September 28 | Week 4: Life Together
The Hope Of Heaven
Revelation 21:1-4
1 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 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. 4 ‘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.”
Heaven Is Being In His Presence
1. Describe what heaven will be like from these verses.
Revelation describes heaven – “the Holy City” – as a beautiful bride dressed for her husband. Furthermore, the focus in this passage is God’s presence and how he will be with us in a realm where there is no death, mourning, crying or pain. Interestingly, God is described in a very personal way as wiping away “every tear from [our] eyes.” Heaven is all about being with God and in his close presence!
No More Death, Mourning, Crying Or Pain
2. What are the things God says will be gone forever (v. 4)?
The scripture says that there will be “no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain” and then clarifies that “the old order of things has passed away”.
3. Which of those are you most longing to be free of?
What a profound question! Honestly, I have never considered which of these aspects of the current order of things I’d give priority to being free of. However, I thought about it and realized I’m stuck deciding between “death” and “mourning.” I have been to a lot of funerals as a minister and I reckon I’ll be attending more and more as I age.
A New Birth Into A Living Hope
1 Peter 1:3-6
3 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, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 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. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.
This Hope Inspires Perseverance
1. What kind of hope have we been given (v. 3)?
We have been given a living hope through Jesus’ resurrection.
2. Where is your inheritance being kept, and what could ever happen to it?
My inheritance is kept in heaven for me. Additionally, my inheritance is eternal – it can never perish, spoil, or fade!
3. How does this hope help you get through hard trials now (v. 6)?
When I am “doing well spiritually” I actively think about this and set my mind on it. Obviously, this helps me not react poorly when I am suffering or “going through it.”
Present Pain Is Not Worth Comparing To Future Glory
Romans 8:18
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
1. How does Paul compare our present sufferings to what is coming?
Paul says that our present sufferings are not worth comparing to what is coming. Therefore, whatever hardships or difficulties I have here simply do not compare to the glorious hope that will be revealed in me. Admittedly, this hope is not something I think about enough!
Holding On To Hope Will Change My Response
2. How would really believing this change the way you handle a hard week?
If I actually focus on this real hope and believe it, then I won’t allow hard times to slow me down or make me discouraged. Truthfully, I need to grow in my mental/spiritual discipline to hold on to this hope. Sadly, I got frustrated and angry the other day because I felt repeatedly disrespected and disregarded by those in my life I want respect and admiration from the most.
However, when I focus on the truth of eternal life and the saving inheritance from God, I do not take things like this personally. Additionally, this focus produces a gratitude in me as I realize I don’t deserve an eternal hope at the expense of Jesus’ blood on the cross. Lastly, I also tend towards mercy and patience due to this grace when holding on to this hope.
Visualize The Hope And Hold To It
APPLICATION: Spend a few minutes today picturing what it will be like to be with God with no more pain and no more tears. Let that hope lift your eyes off of today’s problems.
Reflection
I did not accept my step fathers in the place of fatherhood. My mother married a much older man (20+ years her senior) when I was 5 or 6. She was adrift herself, trying to find her way after my biological father refused to marry her and take any responsibility for me as his son. Additionally, she was very young and gave birth to me when she was merely 17. Her first husband gave her and I food, shelter and some kind of stability.
God Initiated Real Hope As A Father
I’ll never forget the time when as a child I told my first stepfather that I loved him. I was trying to give my heart to my “new” dad. Sadly, when I said those words the first time…he did not say them back. I recall that icy feeling sinking in as I walked up the stairs to bed and I remember just not feeling “right.” Unfortuantely, this unreturned love became a core memory for me. This rejection defined my understanding of fatherhood and sonship. Furthermore, it warped my sense of family and what it meant to have a “dad.”
Hoping For A Better “Stepfather”
Therefore, the second stepfather became more of a “friend” than a father. It was hard to get close to him because of his drug addiction and violatle behavior. He would transform from a kind, gentle and lighthearted soul to a man of menacing intensity. He even pulled a gun on my mother during an argument. One night, he followed my mother downstairs into the garage where I was trying to escape the conflict. I fearfully fled the garage when I saw him intoxicated and brandishing a gun.
I went accross the street on my BMX bike where I could still see into the opened garage door. Suddenly, he pointed the gun towards my mother’s face, turned off the lights in the garage, and pulled the trigger. I remember is the flash of light and deafening thunder of the gun’s report.
Hope Corrupted By Bad Character
We lived in Strafford, MO. which is very Rural and spread out. Therefore, the nearest neighbor was about half-a-mile down our street and the nearest place I knew there would be a pay phone was the “Git-N-Go” about 2 miles from our house. I rode as fast as I possibly could and got to that payphone and called my family. I can’t remember much of what happened after that. Naturally, they split up shortly after this. Sadly, he died later in a car-crash due to being under the influence and falling asleep at the wheel.
Building Hopeless Core Memories
This “gun” event is another “core” memory attached to the understanding of “sonship” and “fatherhood.” Unfortunately, I was very jaded by the time my mother married her third husband. He seemed very “normal” and was a successful hard-working blue-collar man that secured a lucrative contract in Honolulu Hawaii. I am thankful that we were able to move to Hawaii through his hard work and sacrifice.
Cynicism Has Taken Root
Unfortunately, my mother discovered his perscription medication addiction when we moved in together. Naturally, things further degraded and they went through a tumultuous time as their marriage disintegrated. To his credit, he tried to make changes through Dianetics and an intense form of charismatic Christianity. Sadly, by this time, I was a teenager and cynical anyway about “fathers” and “sonship.”
Bitterness Inspires Rebellion
My mother met an married another (fourth) husband and then divorced her third. I was very much in a rebellious and bitter phase – especially towards “father figures” at this time. Therefore, I did not build a good relationship with my mothers fourth (and current) husband. I moved out as soon as I could at ~17 years old. Honestly, I believe he did the best he could with me considering how dismissive I was.
The Sliver Of Silver Lining
I’m thankful for all the good my current stepfather has done – especially for my mother as she’s battling lung cancer at this moment. He also was instrumental in navigating some of the hardest moments in my sibling’s lives. I’m thankful that I was urged to seek after my physical father and found him and that we reconnected. Of course, there is more to tell on these matters.
My Hope – A Father To The Fatherless
You may be wondering why I would belabor these five “father” figures while having a quiet time about heaven. God himself says he is “A father to the fatherless…in his holy dwelling.”(Psalm 68:5) I know these various men did the best they could do given who they were and what they themselves were taught and handed-down. Furthermore, I was not willing or ready to have a “father” or be a “son” and misunderstood those words anyway.
Holding On To The Hope Of An Eternal Home
However, God knows exactly who I am and still loves me. More importantly, God sincerely wants a relationship with me as a son. When I think about heaven, this hope is what I reflect on. I know in heaven, God will wipe away every tear and God will be present. Furthermore, he actually wants to be close to me. I’ll get to be with him, the one who gave up his son for me so we could be family…and there will be singing. Yes, there will be singing. (Revelation 15:2-4)
“God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.” (Psalms 68:6)
Amen.
