{"id":392,"date":"2010-03-18T11:59:54","date_gmt":"2010-03-18T18:59:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.imagingtheheavens.com\/?p=392"},"modified":"2011-06-29T06:42:39","modified_gmt":"2011-06-29T13:42:39","slug":"focus-on-heaven","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.imagingtheheavens.com\/?p=392","title":{"rendered":"“Focus on Heaven”"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n[Translate]<\/a>\"\"\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n

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\"\"<\/a>Have you ever wondered what it will be like in Heaven? I\u2019m fairly confident your
\nanswer is \u201cYES\u201d. The wonderment that surrounds this question is common among most
\nall of us. For some, this consideration is part of a daily thought process that flows
\nthrough our mind, reaching into everything we encounter throughout life \u2013 questioning
\nthe very thought of our eternity. Such is our worldly speculation, and our heavenly hope
\nin this life we live here on earth. This is part of the process (for the purpose of this
\nmessage) that I\u2019ll call — \u201cFocus on Heaven\u201d.<\/p>\n

By contrast however, not all folks in this world have such thoughts, beliefs or longings.
\nConsider these (perhaps not so quotable) quotes that reflect and promote such worldly
\nviewpoints and understanding — alive and well in the world we live in today.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don’t like to commit myself about heaven and hell \u2014 you see, I have friends in both
\nplaces.\u201d — Mark Twain<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel no need for any other faith than my faith in the kindness of human beings. I am so
\nabsorbed in the wonder of earth and the life upon it that I cannot think of heaven and
\nangels.\u201d — Pearl S. Buck<\/p>\n

\u201cThe \u201ckingdom of Heaven\u201d is a condition of the heart \u2014 not something that comes \u201cupon
\nthe earth\u201d or \u201cafter death.\u201d\u201d — Friedrich Nietzsche<\/p>\n

What is striking in the quotes above, is that there is \u201cacknowledgement of heaven\u201d, but
\ndenial of the Truth \u2013 essentially falling back into a brand of \u201cworldly hope\u201d devised as
\nintellectual understanding, and focused on that which one can feel, touch and see, etc..
\nOf course, worldly hope has its place, but it is absolutely finite and temporal. It is
\nprecisely the limitations of this \u201cworldly hope\u201d that gives rise to thoughts of that which is
\nbeyond this life.<\/p>\n

At the same time, it is uncanny how the world has the ability to mask and confuse any
\nhope we may have beyond this world. Frankly, this is letting our spiritual nature
\n\u201cfollow\u201d our sinful nature \u2013 a self-directed life. It should be the other way around \u2013 that
\nis, letting our spiritual nature lead us out of a sinful nature \u2013 a Christ directed life. Hence,
\nour focus on Heaven.<\/p>\n

When we think about Heaven, compare the contrast of worldly hope to that of an \u201ceternal
\nhope\u201d. This begs such common questions as, \u201cWhere does one go when they die?\u201d
\n\u201cWhat is my purpose here on earth?\u201d and other such curiosities that question our physical
\nmortality. The truth is, these are questions we typically don\u2019t dwell on too much as we go
\nthrough our daily life \u2013 except perhaps in our trials or crises.<\/p>\n

As Christians \u2013 we know that our promised hope is assured through our faith in Jesus
\nChrist. But what is this \u201chope\u201d that we speak of? Try as we might to make this complex,
\nthe answer is as profound, as it is simple. That as Christians (having accepted Jesus as
\nour Lord and Savior), that when we die, we will spend eternal life in Heaven — serving
\nGod, seeing the glory of His face, and reigning with Him forever and ever.<\/p>\n

That may seem mundane at first glance, but that is hardly the case! Especially when you
\nconsider the alternative consequence of those who have rejected God \u2013 then finding
\nthemselves eternally separated from God. Although in parable form, Luke 16:19-31
\nspeaks of the hopelessness of eternal separation from God. This should scare the Hell out
\nof most folks, but sadly (ref. Twain, et al quotes above) much of the world continues
\ngoing along its merry way, ignoring God, and the serious nature of eternal consequence.
\nAs for our \u201cFocus on Heaven\u201d\u2026 Wouldn\u2019t it be nice if we could connect this focus into
\nour worldly life? I like how Rick Warren lays this out in his book \u201cThe Purpose Driven
\nLife\u201d, which talks in practical terms about our purpose here on earth.<\/p>\n

1 \u2013 We were planned for God\u2019s pleasure (Worship)
\n2 \u2013 We were formed for God\u2019s Family (Fellowship)
\n3 \u2013 We were created to become like Christ (Discipleship)
\n4 \u2013 We were shaped for serving God (Ministry)
\n5 \u2013 We were made for a mission (Mission)<\/p>\n

In all this, we are to be obedient to God\u2019s Commandments. Jesus gives us guidance to
\nhelp understand and put into practice this requirement for obedience in our life. In
\nMatthew 22:37, \u201cJesus said to him, \u2018You shall love the Lord your God with all your
\nheart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.\u2019 \u201c<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a fact that for all of us\u2026 That this worldly track we have been on, has been quite an
\nadventure. Oh\u2026 The stories we could tell! You guessed it \u2013 your life experiences are
\nwhat make up your Testimony! For some, it\u2019s been a more than an adventure, it\u2019s been a
\nroller coaster — one day you\u2019re up, the next day you\u2019re down (as the saying goes). But in
\nall this, do you realize that you have been equipped by God for this journey \u2013 ups, downs,
\nand all? What is your testimony?<\/p>\n

