Crossword puzzle 87 across was TREE of Heaven, silly me, not GATE. I mean you can’t blame my instant recall memory – we have heard of the ‘Pearly Gate’ of Heaven a lot in folklore. This oops held up this crucial middle section of the puzzle. I REALLY was close to finishing it, the simple block of my assumption that I was right by “gate” stopped me from completion. Let’s not let our worldly “I’m right” stop us from accepting humbly “I’m wrong” on occasion. (and don’t worry it is only a crossword puzzle – there will be a new one tomorrow)

I can even see endless cartoon images of God or St. Peter taking check-ins with a podium at the gate. We think Gate of Heaven as our physical block to getting in but it’s traditional folklore, not scriptural. Scripture mentions parts of gates and Peter with keys to the kingdom, but let’s not get drawn into thinking it is us needing to “work our way” to Heaven, because Jesus is the ONLY GATE we need to acknowledge, love, appreciate, believe in.

Believe in Jesus. 

Believe in the TREE. Believe that there is good stuff in the Tree of Life – saved for us for forever… See the Book of Revelation, chapter 22:1-5 – I am in no rush but I can’t wait!!!  The River of Life – And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.

A good lesson of NOT a Tree of Heaven but a TREE of a man being cut down and corrected by God is in Old Testament King Nebuchadnezzar, written about in Daniel 4 – the King envisioned a tree in his dream and Daniel interpreted it – the tree was the king and was cut down because he was going against God – and all throughout and at the end of Nebuchadnezzar’s life it was true, he thought of himself and his achievements without praising God, and then at the very very end that king acknowledged God’s glory.

How better for us to acknowledge God’s Glory now – how better to walk with Jesus TO Heaven rather than wait to see if we get in – how better to almost taste that Tree of Heaven on our lips now with hopes of fulfilment in Heaven one day. If the leaves are the Healing of the Nations, then how best we fill in our own crosswords with the words: Peace, Love, Forgiveness, Hope – and JESUS…   

Jesus IS the WORD of LIFE. His Cross – His Word – His Life – Our Forever.

Amen