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1 Thessalonians 2:19-20, Matthew 6:19-20

A Crown of Rejoicing

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
June 22, 2025

The Persian King Cyrus, who conquered Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon and set the Jewish prisoners free, spent much energy beautifying Persia. According to the famous Baptist preacher of the 19th Century, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, a visitor once commented on the beauty of his gardens. He said that just visiting Cyrus and seeing his wonderful garden gave him much pleasure. Cyrus is said to have responded, “Ah, but you haven’t near the pleasure in this garden that I have, sir. You see, I’ve planted every tree in it myself. I’ve cared for it. I’ve invested much effort and work in this garden and it’s a true joy for me to glory in the results.”

As he was well known to do, Spurgeon then commented, “One reason some saints will have a greater fullness of heaven than others will be that they did more for heaven than others. By God’s grace they were enabled to bring more souls there.” Commenting on this quote, R.W. DeHaan, said, “Those words should cause all of us who know the Lord to do some serious thinking. How many people will be in heaven because of us? Our desire should be that when we reach our eternal home, some will say to us, “I’m so thankful for you. It was your testimony, your life, your invitation to accept Christ that accounts for my being here today.”

When Paul talked of the rewards he expected to receive when the Lord returned, he expressly addressed a “crown of rejoicing.” He writes in 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20, “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For you are our glory and joy.” As Cyrus found greater pleasure in the garden because of what was there because of his own efforts, so too did Paul expect to find greater Joy at the Lord’s return simply because the Thessalonians were going to be there because of his missionary work in that city. R.W. DeHaan concludes his comments by saying, “Yes, heaven’s joys will be the fullest for those who have helped lead others to Christ.” When you’ve planted, watered, fertilized or nurtured others in their spiritual development, coming to Christ or growing in Christ, you’ve invested in heaven. Jesus once said, (Matthew 6:19-20) “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” Investing in the spiritual lives of others is truly the best way to lay up treasures in heaven and will result in the “crown of rejoicing.”

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Psalm 16:11

Heavenly Pleasures!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
June 21, 2025

There have been many discussions regarding the nature of the joys that await us in heaven. Both the Old Testament (Isaiah) and the New Testament (1 Corinthians) tell us that “…no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him.” According to the Jewish Publication Society’s Guide to Jewish Traditions, “Maimonides wisely stated that we mortals can have no real knowledge about its nature. Even if we did have some information concerning the afterlife, we would be incapable of comprehending it since the world to come would have a different dimension of existence beyond time or space, and thus, it would be beyond our ability to describe it or even conceive of it.” But the JPS Guide doesn’t totally agree with Maimonides. It goes on to say, “Nevertheless, the Jewish tradition assures us that, even in this life, one can experience a sample of the world to come. As the Talmud states, “three things give us a foretaste of the world to come—the Sabbath, a sunny day, and sexual intercourse” (Ber. 57b). If you do a search on “heavenly pleasures,” you’ll get some very graphic images (I don’t recommend it!). There are two things that are prominent in the search: chocolates and sex!

Looking at the quote from the Talmud, as far as the Sabbath is concerned, I think we can see some aspect of the heavenly sphere when we share in the communion elements. Jesus speaks of the wonderful nature of true communion with true believers and tells his apostles that he will not eat this feast again until he eats and drinks it with them in heaven (See Matthew 26:29). The pleasures of eating and drinking seem to be part of the heavenly agenda. Further, worship is a significant part of a heavenly experience. In the book of Revelation, we see the glories of God being praised by every living thing (Revelation 5:13) along with “many people” or “great multitudes.” Robert Webber, the Guru of Christian Music, says, “People enter a different dimension as they worship together. It is to be hoped that music may lift us to a new realm where we are better able to apprehend God’s presence with us.” The idea of “sunny days” being a foretaste of heaven seems plausible also because God’s natural revelation explodes with the Glory of God (Romans 1) and calls for worship and praise.

The use of sexual intercourse as a “foretaste of the world to come” seems foreign to Christians, although prominent in the lives of many other religions. Yet, Jesus uses the marriage imagery to speak of his intimate relationship with us, His Bride. I like what Philip Ryken wrote about our joys in heaven. He says that when we receive our pleasures in heaven, “we will realize that we first experienced them here on earth. Every earthly joy is the foretaste of a better life to come, in the Paradise where God has promised us pleasures forevermore.” He was referring to Psalm 16:11, which reads, “…in your presence, there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11).

