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Home?

Home?

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It was five of the strangest days I’ve ever experienced. 

I knew where I was technically (Tacoma, Washington), but was constantly confused about my location (Washington or Michigan?).  I knew the area extremely well, but found myself repeatedly feeling out of place.  It seemed like I was where I was supposed to be, but it also seemed like I didn’t belong.  I was at home with my surroundings, recognizing everything, but I wasn’t home at all.

If that all sounds confusing, I understand!  It was profoundly confusing and uncomfortable to me as I lived it.  

The week after Easter, my wife and I flew back to Washington state to tie up some loose ends, to spend time with our family members still living there, and to check in with a few friends.  It was a delightful few days … except for those out-of-place feelings I tried to describe earlier.  (Perhaps you’ve experienced a similar feeling after having your own place for a while, and then returning to your parents’ house to visit.)

I’m sure traveling thousands of miles in post-Easter exhaustion, (typical for a pastor following Holy Week), didn’t help the situation.  But I’m convinced I would have felt the same even if less tired.

We resided in Tacoma for 33 years – 30 of those years in the same house.  So, of course, I felt “at home” there.  Not much need for a GPS; I’d driven those streets countless times over the past three decades. 

But it wasn’t home.  Not anymore.  I’ve been negotiating the streets and roads in mid-Michigan for almost a year now.  So while I’m intimately familiar with the Tacoma streets, they weren’t my streets anymore.  They felt comfortable, and at the same time strange.

Of course, we drove by our former house.  I didn’t know how I’d feel about that.  It was certainly weird and disconcerting, but I found myself mentally and emotionally detached at the sight.  We cruised by our former church as well.  Same result. 

Both places hold wonderful memories; both will always be entrenched in my heart.  I dedicated over half my life to both, so both will always be a significant part of me.  But neither is my place anymore; they’re no longer where I belong.

Do I still love the people at my former congregation, care about them and pray for them?  Of course!  I always will!  But I’m not their shepherd anymore.  I have a new pasture to occupy and a new set of “sheep” to tend, and I love them just as dearly.  I know being with them is where I am supposed to be … for the time being. 

And while our new house in Michigan is our new home, and although I feel very at home in the congregations I am now serving and the area I now live … these are not my forever home. 

I’ve always realized this.  But temporarily leaving our new home for our old home and not feeling at home there at all, but rather being confused at where I was and where I should be, really drove this point home to me.

I don’t truly belong anywhere in this world.  Rather, my home is in heaven.

Yours is too!

Are we tempted to get caught up in our current situations and think of them as “home?”  All the time!  But our current residence is not our forever home.  The Lord has a different home … a better one … waiting for us!

The wise Christian recognizes this truth.  And the wise Christian who does, finds himself or herself more content and at peace … even while realizing they aren’t really settled into their real home yet.

The writer to the Hebrews describes this very thing in his chapter on faith.  In the midst of listing many of the men and women of faith and what they did in faith and endured through faith, he makes this aside:

“All these people were still living by faith when they died.  They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.  People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.  If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.  Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them” (Hebrews 11:13-16).

Home?  For me, it’s not Tacoma.  Nor is it Clare.  It’s not our previous house nor our current one.  It’s a home my loving Savior has prepared for me after supplying his all-sufficient sacrifice for me on earth and returning again to heaven in absolute victory. 

And I know when I get to that eternal salvation, I’ll finally feel fully at home.  And I’ll finally be where I belong.

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2 Corinthians 4:18
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Revelation 7:13-17
“These in white robes … are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.  Therefore, “they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.

‘Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst.  The sun will not beat down on them,’ nor any scorching heat.  For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’  ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’” 

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The Best Is Yet to Come

The Best Is Yet to Come

December 21st is always highlighted on my calendars.  The Winter Solstice is extremely important to me.  No, not because it’s exactly a month before my birthday.  Rather, it marks the end of the shrinking amount of daylight and ushers in the beginning of the “days” growing longer. 

I celebrate the Solstice every year!  Not with some radical or unusual activity, but with a moment (or a number of moments!) of joyful reflection.  We are finally trending toward Spring!

I actually enjoy aspects of each of the four seasons.  There are unique activities to engage in and events to enjoy regardless of which page on the calendar is currently displayed. 

But of the four seasons, Winter is my least favorite.  This was true when we lived in soggy and seemingly sunless Western Washington at this time of year; it is still true now that we live in snowy and icy Michigan.

December 21st is a marker of change; a turning of a corner; a day of hope; a reminder that more desirable seasons (at least to me) are on the way!

