You know time spent walking on the beach can be thought-inspiring. I am not sure if that inspiration always results in my writing something worth reading; but thoughts do seem to get crowded out more slowly in this setting.
I took a stroll this morning before the rest of the family awakened; my "sunrise" walks lasted exactly one day but I have taken several early morning walks in solitude.
Today, I was praying a little as I meandered along the surf. For some reason I remembered a verse from the Revelation (that's in the Bible) that said that in the "New Heaven and New Earth" there was "no more sea".
What about people who love the sea? Does this remove their incentive to go to heaven?
And what about that old convention song about sitting "by the crystal sea"?
The older I get and the more I learn - I seem to find that there are quite a few things that God just doesn't explain completely and the fact is - He doesn't have to. There are times that my best course of action with God is to just reply: "yes Sir".
When I came back to the condo I thought I would do a little quick research. So I looked up the verse in Revelation 21, I found that there are some other things that won't be around in heaven:
There is no temple there. Wow, where I live we have churches everywhere - churches in homes, in retail buildings, in schools, in theaters, in bars and even churches in churches (we have a lot of those too). But all those buildings are just gathering places meant to equip folks. They are evidence of our constant effort to try and get something like God's perfect design accomplished here on earth.
Oddly enough, in heaven - where His "kingdom (is) come, His will (is) done" - there are no churches. I suppose we won't need them there since He is dwelling with us and we won't have to go anywhere to meet with Him.
Secondly, there is no sun there (well, at least there is no need for the sun). Again, there is no need for light - the Light of the world will walk around with us.
"I can see clearly now the rain is gone..."
Now, if you read the 21st chapter and the one that follows you will see that there are a great deal of other things mentioned that will not be there; but do you really want me to add more to this post?!
This vacation, I am really enjoying two of those items that will be missing in heaven - the sun and the sea - so why would He deprive me of them in heaven?
I think it is because He has something better.
Isn't that usually the case when God seems to be depriving us of something?
I did notice something that made me think of a father's role with his family. And how our desires sometimes reflect the desires of the Heavenly Father.
Verse three says that "God's home is with His people!" (GNB) and He dwells with them and they will be His people. . .
When Dad's relish the thought of spending time just being with their family - that's when they are acting like God.
In fact, I think that the Bible and all of History can be simplified down to this: God created people because He likes family... people turned away from God ... then God spent the rest of human history fulfilling His plan to get them back.
That's what Revelation 21:3 is about... God reconciled with His family... again to enjoy those walks in the cool of the day we read about in Genesis.
Okay, this vacation has also revealed to me some other things I think will not be included in the heavenly package:
afternoon television
anti-depressant prescription drug commercials
Nintendo- DS
jellyfish
sand in one's swim trunks
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