 | Pastor Dave grew up in northern New Jersey in a very diverse cultural area. He attended Central College in Pella, Iowa received a BA in sociology and psychology. He was an offensive guard for their NCAA Div III National Championship team in 1974. In speaking for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, he sensed a call to full time ministry. Meeting is future wife Sandy at Central, went to Michigan to finish her college while Dave started Western Seminary in Holland, Michigan. Dave married Sandy in 77 and completed his Masters of Divinity degree in 78. Pastor Dave’s first church was in Fort Lee, New Jersey, home of the George Washington Bridge. Their three children were born there and he also served as a Police and Fire Chaplain for the city. In February 1991, they came to Wichita to start Harvest Community Church. In 2006, he received his Doctor of Ministry degree from Covenant Theological (Presbyterian) Seminary in St Louis. During that year he gained a daughter-in-law with now 2 grandsons of 3 years and 6 months old. Besides Pastoring at HCC for the past 20 years, he has been Director of the SCSD & WPD Police Chaplains for 11. |
Many believe that at the end of time the body will be resurrected and rejoin the soul for all eternity. If this is so, and the soul has no physical presence by itself, wont heaven be a pretty lonely place until the end of the world happens? I mean the only ones there right now with a soul and body are God, and some believe the Blessed Virgin Mary, Enoch and Elijah.
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You are talking about what theologians call the "Intermediate State." The Bible presents to us that the body and the soul will be joined at the final resurrection in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-16. However, in the mean time, scripture tells us that there will be a conscious existence for the wicked of misery (Luke 16:23), bound in prison which would not be important if they were not conscious (1 Peter 3:19). For the believer it is a place of the consciousness of the presence of the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). It is also a joyous and more pleasurable existence than living here on earth (Philippians 1:23). That it is a time of "rest from their labors" or the harshness of life (Revelations 14:13) but not a time of soul sleep as some have purported. It is also a time when believers under the altar of God cry out for vengeance on those who persecute the church (Rev. 6:9) and the souls of those martyred will reign with Christ (Rev. 20:4). In fact, quite the contrary to being a lonely place, it seems there will be a lot going on and to do, even before our bodies show up. Will it be a period of time ever experiencing the infinite limitless knowledge of our Lord (1 Corinthians 13:12)? After we die, will we be part of the great cloud of witnesses made up of Moses, Abel, Noah, Abraham, Enoch, etc. (Hebrews 11), at the Stadium of Life watching and cheering on future generations of believers running the race of life (Hebrews 12:1)? Won’t it be exciting and thrilling to share with all the rest of these bodiless believers?