Heaven is not a Magic Kingdom

 
Heaven is not a Magic Kingdom. It’s a real place – a home. And while John the Revelator does his very best to describe it, the truth is Heaven is beyond description. Our language simply doesn’t have the words to describe it. 

It may be hard to describe Heaven, but there are more than a few verses that answer some of the most frequently asked questions about Heaven. I thought you might enjoy what the Bible has to say to some of the questions we all ask from time to time.
1. Will we cry in Heaven? We’re often told that there are no tears in Heaven, but Revelation 21:4 says, “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” 

2. Will there be pain and sorrow? Absolutely not! The Bible says without reservation, “There shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4

3. Will time exist in Heaven? Sure it will. Revelation 8:1 says, “When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.” But you know what? Time won’t matter any more.

4. Will we have real bodies? Paul put it this way. “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to himself.” (Philippians 3:20-21)

5. Will we really have our own place to live? That’s a promise that came directly out of the mouth of Jesus. “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” (John 14:2)

There’s so much more in the Bible about Heaven. This Sunday at C3 we will conclude our series “Heaven is for Real” where I will address some more questions about the reality of Heaven.
Your pastor and partner in ministry,
Kyle  


 

Celebration @ The Lake begins THIS SUNDAY @9:30 @ Lake Wilson 

For more information visit their facebook page.  

 

 

98.5 THE TRUTH and C3’s Women’s Ministry presents “Ladies Night Out”  Next Friday May 30th 6:30pm. Tickets just $5 (child care not provided)  

To see this new family friendly film at Hay’s StarPlex Theatre contact womens@celebratejesus.org

 Come enjoy a night of fun and games with other couples!
Childcare MAY be provided for a donation. RSVP if you need childcare to Shauna Chance at schance@hotmail.com.

Maranantha

Jesus talked about his return in John 14:3 when he said:
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.  Jesus was very clear saying said, 'I will return, I'm coming back.'

In the first century church Christians were so excited about the return of Jesus that they actually had a greeting that they would use with each other. They would welcome each other grabbing the hand of another believer saying with faith and hope in their eyes, the Aramaic word "Maranatha!" which means, "Our Lord is coming or Come Lord Jesus!" There was this almost electric sense of anticipation from Christian to Christian as they greeted each other with “Maranatha, He's coming back”! As Christians today living in what I believe are the last days, we too should have this sense of anticipation about our Lord’s return.  

As I shared in last Sunday’s message there is scripture that speaks to our receiving the reward of a crown if we are eagerly awaiting the return of Christ.  Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:8 Are you longing for his appearing?

Too many of us are too attached to the things of this earth and that dulls our hunger for heaven. We are warned that “we are our citizenship is (not of this earth but) in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,” Philippians  3:20

Last night as I kicked off a three week mid-week series called “The End”. I taught this lesson to people who were eager to learn about being caught up in the clouds with Jesus when he returns, that which we Christians call “The rapture”. More importantly we discussed how we are to live in the light of the certainty of Christ’s return. Tomorrow in this blog I will address that scripture specifically. Until then I say to you my sisters and brothers, with hopefulness and expectancy “Maranatha!”

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle

The End

Whenever the subject of the Rapture comes up, there are a lot of questions on people’s minds. Those who have trusted in Christ as their Savior, will literally be transported from earth to heaven in an instant. There will be no death for those who are raptured. They will be taken—caught up—in the air to be with Jesus! The Apostle Paul believed that Jesus’ return was imminent, and that brought great comfort to him in his daily struggles. It is not difficult to understand Paul’s longing for this to occur when faced with the trials we are confronted with daily.   

The most well-known verse that refers to the event is found in 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17: "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord."

Imagine this: you will be going about your business one day when suddenly, in a moment that is so rapid it can't even be measured in human time, you will be caught up into God's presence, and you will be reunited with your loved ones. Best of all, you will be face-to-face with Jesus Himself.

Tonight at 7pm at Celebration Community Church I will be teaching part one of a three part series called “The End”.

Your pastor and partner in ministry

Kyle

Rite Of Passage

Last Sunday I was invited to speak at Hays High’s Baccalaureate service preceding graduation ceremonies. I recall that when my son Devin graduated in 2008 I was able to share at his Baccalaureate the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth's rite of passage. 

According to Cherokee legend the boy’s father takes him deep into the forest, blindfolds him and leaves him alone for the night. 

The boy is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it. He cannot cry out for help to anyone. Once he survives the perils of the night, the boy is recognized by the tribe as a man.

He cannot tell the other boys of this experience, because each lad must come into manhood on his own. The boy is naturally terrified. As he sits upon the stump he can hear all kinds of noises in the forest. His mind imagines that wild beasts must surely be all around him. He fears that maybe even some human might jump him and do him harm.

Throughout the night the whistle of the wind blew the grass and earth, and shook his stump, but the boy sat stoically, never removing the blindfold.   It would be the only way he could prove that he was a man.  

Finally, after a horrifyingly long night the sun finally appeared and the boy removed his blindfold.  

It was then that he discovered his father sitting on the stump next to him. He had been there all night protecting his son from harm. 

This story reminds us as Christians that we too are never alone. Even when we don't know it, God is sitting on the stump beside us watching over us.  When trouble comes, all we have to do is remember that He is with us always.

