There’s a popular misconception today. It’s the idea that Heaven is a dull, monotonous, boring place. That all anyone ever does in Heaven is float around in a clear blue sky, sitting on top of a thin cloud, with wings and a halo, strumming a harp for all of eternity. This kind of existence would indeed be boring, but this is not an accurate picture of Heaven. The fact of the matter is this: Heaven is anything but boring.
I found an interesting resource from the website got questions.org. In an article on what we will be doing in Heaven (I’ve included the link below), the author writes, “In Luke 23:43, Jesus declared, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” The word Jesus used for “paradise” is paradeisos which means “a park, that is, (specifically) an Eden (place of future happiness, paradise)”... The point is that Jesus picked and used the word for “a park.” Not just any park but “the paradise of God” or park of God (Revelation 2:7) which for us will be a place of future happiness. Does this sound like a boring place? When you think of a park, do you think of boredom?”
http://www.gotquestions.org/doing-in-Heaven.html
Furthermore, I don’t have to tell you that the burdens of this life can be overwhelming. There's pain, heartache, sorrow, broken dreams, and intense suffering. One of the main reasons I'm blogging about this today is because I'm feeling the heavy weight of the trials of the world in my own life. That’s why these words from Revelation 21 are so encouraging:
“And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live 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” (verses 3 and 4). No mourning or pain will exist in Heaven; only bliss and happiness.
I’m sure many of you are saying, “Sign me up for that.” Well, the fact is, not everyone will go to Heaven; only those who have a right relationship with God, through Jesus Christ. John 3:36 reads, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life” (one could substitute the word “Heaven” here in place of “life”). To be candid with you, I don’t particularly enjoy concluding the blog installment in this way. I would have preferred to have ended on the high note of the previous paragraph, but I have to tell you the truth, no matter how difficult or unpopular.
The Bible says if you want to see Heaven, you have to believe in Jesus. That is, you have to put your faith, trust, and confidence in Him alone to save you and take you to Heaven one day. If you haven’t done this, if to this point you have rejected Jesus, I urge you to choose to believe in Him today.
Kevin
(John 3:16)
Monday, July 28, 2014
Monday, July 7, 2014
God is aware of every shed tear
Have you ever stopped and thought about just how many tears we cry? We cry during times of heartache, pain, and tragedy. We cry tears of joy during weddings, graduations, or even during certain moments in a movie or TV show. We cry tears of longing, expressing a strong desire of how much we wish something would happen, but it hasn’t. Or how about when we laugh for so long that it actually causes us to cry? My point is we all cry. This is not something for which we should be ashamed; it is a gift that God has given us.
It is astonishing to consider that the God of the universe is intimately aware of every single tear. Psalm 56:8 is a precious verse to me; it reads, “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book” (NLT). The more I think about this, the more I marvel at God’s attention to this detail. For example, I always cry at that magnificent end of "It's a Wonderful Life." God recorded those tears in His book titled "The Tally of Kevin Bauer's Tears" (or whatever He calls it).
This is so encouraging to contemplate. God loves you and me so much that He is intimately aware with everything that happens to us; nothing escapes His notice. He knows the exact number of hairs on our heads (Matthew 10:30). He knows every word that we say; He knows every thought that we think; He sees each time we laugh; He sees when we cry. God isn’t ignorant of even the most minuscule occurrences of the day.
Kevin
It is astonishing to consider that the God of the universe is intimately aware of every single tear. Psalm 56:8 is a precious verse to me; it reads, “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book” (NLT). The more I think about this, the more I marvel at God’s attention to this detail. For example, I always cry at that magnificent end of "It's a Wonderful Life." God recorded those tears in His book titled "The Tally of Kevin Bauer's Tears" (or whatever He calls it).
This is so encouraging to contemplate. God loves you and me so much that He is intimately aware with everything that happens to us; nothing escapes His notice. He knows the exact number of hairs on our heads (Matthew 10:30). He knows every word that we say; He knows every thought that we think; He sees each time we laugh; He sees when we cry. God isn’t ignorant of even the most minuscule occurrences of the day.
