Heaven

“Heaven”

Memorial Service – March 1, 2008

Pastor Joseph C. Phillips, Jr.,

How do you describe the indescribable, give one a glimpse into glory…a taste of heaven? There is not enough ink in a pen or in a cartridge, nor do we have the time to do justice to such a vast topic. Surely, the only place to go for info, for the facts, the real deal is the Word of God. Which begins with God creating the heavens and it ends with a beautiful idyllic look at the new heaven. Surely, Eden in its original state must have been a micro-cosmos of heaven.

Only thirteen books of the bible do not mention heaven. It is a prepared place, the architect is God himself. Jesus said in John 14:1 “I go to prepare a place for you.” He’s been working on it for over 2000 years. Psalms 33:6 “By the word of the Lord the heaven’s were made” Psalms 19:12 says “the heavens declare (shout out) the glory of God and the firmament shows his handiwork.

Psalms 8:3,4 when I consider the heavens the works of your fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained, what is man that thou art mindful of us and the son of man that thou visited us?”

Paul talks about the third heaven and being caught up into glory. II Corn 14:2 it’s from here that Jesus the son of God descended to the earth and it was into that city he ascended after his resurrection.

It was from here that the Holy Spirit descended on the Day of Pentecost, and it is here where Sister Wanda ascended just a short while ago. To be absent from the body is to present with the Lord. It is the abode the lair, the home of God and the place where all the saints will ascend at the appearing of the Lord Jesus. It will be our final abode, our address where we exchange the mortal flesh for an immortal spirit, where the terrestrial body will become celestial.

It has been called the land of no more. No more sickness, heartache and pain, no more loss or disasters, sorrow or grief, no more separation, tears or death, it’s a place where we will never get tired and never grow old. No burdens or disappointment reside there.

No sin, devil, no one does anything wrong or out of pocket. No road rage, accidents; you will never see a cemetery or funeral procession, funeral directors will have to get another job, no grave diggers or coffin makers up in glory. Nothing ever spoils there.

Flowers don’t die or lose their fragrance and the leaves are always green. No rain - Seattle, no thunderstorms or avalanches or erupting volcanoes earthquakes or tsunamis. No pestilences, no hurricanes no weather reports needed, no more germs or fevers, no hospitals; doctors will be out of work.

No policemen needed for there is no crime. No army or navy for God is our protection. No need for sun or moon for there is no night and the glory of God radiates with resplendent brilliance throughout.

It never gets too hot and never gets cold. No drunks or addicts up there, no immoral people no marriage or divorce, no illegitimate babies, no illegal’s, terrorist, prisons or jails. Doors have no locks, no bars or security systems any alarms. No thieves or robbers and no nanny cams no pornography, taxes, or war.

No deformities or handicaps, wheel chairs or artificial limbs. No one is blind or deaf, no PTSD. No pan handlers, or begging will be seen in the streets, no homelessness or destitute. No abuse, misuse or mental disorders. No Aids, herpes, cancer, diabetes stroke, Alzheimer’s, arthritis. It’s the land of no more…but surely there’s much more. If I were to stop here I would do you an injustice, but my words are limited by what I know.

There is much more. John was taken into the third heaven and he writes down what he saw while in glory. There were some things he could not reveal. The bible says “eyes have not seen and ears have not heard what God has provided for us” I Corn 2:9.

Heaven is where we meet God and experience what Moses could not look upon while down here on earth- the face of God and His glory. We will be surrounded by His glory.

Heaven, it’s been called paradise, utopia, Nirvana, Asgard, Valhalla, Zion, City of David, New Jerusalem, it’s a city and a country, the kingdom, the city of God, happy hunting grounds, the sweet by and by, house not built by hands, felicity, street are paved by gold, walls made of jasper, pearls and all kinds of precious jewels.

It’s a place of perfect praise, 24 elders sit on the throne representing the twelve tribes and twelve apostles. 24 represents all the redeemed of God for all times, before and after Christ, before death and after his resurrection, Jews and Gentiles. 24 hours in a day says it all its complete, it’s a place of perpetual worship, a place of blessing. The victorious Christ rules and reigns, the exalted, the venerable, inexorable, exonerated One is sitting on the throne.