Today I attend the celebration service for Vonette Bright the most saintly woman I ever met. Her friends will gather from all over the world and everyone will be in the church sanctuary to mourn her loss to the world and celebrate her promotion.
I gave a speech one time in Atlanta Georgia at a fundraiser for the Covenant House, a wonderful organization dedicated to helping homeless children. After hearing how God transformed my crazy life, a saintly elderly African American woman came up to me and said that I was just like an ugly caterpillar that God had miraculously turned into a beautiful butterfly and allowed to fly away. She laughed heartily and gave me a big hug and a smacking loud kiss on the cheek.
I look at our lives on this earth in similar fashion. Those of us who have received Christ will experience a metamorphism and all of the ugliness of sin will be shed and left behind. When we enter heaven even the memory of it disappear, as will our aches, pains, sorrow, and sadness. They will just be distant memories that totally vanish as we soar away like beautiful butterflies.
The truth is the Bible doesn’t define heaven to the degree we would love. I have no doubt that this is due to our inability to comprehend just how wonderful it will be. So we are left to our imaginations. I love the song I can only Imagine. The lyrics in part are as follows:
I can only imagine what it will be like
When I walk by your side
I can only imagine what my eyes will see
When your face is before me
I can only imagine
I can only imagine
Surrounded by your glory
What will my heart feel
Will I dance for your Jesus
Or in awe of you be still
Will I stand in your presence
Or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah
Will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine
I can only imagine
I can only imagine when that day comes
And I find myself standing in the Son
I can only imagine when all I will do
Is forever, forever worship you
I can only imagine, yeah
I can only imagine
One thing sure Vonette Bright is experiencing the fullness of all God has prepared right at this moment. I intend to keep that at the top of my eyes as I attend this morning. I can only imagine the love she must be experiencing at this very moment.
Hallelujah!
Have a great weekend and please come to Honey Lake Church and bring a friend who needs to hear about Jesus this Sunday. There will be praise music galore, I’ll be giving my testimony, and a covered dish lunch will follow the service.
Rev. 21:21
And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass. And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day — and there will be no night there.
January 8, 2016 – Click here to listen