“The Reality of Heaven”
There are 582 references to Heaven in the Bible in 550 different verses.
Acts 24:15 (KJV) And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.
Matthew 25:34 (KJV) Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
The thought of Heaven has cheered the soul of many believers. Some say that we are fools to believe in Heaven. But, to deny Heaven is to deny Jesus, for He came from Heaven, it is to place our departed loved ones in the cold dark grave, it is to deprive millions of Christians of the greatest hope they have. To deny Heaven is equal to murder for it kills hope, to thievery for it robs joy, to slander because it calls God a liar.” Today, I would like to state for the record that I believe in heaven!
Tony Evans said, "Have a good time at my funeral, I’m not going to be there!"
The story is told of a time when Albert Einstein was going on a train to an out-of-town engagement. The conductor stopped by to punch his ticket. The great scientist, preoccupied with his work, with great embarrassment, rummaged through his coat pockets and briefcase to no avail. He could not find his ticket.
The conductor said, “We all know who you are, Dr. Einstein. I’m sure you bought a ticket. Don’t worry about it. Everything is O:K.”
The conductor walked on down the aisle punching other tickets. Before he moved to the next car, he looked back and saw Dr. Einstein down on his hands and knees looking under his seat trying to find his ticket.
He came back and gently said,“DR. Einstein, please don’t worry about it. I know who you are.”
Einstein looked up and said, “I too know who I am.
What I don’t know is where I’m going!”
Joni Eareckson who became a quadriplegic as a result of a diving accident nearly 30 years ago has experienced more than her share of pain and heartache.
She says that “heaven has become my heart’s home, the place where I will finally belong.The place where I will get a brand new body.” Heaven is the place where there will be no more tears, pain or sorrow. She goes on to say, “In the world’s finale something so glorious is going to happen that it will atone for every single tear we’ve ever cried. God is going to give us the key that will make sense out of what now seems to be such senseless suffering. Heaven is going to be a place of no more disappointment, no more grief but joy. Heaven’s joy.” (P.T. #157)
In Heaven there will be NO MORE: Death - No more Graves - No more Temptations - Sickness - Fear - No more Night - No more Depression - No more Disappointments - No more Pain - Separations - Divorce - Betrayal - Aging - Disease - No more Bills to Pay - No more Loneliness - No more Hate - No more Devil - No more Bad Memories - No more Not Having Enough - Revelation 21:4.
Heaven Is a Real Place
John 14:2-3 (KJV) In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. [3] And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Rev. 21:2 (KJV)
And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
No more sea - 21:1 - The sea reminds us of restlessness,
storms, and separation
No more death - 21:4 - Death came because of sin. It is
man’s worst and last enemy. See I
Cor. 15:26 No more funerals,
cemeteries, obituaries
No more sorrow - 21:4 - All men have sorrow, even Jesus
had his share while on earth.
No more crying - 21:4 - This speaks of "sad" things
No more pain - 21:4 - This speaks of sickness and
physical troubles.
No more temple - 21:22 - Temple was a place to worship
and meet with God. Heaven
itself will be a temple.
No more sun, moon, night - 21:23 and 22:5 - Isa.60:19
No more darkness forever.
Hell will be outer darkness
No more curse - 22:3 - The curse of Gen.3 is all that
separates this world from being
like the Garden of Eden with the
only exception being sinful man
Those who are saved are already citizens of Heaven
Philip. 3:20-21 (ESV) But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, [21] who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
After having served for decades in Africa, a missionary
couple, Mr. & Mrs. Henry Morrison, were returning to New York to retire. After years of service they had no pension and their health was failing. They were worried and discouraged. They were on the same ship as President Theodore Roosevelt, who was returning from one of his African hunting expeditions. No one paid any attention to the missionary couple. They watched the fanfare that accompanied the President and his entourage.
During the voyage, the missionary said to his
wife, “Something is wrong. We have given
our lives in service to God in Africa all these years and no one cares a thing about us. Here this man comes back from a hunting trip and everybody makes much over him, but nobody gives two hoots about us.”
When the ship docked in new York, a band was waiting to greet the President. The mayor and other dignitaries were there. The papers were full of news of the President’s arrival. No one was there for the missionary couple. They slipped off the ship and found a cheap flat on the East side hoping the next day to see what they could do to make a living in the city.
That night the man said to his wife, “I can’t take this, God is not treating us fairly.” His wife replied, “Why don’t you go into the other room and tell that to the Lord? He did just that and returned a short time later but his face was different. His wife asked him what happened. “The Lord settled it
with me,” he said. “I told Him how bitter I was that the President should receive this tremendous homecoming, when no one even met us at the dock. And
when I finished complaining, it seemed as though the Lord put His hand on my shoulder and simply said ‘BUT YOU ARE NOT HOME YET.’” This earth is not our home.
Col. 1:13 (KJV)
Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
Ephes. 2:6 (KJV)
And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Matthew 25:34 (KJV)
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