Kevin
Thursday, July 3, 2014
The power of Biblical context
My pastor, Bill Oudemolen, often says if you take a Bible verse out of its context it can very easily become a pretext. This is a wise statement. There is one Bible verse I want to focus on today that is often yanked out of its context and has become a very popular pretext.
The verse I’m referring to is Philippians 4:13. This verse reads, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (NKJV). This is often quoted as alleged proof that God will help us accomplish any goal, no matter how inherently selfish. As if the verse actually said: “I can accomplish anything, no matter how seemingly impossible, because Christ will give me the necessary power to complete it.” That’s not what the verse says and this is quite a precarious road to be on.
For example, a student wants to ace a test, and they neglected to study for it, can they still get that “A” just by quoting “I can do all things through Christ”? Or a person is about to have an important job interview, can they just quote Philippians 4:13 and be assured that God will give them that job? Or someone wants to be like Tony Stark and create a special suit and become a real life “Iron Man” who fights crime; should they go for it because the Bible says “I can do all things through Christ”? (Granted, that last one is wacky, but I purposely gave an odd example to help prove my point.)
All of these examples display a fundamental misinterpretation of what God is actually trying to teach us here. Philippians 4:13 is not a proof text where God promises He will endow us with supernatural power to complete every ambition or dream that we have. So what does it mean, then? Once again, context is crucial, so let’s go back a few verses.
The second half of Philippians 4:11 reads, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” Verse 12: “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” And the reader waits expectantly to be informed of what this “secret” of being content is. Interestingly, the next verse is our verse of focus for today; Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Therefore, in context, it’s crystal clear that the main point here is this: no matter what happens to us in life, we can experience contentment. “Whether I live in abundance or poverty, pleasure or heartache, bliss or agony,” Paul says, “I can do all of these things, through Christ. He is the one who gives me the daily strength I need to live whatever life God has called me to, and to do so with contentment.”
Kevin
The verse I’m referring to is Philippians 4:13. This verse reads, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (NKJV). This is often quoted as alleged proof that God will help us accomplish any goal, no matter how inherently selfish. As if the verse actually said: “I can accomplish anything, no matter how seemingly impossible, because Christ will give me the necessary power to complete it.” That’s not what the verse says and this is quite a precarious road to be on.
For example, a student wants to ace a test, and they neglected to study for it, can they still get that “A” just by quoting “I can do all things through Christ”? Or a person is about to have an important job interview, can they just quote Philippians 4:13 and be assured that God will give them that job? Or someone wants to be like Tony Stark and create a special suit and become a real life “Iron Man” who fights crime; should they go for it because the Bible says “I can do all things through Christ”? (Granted, that last one is wacky, but I purposely gave an odd example to help prove my point.)
All of these examples display a fundamental misinterpretation of what God is actually trying to teach us here. Philippians 4:13 is not a proof text where God promises He will endow us with supernatural power to complete every ambition or dream that we have. So what does it mean, then? Once again, context is crucial, so let’s go back a few verses.
The second half of Philippians 4:11 reads, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” Verse 12: “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” And the reader waits expectantly to be informed of what this “secret” of being content is. Interestingly, the next verse is our verse of focus for today; Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Therefore, in context, it’s crystal clear that the main point here is this: no matter what happens to us in life, we can experience contentment. “Whether I live in abundance or poverty, pleasure or heartache, bliss or agony,” Paul says, “I can do all of these things, through Christ. He is the one who gives me the daily strength I need to live whatever life God has called me to, and to do so with contentment.”
Kevin
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Imitate God by living a life of love
The other day, I watched a Christian movie that I hadn’t seen for a while entitled “Another Perfect Stranger”. This is a sequel to “The Perfect Stranger”, a film where a lawyer is invited to dinner with someone who claimed to be Jesus Christ Himself. She goes along with it and ends up having a fascinating conversation with the man.