Which got me thinking.  There are a LOT of similar situations in life – times when we endure less pleasant prelims with our eyes on the better things that are yet to come.  So much of our current existence consists of getting through the “less pleasant” so we can enjoy the more pleasant.

Here are a few examples that came to my mind:

I well remember the grueling, gritty task of baling hay … and the fantastic feast the farmer’s wife laid out which followed.  Similarly, I recall being sweaty and filthy from working in the fields for summer jobs … and the refreshing jump into the Sebewaing River off the local railroad bridge to cool off and clean up.

Other examples would be mowing the lawn or weeding the garden or flower beds … and the pleasure of looking on the manicured result.  Similar interior tasks might be vacuuming the carpets, sweeping the floors, dusting the furniture, washing the dishes, or doing the laundry … and the satisfaction that follows.

A more extreme situation might be cleaning the toilet bowls … and the fresh smell and nicer appearance afterwards.

Even edibles can offer some cons before the pros that follow.  I find peeling potatoes a pain … but I thoroughly enjoy tators with my meat.  Or how about the typically monumental pre-holiday meal prep … which culminates in the magnificence of tables covered with delicious food surrounded by loved ones?

Cleaning fish isn’t pleasant … but a fish fry of fillets is scrumptious!  Eviscerating a newly harvested deer is messy, and deboning and processing the meat time-consuming … but the steaks and sausage that end up in the freezer make for many enjoyable moments the rest of the year.

Also, I’ve never particularly enjoyed waking up early in the morning and walking into a forest or woods in the dark.  However, being there as the woods “wakes up” is priceless.  Not to mention the anticipation of what might happen shortly.

It’s even that way before vacations.  I know I’m not alone when I say it’s almost too much work to go away.  This is often true about most extended trips, but especially when preparing for a camping, fishing or hunting trip where extra gear is involved.  But then one catches their breath and experiences the joy and blessings of being gone!

This preliminary unpleasantness followed by satisfaction creeps into many (maybe most or even all?) life events.  Christmas decorating, shopping, and wrapping all happen before the celebrating.  Many hard years of education lead, finally, to graduation; much planning and preparation precedes the wedding; and a tremendous amount of time, work and stress are involved in moving … until finally getting settled.

Of course, I would be remiss not to mention nine months of uncomfortable pregnancy – and painful labor and delivery! – that the wonderful women in our lives endure before holding a newborn baby in their arms.

So much of life involves difficulties leading to blessings.  It could even be said that life itself is a challenging preliminary to what follows! 

Certainly God fills our lives with astounding blessings and allows us to enjoy incredible experiences.  Yet, sin is always with us, and our sinful lives lived in a sin-wrecked world carries a good share of hardships and heartaches. 

The Apostle Paul addresses this very thing, and suggests a very specific mindset about it.  “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).

Simply stated: Life is hard!  So lift your eyes off your temporary troubles and focus instead on your eternal home in heaven where there are none!

“What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love him ” (1 Cor. 2:9) – THESE are the inconceivably wonderful blessings our Savior has waiting for us in his salvation.  We are comforted and encouraged when we concentrate on them while struggling in the here-and-now.

Even if perhaps someone dismisses the concept that life in this world is a struggle, I would think they would have to agree that the very end of life certainly is.  Death is no picnic.

But even there, the undesirable leads to the most desirable thing!  For believers in Jesus’ atoning suffering and death, and his victorious resurrection … death is but the doorway to life.  True life. A perfectly joyous, pure and unending life with Jesus – the One who is the Way, the Truth and the Life!

Yes, the best is yet to come!  As the name of this blog infers, by God’s grace we are “Heading to Heaven!”  And that indeed is the very best conclusion of all, making everything else easier.

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Did some different examples of unpleasant prelims leading to pleasant results occur to you while reading this post?  If so, please share them in the comments section below!  I’d love to read them.

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Revelation 7:14-17
And [the angel] said [to John], “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, “they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. ‘Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them,’ nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”

Revelation 21:3-7
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.  ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” 

Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”  He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. 

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Remembering the Future

Remembering the Future

There’s nothing like unpacking one’s possessions after a move to lead a person down “memory lane.”  Actually, it’s not really a lane.  Better to call it a “remembrance freeway.”  The frequency and the intensity of the recollections surround and overwhelm!

There are those special things that were connected to loved ones now in heaven.  Like the army sharpshooter medal from my uncle and sponsor. The pocketknife from my grandfather.  The theological books from my dear uncle … some of which originally belonged to another grandfather (both of whom were former ministers).

Of course, the many different gifts through the years from loved ones also get noticed.  And especially if there was a personal note attached!