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Hebrews 12:1

Great Cloud of Witnesses

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
June 20, 2025

Hebrews 12:1 has been interpreted in two ways. It says that we have a “great cloud of witnesses” that surrounds us as encouragements to finish our race of the Christian life. Some argue that the encouragement is the example they set for us as recorded in the Old Testament. Others argue that they are invisible spectators of our race, cheering us on to victory. The Greek word, as well as the English translation, for “witness” could refer to either one. The writers of the United Bible Societies Handbook for Bible Translators seem to take the latter position. They write, “The thought is that the Old Testament heroes are watching how the writer of Hebrews and his readers “run their race” in the Christian life.” The writers (Ellingworth & Nida) look back at Hebrews 11:40 for support. It tells us that we, too, are intimately linked with the lives of the Old Testament saints in so far as that, as this passage says, “…apart from us they should not be made perfect.” They conclude their discussion, “We have this large crowd of witnesses around us may be expressed as ‘this large crowd of those who have witnessed to their faith are around us’ or ‘… are, as it were, close by around us.’”

This interpretation best fits the image of the Olympic races that all were familiar with in the New Testament days. The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery, which takes this position, says, “Having described the great examples of faith in Hebrews 11, the author now depicts them as an amphitheater crowd of witnesses observing a later generation of faithful ones.” The witnesses, however, are not mere spectators. They are those who ran the race before us and won! They are not armchair quarterbacks telling you how to do something they could not do or have not done. They ran the race even though the odds were stacked against them, and they had great obstacles to hurtle on their way. According to this interpretation, they are cheering us on.

Jim Wilson also takes this view of Hebrews 12:1. He ends his discussion with serious words of encouragement for us runners. He writes, “When you think you are giving up too much to follow God and that it isn’t worth the sacrifice. Other men and women of faith will rise from the great cloud of witnesses and tell you that they died for their faith, and it was worth it. They’ll tell you how God shut the mouths of the lions in some cases, others will tell you that they lost everything to follow Him and gave everything, even their own lives, but that it was worth it. Listen, my friends, listen, and open your spiritual ears. You think you are alone, you’re not. There is a great crowd of witnesses surrounding us, and they are telling you that you can make it. Keep your eyes on the finish line, and listen for encouragement as you run the race.”

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Hebrews 12:1, Matthew 28:20

Heaven is all around You

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
June 19, 2025

In Hebrews chapter 12, verse 1, we’re told that “…we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses…” Courson thinks that we might be looking at “clouds in the wrong way.” He writes, “Who are these witnesses? Hebrews 11 identifies them as Abraham, Moses, Samson, Gideon, and Jephthah—the heroes of faith. So perhaps when Jesus comes, it won’t be in a nimbus or a cumulus cloud. It will be, as Jude says, with ten thousand saints, in a cloud of witnesses.” He goes on to ask, “Where are these witnesses right now?” His conclusion is, “They’re not ‘out there.’ They’re right here. Ask Gehazi.” He then refers to Elisha’s prayer, which opened Gehazi’s eyes to see the great cloud of angelic soldiers that had surrounded the enemy armies. According to Courson, the “… Angels were there all along. It’s just that Gehazi was allowed to see a different dimension.”

This commentator goes on to refer to 1 Corinthians, Chapter 11, where Paul says, “When you come together in worship meetings where gifts are flowing, where the body is interacting, be careful about certain issues because angels are present in the midst of the congregation.” Courson asks, “Why don’t we see them?” He answers his own question, “Because they’re in a different dimension. The cloud of witnesses, heroes of faith, and loved ones who have gone ahead of us are not way out there. They’re surrounding us.” This leads him to ask another very profound question, “Could it be, then, that when we die… we don’t go somewhere way out there? Could it be that we simply step into the next dimension?” He further argues that Jesus gave Peter, James, and John a preview of coming “dimensions.” It was at the Transfiguration. When they saw Elijah and Moses, Courson writes, “Like Gehazi before them, they were allowed to see into a different dimension and thereby made aware of the fact that Elijah and Moses were present, although unseen previously.”

If this is true, we cannot miss the powerful implications for us today. Heaven is right here! Jesus promised when he left us in Matthew 28:20, “…I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Therefore, when we are praying, we are not reaching out into the time-space continuum to find God. We’re speaking to God (omnipresent) right here with us. Courson concludes, “No, the Lord is not somewhere way beyond the blue. He is with us always. The kingdom of heaven is among us. The great cloud of witnesses is presently around us. Ministering spirits are in the midst of us. Jesus Himself is in the midst of the congregation. And all of a sudden, I realize that heaven isn’t that far away—not only because we’ll be there soon chronologically, but also because the kingdom surrounds us presently.” We don’t see the other dimension because we see through “a glass darkly” (1 Corinthians 13:12).

