A Little Heaven on Earth & Our Ultimate Desire – Purity 1777
Purity 1777 10/02/2025 Purity 1777 Audio Podcast
Purity 1777 on YouTube:
Good morning,
Today’s photo of the sun pouring out its heavenly light over the misty morning farmlands off of Waite Road comes to us from yours truly as I captured this scene while taking a walk with my canine pal, Harley, on Saturday. The way the sun just lit up the landscape was amazing and may have given us a small idea of what heaven will be like.
Well, It’s Thursday and I share today’s hot black asphalt pathway photo as a visual reminder or encouragement to get on or to stay on the path of Christian Discipleship where we may walk through trials but where we also experience a little heaven on earth from time to time.
Last night I hosted another meeting of the Celebrate Freedom Support Group at Starpoint Church where our group was truly blessed with the arrival of a new participant and the return of some old familiar that we haven’t seen in quite some time. I make a point of trying to create a “grace environment” in our group where we are building a community based on our faith and strengthened by “joy bonds” between our members. Too often our human relationships are hindered by performance expectations and fears of rejection – that if we don’t measure up to certain standards, people will label us “not good enough” and ask to leave. So every time someone walks into our meeting, I try to greet them with a big “I am so happy to see you!” – because I am (recovery ministry can be lonely sometimes) – and because I want everyone who comes to our meeting to feel welcomed and accepted.
People need to be loved and accepted and unfortunately those who go into recovery often have broken lives and broken relationships and don’t often hear that anyone is happy to see them. Last night, one attendee returned to our group after a very long absence and was visibly emotionally moved by my warm welcome. Their testimony told of how they had been trying to do life with generic self-care techniques on their own, with no community, and with no real consideration for God. That worked for a while but as time moved on they became less and less secure, and more anxious, and depressed. They confessed that they believed that they were on the verge of a nervous breakdown and only recently started to seek help and they were glad to be back with Celebrate where they can find a hope and support.
We were never meant to do life alone and I am often reminded of that fact God has really blessed me with the Celebrate Freedom ministry (as a place to serve as well as a place to be served) and how wonderful it is to see other people find hope and make their way out of the darkness. I do my best to encourage people to renew their minds with God’s truth and to let God change their heart’s desires – from the things of this world to the things of God.
Speaking of our heart’s desires, the Turning Point with David Jeremiah devotion for today talks about our ultimate desire and I am sharing it on the blog today to encourage us to seek the One would can meet all our needs and who can fulfill all the desires of our heart. Dr. David Jeremiah writes:
“ONE’S ULTIMATE DESIRE
We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. – 2 Corinthians 5:8
Toddlers are small enough to fit comfortably in the lap of a grandparent to read a book, watch a movie, or just snuggle. In other words, it’s not the activity or the environment that is important to the child; it is the presence of a beloved person.
The same could be said for the Christian’s anticipation of eternal life. While Revelation 21 presents a gorgeous preview of heaven, there is something more important to consider: the presence of the person of Jesus Christ. In a moment of introspection, the apostle Paul wrestled with something most Christians have thought about: Would we rather remain here or be in heaven? While he recognized his obligation to be present in service to the Church, he also had a great desire to “depart and be with Christ, which is far better” (Philippians 1:21-26). He knew that “to be absent from the body [was] to be present with the Lord”—which was his ultimate desire.
Is your ultimate desire to be in the presence of Jesus? The better you know Him now, the stronger that desire will grow. – David Jeremiah
May God grant us a desire for God that supersedes all other desires. – A. W. Tozer
Amen. Through our faith in Jesus Christ, we have the assurance of heaven. The biggest question and fear of our lives (What happens when I die) has been answered. We go to be with the One who died for us, was raised to life, ascended to heaven, and who goes to prepare a place for us.
When we trusted in Jesus, our names were written in the Lamb’s book of life and we were adopted into God’s royal family as sons and daughters. In Christ, we are redeemed and have eternal life.
When we embrace these facts about our new life in Christ a new question arises: Should I stay or should I go?
The good news is that God has that answered for us and has appointed a day when we will enter into eternity to be with Jesus.
So, we don’t worry about when we will die because we know where we are going and we know that it will be better than where we are now. We will literally be with Jesus in a way that we haven’t experienced yet.
Now just because Jesus is on the other side, it doesn’t mean we can’t experience His presence while we are here on earth. We can be with Jesus on earth by studying God’s word, by talking to God throughout the day in prayer, and by living according to Jesus’ teachings and example.
When we reflect and meditate on Jesus, we may yearn to rush into eternity to be with Him but His last words to His disciples gives us our mission for life here on earth: to share the good news of Jesus and to make other disciples to join us in God’s kingdom and in the good work we have to do on earth.
So hold on to the hope of heaven, we will be there someday for sure, but in the meantime accept the mission that Jesus calls us to. Rejoice in your salvation and do your best to seek and save those who are lost.
The gift of our salvation is eternal life and a brand new purpose. So let’s always enjoy the first, fully participate in the second, and wait and see how this journey will go until we reach our final destination with Jesus.
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For those who want more evidence for Christianity than my simple encouragements provide, I offer apologist, Frank Turek’s website, https://crossexamined.org/.
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Today’s Bible verse comes to us from “The Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling” By John G. Kruis.
(While Bible verses on various topics of Counseling can be found with a quick Google search, we encourage you to purchase this resource to support the late author’s work. (The Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling By John G. Kruis on Amazon )
This morning’s meditation verses come from the section on Peacemakers – Peacekeepers.
Proverbs 15:18 (NASB) A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but the slow to anger calms a dispute.
Today’s verse is the first of four passages of scriptures that fall under the sixteenth point of our counseling reference guide resource section on Peacemakers – Peacekeepers.
16. Be patient. Bear with one another.
Today’s Bible verse warns us about the dangers of having a hot temper and encourages us to cool our jets and settle our disputes.
Jesus is the Prince of Peace and it should be no surprise that the Bible has a lot to say about peace and how to find it. The word peace occurs 397 times in 369 verses of the NKJV Bible. Today’s proverb recommends anger management – to be slow to anger – and conflict resolution – to settle our dispute- to have peace with others.
Its good biblical advice, so try to be patient and forgiving as you walk through this life and try to resolve your differences with others quickly. God doesn’t wants us to hold onto anger, bitterness, or resentment so use your faith and your relationship with God to guide you into His peace and you will discover that He will help you to have peace within yourself and as well as peace outside yourself with others.
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As always, I invite all to go to mt4christ.com where I always share insights from prominent Christian theologians and counselors to assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with their walk.
Today we continue sharing from “Day by Day Along the Way” By Jay E. Adams.
As always, I share this information for educational purposes and encourage you all to purchase Adams’ books for your own private study and to support the late author’s work. This resource is available online for less than $20 at many sites.
Day 276
… they persevered in the apostles’ teaching, in fellowship … – Acts 2:42
Which also included “the breaking of bread and prayer.” This fellowship with the apostles was rich, warm, the sort that every congregation ought to enjoy. It included eating together, and prayer. This was not occasional, but regular (“they persevered”). As Hebrews says, we must not forsake assembling together. Fellowship in the meetings of the church is necessary because as God’s people we need the instruction of the Word and the stimulation to love and good works that grows from meeting together as well as from discussion and prayer. Congregations that meet in a structured way, one hour one day a week, misunderstand the purposes and functions of the church. A closely congregated people, variously referred to as a flock and a family, must spend time doing things together. There is no place for “lone wolf” Christians. God’s way is to work through bodies joined together for service and mutual edification. You cannot find these necessary factors anywhere but in God’s church. Are you a full participant in its activities?[1]
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[1] Jay E. Adams, Day by Day along the Way (Cordova, TN: Institute for Nouthetic Studies, 2020), 284.
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