Heaven Archives - My Manna

Live in the Light of Eternity

My Manna — Wed, 02 Jun 2021 17:00:00 +0000

“Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives” (2 Peter 3:11).

In the 1800s, an American tourist stopped by the home of Polish rabbi Chofetz Chaim.

The tourist was surprised to find a simple dwelling place filled only with books, a table, and a bench. The tourist asked the rabbi, “Where is all your furniture?”
To which the rabbi replied, “Where is yours?”

The puzzled American said, “Mine? But I’m only a visitor here. I’m only passing through.”
To which the wise Chaim replied, “And I am simply a visitor here on this earth. I’m only passing through.”

Scripture talks about heaven in three different ways:
The celestial and magnificent universe. Psalm 19:1.
The great expanse of space surrounding the earth or its atmosphere. Genesis 1:8.
And the sought-after home of God. Hebrews 4:14.

Heaven is a reality for believers.
The fact that we will one day live forever in the presence of God Almighty is a fundamental doctrine of our faith.

However, the Bible gives several other glimpses into what this heavenly dwelling place will be like.
Heaven is a place prepared for believers where we will spend eternity with God. John 14:1-3.

In heaven, there will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain. Revelation 21:1-7.
It will be in heaven that we will be like Christ and will recognize one another.1 John 3:2.

I want to challenge you to live in the light of eternity!
– as if you’re just passing through this old earth!!

(PR)

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Live in the Light of Eternity

MyManna — Mon, 20 Nov 2017 22:00:50 +0000

“Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives” (2 Peter 3:11).
In the 1800s, an American tourist stopped by the home of Polish rabbi Chofetz Chaim.
The tourist was surprised to find a simple dwelling place filled only with books, a table, and a bench. The tourist asked the rabbi, “Where is all your furniture?”
To which the rabbi replied, “Where is yours?”
The puzzled American said, “Mine? But I’m only a visitor here. I’m only passing through.”
To which the wise Chaim replied, “And I am simply a visitor here on this earth. I’m only passing through.”
Scripture talks about heaven in three different ways:
The celestial and magnificent universe. Psalm 19:1.
The great expanse of space surrounding the earth or its atmosphere. Genesis 1:8.
And the sought-after home of God. Hebrews 4:14.
Heaven is a reality for believers.
The fact that we will one day live forever in the presence of God Almighty is a fundamental doctrine of our faith.
However, the Bible gives several other glimpses into what this heavenly dwelling place will be like.
Heaven is a place prepared for believers where we will spend eternity with God. John 14:1-3.
In heaven, there will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain. Revelation 21:1-7.
It will be in heaven that we will be like Christ and will recognize one another.1 John 3:2.
I want to challenge you to live in the light of eternity!
– as if you’re just passing through this old earth!!
(PA)

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Live in the Light of Eternity

MyManna — Fri, 21 Jul 2017 22:00:04 +0000

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An unbiblical lie

MyManna — Thu, 23 Jun 2016 23:00:45 +0000

A great many people believe falsely in purgatory-
– a miserable place where people supposedly go after death.
In order to advance to heaven-
– a person supposedly must either suffer long enough to make restitution for his or her sins
– or be prayed out by loved ones still living.
The doctrine is an unbiblical lie-
– because purgatory is a thinly veiled second chance for people to get into heaven.
There is not a single verse with which to defend the false theology of purgatory.
In fact, the very idea of a second route to heaven runs counter to God’s redemptive plan.
Jesus Christ was the substitute for you and me, and His death paid our sin-debt.
He obtained our eternal redemption with His blood (Hebrews 9:12).
If there is a place where people can go to suffer for their own sins,in other words, pay their own penalty-
– then God sending His Son to die makes no sense.
In John 14:2, Jesus told the disciples that He was going away to prepare a place for His followers.
Nowhere in Scripture do we find any mention of a detour into misery where we “earn” a pass into heaven.
The Bible says that believers are either at home in the body, or absent from it and present with the Lord.
There is simply no in-between stopover (2 Corinthians 5:8).
I have a responsibility to present biblical truth.
Those who reject Christ get no second chance after death.
“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).
They are eternally separated from God.
But whoever receives salvation is completely forgiven of all sin and guaranteed an eternity with Him.

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Consider this carefully!

