Proof of Heaven?

I am often bemused when I see articles or books about people who share near-death stories of going to heaven--as if their experience provides proof of heaven's existence.  In his second letter to the Corinthians Paul spoke of being caught up into paradise and saw things he said were "unlawful to utter" and thus remained silent on the particulars.  If there are sensual experiences we have with our spouse that are so personal and precious we will not speak of or describe those moments to another living soul, it is fair to wonder why people are willing to share personal, spiritual experiences (legitimate or not) for fame, clicks or financial gain.

It is possible people have had many spiritual experiences I would not have imagined possible, for God is unlimited in power and His ways and thoughts are beyond ours.  If Paul was caught up into paradise and saw a wondrous vision, it follows others could also have similar experiences for God's good purposes.  Yet these extra-biblical accounts are not the authority on the matter, for God's word has already spoken loud and clear of heaven's existence.  Genesis 1:1 says, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."  Notice "heavens" is plural and "earth" is singular.  There are heavens above the earth in atmospheric layers, and God dwells in the heaven of heavens which have always been.  Deuteronomy 10:14 reads, "Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the LORD your God, also the earth with all that is in it."

The created heavens and earth will someday pass away, and God will create new heavens and earth which righteousness dwells (2 Peter 3:10-13).  The Bible does not give much detail about what heaven is like, and for this reason many people are curious and intrigued to know more.  Better than seeking supposed eye-witness accounts of heaven to learn what heaven is really like, we ought to make sure we are going there by having our names written in the Lamb's book of life by faith in Jesus.  God has told us enough in His word to filter truth from error, and the lens of Scripture often reveals these dreams or visions deviate from what God has already said.  The LORD said in Jeremiah 23:28, "The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; and he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat?" says the LORD."  God's word is fruitful, yet accounts of dreams or experiences--true or not--are like empty chaff by comparison.

Paul made an interesting observation in Philippians 1:15-18:  "Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from good will: ¹⁶ The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; ¹⁷ but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. ¹⁸ What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice."  Some preached Jesus from envy and strife.  While this is far from ideal, Paul rejoiced Jesus was preached.  It may be that books and articles about heaven stir up interest and a desire to go to heaven, and this can be good when it leads people to Jesus Who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  The biblical account of Jesus dying on the cross, rising from the dead, and ascending into heaven where He is preparing a place for His people shows me heaven is real, but no vision or experience people can have rises to that absolute level of proof.

Listen to the Holy Spirit

"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

Revelation 3:22

Today's sermon at Calvary Chapel Sydney centred around the words of the Holy Spirit to believers not to harden their hearts, and the words of Jesus to the seven churches in the book of Revelation also urge us to hear what the Holy Spirit says.  Jesus said the Holy Spirit was sent to convict the world of sin, of righteousness and judgment, and He continues to do so today:  instructing, reminding us of God's word and warning us as needed.  The 10 plagues God visited upon Egypt when Pharaoh hardened his heart are a sobering illustration all people ought to take to heart if we justify continuing in hardness of heart--Christians included.

Interestingly in Hebrews 3:7-11 the Holy Spirit did not say to Hebrew Christians, "Don't be like Pharoah who hardened his heart" but not to be like their Hebrew fathers who hardened their hearts and provoked Him after He delivered them from slavery in Egypt with miraculous signs.  It is a small thing for an idolatrous, proud king to harden his heart against the word of the LORD, but it is awful when God's people who claim to follow and obey Him provoke Him by unbelief, disobedience, murmuring and complaining.  For 40 years they saw God's works firsthand, eating the manna He provided daily as His presence went before them in a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day.  When God brought them to the land He promised to give them they refused to enter in, and thus He caused them to perish in the wilderness.  God was grieved with that generation because they erred in their hearts, did not know His ways, and thus could not enter His rest.

While the whole of scripture is inspired by the Holy Spirit, He also spoke through Paul in 1 Timothy 4:1-5:  "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, ² speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, ³ forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. ⁴ For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; ⁵ for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer."  In these last days the Holy Spirit warns people will depart from the faith because they will give heed to false doctrines, will speak lies, and their conscience will be seared.  They will lack sensitivity to the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit because they refuse to heed God's word.  Such use God's word deceptively to impose their legalistic will on others without consideration of what Jesus accomplished on the cross when He established a new covenant.  A seared conscience leads to hypocrisy, commanding others to submit to human ordinances while at the same time disregarding God's voice and the testimony of the whole Bible.

The indwelling Holy Spirit enables us to have a clear conscience by instruction in God's word, knowing God created foods to be received with thanksgiving.  Since we believe and know the truth we remain pure before the LORD even when we eat food that is not kosher under the Law of Moses, for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.  People may use the Bible to this day to point out certain foods are unclean, yet God has made a new and living way to a relationship with God by faith in Jesus--not by works of the law that cannot justify a soul before God.  May we stand corrected and humble ourselves before men when we have been convicted by the word of God, and having been made to stand let us continue by faith in God, loving one another and holding fast to the Gospel of grace.

A New Song of Praise

"He has put a new song in my mouth--praise to our God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the LORD."

Psalm 40:3

Psalm 40 begins with David waiting patiently on the LORD Who was inclined to listen to and deliver him.  David praised the LORD for hearing his prayer and answering, Who pulled him out of a pit, established his steps on a rock, and put a new song in his mouth.  David was convinced his song of praise to God would lead others to observe the goodness of God, fear Him and trust in Him as LORD.  Do you believe your praise of God will have this effect on others?  If David did we should because we worship the same glorious God.

