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What Will Heaven Be Like?

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Heaven is not a figment of someone’s imagination or a mystical fairy tale. It is as real as the world you and I live in right now. When you try to imagine this glorious city, what do you think of? Fluffy clouds? Angels strumming harps? Philadelphia Cream Cheese? No, no, no. Forget about what you’ve seen in commercials, movies, and television. Let’s look to God’s Word, the Bible, for the truth about Heaven. Here are three important things we learn:

No Expense Spared

In Revelation 21:18–21, John described the most precious elements known to man as comprising the very foundations of this majestic metropolis:

“The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of pure gold, as pure as transparent glass.”

[Photo by Alicia Lee on Flickr.]

Here on earth, we would never dream of walking on gold—gold so pure that it’s like transparent glass, no less! But the God of the universe reserved the choicest materials to build a heavenly city for those who love Him. Even the material under our feet will be made from the same stuff that we today scrimp and save for just to buy a small ring or a delicate necklace. This tells me that nothing this world has to offer—not even the very best things here on earth—can ever come close to what God intended for us at creation, which will one day be fully restored in Heaven.

He is Preparing a Place for You

Just before Jesus was betrayed, He comforted His disciples with these words: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 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?” (John 14:1–2)

What a mind-blowing promise for everyone who believes in Jesus Christ! This very moment Jesus is in the heavenly realm laying foundations, framing walls, tiling floors, hanging pictures, building cabinets, and planting gardens . . . just for us. Here’s the thing I can’t comprehend: Jesus loves us so much that He humbled Himself as a man and died for our sins more than 2,000 years ago. The work He did on the cross was more than enough. And yet—He continues to love, give, and provide for us. He continues to work on our behalf by preparing our heavenly home. How astounding is the love of Christ!

No More Tears

Heaven is our home. This earth, with all its troubles and tragedies, is not our permanent dwelling. Revelation 21:3 tells us that in Heaven, God will be with us. He will make His dwelling among us, just as He walked in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:8–9). Verses four and five of Revelation 21 go on to reveal: “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.”

These are words we can trust in: that in Heaven there will be no more sorrow, disease, pain, crime, or death because Almighty God will make all things new. Oh, I can’t wait for that day! How about you?

Tell the World!

Heaven is that place we long for. It is where our friends and family who believed in the Lord and have died are right now. It is the blessed hope that drives us to share the Gospel. After all, what is the best way to invest in Heaven? Isn’t our best investment the people with whom we’ve shared the Good News? I don’t know about you, but when I get there, I want it to be filled with people. I want to get there and see billions of people there, from every tribe and from every nation, all together worshiping the Lord in our heavenly home. The only way that will happen is if you and I are compelled to tell the present world about our wonderful Savior and the truth of His Gospel.

**Excerpt from the book, Compelled: The Irresistible Call to Share Your Faith by Pastor Dudley Rutherford, available at Amazon and wherever books are sold.

What Does Eternity Really Mean?

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I had the privilege of attending the Summer Olympic Games in China  in 2008, and while I was there, my mind kept coming back to this one thought.  It wasn’t the fanfare or the excitement — nor the gold medals or records broken — but the droves of people wandering around Beijing who did not know the name of Jesus. My heart was burdened by the reality that most of the people who surrounded me had never heard about the hope, forgiveness, and eternal love that are found in Jesus Christ.

Yes, the summer and winter Olympics display the incredible physical skill and strength of the best athletes on the planet. Yes, those are thrilling moments in time. But when they conclude after seventeen days every four years, they end up being just that — mere moments in time when compared to the infinite span of eternity.

There is a greater test of strength and endurance happening right now. There is a superior crown to be obtained. Paul described it this way in Philippians 3:12–14:  “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

No goal in this life is as important as our heavenly calling, which is to spend eternity with our Lord and to invite as many people as possible to the same glorious future. As C. S. Lewis wrote, “All that is not eternal is eternally useless.”

Eternity is woven into the Gospel! One of the very first Scriptures anyone commits to memory as a child is John 3:16, in which Jesus promised eternity with Him in heaven: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

The apostle Paul echoed this truth by writing in Romans 6:23 that “the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Every time you see a rainbow, it’s a vivid reminder of God’s “everlasting covenant” never to destroy the earth again by water.  Psalm 100:5 declares that God’s “mercy is everlasting” (nkjv). His throne has been established from “everlasting to everlasting.”[1] He is the “King eternal,”[2] the “Alpha and Omega—the beginning and the end,”[3] who has established an “eternal purpose” for all mankind.[4]

How can our finite minds grasp what is infinite? We often exaggerate a lengthy situation or process by declaring, “That went on forever!” But we really don’t understand the full scope of eternity.

