What Good can come out of it?

“Suffering Precedes Blessing”

World War II brought unparalleled suffering and death to humankind. Experts estimate some fifty-five million people died, among them roughly six million Jews in concentration camps. Families and nations were shattered. Clearly this was a time of great, great evil.

But all was not evil. During the war, medical researchers intensified their efforts to fight disease and infection and as a result made great breakthroughs. Up until 1941, for example, doctors could not reverse the course of infection. “They could do little more than offer a consoling bedside manner as patients sank toward oblivion,” writes Stevenson Swanson.

But the war caused England and America to search for a way to mass- produce penicillin, the original wonder drug. Although penicillin had been discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928, for nearly a decade the medical community had done little with it. “It was dismissed as little more than an interesting microbiological phenomenon.”

But as the probability of war increased in the late 1930s, all that changed. Research began in earnest in England for a way to mass-produce penicillin, which at that time could only be made in extremely small quantities.

In 1941 English researchers brought samples of penicillin to America, and a team of scientists began research into mass production in an agricultural lab in Peoria, Illinois. Within four months they found ways to increase the production of penicillin tenfold. The process was licensed to pharmaceutical companies, and production began in earnest.

The discovery of the fermentation process for penicillin, the world's first antibiotic, triggered a rush by pharmaceutical companies to develop other antibiotics. Selman Waksman of Rutgers University soon discovered streptomycin, which treated tuberculosis. One antibiotic followed another until in the mid 1990s, well over one hundred antibiotics were available.

“Probably more than any other discovery in the history of medicine, the discovery of antibiotics has done the most to improve the lives of humans,” said Dr. Gary Noskin, an infectious-disease specialist and professor of medicine at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago.

Millions of people died in World War II, but out of the war came the drugs that have saved millions of lives and will go on saving lives. Dr. Russell Maulitz, a medical historian and professor at the Medical College of Philadelphia and Hahnemann University, says, “War is the perverse handmaiden of medical progress.”

Just as good came from bad during World War II, so God is able to make great good come from the bad events of our lives.

Be Positive All the Time

Noticing What Matters in Life
By Rev. Christopher Ian Chenoweth


"God said, "Listen to My words: "When there are prophets of the LORD among you, I reveal Myself to them in visions, I speak to them in dreams." Numbers 12:6

A man named Mr. Smith was flying from San Francisco to LA to visit family. Unexpectedly the plane stopped in Sacramento along the way.

The flight attendant explained that there would be a delay, and if the passengers wanted to get off the aircraft, the plane would re-board in 30 minutes.

Everybody got off the plane except one gentleman who was blind.

Mr. Smith had noticed him as he walked by and could tell the blind man had flown before because his Seeing Eye dog lay quietly underneath the seats in front of him throughout the entire flight. Mr. Smith could also tell he had flown this very flight before because the pilot approached him, and

calling him by name, said "Keith, we're in Sacramento for almost an hour. Would you like to get off and stretch your legs?" Keith replied, "No thanks, but maybe the dog would like to stretch his legs."

Now, picture this: All the people in the gate area came to a complete quiet standstill when they looked up and saw the pilot walk off the plane with the Seeing Eye dog! The pilot was even wearing sunglasses. People scattered. They not only tried to change planes, but they were trying to change airlines!

It's funny in life, how often we notice things that appear wrong. But often we are blind to the things that appear right. The older we get the more blind we may become, to ordinary beauty, then we have learned over the years to take for granted.

Spiritual vision allows us to see the extraordinary in the ordinary things.

A student shares a special remembrance: “I had a very special teacher in high school, many years ago, whose husband, unexpectedly and suddenly, died of a heart attack. About a week after his death, she shared some of her insight with a classroom of students.”

As the late afternoon sunlight came streaming in through the classroom windows and the class was nearly over, the teacher moved a few things aside on the edge of her desk and sat down there. With a gentle look of reflection on her face, she paused and said, "Before class is over, I would like to share with all of you a thought that is unrelated to class, but which I feel is very important for me to say before break."

"Each of us is put here on earth to learn, share, love, appreciate, and give of ourselves. None of us knows when this fantastic experience will end.

It can be taken away at any moment.

Perhaps this is a way of telling us that we must make the most out of every single day. Time, and the enjoyment of that time, is God’s Gift for you to unwrap, daily."

Her eyes beginning to water, she went on, "So I would like you all to make me a promise."

“From now on, on your way to school, or on your way home, find something beautiful to notice. It doesn't have to be something you see, it could be a scent - perhaps of freshly baked pie wafting out of someone's kitchen, or it could be the sound of the breeze slightly rustling the pine needles in the trees, or the way the morning light catches the snow as it falls gently to the ground."

“Please LOOK for these things, and CHERISH THEM."

“For, although it may sound trite to some, these things are the 'stuff' of life, the little things we are put here on earth to enjoy, the things we often take for granted. The best gifts are the ones we choose to

give to ourselves, and they do not cost money, but rather, are an investment of our awareness. We must make it important to notice them, for at any time...it can all be taken away."