How many times have we been interested by the excitement others demonstrated about a movie, book, cleaning product or retail shop?  The passion and gladness of the person compelled us to later think, "What was the name of that shop with the satisfaction guarantee?  What was that product that can remove rust stains from delicate fabrics?"  We only asked the question because we realised our need for a quality service or product we already heard about from a trustworthy source.  Online reviews and testimonials sway us towards or against a purchase based upon the experiences of others.

If we are negligent to praise God publicly for all He is and has done for us, it should be no surprise the impact of our witness is negligible.  There were many gods people of the nations worshipped, but David boldly spoke of his God actually hearing him, taking action to save and deliver him.  David put his experiences into songs of praise that had a profound affect on his hearers to this day because it painted a picture of God's power, sovereignty, goodness and grace towards those who fear Him.  Our smiles and joyful conversation can provide an image that becomes tangible to others as we magnify God's great works towards us in meeting our needs.

It is important we move from theoretical belief in our minds to the public praise of God we rely upon with our mouths in real life, for He has shown Himself trustworthy.  Rather than restraining our praise of God because of the people around us who do not know or believe in God, we ought to keep praising Him so they can know God themselves.  May God put a new song of praise to Him in our mouths so others will see the goodness of God, reverence Him in awe, and will trust in the LORD.  This praise is not only good and acceptable but fruitful for God's glory and fame.

Living Subject to the KING

After the people of Israel demanded a king to rule over them, God answered their request and directed the prophet Samuel to anoint Saul, son of Kish, king.  True to form, many people were not pleased with God's choice of king, though he was head and shoulders taller than every other person in Israel coupled with humility.  If they would not have God rule over them, why would they gladly submit to His wise judgments?  While there was a band of men whose hearts God had touched that accompanied their newly crowned king to his home in Gibeah, life in Israel largely continued as it did before.  People did not subject themselves to their king, and thus they remained at the mercy of their enemies.

The next chapter starts with 1 Samuel 11:1-2:  "Then Nahash the Ammonite came up and encamped against Jabesh Gilead; and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you." ² And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, "On this condition I will make a covenant with you, that I may put out all your right eyes, and bring reproach on all Israel."  Huh.  This isn't what I expected of the men of Jabesh Gilead who had a king--bargaining with an adversary and willingness to agree to a covenant as slaves!  The conditions of the covenant were designed to bring reproach upon Israel by maiming the men of Jabesh Gilead.  The elders of the city doubled down on their disregard of God and the king they asked for in 1 Samuel 11:3:  "Then the elders of Jabesh said to him, "Hold off for seven days, that we may send messengers to all the territory of Israel. And then, if there is no one to save us, we will come out to you."  These elders did not seek the LORD, nor did they send a messenger straight to the king:  in their desperation they looked everywhere for help, guidance and strength anywhere they could.  With no hope of being able to overcome Nahash and little hope anyone would respond, they were resigned to the men losing an eye and suffering permanent reproach.

Amazingly, the men of Gibeah who heard the message--in king's Saul's city--had a similar response.  1 Samuel 11:4 reads, "So the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and told the news in the hearing of the people. And all the people lifted up their voices and wept."  After they heard the news, the people lifted up their voices and wept helplessly, as if nothing could be done to oppose Nahash and avoid reproach.  1 Samuel 11:5-7 says, "Now there was Saul, coming behind the herd from the field; and Saul said, "What troubles the people, that they weep?" And they told him the words of the men of Jabesh. ⁶ Then the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard this news, and his anger was greatly aroused. ⁷ So he took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, "Whoever does not go out with Saul and Samuel to battle, so it shall be done to his oxen." And the fear of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out with one consent."  King Saul had a very different reaction than the men of Jabesh Gilead or Gibeah.  He had not been acting as king because people were indifferent to his rule and obviously did not regard him, but the Spirit of God moved Saul to send a strong message to muster a great fighting force of 300,000 men he led to rout Nahash.

King Saul's actions led to a renewal of the kingdom of Israel, for the people had not been living like they had a king:  they offered to make deals with adversaries, didn't know where to turn when troubles came, and lamented hopelessly when they should have been rallying to their king and helping their brethren.  This is an illustration that rings true in the lives of Christians who can live as if they do not have a king when Jesus rules as KING OF KINGS.  We can cower in fear over adversaries who seek to reproach us and neglect prayer to God in the midst of conflict.  We can act like no one could help us when Jesus stands ready to save and deliver us singlehandedly!  Saul cut his own oxen in pieces to show what would happen to those who did not respond to his call, and Jesus lay down His life as a sacrifice on Calvary to demonstrate His love for us and rose from the dead to show His victory over sin and death given to all who trust Him.  Jesus is our King, yet it is possible we have not been serving Him or submitting to His rule; we do not trust He is able and willing to rise and aid us right now.

Jesus has established a New Covenant with His own blood, and having believed in Him we are to serve Him alone constrained by bonds of love.  God had put away the reproach of our sin and opened our blind eyes to see Jesus in divine glory.  We gladly bow before Jesus in holy reverence, and our tongues confess Jesus Christ is LORD of all, our Saviour and King.  Unlike Saul who worked in a field, Revelation 19:11-13 gives us a glimpse of Jesus as He is:  "Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. ¹² His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. ¹³ He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God."  Let's seek our Saviour and fall in behind Him in formation, bowing our knees and hearts before our LORD who saves, helps and delivers.