Oak Hill Baptist Church

That new body is sounding pretty good

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Heaven”

Our Bible verse for today: “The Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” Philippians 3:20-21 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “That new body is sounding pretty good”

Did you enjoy reading that quote from Joni Eareckson Tada in yesterday’s devotional? Did you think it was kind of fun and even a little cute? I did too. So, let me share it again: “One day no more bulging middles or balding tops. No varicose veins or crow’s-feet. No more cellulite or support hose. Forget the thunder thighs and highway hips. Just a quick leapfrog over the tombstone and it’s the body you’ve always dreamed of. Fit and trim, smooth and sleek.”

Do you think maybe that’s just the wishful thinking of a woman who has spent decades as a quadriplegic and confined to a motorized wheelchair? It’s not. It is solidly Biblical. That quote came from Joni’s book “Heaven: Your Real Home,” and like Randy Alcorn’s book “Heaven,” it is based on truth from Scripture.

In Philippians 3:20-21 (above), Paul writes that Jesus will transform this lowly physical body of ours into a replica of His glorious resurrection body. And what was that resurrection body of Jesus’ like? The gospels reveal that it had both physical and spiritual qualities. His disciples could see Him, hear Him, and touch Him, and He even ate a piece of fish in their presence (Luke 24:36-43). But He could also appear and disappear in an instant, entering rooms through locked doors and solid walls (John 20:19); and he floated in the air as He ascended to heaven (Acts 1:9). The resurrection body of Jesus was both physical and spiritual and Paul reveals that ours will be like that.

Does that sound far-fetched? Does it sound like maybe we’re reading too much meaning into the Scripture? Some Christians think of our eternal existence in a very cartoonish-fashion. They imagine themselves as an angel-like creature with wings, sitting on a cloud strumming a harp. Now that is far-fetched! And it does not come from Scripture.

Philippians 3:20-21 is just one passage that gives us some clues about what our eternal bodies will be like. There are others, and we will look at some of them in the days to come.

I don’t know about you but I’m tired of aching joints, a weak bladder, a bald head, and all the assorted assisted living devices, such as glasses and hearing aids that a body needs as it continues to age. I’m ready to be done with cellulite and highway hips. That new body is sounding pretty good!

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2023 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Getting old isn’t for sissies

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Heaven”

Our Bible verse for today: “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” 1 Corinthians 15:55 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Getting old isn’t for sissies.”

So far in this series we have learned several important truths regarding heaven and our journey towards it. First, heaven is real. Second, life is short. Third, eternity is long and so we had better be sure about where we’re going to spend it. Fourth, we all want to go to heaven, but most of us don’t want to go just yet.

Our natural human tendency is to fight death and to hold it off as long as we can. If we are successful in doing so, it means that we will live a long time in human years. Our life on earth, even if it lasts 80 or 90 years, is really just a blip on the radar screen of eternity but from the human perspective, it will have been a good long life. The downside is that as we get older our bodies deteriorate and we experience all the aches, pains, and disabilities of an aging body that is rapidly exceeding its “best if used by” date.

But that’s by design. God created our bodies to progressively fail so that the older we get, the less we’re going to like it. Here’s how Randy Alcorn explained it in his helpful book “Heaven”: “God uses suffering and impending death to unfasten us from earth and to set our minds on what lies beyond.” That being the case, it really is true then that getting old isn’t for sissies. If you are going to live long enough to get old then you had better prepare yourself for aching joints, a weak bladder, less hair on your head and more in your ears, and a whole host of assisted living devices such as eye glasses, hearing aids, walkers, and more.

As our bodies age, God is preparing us to leave the old failing physical body behind and to get ready for something new, something better. And what would that something better be? For one thing it will include a new eternal body to replace this old failing one. The Christian writer, Joni Eareckson Tada (who has spent most of her life as a quadriplegic) once described it this way: “One day no more bulging middles or balding tops. No varicose veins or crow’s-feet. No more cellulite or support hose. Forget the thunder thighs and highway hips. Just a quick leapfrog over the tombstone and it’s the body you’ve always dreamed of. Fit and trim, smooth and sleek.”

The picture the Bible paints of eternity in heaven looks remarkably like life on earth, but in a perfect way. That includes the body we will spend eternity in. That body will be a lot like this one, only perfect (we will think more about this tomorrow.)

As we’ve already discussed, most of us like this life on earth and we’re not very eager to give it up. So, what if life in heaven was actually like life on earth, only perfect? Hold that thought, we will come back to it tomorrow.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2023 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Life is short; eternity is long; we have to get this right

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Heaven”

Our Bible verse for today: “Show me, O Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man’s life is but a breath.” Psalm 39:4-5 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Life is short; eternity is long: we have to get this right”

Depending on which English language translation of the Bible you read, the word “heaven” appears between 500-600 times. Then there are the numerous general references to the afterlife that don’t specifically use the word “heaven”, such as Psalm 39:4-5. Altogether, there are many hundreds of verses and passages in the Bible which make it clear that there is more than just this life.

