Eternal Perspectives -- A Collection of Quotations on Heaven, the New Earth, and Life After Death

Greetings All!

Just over 15 years ago I had an older gentleman in my church in Honduras ask me: "Pastor, why is it that no one preaches on heaven anymore?  Everything seems to be focused on the here and now."  He was right then, and his words only more so now.  Heaven is not a common sermon topic anymore -- and the lack of it is seen in the lack of life in many churches. Without an eternal perspective, our priorities as Christians become stunted, get twisted, and can even become unchristian.

Thus, in honor of him (who left these earthly shores a few years back) I offer you these selections from Randy Alcorn's book, "Eternal Perspectives -- A Collection of Quotations on Heaven, the New Earth, and Life After Death."  It is a massive collection of quotes on that topic from Christian's throughout the ages. I trust the one's I've selected (read and meditated upon, two or three a day) will increase your hunger to know more and cause you to see the benefit of such a renewed focus. Enjoy.

"Christians are living too much in the "present now" -- and [therefore] the anticipation of better things to come has almost died out in the Church of Christ. We find ourselves so well-situated now, that we don't really need any of tomorrow's heaven. We don't need to hope -- we have everything well enough now."

A. W. Tozer

"All beauty in the world is either a memory of Paradise, or a prophecy of the coming transfigured world."

Nicholas Berdyaev

"O my Lord Jesus Christ, if I could be in heaven without You, it would be a hell; and if I could be in hell, and have you still, it would be a heaven to me, for You are all the heaven I need."

Samuel Rutherford

A mere glimpse of heaven would be enough to re-energize us and give us renewed strength to persevere till the end.  "In 1952, young Florence Chadwick stepped into the waters of the Pacific Ocean off Catalina Island, determined to swim to the shore of mainland California. She'd already been the first woman to swim the English channel both ways. The weather was foggy and chilly; she could hardly see the boats accompanying her. Still, she swam for fifteen hours. When she begged to be taken out of the water along the way, her mother, in a boat alongside her, told her she was close and could make it. Finally, physically and emotionally exhausted, she stopped swimming and was pulled out.  It wasn't until she was on the boat that she discovered the shore was less than a half mile away. At a news conference the next day she said: "All I could see was the fog... I think if I could have seen the shore, I would have made it."

C. J. Mahaney

"On a tombstone in Indiana that dates back more than one hundred years is written: 

"Pause, stranger, when you pass me by;

As you are now, so once was I.

As I am now, so you will be. 

So prepare for death and follow me.

An unknown passerby scratched these additional words on the tombstone:

"To follow you I'm not content,

Until I know which way you went."

Ron Rhodes

"Only the pure in heart will see God, because only the pure in heart want to see God.  Heaven would not be heaven to those who detest holiness here. Those who seek not God's presence now, would never be happy to dwell in it for all eternity then. And God is just, He will never give the Christ-rejecting unbeliever then, what they don't want now."

"He who hopes to be gathered with saints in heaven, while he only loves the gathering of sinners on earth, is deceiving himself." 

J. C. Ryle 

"God loves us enough to tell us the truth. There are two eternal destinations, not one, and we must choose the right path if we are to go to heaven. All roads do not lead to heaven. Only one does -- Jesus Christ... As human beings, we have a terminal disease called mortality. The current death rate is 100 percent. Unless Christ returns soon, we're all going to die. We don't like to think about death, yet worldwide, 3 people die every second, 180 every minute, and nearly 11,000 every hour.  If the Bible is right about what happens to us after death, that means that 250,000 people every day go either to heaven or to hell."

Randy Alcorn

"More important than all the physical beauty of the heavenly city; more important than the fellowship we will enjoy eternally with all God's people from all nations and all periods of history; more important than our freedom from pain and sorrow and physical suffering... more important by far than any of these will be the fact that we will be in the presence of God and enjoying unhindered fellowship with Him."

