Married in Heaven?

Oct. 28, 2013 Monday Message:

We’re getting close to the end of the top 10 questions about Christianity/heaven. #9 asks, “Will I be married in heaven? Will I recognize my spouse?”

People seem to have strong feeling about this. I think it depends upon which answer they are seeking!

When the Sadducees were trying to trick Jesus, they asked, “If a guy has 6 or 7 wives and dies and goes to heaven, which one is he married to?” (Deep down they know that having only one wife is preferable.)

Jesus replied: “You are mistaken not knowing the scriptures or the power of God. For in the resurrection, for eternity, heaven, they neither marry or are given in marriage…” (Matt. 22:29) So while Jesus says that there are no NEW marriages in heaven, what he’s really saying is, “You guys just don’t get it – you don’t have a clue how heaven operates!”

As God shuts down heaven and earth to make the NEW Heaven and the NEW Earth, the old-earth model will become obsolete. Paul counsels the Corinthians: “The time that remains is very short. Do not become attached to the things (ways) of the world, for the world as we know it will soon pass away.” (1 Cor. 7:29b, 31)

Therefore ALL the human things, our ways of operating in the human systems, are not going to be part of heaven. We can’t pile up a bunch of things that won’t be needed where we’re going.

So while marriage isn’t necessarily obsolete in heaven, it appears that marriage will no longer occupy such a high place on our agenda, because earthly needs for marriage will not exist. Man will not need a helper. Woman will not need a protector. There’s no procreation; no new people are born in heaven.

Now, a marriage that’s working well is a beautiful thing. The relationship between the man and the woman is special – even extra-special – and you should be able to relate to your spouse in unique ways, better than with anyone else on earth.

And here’s the new deal – in the next life, ALL relationships will be perfect, just like marriage, only better. Everyone has the same agenda – to worship and serve the Lord. Everyone is honest and trustworthy. All of a sudden, everyone is on the same page, going in a good direction, and really, really happy about it. You’ll meet your spouse in heaven, you’ll know him or her, but the things of heaven will be just as captivating as a wonderful marriage relationship is here on earth.

We’ll ALL be infatuated – not so much with each other – but with being in the presence of God! After all, the church is the bride of Christ, and that’s the wedding we all want to celebrate!

Norton Lawellin

Join us as Jesus in the City Fellowship (JICF) gathers Sunday at 10:30am in the North end (gym) of the Oliver Ministry Building, 2647 Bloomington Ave., Minneapolis. This Sunday, Nov. 03, we learn that Jesus healed 10, but only one returned to say thanks. What’s with the other 9? (Luke 17:11-19)

See you at church!

NL

What's the Deal with Angels?

Oct. 21, 2013 Monday Message:

It’s the top 10 questions about Christianity/heaven, and #8 is: What’s the deal with angels?

When we die, we go to heaven, grow wings, sit on clouds and play harps all day, right? WRONG! That’s what Hollywood and myths and jokes and stories would all have you believe, but that’s not what the Bible says.

First, let’s first get rid of the notion that when we die we grow wings and become angels. Angels and humans are 2 different species, like horses and cows. You can keep both of them on a farm, but they are distinct, unique, and fulfill different purposes. So settle the matter once and for all – angels don’t become humans, and humans don’t become angels.

Next, forget that cute little “Precious Moments” statuette. God’s angels are scary! The Bible refers to our God as, “Lord of the Angel Armies,” and that’s because angles are ferocious. Every time someone in the Bible sees an angel, the first thing the angel says is: “Be not afraid,” because everyone IS afraid when they first see an angel!

What do angels do? On earth, they instruct, protect, guide, and comfort. We won’t need any of that in heaven – no one will need comforting in heaven, and you won’t need protection. Angels can be messengers Luke 1:19 “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you glad tidings.” That was about the birth of Jesus. The Greek word “Anglos” means “messenger.”

And angels will be worshipers. That’s one way we’ll be like the angels, worshiping God, WITH the angels: Rev. 5:11 “I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands (of people) and millions of angels around the throne…”

Any day you get to worship the Lord is a good day!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship (JICF) meets every Sunday at 10:30am in the North end (gym) of the Oliver Ministry Building, 2647 Bloomington Ave., Minneapolis. This Sunday, Oct. 27, Rev. Daisy will open up Luke 17, forgiveness & faith. See you at church!

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Animals in Heaven - More...

Monday Message addendum on Tuesday, October 15

Yesterday I discussed pets/animals going to heaven. I hope you read it. I fact-checked it with 3 other pastors before hitting “send.” My friend Laura disagrees and took the time to write back, and I have a lot of respect for Laura, so let’s dig deeper. As she pointed out, the Bible doesn’t specifically address the subject; it’s more church “tradition” that comes into question.

God made both mankind (Gen. 2:7) and the animals (Gen. 7:15, 22) with the “breath of life.” But mankind is special, the only breath-of-life creature, “made in the image of God.” (Gen. 1:26-27) Being “like God” means that we’re capable of spirituality, we have minds that think and reason, we have emotions and will, and most importantly, we have an eternal soul. Our spirit continues with God’s spirit into the next reality.