The reason we should be aware of the huge number of times heaven and the afterlife are mentioned in the Bible is because if God mentions something that many times, it must be important. It must mean that He wants us to “get it.” Life is short and eternity is a long; we are going to spend eternity somewhere and so we had better get this right. That’s why Jesus was so direct in John 14:6 when He said, “I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me.”

Around the world, approximately 3 people die every second, 180 every minute, 11,000 every hour, 250,000 every day – all leaving this life and going off to spend eternity in either heaven or hell. Heaven and hell are real, and eternity hangs in the balance. This is serious business and we need to help people understand the implications of it.

In my opinion, one of the most important and helpful books about heaven that was ever written is “Heaven” by Randy Alcorn. In that book Randy methodically explores the many hundreds of references to heaven, and what we can learn from them. When those passages are all culled from Scripture and organized by category, it’s amazing to see the picture that God has painted for us. Talk about a glorious future! Heaven is amazing, and it is real, and God wants you to know that. So, in the Bible He has painted a beautiful and detailed picture of it.

We will spend the rest of this month looking closely at that picture. Life is short; eternity is long; it’s important for us to know for sure where we’re going to spend it and what it’s going to be like.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2023 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

You have Jesus’ word on it

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Heaven”

Our Bible verse for today: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” John 14:1-3 (NASB)

Our thought for today: “You have Jesus’ word on it”

In these devotionals we have already learned that the sense that we will live forever, somewhere, is ingrained in the human heart. As Ecclesiastes 3:11 reminds us, God has designed us with eternity in our hearts. That’s why every civilization that has ever existed has always had a belief in the supernatural, and they have always had gods that they worshipped.

The Roman philosopher Seneca (not a Christian) wrote, “The day thou fearest as the last is the birthday of eternity.” What he meant was that the day of your death is actually your birthday in eternity. When you pass through the moment of death you are essentially leaving the womb of this lifetime and arriving in eternity. It’s as if this lifetime was your time in the womb that formed you and prepared you for life in eternity, and your moment of death is actually your moment of birth.

Humans have always known this, but it took Jesus to clearly explain it. In John 14:1-6 He tells us first that heaven is real and that when we get there, we will find that a special place in heaven has been prepared for each of us. And second, in John 14:6, He made it clear that there is only one path that leads from this life into heaven – faith in Him for the forgiveness of our sins: “I am the way the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me.”

When Jesus said those words, He eliminated every other possibility. If those words of Jesus are true then it cannot be faith in any of the other gods of this world, nor can it be a matter of being a good enough person, or performing enough religious rituals, or giving money to charity, or anything else. If those words of Jesus are true, then it is faith in Him for the forgiveness of your sins or you don’t get there.

Heaven is real, and faith in Jesus is the only way to get there. If you have placed your faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins then your day of death is actually your birthday into eternity. It may be a day of mourning for those who loved us here on earth, but it’s a day of celebration in heaven.

This life is not all there is. You have Jesus’ word on it.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2023 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Welcome to paradise

(Note: Very early Monday morning I have to take my sister to Chattanooga for open-heart surgery. For that reason, I’m sending you Monday’s devotional on Sunday evening. I would appreciate your prayers for my sister, Helen. This will be here second open-heart surgery in less than two years)

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Heaven”

Our Bible verse of today: “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:43 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Welcome to paradise”

Decades ago (when I used to watch television shows) there was a weekly drama series called “Fantasy Island.” It ran from 1977-1984 and it starred Ricardo Montalban as Mr. Roarke and Herve Villachaize as his dwarf assistant Tattoo.” Fantasy Island was a beautiful but mysterious island in the South Pacific where guests would come to experience special adventures that would change their lives. It was a paradise setting that was intriguing and alluring. “Fantasy Island” was an entertaining show and each episode always ended with a positive uplifting outcome.

But the setting – the island – it was beautiful. It was a tropical paradise – the kind I have been fortunate enough to visit numerous times in places around the world. I love palm trees and sugar-white beaches with clear aqua-blue water and cool sea breezes. That’s one version of paradise in my mind. But I have others. I also love the mountains of my home in Tennessee, and peaceful country roads showcasing Fall colors viewed from the seat of my Harley Davidson motorcycle. And then there are the soaring peaks of the Andes Mountains in South America, shrouded in mist and looking down upon lush green valleys, 13,000 feet below.

What images of paradise do you hold in your mind? The dictionary defines “paradise” as “An ideal or idyllic place, beautiful to behold and where everything is as you would like it to be; utopia.” It is a place where your cares melt away and you are relaxed and deeply at peace.

