Artists go to museums and sketch the great paintings, I think, hoping some of the genius will seep into their bodies and souls. In a similar way, I sometimes type out great books, but the added benefit is I have files on my computer with wonderful writing on matters that matter. Today I discovered my Bringing Heaven Down to Earth file. I love the way Nathan Bierma brings together lots of different authors writing about THE STORY, explaining the whole of Scripture and using the language of shalom. Here’s a great quote on “a BIG gospel.” How do you see Jesus?
“For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Col. 1:16-17
Nathan Bierma:
“When we live in the hope of a big gospel, we see Jesus Christ not just as a serial intruder on people’s souls but the one in whom ‘all things hold together,’ in the words of Colossians 1. All things – not just people’s hearts but the infrastructure of nature, culture, and relationships. So the hope of a big gospel is not just going to heaven to be with God, but a vision of the new earth and the heavenly city as the place where God’s authority over all of life is made complete. Living in the hope of heaven means seeing glimpses of such a place already, and wanting more.” Bringing Heaven Down to Earth
