Enjoying God Together Forever: The Beatific Vision and Friendship
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“Evangelicals—even Reformed evangelicals—may be unfamiliar with the doctrine of the beatific vision. Nonetheless, they are primed and ready to embrace it.” - 9 Marks
Will Heaven Ever Grow Boring?
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“The point here is to emphasize that in the resurrection we are going to be embodied persons, and yet embodied in a way that is like, yet incomprehensibly unlike, our present bodies. He describes it as imperishable, glorious, powerful, and spiritual.” - John Piper
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When We Enter the Present Heaven, Will We Have Physical Forms as We Await Resurrection?
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“A fundamental article of the Christian faith is that the resurrected Christ now dwells in Heaven. We are told that His resurrected body on Earth was physical and that this same, physical Jesus ascended to Heaven…. It seems indisputable, then, to say that there is at least one physical body in the present Heaven.” - Randy Alcorn
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God’s Plan to Redeem the Earth
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“The entire physical universe was created for God’s glory. When we rebelled, the universe fell under the weight of our sin. Yet God did not give up on us.” - Randy Alcorn
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Will the New Earth Have Distinct Cultures?
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“I interpret ‘every race and nation and language’ literally. God has chosen people in even predominantly pagan nations and reached them by sending men and women or angels, dreams, and visions. What people groups will be worshiping Christ on the New Earth?” - Randy Alcorn
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Still Waiting
Christendom just wrapped up its official season of waiting. “Advent” (from the Latin, adventus, meaning “coming” or “arrival”) is a nearly month long liturgical celebration marking the long-awaited arrival of Messiah some 2,000 years ago.
But coupled to this retrospective, celebratory focus, there is also to be a prospective, anticipatory disposition. To be sure, the Messiah, Jesus Christ, was born in a Bethlehem stable two millennia past. But this same Jesus will come again and Christians are called to await his second advent with expectant hope (Titus 2:13).
It is worth noting that the disposition of awaiting Messiah’s coming binds God’s people together across the millennia. From the first cryptic prophesy (Genesis 3:15), thousands of years of increasingly unambiguous prophesies encouraged a spirit of keen anticipation of Messiah’s first advent.
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End-times author Hal Lindsey dies, leaves sprawling legacy
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“Harold Lee Lindsey died on Nov. 25, just a couple of days after his 95th birthday. He is survived by his wife, three daughters, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, according to an obituary on his ministry’s website.” - WORLD
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What Is Glorification?
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“The Bible tells us that the end of our sanctification will be our glorification, when all vestigial remnants of sin will be removed from our character. We will be pure. No more doubt. No more fear. No more error. No more pain.” - R.C. Sproul
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‘My Father Planned It All’
Through nearly 40 years in the conservative evangelical world, I’ve heard many sermons about America. Often the point is to compare America with ancient Israel.
The problem is the Bible explicitly tells us that there is no other nation that is comparable to God’s chosen people and nation of Israel (see 2 Sam. 7:23; Ps. 147:19-20; Amos 3:2). In that regard, she is entirely unique—a direct creation of God, fashioned through Abraham out of the chaos and godlessness at Babel (see Isa. 43:1-15).
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Has Our Passion for the Cross Inadvertently De-Emphasized the Second Coming?
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“We look back and remember Jesus’ death and resurrection each time we celebrate the Lord’s Supper. But have we forgotten that we observe this ordinance ‘till He comes’?” - P&D
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