The Bible never speaks of animals having “souls.” In fairness, the Bible never speaks of animals NOT having souls. So if they do continue to exist after death, I believe it will be somewhat different from what happens to humans. For example, I can’t picture animals going to a place of judgment. But if God chooses to include them, it’s up to God. God saw all of his creation and said that it was good, (Gen. 1:25) and that includes all the animals.

As I wrote yesterday, there will most certainly be animals in heaven, a walking display of the creative genius of the Almighty God. We’ll have everything we need in heaven, and if we need a pet, one will be provided. Personally, I believe that we’ll be so caught up in God-worship that the pet/no pet question won’t even come up; but that’s just my 2¢. Those of us who follow the Lord know that He is fair and just, and when we arrive at heaven, we’ll be in complete agreement with his decision, either way. “Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?" (Gen. 18:25b)

Any day you get to worship the Lord is a good day!

Norton Lawellin, Worship Pastor

Jesus in the City Fellowship

Pets in Heaven?

Oct. 14, 2013 Monday Message:

We’ve been answering the top 10 questions about Christianity/heaven, and #7 is: “Do our pets go to heaven?” And a related question: “Are there animals in heaven?”

Several years ago, on the Friday before Father’s Day, my family asked me to sit down, and then placed a living, breathing creature onto my lap: love wrapped in yellow fur. It’s the best Father’s Day present I ever received. We made a special bed for the baby Labrador that night, but she cried and cried, so I got out of bed and held her, and in the process became her best friend for life.

She was never far from us – not underfoot, in an obnoxious way – but rather, nearby, so she’d always know where we were. She was just like a member of our family.

At her best in the water, the kids wanted to name her “Rio,” which means “river,” but that’s odd because Rio is a masculine word in Spanish and she was a female dog; but the name stuck. You could toss a ball into the water 100 times, and she’d still beg to go again. Turns out that labs have skin between their toes, like webbed feet, and she could out-swim any of us.

My daughter Melissa taught Rio to climb ladders, which came in handy for climbing out of the deep end of a pool. We’d walk to the park, and Rio would climb the ladder and go down the slide, to the amazement of many children!

Rio lived a good life and grew quite old. She had reached a point where she could barely walk and was in a lot of pain, so a few months ago it was time to say goodbye. For me, the hardest part was knowing that this really was the end. Animals aren’t spirit-beings; they don’t have souls.

When we get to heaven, the Bible says that we’ll have everything we need; so if we need a pet, one will be provided. The Bible also mentions animals, lots of animals. Lions, and calves, and leopards and bears and eagles, and 16 times horses are mentioned, including Jesus riding on a white horse. These animals will be a walking display of the creative genius of the Almighty God.  And all these animals will live in perfect harmony – Isaiah 11:6 The wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the goat – perfect harmony, like it was in the Garden of Eden, the way God always intended it to be.

Perhaps you’ve heard people say, “This earth is not my home.” Well, heaven’s not necessarily your home either – it’s temporary. After the events of the end times, the current heaven and earth will be leveled, and God will give us the New Heaven and the New Earth. And the eternal dwelling place for believers will be the New Earth. Yes, the New Earth is where we’ll spend eternity, with pearly gates, streets of gold, and the city of New Jerusalem. We will dwell here with glorified, restored bodies. The concept that Heaven is in the clouds is unbiblical, as is the idea that we’ll be wispy spirits floating around in heaven. The New Earth will be the perfect planet for us, free from sin, evil, sickness, disease, suffering and death. That’s what the Bible says.

Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship (JICF) meets every Sunday at 10:30am in the North end (gym) of the Oliver Ministry Building, 2647 Bloomington Ave., Minneapolis. This Sunday, Oct. 20, we get a glimpse inside heaven as the Rich Man checks out Lazarus, Luke 16:19-31. Don’t miss it!

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God's Management Team

Oct. 07, 2013 Monday Message:

“YHWH will be their light, and they will rule forever.” Rev. 22:5

Last week we discussed what heaven will be like. So it’s on to the #6 most asked Bible/Christianity question, “What will we do in heaven?”

Most people on earth don’t know exactly what they’re called to do. We all have some God-given skills, gifts and talents, but often aren’t very good at putting them into play, like a square peg in a round hole. We may know what God has equipped us to do, but we can’t find the right place to do it.

Heaven is different. The Bible says, “they will rule forever.” Who is “they?” That’s us! Our destiny is to become a part of God’s great management team. We’ll be on-board with God, helping to rule the animals, the angels, and the universe. How long? Forever!

God is the great “connector,” and He has a slot with your name on it. In heaven, your leadership role will be whatever is uniquely perfect for only you. After all, that’s what you’ve been created to do!

And remember that while it’s good to lead and it’s good to serve God, Genesis 3 says this whole work-thing is cursed, a penalty for our disobedience. So don’t get too hung-up on looking for work in heaven. But we will look forward to serving each day, out of gratitude for what has been done for us.

In His name,

Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship (JICF) meets every Sunday at 10:30am in the North end (gym) of the Oliver Ministry Building, 2647 Bloomington Ave., Minneapolis. This Sunday, Oct. 13, Pastor Michael Pilla teaches about the shrewd manager, Luke 16. Join us!

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