Summoned to Heaven

The day will come, when your work on earth is done, that God will call you home. He will summon you to heaven. Oh, what a great day that will be! But why? Just what is heaven? What is heaven like? It is well described in the Scriptures.

Heaven is a beautiful place. How do I know? Well, face it. How could it be anything else? Even if you don't know much about heaven, you know it has to be beautiful. Otherwise, why would anyone want to go there? "But as it is written: 'Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him'" (1 Cor. 2:9). So just set your mind on all things beautiful. Picture heaven as the most beautiful place you have ever seen and you will find yourself longing for heaven. You will find yourself looking forward to heaven with great expectation.

"Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth" (Col. 3:2). Why? Because that is where God is. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matt. 5:16). Jesus recognized that heaven is "the eternal dwelling place of God" (W.E. Vine, M.A., Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, Unabridged Edition, [MacDonald Publishing Company: McLean, Virginia, no copyright], 548). God is in heaven and Jesus is at His right hand.

Jesus is in heaven. He told Nicodemus plainly, "No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven" (John 3:13). Jesus came from heaven to earth to be born in a stable, God incarnate. He later returned to heaven. Paul wrote, "He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things" (Eph. 4:10).

Mark stated further, "So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God" (Mark 16:19). God the Father and Jesus Christ His Son are in heaven. In fact, heaven is all about the presence of God the Father and of God the Son. What better reason is there to long for heaven? Heaven is where you will be with the Lord, in His presence, forever.

Peter, speaking of the prophets who were searching to understand the truth about Christ, said, "To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into" (1 Pet. 1:12). So, heaven is also where the Holy Spirit came from when He descended upon the disciples gathered in the Upper Room at Pentecost.

You will encounter many angels in heaven because heaven "is the abode of the angels" (Ibid). "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 18:10). Introducing the Parable of the Lost Sheep, this verse reveals how much God the Father cares for His people. He cares for them so much; He has His angels look after them and report back to Him in heaven. Amen.

Intended for Fellowship

Paul compares the outworking of the church, the fellowship of believers, to the human body. As with the body, the church has a certain unity in its diversity. Note how Paul frames this thought: "For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many" (1 Cor. 12:12-14

Now Paul goes on to describe the inworking of the body, with a comparison to the fellowship of the church: "If the foot should say, 'Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,' is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, 'Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,' is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be" (vv. 15-19).

To make sense of it all, Paul explained: "But now indeed there are many members, yet one body" (v. 20). He then goes on to describe the situation, should the various parts of the body refuse, or at least fail, to work together. To have mutiny in the body, one member such as the eye telling the hand that he is not needed, or the head telling the feet that they aren't necessary, just wouldn't work (v. 21). The body could not function properly in that kind of situation. "No," declared Paul, "much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary" (v. 22). God made our bodies to work together as one unit, with no split of any kind among the members, so that "the members should have the same care for one another" (vv. 23-25). When one suffers, they all suffer with it. When one receives honor, they all rejoice (v. 26).

Do you see what Paul is saying here? Like the body, the church has many members, each uniquely created and gifted. No two members are exactly alike. Each one of us is unique, and we must use our God-given gifts for everyone's good, so that all profit from what we do as a member of the fellowship (v. 7). Every one of us is a cog in the works.

The church will not function properly unless every member does his part. The church is one body, the body of Christ. The body of Christ, the fellowship of the church, needs not only pastors and teachers, evangelists and missionaries, but just as importantly, those who mow the lawn, those who clean the church, those who prepare and serve the meals, those who clean up after the meals, and those who fix what is broken. For every need the church has, there is someone who is prepared and ready to take on the task.

We are intended for fellowship. God doesn't expect, or even want, anyone to be on an otherwise deserted island and go it alone. We were not designed to be "lone-ranger Christians." We were designed for fellowship, first with God and Christ, and second with one another.

In John chapter 17, Jesus prayed for us. He prayed, "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me" (vv. 20-21). Jesus is speaking here of our being one with each other, as well as one with God and Christ. That oneness comes by way of fellowship. When we gather together in fellowship, we encourage each other in our walk with Jesus and we “stir up love and good works” (Heb. 10:24) in one another. That is the intended fellowship.

Colossians 3:16 says joyfully, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." Read and study God's word daily, letting it take over in your life. When that happens, God's Word will flow through you and help you teach and exhort each other, encouraging each other in our walk with Jesus. The joy of such a life bursts outward with "psalms and hymns and spiritual songs." It leads to heart felt singing of praise to Jesus. Amen.

The Purpose of Christian Fellowship

God accomplishes His purpose for the church through the fellowship of His people. This is spoken of in Ephesians 3:8-11: "To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord."

