Choosing Heaven

Did you ever get bogged down in what different people believe about what the Bible teaches about salvation and eternal life? It’s easy to do. You listen long enough to enough different people and all you have is a lot of conflicting opinions so you don’t even know what you believe about where you stand, spiritually speaking. Some operate from a list of Do’s and Don’ts. Some say there is a minimum requirement for our salvation. Some indicate that there is a special prayer to pray. Others believe that once you are “in” you’re there for life and others feel that you can walk away from the agreement you made to follow God. But, what did Jesus say about eternal life and how it is to be attained?

John records the words of Jesus' prayer for His followers in John 17 where He states that eternal life is simply knowing God.

“And this is the way to have eternal life –

to know you,

the only true God and Jesus Christ,

the one you sent to earth.”

So the real question is, how well do you know God? Do you spend time learning and listening to Him? Jesus also said in Matthew 11:29  “take my yoke upon you and learn from me.” If you hope to truly know God, you need to be yoked to Him, experiencing His movements and not resisting, but falling in step with Him as you learn the rhythm of His ways. If you aren’t in the Word, reading and learning; if you aren’t in a fellowship of believers who are growing and worshiping together; if you aren’t making a daily commitment to follow Jesus and take His yoke and place it on your shoulders, then you can’t expect to truly know God.

As parents, how are you helping your kids to know Jesus? Do you talk about what Jesus said? Do you show them what it means to walk with Him? We all want heaven for our kids, but maybe what we should be striving for is not hoping to get them into heaven, but getting heaven into them. Jesus said that the Kingdom is within us and we can offer them a bit of the heaven on earth now by the way we live our life and share His teachings with them. We can’t ensure that they will follow Jesus, but I believe that they have a much stronger chance of choosing Him if they have watched what it means to connect to and move with Jesus in our day to day lives. If we are making decisions based on our fatigue or our history rather than on our relationship with God, they may learn our rules and expectations and even acquire good moral values, but that doesn’t direct them to God. Making your life an example for them of walking with God is so important if you want them to do the same.

Mom and Dad, is heaven your primary goal for your children? If so, then make God the number one priority in their lives. Don’t keep pushing family worship to the back burner because they need to be loyal to their team and not miss a game. Don’t remain silent about spiritual issues because you don’t understand the Bible in its’ entirety, but keep learning and digging and growing and sharing as you grow. Consider how many hours your child is awake each week and write down the hours you are guiding them to invest in different things. How does connecting with God measure up to connecting with sports or studies or chores or playing video games?

We live in a culture that teaches us to be devoted to our team or our sport and not let them down. Can we not take a stand against that philosophy and tell our team, right from the start, that our family values worshiping God together on Sunday and will not be playing in Sunday morning games.  Perhaps if we took a stand, the world would see the value of following and worshiping God. Perhaps our children would learn that Jesus is a priority over all else. Investing our time and energy and money into our physical bodies without considering the cost to our soul leaves us unbalanced. That lifestyle is taught nowhere in scripture. We are mind, body and spirit and must develop in all those areas to find balance and health and possibly heaven. Of all the things to neglect, please don't let it be the spirit that connects your child to their Creator and their purpose.

God gave these kids to YOU to raise for His glory. Not to the coach. Not to the school. Not to their friends. Begin today to put some heaven into them by openly following God in your home and showing them how to do the same. Be bold. Be kind. Be yoked to the only One who really knows how to navigate through life here with heaven right inside our hearts. Who wants to wait if you can have heaven right here and now?!?

The Empty Tomb Isn't Empty

Have you ever felt hopeless? In a situation where you have no control to resolve a difficult or scary situation? Perhaps a loved one who is ill or a vehicle sliding on the ice rapidly toward you? A relationship that feels like it is crumbling and you are powerless to fix it? A weariness in your mind, body or spirit that feels like a darkness coming over you and you can’t stop it?

The followers of Jesus found themselves feeling the deepest sense of hopelessness as they stood by and watched their Friend being beaten and crucified. They saw the One that had come to bring life to them have His own life taken in the most gruesome manner. They saw their hope shattered into a million pieces right before their eyes and were powerless to stop it.They were just beginning to believe that He was the Son of God. Surely He could have stopped it if that were true.

I believe every ounce of hope was torn from the deepest part of their hearts and they were left in a miserable state of hopelessness. Even though he told them what was going to happen and tried to prepare them, His words were obscured from their mind as they watched the brutal crucifixion occur. Hope was so lost that none of them expected Him to conquer death and arise to speak to them and actually spend time with them. Jesus’ resurrection was as much a surprise to them as it was to those who didn’t believe that He was the Son of God.

But Jesus did come back and before He ascended to heaven. He promised that He would be with them, that He would never leave them, that His Spirit would live within their hearts and they would have power. Power that overcomes the darkness of hopelessness and brings light into our blackest despair.