Wayne Grudem

"Some of you while sitting here today (in worship) have been trying to lift up your minds to heavenly contemplation, but you cannot. The business has gone so wrong this week; the children have vexed you so much; sickness has been in the house so sorely; you yourself feel in your body quite out of order for devotion -- these enemies break your peace...  [But remember] life is but a moment. In short time you will appear in eternity. And though impatience counts it long, yet faith corrects her and reminds her that one hour with God will make the longest life seem but a point in time, a mere nothing, a watch in the night, a thing that was and was not, that has come and gone."

Charles Spurgeon

"The reason why we have no ease of heart or soul [is that] we are seeking our rest in things which can never satisfy, and not seeking to know God, almighty, all-wise, all-good...  We shall never cease wanting and longing until we possess Him in fullness and joy. Then we shall have no further wants. Meanwhile, His will is that we go on knowing and loving until we are perfected in heaven...  The more clearly the soul sees His Blessed face, by grace and love, the more it longs to see it in all its fullness."

Julian of Norwich

"When the Bible defines eternal life, it is not in terms of location or duration, but in terms of relationship with God: 'This is eternal life,' says Jesus, 'that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent' (John 17:3)." 

Daniel Brown

     May your contemplation of eternity move you to live more fully in the present, and resolve once-and-for-all where you shall spend it.  Alcorn is right when he says, "not all roads lead to heaven."  That is what the Bible clearly teaches, along with the twin truth, that, "Only one road leads there -- Jesus Christ."

That others may know Him, Pastor Jeff

Quotes that give Food for Your Soul

Greetings All!

     This week's "thoughts" come from various authors.  They are timeless truths having to do with salvation or growth in godliness. They are self-explanatory and obviously written from a grounding in Scriptural truth mixed with the "yes" of personal experience. Take a moment to meditate on each one and you will surely find food for your soul as well as guidance for walking with Christ.  Enjoy.

     "Always respond to every impulse to pray. The impulse to pray may come when you are reading or when you are struggling to understand a text. I would make an absolute law of this -- always obey such an impulse.  Where does it come from?  It is the work of the Holy Spirit (Phil. 2:12-13). This often leads to some of the most remarkable experiences in the life of the minister. So never resist. Never postpone it. Never push it aside because you are busy. Give yourself to it; yield to it... Such a call to prayer must never be regarded as a distraction. Always respond to it immediately and thank God if it happens to you frequently."

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981)  "Preaching and Preachers."

     "Tell the young, tell the poor, tell the aged, tell the ignorant, tell the sick, tell the dying -- tell them about Christ. Tell them of His love; tell them of His doings; tell them what He has done for the chief of sinners; tell them what He is willing to do until the last day of time; tell it to them over and over again.  Never be tired of speaking of Christ. Say to them broadly and fully, freely and unconditionally, unreservedly and undoubtingly -- 'Come unto Christ, as the penitent thief did; come unto Christ and you shall be saved."

J. C,. Ryle (1816-1900) Sermon - "Christ's Greatest Trophy."

     "Grace stands in direct opposition to any supposed worthiness on our part. To say it another way: Grace and works are mutually exclusive. As Paul said in Romans 11:6, "And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; for if it were, then grace would no longer be grace."  Our relationship with God is based on either works or grace. There is never a works-plus-grace relationship with Him."

Jerry Bridges (1929-2016) "Transforming Grace."

     "Loving a holy God is beyond our moral power. The only kind of God we can love by our sinful nature is an unholy god, an idol made by our own hands. Unless we are born of the Spirit of God, unless God sheds His holy love in our hearts, unless He stoops in His grace to change our hearts, we will not love Him... To love a holy God requires grace, grace strong enough to pierce hardened hearts and awaken moribund souls." 

R. C. Sproul  (1939- ____)     "The Holiness of God."

     "Grace does away with the distance between the sinner and God, which sin had created. Grace meets the sinner on the spot where he stands; grace approaches him just as he is. Grace does not wait till there is something to attract it, nor until good reason is found in the sinner for its flowing to him...  It was free, sovereign grace when it thought of the sinner; it was free grace when it found him and laid hold of him, and it is free grace when it hands him up into glory." 

Horatius Bonar  (1808-1889)  Sermon -  "God's Purpose in Grace."