Activity items – sports equipment, outdoor gear, camping miscellaneous, old toys – each bring back an explosion of memories. 

“Knick knacks” do too!  And the many long-unseen pictures!  And the trophies, plaques and acknowledgements that have come your way through the years.

Even furniture can activate the memory banks.  Even some basic every-day items you regard as insignificant sometimes put you back on the “remembrance freeway.”

You get the idea.  Our memories are fertile soil for meaningful memory seeds that burst to life when brought into the light. 

Certainly there are those items about which you wonder, “Where did that come from?”  But I found that to be the exception to the rule.  With almost everything, even if I hadn’t seen it for decades, there was immediate recollection and poignant emotion.  Not necessarily sadness.  Not automatically joy.  Just … emotion.  A re-living of ties to significant people that crossed your life-path, and significant events that occurred along the way.

Those powerful memories always take us back.  Back to the past.  Back to the hard times … and the good times.  Back to once-in-a-lifetime situations.  Back to wonderful repetitious adventures.  Back to people whose impact still impacts us. 

Memories turn our gaze behind us at what was. 

And this is not a bad thing!  Quite the contrary.  It’s a wonderful blessing to hold this patchwork panorama of priceless experiences in our consciousness, ready to be recalled instantly (and often unexpectedly!).  God uses our experiences to mold us into the people we currently are, teaching us lessons and providing us with perspectives He wants us to have.

Recognizing how memories work, and being stuck on the “remembrance freeway” for quite some time now, it occurred to me that while memories typically dwell on the past, they don’t always have to. 

What a blessing to remember our future.

This is also emotional and impactful.  But instead of remembering how it was, we rejoice in how it will be.  It’s a future so different than our past or present; so different from anything we have ever experienced. 

This is exactly why the Lord reveals in his Holy Scriptures what awaits his followers.  God wants us to remember our glorious future as we slog our way through a challenging world and an often challenging life.  It’s a future made possible through Jesus, our Savior, and it really will be wonderful. 

The Lord provided the Apostle John with a personal view of the believers in heaven; John in turn shared the description he was given with us:

“These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, “they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. ‘Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them,’ nor any scorching heat.  For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes’” (Revelation 7:14-17).

This is the future “God has prepared for those who love him.”  A future that “no eye (besides John’s) has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has conceived!” (1 Cor. 2:9).  It’s a future so wonderful we can’t begin to comprehend it here on earth. 

Now isn’t that a future worth remembering?

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The Ultimate Trophy

The Ultimate Trophy

As I write this, the world is gearing up for Super Bowl LVII (57) in Arizona.  While it’s not the most watched sporting event in the world – events such as the Olympics and the world soccer championship which include athletes from many countries understandably rank higher – the Super Bowl IS the most watched American sports championship. 

And it isn’t even close!  45 percent of U.S. households will tune in.  Well over 100 million viewers worldwide are following the action. (Or at least the commercials!)  No other American sporting playoffs draw even 20 million viewers.

An interesting sidenote regarding Super Bowl Sunday: it is the second-highest food consumption date for Americans!  The only day of the year when more food is eaten is on Thanksgiving.

Of course, the immensity of the attraction makes the event a high-money one.  According to Fox, which is airing the game, this year’s Super Bowl commercials cost as much as 7 million dollars for a 30-second spot.  Tickets to the game started at $6,000.  (Astounding when one considers that tickets to the first Super Bowl in 1967 cost only $12, and some tickets went unsold!)

Those players fortunate enough to play in the game benefit monetarily as well.  The ones on the winning team will receive $83,000 each, as well as a unique Super Bowl ring worth between $30,000 – $50,000.  But the losers aren’t left out; they’ll still earn a cool $42,000.

Naturally there can’t be a championship game without a championship trophy.  The Super Bowl version is named the Vince Lombardi Trophy.  It’s made by the New York jewelry giant, Tiffany & Company.  The award is constructed of sterling silver and valued at more than $10,000.  However, should a winning team put the trophy up for auction, the purchasing bid would undoubtedly be exorbitant. 

For some … perhaps even many … the Lombardi Trophy is the ultimate trophy on earth.  For others, they might prize the NBA, NHL, or MLB trophies greater.  Though it’s hard to argue that the FIFA Soccer World Cup isn’t the most valuable one of all.  Made of 18-carat gold, it’s worth is estimated to be 20 million dollars.

As monetarily valuable and as sentimentally treasured as these trophies might be, in the end they are nothing.  Because in the end, everyone dies, and their earthly trophies never make the journey with them.  And in the Final End …  the Last Day when the Lord Jesus returns … all earthly awards will be dissolved when the whole earth is made new.  (Is. 65:17, 2 Peter 3:10-13).