“Another Perfect Stranger” is the sequel. It features the lawyer’s daughter, Sarah. Sarah ends up meeting the same man that her mother had met, the guy claiming to be Jesus, only she doesn’t know it’s the same man.
There was a line of dialogue in a particular scene that grabbed my attention. In one scene, Sarah and the man (who at this point had introduced himself as “Yesh”) are on an airplane chatting with one another. They got on the subject of what real Christianity is. “Yesh” put it this way: “It’s letting Him love other people through you. It’s knowing you are forgiven. It’s knowing that you’re accepted; no matter what you always have a special place in God’s heart.”
That whole quotation is worth contemplating. To know you are forgiven, accepted, and that you have a special place in God’s heart is such an invaluable thought, but my mind has been riveted on that first part of the quote: real Christianity is “letting Him [God] love other people through you.”
Today is my birthday. I find myself wanting to renew my commitment to displaying God’s love to other people through my actions. Ephesians 5:1-2 puts it this way: “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” What a passage and what a challenge! Imitate God by living a life of love; my blog title today and one of the goals of my life.
I want to be a vessel that demonstrates God’s love to others through my deeds. I want to be a reflection to others that there is a God who loves humanity deeply, fervently, and passionately. In short, as the day of my birth is celebrated, I want to deflect the attention away from myself and put it on the Lord. Focus instead on the fact that God is great, majestic, powerful, and He loves you and me “with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3).
Kevin
“Another Perfect Stranger” is the sequel. It features the lawyer’s daughter, Sarah. Sarah ends up meeting the same man that her mother had met, the guy claiming to be Jesus, only she doesn’t know it’s the same man.
There was a line of dialogue in a particular scene that grabbed my attention. In one scene, Sarah and the man (who at this point had introduced himself as “Yesh”) are on an airplane chatting with one another. They got on the subject of what real Christianity is. “Yesh” put it this way: “It’s letting Him love other people through you. It’s knowing you are forgiven. It’s knowing that you’re accepted; no matter what you always have a special place in God’s heart.”
That whole quotation is worth contemplating. To know you are forgiven, accepted, and that you have a special place in God’s heart is such an invaluable thought, but my mind has been riveted on that first part of the quote: real Christianity is “letting Him [God] love other people through you.”
Today is my birthday. I find myself wanting to renew my commitment to displaying God’s love to other people through my actions. Ephesians 5:1-2 puts it this way: “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” What a passage and what a challenge! Imitate God by living a life of love; my blog title today and one of the goals of my life.
I want to be a vessel that demonstrates God’s love to others through my deeds. I want to be a reflection to others that there is a God who loves humanity deeply, fervently, and passionately. In short, as the day of my birth is celebrated, I want to deflect the attention away from myself and put it on the Lord. Focus instead on the fact that God is great, majestic, powerful, and He loves you and me “with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3).
Kevin
Friday, June 27, 2014
"Just a closer walk with Thee"
Recently I heard a sermon where the pastor encouraged his congregation to hold on to God. At first, I didn’t really know how to process this idea; my mind went to the Biblical instances that taught seemingly the exact opposite: that it is God who holds on to us. To cite just one Biblical example, in Psalm 73, the Psalmist says these words to God: “Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand” (verse 23).
God does hold us, and I firmly believe that He will never, ever let us go. But, interestingly enough, the Bible also encourages us to hold on to God as well. I want to be clear here: this is not a contradiction. This is essentially two sides of the same coin. Let me paint two scenes that will help illustrate my point.
Scene #1: Picture a parent who is with their young child at a mall, or some other crowded venue. The parent is holding the child's arm tightly, but the child isn’t staying close to the parent. The child wants to run off and see all of the attractions. The grip of the parent remains tight and secure, but he has to occasionally pull the child closer to him, so that he or she won’t get lost in the crowd. The parent does this out of love, of course, so the child will remain safe and protected from roaming the busy mall all alone.