MyManna — Tue, 31 May 2016 22:30:48 +0000

Archeologists sometimes uncover less than they hope when digging-
– because someone else got there first, namely, grave robbers.
Artifacts that can help us understand past civilizations may be disturbed or the burial site looted.
Both groups seek the items made with precious metals or gemstones, but for different reasons.
In Psalm 16 we read about a type of grave robber.
This one robs the grave of death itself.
David believed that even death could not rob him of life because eternal life is found in God.
The ultimate fulfillment of Psalm 16:10 was in Christ.
Note the carefulness of the wording.
“You will not abandon me to the grave.”
It does not say, “death.”
Jesus did die, but He was not abandoned to the grave.
“Nor will you let your Holy One see decay.”
Consider this carefully!
With death comes decay-
– unless the grave is emptied by God.
God emptied the grave of Jesus not with crowbars, shovels and picks-
– but by His awesome resurrection power.
Jesus truly died, but He did not remain dead.
Jesus truly lives!
The promise of Psalm 16 was fulfilled in every aspect when Jesus arose.
Your body will be in a grave.
And one day that grave will be robbed of death.
“The dead in Christ will rise first,” Paul said (1 Thess 4:16).
Jesus has conquered death and sin.
If you have accepted Him as Saviour-
– be rest assured that life on this earth is temporary
– and that God will give you permanent life with Him.
Thank God now for the wonderful gift of eternal life.

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We are not home yet!

MyManna — Thu, 18 Feb 2016 16:00:20 +0000

“But many who seem to be important now will be the least important then, and those who are considered least here will be the greatest then” (Matthew 19:30).
A missionary couple who had served for many years in Africa were returning to the United States.
Leaving Africa with broken health and no pension, they felt defeated, discouraged, and afraid.
As it turned out-
President Teddy Roosevelt was traveling on the same ship.
Of course, it caused a great commotion as everyone tried to catch a glimpse of the president, who was returning from a hunting expedition.
The missionary commented to his wife, “Something is wrong. Why should we, who have given our lives in service to the Lord all these years in Africa, come back and not receive any fanfare or attention? And this man, who has done nothing more than just go on a hunting trip, is the center of attention. It just doesn’t seem right.”
When the ship arrived, a brass band played and the mayor welcomed the president.
The missionary was so discouraged.
“It isn’t fair,” he told his wife. “Why have we not received any attention or adulation for what we have done? God is not treating us fairly.”
She said, “Honey, why don’t you just go tell that to the Lord?”
A little bit later, he was smiling.
His wife said, “You look different. What happened?”
He said, “Well, I told the Lord how bitter I was that the president received this tremendous homecoming, while no one greeted us when we returned home. Then it seemed as though the Lord put His hand on my shoulder and said, ‘Son, you are not home yet.’ ”
God sees those things you do for Him.
And He will bless you.
But remember:
We are not home yet!
(PR)

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Yearning for eternity

MyManna — Sun, 31 Jan 2016 16:00:01 +0000

Monday, 1 February 2016

Deep within us is a yearning for eternity-
– a feeling that life doesn’t end with the grave,
– but there must be life after death.
Even if we deny it-
– we still wish it were true.
Where did this inner yearning come from?
Plants and animals don’t have it but we do!
And the reason is because God put it there.
You aren’t just a body and a mind.
God also gave you a soul or spirit.
And even when your body and mind die, your soul lives on.
Your soul came from God and is a sign of His presence within you!
Just as God can’t die, neither can your soul.
As the Bible says, God “has also set eternity in the hearts of men.” Ecclesiastes 3:11.
But the Bible gives us an even stronger reason for believing in life after death.
And that is the resurrection of Jesus Christ!
How could we know, really know, that there is life after death?
We’d know it only if someone died and entered eternity-
– and then came back to tell us about it.
And that’s what happened with Jesus Christ.
He died and was buried.
But on the third day He came back from the dead to assure us of eternal life.
Jesus Christ conquered death!
And because He did-
– we don’t need to fear death any longer.
Ahead of us is heaven, if we know Him!
By faith commit your life to Christ-
– because He alone gives us hope,
– for life today, and for eternity.
(PR)

