Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Monday May 11, 2009

A few friends and I were talking and the subject of heaven came up. We all agreed that about all we "know" about heaven is what we have read in the Bible. We agreed that we accept what the Bible says is all that we mere humans can know and that knowledge is by faith. No one in our group buys into the concept that someone's experience equals the validity of scripture.

The conversation was interesting in that each of us related some wild tale of heaven that some learned doctor or drunk fisherman had told about heaven, the tale having no basis in scripture.

A brief or in depth evaluation of the preaching over the last quarter century will reveal a paucity of preaching, even biblical exposition of the subject of heaven. The Bible does say much more about the place than most younger Christians are aware, but then they haven't heard the theme espoused by the silver tongued orators of old.

I suppose my next rumination will tick several people off, but that's the nature of rambling on many subjects. I get a little weary of endless "the sky is falling" appeals for prayers, letter writing and sending a check to someone with the juice politically to solve the burdens foisted upon the world by George W. Bush, or Barack Hussein Obama. I agree both men fell short and are continuing to do so in many areas. But, I do not believe they have or ever had the solutions as I reckon the vast inequities in American life to be spiritual based and only a true turning to the Lord can bring the needed help. If tons of money would solve the problem, then we should be wallowing in revival and prosperity.

Paul talked about a Zeitgeist, a spirit of the times, in Philippians 3:19

"Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things."

My emphasis for this piece is the last phrase, "who mind earthly things." It appears that far too many of us have placed too much stock in earthly things and have neglected the higher things, such as heaven and benefits thereof. C.S. Lewis put some light on properly balancing earthly responsibilities with those of our heavenly calling when he wrote:

"Aim at heaven and you get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you will get neither."

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2009 Use with credit

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