The class was completely quiet. We all picked up our books and filed out of the room, silently.

That afternoon, I noticed more things on my way home from school than I had that whole semester.

I was living in a wonderland of joy.

Every once in awhile, I think of that teacher and remember what an impression she made on all of us, and I try to appreciate all of those things that sometimes we all overlook.

Take notice of something special you see during the hours of this day.

Wherever you go, go as a child that is discovering the joys of life.

For as we get older, it is not the things we did that we often regret, but the things we didn't do. Give yourself the gift of marveling over your life.”

POSITIVE DAILY PRAYER: Dear God, my prayer today, realizing I was once blind-- may I now SEE.

POSITIVE DAILY AFFIRMATION: God's Divine intelligence is now active in my mind,

adjusting, harmonizing, and healing every part.

POSITIVE DAILY QUOTE: "Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of. Benjamin Franklin

I pray that you have an extra ordinary day by noticing the ordinary again, and giving thanks for it. - Rev. Christopher Ian Chenoweth

We give thanks for you and your help: Click here to easily make a secure donation: http://www.positivechristianity.org/donation.htm

By Mail: Positive Christianity Post Office Box 7993 The Woodlands, Texas 77380

Spiritual Growth Store: http://www.positivechristianity.org/tapes.htm

Homepage: www.PositiveChristianity.org

Box 7993 The Woodlands, Texas 77380

Subscribe for free easily on our homepage

VIDEO POSITIVE DAILY PRAYER free http://www.youtube.com/prayerAmerica

PRAYER HELP simply reply

VIDEO POSITIVE DAILY INSPIRATION free http://www.youtube.com/PositiveChristianity

God not only forgives, but also forgets at that moment

Francis Frangipane:

God Says, "I Do Not Remember"

How little we understand of eternal redemption! How many times will God forgive you? If you have truly set your heart to follow Him, He will cancel your sins as often as you ask. Will He forgive you of the worst sin you can think of? Yes! You may have to live with the consequences of your misdeed, but the redemptive power of God is such that, even in your sin, there are many things of value to be reclaimed. As for the sin itself, if you deeply and sincerely repent of it, not only will God forgive you, He will blot it out of His memory.

Let me share an experience. A certain man of God had been gifted with revelatory insight into people's lives. During an evening service, he ministered to a Presbyterian pastor and his wife. By the gift of the Spirit, he revealed the couple's past, uncovered their present situation and then disclosed to them what was to come. This work of God greatly impressed the couple, and as the prophecies were fulfilled, one month later the Presbyterian minister brought two other pastors, each with their wives, to another service for personal ministry.

The word of knowledge was exceptionally sure that night, and the second minister and his wife marveled at the accuracy and truth in the prophetic word. The third couple stepped forward for ministry and again the word of knowledge was present. The prophet spoke to the husband, revealing his past, present and insight into his future. Then the man of God turned to this third minister's wife. As he began to speak of her past, suddenly he stopped. "There was a very serious sin in your past." The woman, with her worst fear seemingly upon her, turned pale and closed her eyes. The congregation hushed and moved to the edge of their seats.

The prophet continued, "And I asked the Lord, 'What was this sin that she committed?' And the Lord answered, 'I do not remember!'"

He Has Removed Our Sins as

Far as the East is from the West

The Lord had been faithful to His promise: "I will not remember your sins" (Isaiah 43:25). Although many times this minister's wife had asked for cleansing, still she could not believe the depth of God's forgiveness. Christ had placed her sin in the sea of His forgetfulness. He removed it "as far as the east is from the west" (Psalm 103:12). From everywhere but the prison of her own mind, her sin had been paid for and removed. And now, in His great mercy, He removed it from there as well!

Oh, what burdens we carry, what guilt and limitations surround us because we do not accept God's total and perfect forgiveness. In Isaiah we read, "I, even I, am the One who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins" (Isaiah 43:25).

How great is the God we serve. How wonderful is His love toward us. He is our Redeemer! Our Savior! If you are willing to forgive others and will but ask Him to forgive you, He will pardon your debts as often as you contritely turn to Him. He promises He will remember your sins no more.

Francis Frangipane

Ministries of Francis Frangipane

Email: francis1@frangipane.org

Website: www.frangipane.org

Are you a fused or a bright light Bulb?

“Light Bulbs”

One of the history's sharpest minds belonged to Thomas Edison, the great inventor. Despite only three months of formal schooling, Edison and his inventions changed the world forever. His secret? “One percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration,” as he put it; and he proved his definition by working days at a time, obsessed with his projects, neglecting family and friends, and stopping only for short catnaps. Failure never seemed to discourage him. When about ten thousand experiments with a storage battery failed to produce results, a friend tried to console him. “Why, I have not failed,” Edison quipped. “I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.”

