I don't know about you, but I have seen the movies, "Final Destination," and as scary as they might be, not knowing where you will spend your eternity should be more frightening than anything. If you lack the confidence of what happens after you breathe your final breath, I would encourage you to discover Jesus Christ, while you still have time to make a choice. Don't wait. If you do, trust me the movie version will be much more light hearted than you can imagine.
You may have heard the saying, "Where God guides, God provides." Coming soon, as believers in Jesus Christ, we will have an eternal home in heaven to look forward to. Is this your hearts' passion and desire? God has paid the way for us to go, not by my own or anyone else's merits or works. It is in Jesus Christ alone and what He has done on the cross.
Have you ever been told that you're too heavenly-minded to be any earthy good? That is the response you might get from someone when you begin to talk about heaven and that anticipation you have. I know I have and at first it stung. But the more I thought about it, I realized my heart and mind are in the right place. While I am still here on this earth, I can keep my focus and goals on heaven. Most of the time however, we are too earthy-minded to be of any heavenly good. We lose our focus. We set our goals aside, but its never too late to get back on track or to get to know Jesus Christ. Look at David's example that is prevalent all throughout the Psalms. David was willing to live for the Lord, that is embarrassed his wife with all his dancing in the streets, something she didn't believe was the way a King should act. What did David tell her? That he would do all that and even more for the glory and joy of the Lord!
The Bible reminds us that as believers in Christ, our citizenship is in heaven and heaven is our final destination.
Revelation 3:12-13 ~ "The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he got out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
Heaven has been given many different names and titles in the Bible. Just a few of them are "paradise," "the Kingdom," "the Country," " The Dwelling," or even the "City." Here is Revelation 12, Heaven and the City of God is likened to a "Bride."
Revelation 21:1-2 ~ "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband."
But perhaps the greatest of all descriptions of heaven for me, is that it is the "Father's House." This we have no doubt that it is the place of desire and of hope for all those who believe in eternal life and presence of God. Heaven is our destination!
1 Corinthians 2:9 ~ "But, as it is written, What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him"
John 14:2-3 ~ "In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also."
Our new home will be like a bride, filled with anticipation.
Revelation 21:9 ~ "Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seen last plagues and spoke to me, saying, "Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb."
Seeing that a city is neither a wife or a bride; what is announced here is that the dwelling of the Saints and the church is personified as a community or a place. Anticipation should mark the Christian's life.
Matthew 25:13 ~ "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day or the hour."
Titus 2:13 ~ "waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ."
These verses shouldn't make us afraid, in fact, they should excite us the more we think about heaven and being with Jesus Christ for all eternity! Does it change the way you live your life now? It should!!!
Our heavenly home will be like a bride kept with purity.
Revelation 21:10 ~ "And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city of Jerusalem coming down out of the heaven from God."
This is now eternity remember. The millennium has ended and we now have a new holy city, a new heaven and a new earth. The sun remember will never set. If you have ever had the most perfect day where you simply never wished for it to end, this will be the day that never ends and you won't want it too!
It will be illuminated with God.
Revelation 21:11 ~ "having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal."
All the stones we read about pertaining to heaven are all opaque or transparent. Here this is clear as crystal with light illuminating from it kinda of like a Thomas Kincaid painting. It looks so real and inviting when you gaze on any of his paintings, you simply wish you could be there. It doesn't even compare to what heaven will be like. It is just a really bad copy, can you imagine that? I only hope mine looks like the image below of Thomas Kincaid's Peaceful Retreat with a bit of snow and rain at times. That is my idea of heaven!
We will pick up more on what awaits us tomorrow!
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