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Hebrews 12:22-23, Luke 24:31

Where is Heaven?

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
June 18, 2025

Heaven is currently populated by God the Father, Jesus at His right hand, the un-fallen angels, and the righteous human souls of those who have lived in the past. Some argue that those who died before Jesus are currently in a place called Abraham’s bosom, which has all the positive characteristics of heaven but are separated from the believers in the church age who have died. I’d rather see Abraham’s bosom being absorbed into the larger context of heaven. Thus, Abraham’s bosom and paradise are just two other names for the place where God’s chosen abide with him. Hebrews 12:22-23 says, “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect…”

This place called heaven could be either a physical place or another dimension. The Bible Scholars are divided on this subject. Those who argue in favor of a physical place beyond the first two heavens would refer to Paul’s argument about having visited the third heaven. In Scripture, the sky and the clouds are referred to as heaven. When Jesus ascended, he ascended into clouds and into heaven. The blue skies, the white clouds, or our atmosphere is called the first heaven. The Bible also tells us that Jesus will return in the same manner and the same place from which he left. The second heaven is the night skies. When God created the world, he put the sun, moon, planets, and stars in the heavens. Thus, the galactic night skies would be the 2nd heaven. The third heaven that Paul refers to is, as Geisler writes, “… maybe somewhere in a far corner of the space-time world, shrouded from human view behind a cloud of God’s glory…”

Others believe that heaven is an entirely different physical dimension. There were several times that Jesus seemed to materialize out of nothing as if he had stepped from one dimension into our own. In John 20, when the Apostles were locked away in a private room, Jesus miraculously appeared in their midst. Also, Jesus seems to have disappeared in a similar way when the travelers on the road to Emmaus recognized who he was when he broke the bread (see Luke 24:31). Another passage in favor of an invisible dimension all around us is the story in 2 Kings Chapter 6. Elisha’s servant, Gehazi, was not able to see what was actually present. Elisha prayed that God would open his eyes, and Gehazi saw that the attacking army was completely surrounded by the Angels of God. The idea of heaven being an invisible dimension carries incredible implications.

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Matthew 6:19-20, 1 Corinthians 3:11-15

Treasures in Heaven

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
June 17, 2025

Will we all receive the same blessings in heaven? Norm Geisler, in his systematic theology, makes an interesting distinction between being “fully blessed” and being “equally blessed.” He explains, “‎Every believer’s cup will be full and running over, but not everyone’s cup will be the same size. We determine in time what our capacity for appreciating God will be in eternity. Different persons can listen to the same musical performance and have varying degrees of appreciation because they have developed different capacities for enjoying it; similarly, different people can be in the same heaven and yet have different degrees of enjoyment due to developing different abilities for enjoying God here on earth.”

Although we are saved by grace through faith alone, our rewards in heaven will be determined by our works on earth. Paul explains this in 1 Corinthians, chapter 3. The foundation of our salvation is Christ Jesus and his work alone, but our obedience in this life results in the nature of our rewards in the next life. He says in verses 11-15, “For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.” For other verses that seem to teach about the various degrees of rewards in heaven, see the following verses: Luke 19:17–19; John 14:2; 1 Cor. 15:41; Rev. 22:12.

Some investments bring greater returns than others. Jesus said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal” (See Matthew 6:19-20). This point is that a man who has a layover at an airport does not go into the bathroom, frown at its decor, and start redecorating! Why? Because he doesn’t live there. He has a home in another place. While he is away he will get by with only what he absolutely needs, to have more money with which to furnish his permanent home. Why do we Christians work hard at trying to make our life in this world more comfortable? This is just the airport, and we are in transit. We should spend our energy on enhancing our eternal reward and not worry so much about the bare walls in the airport restrooms.