Of all his inventions, perhaps the most famous is the electric light. He devised the prototype, then spent two years looking for the right filament, sending associates to the jungles of the Amazon and to the forests of Japan. He even tried strands of red hair from a friend's beard. Finally, he utilized carbonized thread, and it worked! The world gained electric lights. 

Our light bulbs today have three parts to them. There is the glass itself-the bulb surrounding the filament. Inside the bulb is a mixture of gases, commonly argon and nitrogen. Finally, in the very center of the bulb, is the filament. Most filaments today are made of a very tough metal, and when electricity flows through them, they become very hot-about 4,500 degrees-making them glow and give off light.

Light bulbs bear a fascinating resemblance to you and me. There is the outside covering, the glass bulb, the body-the part people see. Inside, like invisible gases within the bulb, are our personalities. And at the very center of it all is that part of us that glows and enlightens-the human mind.

The mind is the sum and substance, the axis and pivot, of our existence. It is the base of operations, the core of our humanity. Our minds are the most important things about us, and our lives are simply the overflow of our thoughts.

Dale Carnegie was once asked on a radio program, “What is the biggest lesson you have ever learned'?” He quickly replied, “By far the most vital lesson I have ever learned is the importance of what we think. If I knew what you think, I would know what you are. Our thoughts make us what we are. Our mental attitude is the X-factor that determines our decisions. Emerson said: 'A man is what he thinks about all day long.' How could he possibly be anything else?”

Why? An old maxim states: “Thoughts produce acts, acts produce habits, and habits produce character” The Roman philosopher Marcus Aurelius said, “Our life is what our thoughts make it.” Or as the Bible puts it, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7)

- Selected

God Rewards Faithfulness in Mammon

“Colgate”

The Colgate-Palmolive Company is one of the oldest in America, going back nearly two hundred years. It was started by a young man named William Colgate. He left home at sixteen years of age to seek his fortune, and everything that he owned in this world was tied in a bundle that he carried in his hand. But as he walked along on his way to the city, he met an old neighbor, the captain of a canal boat, and the words the old man spoke to him on that day stayed with him his entire life.

“Well, William, where are you going?” asked the canal-boat captain.

“I don't know. Father is too poor to keep me at home any longer, and says I must make a living for myself now.” William went on to say that he had no skills, that he didn't know how to do anything except make soap and candles.

“Well,” said the old man, “let me pray with you and give you a little advice.”

There in the pathway, the two of them-a teenager and an old man- knelt down and the man prayed earnestly for William. Then, rising up, the boat captain said this:

“Someone will soon be the leading soap maker in New York. It can be you as well as anyone. Be a good man; give your heart to Christ; give the Lord all that belongs to Him of every dollar you earn; make an honest soap; give a full pound; and I am certain you will yet be a prosperous and rich man.”

When William arrived in New York, he had trouble finding a job, but he followed the old man's advice. He dedicated himself to Christ, joined a church, and began worshiping there. The first thing he did with the first dollar he earned was to give 10 percent of it to the Lord's work. From that point on, he considered ten cents of every dollar as sacred to the Lord. In fact, he soon began giving 20 percent of his income to the Lord, and then he raised it to 30 percent, then to 40 percent, then to 50 percent. And late in his life, he had become so successful that he devoted the whole of his yearly income-100 percent of it-to the Lord.

And even today, this very morning, nearly two hundred years later, some of you brushed your teeth or washed your faces with products from that young man's factory.

-Selected

A Little Boy's Testimony of Heaven

"Clinically-Dead" Boy Who Miraculously Survived Drowning, Saw His Great-Grandmother in Heaven

Teresa Neumann (Apr 21, 2010)

"I knew I was in Heaven. But Grandma said I had to come home. She said that I should go back very quickly. Heaven looked nice. But I am glad I am back with Mummy and Daddy now."

(Lychen, Germany)—After a drowning mishap, three-year-old Paul Eicke has made news in Europe, saying he spoke with a family member in Heaven before miraculously coming back to life.

According to a report in The Daily Mail, the boy had fallen into a pond for several minutes at his grandparent's house in Great Britain before being found. (Photo: Bild.de)

Doctors had just given up on resuscitation efforts when—three hours and 18 minutes after he had been brought in—his heart started beating independently.

Professor Lothar Schweigerer, director of the Helios Clinic where Paul was treated, said: "I have never experienced anything like it...this is a most extraordinary case. My doctors were close to saying 'we can do no more' after two hours of thorax compression. This was because the chances of survival had gone and the little lad must have been brain dead. But then suddenly his heart started to beat again...it was a fantastic miracle."

"I've been doing this job for 30 years," he added, "and have never seen anything like this. It goes to show the human body is a very resilient organism and you should never give up.'"

Even more remarkable, Paul is quoted as saying that while he was unconscious, he saw his great-grandmother Emmi, "who had turned him back from a gate and urged him to go back to his parents."

Said Paul: "There was a lot of light and I was floating. I came to a gate and I saw Grandma Emmi on the other side. She said to me, 'What are you doing here Paul? You must go back to Mummy and Daddy. I will wait for you here.'"

