Our Lord Jesus declares in (Mt. 25:46); --- “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” With these words in mind, I thought it would be expedient before we even approach the subject of heaven itself, to present the question; What does eternity mean?? Actually in human terms it is indescribable because eternity is infinite (unlimited), whereas all within our experience is finite (limited). --- But to crudely illustrate eternity’s vast sweep, try if you can, to imagine a tiny housefly that could scrape a minute particle of dust up and begin the 93,000,000 mile journey to the sun, at the rate of 1mph., deposit the little dust speck on the sun and return to earth at the same slow rate (provided he didn’t incinerate in the process). --- One round trip would take 213,470 years assuming he didn’t die of old age). --- Now, let’s continue this process until the entirety of the globe, all 196,938,800 sq. miles of it were transported to the sun; --- Just how would you think this would compare to eternity? --- About like the snap of your finger compares to all human history from Adam to this present day, with plenty to spare!!

  As some may recall, about a couple of lessons back, I presented for your prayerful consideration a lesson that wasn’t very pleasant, much less popular with most folks; --- And most certainly doesn’t give me any personal satisfaction in writing about; --- Yet it’s a very important, yea, even essential subject that must be taught if one is to teach the whole counsel of God. --- The Bible doctrine of Hell was designed by God Himself to strike terror and fear into the hearts of men and women; --- so that they would recognize their hopeless eternal destination if they are caught serving Satan and sin when the Lord comes again; --- Or if they die outside God’s holy will; --- And in that awesome realization, humble themselves and submit to God’s love in obedience to the gospel, so as to be saved in God’s eternal heaven.

  So in stark contrast to the things we studied about before; --- There is a word in the Bible that carries with it not only an opposite connotation from that subject of dread and horror; --- But carries with it the idea of that which is enjoyable, lovely and precious to the highest degree imaginable!! --- Of course by now, as you can see, we’re talking about; ---

  We frequently talk about going to heaven, and this is good; --- But do we really have the proper concept and attitude?? --- And so by virtue of the fact that the human heart has all it’s hopes and aims directed toward heaven (or should be); --- And by virtue of the accompanying fact that it is inexpressible, unexplainable and totally beyond the ability of anybody to comprehend, much less understand; --- As a result when people want to refer to something as being so completely beyond the realm of any explanation as to how enjoyable something or someone is or beautiful or whatever; --- They use the word, “heavenly”. --- Many time in attempting to describe the attributes of that girl, or that boy that a person would be so much in love with, they would say; --- “Oh, she’s heavenly!” Or “He’s simply heavenly!” --- And we do that because we associate the idea of heaven with that which is utmost in the realm of that which is positive; --- Just as hell is the utmost, as far as the mind can go in the realm of the negative. --- Some would say, “That’s hell!” --- Both of these carnal references as attributed to heaven or hell are total misconceptions and attitudes toward what God’s word teaches on the subject.

  It’s a puzzle to me why it is that so many people who are religious and supposedly Biblically oriented will deny the reality of this place called heaven, which is the eternal reward of the righteous. But do you realize that some of the ones we talked about recently who flatly deny that there is a place called hell; --- (where the wicked and ungodly will go as eternal punishment), often times also, deny there’s a place called heaven??

  For instance, Garner Ted Armstrong (who died back a few years ago) and his cult absolutely ridiculed any idea of human beings going off someday to dwell with God, and be in the presence of real angels. --- In spite of the fact that heaven is just as real as hell! --- And along this line of thought, a few days ago when I went out to pick up my paper I noticed this older man walking down the street. He was pushing a baby stroller with a baby girl about 1-1½ years old(beautiful baby); --- and walking along side of this gentleman was a young girl about 6-7 years of age (very pretty and sweet); --- I spoke to the man, introduced myself and after a brief chat, I asked him did he attend church anywhere; --- He looked me straight in the eye and said rather proudly; --- “I don’t go to any church, I’m an atheist!” --- And then he went into a long tirade about how for years he had been involved with various denominational churches and even spent a couple of years in Asia studying the Muslim (or Islamic) religion. Having become disillusioned with all of these religions, he decided to become an atheist. --- I thought to myself, “No wonder this man is so mixed up!” I asked him what would he think if I were to tell him that the same 1^st. Century church of the New Testament exists right here in this day and age? --- He then said; “Why should I believe anything from a Bible that was written by a bunch of men who thought the world was flat; --- And worshiped a “mean spirited” God who had people stoned, and sent His people into war to kill innocent women and babies.?” --- He said he didn’t believe in any heaven or hell, and when he and everyone else who died they would simply go to a place of rest. --- And more and more, I’m finding that this is the terribly misguided perception of most people of this world!! 

