Monday, September 17, 2012

Heaven Bound

I listened to a sermon this week and this is what was said “ What do you think of first thing in the morning? Do you think of yourself and your day, or on God. If you answer yourself your dwelling on earthly things if you dwell on God then it is Heavenly things. We need to dwell on God.

So this what we know Heaven is the spiritual realm in which the glory of God's presence is manifest, and in which dwell the angels of God, and all believers who have departed this world . “ But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.” Hebrews. 12:22-24.

The few glimpses of Heaven given in Scripture reveal a pervading sense of the holiness of God Isaiah 6;1-7 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!" And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. So I said: "Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts." Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth with it, and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged."And He said, "Go, and tell this people: 'Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.'
If you read Revelation, 4 & 5, you will see glimpses of heaven that are not pleasant to the unbeliever, and they haD an overwhelming impact on those who saw them. Paul in 2 Corinthians . 12:2-4 said this “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago--whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows--such a one was caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man--whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows--how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. “ What he saw was not only impermissible but impossible to describe in human terms!

Heaven is certainly among those things he described elsewhere as "things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered into the heart of man" 1 Corinthians. 2:9! No wonder Paul says in another place that we shall be "astonished" when we see the Lord at His coming in glory.

Heaven is the immediate home for those saved in Christ . To the thief on the cross, Jesus said, "Today you shall be with me in Paradise" Luke 23:43. Paul said that "to be absent from the body (is to be) at home with the Lord" 2 Corinthians . 5:8,’’.

We know "we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is" 1 John 3:2-3 One day we will see Him "just as He is." And when we do, we will be purified from all sin and bound eternally to Him! Part of this transformation will be perfecting our relationships with one another. On earth, even among the most mature of us, our relationships are hindered by barriers created by fear, pride, jealousy, and shame. But the Bible says that "perfect love casts out fear" (1 John 4:18). When we fully apprehend the perfect love which God has for us, and are cleansed from the sin that presently indwells us, our relationships with one another will finally be what God intended them to be.

Paul says that "though now we see through a glass darkly," then we shall "see face to face" and "shall know fully, as we are known" 1 Corinthians . 13:12. We shall know all things about God, without fail. We will praise Jesus Christ like never before, I believe right now we do not know truly know what true praise and worship is, we can’t because we truly do not understand the Love of God, remember the saying “ Christians don’t usually speak lies, they sing them” well one day we will join the heavenly chorus in singing hymns of praise to Almighty God in Heaven we will gain much clearer insight into the wisdom of God and His love in creation, and in redemption.

When our bodies are transformed, they will possess in actuality all that we can now only dream of being capable of. Not only will our bodies be freed from illness and aging, but we will not be held by gravity, or bound to a dying body we will be new!" Wow!

 Revelation 21:1-5 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."
Peter asked Jesus what we would have since we forsake all for Him, Jesus said this Matthew 19: 27-30 Then Peter answered and said to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?" So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. "But many who are first will be last, and the last first. The new heaven and earth are a transformation of the creation as "the regeneration" That same term is used to describe our new birth of a believer.

All things we have given up, every thought will be nothing and forgotten in heaven, because God’s glory will out shine it all.  Isaiah 65:17 says this
'For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind! Being in the presence of Jesus Christ will be eternally gratifying for eternity, we will not have want, or need, or pain or sorrow, we will serve our Lord and be able to praise Him as never before.
 The rest of this I will finish and send out, Heaven is a place we should all be dwelling on, let’s set our minds on heavenly things, and all that we will gain, and cast off the cares of this world to our Lord, and know He will provide all we need.

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Colossians 3:17
In Christ
brian