Is there a darkness that has stolen your hope? Are you finding difficulty believing that it can be better? That your marriage can recover? That your financial crisis will improve? That your health will be restored? That your children will work through this difficult stage? May I remind you that there is hope because Jesus is ALIVE! His Spirit in those who believe and choose to follow Him has power and provides wisdom and transforms us as we learn to hold on to what we cannot see.

The tomb held no body centuries ago, but in that emptiness, hope overflowed. The empty tomb is still full of hope for those who need Him today. There was no body, but that cavern of emptiness was filled with a hope that gives life. So, even though you may feel defeated, there is hope because in conquering the grave, Satan was defeated. Satan is the thief of all hope, but he can only take your hope and your joy if you give it to him. Hold on to hope and hold on to Jesus. He didn’t go to the cross for nothing. He went to the cross for you. And He is very much alive for you. The empty tomb is full of hope. 

What Does Love Require

Hours before Jesus was arrested and taken away from His followers He, knowing that His crucifixion was eminent and His work with these men was drawing to a close, was still teaching them perhaps one of His greatest lessons. He did not tell them how to speak to the masses eloquently or be more charismatic in order to win the people in the crowds. He did not tell them how to memorize all He said and did or the scrolls of law in the synagogues. In fact, it wasn’t so much what He told them, but what He showed them that was remarkable. John recounts the story…

³ Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power,

and that he had come from God and was returning to God;

⁴ so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing,

and wrapped a towel around his waist.

⁵ After that, he poured water into a basin and began

to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

This was God in a human body with all the power needed to command Heaven and Earth to bow down and worship Him, but instead, He took the place of a servant and washed the dirty, dusty, stinky feet of His followers. And when He was finished He said…

¹⁵ I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.

¹⁶ Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master,

nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.

¹⁷ Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

I’m pretty sure we all know what is means to serve others in love because we generally expect it from our spouse! I have been serving the church for a lot of years and have heard the cases of many couples who don’t feel that their partner is loving them as they need to be loved. One is putting much more effort into the marriage than the other and when there is no pay off for their hard work, eventually they are ready to call it quits! We have a pretty high standard when it comes to our expectations.

Jesus has the solution. Serve as He did. Nobody expected the Teacher to be the one to wash the grime off of their feet. But He Did. And then told them that He had set the example for them to follow. In essence He said to them, “I don’t have to serve you. I could create an entire staff of servants to serve all of us. I could command you to wash my feet…But, I served you because I love you. Now you go do the same. Show your love by serving.

Let’s bring that home. Do you ever feel like you are giving all that your partner needs and wants and they are not receiving your offerings? Perhaps you are serving them in the manner in which you desire to be served and aren’t even close to meeting the needs they feel as you serve them. Maybe you don’t think he should need that so you don’t freely offer it. Perhaps you don’t feel comfortable saying that to her so you remain silent. Can you explain to me how that is serving your spouse in love? Guess what? You don’t get to determine what they desire from you or what they need in order to feel loved. You are simply asked, by Jesus himself, to serve them in love.

Jesus service went all the way to the cross because of His unfathomable love for us. 

What does love require of you?

Live IN Love

How do you know that you are loved? Words of tenderness? Actions? A look? A special touch? A gift? An act of service? Words of affirmation? Quality time together? We may each answer differently and it may change from day to day, but one thing is certain, love isn’t something you proclaim one time and then walk away assuming that person will always feel loved. Love is something that you cultivate and build and grow over a span of time. Without that effort, a loving relationship soon turns into no relationship at all.

A short time before Jesus went to the cross he told His followers that He loved them before He knew them. God’s love is eternal with no beginning and no end and Jesus said,

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.”

And then he follows that with,

“Now remain in my love.”

How does one “remain” in a love that has been given freely? Jesus goes on to explain…

^10 “If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love,

just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.”

What He doesn’t say is, “If you do a long list of chores, I will love you.” He has already proclaimed His love that we could never do anything to earn. The way, however, to swim in the sea of His love and soak it in and feel it deeply is to do what He did… follow the way of God. And why is it important to Him? Because He wants us to experience the joy that comes as a result.

^11’ I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.’

So, what is this command of God that will supply this joy? He tells us…

^12 “My command is this:

Love each other as I have loved you.”

Let’s bring that love home for a minute. Do you love your spouse as Jesus loves you? With no conditions? Will you love them on those days when they don’t get it right and leave you feeling unloved? Will you love them even if they don’t seem to return your love in a way that feels warm and fuzzy? Jesus loved us just like he loved His followers 2000 years ago, when they fell short, when they fell asleep on the job, when they failed and betrayed Him. When we are nothing but a hot mess, He loves us… AND that is what He is asking of us. To love without conditions.

That’s hard! Since love is such an investment for us, mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually, it is only natural to expect something in return. We don’t like the idea of sacrificing day after day with no pay off. But, Jesus addressed the idea of sacrifice in the very next verse…

^13 “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

He knew what they didn’t. His life was about to be required of Him. He knew that it was necessary in order to reconcile God and humanity. That was the plan from the start and it was about to come to pass. He was about to demonstrate the meaning of love with 2 boards and some nails. “Love each other as I have loved you.” He made the ultimate sacrifice to demonstrate His love. He showed us the picture of a love that gives.

