The Hope of Heaven: Glorified Bodies

by David Chadwick

Join me as we take two weeks to remind ourselves of the hope of heaven. The coming realization of our eternity. One day, every person who has put his or her trust in Jesus Christ will have glorified, perfect bodies. This is the doctrine of glorification.

In the twinkling of an eye, our bodies will be changed. 1 Corinthians 15:52 says so! It will be a sudden, supernatural transformation. In that glorious moment, our aging, pain-filled bodies, which often groan for the day of redemption, will suddenly be made whole.

The twinkling of an eye! That’s faster than the speed of a wink, roughly between 0.1 to 0.4 milliseconds. It’s hard to even comprehend the transformation that will take place on that day and in that moment.

Right now, our bodies are perishable. You’ve heard the statistic. 1 out of 1 people will die. It is inevitable. No one escapes death. We are all born sinners, and “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). But the verse doesn’t stop there. It goes on to say the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

One day, our bodies will be perfect. Free from stain and the problems of sin. Never to die again. Free from temptation and desires to rebel against God. Only consumed with life and love.

Every person in God’s kingdom will have a perfect body. Can you even begin to imagine a place where no one ever fears or experiences death, pain, or suffering again? A place where everyone is fully capable of operating in perfect love.

This, my dear friends, is heaven. And one day we will fully realize the kingdom of God on earth as it perfectly exists in heaven. Isaiah 65:17 says, “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered, or come into mind.”

I often like to say that God is an eternal amnesiac. “As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12).

One day, we will fully live with him in this glorious state. No more tears, no more sorrow, no more sin.

What a glorious day indeed.

Gratitude: Gratitude Transforms Circumstances

by Marilynn Chadwick

Just why thanksgiving has the power to transform a difficult situation is something of a mystery. When someone gives thanks in the Bible, you often find a miracle close by. Jesus gave thanks before he broke the five loaves and two fish to feed the five thousand. He lifted his eyes to heaven before he called the four-day-dead Lazarus to come forth from his tomb.

Yesterday, I talked about the forty long days visiting my sister in the hospital trauma ward and how I found myself waking up each morning, wrestling for hope. Her serious head injury after a fall had resulted in emergency surgery and an uncertain prognosis. She had lost all movement, all cognition. Doctors thought she had suffered a massive stroke and may never regain consciousness. Exhausted that night, I left to go home.

The next morning, I woke up, again desperate for hope. On the way to the hospital, I called to mind the promises of Philippians 4:6-7: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

When I arrived at the hospital, I pulled into the usually jam-packed parking lot. Instead of the usual long search for a spot, I noticed an empty parking space right next to the front door. The security guard greeted me with unusual kindness. Then, as I walked into my sister’s room, I learned the MRI had revealed no massive stroke as we feared the night before. What’s more, a doctor came by and administered a new medicine. Within a few seconds, there were signs of life and a brief recognition on my sister’s part. The doctor said this was a good sign. A glimmer of hope. Later that day, she regained consciousness.

I can’t explain why, but gratitude also brought me an unexplainable peace, even during the uncertainties of her difficult months of rehab. My sister eventually lost her battle and went home to be with Jesus, where she is forever free from suffering.

But God knows what he is doing, and his word tells me not to worry, to pray, and to give thanks. God’s peace truly passes understanding.

Let’s face it. Life on planet Earth is full of dark and difficult moments when things don’t make sense. But even those places can become opportunities to take God at his Word. It’s not like Jesus didn’t warn us: “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace. In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world.” [My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding]” (John 16:33 AMP).

Gratitude: Gratitude Softens Suffering

by Marilynn Chadwick

“In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33 NKJV

Giving thanks to God can diffuse even life’s most difficult circumstances. Gratitude has a healing power all its own. I have seen this over and over in our decades of ministry as we have come alongside people during their times of trial. I’ve watched praise and thanksgiving rise up from those walking through the worst of tragedies—clear evidence that God is providing supernatural strength and comfort.

Several years ago, I personally learned anew the value of giving thanks—this time in the trauma ward of our local hospital. I was not there as a caregiver but as a family member. My younger sister had sustained a traumatic brain injury in a fall and was fighting for her life. Some of you have walked through a similar journey. There’s lots of watching, waiting, and praying at a time like this.

During those nightmarish 40 days visiting the trauma unit, I decided to begin each difficult morning thanking God for what he was doing in this situation. I also began watching for evidence of his work, jotting down each little sign of hope—however tiny—in my journal.

There were many. Like the kind custodian who assured me that “God was in control." Looking over at my comatose sister, he added, with conviction, “She’s going to be all right.” Or the beautiful chaplain with a Middle Eastern background who talked about how her family had smuggled Bibles into her closed country. What a special time of prayer we had together right there in my sister’s hospital room. Or the beautiful garden I discovered behind the hospital—a nice spot to have lunch in the bright October sunshine. Then, there was the beautiful walking trail just outside the hospital; the friends who dropped by at just the right moment to pray for my sister. The list goes on.

To the surprise of the medical team, my sister regained consciousness. She also retained much of her cognitive ability, though there were some physical limitations. We had a long road ahead of us. Over the next twenty-nine months, there were ups and downs, hard moments and bright moments before my sister eventually went home to heaven. But during that time, there were many reasons to have hope. Above all, I finally became assured she had accepted Jesus. And I was truly thankful. Gratitude had surely softened the suffering.