     "I know of no other way to triumph over sin long-term, than to gain a distaste for it because of a superior satisfaction in God."

John Piper  (1946- _____)    "Desiring God."

     "If heaven were by merit, it would never be heaven to me, for if I were in it I should say, "I am sure I am here by mistake... I have no claim to it."  But if it be by grace and not by works, then we may walk into heaven with boldness."

Charles H. Spurgeon   (1834-1892)

"When I stand before the throne, 

  Dressed in beauty not my own, 

  When I see Thee as Thou art,

  Love Thee with unsinning heart,

  Then Lord shall I fully know -- not till then, 

  How much I owe." 

Robert Murray McCheyne (1813-1843)

That about sums it up for today!  

Blessings on your tomorrow, Pastor Jeff

Suffering and God's Presence

Greetings All,

 

     This week's 'thoughts' come to you from four different authors  --  J. C. Ryle, D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Jean-Nicholas Grou and Morton Kelsey (I believe). The first two have to do with God's purpose in our struggles, difficulties and sufferings.  The last two have to do with nurturing the health of our inward lives by finding consistent, ongoing contact with the God who is always there.  Enjoy.

 

      J. C. Ryle -  "We live in such a fair and pleasant world -- we are surrounded with so much that is smiling and joyful -- that if we were not frequently obliged to taste of sickness and trial or disappointments, we should forget our heavenly home and pitch our tents here on the outskirts of Sodom. 

 

     Therefore it is that God's people pass through great tribulations; therefore it is they are often called upon to suffer the sting of affliction and anxiety, or weep over the grave of those whom they have loved as their own soul. It is their Father's hand that chasten's them, and it is thus that He weans their affection from the things below and fixes them on Himself. It is thus He trains them for eternity, and cuts the threads one by one that bind their wavering hearts to earth.

 

    No doubt such chastening is grevious for the time, but still it brings many a hidden grace to light, and cuts down many a secret sprout of evil.  We shall see those who have suffered most shining among the brightest stars in the assembly of heaven. The purest gold is that which has been longest in the refiner's furnace.  The brightest diamond is often that which has required the most grinding and polishing. Yet our light affliction endureth but for a moment, and it works in us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory (II Cor. 4:17)."  

 

 

    D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones  -  "We have to be humbled.  So [God] puts us in the fire of affliction, in the crucible of purification.  God has only one object: to get rid of the dross and to refine the gold.  But in our childishness we listen to the devil and we grumble and complain. 'Why is this happening to me? I am trying to be a good Christian; look at those other people.'  

 

    I trust that we shall never speak in that way again, thus falling victim to the wiles of the devil. Cannot you see that in all this, God, as your Father, is manifesting His love to you and revealing His great and gracious and glorious purpose with respect to you?  He intends to make you perfect, 'without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing' (Eph. 5:27).  But first he must rid you of very much rubbish."      

 

 

    Jean-Nicolas Grou  -  "We know in general that prayer is a religious act, but when it comes to actually praying, we easily forget that it is a supernatural act which is therefore beyond our own strength and can only be performed by the inspiration and help of grace. As St. Paul says: 'Not that we are competent to claim anything for ourselves, but our competency comes from God' (II Cor. 3:5)...

 

     Why do people try so hard to enflame their imagination as if prayer depended on their own efforts, as if it were not necessary that God's action should govern and direct their prayer? Since prayer is a supernatural act, we must earnestly ask God to produce it in us, and then we must perform it tranquilly under his guidance. We must draw down divine grace... and then co-operate with it, without interfering with its effects. If God does not teach us, we shall never know thoroughly the nature of prayer...

 

     Prayer is a wholly spiritual act, addressed to God who is the Supreme Spirit, the Spirit who sees all things and is present in all things.  As St. Augustine says, 'God is closer to us than we are to ourselves.'  Knowing this is the essence of prayer.  The posture of our body and the words we use have little significance in themselves, and are only pleasing to God as they express the feelings of the heart.  For it is the heart that prays, it is to the voice of the heart that God listens, and it is the heart that he answers...  Why do we pray so much with our lips and so little with our heart?... Why do we not lay open our heart to God and beg him to put in it whatever is most pleasing to him? Who could call it a bad method [of prayer] if it springs from humility, from a deep sense of our own inability, and from a lively faith and trust in God?  Such is the method suggested by the Holy Spirit to those souls who ask him to teach them how to pray."    

