I Can Only Imagine

9 But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

The ESV says or the heart imagined.

Imagine - to form a mental image of something not present.

Another definition is to suppose or guess or to form a notion without sufficient basis.

I want you to go with me to a place in my mind and yours that at present we can only imagine. But when we’re done this morning, I hope the result will be more reality than imagination.

Prayer

I was asking God what the sermon should be about this week and I came across a song that set my mind to wondering and then to imagining. ( clip out of the song)

It’s been awhile now since I felt it and it’s getting harder and harder to remember the friends and the fellow ship that we used to have at church. The doors were closed for the last time when it became clear that it would not be safe to meet in an open setting anymore.

Oh we haven’t ran out of members. There are more people seeking a personal knowledge of my friend and savior now than ever before. Since it was declared that we couldn’t worship on the Sabbath anymore, people are getting into there Bibles and starting to look for themselves as to what is right and wrong.

We’ve had to split our meetings up into small groups that move around so as not to track attention. Jesus Time, we decided to call them. There have been notifications of jail time, and punishments of all kinds have started to become known to us. But I digress from what I wanted to let you know of my experience.

I told you that people have been coming to our meetings wanting a more personal knowledge of Jesus as their friend and personal savior. They aren’t finding that in the world anymore. Everywhere there is only greed and personal gain and violence when they don’t get what they want.

We have been studying more in depth what Jesus is really like and through this study we have renewed our minds and it’s become so much a part of us, how much the Father loves us. We found that

John 3:16–17 NKJV

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

This world is so unlovable now. It renews our hearts as we commit these verses to memory.

We’ve gone though and re-read all the passages where the disciples describe what Jesus is really like. There are so many verses that describe what He was that it would take to long in the little time I have with you today. Verses like

John 10:11 NKJV

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.

John 10:14 NKJV

14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.

Matthew 9:36 NET

36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were bewildered and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

That symbolism of Sheppard watching over us, especially now, is such a comfort to me. He watched over the disciples in the storm by controlling it. My friend and Lord is that kind of person. I know He can get me through this and what’s ahead because He says

Hebrews 13:8 NKJV

8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

The old and new, but especially the new testament show us so much of his love toward us. Isaiah from the Old Testament tells us

Isaiah 53:4 NET

4 But he lifted up our illnesses, he carried our pain; even though we thought he was being punished, attacked by God, and afflicted for something he had done.

There were countless times that he was moved by the crowds that followed Him. He broke bread and fish and asked the Father to bless them and fed more people than I’ve ever seen in one place. He never condemned human weakness, never spoke a harsh word to those that needed comfort and His help. My Lord could feel sorrow.

I know this because the Bible records that Jesus wept. But it was not a grief like you and I experience. Jesus was not weeping for Lazarus, because he was about to call him from the dead. In His tears was a sorrow born of not just the human sympathy for Mary and Martha, but because those weeping around Him would soon plot and plan the death of the one who was the resurrection and the life. His tears were also there because the weight of the grief of ages was upon him. He not only saw the suffering and the sorrow around him, He saw from the death of Able to the present, the suffering and sorrow that must come to pass. That is way He wept.

His compassion knows no bounds. He healed everyone He came in contact with. From blindness to leprosy to death. It all fled from or evaporated before Him. Not to mention the evil spirits that were unlucky enough to be be in His presence. They know who Jesus is and they flee from Him at His command even now. When I feel that oppression and dread that only comes because of the evil one, I only have to mention His name and the feelings leave and the warm love flows back into my heart.

He cared for men and women a like. It’s always amazes me at the level of tenderness He shows us, but able to instruct all at the same time.

Matthew 15:21–28 NKJV

21 Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.” 23 But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.” 24 But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” 26 But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” 27 And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” 28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

Matthew 20:29–33 NKJV

29 Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him. 30 And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!” 31 Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!” 32 So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” 33 They said to Him, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened.”

Matthew 19:13–15 NKJV

13 Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” 15 And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.

There are so many more places in the Bible that tells of how he feels and cares about us. Is there anyone like this man in our world anymore? The news is so full of hate and violence. I want so much for this all to be over!

But then my heart over flows with love when I think of the ultimate gift that He gave me and to us all.

Isaiah 53:4–6 NLT

4 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! 5 But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. 6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.

Matthew 20:28 NKJV

28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

John 6:51 NKJV

51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”

Because of this there is joy in my heart and I will be able to withstand this last episode in the history of this fallen world, so I can see my Lord!

Anticipation

I find myself more and more thinking about what it will be like when I get to actually meet and see Jesus face to face. I have seen many pictures over the years of artist’s ideas of what he is like, but as I think about it, I come to realize that it will be the person both mental and spiritual that I want to be with. Granted I’m sure that His glory will make me feel in awe, but there will more than that.

As I see Him for the very first time, I don’t think I’ll be able to contain all the longing, all the wishing for the physical touch of His arms to wrap around me. He will smile at me and know my longing and hold out His arms. I will run to Him and He will hold me tight and I will feel the protection there that was only mentally present before. After all I have been through, I want to feel the security of His strength and love about me. After I long moment I will look up into His face and see the glorious gift of love shinning so brightly that I’ll just know that this is were love comes from and it is the fulfillment of what God originally intended and it’s for me!!!

He lets me stay there wrapped in His arms as long as I need until I feel sort of guilty for taking so much of His time. There are others that are craving the same as I. As I let go of His embrace, He smiles and says we will have some time together shortly.

Later as I’m setting next to the tree of Life contemplating the wonder of it all, He comes over to where I am. I look up at Him and see in His eyes all the compassion that has carried me through everything that has happened. As I look at Him, all those “things” blur and fade away. I stand and we walk side by side as He describes all the things that made Him smile as I lived out my life here on earth. I listen to the stories of how He stepped in guiding and prodding me when I was stubborn, or protecting me when I was in danger. My heart melts when He tells me of the times He carried my when I didn’t have the strength to go on anymore. My hand finds it’s way into His and I feel the strength that can move mountains and that guided His children from the first bite of forbidden fruit until now. From now on sin will never mar another face with pain and suffering. That is only a thing of the past.

I look into His eyes again and I see into His heart and am overwhelmed by what I see and feel. This can only happen hear in Heaven in a place where sin can not touch. I Feel more than see what God had intended for His people to have all along. For a short instance I’m here with Jesus and everywhere all at once as I truly realize what Jesus has accomplished for us all!

At Long Last

I’m brought out of my musing by a horrible banging on the door where I’m staying. I here yelling commands for everyone to come out. We do and I see that there are many people with weapons around. This is the day that we’ve all been dreading. I knew it had to come sooner or later.

As they attempt to round us up, someone points to the sky and everyone present looks as well.

A cloud, but not like any cloud I’ve seen before. My eyes must be playing tricks on me. Is it possible? It can’t be? But then as the cloud grows bigger and bigger by the minute, I see what is unmistakable to us who have been waiting for so long. He’s there, right where He said he would be. Our eyes connect and what I only imagined a few hours before becomes reality.

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