Here is part of an email we received today. I'm just copying the part that continues thoughts on heaven from a previous post:
1. Eternity will involve the experience of the created order in ways we may miss in this life. I've never visited Tuscany, the Mediterranean, Australia, or the Amazon, and there is no way that I will ever see so much of this world before I die. But the fact that eternity involves a remaking of earth means that I do not have to feel cheated if I never see the Grand Canyon, Portugal, or the North Poll. Earth will be made again, and eternity is a really long time.
2. But the promise is not only a remade earth, but also a new heaven. That is, we have every reason to believe that eternity will include a remade universe. Now my list of "must sees" just got a lot longer. I've never been to Venus, the moons of Jupiter, the outer edges of the Milky Way, or any of the other unnumbered galaxies.(If you have five minutes, you may want to check out this link where you can play a five minute video on the vastness of this universe - words cannot do it justice. Here's the link: Click here for the video). The newly fashioned universe will be something of a cosmic playground for the people of God, a universe that perfectly reflects the glory of its creator, is in harmony with itself, and is well suited to bring delight to those who spend eternity with God.
Warmly,
Jeremy Smith
First Presbyterian Church, Jackson, MS
Actually, these two thoughts are exactly what I have been thinking about for the past several months! I like it! And I am going to write to Jeremy and tell him so.
I've started listening to the series of sermons on Revelation again, only this time I am going to go through slowly and take a lot of notes. I am finding so much comfort in these messages, especially as I see the disintegration of the United States and the American way of life happening oh so incredibly quickly.
Mel is on his way to Odessa this morning to pick up a woman who will be visiting us for the next couple of days. She is from one of our supporting churches in Colorado. Susie was in Germany visiting her daughter and asked if she could come visit us and another couple in Odessa. It will be great to have her here.
But I need to finish cleaning this room. Our guest room is also our office room and also our storage room. I have to find places for the suitcases that don't fit under the bed. Hmmm. I also need to sweep and mop the kitchen, hall, toilet room and shower room floors. I need to vacuum the whole flat.
I need to dust the whole flat, including sweeping the cobwebs off the ceiling again. I did that in the living room just the other day. It is amazing how quickly those little spiders get back to work. Where do they live, anyway? I never see them, yet they leave cobwebs collecting dust all over the place.
So, I'll take a broom to ceiling in this room and the kitchen again. We've had the windows open almost every day the past week to get a breeze through here. Kherson is known for it's "rain" - dirt everywhere. Not just fine dust, but dirt that collects on the balcony. Anyway, I gotta get busy.
For now, here is a photo for your enjoyment - my own "apparition" which appeared on our kitchen wall. Ooooo! Maybe I should call the Vatican?!!
(it might be seen better if you click on it and pull it up on another page)
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