 

 

      The following 'thought' was scribbled on a note I found in my files (I believe it may be by Morton Kelsey)  - "Unless the members of a church are finding some encounter of their own with God, their act of joining together for religious services usually becomes one more meaningless activity, merely the ritual indulgence of a nice habit. 

 

      One can sense the immense difference in a congregation where a considerable number of the people are finding consistent personal contact with God on their own, apart from the group.  

 

 

     The first step in finding such contact with God is learning to be alone and quiet.  Most of modern life is a studied attempt to avoid ever being alone. Yet constant activity, without time for reflection and prayer, is spiritual suicide."  

     

                      In the Bonds of Christian Affection,  

 

Pastor Jeff

Are You Saved?

Greetings All,

A dear friend passed away this morning. He was a wonderful man, as was his wife Joanne who passed away not too long ago. I was the first to arrive on the scene at his house, and did CPR for about 20 minutes or so, before the ambulance workers arrived and said there was nothing more that could be done. Hard as it was, it was a comfort to know that Gary was a born again believer who had just told me a couple weeks back that he was ready whenever the Lord might call him home. I send this thought out in honor of him. He will be dearly missed.

It comes from J. C. Ryle (May 10, 1816 - June 10, 1900). He was the first Anglican Bishop of Liverpool, England. The son of a wealthy banker, he was destined for a career in politics before choosing a path of ordained ministry. He was born again while listening to someone read Ephesians 2 in church in 1838. He sensed a spiritual awakening take place in his soul at that time, and only 4 years later was ordained. For 38 years he was a parish vicar and leader of the evangelical party in the Church of England. His most popular book is entitled: Holiness.

This 'thought' comes from a message entitled: "Are You Born Again?" Ryle asks the question because many who claim to be born again, are not, and such a delusion can lead to a false sense of security regarding one's eternal destiny, a heart and conscience numbed to the proddings of the Holy Spirit, and a misleading profession or Christian testimony.

I send it out for your consideration under the assumption that some of the 300+ people who receive this thought each week, or some that you know, may benefit from considering what he has to say. I am never more conscious of how important it is that one be born again, until I come face to face with death. For apart from that gracious, effectual, life-changing work of the Spirit of God in the heart, there can be no salvation. As Jesus said, "You MUST be born again." I give it for your self-examination.

"Are you born again? This is one of life's most important questions. Jesus Christ said: 'Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.' (John 3:3). It is not enough to reply, 'I belong to a church; I suppose I am a Christian.' Thousands of nominal Christians show none of the signs of being born again which the Scriptures have given us. These are listed in the First Epistle of John.

NO HABITUAL SINNING

1.) John wrote: 'No one who is born of God will continue to sin; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God' (I John 3:9). 'We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin' (I John 5:18). A person who has been born again (or regenerated) does not habitually commit sin... There was probably a time when he did not think about whether his actions were sinful or not, and he did no always feel grieved after doing evil. There was no quarrel between him and sin. They were friends. But the true Christian hates sin, flees from it, fights against it, considers it his greatest plague, resents the burden of its presence, mourns when he falls under its influence, and longs to be completely delivered from it. Sin no longer pleases him; it has become a horrible thing which he hates. However, he cannot eliminate its presence within him. If he said that he had no sin, he would be lying (I John 1:8). But he can say that he hates sin and that the great desire of his soul is not to commit sin at all. He cannot prevent bad thoughts from entering his mind, or shortcomings and defects from appearing in both his words and his actions... But he can truly say, in the sight of God, that these things cause him grief and sorrow... Are YOU born again?

