What do we think of when we hear "heaven"?
When I was young, I had all the usual pictures come to my mind - but I also freaked out a little at the thought of "forever". We know, though, that heaven won't be scary - it will be wonderful. Our minds are small...God is big. So, there are things we can't even imagine.
Four things we know about heaven:
A. God will be there - the best thing.
1 John 1:5-7 says when we walk in the light we have "fellowship" with God.
"Fellowship" is when we are with someone and enjoying their company - for example, your mom or dad at the park, or an amusement park, playing with you, just having a good time, not expecting something of you or telling you what to do. Fellowship is great time together, each person enjoying the other person.
Q: Could a person who confessed their sins late in their life still go to heaven and experience God?
A: Yes - but they will have missed the fellowship they could have had with God all their life. What a waste!
In heaven, we will not have our sin nature with us - it will be the God life 100%.
B. Everything there will be for our good - because God loves us
Q: If God loves me, does that mean he'll give me anything I want?
A: No. There's a difference (sometimes) between what I want and what's good for me.
So...will heaven be non-stop roller coaster rides and candy and as much pizza as we want? Probably not. God knows, though, what's good for us. That is what he will provide.
And some things we request aren't good or bad for us, but they're not what we need. (Example: a new Wii, $500 cash, etc.) God will provide what we need; not always what we want.
C. We will be totally satisfied.
Rev. 21:3-4 says there will be no more pain or sorrow or suffering - we will want nothing and need nothing, because we will have all that we need.
"Forever" is like being in a place where you don't want to leave - things are perfect, you don't want the moment to end.
D. We will be changed.
Q: Seriously, how will I like heaven if it's not endless video games and ice cream?
A: You will be changed, you will be different when you get to heaven.
Anyone who has lived through changes knows they usually aren't something we look forward to - and then when they happen, it turns out OK.
1 Corinthians 15:51-52 says at the time of the trumpet sound, we will all be taken up and we will be changed in an instant. What are some of these changes?
- We'll have no body, or at least a different body (1 Cor. 15 tells us all about that).
- Some of heaven we just can't understand until we're their and then it will be - oh, of course, I get it now! Like a frog explaining to a tadpole what it'll be like to have legs and jump on land.
- Our attitude will totally change. We will be ok being in a place that isn't all about giving us exactly what we want. We will be happy letting God be the center of attention. Ex: my mom being happy to sit and watch us at amusement parks & ski places; Jason's wife agreeing to go to the Madagascar movie because it's what her boys wanted to do.
** This happens as we "grow up" as Christians - we learn to "live beyond ourselves" - to have experiences where we put our needs second, and we let someone else have our time, our attention, our money, our help - and we discover IT'S ALL OK!
Examples:
Missionary from our church who lives among the poor in South Africa
Missionary family that works among the Indian tribes in Peru
When you give away money you wanted to spend on yourself
When you wait for someone who's in front of you who moves more slowly, instead of barging ahead of them
When you are deliberately nice to someone you don't want to be nice to
When you let someone go in front of you in a line
When there are 2 sodas left, with one flavor you want and one you don't - and you let your friend have the flavor you wanted, and you take the other
When you fast (go without eating for some meals)
When you do something extra at home without being asked - more than you are required to do for your chores
...and you discover it's ok!
Ask yourself: What am I willing to try to live beyond myself?
