A Better Life Ahead

I've often wondered how different my life might have been if I hadn't been born with cerebral palsy.  When I was younger, I sometimes felt like I was missing out on some childhood games.  I missed climbing trees.  I missed running and playing baseball.  I missed swimming with my friends.  I just felt like I was missing out on life.

I now realize I'm not missing anything because the best is yet to come!

That's the message behind Randy Alcorn's book, Heaven.  He says our present lives are just a taste of what we'll experience when we get to heaven.  Real life is just beginning when we cross over to the other side.  He tells readers to imagine what it will be like to run beside God, laugh with God, discuss a book with God, sing and climb and swim and play catch with God.

If that's not enough to excite you, pick up a copy of this 550-page book.  It will definitely make you long for heaven while living on earth.

We've all heard the old saying “You only go around once on 'this earth, so grab for whatever you can."  For a lot of people, they think this present life is all there is.  Alcorn's book shows us this life is just a shadow of our eternal life — a life far better and one that will never end.

He believes we will get a second chance to have our dreams fulfilled.  Heaven will offer us opportunities we had wished for but never had.  We will get to do things in heaven that we weren't able to do on earth.

That gives me new hope!  In heaven, when I have a perfect, resurrected body, I will run, I will swim, I will play ball, and I'll get to do all of it WITH Jesus!  That's exciting to me.

I could write a lot more about heaven, but I encourage you to make sure heaven will be your eternal home.

RSVP Required

When you think about heaven, what comes to mind?  Many of us may picture ourselves floating on a white cloud and strumming a harp.  Some may imagine heaven as a long continuous church service.  But what is heaven really like?  We really can't know for sure, but a book titled Heaven by Randy Alcorn uses the Bible to show it's not like it's portrayed in many books and popular movies. 

There are many misconceptions about heaven that could be dangerous if we don't learn the truth.  One of the biggest  misconceptions is the belief that everyone goes to heaven when they die.  That may be a comforting thought when we lose a friend or loved one, but it's really a false hope. 

Matthew 7:13-14 says "For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

The truth is if you don't have a relationship with Jesus and accept the gift of salvation, you'll never get to heaven. That may be a hard concept to understand.  Would our loving God really send someone to hell?

Author Randy Alcorn gives a good illustration, and I'd like to share it.  This is from Alcorn's book Heaven: 

"Ruthanna Metzgar, a professional singer, tells a story that illustrates the importance of having our names written in the book.  
Several years ago, she was asked to sing at the wedding of a very wealthy man. According to the invitation, the reception would be held on the top two floors of Seattle’s Columbia Tower, the Northwest’s tallest skyscraper. She and her husband, Roy, were excited about attending. 

At the reception, waiters in tuxedos offered luscious hors d’oeuvres and exotic beverages. The bride and groom approached a beautiful glass and brass staircase that led to the top floor. Someone ceremoniously cut a satin ribbon draped across the bottom of the stairs. They announced the wedding feast was about to begin. Bride and groom ascended the stairs, followed by their guests.
At the top of the stairs, a maitre d’ with a bound book greeted the guests outside the doors. “May I have your name please?” “I am Ruthanna Metzgar and this is my husband, Roy.” He searched the M’s. “I’m not finding it. Would you spell it please?” Ruthanna spelled her name slowly. After searching the book, the maitre d’ looked up and said, “I’m sorry, but your name isn’t here.”

“There must be some mistake,” Ruthanna replied. “I’m the singer. I sang for this wedding!” The gentleman answered, “It doesn’t matter who you are or what you did. Without your name in the book you cannot attend the banquet.”

He motioned to a waiter and said, “Show these people to the service elevator, please.” The Metzgars followed the waiter past beautifully decorated tables laden with shrimp, whole smoked salmon, and magnificent carved ice sculptures. Adjacent to the banquet area, an orchestra was preparing to perform, the musicians all dressed in dazzling white tuxedos.

The waiter led Ruthanna and Roy to the service elevator, ushered them in, and pushed G for the parking garage. After locating their car and driving several miles in silence, Roy reached over and put his hand on Ruthanna’s arm. “Sweetheart, what happened?” “When the invitation arrived, I was busy,” Ruthanna replied. “I never bothered to RSVP. Besides, I was the singer. Surely I could go to the reception without returning the RSVP!”

Ruthanna started to weep — not only because she had missed the most lavish banquet she’d ever been invited to, but also because she suddenly had a small taste of what it will be like someday for people as they stand before Christ and find their names are not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life."

That may be a simple illustration, but it should make us all want to be sure our names are in the book.  Even if we've been in church all our lives, we still need to make sure we have a personal relationship with Jesus.  That's the only way to get to heaven.

To Be A Good Democrat

I heard this on the radio this week and wanted to share it.  I e-mailed the station and got a copy of it. The following is a good checklist to help me remember why I am a Republican.

Things you have to believe to be a good Democrat
1). You have to believe that the AIDS virus is spread by a lack of Federal funding.

2). You have to believe that the same teacher who can't teach 4th-graders how to read is somehow qualified to teach those same kids about sex.

3). You have to believe that guns in the hands of law-bidding Americans are more of a threat than U.S. nuclear weapons technology in the hands of Chinese and North Korean communists.

4). You have to believe that there was no art before federal funding.

5). You have to believe that global temperatures are less affected by cyclical documented changes in the earth's climate and more affected by soccer mom driving SUVs.

6) You have to believe that gender roles are artificial but being homosexual is natural.

7). You have to be against capital punishment, but support abortion on demand.

8). You have to believe that businesses create oppression and governments create prosperity.

9). You have to believe that hunters don't care about nature, but activists who have never been outside of San Francisco do.

10).You have to believe that self-esteem is more important than actually doing something to earn it.

11). You have to believe that the military, not corrupt politicians start wars.

12). You have to believe the NRA is bad because it supports certain parts of the Constitution, while the ACLU is good because it supports certain parts of the Constitution.

13). You have to believe that taxes are too low, but ATM fees are too high.

14). You have to believe that Margaret Sanger and Gloria Steinem are more important to American history than Thomas Jefferson, Gen. Robert E. Lee, and Thomas Edison.

15). You have to believe that standardized tests are racist, but racial quotas and set-asides are not.

16). You have to believe that Hillary Clinton is normal and is a very nice person.

17). You have to believe that the only reason socialism hasn't worked anywhere it's been tried is because the right people haven't been in charge.

18). You have to believe conservatives telling the truth belong in jail, but a liar and a sex offender belonged in the White House.

19). You have to believe that homosexual parades displaying drag, transvestites, and bestiality should be constitutionally protected, and manger scenes at Christmas should be illegal.

20). You have to believe that illegal Democratic Party funding by the Chinese government is somehow in the best interest to the United States.

21).You have to believe it is freedom of speech according to the constitution to curse God's name in public but a crime against the constitution to say God's name in honor.

22). You have to believe that this message is a part of a vast, right wing conspiracy.