There it is—the purpose for which God established His church, or more appropriately, the purpose of Christian fellowship. God has a plan, an eternal plan. The church is very much a part of that plan, hence, the phrase "by the church" (v. 10b). The church is to make "the manifold wisdom of God" known to the world, or to "the principalities and powers in the heavenly places" (v. 10).

"Manifold" is literally "much varied" (W.E. Vine, M.A., Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, Unabridged Edition, [MacDonald Publishing Company: McLean, Virginia, no copyright], 328). "Heavenly places" in the text is simply "heavenlies," as the word "places" is supplied by the translator. It refers to the spiritual place where God and His angels exist. "Principalities and powers" (KJV, NKJV) is sometimes translated as "rulers and authorities" (NASB, NIV). The former is used of fallen angels in Ephesians 6:12. The latter perhaps refers to good angels or angels in general. The former would be more consistent throughout Ephesians, indicating that the church would make God's great wisdom known to the world.

One believer alone cannot show the whole of God's glorious wisdom to the world. It takes the whole church together, the fellowship of believers, to accomplish this purpose for which the church was established. All of us working together to accomplish God's will. All of us working together, each doing his part, to truly make God in all His glory known to the world.

Peter said, "As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God" (1 Pet. 4:10). Every believer has been gifted by the Holy Spirit. He has given these gifts to us to equip us for service. We are to use our spiritual gift or gifts of God's great grace to minister to one another. In this way, each member of the fellowship does his part.

"Steward" usually referred to "the manager of a household or estate" (Ibid, 1097). It was expected of them to manage that household or estate wisely. Here "good stewards" refers to Christians making wise use of their spiritual gifts for the benefit of all. "The grace of God" bestows different gifts on each believer to complement each other, but even when two believers receive the same gift, each may be unique in how they use their gift. In that way, they still complement one another.

Paul expands on Peter's teaching: "There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all" (1 Cor. 12:4-7). Of course, God the Holy Spirit is in complete control of how these gifts are distributed. "But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills" (v. 11).

There are many different spiritual gifts. There are several different lists of spiritual gifts in the New Testament (Rom. 12:6-8; 1 Cor. 12:8-10, 28-30; Eph. 4:11), but none is exhaustive. It may be that there are many more unnamed gifts as well. But remember, there is only one Spirit. There are various gifts that factor into various ministries, but there is only one Lord. The many gifts involve many activities, but there is only one God who works it all out in our lives.

We are to "hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful" (Heb. 10:23). We are to minister to one another through the use of our gifts, so as to profit all. The writer of Hebrews goes on to say, "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching" (vv. 24-25). Not only are we to gather together at church on a regular basis, but we gather so we can use our spiritual gifts to uplift and encourage each other in doing good. Amen.

Iron Sharpens Iron - Christian Fellowship

Proverbs 27:17 says, "As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend." That speaks to the importance of Christian fellowship. In fact, in some ways it encompasses the very essence of what Christian fellowship is about. Christian fellowship is more than just coming together for coffee, desert, and idle chit-chat. Christian fellowship has to do with believers coming together to lift each other's countenance. To hold each other accountable in our walk with Jesus.

John said, "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:7). "Walk in the light" refers to our sanctification, or our continual day-to-day growing in faith and becoming righteous. Our growing in faith is enhanced by our uplifting fellowship with one another. This is where we see iron sharpen iron, or one man lifting up another in his walk with Jesus.

"Fellowship" translates the Greek word koinonia. It means "sharing in common" (W.E. Vine, M.A., Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, Unabridged Edition, [MacDonald Publishing Company: McLean, Virginia, no copyright], 962). Believers have Christ in common. So whenever two true believers come in contact, even for the first time, they have an immediate bond, or a mutual trust from the moment they meet. This bond leads to action. There is an immediate comradery. It is as if they have known each for a long time, all because they share Christ in common. So they begin to encourage each other in their faith.

Fellowship is part of God's plan to bring glory to Christ. Also, fellowship is the natural outcropping of the establishment of God's church. Peter preached Jesus to the crowd that had gathered outside the upper room where the disciples were gathered. We are told, "Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them" (Acts 2:41).

Then we are told: "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved" (vv. 42-47).

I almost can't imagine what this would be like. The church was barely getting started in Jerusalem, and three thousand new believers were added in a day! Wow! It blows my mind! Oh, the sudden organization that was needed. But God was there working through the apostles to get it done. And so, the church had started, as the believers, new and old, came together. They sat under the apostles as they taught the Scriptures daily.

Fellowship was the natural result of their gathering under the teaching of the Word. Iron sharpening iron, as these believers met together and encouraged each other in their daily walk with Jesus. They came from many different countries (vv. 5-11), yet with Christ in common, they came together as one, each sharpening his brother in Christ. Amen.