Imagine a bird dissembling the earth—twig by twig, leaf by leaf, pebble by pebble—and taking every individual element to the moon, piece by piece. When this task was finally completed, eternity would just be starting!  If every five hundred years, a hummingbird sharpened his beak on granite rock that stood five hundred miles high and five hundred miles wide, once the rock was completely eroded, it would be but one second of eternity!

When we begin to grasp what eternity really means, and realize that everybody on this planet will one day come face-to-face with their eternal destiny, it raises the stakes. It compels us not only to care but also to speak. No longer can we keep quiet!

Our words and thoughts must be intentional.

How could we not share the Gospel with our friends?

How could we stand by and say nothing, knowing our loved ones could spend an eternity separated from God?

When we consider the “eternalness” of eternity, we have no choice . . . we must share Jesus!

 

 

[1]  Psalms 41:13

[2] 1 Timothy 1:17

[3] Revelation 1:11

[4] Ephesians 3:11

Encouragement for the Parent of a Prodigal Child

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Raising a child is one of the most fulfilling, wonderful, and selfless experiences in life. There is nothing quite like helping a precious son or daughter grow from an infant, to a toddler, to an elementary schooler, to a teenager, and finally to an adult. Your heart feels an overwhelming sense of love and protection unlike any other bond it has felt before. But if you are a single parent and is struggling to provide for your child, you can contact an expert lawyer who will tell you what expenses is child support covering and help you claim the amount.

As stated by, family lawyers in Sterling Heights, the work of parenting can be humbling. It can be arduous and at times very difficult.

There are times when parents who raise their children according the ways of the Lord—found in the Bible and by the leading of the Holy Spirit—may become discouraged and even heartbroken when it seems their child is engaging in the things of the world that are damaging to his or her heart, mind, body and spirit. Like the prodigal son whom Jesus described in Luke 15:11-32, your child may have run far away to indulge in revelry. And like the father of the prodigal son, you may be longing for your child to return home and to his or her faith.

I wanted to share a word of encouragement to any parent who today is praying for their child to come back.

Here are 10 truths for you to cling to regarding God’s faithfulness in the life of your prodigal son or daughter:

1) Don’t give up. Don’t ever, ever, ever, ever give up hope.

2) God will redeem and restore. He loves your prodigal child even more than you do.

3) Your child is His child. God was the one who blessed you with that child, and He will bless you again when that child returns.

4) Stand on the promise of Proverbs 22:6 that if you train up a child in the ways of the Lord, that when they older they will not depart from the faith.

5) Keep loving your child. Love conquers all. When that child is in the pig pen of life like the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32, they will recall that the only person who loved them unconditionally was their mom and dad. Ultimately, they will remember that things were best in their life when they were at home under your care.

6) The grace that God has shown to you must be passed on to them. Don’t ever forget how much grace the Lord has given you whenever you disobeyed Him in the past. Each and every day, take the grace that God has given to you and simply pass it on to your prodigal son or daughter.

7) Look for progress, not perfection. We are looking for small steps in the right direction. When you train the eye to identify little steps of progress, your focus shifts from hopelessness to hope.

8) Aim for that line between tough love and compassionate love. This is one of the most difficult things to do as parents, and requires daily prayer for wisdom and grace. Try to do exactly what you think Jesus would do if He were in your situation.

9) Don’t ever think that you are alone. Many people have had prodigal children. Many people are hurting as you are hurting now. It’s what caused me to write this very article—to tell you that there are many people who have suffered as you are suffering and yet can tell you the story of God’s rescue and return of their child. And God will do it again!

10) Lastly, PRAY! One of our children was born on March 11. And our child didn’t know it, but we had people all over the country who had agreed to join us in prayer at 3:11 p.m. every day. Whatever your prodigal’s birthdate, make it the time that you invite people pray. And just know….I am praying for you, too!

Pastor Dudley Rutherford is the author of “Compelled: The Irresistible Call to Share Your Faith” (available on Amazon) and the senior pastor of Shepherd Church in Porter Ranch, California, which has four campuses in the Greater Los Angeles area. You can connect with Dudley at dev.fishhookcms.com/ and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

 

12 Years After “The Secret” and There’s Still No Substitute for the Gospel

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Since its release in 2006, a self-help book called The Secret has sold more than 19 million copies worldwide and has been translated into over forty-six languages. The premise of the book is that you can create whatever you want by using the power of your mind. It is a self-centered philosophy that is actually nothing more than recycled Hinduism and New Age folly. Many people think if Oprah endorses something, that makes it okay.

According to the book, to attract your perfect weight you just think it in your mind and then you become it! (Oh, if that only were true—I would have six-pack abs and a full head of hair!) The book also suggests that everyone has his or her own personal genie standing by with a “your wish is my command” policy.