BELIEVING IN CHRIST

2.) John wrote: 'Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God' (I John 5:1). A person who is born again (or regenerated) believes that Jesus Christ is the only Saviour who can pardon his soul, that He is the divine person appointed by God the Father for this very purpose, and that besides Him there is no Saviour at all. In himself he sees nothing but unworthiness. But he has full confidence in Christ, and trusting in Him, he believes that his sins are forgiven. He believes that, because he has accepted Christ's finished work and death on the cross, he is considered righteous in God's sight, and he may look forward to death and judgment without alarm. He may have fears and doubts. He may sometimes tell you that he feels as if he had no faith at all. But ask him if he is willing to trust in anything instead of Christ, and see what he will say. Ask him if he will rest his hope of eternal life on his own goodness, his own works, his prayers, his minister, or his church, and listen to his reply. Are YOU born again?

PRACTICING RIGHTEOUSNESS

3.) John wrote: 'You know that everyone who does what is right has been born of Him' (I John 2:29). The person who has been born again (or regenerated) is a holy person. He endeavors to live according to God's will, to do the things that please God and to avoid the things God hates. He wishes to continually look to Christ as his example as well as his Saviour and to prove himself to be Christ's friend by doing whatever He commands. He knows he is not perfect. He is painfully aware of his indwelling corruption. He finds an evil principle within himself that is constantly warring against grace and trying to draw him away from God. But he does not consent to it, though he cannot prevent its presence. Though he may sometimes feel so low that he questions whether or not he is a Christian at all, he will be able to say with John Newton (writer of "Amazing Grace") 'I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am.' Are YOU born again?

LOVING OTHER CHRISTIANS

4.) John wrote: 'We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren' (I John 3:14). A person who is born again has a special love for all true disciples of Christ. Like his Father in heaven, he loves all people with a great general love, but he has a special love for those who share his faith in Christ. Like his Lord and Saviour, he loves the worst of sinners and could weep over them; but he has a peculiar love for those who are believers. He is never so much at home as when he is in their company... They may be very different from himself in many ways -- in rank, station and wealth. But that does not matter. They are his Father's sons and daughters and he cannot help loving them. Are YOU born again?

OVERCOMING THE WORLD

5.) John wrote: 'Everyone who is born of God overcomes the world' (I John 5:4). A person who is born again does not use the world's opinion as his standard of right and wrong. He does not mind going against the world's ways, ideas and customs. What men think or say no longer concerns him. He overcomes the love of the world. He finds no pleasure in things which seem to bring happiness to most people. To him they seem foolish... He loves God's praise more than man's praise. He fears offending God more than offending man. It is unimportant to him whether he is blamed or praised -- his first aim is to please God. Are YOU born again?

KEEPING ONESELF

6.) John says, "The one who is born again keeps himself' (I John 5:18). The person who is born again is careful to watch over his own soul. He tries not only to avoid sin but also to avoid everything which may lead to it. He is careful about the company he keeps. He knows that evil conversations corrupt the heart and that evil is more catching than good, just as a disease is more infectious than health. He is careful about the use of his time; his cheif desire is to spend it profitably. He desires to live like a soldier in an enemy country -- to wear his armor continually and to be prepared for temptation. He is diligent to be a watchful, humble, prayerful man. Are YOU born again?

There is a vast difference in the depth and disctinctness of these marks in different people. In some they are faint and hardly noticable. Some of the marks may be more visible in one individual than another. Seldom are all equally evident in any one person. But still, after every allowance, here we find boldly painted six of the marks of being born of God. How should we react to these things? We can logically come to only one conclusion -- only those who are born again have these 6 characteristics, and those who do not have these marks (admitting there is a difference in the depth and distinctness of these marks in each person) are not born again. This seems to be the conclusion the apostle intended us to come to. Are YOU born again?"

If you have taken these things to heart and found yourself lacking; if the Holy Spirit has made you distinctly aware of your need for salvation, and the only Savior, then heed the words of the apostle Paul: "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved." (Acts 16:30-31).

Or Peter's words on Pentecost: "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is for you, and your children, and all who are far off -- for all whom the Lord our God will call."

When God calls, respond and do not delay. "Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near." (Isaiah 55:6) "Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts." (Hebrews 3:7-8). Come by faith and trust Christ now.

In the Service of the Gospel, Pastor Jeff