"I knew I was in Heaven," he continued. "But Grandma said I had to come home. She said that I should go back very quickly. Heaven looked nice. But I am glad I am back with Mummy and Daddy now."

Back home in Germany, Paul reportedly has no sign of brain damage from his ordeal.

Source: Allan Hall - The Daily Mail U.K.

From Rags to Riches

The Ultimate Rags To Riches Story

This Week’s Feature Article by Jack Kelley

www.gracethrufaith.com

We all love this kind of story. And as much as we’re encouraged by the experience of an ordinary person who due to personal drive and perseverance rises from humble beginnings to become a leader of business or industry, we’re especially fond of stories where an absolute nobody is plucked from the faceless crowd and instantly propelled to the pinnacle of success. Great Hollywood stories have been built upon this premise, and they’ve never failed to delight us. But by far the absolute best example of this comes from the Bible and is about you. Our story begins in the Old Testament Book of 1st Samuel with David and Jonathan.

And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt. (1 Samuel 18:3-4)

The making of covenants was serious business because people’s lives depended them. A covenant was the strongest bond known to men, and had both business and personal applications that extended even to the descendants of the two parties involved. Here’s an example.

Some time after David and Jonathan formed their covenant relationship, Jonathan was killed by the Philistines in the Battle of Beth Shan, while David went on to become King of Israel. As I said, covenant agreements extended beyond the grave to the parties’ descendants. One day King David asked his advisors if there was anyone left of Jonathan’s family to whom he could show kindness for Jonathan’s sake.

They brought in one of Saul’s former servants who told him of a crippled boy named Mephibosheth. He was Jonathan’s son, living in a place called Lo Debar, about as far from Jerusalem as he could get. When David had become King of Israel, all of former King Saul’s family (Jonathan was Saul’s son) had fled for their lives for fear that David would take revenge on them for the way Saul had treated him. In their haste to escape, a nurse had picked up the 5 year old Mephibosheth to carry him, but she tripped and they fell hard on the stone floor, breaking his legs and crippling him for life. (2 Sam. 4:4) As he grew up his family had convinced Mephibosheth that David was responsible for his condition and still wanted to kill him.

Upon learning Mephibosheth’s whereabouts, David sent his soldiers to fetch him. When they brought him into the presence of the King, Mephibosheth, fearing for his life, bowed in submission before him. David reassured him and told him of the covenant he had with Jonathan. Then David restored to him all of his grandfather Saul’s property and gave him servants to work the land so his needs would always be met. Finally David asked him to come live in Jerusalem, and eat at the King’s table just like one of the King’s own sons. (2 Sam 9)

Talk about rags to riches. It’s a beautiful story of kindness and forgiveness that illustrates the depth of a covenant relationship like no other, and like many Old Testament stories it’s a model of what the Lord had in store for us. Just think of David as God our Father, Jonathan as the Lord Jesus, and Mephibosheth as you and I.

The Everlasting Covenant

Long before we were born the Father and the Son entered into a covenant on our behalf. In effect, our Father said to Jesus, “Son, if you’ll die for them I’ll forgive them”

Jesus replied, “Father, if you’ll forgive them I’ll die for them.” And so the Everlasting Covenant was formed. The Bible says this happened before the foundations of Earth were laid. (1 Peter 1:20)

They had made this covenant because God knew that each time He entered into covenant with man, man would prove untrustworthy and soon break it. For example, Adam ate the forbidden fruit, Noah’s descendants refused to scatter and re-settle the Earth, the Israelites broke the commandments, and so on. The salvation of God’s children was so important to Him that no mere man could be trusted to be faithful, so God Himself had to become a man to save mankind. “You are my son,” He told Jesus, “Today I have become your Father.” (Psalm 2:7)

In the fullness of time Jesus became a man to save mankind, and stood before our Father as our covenant head.

Even though God knew we would ultimately choose Him He pursued us like an ardent lover, and at first many of us ran from Him. We’d heard the stories of His wrath and some of us had even been told that He was responsible for our infirmities and the other bad things that happened to us. They said if He ever got His hands on us He would punish us severely for our sins. Finally one day He caught us and as we trembled at His feet in fear, He reassured us and told us of the covenant He had made with His Son to forgive us. Then He restored the inheritance Satan had stolen from us, invited us to dwell with Him, to eat at the King’s table with His family, and to consider ourselves as His children.

The New Testament tells us how He accomplished this. In John 1:12 we’re told that because we believe in Jesus we’ve been given the authority to become children of God. Having been born once in the flesh to our Earthly parents, He gave us the right to be born again in the Spirit so that He could become our Heavenly Father. He did this simply because we chose to believe in His Son. (John 3:16)

Then Romans 8:29 says that God knew in advance that we would believe in the Son, so He predestined us to be conformed to His likeness so Jesus could be the first of many brothers in the Royal Family of God. First Jesus was made like us, and soon we’ll be made like Him. (1 John 3:2)

In Galatians 4:4-7 we read that since we’ve been legally adopted into God’s family we’re now sons of God. And that means we’re also heirs, joint heirs with Jesus. Romans 8:16-17 confirms this.

