Karen's sharing: The mysteries of heaven

What is heaven? Does heaven exist? Is heaven a physical place or experienced only in the soul or mind?

Some people don't believe the existence of heaven. They think that the life on earth is all they can have, so they want to achieve all their goals for life on earth. They deny the reality of life after death to refuse accountability to their Creator. They refuse to believe in eternal judgment to try to validate their life apart from God.

Some people do believe there is heaven. This is why over the centuries, countless images and concepts emerge from art, music, literature, movies, even jokes to present mortal attempts to paint picture of heaven. Every culture somehow demonstrats the concept of heaven beyond this life. We recall bedside conversations addressing our children's innocent curiosity, telling them heaven is a place where all good children will eventually go. Heaven is rationalized as a crutch to comfort the grieving and the fears of people young and old. We raise honest questions borne of stinging loss of loved ones, telling ourselves or others without confidence that heaven is a place where we are going to meet eventually, or encouraging each other with a notion that the dead person is now a "guardian angel" watching over us from heaven. People love to form their own opinions about heaven, to place confidence in one's own supposed human goodness, to conclude heaven as a deserved destiny for all but a wretched few. As death captures those we love one by one and looms in our future, we can't help to wonder what is waiting for us on the other side of life.

Sadly, even those familiar with the Bible may hold distorted perceptions of heaven. They compare what to them seem dry, boring, and dull worship experience on earth to the eternal worship of heaven. This misconception regarding heaven blinds and deceives people, make them lose desire to seek God and His heaven.

All false ideas about heaven mask deeper human rebellion against God's authority over people. People show their sinful independence by not wanting God to rule over them on earth in this life. In a similar way, they demonstrate their sinful desire to fathom a heaven without the true God being there. Sinners do not want God to be around them on earth or in heaven. That is why all pictures about heaven painted by human effort have one thing in comman, they all missed the most important aspect of heaven, they missed the true God in heaven. Without God, heaven is nowhere to be found. Heaven is heaven because God is there.

The true picture of heaven can only be revealed to us by God who is in heaven all the time. We need to take a careful look into the Bible to get the correct understanding of heaven. Revelation 21 says, " the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband." A loud voice from God's throne announces, " the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be His people and God Himself will be with them and be their God." The heaven comes down to earth from God. God gives heaven to His people as a gift. It is not men's work. Sinners can never build a heaven. The heaven comes down from God because only Almightyt God can renew and regenerate a universe and a people corrupted by sin, decay and death. Only God can afford the price to do so. He paid the most high price by His Son's sacrificial blood.

Heaven is our eternal home to be with Jesus so we can love, enjoy, obey and wholeheartedly worship Him, without the barrier of self or sin. Regardless of your experience of home, Jesus is preparing a home for you far beyond your expectations and hopes. And He is going to come back to take you there as He promised. "I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for yoy, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." Jesus is the only way to get anyone to heaven. We all need to come to Jesus through faith, ask for His forgiveness, then receive the eternal life to be with Him in heaven.

Our eternal home, heaven, is indescribably beautiful. The beauty and the splendor of this world barely scratches the surface of all that awaits us. We all long for a place of beauty because we long for our Creator, who is altogether glorious, beautiful and matchless. The all surprising glory of God is the very atmosphere of heaven. The very few people in the Bible who received a glimpse  of heaven had the limits of language to express the glory they saw. Their visions of heaven seem to leave them stunned gasping for breath. When we enter heaven, we will see God "face to face". What we do not know about the awesome beauty of God now, we will know when we dwell with Him. We will worship with no desire to ever take our eyes off His face. We will live with God in the center of our existence, as He intended. There will be no more sorrow, no more tears, no more sin and no more darkness. We will not need to battle with any sinful desires, since we will have none. I long to see how I feel when I no longer need to battle personal sin.

Our loftiest imaginations and most glorious words fall short to attempt describe what heaven is really like. Thinking about heaven may seem a pleasant diversion for the moment. But what good does heaven do us now? The right understanding of heaven motivates a life that makes a difference. Our eternal hope shapes our earthly life for our good and God's glory. God commanded us to live holy and godly lives, and commissioned us to witness for Him. Confession of faith in Jesus Christ carries weight only when accompanied by the proof of a transformed life. A set-apart, holy life attracts those being drawn to the Savior while convicting those who reject Him. 

Wrong thinking about heaven and holiness can lead to sinful compromises in lifestyle. Some people think heaven is boring and holiness is no fun. They question that how can heaven be any fun without any sin? They are deceived by worldly pleasures and do not want to miss out. However, God always tells His children the truth. It is sin's emptiness leads the boresome. Sin brings death of relationships, dreams, opportunities, peace of mind, joy, self-respect and influence on those we love. On the other hand, the reality of a vibrant, life-giving encounter and relationship with the Creator of the universe brings the ultimate satisfaction to hearts and souls.

For all the people who are on their heaven bound journey, we should be the most thankful people on earth. Reflecting on the great salvation, eternal security and destiny Jesus purchased for us with His own blood produces humble and joyful gratitude. "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that can not be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe." (Hebrew 12:28) Let gratitude and praise for God fill the soundtrack of life on the way following Jesus to heaven. We need not wait for everything to go our way, for goals to be met. Since things would not always go our way, our goals would not be met always. But everything definitely go God's way and God's goals will always be met.

"Our Father in heaven,

Hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

Your will be done

on earth as it is in heaven."

(Matthew6:9-10)

Amen!