CATALYST Youth: April 22, 2016- AFTERLIFE PART 2: HEAVEN

In the second part of our series, 'AFTERLIFE', I answered some questions that our teens had about heaven. There were A LOT of them! Below you can find a list of the questions along with all of the Bible references that I didn't read or explore in detail when I spoke.

If the Bible really is God's Word-- and the God of the Universe is communicating and revealing himself to us through this book, then what it says about our lives and our future (heaven and hell) is pretty important. A lot of people wonder about heaven. They wonder what it's like or even if it's going to be good. Some people are even a bit worried that it'll just involve sitting on clouds and playing harps all day. The Bible tells Christians that we should "set our sights on the reality of heaven" (Col 3:1)-- that when life is difficult and challenging, thinking about the future God has in store for us can give us a lot of hope-- but what exactly is the REALITY of heaven?

1. What happens to Christians when they die?
The Bible presents us with two possible options depending on how we read and interpret those passages.

OPTION 1: When Christians die, they'll be "asleep" until Jesus returns and they are resurrected.
Psalm 6:5, Psalm 115:17, Eccl 9:5-6, Isaiah 38:18-19 all refer to death as a kind of sleep. Jesus hints at this in John 14:3 saying that we'll go to the place he has prepared for us "WHEN HE RETURNS". In 1 Thess 4:16 it says that when Jesus returns, "from that time on we will all be with the Lord forever".

OPTION 2: Christians immediately experience heaven/paradise when they die.
Jesus told the thief on the cross in Luke 23:43 that, "Today you will be with me in paradise". In 2 Cor 5:8 Paul says that when Christians are "away" from their earthly bodies they will be "present with the Lord". Jesus' parable in Luke 16:19 was about a man who was carried to "paradise" when he died.  Elijah never died but was carried up to heaven (2 Kings 2:11). If heaven doesn't kick in until Jesus' return, where did he go? Jesus actually was seen talking to Moses and Elijah by three of his disciples in Matthew 17:1-9, Mark 9:2-8 and Luke 9:28-36). Wouldn't they be asleep? The Bible also tells us that Jesus is in heaven sitting at the right hand of the Father (Col 3:1, Hebrews 1:3, Hebrews 12:2), so heaven must exist.

2. Is heaven some place in the clouds?
If you subscribe to OPTION 2, then heaven is some spiritual place that exists now, but the Bible never tells us that it's a place in the clouds. In addition to that, the Bible says that the heaven that exists now, isn't the place where we'll spend eternity. Rev 21:1-4 says that God creates a new heaven and earth for us to live with him forever. Romans 8:20-22 talks about how the earth will be renewed (no more death and decay). Revelation 21-23 describes heaven as having mountains, water, fruit trees, people, houses, and cities. Isaiah 11:6-8 describes specific animals- wolves, lambs, lions, bears, cows, and even snakes, but that all animals will be at peace with each other. What will heaven be like? Think about life as it is now, but without sickness, death, disease, sadness, pain, corruption, evil, injustice, selfishness, and sin! Sounds perfect!

3. Will you get hungry in heaven? Is there food there?
Revelation 22:2 talks about fruit trees. Jesus ate bread and fish after he was resurrected (Luke 24:40-43, John 21:10-15) and the disciples ate and drank with him (Acts 10:40-41). In the Garden of Eden, before sin entered the picture, God gave fruit and vegetables to Adam and Eve to eat (Genesis 1:29-30). However, if the Bible says that animals won't attack other animals (Isaiah 11:6-8) and that even lions will eat straw, will we eat steak in heaven? Deep thoughts. Revelation 7:16 says that there will be no hunger or thirst, so eating might be done out of enjoyment rather than for survival.

4. Will there be jobs/money in heaven?
In the garden, God gave Adam a job to do, to care for creation and even name the animals. (He was a taxonomist!). While the Bible doesn't tell us anything about it, it makes sense that we'll have jobs that are fulfilling and meaningful. The work we do probably won't be terrible, as the Bible says that the hardship of work is a result of sin. (Genesis 3:17-19).

5. Will there be marriage/childbirth in heaven?
This question was specifically asked to Jesus in an attempt to trick him. In response, Jesus said in Matthew 22:30 that there would be no marriage in heaven. That said, we were made for relationship, Adam and Eve were created to be together in marriage before sin entered the picture, and Isaiah 11:8 talks about children being in heaven, so it's a real head scratcher.

