When Heaven Touches Earth

When Heaven Touches Earth

As we complete our walk through the Book of Revelation, we find ourselves reflecting on the big picture of the Gospel story: that Jesus will return and that heaven and earth will be made new.

And in reflecting, we are drawn back to what we know of Jesus from the time when He walked with us within our world. When Jesus first came into our world, He came not as a warrior astride a mighty steed, but as a weak and vulnerable infant placed in a manger. 

And that manger was a door. It was a place where Heaven and Earth touched and God entered our world. You might have noticed that the Bible describes a sorry tale of humanity. Through the whole of the Old Testament, we see God reaching out to the people that He made, but instead of taking His hand, humanity rejects Him and goes its own way. In so doing, everything goes wrong. There are high points and glimmers of hope in the figure of people like David, but even these are snuffed out by our instinct to be our own god, make our own decisions and reject God’s invitation to life with Him.

Into this mess, a baby was born. The door to heaven opened and God came through it into our world: Jesus, the babe in the manger and the man who felt sand in his toes, the breeze on his cheeks and the heat on His back. The itinerant preacher who drew to himself an eclectic mix of disciples and followers, taught, healed and loved His creation. In His life, Jesus reissued His invitation to life with Him in person. He lived and loved and died for His creation. Yet, Jesus’ message of hope and healing was not welcomed by everyone. The political and religious powers of the day did not see an invitation, they saw a threat, and so they conspired to kill the man who offered them life. But the twist was, that whilst Jesus was killed on that cross, He rose from the grave 3 days later. The power of sin and death broken, defeated. And as He met with His disciples and many other witnesses, He still had in His hand, His invitation. It starts with love and it ends with love, it has each of our names on it and it offers us life with Him.

Today’s service is a baptism service for a member of our community. Having witnessed the baptism, a friend came forward and asked Dean if she could be baptised too. Together, they have accepted Jesus’ invitation. 

Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.