The real beginning of your adventure began the minute you repented of your sins and
\nasked Jesus Christ to come into your life. By this significant commitment to Christ, your
\nworldly journey has now been enhanced with a heavenly journey \u2013 a focus on Heaven.<\/p>\n

Your quest now is to be obedient to God, and walk in His Light. As Paul relates to us in
\nHebrews 12:1, \u201cTherefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of
\nwitnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let
\nus run with endurance the race that is set before us,\u201d As this Scripture tells us, the race
\nwe run is more about our Heavenly goals than our personal worldly
\npursuits\/accomplishments. God is asking us to raise our sights \u2013 Focus on Heaven!
\nThis is why as part of our worldly walk, it is so important to spread the Good News of
\nJesus Christ, so that those who have ears to hear might be saved. Saved from what?
\nEternal damnation in Hell — eternally separated from God, where there is no longer any
\nhope.<\/p>\n

Yeah\u2026 you say, \u201cI know all this stuff!\u201d Good\u2026 Then go out and tell people about it.
\nTell them your testimony, and tell those that are in need of hearing the Good News of
\nJesus! Tell them how Christ made an eternal difference in your life!<\/p>\n

I\u2019m reminded of John Lennon\u2019s comment, \u201cLife is what happens to you while you\u2019re
\nbusy making other plans.\u201d In many respects, this parallels how one\u2019s worldly vision gets
\nin the way of a \u201cspiritual vision\u201d (that is, Godly pursuit) \u2013 a mindset that culminates in
\nnot being able to see the heavenly forest for the worldly trees!<\/p>\n

Life at times can indeed leave any of us in some perplexing places. For all it offers, both
\ngood and bad — none of us seem to be able to escape the grip of the world! Fortunately,
\nwe have the Bible — God\u2019s living, breathing Word. It has all the answers to life \u2013
\nshedding Light on that which is perplexing to us, and otherwise \u2013 nothing is left
\nuntouched. God\u2019s Word speaks of our blessed hope, and helps each of us to focus on the
\nprize, to focus on the goal \u2013 to Focus on Heaven!<\/p>\n

Back to the original question, \u201cHave you ever wondered what it will be like in Heaven?\u201d
\nRead what the Bible says about the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21 where God reveals
\nhow all things will be made new, the coming of the New Jerusalem, and the Glory within.
\nVerses 3 \u2013 4 give us a hint of what we can look forward to \u2013 \u201cAnd I heard a loud voice
\nfrom the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with
\nthem. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He
\nwill wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying
\nor pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”<\/p>\n

Is Heaven worth focusing on? You bet!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>In the astrophotography that I do, focusing the telescope camera\u2019s highly sensitive CCD
\nsensor is a constant issue. For each of the exposures that are combined to make an
\nimage, having the proper focus for each sub-frame exposure is critical to the outcome of
\nthe final image. (This is analogous to the need for our having the proper daily focus on
\nGod, which is critical to our eternal outcome.)<\/p>\n

Just as \u201cFocus on Heaven\u201d is the theme for this message, try focusing on the object
\ncentered in the image below. Can you see any detail or structure in this object? It is
\nactually a galaxy, along with myriad of galaxies shone in this image — adrift among a sea
\nof stars \u2013 whereby God knows each of them by name. Psalm 147:4, \u201cHe counts the
\nnumber of the stars; He calls them all by name.\u201d<\/p>\n

I imaged this object last week from my JMSM Observatory here in NM. It is called a
\nSpiral Galaxy, and is technically named M106. It has a unique \u201cbarb-like\u201d structure
\ncommon to many galaxies in our universe. It is some 25 million light years distant from
\nour earth, which does make focusing a bit of a challenge!<\/p>\n

Also notice the many \u201cbackground galaxies\u201d captured in this wide-field image. This
\nawesome display of God\u2019s Glory is something for all to behold.
\nIf only we could get a better \u201cfocus\u201d to bring this object in greater clarity\u2026 Would you
\ncare to get things in FOCUS?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Fortunately, we can zoom-in and get a better focus on this galaxy by using a \u201cmore
\npowerful\u201d telescope. Shown below is the same M106 galaxy shown centered in the
\nimage above \u2013 both imaged from JMSMO. Notice the elaborate structure in the galaxy
\ncompared to the above image. This close-up view of M106 reveals intense star-forming
\nregions represented by the reddish\/blue knots. You can imagine the tremendous forces
\nunderway within this galaxy, with its twisted spiral formations being cast off into space.
\nWhen we view God\u2019s Creation, including objects such as this beautiful and interesting
\ngalaxy, it is just another reminder of the awesome power that God brings to our attention
\n\u2013 all designed to bring us closer to the one true God that makes all things possible.
\nThis week, consider what you are focusing on. Better yet! Focus on Heaven!<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Lord bless you and keep you;
\nThe Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
\nThe Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.\u201d Numbers 6:24-26<\/p>\n

Have a great week!<\/p>\n

Your Brother in Christ,
\nMike Sherick<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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Have you ever wondered what it will be like in Heaven? I\u2019m fairly confident your answer is \u201cYES\u201d. The wonderment that surrounds this question is common among most all of us. For some, this consideration is part of a daily thought process that flows through our mind, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.imagingtheheavens.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/392"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.imagingtheheavens.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.imagingtheheavens.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.imagingtheheavens.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.imagingtheheavens.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=392"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"http:\/\/www.imagingtheheavens.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/392\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":431,"href":"http:\/\/www.imagingtheheavens.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/392\/revisions\/431"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.imagingtheheavens.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=392"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.imagingtheheavens.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=392"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.imagingtheheavens.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=392"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}