Thoughts in Worship

Message Magazine's Online Devotional for Sabbath, July 30, 2016

We are focusing on getting to know God from the perspective of John the beloved.

Today’s Scripture Focus: “And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.” (John 1:51).

To us frail humans, heaven seems to be an unreachable utopia. Angels wing their flight and sing their praises there; there is no night there; the Lamb and our heavenly Father are the temple therein; it houses the throne room of God; and it is a high and holy place wherein dwelleth righteousness. These are all true statements. However there is something even better we must consider about heaven: Jesus has gone there to prepare a place for us (more on this later). One of the reasons many of us are defeated in our battles against sin and self, is that we are not tuned in to the frequency of heaven.

Heaven is astir with angels who are ministering spirits, sent forth to us to protect, and encourage us in the ways of God. There are times in our lives when we are asleep and evil angels would love to snuff out our breath, but God has given holy angels charge over us, to keep us in the ways of His Word, so we can be preserved for eternity with Him. So, we should banish the feeling that heaven is some ethereal place with transparent, beings floating around with nothing to do. No, no! Heaven is a real place, to where real people who submit ourselves to Christ will someday go for 1,000 real years in preparation for us to inhabit the New Earth.

Now, we have a problem. How do we who were born in sin and shapen iniquity, to one day make that transition from this old earth to heaven? I am so glad you asked. Jesus showed Jacob a glimpse of this one night. The Bible says, “And he [Jacob] dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.” (Genesis 28:12–15).

The experience of Jacob and his life that was just about to change in the power of God forever, was a microcosm of the times in which we live. Jesus volunteered to give His life to purchase our pardon for all sins, and became our live connection (ladder) between heaven and earth. It is because of His ministry, not our feeble efforts, that the power from the throne of Almighty God can be dispensed to this wretched earth, for the purpose of saving all who are willing to submit to Him. As I mentioned already, the earth will be made anew, and if we continue living in submission to Christ, we will return to our reward—an earth that has been forever purified with fire.—L. David Harris (www.DavidWritesaLot.com)