  I really don’t know what people like this have in mind, but of course I can’t believe that they derive at this for the same reason they deny hell. --- Now, I can understand why it is that people would want to choose not to believe in a real burning hell, with it’s never ending punishment; --- I can see where they’re coming from on that; --- But I can’t understand people not willing to believe what the Bible says about heaven; --- A place of perfect happiness, and every kind of richness, enjoyment and blessings which defies man’s carnal imagination!! --- But my friends, the Bible does indeed talk about;

1. A Plurality Of Heavens: 
  I believe a good beginning place for this lesson, would be in the very first verse of God’s book of beginnings. (Gen. 1:1); --- “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” --- Please note, that there is a plural “heavens”, and in this sense, the word signifies the aerial realms of the physical universe. --- There is that realm which we might call the “second heaven”; --- and I realize we can not find this term in the Scriptures; --- But in (2 Cor. 12:2) where Paul says; --- “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago--whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows--such a man was caught up to the third heaven.” --- By virtue of the fact he says he was caught up in the third heaven, necessarily implies a first and second heaven.

  So today, we might refer to the second heaven as outer space; --- It’s beyond that realm where the birds fly and the atmosphere which we can see and breath; --- It’s way out there where there is no atmosphere, in that place where evidently nothing exists but planets, stars, an International space station and numerous pieces of space junk!! --- But both of these realms are referred to in the Bible, while not necessarily called the first and second heaven. --- For instance, our Lord made reference to the first heaven in (Mt. 8:20), when He said; --- “"The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” --- And out farther is this second heaven; --- the home of the moon, stars, sun, etc. and it was this heaven David of old had in mind, when he said in (Ps. 19:1); --- “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.” --- But beloved, one day my Bible teaches that there will be an end to these heavens!!
By inspiration the apostle Peter tells us in (2 Pet. 3:10); --- “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.”

  Thus we have then those usages of the word “heavens”, but that’s not primarily the idea I wish to get across in this lesson! --- You and I who believe and obey God in this life, don’t expect one of these days to be blessed by God with a home in the upper stratosphere! --- Nor do we expect to be flipping about like angels in that heaven in which we can see the birds fly!! --- No sir, we won’t take up our eternal habitation out on Jupiter, Mars, Saturn or anywhere else in THAT heaven; --- But there is a place called HEAVEN, that place Jesus talked about to the apostles in (Lk. 10:19-20) , when He told them; --- “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. --- Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.” --- This will also be the place which will be the eternal home for all those who associate themselves faithfully with Jesus Christ!!

  In (Heb. 4:14) the writer says; --- “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.” --- Now, these heavens (plural), are something that Jesus passed through; --- But then we’re told in other passages such as (Acts 2:33-35; Heb. 1:) for example might be summed up in (Col. 3:1) where Paul says; --- “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” --- Notice this; --- Where ever Christ is, He passed through the heavens to get there! --- He didn’t stop off there, He passed through them!!

  Question: Where is Christ now? --- Where is His home?? --- Look in (Heb. 9:24); --- “For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;” --- That’s crystal clear to me! --- So that place where Jesus is RIGHT NOW; --- where God the Father is RIGHT NOW way out there beyond the sun, moon, stars and the physical universe, is that place destined to be the eternal home of all those who are saved through faith and obedience to Almighty God!! --- And so the Bible talks about; ---

2. Great Men Of Faith:
  Oh, as far back as Abraham at least; --- and beyond that to Noah; --- and even back beyond that, to Enoch (the father of Methuselah) who walked with God and was translated so that he should not experience death. (Gen. 5:21-24; Heb. 11:5); --- and even to Able who offered up a better sacrifice than his brother, Cain. (Heb. 11:4) --- Yes, it goes back at least that far talking about men of whom we can call by name who knew, understood and planned on there being a place called heaven!! --- A place that wasn’t on this earth, nor necessarily in the air; --- but where God dwelt and where they were going someday!!