Equipped to Fight the Spiritual War-Part 2

"Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one" (Eph. 6:16). "Above all" means it is of extreme importance. The importance of "the shield of faith" cannot be stressed enough. It is specially designed to protect the entire body of the soldier against the onslaught of arrows and spears that the enemy may fire at him.

Spiritually, this shield is referred to as faith. It is our faith in Jesus that protects us from Satan's vicious attacks. This faith refers to our basic trust in God. It is this trust in Christ that saves us and guides us in our daily living. We are to live by our faith.

"The fiery darts of the wicked one" (v. 16b) are arrows whose tip is covered with strips of cloth, soaked in pitch, and lit on fire. It likely refers to the various temptations Satan brings our way. The "shield of faith" is built specifically to "quench" or put out the fire and stop those attacks. Again, victory is found in Jesus.

"And take the helmet of salvation" (Eph. 6:17a). We think of a helmet protecting the head in an attack, but in this context we should not regard the head "as standing for the seat of the intellect; the word is not so used elsewhere in Scripture" (W.E,  Vine, M.A., Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words,  Unabridged Edition, [MacDonald Publishing Company: McClean, Virginia, no copyright], 535). Spiritually it is simply a reference to salvation. Here "salvation is a present experience of the Lord's deliverance of believers as those who are engaged in spiritual conflict" (Ibid).

Satan thinks that if he can convince us that God doesn't really care about us and can get us to doubt our salvation, that he will have won. But that could not be further from the truth. He tries to shake us and make us doubt God. He specifically attacks the foundation of our security. He wants us to question our assurance of salvation.

In that manner, he thinks he can take us down. He will not stop at anything. He will throw every obstacle possible in our path. He will do anything he can to discourage us and lead us away from following Christ. But like Job, when he had lost all his possessions, all his children, and even his health, he declared, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him" (Job 13:15). The "helmet of salvation" allows us to likewise strand firm in the faith with a similar rebuttal.

Finally, the one offensive piece of the armor of God, a powerful weapon to be taken up by the believer: "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Eph. 6:17b). This may refer to a short sword that ancient soldiers used in hand-to-hand combat, but remember, this is spiritual warfare. There is another sword mentioned in Scripture that is specifically referred to as the word of God. Hebrew 4:12 says, "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Our sword is "sharper than any two-edged sword!" Such is the word of God.

For our purpose here, remember that this weapon is specifically referred to as "the sword of the Spirit." The weapon is not a physical sword, but spiritual. It is a spiritual weapon for use against spiritual enemies. Remember our enemy? "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Eph. 6:12). The source of our weapon for this spiritual battle is the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you" (John 14:26).

When David faced off with Goliath, he declared what we must never forget: "the battle is the LORD'S and He will give you into our hands" (1 Sam. 17:47). Jesus was in the wilderness fasting, and when He was hungry, Satan tempted Him, saying, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread" (Matt. 4:3). Jesus responded by quoting Scripture: "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God'" (v. 4). "The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Eph. 6:17b) is the weapon of choice. That is why spiritual battles must always be met with the word of God.

Prayer is what undergirds everything. Prayer is the key factor in putting on and using the armor of God. Paul closed this passage in Ephesians with these words: "praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints" (v. 18). Prayer is the key for living the Christian life. Pray about everything—for yourself and for "all the saints." Even quick arrows of prayer in the midst of the battle. That is how we find victory.

The armor of God, like the Christian life, is all about Jesus. The belt of truth is Jesus—He is truth. The breastplate of righteousness is the righteousness of Jesus. The shoes or boots of the preparation of the gospel of peace is a readiness with the gospel of Jesus. The shield of faith is faith in Jesus. The helmet of salvation is salvation in Jesus. And the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, is Jesus—He is the Word. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1).

When you learn to adorn yourself with the "whole armor of God" (Eph. 6:13a), you will be filled with the Spirit, you will walk in holiness, and Jesus will surround you, protect you, and give you the victory. You will be equipped to be fearless. You will "be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand" (v. 13b). Amen.

Equipped to Fight the Spiritual War-Part 1

When Elisha was surrounded by the Syrian army, he told his servant, "Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them" (2 Kin. 6:16). Then Elisha prayed for God to open the eyes of his servant, "And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha" (v. 17). John put it this way, "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4). When you "put on the whole armor of God" (Eph. 6:11a), you can "stand against the wiles of the devil" (v. 11b), because Christ in you is far greater than any enemy.

Paul continues encouraging us to take a stand against the powers of darkness. "Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand" (v. 13). We need not be afraid before the enemy. We are equipped to be fearless. We simply need to be sure to "take up the whole armor of God." Paul lists six pieces of armor—five are primarily defensive weapons, while just one is offensive in nature. Remember, these weapons are spiritual. They may be described in vary literal, physical terms, but they are spiritual weapons. So, spiritually speaking, when you put on "the whole armor of God" every day, you can "withstand" evil and all of Satan's attacks, and you can "stand" firm with Christ and for Christ.