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Look beyond the immediate

MyManna — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 16:00:49 +0000

20 November 2015, Friday

“I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope” (Lamentations 3:19–20).
When the weather is nice, temperatures are pleasant, and a gentle breeze blows, people will sing:
“This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.”
But when the weather is horrible, temperatures are at the extremes, and perhaps the wind is a gale force, people aren’t as likely to sing.
Yet God makes both kinds of days.
We need to remember that God is good all the time.
His goodness is not dependent on how much we like our current situation.
That must have been Jeremiah’s perspective.
At a time when his soul was “downcast” within him-
– he could look beyond the immediate to the eternal (Jer 3:20).
Rather than allowing his circumstances to drag him down-
– he focused his attention on God’s faithfulness and said, “I have hope” (v 21).
“Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (v 22).
It’s easy to sing the hymn “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” when things are going well.
Yet the verses from which that theme is taken do not come from a time of smooth sailing for the prophet.
Instead, it was a time of extreme difficulty.
Jeremiah knew that God is good all the time and that even in the worst of times He is faithful.
Even when life looks hopeless-
– remember that looks can be deceiving.
Ask God today to help you be a person of hope.
Don’t let the immediate cloud your view of the eternal.
Hope in the ever-faithful God.
(PR)

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You're not home yet!

MyManna — Wed, 12 Aug 2015 16:00:26 +0000

A missionary was returning home after several seasons overseas.
As he rode the train, he met a man who asked, “Was anybody there to welcome you when you got off the ship?”
The missionary said there hadn’t been.
The man laughed and said, “Sir, your life has been wasted.”
The missionary could only reply, “I’m not home yet.”
Hearing the remark, the unbeliever thought the missionary was implying he would be met at his last stop by bands, speeches, and great crowds of Sunday school children.
When they arrived at the home station, there was not a soul on the platform to greet the preacher.
The unbeliever smirked as he strode away.
Standing alone, even the missionary felt a little down.
He had done, to the best of his ability, what God had asked him to do.
Would it have hurt somebody, anybody, to remember him and come out in welcome?
Then as he stood, the Lord talked to his heart and said, “You’re not home yet!”
Those words provided a great deal of comfort to the missionary.
He was able to remember what he had been preaching all these years:
This world is a temporary home for Christians.
It is a place of transition.
No one who lives in this world can say that they have truly reached “home.”
Nevertheless, as we live our lives, each passing day takes us closer to that final moment when we will breathe our last.
Will that moment be filled with terror and fear?
Will we struggle against a “great unknown”?
We will not-
– if Jesus is our Saviour!
Christ entered this world to bridge the gap created by sin-the gulf that separated us from His heavenly Father.
Jesus lived, suffered, died, and rose so that we might approach God-
– with freedom, not fear;
– with confidence, not cowardice.
Now Jesus sends His Holy Spirit so that, with faith, death is no longer a fearful prospect.
By the blood of Jesus Christ, those who in repentance trust Him as their Saviour and Lord, are freed.
Yes, they will still encounter problems as they travel home.
Like the unapplauded missionary, there will still be crosses, pains, and sufferings.
But we can find contentment!
Because we know Jesus is-
– with us,
– watching over us,
– keeping us safe until the time comes when we eventually reach our heavenly home.
(PR)

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Live in the light of eternity!

MyManna — Thu, 11 Jun 2015 16:00:38 +0000

“Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives…” (2 Peter 3:11).
A tourist stopped by the home of a rabbi.
The tourist was surprised to find a simple dwelling place filled only with books, a table, and a bench.
The tourist asked the rabbi, “Where is all your furniture?”
To which the rabbi replied, “Where is yours?”
The puzzled tourist said, “Mine? But I’m only a visitor here. I’m only passing through.”
To which the wise rabbi replied, “And I am simply a visitor here on this earth. I’m only passing through.”
Scripture talks about heaven in three different ways:
-the celestial and magnificent universe (Psalm 19:1)
-the great expanse of space surrounding the earth or its atmosphere (Genesis 1:8)
-and the sought-after home of God (Hebrews 4:14).
Heaven is a reality for sanctified believers.
The fact that we will one day live forever in the presence of God Almighty-
– is a fundamental doctrine of our faith.
However-
– the Bible gives several other glimpses into what this heavenly dwelling place will be like.
Heaven is a place prepared for sincere believers where we will spend eternity with God (John 14:1-3).
In heaven, there will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain (Revelation 21:1-7).
It will be in heaven that we will be like Christ and will recognize one another (1 John 3:2).
Live in the light of eternity-
– as if you’re just passing through this old earth.
Ask God to help you live a holy, godly and simple lifestyle every day of your life.
Pray that you would live each day with eternity set in your heart and mind.
(PR)

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