  Look at it if you will in what has been called “God’s great hall of the faithful”!! --- Beginning with (Heb. 11:13); --- “All these died in faith, --” --- And going back to (Vs. 4), the Hebrew writer begins with Abel and continues the list with Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, etc. --- And picking up again in (Vs. 13-15); --- “All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. --- or those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return.”--- Now friends, here’s a significant verse! --- All of this simply is telling us is that they weren’t satisfied with life as this earth has to offer; --- No, they were not; --- They were looking for a home of their own which they could not find here, and (Vs. 16) explains just what they were looking for; --- “But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one --- Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.” --- And where is that city? --- Why, it’s in heaven! --- It’s in heaven!! --- You see,God’s not going to give them something other than that which they hoped for; --- because their hope was based on the promise of God!! --- And when God fulfills the promise, He fulfills it according to the terms by which it was made!!

  It’s just like what Paul teaches in (Rom. 2:5-10); --- Which he talks about the combined states of the righteous and the wicked at the day of Judgment. --- The day of righteous indignation and wrath of God (on the one hand) toward those who are selfishly ambitious and refuse to obey God’s truth. And in (Vs. 9), Paul says on these individuals; --- “ There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil,” --- So when men show no desire for spiritual things, as evidenced by the way they live and act; --- Their reward of condemnation is going to be a just recompense, tied to their disobedience!!

  But then (on the other hand), Paul speaks of those who have a deep burning desire for something far better; --- He says in (Vs. 7), their reward will be; --- “glory and honor and immortality, eternal life;” --- And that was the promise which was held out to men of God, like Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and others!! --- And it was on the basis of that promise that they had formulated this concept of something other than this earth!! --- So, whatever it is that is involved in this glory, honor, immortality; --- Or eternal life, as we might sum it up; --- is something that we don’t receive while on this planet earth. --- We sing that old hymn, “This world is not my home”; and our ultimate blessing is not here, not even in some refurbished fashion!!

  But dear soul, the glory, honor and immortality which God lays in store for us who remain faithful; He lays in store in a far different place; --- And that’s why Abraham and those other men and women of faith back then, looked beyond the earth to a HEAVENLY HOME!! --- Heaven isn’t any new concept; --- it’s as old, or older than human history!!

3. Our Heavenly Hope:

  The beloved apostle Peter speaks of a heavenly hope reserved only for Christians. --- Look at it over in (1 Pet. 1:3-4); --- “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” --- Now, lets stop right here a moment to point out; --- We have this HOPE IN CHRIST! -- And the hope is NOT just that one day Christ will somehow refurbish, or redesign this old earth, and take away all the bad stuff and make it all good, and we’ll still dwell here; --- Not that at all! --- But here’s the hope; --- notice in (Vs. 4); --- “ to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you!!”

  Make no mistake about it dear friends, heaven is a reality; --- And all the scoffing, ridicule and blasphemy that the world in general; --- and the denominational false teachers in particular can come up with, is not going to change one iota of what the Bible says about this real place where Jesus is right now; --- And His promise to come back and gather up all the faithful and take us back home with Him!! --- Look at it again, as Peter speaks of this same hope in (Vs. 6-9); --- “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, --- so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; --- and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, --- obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.” --- And again, every bit of that is explained by Peter as being laid up in heaven!!

  What was it that Jesus said in (Mt. 6:19-20); --- “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. --- But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;” --- Lay up treasures where?? --- In HEAVEN, Jesus said!! --- Where no factor at all can destroy or corrupt these treasures we lay up!!

  Paul said that this hope belongs to everybody who truly loves Christ!! --- Please ponder these hope filled words as they come from inspiration in (2 Tim. 4:6-8); --- “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. --- I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; --- in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.” ---Now whatever reward that God has in store, He’s got it in store for everyone that loves the Lord and looks forward to His appearing! ---There won’t be some Christians who’ll go to heaven, and some left behind; --- Some saints who enjoy all the riches of God, and some just a few; --- No sir!! --- But all of those who love God and want to live with Him badly enough to abide true to His will, will be received with an abundant entrance into heaven!!

  This is the ONE HOPE of (Eph. 4:4-6), when the Bible says; --- “There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; --- one Lord, one faith, one baptism, --- one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.” --- And in that category it says, “There is ONE HOPE; --- Just one!! --- The doctrine of the hope of Christians that is acceptable, --- and the only one that is acceptable; --- is that of our going home to heaven when the Lord returns!!

  That’s why the doctrine of “premillenialism” is not only false, but is to be rejected totally!! --- There’s no such thing as   premillenial hope” even so much as hinted at in God’s word. --- There is only the one hope that we have, and that’s the hope we mentioned a short time back in (1 Pet. 1:) where the apostle proclaims the hope of our “treasure being reserved in heaven for us.” --- And most certainly not of us living and reigning with Jesus on earth for a thousand years!! --- Oh yes, we’re going to be going to heaven one day if we faint not; --- and we ought to be looking forward to it with great anticipation!! 

