When I preached about heaven a few weeks ago, I really wonder how far I can push that concept. I first came face to face with the question of "am I going to heaven" when I was in my membership class in 1999. What will it be like?
I dreamed I went to heaven, and you were there with me. We walked upon the streets of gold and beside the crystal sea. We heard the angels singing...
It's such a beautiful image of what heaven will be like isn't it? Not just that, it is really the image that the Bible paints, streets of gold, the river of life that is as clear as crystal and everyone, every angel singing praises to God.
Actually sounds kind of boring to me. But in the last few months, I've been thinking about this quite a bit. And I think, that even as we spend eternity worshipping the Lord, I would like to think that there will be opportunities to meet, and "catch up" with those whom we have lost contact with and are in heaven as well.
I really like the image that the above song paints. While it may not be accurate, I think God will be so loving and gracious to allow me to speak to friends who I would have lost contact with, or with friends who would go before me, or after me.
Tonight, I sang "Declare His Glory" for the last time as an official member of the VCF. I don't know if I will ever sing it again. I don't if I will ever see the people whom I've met and come to know and love in VCF ever again. I'm sure I've seen some of them for the last time tonight.
And I wonder how many more "last times" I've had in the past few weeks. But I will dream of eternity. And I will see them all there again. And we can walk by the crystal sea, and maybe even sit by it's shore and have all the time in heaven to catch up.
Little things that you had done, sacrifices made. Unnoticed on the earth, in heaven now proclaimed. I know that in heaven you are not supposed to cry, but I am almost sure there were tears in your eyes. As Jesus took your hand and you stood before the Lord, He said, "My child, look around you, great is your reward".
God is good, all the time!
All the time, God is good!
