued by this so called mystery concerning Jesus Christ. However, the book by Dan Brown is no mystery at all. I can say this because the truth of the life of Jesus Christ has been recorded for us in the Bible. It contains accurate facts about our Lord. And in Colossians 2, we see the Apostle Paul speaking about a mystery of God. “…And attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Col 2:2-3 (NASB77)

The mystery of God it says is Christ Himself! The world is searching for the mystery surrounding Christ, but in the wrong way. Therefore, when we speak about the DaVinci Code, use the fact that they are searching for a secret and show them that it is hidden in Christ. Tell them the mystery of how God the Son became a human and walked on this earth. That He hung on the cross to pay the debt that we owed, and that He satisfied the wrath of God. Tell them that if they repent of their sins, and in faith turn to Christ that they may be saved.

It is wonderful to know God and know the true mystery in Christ. For in the Word we find truths unlocked of which nothing in this world can compare. I want to encourage you, Christian, continue to search out the mystery of the Gospel and of Christ, continue to seek the truth of God through His Word, and not in a Hollywood movie. Paul said, “8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. 9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, 10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;” Col 2:8-10 (NASB77)

Which side of boasting are you on?

Humanity has spent much effort in applauding itself and its accomplishments. The pride of our race stems from the growth we have experienced since the dark ages to the fast paced, technologically advanced 21st Century. We boast of intellects capable of inventing (Henry Ford and his Tin Lizzy, Alexander Graham Bell and his telephone, Albert Einstein and his law of physics); we boast of physical strength (Olympiads and athletes alike); and we boast of financial success (as seen in entrepreneurs such as Howard Hughes, Donald Trump, and Bill Gates).

You may sense a sort of pride in belonging to the human race when reading about the above accomplishments. However, Christians are warned in biblical texts that this type of pride and boasting is an outrageous offense to God. 1 Corinthians 1:31 says, “Let him who boasts, boast in the LORD.” I am convicted that there is much pride in my life which has nothing to do with boasting in the works of God. I am full of the boastful pride of life.

The quotation from 1 Corinthians was taken by the Apostle Paul from the Old Testament passage of Jeremiah 9:23-24, which in part says, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches.” Within this Scripture we see (as outlined in the first paragraph) the three areas where man tries to boast. Wisdom refers to intellectual strength; might refers to physical strength; riches refer to monetary strength. Think within yourself – which of these (or do all) characterize a part of my own boasting?

There is an awesome concept here for those in Christ. The concept is this: Christ is our wisdom, our strength, and the source of true wealth (wealth in God). Consider a verse from the 1 Corinthian text that speaks to this. “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption.” There is a godly wisdom to take hold of, and it is found in Christ and His Word. Our living out of our physical life should only be found in the strength of the righteousness of Christ and His sanctifying work through and in us! Our boasting of wealth should only be found in the wealth of God where it is seen “in Him we have redemption through His blood…according to the riches of His grace.” By God’s riches only can we be redeemed – God took His wealth and paid the price for us in full!

Man boasting in man
our intellect
our physical strength
our financial success

Man boasting in Christ
Christ & His Word: true wisdom
Christ is our righteousness and sanctification
Christ’s riches of grace and redemption

So many times, I get caught up in the capabilities of man. But oh how when I look at the above, I want to boast only in Christ. Dear friend, which side of boasting are you on?

Is the church just another playground?

Several blogs and articles have addressed this issue. You can read about it on www.founders.org/blog (see blogs entitled Losing the Gospel in the Quest for Relevance and also Of Fire Engine Baptistries and Blasphemy), as well as Baptist Press News and Christianity Today (Fall 2000 issue).

Apparently the man who has been nominated to be the next president of the SBC (Ronnie Floyd) is the pastor of a church which has a special baptistry for children. Here is a quote from that article, describing the need for the use of technology within the church, and their baptistry, “That includes a special baptistry which is built around a fire engine. When a child is baptized, the sirens sound and confetti is fired out of cannons.”

The rest of the article talks about the need for technology to reach kids, the need to be relevant to the culture and visually stimulating for kids who are immersed in the culture. It even speaks of how when the children enter the room they play “non-violent” video games (which replaces the craft time with the teachers).

I find these things troubling. Let me explain why.

A church should reach out to children, and try to make things on their level, fun, and interesting. Yet we must ask ourselves, are we trusting in the video games, the fire engines, etc. to keep the children there? Because if that is what brings them then that must be what keeps them. Except for when the culture brings up something else new that the church will be forced to incorporate into their services and teaching ministries all in the name of trying to keep the kids coming to church. This enforces an incorrect mindset that allows for the secular to designate what is held important in the sacred. This should not be.

I have a higher view of Scripture and of God. I hold that the Bible is sufficient and efficient enough to be used of God through godly mothers and fathers, preachers and Sunday School teachers to reach this up and coming generation. We must hold to It as the standard to reach children, and God to save children. We do not want to have the culture influence our worship patterns but instead we should be influencing culture. I hold that God through His purposes and power can bring children to Himself and can hold them there. It does not rely upon our abilities to entertain.