Hebrews 2 makes the point that Jesus was temporarily made lower than the angels, becoming a man to save mankind, and after that was elevated to His former position and crowned with glory and honor.

Paul gave us more detail on this. Ephes 1:20-22 explains that when He was resurrected, Jesus ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of majesty far above all rule and authority, power and dominion and every title that can be given, in the present age and the one to come. All things were placed under His feet

Astonishingly Ephes 2:6-7 says God raised us up and seated us there too, in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. The verbs in this passage are in the past perfect tense, meaning that in God’s view we’re already there.

So even though at one time we were dead in our sins, and by nature objects of God’s wrath, hopeless helpless, worthless and useless, He made us alive in Christ. He forgave all our sins, clothed us in robes of righteousness, seated us beside His Son in the heavenly realm and made us Kings and Priests who will reign on Earth, co-heirs with Jesus of God’s estate.

The 24 Elders

By the way, this lends enormous credibility to our view that the 24 elders of Rev. 4 represent the Church.

Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. (Rev. 4:4)

These 24 elders confuse some people, but they shouldn’t. Their appearance gives them away. They have thrones, so they’re rulers. They surround the Throne of God where Jesus is seated, so they’re reigning with Him. They’re seated, another sign of royalty. They’re dressed in white, so they’re righteous. They’re wearing the Greek “stephanos” crown, so they’re victors, over comers. They’re called Elders, a title long associated with the Church.

Some try to explain the 24 thrones by saying that they belong to an unknown group of ruling angels. But four Prophets saw the throne of God and recorded their experience. They were Isaiah (Isaiah 6), Ezekiel (Ezek. 1 & 10), Daniel (Dan. 7), and John (Rev. 4). Neither Isaiah nor Ezekiel made any mention of the 24 elders indicating that they weren’t present in Old Testament times. Daniel’s vision concerned the End Times and in Dan. 7:9 he mentioned multiple thrones but didn’t add any details as to number or type of occupants. This is consistent with the fact that the Church was hidden to Old Testament prophets even in visions of the future. Only John made mention of the 24 Elders. And note again that these elders are wearing the crowns of over comers. The Church won’t receive our crowns until the Bema Seat judgment that takes place after the rapture.

Jesus is seated at the right hand of majesty today, Paul wrote that we’re seated there with Him, and when John was transported to the end of the Age he saw us there, after the rapture but before the End times judgments begin.

In the Book of Revelation three groups of believers come into view. In Rev. 5:9-10 the 24 Elders are shown worshiping God and thanking Him for taking us from every tribe and language and people and nation and making us to be Kings and Priests who will reign on Earth. In Rev. 7:9-17 we see a great multitude in white robes who will arrive shortly before the Great Tribulation begins. They will serve God in His temple but are never called priests. And in Rev. 20:4 another group martyred for their faith is resurrected to reign with Christ for 1000 years, but they are never called kings.

Depending on their Rapture view, various scholars identify each of these groups as the Church, but only one is seated with Christ in the heavenly realms, only one is called Kings and Priests, and that’s the one represented by the 24 elders. That group is the Church, and it makes our elevation from obscurity on Earth to a throne in heaven the ultimate rags to riches story.

The Beauty Of Heaven

Heaven:The Great Adventure

A study that will help you discover the great adventure that awaits us when this life is over.

By Randall J. Brewer

-INTRODUCTION-

Back in the 1970’s when I got born-again two books by Hal Lindsey got believers everywhere all stirred up and the messages therein literally rushed into the kingdom of God and took the church by storm. “The Late Great Planet Earth” and “There’s A New World Coming” familiarized us with the Book of Revelation and everything there was to know about end-time events.

The rapture was on everybody’s mind and we just knew that any minute now the angelic trumpet blast would sound and suddenly we’d all be blasting off this planet like exploding kernels of popcorn. Pop! Pop! Pop! Up, up, and away! The anticipation of this glorious event altered our lifestyles and our expectation level was at an all time high. We loved Jesus with all our heart and grew closer to Him than we’ve ever been before. It was wonderful!

To the surprise of everyone the rapture didn’t happen then and before you knew it the 1980’s rolled around. In truth, we really didn’t mind because the Word was being preached so powerfully that every day we were being ushered into the very throne room of God. It was as close to having heaven on earth as it could possibly get. We were riding the wave of God’s glory and we never wanted it to end.

Years passed and as we approached the year 1988 everybody’s expectation of the rapture resurfaced. The Bible teaches that when the scattered Israelites returned to their homeland that this would be the start of the last generation on planet earth before the rapture takes place. Israel became a nation in 1948 and people began to speculate that 40 years was the length of one generation, thus the rapture would take place in or near the year 1988.