6. Will there be naked angel babies in heaven?
There's no mention of angel babies in the Bible. It does describe heavenly creatures though-- including "flaming creatures with six wings" (Isaiah 6:2).

7. What will we do in heaven?
A great question with no definitive answer. It will involve worship (not just in singing, but in living our lives in thankfulness to God). We'll likely have jobs to do that suit our interests and abilities. Everything the Bible seems to indicate is that heaven will be like life now, without all of the evil, pain, and hardship.

8. What will we look like in heaven? Halos? Wings?
The Bible never says anything about people with halos or wings. White robes are often mentioned  (Rev 7:9) which symbolize purity and holiness. Probably the best thing to think about is that after Jesus was resurrected, he was recognized and the Bible says that our bodies will be like his (1 Cor 15:20, 48-49, Phil 3:21, 1 Joun 3:2).

9. Will my pet be in heaven?
There is mention of animals in heaven, but no mention of pets. If animals had souls, we would probably have been forbidden to eat them. If there's no death in heaven, animals probably won't die either- so there's some good news for pet lovers!

10. Will there be sleeping? Will we get tired?
Heaven without rest and relaxation doesn't seem very heavenly, but Revelation 22:5 says that there won't be any night. If we don't hunger or thirst, it makes sense we won't require sleep. At the same time, Adam slept (but that sleep was caused by God in Gen 2:21), so who knows?

11. How big is heaven?
If heaven on earth is a physical place that has a huge city on it (Rev 21) it would have to be large enough to accommodate all of those who have believed in Jesus throughout history. John 14 says that Jesus is preparing a place for us with many rooms, so hopefully we won't be squeezed in like sardines.

12. What will we wear?
White robes are often mentioned (Rev 7:9). Since clothing design is an art form, it makes sense that there will be fashion and creativity, although it wouldn't serve to draw attention to yourself. Aside from the robes however, there isn't mention of heavenly clothes.

13. Can you sin in heaven?
If there is no temptation, the assumption is that there would be no sin. Without temptation, wouldn't we always do what's right and make choices that would honor God and others?

14. Can you see/remember what you did before you were in heaven?
Revelation 6:9-11 implies that people who were killed for their belief in Jesus will remember what happened to them and even ask God for justice, so it sounds like you will remember things.

15. Can we physically see God?
Revelation 22:3-4 says we'll worship him and see him "face to face", which implies friendship and relationship. Talking about the difference between Jesus and the Father in a physical sense is a head scratcher. I think we'll definitely see Jesus though.

16. Is heaven 2D, 3D,... 10?
If the resurrected Jesus is the way we understand  what life will be like, we see him eating and being touched, but also appearing in rooms that were closed (John 20). I'm not sure what D that is, but it sounds cool.

17. Can you break bones in heaven?
Revelation 22:2 describes trees whose leaves heal the nations, so it's possible that you could require healing, but Rev 21:4 specifies that there will be no death, mourning, crying or pain, so a broken bone probably wouldn't hurt or be life-threatening.

18. Is there gravity in heaven?
Jesus appeared in a locked room (John 20), ascended into heaven (Mark 16:19. Acts 1:9-12), and walked on water (Matthew 14:24-33). God also created gravity and it would be weird if everything floated around. There really is no way of knowing.

19. Can we see hell?
If OPTION 2 (above) is accurate, then before Jesus returns, we might be able to see between heaven and hell because Jesus mentioned this in his parable in Luke 16, but there isn't any mention of this afterwards (when the new heaven and earth is created).

20. Can we make things exist by thinking about them?
We're not going to be God or have his power and abilities, but we're also very creative. It makes sense that art, music, design etc... will be a part of our lives, but we probably won't be able to make things appear out of nothing. There's nothing in the Bible that talks about this.

21. Can we continue our education in heaven?
Because we're not God, we likely won't be all-knowing. 1 Corinthians 13:12-13 says that we're going to know and understand God better, but 1 Peter 1:12 says that even angels don't know everything.

22. Can we play video games in heaven?
If we can create awesome technology now, it makes sense that we'll be able to continue to do so, but it wouldn't be corrupted- it would honour God. It doesn't make sense that 'M' rated video games full of horror and violence would exist. I think we can rest assured that, if this life is fun, a life without evil/sin/death etc... will be even more fun and fulfilling.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. When you think about heaven and what it's like, what are the things that really stand out to you? Why?