As Jesus was dying on the cross, one of the thieves next to Him professed faith and asked Jesus to remember him in the afterlife. To that Jesus replied with the words found in Luke 23:43, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Why do you suppose Jesus chose to use the word “paradise”? He could have just told the man that today you will be with me in heaven. But that wouldn’t have communicated the same sense of beauty and peace.

Words have meaning, and Jesus chose His words carefully, intentionally. He knows that we know what a paradise is like. We all have images in our own heads, based upon our own experiences, of what a paradise looks like and feels like. That image in our heads helps us to gain some small understanding of what heaven will be like.

Do you want to experience a little bit of heaven this morning? Settle back in your chair; get an image in your mind of your fondest “paradise” memory; and then savor it. Remember what it looked like. Remember how it felt to be there. Allow yourself to experience again the sense of awe, and pleasure, and the deep feeling of relief and relaxation as all your cares and concerns melted away.

Then multiply that by about a gazillion times.

Welcome to paradise. Welcome to heaven.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2023 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Glimpses of heaven

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Heaven”

Our Bible verse for today: “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, as I am known.” 1 Corinthians 13:12 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Glimpses of heaven”

In 1 Corinthians 13:12 Paul was writing about the fact that right now, in our flesh, we can only get shadowy glimpses of spiritual realities, but not a clear view. Evidence of the spiritual realm is all around us, visible in the physical world, but only dimly and in traces. We are physical beings and our five senses have limited capacity for detecting spiritual realities.

But still, evidence of the spiritual realm is there and it is detectable. That’s what Paul meant when he wrote that rather than seeing things directly and clearly, we see only reflections, as if we were looking in a mirror. The King James Version uses the phrase “looking through a glass darkly.” The image is there but it is obscured.

The same is true of heaven. God gives us glimpses of heaven here on earth. It’s almost like “Coming Attractions” when you go to the movies. They show you a trailer, or a teaser, of an upcoming film to capture your interest and make you want to see the movie. The trailer isn’t the movie itself. It actually tells you very little about the movie, it just gives you a feel for what it will be like and it makes you want to experience the entire thing. That’s what God is doing when He gives us glimpses of heaven here on earth.

I have shared with you before this passage from the famous poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning:

“Earth’s crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God,
But only he who sees, takes off his shoes,
The rest sit around and pluck blackberries …

Earth is crammed with glimpses of heaven. God did that on purpose to provide us with a little preview of what we have waiting for us. To begin to understand what we have waiting for us then, we need to open our eyes and see what He is already showing us now. We will do that with these devotionals in the days to come.

One little glimpse of heaven we get now is when the people of God are gathered for worship on Sunday morning. Will you be there to see it? Will your eyes be open and will you appreciate what God is showing you? Church, done right, should be a little glimpse of heaven.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2023 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you requested to be included in the Daily Devotional email reader group.

Our mailing address is:
Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Life is good

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Heaven”

Our Bible verse for today: “May the Lord bless you and protect you; may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; may the Lord look with favor on you and be gracious to you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Life is good”

I think Numbers 6:24-26 is one of the sweetest and most encouraging passages in the Bible. The words were originally given to Moses from God to speak over the people of Israel as a prayer of blessing. They are words of comfort and assurance and were intended to remind the people of how much God loves them and desires to bless their lives.

In 2020 the Christian singers Kari Jobe and Cody Carnes released a song based on this passage. It was called “The Blessing” and it quickly became a hit. My favorite version of the song is called “The New York Blessing.” It was released during the COVID 19 pandemic as a way of encouraging people and reminding them of God’s blessings – even in the middle of a pandemic. I encourage you to take a moment now to Google either version and listen to the song as a way of worshiping the Lord this morning.

The words of Numbers 6:24-26, and of the song “The Blessing,” remind us of an important truth – that God wants us to feel blessed and He wants us to enjoy life. Jesus also spoke to this truth in John 10:10 when He said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it in abundance.”

This helps us to better understand the dilemma we considered in yesterday’s devotional that we all want to go to heaven but most of us don’t want to go yet. It’s because life is good. We enjoy living and we want to continue doing so. And here’s the thing – that’s how God designed it. It was God’s idea for us to enjoy life. So much so, that he pours out His blessings upon us so we can enjoy life.

So, with that understanding, do you really think you should feel guilty about wanting to go to heaven eventually, but not quite yet? God Himself will decide when it’s time for you to go to heaven. Until then, He wants you to be blessed and He wants you to enjoy the life He has given you. Life is good and God wants you to enjoy it.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

But do you want to go now?

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Heaven”

Our Bible verse for today: “I am torn between the two. I long to depart and be with Christ – which is far better – but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.” Philippians 1:23 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “But do you want to go now?”

