I was in a zoom session with Dr Ben Gladd & Dr Ligon Duncan this afternoon over an exegesis talks from scripture. Of the many awesome things that I got like the best commentary for NT related to OT is by Beale, which I promptly bought one, though expensive! Among other good stuff on reading and interpreting Greek, and the bible, the thing that hit me most came from an unlikely totally unrelated theme, albeit a really if not the most important theological and philosophical and existential hope theme, is about Gladd’s sharing about his dad who just passed away not too long ago. He told his dad, “I will hang out with you in heaven in future”. He said as a matter-of-fact way, and for some reason, this is not a new theology, but rathe rudimentary if anything, but it struck me. Must be the Holy Spirit moved in my heart. I immediately thought of my own dad, who passed decades ago, that I will see him and hang out with him in heaven! Whoa! Never really think of it that much, may be its too long ago when that happened. But then I turned to think about my 82 years old mum, and in future after she’s passed away, and in eternity, I will also hang out with her in heaven! Whoa! Then it dawned on me for my own kids, will I hang out with them all in heaven in eternity?

That’s when the rubber hits the road, and there is just a sense of uneasiness that came upon me. We all love to hang out with our loved ones in eternity, so we now must make sure they have put their faith in Christ Jesus, and totally be born again and follow Christ, and worship him. That’s the main drive for me, for I know I have a lot of prayers need to be done. I have to humble myself before God and pour out my heart to God for His divine work in all my children’s’ lives, and many parents I know must be praying for their kids for years, some have seen a turnaround, some have not, regardless, this is truly the remarkable love of parents, and the calling of parents for their kids that God has put in our hearts. I am thankful for my mum who had prayed for me a lot for years, and now continue to pray for me and my siblings and her grandchildren as well.

I want to bring that reality of seeing and hanging out in heaven for eternity into our feelings, perception, minds, spirits more. Sometime, in fact most times, we take things for granted, and leave them as they are. We either have given up with the status quo of our prayers not seeing results yet, or we have lost sight of the reality of eternity that’s coming. The eschatological age that’s coming. We must see that reality more and more. As Christians that’s the hope that no others have. If we see that we will see and hang out with our grandma, grandpa, fathers, mothers, in laws etc. in heaven for eternity in future, this will just make our hearts well up with so much joy and one can easily burst into tears of joy and gratefulness unspeakable.

Some of our parents, grandparents have passed away for years, and the notion that we will see them and remember us and hang out together in heaven is a bliss! It’s an amazing feat that’s of such epic proportion & unspeakable joy. We have that, and we must treasure it and rejoice. We will see our dear loved ones who are deceased one day. This is the good news that we must share with our friends, speak into their lives, evangelize, make disciples, and plant churches, because that reality should rejuvenate us and spring us into action. Evangelism and planting churches, making disciples are some of the hardest in the world, but that reality is the most powerful antidote for us which is the hardest impossibility for most in the world, and yet the most significant and important tin life, far more than the $$$ in bank account. Only in Christ we can have that, and we do. We give thanks from the bottom of our hearts!