Which is why the Scriptures repeatedly encourage us to focus on spiritual victories.  On heavenly glories.  On eternal awards.  On honors that the Lord bestows, and not people.  These are the ultimate trophies!

It is so challenging for humans to see past the physical and focus on and treasure the spiritual.  Our five senses seem much more present and pressing than our silent souls.  Our bodies aggressively demand attention but are temporary; our souls quietly reside out of sight but will exist forever.  Where they eternally exist will depend on God’s grace, of course, and on the attention we give them in this life.  Food for the body is rarely neglected; food for the soul (God’s Word!) often is but never should be!

The Apostle Paul’s inspired words fit well in this discussion.  He used physical competition to picture spiritual striving, and contrasts earthly awards with the heavenly one. “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever” (1 Corinthians 9:24-25).

Jesus summarized this same truth in his message to the Church in Smyrna in Revelation: “Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you a crown of life” (Revelation 2:10). 

The writer to the Hebrews shows us how this is done.  “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

One of the football teams will hoist the coveted Lombardi Trophy into the air this Sunday.  Good for them and for their fans.  I’ll certainly be watching.  But God grant that our focus will always be on receiving the ultimate trophy of God’s crown of life.  It’s the only trophy that really matters.

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(Matthew 6:19-20)  “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

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An Unfathomable Existence

An Unfathomable Existence

My dear cousin, Paul, recently took a trip.  It’s a trip he had been anticipating his entire life.  His destination was exquisite; his preparation complete.  Nevertheless, he wasn’t expecting to depart quite so soon.

But when his angel escort arrived, he was on his way.  His Lord in his perfect and loving wisdom had determined it was time, and was waiting to welcome him home to heaven.

I’ve spent a fair bit of time reflecting on his departure … and his arrival … since Paul embarked on life’s most significant journey.  I miss him tremendously, but I truly rejoice for him. 

It’s the ultimate bitter-sweet.  My great loss; his great gain.   How can I not be happy for him?  How can I not be devastated myself?

This is also the ultimate conundrum.  So often, we sinful mortals cling desperately to a sin-impacted world with all its struggles instead of longing for the perfect place Jesus has prepared for us. 

I believe the reason is simple: we understand this earthly existence with all its issues.  Consequently, we are relatively comfortable here, even with the hardships we endure here (and know we will have to endure).  Conversely, we understand precious little about our eternity of salvation and are much less comfortable with the unknown … even though God promises us it is wonderful.

It’s interesting that much of what the Lord shares with us about heaven is what it is not.  No hunger, thirst, or discomfort of any kind.  No sorrow, pain or death.  No night.  I suspect the reason the Lord describes heaven this way is simply because we can better grasp what heaven isn’t than what it is.  This flawed world is our standard.

Which means eternal salvation is unfathomable.  Not only is it impossible for us to comprehend eternity; we can’t even begin to grasp the wonders there.  Or the God who in love sacrificed so very much, and intervened to such a great degree in our lives, to bring us into heaven’s holy halls!

As I’ve thought about my departed cousin this week, I’ve wondered what he is experiencing.  How wonderfully overwhelming is that place?  What is it like to be continually and fully in the very presence of God?

The Lord tells us in his Word that at death the soul (spirit) of believers transitions immediately to God’s eternal care while the body remains behind (Ecclesiastes 12:7).  When the Lord Jesus returns in the skies at the heavenly trumpet blast on the Last Day, the body will be resurrected and rejoined to the soul (1 Corinthians 15:42-44, 51-57).

So already there is a profound difference for a Christian at death!  An existence without a body.  A newly perfect spirit in a perfect place in the immediate presence of the Triune God in perfect peace and joy!  For ever and ever and ever!

The concept is unfathomable for us who are still entrenched on earth!

In this world we rely on our 5 senses to evaluate information.  How does a holy soul free from the limitations of a sinful body process input?  And what kind of “input” does salvation put out?

Does the soul “see” the brilliant colors of the Lord’s infinite glory?  Does it “hear” the songs of praise to the Savior sung in hundred-part harmony?  Does it join its “voice” in the songs and shouts of acclamation to the Lord?  Does it “feel” the embrace of Jesus?  Does it “taste” the bounties of the victory feast in the throne room of the Lamb?

Certainly yes – somehow! But undoubtedly the soul experiences and participates in salvation’s activities in some incredible and incomprehensible way to us who are still stuck in the entry line.

Again, it’s ALL unfathomable for us now.  Yet it’s wonderful nevertheless!