Paul continues, "Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth" (v. 14a). In ancient times, soldiers often wore loose fitting tunics. So the first piece of armor mentioned is this "belt of truth" (v. 14a, NIV). The tunic would be cinched up under the belt when going into combat. Spiritually it refers to the Christian shoring up his life in the truth of Jesus.

"Truth" (v. 14a) refers to God's truth. Knowing God's truth is essential to being prepared for this spiritual battle. Knowing and understanding basic biblical truth about Christ and salvation will keep you from being "tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting" (Eph. 4:14). Paul warns us, "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons" (1 Tim. 4:1).

Essentially, the Truth, God's truth, is Jesus. He is Truth. In John 14:6, Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." Jesus is not only the way to life eternal; He is the truth. To be prepared for this spiritual battle you must first be certain that your life is girded in truth or centered in Jesus.

"Stand therefore… having put on the breastplate of righteousness" (Eph. 6:14b). In ancient times, the soldier would wear a breastplate of armor to protect his vital organs. It was often made of heavy material and covered by bits of bone or metal sown in, "consisting of two parts and protecting the body on both sides, from the neck to the middle" (W.E. Vine, M.A., Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, Unabridged Edition, [MacDonald Publishing Company: McLean, Virginia, no copyright], 565).

Spiritually, the "breastplate of righteousness" (v. 14b) is the righteousness of Jesus. We are to put on His righteousness. We are to let Jesus cover us in righteousness as He lives in and through us. His righteousness is impenetrable by Satan and his demons, making the righteousness of Jesus the perfect body armor of the Christian. Nothing withstands the enemy, the power of darkness, like the righteousness of Christ. Clothe yourself in Christ's righteousness every day and “stand” strong in your faith.

"Stand therefore… having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace" (v. 15). Soldiers fight and travel on all types of terrain, so it is essential that they have proper footwear. They need to have the right boots on the ground. Spiritually, it carries the idea of readiness.

"Preparation" (v. 15) refers to being prepared or ready. "The gospel of peace" (v. 15) refers to the fact that, in Christ, believers are at peace with God. In this context, it refers to more than just evangelism. It has to do with fighting spiritual battles. It has to do with standing firm against the devil. With the gospel of Christ we are able to stand firm and win the battle.

1 Peter 3:15 says, "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear." Through the gospel of Christ, stand firm in the spiritual battle. Always hold your ground. Always be ready to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with anyone who is ready to listen. Amen.

Equipped to Be Fearless

When you walk faithfully with Jesus and live for Him, being filled with the Spirit, the enemy doesn't like it. The forces of darkness begin to attack you at every turn. What you experience is often referred to as spiritual warfare. Note the description of the enemy of every believer in Ephesians 6:12,  "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." The enemy is fierce; but we are quipped to be fearless.

In warfare, it is always of first importance to understand the enemy—who he is, what are his strengths and weaknesses, and how does he operate, or what are his tactics? "God, who made the world and everything in it" (Acts 17:24a), created the angels (Psalm 104:4). Lucifer was an angel described by Ezekiel as having "the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty" (Ezek. 28:12b) and "perfect in your ways from the day you were created" (v. 15).

Then Lucifer rebelled against God. We read in Isaiah: "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will be like the Most High.' Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit" (Is. 14:12-15).

The scene in heaven, of Satan being cast out of heaven, is described like this: "And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him" (Rev. 12:7-9).

The angel Lucifer rebelled against God in heaven. He tried to usurp the throne of God, making himself out to be above even God. He led a whole host of angels with him in this rebellion and he lost. As a result, Lucifer, known as Satan or the Devil, was cast out of heaven along with all the angels who joined him in the rebellion. They were cast down to the earth where Satan is now known as "the ruler of this world" (John 12:31). He will do anything to pull you away from God. "He is a liar and the Father lies" (John 8:44b, NASB). Satan "transforms himself into an angel of light" (2 Cor. 11:14b), all in an attempt to deceive as many people as he possibly can. That is the enemy; who he is, his strengths and weaknesses, how he operates, and what his tactics are.

Knowing the enemy, Paul instructs us, saying, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil" (Eph. 6:10-11). Remember, Satan was described as having "powers" (v. 12), but he is not omnipotent or all-powerful; God is! Satan knows a great deal, but he is not omniscient or all-knowing; God is! Satan gets around on this earth, but he is not omnipresent or present everywhere; God is! So when Paul says, "be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might" (v. 10), remember that the Lord's might is far mightier than anything the enemy can muster. We simply must stand firm on God’s truth at all times. When you "know the truth… the truth will set you free" (John 8:32, NIV). Amen.