Description of Heaven (part 2)

Dear Pastor Andy, Will everybody in Heaven be filled with lots and lots of happiness? Also is Heaven a million times better than a wealthy person driving nice cars, owning a mansion, a cabin in the mountains, a vacation home on the beach, lots of nice clothes, boats, water skis, nice stereo equipment, nice furniture, going on lots of nice vacations, eating lots of their favorite meals and being surrounded by all the friends they want?  And will everybody in Heaven have equal privileges?

My Reply:

Will Heaven be filled with happiness and a million times better than a wealthy person?  Well first of all, ask just about anybody who's rich in the ways you said, and I'm sure that neither of them will admit to actually being happy. Actually, as I've come to understand, that's why they keep spending...because they're not content with what they have.  And so the less happy they are, the more they get, and again the less happy they become. So they buy things in an attempt to fill the void.

Heaven will be awesome, for it will be in the full, constant presence of the Lord.

Here's how I imagine how Heaven will be:

Have you ever have those "God moments" where you feel the Lord's presence, along with an "ah-ha!" moment? Or those times when you have no fear but only comfort and safety, even though the opposite is what would be expected? Or those times when Jesus reveals Himself to you in even the smallest of things? And especially when you're praying and He answers you in some way that you can't deny it being Him?

Now imagine that, what, several billion times stronger, and constant, never-ending. I think that'll be even a speck of what heaven will be like!

As for equal privileges, I think we can look to what Paul said in 1 Corinthians and Galatians about everybody being equal in Christ, and apply it to those in Heaven (but then, we also hear of the pillars in Heaven, so I can't say).

Ultimately though, it'll be POLAR to the other place.

For more on Heaven, check out my other blog.

I also replied to a similar question on here.

---Pastor Andy

Recommendations for a book for bible study?

Question:

I'm looking for something that has scripture and maybe questions for discussion. We're a bunch of 20-25 year old girls who meet once a week. Thanks for you help!

My Reply:

In terms of books in the Bible:

My wife & I went through the book of Joshua (Bible), which is a great book for young leaders, teaches to consult the Lord before every big decision, and fulfillments of promises. It also ends with a great note.

Judges was a fun one, also, for in it, God calls several different people (and different kings of people) to serve Him and rescue His people. It also explains that throughout most of the time then, there was no king and so everybody did as they thought was right. So it's a good comparison with issues of the world/Church today.

1 Corinthians seems to touch on many issues that are great discussion-starters, for it talks about problems within the walls of the Church, and among its people. It starts with conflict, goes into bad representation of God, talks about death and resurrection, and even how to worship (or how not to).
(feel free to email me...I've written a Bible Study for it I'd be happy to email you...free, no strings).

Non-Bible books:
-Max Lucado: "Facing Your Giants"
-Gary Chapman: "The 5 Love Languages"
-Lee Strobel: "The Case For..." (faith, Christ, Easter, Christmas...)
-"Influencing Like Jesus"

---Pastor Andy

In Absence

Question:  Is cold the absence of heat, like atheists are the absence of God? 

My Answer:

Atheists are not the absence of God, but atheism is the absence of believing in God's existence. 
As for the absence of God, the Psalmist wrote that no matter where we go, even to the deepest depths of the earth, we can't escape the presence of the Lord.