Do you want to go to heaven? I’m sure you probably answered “yes”. But the next question is, “Do you want to go now?” I’m thinking you probably weren’t as quick to answer that one. The pious-sounding answer would be “Yes, of course. I want to go now.” But do you really? We all want to go to heaven – someday, but the truth is that most of us are not in a big hurry to get there. Most of us enjoy living and we would like to continue doing so for a while longer.

The country singer Kenny Chesney once sang an amusing little song about this. The title was “Everybody wants to go to heaven.” Here are some of the words:

“Everybody wants to go to heaven, have a mansion high above the clouds,
Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to go now.

Everybody wants to go to heaven; it beats the other place there ain’t no doubt;
Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to go now.

Everybody wants to go to heaven, Hallelujah, let me hear you shout;
Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to go now.
I think I speak for the crowd.”

I think he does too. I think he speaks for the crowd.

The song is funny, but there’s also a lot of truth to it. As we noted in yesterday’s devotional, God created us with a longing in our hearts to be with Him in heaven. But He has also created a beautiful earth for us to live in now, and He has filled life with lots of enjoyable experiences. Therefore, we all find ourselves wanting to go to heaven, but not yet.

However, don’t feel too guilty about that. There are some good reasons for this tension between wanting to go to heaven but not wanting to go now. Tomorrow we will give some thought to why that is and whether it’s okay to feel that way.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

You were created for this

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Heaven”

Our Bible verse for today: “He has also put eternity in their hearts.” Ecclesiastes 3:11 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “You were created for this”

In Ecclesiastes 3:11 Solomon revealed a crucial fact about being human – we were made for heaven. We were not primarily created for life on earth. We were created for eternity in heaven.

The Amplified Bible is an English language translation that includes all the English words necessary to capture the full meaning of the original Hebrew or Greek. This can make for disjointed sentence structure and awkward reading, but it does provide all the words necessary to capture the full meaning of the original language. In the Amplified Bible Ecclesiastes 3:11 reads: “… He has also planted eternity (a sense of divine purpose) in the human heart (a mysterious longing which nothing under the sun can satisfy, except God) …”

The divine purpose Solomon refers to in that verse is God’s desire for us to spend eternity with Him in heaven. That’s what He created us for and that is why He designed an awareness of eternity into the human heart. There is a place in the human heart that’s reserved just for God. Nothing in all creation can occupy or fill that space except the Holy Spirit of God. That creates a longing in the human heart for God, and it explains why every civilization that has ever existed has always had a belief in the supernatural and they have all had a belief in God or in gods.

The early church father, Saint Augustine, once described it this way (in modern English): “You have created us for yourself, oh God, and our hearts are restless, searching, until we find our rest in you.” The 16^th century French philosopher Blaise Pascal expressed the same thought when he wrote, “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of man that can only be filled by God.” Life leads to death and then into eternity. And if we have placed our faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins, that eternity will be in heaven with God.

But what is heaven, and what is it like? If that’s where we’re headed then we ought to know something about it. Therefore, we will make that the subject of our daily devotionals for this month. Although there is much about heaven that cannot be known now in this lifetime, the Bible does reveal much more about it than you might realize. We’ll spend our time this month discovering some of what God has revealed to us about it. You were created for heaven. So, let’s find out what it’s going to be like.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Back to the heart of God

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Deep Discipleship”

Our Bible verse for today: “I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God because they will return to me with all their heart.” Jeremiah 27:7 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Back to the heart of God”

Over the course of these two months that we have been devotionally thinking about deep discipleship, we have considered not only what deep discipleship is, but we have thought about many ways to engage in it. We have considered such activities as prayer, Bible study, Scripture memorization, worship, fellowship, and service. We have talked to God and we have listened to Him; we have sung songs and listened to songs; we have done for others and we have allowed others to do for us; we have sought God, and He has sought us.

So, what is the right way to engage in deep discipleship? What is the best way? Is it being active or is it being still? Is it talking to God or listening to God? Should we pray, or read the Bible, or read a Christian book, or listen to music? Is it best to be in a group or to be alone?

The answer is “yes” to all of them. Use all of those methods, along with any others that effectively enhance your time with God. And which ones should you use the most? The ones that work the best for you. The way I once heard it expressed is, “Do whatever brings you back to the heart of God.” Go for a hike alone in the woods; sit quietly on your porch; pray; read the Bible; read a Christian book; listen to music; dance. Do whatever it is that brings you back to the heart of God – and do it a lot.

There is no cookie-cutter answer. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to deep discipleship. There are basic elements that need to be included in everyone’s tool box of spiritual disciplines, such as prayer and Bible study and worship and fellowship – but where, when, which, how often, and with who, is a matter of what works best for you. It’s not a matter of how you engage in deep discipleship, but that you engage in deep discipleship.

So, experiment. Try different things. Find the ones that work best for you, and then do whatever it is that brings you back to the heart of God.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville