Chapter 5 really just introduced the idea of the intermediate Heaven. So many things stuck out to me in this chapter. I have found that more questions arise as I read this book, but I trust that Randy will get to the answers in later chapters. For example, the New Earth will be a "completely renovated" picture of what we see around us. So, will our same condo be "without sin" and not have a noisy dishwasher? I know that is trivial, but you get the idea.
I was reminded of the instant nature of death. When a person dies, (BOOM!), they are right there, standing before the judgment seat. What a sobering thought. Encouraging for us that Christ is with believers in the "transitional" Heaven - 'to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord'.
More mind-blowing to me, is the reminder that I will give an account of ALL my actions at the Final Judgment. It really puts things into perspective. But praise God! That is what we all need, a heavenly perspective. Even at a young age for some of us, present company excluded, we should be putting a higher price tag on our time. I don't know where to draw the line between study, prayer, service, and leisure. I know that God is pleased when I honor Him, no matter what I am doing. But what about watching the game or a DVD, reading Time mag, playing risk online? I know it is an issue of priorities and what comes first should be my relationship with the Lord, fleshed out by study, meditation, prayer, and good deeds. I think I will continue to redraw the line as I grow in my faith. Any convictions from you guys?
He doesn't go into detail about rewards but I like that he footnotes some books on the topic. I want to be more familiar with his rewards for believers because He tells us to believe in His promises.
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1 comment:
amen. can we talk more about priorities and some ways that we can help each other in that regard? Also, if you find out anything more about the rewards you were talking about, fill me in. Thanks man
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