“What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”— [these are] the things God has prepared for those who love him!” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

I am so happy for you, Paul.  And I look forward to the day when you, along with Jesus, welcome me to that unfathomable but glorious place.

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Philippians 1:21-23
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far …

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The Perfect Home

The Perfect Home

The house where we currently reside was almost the perfect home for our family of eight for three decades.  Large.  Roomy.  Creative layout.  Neat features.  A spacious living room.  Multiple bedrooms.  Multiple closets.  And perhaps most important: multiple bathrooms and showers! 

The house was probably the closest it could be to ideal for us, which is why we liked it so much when we were looking to purchase a home. And, I’m convinced, also why the Lord secured the house for us even after another offer had already been accepted by the sellers!

But this house is not perfectly ideal.  There are some aspects of the layout that we wish were different.  There have been various issues we’ve had to address in the past.  And there are still issues.  (Some of which we’ll have to resolve before selling it.)

Interestingly, now that we are relocating, we found another house that seems ideal for the next station in our lives.  One level.  Large.  Roomy.  Creative layout.  Neat features.  A spacious game room and large fireplace.  Multiple bedrooms.  Multiple closets.  Several bathrooms.  And perhaps best of all, it’s situated on a lake with a dock and a lovely view across the water!

Most interestingly of all, when we expressed interest, our realtor was astounded that the house was still available after being on the market for several months.  I informed him I believed the Lord had set it aside for us.  I am even more convinced of this after watching the Lord line everything up for the purchase.  Once again, our gracious God intervened and provided us with an ideal dwelling for our future days. 

But that house isn’t perfectly ideal either.  There are some issues we will have to address now that we own it.  (Which is why I’m flying back to Michigan this next week.)  Just as there are issues in our current home.  And in your home.  And in every home. 

Of course, we are fully aware that more situations demanding attention will appear in the future!  They always do.

Finally, there is no perfect home here on earth … no matter how thoughtfully designed, or carefully constructed, or meticulously cared for, or ideally situated it may be.  There are always some issues in every house, and there will inevitably be more.  

But a perfect home does exist!  A place with no issues.  No imperfections.  No faults or flaws.  Nothing lacking.  No deterioration (ever!), and no repairs ever needed.  The perfect layout with perfect dimensions with the perfect color scheme!

It’s a place with the ultimate location and constructed of the finest materials.  Residents arrive escorted by angels on streets of gold through gates of pearl set in walls of gemstones.   The entire city is pure and transparent gold.  (At least that’s the visual the Apostle John gives us in Revelation 21.) 

The glory of God illuminates everything – shining brilliantly through the transparent gold!  There is no darkness or shadow anywhere to be seen. 

The panoramas from the place are stunning; the views exquisite.  The company is divine.  (Literally!) 

The purchase price of this perfect home happens to be exorbitant, but is covered completely by the holy, precious blood of the Savior. 

It’s the place where our God lives, and the place he prepares for us to live as well.  All who rejoice in Jesus’ atoning sacrifice are brought there one day.

Jesus described that perfect home, and the path to arriving there, this way: 

“My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going. … I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”  (John 14:2-4, 6)

God the Father provided even more information on that wonderful home to the Apostle John:

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” (Revelation 21:3-5)

The message of both the Father and the Son are the same; in heaven God’s people will live in the very presence of God.  Which finally is the ultimate reason it will be the perfect home.

Though the perfect home doesn’t exist in this world, thankfully God has prepared one for us in the next world!  All the more reason to not become too attached to our current residences, for the best is yet to come!

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The View from the Top

The View from the Top

As I weigh a call to possibly transition ministry to Michigan, and as I’m dealing with all that the call process entails, I’m finding little extra time to write.  So I’m resharing a popular post from several years ago.  As always, I pray it encourages you!

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I’ve often thought that a Christian’s life is like a backpacking trip in the mountains.

Backpacking, of course, is where one carries everything they will need for the duration of a hike in a pack on their back.  It’s camping … minus the vehicle and most of the other conveniences.

One can backpack in all kinds of environments: forest, prairie or beaches.  We have a fair share of all of those in Washington.  But the geography that seems to especially draw the backpackers in this state is the mountains.  I believe there’s a reason for that!  (More on this in a moment.)

There’s actually a multitude of reasons a person might choose to backpack.  Perhaps it’s the desire to get away from the crowds.  Perhaps self-sufficiency.  It might be eagerness to overcome difficult challenges.  Or maybe the draw is the joy of time spent with dear family members or special friends.  Maybe backpacking scratches the adventure itch.  Maybe the pull is as simple as providing a much-needed break from normal responsibilities.

