12-8-2013
So this morning I was suddenly stricken with a sick migraine
headache on my way to Eureka for services… and I’m sorry that I didn’t get to
finish there today, even if Donny felt it was the best sermon I’ve preached in
a while! (I didn’t even get to the sermon.)
But in a strange turn of events as I got home, got my medicine, and got
into that still quiet and dark space that one needs to deal with migraines, I
was still thinking of the scripture in Matthew 3:2 for some reason. “…and saying ‘Repent for the kingdom of
Heaven is at hand!’” (NKJV)
Somewhere in
that place between sleep and consciousness I had this thought… John’s proclamation means that Heaven isn’t
some distant place beyond the clouds anymore, but it is apparently still out
beyond our fears. If we can get past
them we will realize that the Baptizer was right… Heaven is for us to find down
here as well.
It’s strange how that thought stuck with me when so many of
my transitional dreams/ random thoughts don’t.
But I thought I would share it now just the same. Pride and fear are two of the biggest
hindrances to repentance. Pride says “I
don’t need to repent.” Fear says, “I’ll
have to give up too much if I do.” Advent
is all about the reminder that in Emanuel, we can know that God is not as
distant as we once thought. And in
conquering our fear and repenting of the sins in our lives (in whatever form
they may take) we can begin to experience Heaven down here while participating
in ushering it into the rest of creation.
Not far out beyond your fear Heaven is waiting for you today. Repent and enter in…
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