2. Colossians 3:1 says that we should "set our sights on the hope of heaven" when life is difficult or hard. Ask your teen how that might help them when they're going through stressful or difficult situations in life?

3. Take the time to pray and thank Jesus that, despite some uncertainty and mystery, we can trust him with our future and we can rest assured that the eternal life he has planned for us won't be terrible. It won't be worse than the life we're living now-- it'll be far better! Take the time to pray for friends or family members who seem far from God-- that they would come to know the God who loves them and be a part of heaven too.

CATALYST Youth: April 15, 2016- AFTERLIFE PART 1: HELL

Continuing our "HOT TOPICS" series, this week we answered some questions our teens had about hell. What does the Bible say about hell? Does it really exist? Is it only reserved for mass-murderers and child abusers-- people who are REALLY bad? If God loves us, then why would such a place exist- and why in the world would he send anybody there? Nobody likes to talk or hear about hell, but the Bible talks a lot about it. Jesus talked a lot about it. So, instead of ignoring it because it makes us uncomfortable, we tackled it head on. Don't shoot the messenger!

1. WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS: HELL IS…HELL.
People often use the word “hell” to describe a terrible situation-- you might see movies where people say that they’ve "been through hell"—meaning—they’ve had a REALLY rough go of life and have experienced things that they wouldn’t wish on their worst enemies. Some people even make light of hell, thinking that it's a party destination where they'll be able to hang out with all their friends. Unfortunately, whenever Jesus spoke about hell, he used pretty strong and terrifying language!

A) FIRE
In Matthew 25:40-42, Jesus talked about how there will come a time when God will judge all of humanity, and if we’re not tight with him, he said, “the angels will throw them in the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth”.

B) DARKNESS
In Matthew 22, Jesus tells a parable (a story to communicate a lesson to the audience) about a king who prepared a great feast and invited EVERYBODY (no matter how good or bad they were) to join him—but a ton of people turned him down and rejected the invitation. When the party began, the king noticed someone who didn’t belong there—someone who had tried sneaking in after rejecting the king’s invitation—so the king ordered his servants to “Bind his hands and feet and throw him into OUTER DARKNESS, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth”. The point of this whole parable is an important one. God offers us all an invitation to be forgiven and to be tight with him through Jesus, but if we reject or ignore that invitation, there will come a day when it’ll be too late to change our minds.

C) DESTRUCTION
In Matthew 10:28, Jesus says that hell is a place where your "soul and body will be destroyed". The Old Testament tends to also describe hell as “perishing” or “destruction”—for example, Psalm 92:7 says, “Though the wicked sprout like weeds and evildoers flourish, they will be destroyed forever.

D) ETERNAL PUNISHMENT
In Matthew 18:8-9, Jesus says that our sin (choosing to go our own way instead of God’s way) is serious, and the consequence of that is being thrown into “ETERNAL FIRE”. He speaks about "eternal fire" and "eternal punishment" in Matthew 25:41, 46 as well. In Luke 16, he told a parable of a man who went to hell, and while suffering, could actually see and talk to people in heaven/paradise, begging them to send someone to warn his family about the place. Pretty intense stuff.

2. IS HELL ONLY FOR REALLY BAD PEOPLE?
Our society seems to have this idea that hell is only for REALLY bad people—people who’ve committed horrendous crimes. In fact, a lot of people find that really appealing. They would say that the Hitlers of the world DESERVE to be in hell. It somehow appeals to our sense of justice—that evil people will get what they deserve—that they won’t get away with it—that they will be punished in the afterlife. Our society also has this tendency to believe (with no evidence, mind you) that if you’re a “good person”—if you’ve got decent morals—if you help old ladies across the street, than you’ll be guaranteed a spot in heaven. In TV and the movies, it depicts pretty much everybody seeing a light when they die, but the Bible actually tells us the opposite- that only that who believe in Jesus and accept the forgiveness that God offers for our sins will be a part of heaven.

Isaiah 64:5-6 says, “Is there any hope for us? Can we be saved? We’re all sin-infected, sin contaminated. Our best efforts are grease-stained rags.” That reminds us that a) all of humanity (ever since Adam and Eve) is sin-infected and contaminated. and b) we can't wash away our sin with our own effort. It would be like trying to wipe clean using greasy rags.