I think that is why Jesus said you can’t claim to love Me if you don’t love others (1 John 4:20). You cannot possibly live in the love He freely offers if you don’t offer the same love to others…at least as much as is humanly possible. It would be like trying to build a relationship with someone with different customs and traditions who speaks an entirely different language. You may like the way they look or the idea of being in a relationship with them, but without communication of some sort, a relationship cannot be built.

If you are feeling like your relationship with Jesus isn’t growing and thriving, then look no further than your relationships with others to discover what the problem may be. You can’t live in His love if you don’t love sacrificially. When we learn to love deeply and freely, we begin to experience the joy that God intends for us. 

If you feel like your marriage is growing cold, 

don’t focus on what you aren’t getting, 

focus on what you aren’t giving. 

and learn to live in love

so that your joy will be complete.

The Way

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled…You know the way.”

No, we don’t know, Lord. We don’t know the way.

“I am the Way...

Love me and obey what I have taught…

Don’t be afraid.

Just follow and I will give you peace.”

From John 14:15-27

Have you ever lost your child? Maybe temporarily in a Department store or in a large crowd? It is horrifying. We want them to stay near to us so that we can keep them safe and when they wonder away, even if they don’t panic, we do because we know the potential danger they are in.

When I look at the things Jesus said to His disciples, I often see them through a Mom’s eyes. That’s just the kind of eyes I happen to have. In His unfathomable love, He doesn’t want us to wander away into danger. Yep, I get that. He wants us close in order to keep us safe, even if we don’t recognize the danger around us. Makes perfect sense to me. He wants us to be like sheep who recognize the voice of their shepherd and follow him through the gate to a safe place. It is His voice that keeps them safe. Sheep aren’t smart creatures, but they can recognize the voice of the one that cares for them and they know to follow that voice and not that of a stranger. Sometimes kids aren’t as smart as sheep and are easily enticed by the wrong, deceitful voice.

In another place, Jesus tells his disciples that we are to take His yoke and learn from Him. As a pair of yoked oxen works together and moves together, they accomplish much more than they could alone, feeling the rhythm of each other, moving together as one. Walking with Jesus, yoked to Him, we will learn to walk in the way He planned for us. That is totally what I want for my kids. I want them to see Jesus as wanting to make their way better, not burdensome.

When Jesus is closing in on His final days with His disciples and warning them of what is coming, they feel the panic of trying to remember all they have been taught and the terror of doing life without their leader. How will they know what to do and how to do it when He is no longer walking by their side leading them? Jesus basically let them know that He wasn’t going to be able to hand them a roadmap or devotional or textbook that would keep them on the right path. Instead he simply stated that if they really wanted to keep their feet on the right track and follow the path God had ordained for them, they must remember one thing… “I AM THE WAY.”  How many unnecessary lectures have my kids heard because I wanted them to get it right? Perhaps I just needed to point them to Jesus… and since they can’t see Him, I needed to be the Jesus follower that they could see.

As a parent, we want our children to follow Jesus. We want them to find their purpose. We want them to recognize the voice of the Shepherd and find their way to the Gate. We want them to know the path that God wants them to take. But, how do we raise them in such a manner that they will believe the statement Jesus made when He said, “I AM THE WAY?”

The answer is simple, but not easy. If we are going to help them to understand that we believe God’s Word is TRUTH and the Jesus is the WAY to God and the WAY to life and the WAY to heaven, then we simply must begin to live as though we believe it. We have to spend time sitting at our Savior’s feet and listening to His voice. We will only recognize it if we already are familiar with His teachings. We see heinous crimes on the news and hear the defendant claim that they heard God tell them to commit that crime. We know it isn’t true because we know the character of God and God wouldn’t tell them to do something contrary to His nature. The more you read the Story of God that we find in the Bible, the better you know the character of God and the better you know Him, the more you recognize His voice.

When you are yoked to Jesus, you walk in step with Him. You love as He loves. You forgive and show grace as He does. You care for the “least of these.” You learn His ways and then you know where to put your foot next… one step at a time. When you live life like that, your kids learn the value of being yoked to Jesus. They see the freedom in letting go of the fear of the unknown and the joy of walking in step with the One who designed the life that was planned for them.

What happens in your home on a regular basis that demonstrates to your children that you believe Jesus is THE WAY?  It may be easier to teach them the way that you feel is right or to believe what you say is true. The effective and Godly way, however, to show them THE WAY is to walk in it, confidently knowing that He is a faithful and trustworthy Father. He is a loving and compassionate Shepherd. He is who He says He is. He is the Way.

Ultimately your kids have a free will, just like you. You cannot force them to follow Jesus, but if you complicate the way to walk with Jesus, they will just be bewildered. Live it out and keep it as simple as A B C D…

Admit that you need a Guide in life.

Believe that it is the One who came to die so that you could live.

Choose to be yoked to Him and learn of Him.

Disciple your kids as Jesus did His followers, so that they can find their way as they walk in step with THE WAY.