Heaven Rejoices
by Linda Martin, Ministry Staff

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Rick started singing “Praise God from whom all blessings flow!” as the news of a young woman coming to the Lord during that evening’s service began to sink in. We began to form a circle and hold hands as we all joined in the song of celebration to this young one’s life who’s desire it was to follow God. After we finished our three songs, each of us, Rick and I, and the Elders of the church spoke words of life, words of encouragement and words of instruction to this young woman. By this time most of us were teary eyed by this powerful and touching moment. It seemed that for a brief moment, our hearts and spirits joined with the choirs of heaven in rejoicing.

One of the things that we said to this young woman was how all of heaven rejoices when one sinner repents, and how all of heaven must be rejoicing at that moment. The definitions for rejoice are “to feel or be joyful” or “to fill with joy.” The meaning for joy is “great pleasure or happiness” and “the expression or display of this emotion.” It was hard to fully comprehend the thought that all of heaven was rejoicing with these definitions in mind. It was hard to comprehend with our finite minds of how all of heaven rejoices and celebrates when one person comes into the Kingdom of God.

Yet, it is true. In Luke 15:3-7, Jesus tells a parable where a shepherd left his ninety-nine and went out to look for that one lost sheep. When he found that one lost sheep, he called all his friends and neighbors together and said, “’Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents . . .” This parable reminds me of the value that a human life has, and moreover, the value that the Lord God, God Almighty, God the Father places on a human life, on our life.

I have often pondered this thought in my heart as we prepare for our trips to different places. There is so much work that goes into putting on a training session, or organizing an event, a conference where heart topics could be taught and presented. Yet, often at the end of the conferences when we hear of how one life has been touched and changed, it makes all the hard work worthwhile. I often will think that maybe this was the reason why God allowed this one workshop, this one seminar, this one conference to come together. He allowed that particular training time to take place in order for that particular person to come into the Kingdom of God. This thought always reminds me to have an eternal perspective in the things that we do. What may seem insignificant to us in this world, such as one life that is changed as compared to many, is very important to God. This thought reminds me that there is an eternal value and an eternal outcome in what we do in this world.

One of the things that Rick and I have been doing this past year and a half is going to native churches to provide counseling for their congregational members. We have visited three First Nation Churches in different places in Canada, and returned to one of them to do follow-up counseling. The format that we usually follow is to arrive on a Saturday and speak on Sunday morning and/or Sunday evening. We speak on heart issues of man; issues that can become a stumbling block to people who follow God. We have come to learn that often the pain that people feel and carry can overshadow their experience of God, making them want to give up. We make it a part of our teaching on this topic to encourage people to begin to deal with their unresolved pain that they have carried. Then we stay on for a few days to provide counseling for those who want it after the Sunday services. It was on one of these trips, on a Wednesday evening service where Rick and I both spoke, that this young woman came forward and wanted to become part of the family of God. That evening and in that service I believe there was much rejoicing in the heavens as one more person came home. This thought and image should keep us inspired as we continue to labor in this work and as we continue to fight in this big cosmic battle for the souls of women and men.