Scene #2: Picture a boyfriend with his girlfriend (or a husband and wife) in a mall. The two are walking through the attractions and they are holding hands. They are walking together, simply enjoying being with each other and spending time together. There’s no reason for one to yank on the other to stay close; this couple is in love and they want to be close to one another.
These scenes show that God is holding my hand, and also the way I hold on to Him. In scene #1, God’s grip is tight and constant, but my grip, for all intents and purposes, is absent. In scene #2, God’s grip is tight, but I’m holding tightly on to Him as well. Boiled down its essence, the main difference between these two scenes is the closeness I have with God.
The Bible says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8). It is a compelling thought to daily choose to say to God, “Lord, I want to hold on to You today. I want to be close to You. I want to be like that couple in the mall, holding hands, simply enjoying a close, loving companionship with each other.”
Let me be candid with you. As I continue to process this subject matter, I must admit that I get a little overwhelmed by this whole idea. You see, too often in my life, I’m like that child in scene #1. God’s hand tightly grips mine, but I’m far more interested in checking out all the attractions, and He has to gently pull on me to get closer to Him. Why is this? Because my heart really is, as the old hymn puts it, "Prone to wander." I want to be close to God; I want to enjoy intimate fellowship with Him, but I also know how sinful and fickle my really heart is. Perhaps you can relate!
Therefore, it is important for us to be reminded that it is unrealistic to declare that will never again veer away from God. There will be both good days and bad days in this venture, and no one will live this out perfectly. It is not possible to live a life of sinless perfection. But, at the same time, it is a worthy aspiration to desire to walk closer with God and we shouldn’t allow the fact that we will occasionally fail in this goal to stop us from trying altogether. That would be a tragic mistake.
Kevin
God does hold us, and I firmly believe that He will never, ever let us go. But, interestingly enough, the Bible also encourages us to hold on to God as well. I want to be clear here: this is not a contradiction. This is essentially two sides of the same coin. Let me paint two scenes that will help illustrate my point.
Scene #1: Picture a parent who is with their young child at a mall, or some other crowded venue. The parent is holding the child's arm tightly, but the child isn’t staying close to the parent. The child wants to run off and see all of the attractions. The grip of the parent remains tight and secure, but he has to occasionally pull the child closer to him, so that he or she won’t get lost in the crowd. The parent does this out of love, of course, so the child will remain safe and protected from roaming the busy mall all alone.
Scene #2: Picture a boyfriend with his girlfriend (or a husband and wife) in a mall. The two are walking through the attractions and they are holding hands. They are walking together, simply enjoying being with each other and spending time together. There’s no reason for one to yank on the other to stay close; this couple is in love and they want to be close to one another.
These scenes show that God is holding my hand, and also the way I hold on to Him. In scene #1, God’s grip is tight and constant, but my grip, for all intents and purposes, is absent. In scene #2, God’s grip is tight, but I’m holding tightly on to Him as well. Boiled down its essence, the main difference between these two scenes is the closeness I have with God.
The Bible says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8). It is a compelling thought to daily choose to say to God, “Lord, I want to hold on to You today. I want to be close to You. I want to be like that couple in the mall, holding hands, simply enjoying a close, loving companionship with each other.”
Let me be candid with you. As I continue to process this subject matter, I must admit that I get a little overwhelmed by this whole idea. You see, too often in my life, I’m like that child in scene #1. God’s hand tightly grips mine, but I’m far more interested in checking out all the attractions, and He has to gently pull on me to get closer to Him. Why is this? Because my heart really is, as the old hymn puts it, "Prone to wander." I want to be close to God; I want to enjoy intimate fellowship with Him, but I also know how sinful and fickle my really heart is. Perhaps you can relate!
Therefore, it is important for us to be reminded that it is unrealistic to declare that will never again veer away from God. There will be both good days and bad days in this venture, and no one will live this out perfectly. It is not possible to live a life of sinless perfection. But, at the same time, it is a worthy aspiration to desire to walk closer with God and we shouldn’t allow the fact that we will occasionally fail in this goal to stop us from trying altogether. That would be a tragic mistake.
