Welcome to First Christian Forest Grove! Since 1882 First Christian Church has been a lighthouse of God's love on the corner of 19th and Cedar in Forest Grove.The building has changed over the years and the congregation has grown in size, but the timeless values of Faith, Hope, and Love found in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ are still alive and unchanging here.

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        We confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God and Lord and Savior of the World

         Wednesday Bible Devotional August 5th

 

Someday

By Rev. Spencer King

First Christian Church

Forest Grove, Oregon

Matthew 6:19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

I don't know what heaven's going to be like. The descriptions of heaven in the Bible are sometimes confusing and may be metaphorical. For example, in the Bible, heaven is described as a golden city. I'm not sure, however, that heaven will be metallic, cold and uninviting to the touch. It may literally be made of gold but oftentimes gold in the Bible is a symbol of spiritual purity. So that could mean that there will be nothing spiritually impure in the next life. Also, heaven is described as a city of eternal light. We are assured that there will be no necessity for churches in heaven because there will be no spiritual darkness in heaven. I don't know whether or not that means there will not be any cool, relaxing evenings in heaven because light is often a symbol for the love of God. We will be forever bathed in God's love in heaven. I do know this however, no one will be unhappy in heaven. We are assured of that.

We are told that, in heaven, God will wipe every tear from every eye and there will be no more mourning or crying. That's because when we are reunited in heaven with our loved ones we will know that we'll never have to say good-bye to them again because no one will ever die. We are also promised that God will forget all of the sins that we committed in this life. We won't walk around with our heads down and ashamed throughout eternity. Of course, that doesn't mean that we have license to sin in this life or that there are no consequences to sin, there certainly are consequences. When we sin God says that we will be chastened because God wants to put us on the right path and make sure that we don't destroy our life here.

 
We are told that there will be rewards in heaven. Jesus told us not to work for earthly treasures but, instead, to lay up treasure in heaven where the thief can't steal and moth and rust can't corrupt. In other words, our earthly treasures don't last but our heavenly treasures last throughout eternity. Even the smallest effort to love and care for others, especially children, on behalf of Jesus Christ will be forever rewarded. What won't be rewarded are those things we do with the wrong attitude. When we give and show concern for others simply to burnish our reputation and receive the approval of others those efforts have been adequately rewarded in this life and won't be rewarded in the next. The courage shown now or the lack of courage you are demonstrating right now will be remembered. The kindness that you show others, especially those who don't deserve your kindness, will never be forgotten. Just think, someday you and I will get to see our parents again, our brothers and sisters, our friends and children in a place where we will all be young and healthy, vital and happy eternally. No matter what you're going through, keep your eyes on the future; keep your eyes on the promises of God because heaven is your final destination.

I read this illustration; “A wealthy man who before leaving on an extended vacation said to a contractor, ‘While I am away, I want you to build me a fine new home according to these plans. Be sure you work with extreme care, and use the best of everything. Tell me the cost as soon as you have it and I’ll send you a check.’ During the process of construction, the contractor discovered many opportunities to substitute inferior materials; he put in his own pocket the money he saved. His employer would never know the difference, and he himself would profit. But he soon regretted his dishonesty, for the wealthy man upon his return inspected the finished home and said: ‘You have built it exactly as I wanted it, and I’m sure that you used the best of everything in its construction. Now, in appreciation for your long years of service to me, I am giving you this new home for your very own. Here’s the deed!’ We are building for eternity. Do we build with inferior materials or do we build with choice materials on the foundation of Christ? Don’t ever forget, the house we will have later on depends on the material we are using now.”

Spencer