  This hope is so certain that we can stake our very lives on it!! --- Don’t you realize that there’s not a chance; --- I say again, --- There’s not even a slight chance of heaven failing?? --- Heaven is God’s own habitation, and it’s a place He has under His total and absolute control; --- And when God said; “If you will be faithful unto death, I’ll bring you to heaven to live forever!” --- There’s not a power in all this universe that can change that!! -- Now, of course it’s all up to you to decide whether you want to go to heaven bad enough to love and serve God faithfully. --- The one thing you and I with all the multiplicity of trouble, heartache and everything imaginable that can go wrong in this world; --- the one thing we can bank on absolutely, and throw the ultimate destiny of our souls upon; --- is the fact that heaven is real!! --- The Savior said; --- “"In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. --- If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” (Jn. 14:2-3) --- So, based on these conditions and Divine promises; --- There’s not a soul who fulfills those conditions who’s going to be disappointed! --- Jesus also promised; --- “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. --- He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.” (Rev. 2:10-11) --- The Lord, speaking to those who are already Christians, lays down the conditions, “Befaithful until death” and “He who overcomes”; then promises these, “the crown of life” and “not be hurt by the second death.”(which is hell)!

  Beloved, there’s no doubt about it! --- So let the scoffers scoff, I’m truly sorry for them. --- Let them make fun of me all they want to, --- But after awhile I’ll be with my Lord in heaven, and then what will they have to say??

4. Various Terms: (Used to describe the home of the redeemed)

  Words like “heavenly Jerusalem”, “Holy city”, “Tabernacle of God”, Mt. Zion, etc. ; --- Most of these terms are found in (Rev. 21:), and all of these terms are simply trying to get across the idea of an actual home, a place where God’s faithful will live and make their final and everlasting abode!! --- We won’t be strangers and exiles anymore. --- Heaven is not a place where we’ll have a pack on our back and will always go hiking through it’s corridors; --- But rather a place where we live, and just settle down and take things easy for eternity; --- Because as (Rev. 14:13) puts it; --- “And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, "Write, 'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!'" "Yes," says the Spirit, "so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.” --- Notice with me, if you please where the Lord, the Alpha and the Omega inspires the apostle John to write His final message in (Rev. 22:14); --- “Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city.” --- Well, that “city” is heaven itself ; --- and it’s just as real a place as the city of Austin, Texas or New York City is real!!

  Again, please notice (Rev. 22:18-19); --- “I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; --- andif anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.” --- You see, heaven is not only a place where we can enter in; --- but it’s also a place we can be barred from if we’re not faithful to God!!

  What is heaven like?? --- Well, not only does (Rev. 21:) give us some insight into some of the various descriptive terms by which heaven is called; --- but also we can learn a little bit of what it’s like, for instance in (vs. 27) we learn; --- “ and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.” ---There will be no sin in heaven at all. --- Nobody will be telling any lies (not even those little “white” ones). --- Nobody will ever hold a grudge or have malice in their heart toward another, because that’s a sin! --- There won’t be any jelousy or pride, none of that kind of stuff in heaven at all; --- Because in heaven there won’t be anybody with that attitude!! --- There won’t be any stealing or theives who will break in and rob you! --- Whatever you’ll have in heaven will be yours and will always be yours, Unless you just want to give it away; --- which I suspect will probably be the case; --- because giving is just a part of the heart of love!!

  And beyond that, there won’t be any curse in heaven of any kind, especially the kind that brings forth death. (Rev. 22:1-4) John writes; --- “Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, --- in the middle of its street On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. ---There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; --- they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.” --- So there’s a lot of times we get caught doing things that God’s not pleased with, sinful acts; --- And when we do, unless we repent of that sinful act, we’re not going to make it into heaven. --- But once we do enter heaven, there’ll be nothing like that anymore; --- And God will always look at us then and be forever pleased!!

  Have you ever thought about why God used a lot of “negatives” to help us understand heaven? --- We do the same thing, don’t we? --- We want to try and explain something to someone so that they might be able to understand it’s nature; --- We do both things; --- we talk about what it’s like, and then to get the picture across a little more focused, we’ll say; --- “Well, it’s not exactly like this over here, and it doesn’t look quite this way; --- but this is how it does look!” --- And so we use both the negative and the positive; --- And I would guess this is why God did likewise!! --- He used a lot of “negatives” to help us see what heaven’s like. --- NO night, NO sorrows, NO sin, NO curse, etc.; --- And what that means to us, is when we do get to heaven it will be a place of such perfect “positive” blessings that nothing of a “negative” sort at all will ever enter in!!

