Apparently someone was confused on how old I am because of the 30+1, 30+2. Hopefully, the title speaks for itself, HA!
Do you get excited about heaven?? I never used to be, music plays a big part in my excitement with heaven. We have all heard the descriptions throughout our childhood, the streets of gold, the glassy sea, the mansion filled with rooms for the redeemed, the great white throne, etc, but it is hard to physically imagine. This is where music helps/hinders at least in my case.
The first song that I remember hearing about heaven in is the song "Thank You" by Ray Boltz. I loved that song, that is until I reached high school and realized just how stupid it is to think that while we are in heaven that we would be praising PEOPLE!!! Yeah, like that is going to happen!! It wasn't until I realized that heaven is NOT for us but for GOD. Why would God create the heavens and the earth, create man, send His Son to redeem man, which is all for HIS GLORY, bring us into heaven to worship Him for all eternity, and just randomly let us focus one one believer to glorify? It makes no sense!! Now that I am 30 :) I get what the song could have been saying, that our reward is in heaven. But what a bad way to have it come across.
The next song I remember is D.C. Talk's "Heavenbound" Any of you remember that one?? I sure do, in fact I think that I could rap out the chorus for you......don't worry, I won't. That song actually has nothing to do with Heaven! It makes references to salvation and heaven, but it keeps repeating itself to reach for higher ground. It makes no sense at all, well, it does once you realize that "ground" rhythms with "bound".
Fast forward to 2001 when Mercy Me song "I can Only Imagine" was released. Boy did that song explode! As good as that song was, it didn't get me excited at all. It was too much what I was going to be feeling in heaven. I am not going to be thinking in heaven about what I am feeling like. Now granted, I have a feeling that I will be in awe, after all we will be surrounded by God's glory.
Do you see what I mean? How can you get excited about heaven when you hear this kind of music trying to describe it? It doesn't make you long for heaven as we ought, it brings heaven down to us. So sad.........BUT there is hope and THIS is what gets me excited for heaven!!
In the summer of 2008 a band called "Enfield" released an album called "O, for that Day" for the Resolved Conference. This album gets me ecstatic for heaven, in particular two songs. "Arrived" and "Finally Home" I am not going to tell you about these songs. Listen for yourselves and see if they get your heart thumping and bring a smile to your face! It leaves you wanting to shout. "Hallelujah, we are finally home!" And "No more distractions, no sin left fight. First glimpse of Jesus, and faith becomes sight!" Even those two short lines get me excited! Be excited!! Heaven is going to be awesome! I am heaven-bound!!
1 comment:
I'm ready- Let's go today. A glass sea that surrounds the Throne, stone everywhere and those are just the scenery that can't distract our attention from the One Who gave Himself for us.
It is hard to imagine but soon we won't have to imagine any more and we will be spending all of eternity in unending worship, without sin to distract us, singing at the top of our lungs with perfect voices, in the choir of vessels created to do exactly what we will be doing.
Let's Go!!
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