I want to share with you what one fan of The Secret wrote—not to poke fun, but to demonstrate how far the world has come in creating substitutions for a relationship with Christ:

The one thing that stuck with me was the Genie. I immediately felt a connection to this concept. I drew a Genie with a handsome face, a look of satisfaction and a perfect body to compliment it.

He is there in my room on the wall and he is like the most perfect thing that ever happened to me! Be it exams, relationship problems, health problems, or just something I am scared of, I just tell it to Genie and believe that he will manage it somehow.

After telling my problem to Genie and asking him to take care [of] it, I just stop thinking about it. Somewhere in my heart I feel that he’ll take care of it, and trust me, he has never failed me once! He is my universe, my personal Genie and he fulfills all my wishes, no limitations.

When I read this testimonial, I can’t help but feel both sadness and frustration that such a simple book could lead so many people astray. Jesus Christ—not an imaginary genie—is real and alive (Ephesians 1:19–20). He is the one who truly cares and asks us to cast all our burdens upon Him (1 Peter 5:7). Hebrews 1:3 puts it this way: “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”

In its futile attempt to be the answer for all of mankind’s needs, The Secret fails to address the most basic reality of life: death! If the Law of Attraction really worked, then no one would ever die or suffer from disease, because most people would like to live forever. This fact became painfully clear when a viewer of the Oprah show, after seeing two episodes dedicated to The Secret, wrote to Oprah to “announce that she had decided to halt her breast-cancer treatments and heal herself with her mind.”

The Secret is Out

The truth is, God offers eternity through Jesus Christ alone (John 3:16). His living words are the only words of eternal life (see John 6:68 and Hebrews 4:12).

All other religions began with people asking, “How can we get to God?” That’s a very good question. And in the attempt to find an answer, many different people came up their own moral system. They said in essence, “Let’s do these things to get to God. And if we do enough of these good things, we’ll get to heaven.” (Or, in new age thinking, “find peace within ourselves.”)

In Christianity, God looks down from heaven and wants to redeem mankind. So, He left heaven and came to this earth in the form of a baby to bring salvation to the earth. His name was Jesus. He lived thirty-three years and never committed a sin. Then He died on a cross as atonement for our sins so we could have eternal life. No other man in the history of the world—and certainly not a make-believe genie—has ever done such a thing for humanity.

No Substitute

There is no other substitute for Jesus’ love. Every other attempt falls devastatingly short because it will have zero ability to change our hearts, cure our sin, or impact our eternal destiny. Christ’s love is our true motivation, and it propels us toward greater feats than we ever thought possible. We will share His truth with the world so that as many people as possible can have a relationship with God and spend eternity with Him in heaven.

That’s what being “Compelled to Tell” is all about! It’s a passion that will get us out of bed in the morning better than any alarm clock, deadline, or sales goal. It’ll help us endure pain, sorrow, and hardship in order to tell others about the best thing that has ever happened to us.

Pastor Dudley Rutherford is the author of “Compelled: The Irresistible Call to Share Your Faith” (available on Amazon) and the senior pastor of Shepherd Church in Porter Ranch, California, which has four campuses in the Greater Los Angeles area. You can connect with Dudley at dev.fishhookcms.com/ and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

 

Boldness to Share Your Faith Begins with Humility

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When you become a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), God wants to give you a brand-new perspective, a promising future, and an everlasting hope. One important byproduct of this awesome transformation is a new wardrobe as well! What I mean is this: You exchange your old, dirty, raggedy clothes—which represents your former and sinful ways—for clean, gleaming, new clothes—which represents your justification and sanctification through Christ.

But instead of trendy styles or expensive fabrics, Colossians 3:12 explains what your new clothes are made of: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

As a new creation in Christ with a new mission in life—to share Jesus and the Gospel with others—you now are to be clothed with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. These qualities are worth far more than an entire closet filled with designer suits or fancy dresses. I want to focus on humility because I believe it is a huge precursor to having the boldness to share your faith with others.

Where does humility come from?

When we as human beings are so prone to pride and egotism, how do we cultivate true humility in our hearts? James 3:13 reveals that “humility comes from wisdom.” You might be thinking, Okay, so how do I get wisdom? We find this answer in the book of James as well:

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. (1:5)

It’s surprisingly simple: pray for wisdom and it will be given to you—and out of that wisdom, humility springs forth.

C. S. Lewis wrote in his book Mere Christianity, “True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” When we think of ourselves less, it takes away the concern for our possessions, our reputation, and our safety when we endeavor to share Jesus Christ with someone. Paul’s declaration in Acts 20:22–25 is a beautiful example of this truth. He wrote,

And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again.

