Sunday, January 25, 2009

Introduction to the Bible Study about Heaven

We're Just Passing Through

I’m excited about our journey together as we study Randy Alcorn’s Bible study, Heaven (published by LifeWay). Throughout its pages we’ll look at a Christian’s eternal destiny and have a glimpse of what a believer's life might be like in Heaven.

Many of my loved ones have passed into eternity, and I look so forward to seeing them again someday. I once had a miscarriage when I was four months pregnant, and I often imagine my father and the child I’ve never met welcoming me into Heaven, years from now.

The reality is that I have no idea when God will call me home. It may be in 30 years, 30 days, or 30 minutes.


Flight 1549


US Airways Flight 1549 was heading for Charlotte, NC, with 155 people aboard when it took off from LaGuardia Airport on January 15, 2009. Just minutes later, it made a crash landing into the freezing Hudson River.

The New York Post reported that three minutes into the flight, passenger Jeff Kolodjoy said, “Passengers heard the left engine blew out. We said, ‘Oh, Man, we're going to hit the water,’” recalled Kolodjoy, who was flying with friends to play golf at Myrtle Beach, SC.

"The pilot said, ‘Brace for impact.’”

Kolodjoy said passengers were praying as the plane went down.


From an earthly perspective, all 155 passengers were blessed that day to be given another day of life … another day to consider their eternal destiny … another day to consider Heaven.


Focus on Heaven


Dale McCleskey says in the introduction to Alcorn’s study that early Christians were preoccupied with Heaven. Many of their tombs contained inscriptions such as: “ ___ is not dead, but lives; one who lives with God; ___ was taken up into his eternal home.”

“I want to encourage you to lace your anchor firmly in Heaven,” McCleskey says, “where it can yield a reward of faithful stability in your life. I want us to be so excited about Heaven that we will have maximum effectiveness in this present world."


What to expect in this study:


I will be praying for each of us doing this study and ask that you might also pray for this group of people. May God open our eyes to His truths. May each of us have extra joy in our steps as we realize that we are just passing through this life on our way to our eternal destiny. There is a real place called Heaven—where there are no tears and no sorrows.

This study is divided into six weeks—each week consists of five lessons. On Mondays, I will make the weekly post on the Want to Study the Bible blog. Please post your comments throughout the week, giving only your first name or initials.

Here’s what we can look forward to learning about in the study:

Week One: Realizing Our Destiny
Week Two: Understanding the Present Heaven
Week Three: Grasping Redemption’s Far Reach
Week Four: Celebrating the Joy and Industry of the New Earth
Week Five: What will Our Lives Be Like in Heaven?
Week Six: What Will We Do in Heaven?

We’re living in an age of much financial uncertainty, and it’s so comforting to realize that our real wealth is in eternity … in heaven.


How about you?

Would you take a minute and share why you are participating in this study? What do you hope to learn? Who are you looking forward to being reunited with in Heaven?

He is able,
Mary
Mary May Larmoyeux
www.marymaywrites.com
http://wanttostudythebible.blogspot.com
http://grandconnection.blogspot.com

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1 comment:

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