Kevin
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Checking in with the Batman/Superman movie
I’ve previously blogged about the Batman/Superman movie that is supposed to be coming out in 2016. Apparently the official title is “Batman Vs. Superman: The Dawn of Justice.” This is a movie that is technically supposed to be a sequel to the movie “Man of Steel” which starred Henry Cavill as Superman. While Cavill is scheduled to return in this film, he will have to share the spotlight with many other new heroes.
You see, they decided to introduce Batman (who will be played by Ben Affleck) in this movie. Then they stated that Wonder Woman was going to be in the film. Of course, what they are trying to do is duplicate Marvel’s success of “The Avengers” and eventually have their own “Justice League” movie, where all of these heroes team up, like "The Avengers" did.
I really haven't been keeping up with the newest developments lately. But just recently they announced that Jason Momoa is going to be playing the role of Aquaman. This goes along with other additions that I hadn’t heard, such as, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor and Ray Fisher as Cyborg. Yes, that right, Cyborg. Because I’m a superhero fan, I know who the character of Cyborg is, but I don’t think the average moviegoer will have the faintest idea who he is.
I’ve mentioned this in this blog before, but I have to say again that I don’t like the direction this movie is taking. I thought from the very beginning that Superman should have his sequel, not have it hijacked by a new Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and of course, Cyborg.
This Batman/Superman movie is trying to introduce too many new characters all at once. There comes a point where a movie has too many characters. Spider-Man 3, for example, was criticized for this; while I’ve actually blogged about the good points of Spider-Man 3, I would have to agree that there were too many characters in that movie.
That’s what this Superman/Batman movie is planning on doing. While I try to be a positive, the glass is half-full kind of guy, I have to be realistic and declare that this Superman movie could easily lead to a box office flop. Don't get me wrong, I certainly hope it doesn’t. I wish this upcoming movie success, but it’s not looking good to me. What Marvel did with "The Avengers" was special, and I don't know if it can be duplicated.
Kevin
You see, they decided to introduce Batman (who will be played by Ben Affleck) in this movie. Then they stated that Wonder Woman was going to be in the film. Of course, what they are trying to do is duplicate Marvel’s success of “The Avengers” and eventually have their own “Justice League” movie, where all of these heroes team up, like "The Avengers" did.
I really haven't been keeping up with the newest developments lately. But just recently they announced that Jason Momoa is going to be playing the role of Aquaman. This goes along with other additions that I hadn’t heard, such as, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor and Ray Fisher as Cyborg. Yes, that right, Cyborg. Because I’m a superhero fan, I know who the character of Cyborg is, but I don’t think the average moviegoer will have the faintest idea who he is.
I’ve mentioned this in this blog before, but I have to say again that I don’t like the direction this movie is taking. I thought from the very beginning that Superman should have his sequel, not have it hijacked by a new Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and of course, Cyborg.
This Batman/Superman movie is trying to introduce too many new characters all at once. There comes a point where a movie has too many characters. Spider-Man 3, for example, was criticized for this; while I’ve actually blogged about the good points of Spider-Man 3, I would have to agree that there were too many characters in that movie.
That’s what this Superman/Batman movie is planning on doing. While I try to be a positive, the glass is half-full kind of guy, I have to be realistic and declare that this Superman movie could easily lead to a box office flop. Don't get me wrong, I certainly hope it doesn’t. I wish this upcoming movie success, but it’s not looking good to me. What Marvel did with "The Avengers" was special, and I don't know if it can be duplicated.
Kevin
Monday, June 23, 2014
Discussing my life verse
Hello everyone. I almost feel like I should apologize, but after another month away from this blog, I’m finally back. I try to post something at a minimum of once a week, but lately that hasn’t worked out too well. Life gets busy, and blogging is put on the backburner. I’ve said this before but I have a friend who will announce, “Look, so and so is alive,” after seeing someone who she hasn’t seen for a long time. So, don’t worry; I’m alive!