So according to the Bible, the movies have it all wrong. Outside of accepting Jesus—being RESCUED from sin—being give the antidote for this sin disease—it says we’re all on the highway to hell. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “God saved you by his grace WHEN YOU BELIEVED. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it”. Being saved from sin isn't something we deserve or can earn-- it's a free gift God gives us.

In John 14, when his disciples asked Jesus how to be guaranteed heaven, Jesus said to them, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me”. What Jesus is getting at is that it’s ONLY THROUGH HIM- BELIEVING IN HIM, ACCEPTING THE FORGIVENESS HE OFFERS, that we can be a part of heaven. He’s saying that there aren’t MANY ways to get there—but that He IS the way! Similarly, in John 10:9, Jesus says, “I am the gate. All who come in through me will be saved”.
The Bible clearly teaches that getting into heaven isn’t about goodness—it’s about believing in Jesus and accepting his help!  It’s kind of like if you're dying from a disease, you just can’t cure yourself by being kind and helpful. However, if you accept the antidote that's offered to you... well...that's a different story!


3. WHAT ABOUT PEOPLE WHO NEVER HEAR ABOUT JESUS?
I wish I could tell you that people who’ve never heard about Jesus will be given a chance to accept his love and forgiveness before they die, but unfortunately, there’s no place in the Bible that says that!
Now, there IS a case to be made for people who don’t have the ability or understanding to choose (which would include babies, young children, people with mental disabilities or mental health issues), but that’s another topic for another day!

Romans 10:13-15 paints a pretty clear picture. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That’s why the Scriptures say, ‘How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news’.

That’s why Christians have historically sent missionaries all over the world! That’s why the first disciples of Jesus traveled around telling people about Jesus even when their lives were threatened! They wanted as many people as possible to hear the good news! That's also why we're encouraged to "let our light shine", to be open and honest about what we believe, to pray and look for opportunities to share the good news of God's love with others! We want everyone to hear about the antidote!

4. IF HELL IS HELL, HOW COULD A LOVING GOD SEND PEOPLE THERE? The Bible says that God doesn’t send ANYBODY to hell! In fact, 2 Peter 3:9 says that God “wants everyone to turn from sin and for no one to be lost”. People going to hell doesn’t make God happy—the Bible says that he loves us and wants us all to be tight with him, but in the end—it’s our choice. We choose where we’re going by either accepting God’s love and grace or rejecting it and going our own way. If we choose to live life without God now, we’re choosing to remain apart from him forever—whatever that entails! You see, the Bible warns us where we're headed. It plainly tells us what will happen if our "sin infection" isn't dealt with. God wants to rescue us from that potential future! He has actually made it pretty easy for us. We don’t have to climb the highest mountain or complete some insane list of good deeds, but 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins to God, he can always be trusted to forgive us and take our sins away”. It's as simple as that.

5. FINAL DESTINATION?
There are several views that Christians have about hell. Some believe that it's a place of eternal torment where you will exist and suffer forever. Others believe that it's a place where you'll be destroyed and ultimately cease to exist. Some people believe that hell is just temporary and that everyone will eventually be saved (although there isn't too much biblical backing for this). No matter the view you choose to hold (and I would encourage you to dig into it on your own), the one thing I know is that, if you believe in Jesus, if you ask him to forgive you, if you make him the Lord of your life, you can be guaranteed that you'll one day be a part of heaven. Certainty is much better than uncertainty when dealing with such an important issue. We're talking your final destination here!

DISCUSSION
1. Sometimes when we even talk about the possibility of hell, it sends shivers down our spines. Why does it make you uncomfortable? What other questions do you have that weren't answered at CATALYST? Write them down. Go on an investigation! Look for some answers!

2. The Bible makes it pretty clear that it's only through Jesus that we'll be a part of heaven. Jesus himself said so. How does this challenge you when many of the people around you don't know who Jesus is? What are some simple things you could do everyday to show others that you love and follow Jesus?

3. Take some time to pray for your friends or family who don't know Jesus. Maybe you've even given up praying for them because you haven't seen the results yet? Don't give up. Prayer is important because it's only God who can create a spiritual need in people. Pray that God would use you to help them come to know Jesus. Pray that God would give you the right thing to say at the right time. Pray that you won't chicken out, but that God will help you be bold when a friend asks you questions about what you believe or what you do on Friday nights.

