The Pull Of Heaven

The Pull of Heaven

The Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout. . . . First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

At times when it all feels a bit bleak, when we have suffered the loss of a family member, when our jobs seem to be in danger or are already gone with no prospects on the immediate horizon, or when our children are making bad and dangerous choices . . . we should be encouraging one another with the promise of the Resurrection.

Over and over and over!

It seems to me that the more bits of information we have about how our own resurrection will occur and how and when Christ will return, the more assured we are of its happening. That’s how our minds work—seeing tends to enhance believing. For a lot of us, that’s how it worked when we trusted God for our eternal salvation. The more information and historical or scientific facts we had at our disposal to substantiate what the Bible says, the more likely we were to take that leap of faith into the waiting arms of God.

That’s only natural. Or should I say, that’s only human nature. Someone tells us it’s raining outside. Depending on our level of trust and faith in that person as a reliable truth teller, we believe that person and get an umbrella or we simply don’t believe until we look out the window ourselves. But in either case, when we eventually see for ourselves that it is raining, we add an extra level of conviction to the source of the information for future reference.

The whole subject of Jesus’ return has sparked much debate, and it’s something that people seem to have more than just a passing interest in. Books about someone’s near-death experience continue to be published, and some even make bestseller lists—someone sharing a story about an encounter with God and a claimed early glimpse into heaven. The books sell because they provide one more source of information that fills that void of human understanding and serves to bridge the gap that requires a leap of faith.

At the end of the day, it still requires faith, but faith is all you will need.

Uncommon Key > Read the last two chapters of the book of Revelation in the Bible and any other books about heaven that interest you. When and how Christ will return will continue to be debated; the thing you need to remember is that He will. Amen.