Today I want to talk about the idea of a life verse. I first heard about this notion when a pastor named Rick Ferguson asked his congregation, by a show of hands, how many people had a life verse. He went on to explain that he meant by the term “life verse” a Bible verse that has become so important to you that you rehearse it nearly every day of your life. He went on to state that his life verse was John 15:5. Rick went home to be with the Lord in 2002 (wow, has it really been that long?), but he left behind a legacy of love, faithfulness, and a commitment to the truth of the Bible.
Returning to the idea of a life verse, I want to share mine. There are, of course, many verses and passages from the Bible that are vitally important to me, but if I had to choose just one as my life verse, I would say it is Proverbs 3:5. Proverbs 3:5 reads, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.”
There are many things in my life that I don’t understand. Further, there are things that I’ve gone through, seasons of life that I’ve had to endure, that have left me perplexed. For example, I mentioned Pastor Rick Ferguson earlier. Rick was only 46 when he died. He was seemingly in the prime of his life, but a car accident ended his time on this Earth. His death hit his congregation very hard (I know; I was part of that congregation).
That’s just one example of the point I’m trying to make. Consider some other examples that we might go through that leave us confused: you feel you are more than qualified for the promotion at work, but instead it goes to someone else. A friend unexpectedly betrays you. Your good health suddenly fades away. That job search seems to go on and on. Your child inexplicably becomes rebellious and defiant.
What are you tempted to do in these situations? You are tempted to lean on your own understanding. God doesn’t offer explanations, and we shouldn’t expect them. His ways are not our ways, and if He were to explain why He permitted this and that it would be beyond our comprehension anyway. He asks us to simply trust Him.
I don’t know what I would do without my firm assurance that God is worthy of my trust. He is the one who is in charge; He knows exactly what He is doing; His way and plan is best. It is the wisest course of action to “trust in the Lord with all your heart” and to “not lean on your own understanding.”
Kevin
Today I want to talk about the idea of a life verse. I first heard about this notion when a pastor named Rick Ferguson asked his congregation, by a show of hands, how many people had a life verse. He went on to explain that he meant by the term “life verse” a Bible verse that has become so important to you that you rehearse it nearly every day of your life. He went on to state that his life verse was John 15:5. Rick went home to be with the Lord in 2002 (wow, has it really been that long?), but he left behind a legacy of love, faithfulness, and a commitment to the truth of the Bible.
Returning to the idea of a life verse, I want to share mine. There are, of course, many verses and passages from the Bible that are vitally important to me, but if I had to choose just one as my life verse, I would say it is Proverbs 3:5. Proverbs 3:5 reads, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.”
There are many things in my life that I don’t understand. Further, there are things that I’ve gone through, seasons of life that I’ve had to endure, that have left me perplexed. For example, I mentioned Pastor Rick Ferguson earlier. Rick was only 46 when he died. He was seemingly in the prime of his life, but a car accident ended his time on this Earth. His death hit his congregation very hard (I know; I was part of that congregation).
That’s just one example of the point I’m trying to make. Consider some other examples that we might go through that leave us confused: you feel you are more than qualified for the promotion at work, but instead it goes to someone else. A friend unexpectedly betrays you. Your good health suddenly fades away. That job search seems to go on and on. Your child inexplicably becomes rebellious and defiant.
What are you tempted to do in these situations? You are tempted to lean on your own understanding. God doesn’t offer explanations, and we shouldn’t expect them. His ways are not our ways, and if He were to explain why He permitted this and that it would be beyond our comprehension anyway. He asks us to simply trust Him.
I don’t know what I would do without my firm assurance that God is worthy of my trust. He is the one who is in charge; He knows exactly what He is doing; His way and plan is best. It is the wisest course of action to “trust in the Lord with all your heart” and to “not lean on your own understanding.”
Kevin
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