Books were once again written about it and expectation levels began to soar as they did a decade before. We got our lives in order as we prepared to meet the Lord face to face. People didn’t seem to care that the Bible says no man knows the day or hour when the Lord will return. No, this was going to be the year! Of course, we all know it didn’t happen then either.

Time passed on as it always does and many people turned their attention away from this grand homecoming and began to focus dealing with the trials and hardships of every day life. Yes, they still loved Jesus but the burdens they faced drove them to give their attention to surviving the evil here and now instead of focusing on the sweet by and by.

As all this was going on a new generation of believers rose up but unfortunately the exciting news of the rapture and end-time events were not being taught as it had been in years past. Thankfully, there are many believers alive today who remember what it was like back then who never let their enthusiasm and expectation grow dim and cold. And it is these old-timers such as myself whom God has commissioned to once again light the fire in the hearts of this new generation, as well as the old, because, yes indeed, Jesus is coming soon.

As a whole people aren’t looking for the rapture to happen anytime soon. They figure it will get here when it gets here. Whatever will be will be. They’ve let their guard down and the sad thing is their actions show it. Their attitude is let’s eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die.. What people don’t realize is that this is precisely when Jesus will come back for His people. When you least expect it He’ll split the eastern sky and call us home.

The purpose of this book is to get you stirred up and excited once again, to light up the fire of your expectation of one day soon being caught up to be forever with the Lord. Yes, my friend, soon and very soon we are going to see the King. Look up for your redemption draweth nigh!

-1-

Solomon wrote in Eccl. 3:1,2a, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die.” The good news is that for the born-again believer death offers the possibility of great gain. Phil. 1:21 says, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Paul later said in vs. 23 that “to depart and be with Christ” was “far better” than living in the flesh on planet earth. I like how the Message Bible puts it, “The desire to break camp here and be with Christ is powerful. Some days I can think of nothing better.”

At this very moment as you are reading these words Jesus is off preparing a special place for you that will offer you great gain. It’s a place called “heaven”. It has been said that next to the idea of God, the idea of heaven is the greatest idea to enter into the heart of every man, woman, and child. This being so, then tell me, when was the last time you heard an exciting, thought provoking message about heaven? A message so thrilling that it stirred you up on the inside and caused your enthusiasm to soar to it’s highest level. A message that made your mouth water because it was so motivating that no longer was heaven a place clouded in mystery but in your heart became a reality to be grasped. A message that moved you to raise your hands and cry out with eager, heartfelt anticipation, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus.”

How long has it been since you heard a message like that? Years? Yeah, me too. In fact, if I were a betting man, I would wager that the majority of you have never heard a message as compelling as the one you are about to read.

Time magazine once said, “In today’s churches, let’s face it, heaven is preserved like a bug in amber.” We can look at it but it’s dead, it’s lifeless.. Why is this so? Why doesn’t the idea of heaven carry more weight in our every day lives?

I can think of three reasons why this is so. First of all, the only idea of heaven a lot of people have is childish and boring. Who wants to sit on a cloud and play a harp forever? Haven’t you been taught that this is what heaven is like? And let’s not forget those chubby little curly-haired baby angels with tiny wings flying around your head as you do so. The idea of doing this for all eternity is a big turn off. In fact, it can be down right repulsive.

Also, does wearing a white robe forever send chills down your spine? Not me. Or how about singing in a celestial choir for the next ten million years? Does that excite you? Maybe if you’re real musical it might but if you’re like me and can’t carry a tune to save your soul this idea can hinder your desire to go there. Don’t get me wrong. I’ve been saved for over two thirds of my life and I love praising God as much as the next person. It’s just that I can’t sing worth a dime and, if the truth be known, I can’t even clap in rhythm. I fit into the “make a joyful noise” category. This I do well. And often.

For some people, this is as deep as heaven gets. There is no color in their vision of heaven. It’s all black and white. B-O-R-I-N-G! It’s not compelling at all. Why go to heaven and be bored if you can go to hell and drink beer and party with your friends? I’m serious! This is what a lot of people believe. Never have they heard a true teaching about heaven that grabbed hold of their attention and wouldn’t let go.

Let’s be honest here. People crave fun and excitement. I know I do. This need creates a void in their lives that needs to be filled. It’s an itch that needs to be scratched. People hate to be bored! Personally, I live the one life I’ve been given as if it were one great big fantastic adventure. I’m a lover of the outdoors and I’ve gone white-water rafting on a raging river in West Virginia and hiked to the top of the second tallest waterfall in the world. I’ve descended into dark caves and have traveled through canyons galore. I’ve walked on a glacier and have hiked through deep woods to see some of the most beautiful sights this planet has to offer.

I have seen wild bear, moose, bison, timber-wolves, mountain goats, and deer of every shape and size. This is what my life is like now and as you shall see this life of adventure is what awaits us in the next life. Sorry, but an eternity of endless singing does not trip my trigger. I’m sure many of you non-musical people feel the same way.