But one of the greatest lures … at least for me, and I believe for many … is to be able to enjoy the view from the top.  Consequently, we are pulled to the mountains.  John Muir stated, “The mountains are calling and I must go.”  I (and others!) can relate.

However, in order to enjoy the top-tier views, one must begin below, at a lower level.  That necessitates a lot of uphill trudging to get where a trekker is going.  Keep in mind that one’s load is always heaviest at the bottom!  Not to mention that the hiker is undoubtedly at a higher elevation and the air is a bit thinner than he or she is accustomed.  So a backpack in the mountains typically starts hard, and then gets harder.

Inevitably the uphill slopes begin, and the hike becomes more grueling.  Sometimes one forges up a steep hill only to scramble back down into a valley on the other side.  Which means the hiker has to regain all the elevation he or she lost (and more!) on the other side of the valley!

Of course, there are a multitude of joys along the way: immersion in wilderness; scenes normally not seen; delightful conversations with companions; encounters with wildlife; lovely vistas and relaxing campsites; even unforgettable and life-changing experiences.  These are encouraging, but they aren’t the key reason the hiker is on this journey.  There is something bigger and better, greater and more grandiose, up ahead.

So the backpacker continues to lug his or her backpack ever higher.  Along the way, multiple inconveniences and even crises are encountered: tripping on roots and rocks; mosquitoes and biting flies; the sun beating down and burning one’s skin; rainstorms; thirst; disappointing meals; sore muscles or even injuries; rude people and thieving animals; sweat, dirt, and exhaustion.  Perhaps even a wrong turn or two along the way!

But finally … after lengthy days, many miles and thousands of steps … the backpacker crests a summit, and there is that revelation!  That epiphany!  That goal that the hiker strived for all along the way.  It’s the view from the top!

Now is the time to unstrap the backpack, pull out a water bottle and a tasty snack, find a comfy seat and soak in the scenery.  Was it all that was expected?  My experience is that it’s usually better!  Was the rugged journey there worth it?  Undoubtedly!

I believe that a Christian’s life is like a backpacking trip in the mountains.  It begins rough, and generally gets rougher.  There are many joys along the way, of course, but multiple challenges too.  There are lovely views and relaxing rests at times, but frustrations are common as well.  Our path contains some comfortable walking, and even some downhill slopes.  Yet the trend is always uphill, and sometimes steeply!

But that’s OK, because our goal is the view from the top.  Every step is one step closer to the destination; every obstacle overcome brings us just a bit nearer; every blessing a precursor of what awaits. 

And finally … after lengthy days, many miles and thousands of steps … the believer in Jesus crests a summit, and there is that revelation!  That epiphany!  That goal that he or she strived for all along the way.  It’s the view from the top!  It’s the first gorgeous sight of heaven, and it’s eternal immersion in the grace and glory of God!

Will it be all that we expected?  No.  It will be better!  Will the rugged journey there be worth it?  Oh, most definitely yes!

On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine — the best of meats and the finest of wines.  On this mountain he will … swallow up death forever.  The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces … In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us.  This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation”  (Isaiah 25:6-9).

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A Challenging Past; An Uncertain Future?

A Challenging Past; An Uncertain Future?

Not to be overly dramatic, but the Seattle Mariners happen to be the team with the longest absence from the playoffs – by a large margin!  And not just in Major League Baseball, but in the top four men’s professional sports leagues!

The New York Jets (NFL) haven’t made the playoffs in 11 years.  It’s the same length of time with the Buffalo Sabres (NHL).  The Sacramento Kings (NBA) have missed out for 16 years now.  But the Mariners (MLB) drought extends to 20 years!

That’s two long decades!  A generation of time!  Over 252 months and an excess of 7,300 days of no post-season play!

The last time the Mariners made it, my youngest son wasn’t even born yet … and he’s about to enter his senior year of high school.  My second-youngest son was only 3 at the time and can’t remember a thing about their last playoff appearance.  He is now graduated from college and is actually working for the team.  Both sons essentially lived their entire lives without experiencing post-season play from their favorite ball team.

The “M’s” have come close a few times since 2001 (the last year they qualified).  In fact, last year they still had a chance to back into the post-season on the final game of the regular season … only to miss out again.  So the playoff drought continued for yet another year.

Wonder of wonders, as I write this, the team is actually holding the top position of three in the “wildcard” qualifiers, and their remaining schedule of games is judged by experts to be the easiest in the American League.  Furthermore, the team is finally at full strength.  (They’ve been playing without some of their better players nearly the entire season.)  So there is cautious optimism that maybe … just maybe … they can break this embarrassing streak.