  (Rev. 21:4) goes on to say; --- “and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain;” --- There won’t be any tears or crying in that heavenly place; --- I can’t imagine that, can you? --- Being in a place where absolutely nobody will ever cry; --- because there’ll never be anything there to cause sorrow or pain!! Nobody will ever hurt or suffer in any way in God’s home; --- Because God is going to take care of all that. --- And dear friend, this should be a marvelous source of comfort to you and me!! --- Isn’t that unimaginable? --- Why, we can’t conceive of a place where everything is just so perfect; --- It’s just Almost unbelievable; --- But beloved, that’s what the Bible says about it!! --- Truly, we are so blessed, thanks be to a loving and mercifulGod!!

  But then the Scriptures go a little farther to say in (Rev. 22:5); --- “And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.”--- And the reason why there’ll be no night there is because God will always be there; --- He will never leave heaven forever more!! --- And because He is the light of that eternal dwelling place; --- No nighttime, and we’ll always live in the sunshine and bask in the radiance of God’s glory, forever and ever!!

  And heaven is a place where (Rev. 21:18-21) says; --- “The material of the wall was jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. --- The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone The first foundation stone was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald; --- the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst. --- And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.” --- WOW!! What a magnificent image that is!! --- Oh, it’s not that we’re going to be going around with one of those jeweler’s eye glass things on, not that at all. --- We’re not going to constantly be in awe, inspecting how perfect those precious gems are, because you see; --- this whole picture is figurative!! ---It’s figurative language, and the idea behind that is that heaven is so rich and so totally incomprehensively valuable and beautiful and perfect, that; --- well, the only way that we can bring it down to the realm of human understanding, or to put it into human language; --- is to say, “The most precious, priceless gems; --- why, they make up the foundation and walls of the city, four square! --- And if you can imagine a pearl so huge, that one gate consists of one pearl!! --- Well, God is trying to help us understand, and I love Him for it, don’t you??

  And maybe one of the best things about this glorious place, is the fact that once we get there, ---(Rev. 14:13) (a Scripture I used earlier) says heaven will be:

5. There Will Be Rest:

  “And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, ‘Write, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!' ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.”

  Can you just imagine what that will be like? --- Rest from all labor and strife; --- Rest from all forms of disappointments we’ve had to put up with almost on a daily basis here on this earth; --- There won’t be any of that in God’s home. --- All the trials and tribulations we’ve gone through; ---The physical labor, mental labor and yes, even birth labor, --- Eternal rest from all of that!! --- Physical pain, spiritual pain, mental anguish and heartache, gone forever!! --- I have a very good friend and brother who is suffering terribly from kidney stones!! --- Thanks be to a loving God, there will never be anything like this in heaven! --- All of this sort of pain and suffering, for the faithful child of God, will all be over forever!! --- Yes, the saints of God will have their rest in heaven!!

  As I ponder things like this, I can’t help but wonder (as you probably do too), --- How is it that any sane person could ever have the motivation to reject God’s love, let alone, to actually scoff at the idea of God’s heaven? --- “Why (they say), heaven must be a terribly boring and monotonous place, with all that singing and such stuff going on all the time, day in and day out!” --- I’ve drawn the conclusion that, this kind of thinking has to be from a thoroughly carnal mind set; --- and the absolute refusal to read and believe what the word of God says!! --- And why it is that intelligent men and women act that way, I don’t know; --- but it’s for sure, they wouldn’t have this attitude if they were to believe the simplicity of God’s message, the Bible!!

  In heaven there will be no passing of time. By that I mean, it will be just one great eternal day of constant association with the greatest men and women in all history; --- and I’m not talking about presidents, kings, military geniuses and that sort of greatness; --- But rather the truly great people this world has ever known! --- Men like Abraham, Moses, David and Solomon just to mention a few from the Old Testament days, --- and men like Peter, James and John; --- Women like Sarah, Mary, Martha, Lydia and Dorcas; --- Mull things over with Paul, Barnabas, Titus and Timothy!! --- These are just a few of the great men and women with whom we will be able to sit down with and discuss ageless questions and subjects, and we’ll never run out of time! --- We’ll never have to excuse ourselves for some pressing appointment. --- We can just sit there and talk and discuss everything we desire for just as long as we want to with these most marvelous people; --- And we can do that with Jesus Himself AND God the Father!!