Yet still we see so many churches doing such a thing…turning the church into just another playground.

Beloved of God - since the world began

The Bible doesn’t take very long to show us God’s love toward the human race. In fact, you can find it within its first few pages. Take time to read Genesis 1 & 2 and you will see what I am talking about. And, if you know someone that you work around or go to school with who does not know the Lord, this is something you may want to share with them – the great love that God has for them! This is derived from a lesson that I taught to 2nd graders, but its message transcends age.

Humans are:

1. Created by God: Genesis 2:7 says, “Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” Here you have the creation of man by God. Most people are searching for fulfillment and their purpose in life. What better way to find that purpose than through first knowing Who created us.

2. Caretakers for God: We were created by God and then He gave us a purpose. Look at Genesis 1:28 which says, “And God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." God gave Adam and Eve a specific job to do. That means that our Creator has given us a specific job as well. We are to work for God in some way. We need to seek the Lord’s guidance in knowing what that way is.

3. Cherished by God: We are creatures of God, made by Him, workers for Him, and loved by Him. One way that God revealed His love towards Adam is seen in Genesis 2:18 which says, “Then the LORD God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.’” God loves us so much that He sees our need and fulfills it. He made for us other humans to be our companions. This reminds me of the verse in Philippians which says, “My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory.”

May we rest in the facts today that we are created by God, caretakers for God, and cherished by God!

Publicly proclaim the Word

Yesterday, we discussed the importance of the Bible invading your private life. Yet I am also burdened about the desire for a public proclaimation of the Word of God. I long for the preachers to preach the full counsel of God! Do you?

I feel that if we don't long for excellency in the pulpits that we are settling for something less than what God desires for His church. I begin to feel this hunger when I cross a certain channel on TV. You'll see that smiley pretty boy preacher speaking yet saying nothing to thousands of people. I just want to exhort him, "Preach the Word, in season and out!" There is more to the Bible than thoughts how you can make the most of your life, and how you can have the biggest house, with the best car, with the perfect American family in suburbia. Notice how that last sentence used the pronoun "you" over and over. This type of preaching "tickles the ears" of those who hear and promotes our already over-zealous self-centered natures.

So maybe I am sounding a little over the top today. And maybe you're thinking, "this doesn't apply to me, I'm not a preacher." But believer, how wrong you are! Are we not given the task to pray for godliness, urgency, and biblical preaching in our pulpits? But instead, we don't care (myself included). We go about as Amercian Christians, living our lives everyday. We go to work, we come home, we eat, we sleep. Where is the hunger for God to move? We are at fault!! WE should be begging God for mercy on this land, and revival in our hearts.

If you study the great revivals of the past, there is one thing that they have in common. They began with movements of lay people praying, and with movements of godly preaching in the pulpits. May God call us to pray for this! "if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chron 7:14 (NKJV)

Privately study the Word

The Bible. It’s not just words in a book like some forgotten novel on your bookshelf. It is the Word of God written to us. Hebrews 4:12 describes it as “living and active.” First Peter 2:2 describes it as “pure milk” that we should “long for” like babies do. However in Christianity today, we don’t see a hunger for the Word of God like there should be. If it is living and active, and is pure milk that we should long for, why then is it so often cast aside? I long for the Bible to become more than just a book to Christians in two ways. It should be essential in our lives privately and publicly.

Today, I want to discuss how the Bible should invade our private life. Within your walk with God, there should be a daily time of study of His Word. Since it is “living and active” this means that it is sufficient for your everyday walk! It is adequate and more than enough to give you encouragement, instruction, and reproof. It will help you to learn more about God, His plan for this world, and for you.

Maybe you begin to study it, and then get lost or disinterested. This is because you are not engaging with the text. Next time, read it, and focus on what it is saying. Try commentaries and study Bibles. There is also a method that I sometimes employ that I have learned. Use the acronym, s.p.a.c.e. It goes something like this. Within this text is there....a SIN to avoid? a PROMISE to claim? an ATTRIBUTE of God for praise? a COMMAND to obey? an EXAMPLE to follow?

God wrote something that He wants you to read! You have ample time for it today. The question is, will you make the time?

The Workers are Few

Lately I have been reading about the life of Charlotte Diggs Moon (otherwise known as Lottie Moon.) This woman was pretty incredible! She was used by God in mission work to China during the 1800’s. If you’ve never studied her much, or haven’t even heard of her, you would do well to go the International Mission Board website (see link on this page) and read her biography and quotes. Here’s a quote from her that I found on the IMB page that is at once inspiring and convicting.