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Revelation 2:10, Titus 1:2

The Crown of Life

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
June 16, 2025

I’m trying to get back into my 34” waist pants! Since I’ve turned 70, I’ve not been able to get below 38. I don’t know if I’ll ever make it below that.  Even though I have some physical restrictions, I’m exercising, taking vitamins, and trying to watch my carbohydrates. I’m sure I’m not alone in my efforts to live a healthier, happier life. We’ve popped pills, pumped iron, and burned up (literally!) treadmills (back in 2007, my treadmill actually caught on fire & caused a lot of damage to my house). I said “no” to cake and pie, and numerous other efforts to be healthier. I even gave up my favorite, Toasted Almond fudge ice cream! Well, I’d like to live long enough to see my grandchildren marry! I’d like to see great-grandchildren! And, who knows, my great, great grandchildren! Wouldn’t you? Yes, I’m doing lots of things to help me live longer! Yet, I keep foremost in mind the fact that the mortality rate in the United States is still 100%! It’s the same in the rest of the world.

Martin Luther once said, “Even in the best of health, we should have death always before our eyes. We will not expect to remain on this earth forever but will have one foot in the air, so to speak.” The passing of our loved ones from this life serves as a constant reminder that we’re all temporary beings, just passing through the valley of the shadow of death. The loss of our loved ones is always a day of sadness, but while there are tears in our eyes, there is joy and hope in our hearts, for death has been swallowed up in victory. Those who have come to faith in Jesus Christ have been promised the “Crown of life.” In the Book of Revelation, John gives Christ’s message to the churches. He tells them that there will be suffering in this life and even severe persecution, but he exhorts the Church members to “…be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10). In this short verse is the reality that death will take us all! Yet along with that reality comes the promise of life beyond. That is eternal life!

Some years ago, Miss Alabama was competing for the title of “Miss Universe.” She was asked the question, “If you could live forever, would you and why?” She replied, “I would not live forever because we should not live forever, because if we were supposed to live forever, then we would live forever, but we cannot live forever, which is why I would not live forever.” I have no idea what she said there, but I would argue that for those of us in Christ, we will live forever because we were created to live forever, and according to God’s promises we will live forever, that’s why I will live forever! As I travel through this valley of the shadow of death and I watch loved ones pass away and feel the decay and deterioration of my bodily and intellectual strength, I have a hope! It’s a hope based on the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and his promise to prepare a place for me even now as I run this earthly race. I’ll hold on to the truth of the Gospel message through the hurts and hardships of life, knowing that God has awaiting me the crown of “eternal” life set aside, with my name on it, reserved in heaven!

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1 Corinthians 9:25, 1 Peter 1:4-5

Imperishable Crowns

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
June 15, 2025

The rewards we will receive in heaven are often referred to as crowns. The idea of crowns was taken by Paul and other writers from the athletic games of the first century. Those who won the various events were given wreathes as crowns on their heads. This is what Paul is referring to in 1 Corinthians, Chapter 9, when he writes, “Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.” (ESV Verse 25). Many translations call it a “crown.” The important image to understand is that it’s representative of the believer’s victory over the “trials” of life. The victories will be eternal. They are not the kinds of trophies we might win in our lives today that are eventually thrown out. They are victories from which we will reap the rewards forever.

You might notice that Paul was writing to the Corinthians. In the first century, the Isthmian Games, the forerunner of the Olympics, were held in Corinth. He was addressing his audience with an illustration that all could relate to and understand. Contestants from all over the world would come to Corinth to compete in these athletic events. The month immediately preceding the events, Corinth, was filled with athletes training for their particular competition. The streets were filled with those athletes running to prepare themselves. Paul used the image of the running athletes to illustrate the Christian life with one great difference. The rewards that they are struggling to win are all perishable. According to David Jeremiah, “In the Isthmian Games, the prize was a simple pine wreath wrapped around the head. Contestants wanted that wreath because honor went with the award. But that honor was just as perishable as the wreath itself. The cheers and recognition and fame and sense of accomplishment faded all too quickly.”

Peter gives us a different perspective on the race that we are running. He tells us in 1 Peter 1:4-5 that God has “…caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you…” Our heavenly rewards will last forever. David Jeremiah concludes that when we get to heaven, “…earthly wreaths and trophies and newspaper clippings and Super Bowl rings will be long forgotten. They’ll be no more important than brushing your teeth or buying a newspaper at the corner store. But what we do for eternity—even the smallest of deeds—will count forever.” Henry C. Morrison, after serving for forty years on the African mission field, headed home by boat. On that same boat, Theodore Roosevelt also rode. Morrison was quite dejected when, on entering New York harbor, President Roosevelt received great fanfare as he arrived home. Morrison thought he should get some recognition for forty years in the Lord’s service. Then, a small voice came to Morrison and said, “Henry—you’re not home yet.”

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