After Paul spoke these words to the Ephesian elders, he got down on his knees and prayed with them as they wept. What a heart-wrenching scene! Paul said good-bye to beloved friends and fellow workers in ministry, knowing he would never see them again. The Holy Spirit revealed to him that hardships and prison awaited him. And yet he forged ahead with his God-given task, unconcerned for his own future or safety. He considered his life worth nothing; his singular mission was to share the Good News.

Paul is an astonishing example to us all of humility and total surrender to the Lord’s will in order to bring the Gospel to lost souls. May we as Christians become completely humble as we endeavor to share our faith with those around us.

Pastor Dudley Rutherford is the author of Compelled: The Irresistible Call to Share Your Faith (available on Amazon) and the senior pastor of Shepherd Church in Porter Ranch, California, which has four campuses in the Greater Los Angeles area. You can connect with Dudley at dev.fishhookcms.com/ and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

 

Why God Chose Us—Not the Angels—to Deliver the Good News

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If God were to ask me, “Dudley, who do you think should carry the message of salvation to the world?” my answer would be an easy one. “Angels!” I’d say.

Why not? Angels have been used by God throughout the Bible to bring very important messages to people. In fact, the Greek word for angel can also mean “messenger.” In Luke 1:13, an angel delivered a message to Zechariah that his wife, Elizabeth, would give birth to John the Baptist, even in their old age. An angel told Mary she was going to conceive and bring forth a Child (Luke 1:35). An angel warned Mary and Joseph about Herod’s plot to kill their child and instructed them to leave the country (Matthew 2:13). The night sky lit up as angels announced the Messiah’s birth to the shepherds (Luke 2:13).

From the beginning of creation, angels have been very busy carrying God’s messages. Today books are written about them. Hollywood has put angels “in the outfield” and imagined people in crisis being “touched by” them. There’s even a baseball team in Los Angeles named after them! With all of their experience and fame, it just makes sense that angels would be the obvious choice to herald the message of redemption to the world.

But think about it. How many people do you know were saved because of an angelic visitation? Probably none. And I think there are two very important reason why God has chosen us—not angels—to share the Gospel with the world.

First, angels are busy with their own tasks.

Ephesians 6:12 reveals that there is a spiritual battle going on in the heavenly realms, dark against light. God’s angels are very likely involved in this battle (2 King 6:17; Jude 1:9; Revelation 7:1). Angels serve God (Psalm 103:20; Revelation 22:9). They are also busy praising and worshipping Him (Psalm 148:1–2; Isaiah 6:3; Hebrews 1:6; Revelation 5:8–13).

The second and perhaps greater reason angels are not modern-day messengers of the Gospel is because angels do not have a testimony.

God has chosen us, not angels, to be His ambassadors of the Good News because angels have never experienced the weight or consequences of sin. They have never heard a sermon on salvation and then felt the convicting Spirit of God tugging on their hearts. An angel could never sing, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.” Why? Because they have never been a “wretch.” They’re angels—not humans who live in a fallen world.

We, on the other hand, have a testimony and an ability to say to others, “Hey, my life used to be a wreck. I was trapped in sin just like you. Then one day I met Jesus Christ, and He changed my life. The same way He changed me, He can change you too.” This is important because people tend to be more receptive to someone they can relate to—someone who has been in their shoes. This is empathy, and it serves as an amazing bridge between two people.

Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of this:

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15).

Though we are not perfect like our Savior, the sin and struggles He saved us from are all part of our testimony. Jesus said that those who have been forgiven much, love much (Luke 7:47). Because of this, I believe forgiven sinners are powerful witnesses for God’s grace. David Wilkerson, the late pastor and writer, once said, “God uses people. God uses people to perform His work. He does not send angels. Angels weep over it, but God does not use angels to accomplish His purposes. He uses burdened broken-hearted weeping men and women.”

You and I may never be able to open up prison doors like the angels have done, or speak to prophets, or shut the mouths of lions, or ascend and descend on a ladder from heaven, or minister to Jesus in His darkest hour. But we have a song that the angels cannot sing! We have a message they are not qualified to deliver. As much as they probably would love to, and as much as they would obey, the Bible says God has given us—not angels—the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18). God deemed it our responsibility to deliver His message to the world. You and I are called to be the spokespersons on His behalf and on behalf of His precious Gospel!

 

Pastor Dudley Rutherford is the author of “Compelled: The Irresistible Call to Share Your Faith” (available on Amazon) and the senior pastor of Shepherd Church in Porter Ranch, California, which has four campuses in the Greater Los Angeles area. You can connect with Dudley at dev.fishhookcms.com/ and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.