“Thirty miles from Pingtu city is a gold mine. Nestled close among low-lying hills are two foreign houses and the buildings over the mine. Several American miners are there in the employ of the Chinese government. These men are living a hard, dull, isolated life, in a remote region, far from home and friends, with the sole purpose of worldly gain. So much for the devotees of Mammon. One cannot help asking sadly, why is love of gold more potent than love of souls? The number of men mining and prospecting for gold in Shantung is more than double the number of men representing Southern Baptists! What a lesson for Southern Baptists to ponder.” — Lottie Moon, Pingtu, China, Feb. 9, 1889

I guess what is most convicting to me when I read about Miss Moon (she never married) was that she had a deep compassion for souls. This is often times something I lack. God develop within me the desire to serve you more through serving others, especially the lost! Sometimes I am not even aware of my own complacency and self-centeredness.

The Gospel of Matthew shows us in Chapter 9, verses 36-37 that we should be like Jesus, and thus like Lottie Moon. For in that chapter it says, “Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd….The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.” In a time and in a world where the workers are few, may we seek to be more like the single, 4 foot 3 inches tall Lottie Moon, who famously said, “I would I had a thousand lives that I might give them to China!”

My iPod used by God?

I have gone through several musical genre stages in my lifetime. There was a time when I listened only to Christian music. This was during the early 90's. Then I went through a stage, mainly after Rich Mullins passed away, where I became dissatisfied with contemporary Christian music and dismissed it all and labeled it cheesy. (Just trying to honest with you here.) I think a lot of you out there might be of that persuasion. And that's why I'm writing this blog! In the past few years, my interest has been renewed in Christian music and you know what I found out? My iPod can be used by God.

Psalm 32:7b says (and no I'm not trying to say that the psalmist owned an iPod), "You surround me with songs of deliverance." God has surrounded us, encompassed us with songs about Him! The word deliverance in this verse speaks of songs of salvation and rescue. Everyday on your radio, there is a station that maybe God wants to use to surround you with songs of encouragement...songs that will make you want to praise God because of His redeeming love.

One song that has been used to encourage me lately is by newcomer Jeremy Riddle. It's called "Sweetly Broken." One of the lines says, "You’ve called me out of death, you’ve called me into life, and I was under Your wrath, now through the cross I’m reconciled." When you think of being under wrath, it gets a little scary - but then to know you're reconciled - well praise just breaks forth!

I hope that if you have had bad thoughts about Christian music, that you'll give it another try. Here are some songs that are recent that you might want to check out. Have fun, and may the Lord "surround (you) with songs of deliverance."

1. How Great is Our God - Chris Tomlin
2. Sweetly Broken - Jeremy Riddle
3. Treasure of Jesus - Steven Curtis Chapman
4. My Jesus - Todd Agnew
5. Walk by Faith - Jeremy Camp
6. Much of You - Steven Curtis Chapman
7. Come to Jesus - Chris Rice
8. Not to Us - Chris Tomlin
9. Grace Like Rain - Todd Agnew
10. Empty Me - Jeremy Camp

the three T's of heaven

Sometimes we hear people in general speaking of heaven. They say things like, "well I want to go to heaven to see so and so," or "I can't wait to be in heaven and do nothing," or "I can't wait to be in heaven and have everything I want." I'd just like to respond to these type of statements bluntly - heaven is not, nor ever will be about us. I say "us" because I know we've all slipped into this man-centered view of eternity. However, Revelation 21:2-8 reveals what heaven will really be like. I like to refer to it simply as, "the three T's of heaven."

It may be noticed that primarily, heaven is about the Tabernacle. Verse 3 says, "And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them.'" The tabernacle is a reference to the sanctuary or dwelling place that God designed and had the Hebrews costruct so that His presence might be among them. But in heaven, God will literally tabernacle among us (as Jesus did in John 1:14). I love the last part of that verse - God Himself will be among them. What a thought!!! It will be just as it was in Genesis, when God walked in the cool of the garden (Gen. 3:8).

Secondly, notice that heaven is about the absence of Tears. In verse 4, it says that God Himself will wipe away every tear! Because of God's presence, and His intervention, there will be no pain, mourning, crying or death. But the absence of tears is not why we want to go to heaven. However, we realize through these verses that because God is present, tears will be absent! God is the ultimate One for Whom we should long.

Thirdly, notice that heaven is about Truth. In verse 5 it says, "...for these words are faithful and true." So what are the words that are true? Read verses 5-8, for they are the truths of heaven. It centers completely around the truth of Who God is in relation to us, and the truth of who will not be in heaven (verse 8 specificallly). God is the beginning and end of all things. He will give life "to the one who thirsts...without cost." It also says boldly of heaven that "He who overcomes will inherit these things." Yet we see the truth that those who are not in Christ will not be in heaven.

Are you excited about heaven for the right reasons? When you think of it, do you think about things all for you? Or do you ponder the vastness and greatness of the King of kings and Lord of lords? For the reality of heaven is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit. It is about God tabernacling with us, God wiping away our tears, and God revealing truth to us for eternity!