But there’s a saying in “hardball” circles: “It’s baseball.” 

This brief, bland and generic phrase seems to say nothing.  But for those who know and love the game, the saying says it all.  Namely, that the game of baseball is incredibly fluky, uncertain and unpredictable.  Weird things happen.  Streaks of bad luck occur.  Injuries strike.  Slumps suddenly slam players or teams.  Contending teams can plummet from the heights and unexpected teams can rise up.

“It’s baseball.”  Which means no matter how good things may look at the moment, literally anything could happen in the next six weeks of the regular season.  The history of the Mariners has certainly born this out (in a negative fashion).  Their past has been challenging, and their future remains uncertain.

That’s the delicious beauty of the game … and the sickening reality.  No one can know what will happen on the next pitch, the next swing, or the next at-bat.  No one can predict the events of the next inning, the next game, or the next week.  The “experts” are routinely wrong, which is why the teams play each game to discover what will unfold.  And why one simply has to let the season fully unwind. 

Baseball is actually a microcosm of life.  Full of surprises (both good and bad!) and bound up in uncertainty.

However, there is one significant way that life is different than baseball.  At least different for Christians.

In baseball, one never really knows the outcome until the end.  In a Christian’s life, one always knows the outcome!  And, because of Jesus, we always win! 

To stretch the baseball analogy even further, as Christians we will absolutely have a joyous “post-season!”  Heaven awaits us!  No matter how challenging our “season” has been, our future is certain, and it’s delightful!

The Apostle Peter writes exquisitely about our certain hope for a wonderful future despite the difficulties we are currently enduring.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Peter 1:3-7).

Who can know if the Mariners will finally make it to the playoffs this year, or if their reign of futility will stretch to 21 years?  I certainly hope they are still playing in October!  But that hope is a hesitant and uncertain hope.

My hope for heaven, however, is a confident one.  Not because of me, but because of my Savior who lived, died, and rose back to life for me.  (And for you too!)  So “let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23).

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Goodbye to Goodbyes

Goodbye to Goodbyes

This is a post I shared two years ago after visiting family in Michigan.  I just returned from a similar visit, and the sentiments expressed here seemed exceedingly poignant … at least to me.  But as always, I pray they bring some insight and encouragement to you.

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I hate goodbyes.  But then almost everyone does, don’t they?  Goodbyes to loved ones are rarely “good byes.”  In those situations, the word is the ultimate oxymoron.

This is a fresh and sensitive topic with me.  Recently I found myself saying goodbye to a number of family members. 

We had traveled back to Michigan to be with loved ones, and the good Lord allowed us to see many!  We spent time with both my parents and my wife’s parents.  We were able to visit with some of our siblings, their spouses and some of their children – our nephews and nieces.  In fact, the members of our entire immediate family (parents, children and grandchildren) were gathered together in one place for almost a week! 

(Because of various circumstances, many of these precious visits occur just once a year.)

Naturally, this led to multiple and heartfelt hellos.  Every day of our vacation brought joyful greetings of one kind or another; warm hellos springing from the shared bond of faith and family.  Hellos that reflect blood ties and past experiences, and which anticipate the wonderful things that the coming moments together will bring.

I love hellos.  Especially hellos to those people embedded deep in my heart.  But every hello in this world ultimately leads to a goodbye, doesn’t it?

Of course, there are a multitude of things to which we sooner or later bid adieu.  Houses, cars, places, experiences, jobs, schools … even previous health and appearance … can all merit “farewells” as we meander on through life.  And then there are those gut-wrenching goodbyes to our pets.  Make no mistake, some of these goodbyes can foster high emotion. 

But the worst goodbyes of all are the goodbyes to people we love. 

Why are goodbyes to loved ones so difficult?  Well, we thoroughly enjoy our time together.  Consequently, goodbye means a pause in those joyful moments, and often bounces us back to the reality of our other responsibilities and less enjoyable activities. 

However, that’s not the fundamental reason we hate goodbyes.  The real reason is very simple; we abhor goodbyes because we don’t know if we will be together again in this world.  The uncertainties of our earthly existence are ever-present in our awareness, and we all recognize that sooner or later there won’t be another hello. 

This inescapable fact rocks us.  It makes farewells to loved ones we rarely see agonizing.  But it even lurks in our consciousness with our day-to-day goodbyes … as much as we try not to think about it.  One can’t live a few years in this uncertain world without recognizing the uncertainty inherent in goodbyes.

My purpose in writing about goodbyes is not to bring anyone down.  Rather I want to underscore a few key points that I have fallen back on as I negotiate painful farewells.