Don’t feel bad if you do. It was God who put that desire for adventure in you in the first place. Trust me, as you shall soon see, there will be a whole lot more to do in heaven than just sing.

The second reason the idea of heaven doesn’t carry a lot of weight with people is because they get consumed with trying to build a heaven for themselves here on planet earth. We do this because we’ve been told we can. We feel the world will give us ultimate happiness and we put all our effort and energy into experiencing all we can in the here and now. Go for the gusto!

For some people the accumulation of great wealth becomes their motive for living. They believe that “he who dies with the most toys wins”. For others heaven is a fishing pole in one hand and a can of beer in the other. Or they think heaven is riding a Harley motorcycle or a tail-gate party at some professional ballgame. And let’s not forget swinging on a hammock between two palm trees on some tropical island while drinking juice out of a coconut with a straw. To them, that’s heaven. Nothing more, nothing less. They toast each other around a camp fire and say, “It doesn’t get any better than this.”

In and of itself this is a great way to live, minus the beer. I mean, who doesn’t want to have fun and enjoy all that life has to offer? I do. The problem with this lifestyle, however, is that without Jesus in your heart and a clear vision of heaven in your mind you’re only going to be able to feel great for a short while. Time quickly passes by and you start feeling empty inside and, before you know it, you’re ready for another “fix”.

The truth of the matter is that what this world has to offer will never be enough. Even Paul said in 1 Cor. 15:19, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.” The Message Bible puts it this way, “If all we get out of Christ is a little inspiration for a few short years, we’re a pretty sorry lot.” There has got to be more for us than the temporary pleasures this life has to offer. Thankfully, there is.

On the flip side of this, the burdens of life can sometimes be so overwhelming that thoughts of heaven become the farthest thing from your mind. Who can think about heaven when you’ve just been laid off from your high-paying job after you just went out and purchased a new home last month? Or your spouse has just been diagnosed with terminal cancer? Life is hard, I’ll give you that. Sometimes it takes everything you’ve got just to make it through the day. For sure, it is hard to focus on heaven, a place that seems to be so far off into the future, when your world is crashing around you today.

Life is not easy and no where in scripture did God say it would be. In fact, He said the opposite would be true. Jesus said in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world..” The Message Bible says, “I’ve told you all this so that trusting Me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.” No, we are not promised an easy life but in Jesus we can live a victorious life.

My calling is to encourage people everywhere to trust Jesus, never give up, and keep moving forward in their walk with Jesus. In regards to eternity the key is to have a well balanced overview on the things we believe. We can’t think about heaven so much that we ignore the trials and blessings here on earth. Likewise, we can’t let today’s activities consume us so much that we pay the price of ignoring the glorious afterlife that awaits us. The key is balance. We need an equal combination of both. We need to be heavenly minded and earthly good. Both beliefs compliment one another. This is why we must forever strive to live our lives with the end in mind. Any person who can to that will live a meaningful and satisfying life.

What you see in the future becomes your reference point for the here and now. Without a clear vision for the future your mind will be empty and void, forever being in a fog-like state. You’ll wander through life like a homeless vagabond not knowing if you’re coming or going rather than moving strategically to an appointed place. But when the idea of heaven and life eternal becomes real to you there will be this tremendous energy flow moving through your life all the time in day-to-day living. It will be like a giant magnet pulling you through life to your desired end. So live your life with the end in mind. See how you will finish this life and envision the here after.

You can go there with your imagination during the day and find balance there. It will give you a proper perspective of things to come and you’ll find encouragement to keep doing what you’re doing so you can finish in the way you en-visioned yourself finishing. Paul writes in 1 Cor. 9:24-27, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperish-able crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it under subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”

The Message Bible says, “I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.” Make a sacred oath between yourself and God. Say out loud, “I will fervently live my life according to my design with the end in mind.” A glorious eternity in heaven awaits you if you do. So what will heaven be like? Glad you asked. Read on…

-2-

Let’s have some fun. I want to share with you some ideas I have about what heaven is going to be like when that glorious transformation takes place and Jesus comes to take us home. All my life I have been fascinated with stories about people being transferred off to some magical kingdom, places filled with sight and sound beyond anything we could think or imagine, tales that take you to another time, another place.

For instance, the “Star Wars” movies all take place “a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.” Stories such as “The Wizard of Oz”, “Peter Pan”, “Alice in Wonderland”, and “The Chronicles of Narnia” all capture your imagination and birth in you the need to believe that there is something better out there that awaits us when this life is over. The truth be known, there is such a place and it’s called “Heaven”.

The Chief Architect of this glorious kingdom is Jesus and He said in John 14:2,3, “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. And 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.” I get goose bumps just thinking about it.

So what’s this place called “Heaven” like? In order to fully comprehend what you’re about to read it is required that you bring your imagination with you. Paul wrote in 1 Cor. 2:9,10, “But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.’ But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.”