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle

Superhero Worship

At a funeral service I presided at last Saturday, an articulate, good looking, well built, young man in his thirties with tattoos up and down his arms stood up in the congregation and expressively communicated some memories of his relationship with the deceased. What he said next though is something I have never heard come out of anyone’s mouth. He claimed to be a follower of the mythical Norse God Thor popularized by comic books and recent movies. I was stunned. But later on it got me thinking, “What is it about superheroes that makes them so wildly popular in our culture, popular enough to inspire hero worship? I believe the trend towards a fascination with superheroes is a way of addressing our deep need of a supernatural savior.  

There is no question that this generation is enamored with the concept of a superhero that is able to defy gravity and other human constraints. Many wish that they were actually themselves the one who has superhero powers acting with completely benevolent motives. There are people who dream of and even dress up like and attend conventions paying homage to their favorite superhero. Wishing there were indeed someone who could fly, penetrate walls and hold up falling towers. Someone who could zoom around the world preventing disasters and crimes at once—someone who was, in essence omnipresent and could keep us safe from evil’s grasp.

The adulation this generation has for comic book superheroes truly displays a craving for justice, healing, protection, righteousness and salvation. We who have been blessed with God’s Spirit of understanding are most fortunate to be able to seek His future promises in the pages of Bible and not in a comic book or on a theater screen. For we know, indeed, God is who we seek and He is the only One who can satisfy this hole we have in our soul.

Jesus could heal the crippled, cleanse those with leprosy as well as walk on water and calm a tempest in the sea with just the command of His voice.  God gave Christ the ability to read the thoughts of others, command the demons to obey Him and expand five loaves of bread and two fish to feed over 5,000 with leftovers to boot.  

After the funeral service I looked for the Thor follower but he was nowhere to be found. One thing I  know  for sure; during my message to those gathered in the chapel of a funeral home, all there heard me share the good news about my superhero. He is the One who lived a perfect life and  defeated death. They heard me speak about His superhuman ability to do what no one has ever done before; been resurrected from dead with the promise that  those who follow Him will also be raised up to meet him in the clouds when He comes again.

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle   

The End

New Mid-Week Series On Wednesday!

The 41 Encounter Members preparing for a Mission Trip in Haiti are about $2,500 short of the $40,000 they need to raise. If you would like to contribute to their fund please make your checks to C3 with a note in the Memo, "Encounter Mission Trip". Or you can donate on the C3 App under "Giving" by scrolling down to Encounter Mission Trip. Thank you in advance for your generous help.

Greatest Returns

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me…for the kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14

The Barna Research Group have shown that the majority of people give their lives to Christ before the age of 18, but this is the first study that has shown the probabilities at various ages.  It also has shown that the evangelistic impact is getting younger.  

The study points out that children and adolescents are most impacted evangelistically by family members, peers and their churches activities like Sunday school, Kids Church, VBS, etc .  In fact, the years prior to age 12 are when a majority of children make their decision as to whether or not they will follow Christ. 

This is why we at Celebration Community Church concentrate so much of our time and resources on Children, Youth and College ministries.  We invest in programs like our Elevate Kids Club, our G0-FISH children’s ministry which puts on summer camp June 3-5 Vacation Bible School July 21-25 and KidFest Aug 16.

Even though the Barna study says that only 4% of teens have a likelihood of trusting in Christ we at C3 believe it is a good investment to pour a tremendous amount of time and money into a relevant youth and college ministry. Our CrossCurrent student ministries goes on mission trips, puts on summer camps for Middle School May 27-29 and High School July 31-August .  This summer also makes our 11^th Annual Youth Conference June 27-28 that attracts hundreds of Middle and High School students to a weekend of great music and challenging messages. Our Encounter College Ministry has in the last year been reaching 250 + FHSU students every week and continues to operate throughout the summer.

There is no summer slow down when it comes to doing whatever we can to reach  young people for the Lord at C3. 

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle

Men's Breakfast Tomorrow

7:30AM In The C3 Pond 

Connection Class Tomorrow

10:00AM In The C3 Pond 

You Become Who You Hang Out With

I recently read something Rick Warren wrote that got me thinking ”, The moment your kids start going to school, you no longer have the primary influence on their life. They start to become influenced by their peer group. And the older they get, the more they look to their peers. 

So, as a parent, you need to continually have a conversation with your kids about who their companions are going to be. You need to help your children understand the impact friends have on them and the importance of choosing good friends.

We need to encourage our children to make friends with others who will pull them up instead of drag them down; who encourage them and be positive influences in their lives. Because the number one factor that will determine whether they succeed or fail in life is the kind of friends they choose – friends who hold them back or friends who spur them on.”

As our local schools wind down the academic year and Fort Hays State University and Hays High School prepare for graduations this weekend, I got to thinking about how thankful I am for the awesome student ministries we have at Celebration Community Church. Encounter our College ministry led by Dr Jeff Burnett right down to DeLynn Rice’s Go-Fish Children’s church with Nick Eiden and previously Derek Mayfield in between leading CrossCurrent, C3 is totally committed to teaching students not just information but more importantly the formation of Christian character in the context of a community of faith . As we conclude our first year of private Christian pre-school and elementary education at Hays Victory Christian Academy we are modeling for even our youngest children to live their lives as Christians in a world that doesn’t. 

As the school year comes to an end I want to personally thank and encourage you to do as well all of the teachers in public and private education alike who are committed to being positive role models living out the Gospel  and influencing young people to make good  and Godly choices in their lives. 

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle