Thank You Rebecca Black
I know what you're thinking…it couldn't get worse than "Whip My Hair" - right? But little did you and I know that close on the heels of Willow Smith's karate hair thrashing nightmare was the horror known as Rebecca Black's "Friday."
In classic train wreck fashion, you simply can't look away when you watch the video. Your eyes are glued and your mind is transfixed on the gripping plot lines of:
Which seat can she take???
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Which kid is old enough in this video to drive?
When did the word "Friday" become the 3 syllable word "Fri-eee-day"?
Is it actually true that "yesterday was Thursday, today is Friday, tomorrow is Saturday, and Sunday comes afterwards"?
Could this be the best. video. EVAR!!!?
And most curiously, why is Usher's dad randomly rapping about a school bus???
In her defense, Rebecca Black didn't even write the song, and if you are prone to overanalyzing (guilty!), there are some deep existential undertones running beneath the auto tuned monotone lyrics. Perhaps the cereal represents the last remaining link to her childhood as life moves quickly in the background…maybe the seats in the car are her insecurities in friendships…most definitely "Fri-eee-day" is her longing for unrestricted freedom, and Usher's dad is the voice of middle aged reason.
BAM!
I wasn't sure why at first, but when I first joined the 42+ million victims that have viewed "Friday," I thought of heaven. Seriously - I did! Of course I don't mean in any way that heaven will be a place where we are trapped in a tweenage California weekend with a stalking creepy rapper, but rather that the idea behind the video reminds me of every Christian's ultimate destiny. So thanks Rebecca Black!
Unfortunately, most people have mentally sketched images of harps, clouds, and being forced to do "churchy" things for eternity when they think of heaven. So no wonder they believe that cruisin' in a convertible and partyin' represents the most fun, fun, fun, fun that life can give.
But nothing could be farther from the truth. The harp/cloud/church stuff is what the media has put together, and no one in that industry has ever visited heaven! But there is someone who has, and check out what he had to report:
I will reluctantly tell about visions and revelations from the Lord. I was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether I was in my body or out of my body, I don't know-only God knows. But I do know that I was caught up to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell (2 Corinthians 12:1-4).
This was penned by The Apostle Paul after God gave him the unimaginable privilege of visiting heaven, and his experience was so crazy awesome, he couldn't even describe it with human language! That's why he also wrote this:
What God has planned for people who love Him is more than eyes have seen or ears have heard. It has never even entered our minds! (1 Corinthians 2:9).
When you combine the descriptions of heaven from the Bible and people who have had near death experiences, you realize that it will not only NOT be boring, but it will be the best. bash. EVAR!!!
It will be like an eternal weekend where you are enjoying time with friends, enjoying life in a way you can't imagine, and being a part of a non-stop worship party in honor of the One who died the death we should have died so we can live the life we don't deserve to live.
Think back on a time that you consider to be the happiest you've ever been. Guess what? Those moments are but a shadow of the joy and celebration that await you when you leave this fallen planet!
Do you realize that sharing your faith and joining THE Cause is a lot like inviting people to the afterlife party? I'm very certain that you have no trouble whatsoever texting/tweeting/Facebooking friends the moment you hear about plans being made for the weekend- right? So why do we struggle so much with praying for and sharing with our friends who might miss out on heaven because they didn't know they needed to rsvp to the gospel?
Yep, Friday is here on earth, but 'Son-Day' in heaven is afterwards. Who's coming with you?
Flashpoint: Ignite Into Action
Ask your friends what they think about Rebecca Black's "Friday" video and why they think it is so popular. Pray for an opportunity to share your hopes about heaven so that you can share the gospel.
Accelerant: Fuel for THE Cause
Pray: Father God, thank you that because we have put our trust in Jesus alone we have the sure hope and promise of spending an eternity with you in heaven. Help us to spend each moment in light of the joy and reward that comes from being in a relationship with you that started the moment we believed and that will last forever.
Read: Revelation 7:15-17. Therefore, "they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
Get: The Letter From Heaven audio CD. This powerful audio drama provides a glimpse into what heaven might be like and why it is so important that we share the gospel.
