Category Archives: heaven

The Gospel Coalition 2011 meeting begins

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I arrived in Chicago last night in order to attend “The Gospel Coalition 2011” conference. The theme this year is They Testify About Me – Preaching Jesus and the Gospel from the Old Testament. Thousands of people are expected to attend. Speakers will include Al Mohler, Tim Keller, Alistair Begg, James McDonald, Conrad Mbewe (of Africa), Matt Chandler, and D.A. Carson. Music will be led by Keith & Kristyn Getty. I hope to blog my way through, but we’ll see!

I’m rooming with a very dear, old friend, (Dr Ron Giese), staying in the conference hotel overlooking the McCormack Place convention center. We have already enjoyed catching up on things.

McCormack Place from 14th floor of Hyatt

In the lobby I happened to be standing next to a little group that included Justin Taylor (he’s way taller than I expected), Collin Hansen, and a couple of other ‘famous’ guys. Neat stuff.

Last night Ron and I rode the city bus to downtown for world famous Giordano’s Chicago deep dish pizza (fantastic).

This is a big American city, with old and new buildings (tall and wide), and streets throbbing with commerce and people. This morning I read about cities in the Bible. I lingered over Isaiah 26, which declares to believers, “We have a strong city…”

In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:
“We have a strong city; he sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks. 2 Open the gates, that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in. 3 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. 4 Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.

From Genesis on, the Bible presents a contrast between the cities built by men, and the ‘city’ being built by God (here’s a nod to Augustine’s famous writing CITY OF GOD). The ‘city of God’ is the only safe and lasting place to dwell. As Isaiah tells us, you enter by being righteous — right with God — by humble faith (26:4) in His mercy and grace. And that’s found in Jesus Christ, who came and brought the kingdom of God near. Isaiah not only declares these things, but invites men and women to come and enter — and enjoy the blessings of our great redeemer God.

I look out my hotel window and see a great city before me. As I attend this conference, with thousands of believers gathering to praise the Lord, and to sit before His Holy Word, I see a greater city. I’m glad to be an American, but I am overwhelmed that I am a citizen of heaven.

pdb

Christians as sojourners on earth…

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Fellow believer, this world is not our home. The psalmist declares, “I am a sojourner on the earth; hide not your commandments from me!” (Ps. 119:19). Puritan Thomas Manton’s sermon on this text lists several reasons for this “strangers on earth” mindset by Christians. Let me summarize them for you…

(1) They are born elsewhere — born from above, by the Spirit of God! 1st John 5:4a says, For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And 2nd Peter 1:4 says, …he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. Heaven, not the USA, is our native country.

(2) Their inheritance lies in heaven. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” declares Eph. 1:3. The best that our heavenly Father has for His spiritual children is held for us there, not here. In somewhat coarse language Manton tells us why, “Here God will show his bounty to all his children; it is a common inn, where sons and bastards are entertained; a place of trial, not of recompense, God’s footstool, not His throne (Isa. 66:1).”

(3) All our spiritual kindred are there in heaven. Manton writes, “There is our Father, it is His house… and there is our elder brother [Christ].” And, there are our spiritual brothers and sisters who have gone on ahead. See Col. 3:1; Matt. 8:11.

(4) There they abide the longest. All the time we spend here on earth is “but a night” compared to the time we will spend there in heaven. This place is not our final resting place (Micah 2:10); rather — like saints of old — we seek a continuing city, a heavenly city (Heb. 11:16). See also James 4:14.

There is more to say, but this should suffice for us to hold fast the title of pilgrim and press on to our true home — where, because of Jesus Christ, our Father will welcome us as His own! ” Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.” (Heb 11:16b).

pdb