CATALYST Youth: April 8, 2016- HOT TOPICS PART 1: STRESSED

Over the last month, I asked our teens to send in questions or topics that they would like me to speak on, and this week, in our new "HOT TOPICS" series, we tackled the subject of stress.

We all experience stress in our lives, whether it's studying for an exam worth 30% of your final grade, taking a driver's test, having an argument with someone you love, or having a deadline to complete a project at work. It really is impossible to have a "stress free" life, because we're always going to have challenges and difficult times (unfortunately, the Bible doesn't ever promise that those will go away). But, the Bible does have a lot to say about what we should do when we're stressed, and how God promises to help.

This week, I shared my story- as someone who used to be TERRIBLE at handling stress. Through high school, I often found myself so full of anxiety and worry that I was literally sick to my stomach, experiencing a lot of nausea. I even had a bunch of medical tests done to see if there was something physically wrong with me, which included swallowing a cable the size of a garden hose that had a camera on the end of it (to this day, I still regret not looking inside my own stomach when the doctors offered me a peek). In my final year of high school, I was nearly approaching panic attack territory when I had no idea what I was supposed to do with my life and saw all of my friends planning to head off to college or university. So, what helped? What helped me handle stress better?

1. READ
One of the first things I did was read everything that the Bible had to say about stress, fear, and worry. I wanted to know what God had to say on the subject. During that time, I remember reading Matthew 6:25-34. It seemed to jump right off the page at me. Here, Jesus reminds me not to worry about my life and my future, but that if I know and follow him, he'll take care of me. In this passage he says that my Heavenly Father is there for me. Today, when I think of how, as a dad, my kids depend on me and trust me to take care of them, the truth of this sinks in even more. God loves me. He's there for me. I don't have to be overwhelmed when I go through stressful and difficult situations.

2. PRAY
Another thing that I did during this time of stress was to pray and ask God for help. The Bible is full of people who were under extreme pressure and were pushed to the breaking point- and they all expressed their fears, worries and needs to God.

David spent time running for his life as an army tried to hunt him down, he was overwhelmed with how badly he had sinned, he even suffered through the loss of his son, and the Psalms record all his prayers and pleas to God. Some of his prayers are brutally honest- "God, where are you? Do you even care about me?". Others were full of faith and confidence in God- "God, I KNOW that you're going to rescue me! I'm going to thank and praise you for doing it!" Even Jesus, when facing the fact that he was going to be arrested, beaten and crucified, spent the entire night before it all happened praying in a garden.

Philippians 4:6-7 says that we don't have to worry about ANYTHING, but we can offer our prayers to God with thankfulness and that he will give us a supernatural peace. If you want peace, you need to talk to God about what you're going through and to ask him for help and strength. Matthew 11:28 says, "Come to me, all who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest."

3. TALK
God never intended for us to go through life on our own. In Ecclesiastes 4, it talks about how friends can strengthen and support each other when they go through difficult situations. It's important that we talk to our friends, family and pastors about what we're going through. Sometimes just talking about it helps, but the people around us can also encourage us, give us good advice, and pray for us.

A few years ago, I had a bit of a relapse. We had two young children and I found myself out of a job. To make matters worse, every job opportunity that came my way and seemed perfect, closed right in my face. There was one night where I was feeling totally hopeless and overwhelmed, and I talked to my wife about it (which is sometimes really hard for a guy to do). Honestly, she said the perfect words at the perfect time. She reminded me that I didn't need to feel overwhelmed, but that God loved us and that we could trust him. She didn't say anything that I didn't already know, but I really needed that reminder. After we prayed together, the situation hadn't changed at all, but my perspective did. I wasn't focused on the problem, I was focused on the fact that God loves me, and had things under control. If you're going through a stressful situation, talk to a Christian friend, family member, or pastor about it.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Talk to your teen about what stresses them out. Are they feeling scared or overwhelmed about anything? Share some personal examples of how God helped you when you were stressed.

2. Read passages like Matthew 6:25-34, Philippians 4:6-7, and Matthew 11:28. What do these verses tell us to do when we're feeling stressed or worried? What things does God promise us?

3. Take a few minutes to pray for your teen. Ask God to give them strength and peace in the midst of their stressful situation.