  You and I will be able to sit there gazing into the loving eyes of Jesus Christ, asking Him about anything and everything we’ve ever wondered about; --- And have Him just patiently and lovingly explain in detail all those mysteries of the ages that we might have wondered about and puzzled over and never could quite understand!! 

  Yes, heaven will be such a vastly rich experience that it is totally beyond our human imagination; --Just to walk and talk with real angels; --- To be able to inquire of them as to their reaction when (for instance) God created the world and universe; --- When God dealt so marvelously with the Jewish nation as they wandered in the wilderness all those forty years? --- How did they react as they witnessed Jesus Christ who created them crucified for a lost world? --- And then rose from the grave just three days later, giving us hope that one day, we too might be brought up from our grave to be with Him forever in heaven!! --- Exactly what was their reaction to all these things??

  Dear reader, that promise of heaven, with all these and blessings we can’t begin to conceive, are for the redeemed, obedient saints!! --- Look at it in (Heb. 5:8-9), speaking of Christ, the Bible says; --- “Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation,” --- Now, salvation from our sins and hell, and preservation of our lives in heaven is what this is all about, beloved; --- And anybody can go there. --- God has no problem accepting anybody, black, white, rich or poor; --- All you have to do is come to Him on His terms, and His terms are easy!! --- Jesus said in (Mt. 11:28-30); --- “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. --- Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. --- For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” --- If you are willing to do that, God will most abundantly welcome you right in!! --- “Then the King will say to those on His right, ’Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” (Mt. 25:34)

For those of you who might not yet be Christians, you can be!! God’s blueprint is:

  1. BELIEVE that Jesus is the Son of God, and that died, was buried and was resurrected for your sins --- (Heb. 11:6); --- “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, --- for he who comes to God MUST BELIEVE that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” --- And what is faith? Faith and belief are two interchangeable words in the Bible, and (Heb. 11:1) explains; --- “Now faith is the assurance (substance - KJV) of things hoped for, the conviction (evidence - KJV) of things not seen.” --- You and I can’t see salvation; --- We can’t see heaven either, but we HOPE for it, and the evidence of that hope is our faith!! --- “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever BELIEVES in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” (Jn. 3:16) ---Do YOU believe?

  2. REPENT of your sinful ways. --- That is turn away from the sinful/carnal attitude, and turn to Christ by taking on a Christ-like spirit. In (Acts 2:36-38) those believing Jews where told do what? --- After Peter preached the gospel to them which convicted these Jews, the Scriptures tell us; ---“Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ--this Jesus whom you crucified.’ --- Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brethren, what shall we do?’ --- Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”--- And always remember the compeling words of our Lord; --- “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” (Lk. 13:5)

  3. CONFESS openly and orally that you believe; --- NOT about Jesus, but rather IN Jesus that he truly is the Son of God and that He died for you, that your sins might be washed away by His shed blood. --- For the inspired Scriptures proclaim; --- “But what does it say? ‘THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART"--that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, --- that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; --- for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”(Rom. 10:8-10) ---And in (Mt.10:32-33) Jesus give us a choice; --- "Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. --- But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.”

  4. BAPTIZED for the remission, or forgiveness of all past sins. --- Just before Jesus ascended back into heaven, Hr told His apostles in (Mk. 16:15-16); --- “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.--- He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.” --- We know the Bible teaches that one who in IN Christ, has “redemption through His blood,” (Eph. 1:7) --- That Jesus died in our place, that is, --- “God displayed (Christ) publicly as a propitiation by His blood through faith,” (Rom. 3:25) And “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” Heb. 9:22) --- So with these Bible truths in mind, we ask; --- What has the shedding of Christ’ blood and baptism got to do with one another? --- Or maybe one way to put it, how is it that one comes into contact with the saving blood of Christ?? --- The apostle Paul gives us the answer in (Rom. 6:3-7) --- “Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? --- Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. --- For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, --- knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; --- for he who has died is freed from sin.”

  And dear friend, when you follow God’s blueprint, God Himself promises that He will add you to His church. (Acts 2:47) NO, you don’t have to run out and “join the church of your choice”!! --- May I call your attention to the beautiful words of a great hymn; ---

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Questions and comments more than welcomed: ewilburn@austin.rr.com