Here’s the first one:  The fact that a person has agonizing goodbyes means that God has blessed them richly with dearly-loved family and friends.  Every close relationship in our life is a precious gift.  Each difficult goodbye we must endure simply emphasizes how profoundly blessed by God we are.

The second significant aspect of painful earthly goodbyes is that they encourage us to eagerly anticipate the day when there will never be any more goodbyes, but only hellos forever and ever.  This is such a foreign concept to us earthlings that we can barely consider it or comprehend it. 

But the day when God ushers us into heaven marks the end of experiencing goodbyes and the beginning of an eternity of hearing only hellos!  “Hello” to the Lord himself and Jesus our Savior.  “Hello” to the multitude of angels.  “Hello” to the great men and women of faith from the Bible and history.  “Hello” to our ancestors who lived and died in Jesus.  “Hello” to our family and friends who preceded us to heaven.  And “hello” to every family member and friend who follow us there!  Never again will we say “goodbye.”  Only “hello” over and over again forever and ever.

The Apostle John was given a glimpse of this wonderful heavenly home where goodbyes are gone and hellos predominate.

“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look!  God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them.  They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.  ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain [or goodbyes], for the old order of things has passed away.”  He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”  (Revelation 21:3-5) 

A goodbye to goodbyes.  Now that really will be a “good bye!”

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A Certain Hope

A Certain Hope

Twenty seasons of futility.  That’s how long it has been since the Seattle Mariners participated in Major League Baseball’s playoffs.  Their last appearance in the post-season was 2001. 

In case you missed it a few sentences ago, let me restate it – that’s 20 years and counting of no October baseball!  Or two decades; an entire generation!

My second-youngest son was only 3 when it happened last.  My youngest son, who will be a senior in high school this fall wasn’t even born.  No wonder they are both rather cynical when it comes to the Mariners.

This was supposed to be the year they competed.  The playoff spots increased by two, opening more opportunity.  Furthermore, the M’s general manager rebuilt the team, stocking up on fantastic young prospects.  They have nurtured those prospects for years, and in this off-season added several players with strong major league resumes.

Before the season began, Mariners’ office personnel, local sports talk hosts, the players themselves, and almost the entire fan base were certain this would be the year that their reign of futility would end.  And perhaps it will be yet.  (Last year they made an exciting run in the second half of the season, finishing just a few games short of qualifying for the post-season.)

But key injuries, performance setbacks from some of the young players, and underwhelming play by expected contributors with “track records” have the Mariners in fourth place in the American League West Division, and seven games back from qualifying for a wildcard berth.

As I write this, teams have played about 70 games, with approximately 90 games remaining.  Hope isn’t yet gone, but it’s waning.  At this point the climb into the playoffs for Seattle’s baseball team will be a daunting task.

A person’s favorite team having a strong season is anything but certain.  No matter who is making the team player decisions and how astute he or she may be, and regardless of how talented the players may be on the team, there is no sure thing in the MLB. 

Nor is there in life really.  Actually, in any aspect of life!

Injuries occur.  Unexpected events transpire.  Extenuating circumstances pop up.  Setbacks set us back.  The bottom line is that none of us are guaranteed a rosy tomorrow.  We aren’t even guaranteed tomorrow itself!

How wonderful it is, then, that as Christians we are guaranteed eternity in a heavenly paradise!

How do we know heaven is ours?  How can this wonderful sounding but seemingly abstract blessing possibly be a certain hope for you and me?

Because it’s handled by a Sure Thing … by the very Son of God himself!  Jesus secured a place in heaven for every single person who clings to him in faith! 

The recurring theme throughout Scripture is that Jesus saved us.  Salvation certainly isn’t something we sinners deserve, and we can’t secure it by anything we do.  Rather we deserve quite another fate.  The Bible lays it out simply and clearly: “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

Let those magnificent words sink in and settle comfortably in your soul.  The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord!

Is it really possible that you and I who are imbedded in an uncertain life in uncertain times in an uncertain world can actually have a certain hope of heaven?  Yes!  It’s beyond “possible;” it’s reality!

“And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life … I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:11-13).

Will the Mariners miss the playoffs for the 21st year in a row, and extend the longest streak of futility in all the primary professional sports leagues?  It remains to be seen.  Their future is uncertain.

Our future as believers in Jesus, however, is anything but.  We have at least one certain hope, and it trumps all others!  We are headed to heaven!  And when the Lord brings us across “home plate” and into our eternal home, we will see that certain hope fulfilled … forever.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you …” (1 Peter 1:3-4).

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