I do not pretend to know even a sliver of truth behind all that awaits us in the next life but I do believe that a hint of what heaven is like is revealed to us throughout all of scripture. Jesus once told His disciples to “launch out into the deep” (Luke 5:4) and that is precisely what we’re going to do here. The Message Bible records Paul’s words this way, “No one’s ever seen or heard anything like this, never so much as imagined anything quite like it - what God has arranged for those who love Him. But you’ve seen and heard it because God by His Spirit has brought it all out into the open before you.”

At first what I have to say may appear to be a little far-fetched but I ask you to bear with me. The idea of heaven being something beyond what we could think or imagine is part of it’s appeal to the human mind. I assure you that everything I have to share is all Biblical. Besides, it wasn’t too long ago that automobiles, computers, microwaves, and space shuttles also were considered a figment of someone’s wild imagination. All I ask is that you hear me out and then judge for yourself. Are you ready? Okay, let’s go on a journey you’ll never forget.

Although we’ll be looking at several scriptures throughout our study, the main Biblical text from which we’ll build our foundation is going to be one verse and one verse only. Surprised? I thought so. It’s found in 1 John 3:2, “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” The Message Bible puts it this way, “Who knows how we’ll end up? What we know is that when Christ is openly revealed, we’ll see Him - and in seeing Him, become like Him.”

It stands to reason that in order for us to understand what it will be like in heaven we need to get a clear understanding of what Jesus was like after He paid the ultimate price for our sins and arose from the grave. Our text clearly states that “when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”

We best start by answering the question, “When will Jesus be revealed?” or “When will we see Him as He is?” The answer is obvious. Paul tells us in 1 Cor. 15:51,52 and 1 Thess. 4: 16,17. Let’s read these verses together as one text. “Behold, I tell you a mystery (Did you ever notice that the Bible reveals a lot of mysteries to us?): We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed - in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”

Jesus is revealed and we are changed all at the same time when the rapture occurs and we behold Him face to face in all of His glory. A preview of what Jesus will look like was given at the Transfiguration as recorded in Matt. 17:1,2, “Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, brought them up on a high mountain by themselves, and was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.” That’s pretty impressive!

The Message Bible says, “His appearance changed from the inside out, right before their eyes. Sunlight poured from His face. His clothes were filled with light.”

Let’s go back and hear the same words from Paul as translated in the Message Bible. “But let me tell you something wonderful, a mystery I’ll probably never fully understand. We’re not all going to die - but we are all going to be changed. You hear a blast to end all blasts from a trumpet, and in the time that you look up and blink your eyes - it’s over. On signal from that trumpet from heaven, the dead will be up and out of their graves, beyond the reach of death, never to die again. At the same moment and in the same way, we’ll all be changed. The Master Himself will give the command. Archangel thunder! (I like the sound of that.) God’s trumpet blast! He’ll come down from heaven and the dead in Christ will rise - they’ll go first. Then the rest of us who are still alive at the time will be caught up with them into the clouds to meet the Master. Oh, we’ll be walking on air! And then there will be one huge family reunion with the Master. So reassure one another with these words.” Wow! Talk about an exhilarating beginning to a magnificent eternal adventure!

Probably the most often asked question about heaven is “What will we look like when we get there?” Did you notice in the movie “The Wizard of Oz that Dorothy looked the same in the land of Oz as she did on her farm in Kansas? No physical transformation took place. I don’t know about you but I for one do not want to look the same for all eternity as I look now. Wrinkles, scars, gray hair, liver spots, love handles. No way! I give God a big heartfelt “Thank You” and “Glory Hallelujah” that “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye” we will be changed. Corruptible will put on incorruptible.

The word “moment” comes from the Greek word ‘atomos’ and is a moment of time so fast it can not be further divided. Baby, that’s fast! Will people look old there and will tiny babies who died in infancy be confined to a small body in a world without end? Tell me, what do you think we’re going to look like? Will we look like the “Stay Puffed” Marshmallow Man? Or how about Chewbacca? Would you like to look like some tall, hairy ape-like creature and do nothing but grunt and snort for all eternity? Probably not. No, I assure you, we will not look like alien creature from some far off galaxy. Nor will we look like a Klingon from the Vagaba system with their deep voice, evil stare, and wrinkled foreheads. There will be no “E.T. phone home” where we’re going. Thank goodness, even though I did think E.T. was kind of cute. Yoda too. And don’t worry, nobody in heaven will have pointed ears like our beloved Mr. Spock. We will, however, live long and prosper.

For sure, heaven will be a place of altered states. When we got born-again we became the offspring of divine glory and when the rapture takes place the same glory that radiates out of Jesus will also radiate out of us. We’ll shine brighter than the sun. We really will. Rom. 6:5 says, “For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection.”

When that trumpet blast sounds we’ll crash through the barriers of physical limitations and instinctively we’ll grasp hold of all that Jesus has prepared for us. Waiting for us is “an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade” (1 Peter 1:4). Phil. 4:19 tells us that in heaven there are “riches in glory”. And it’s all ours! Heaven is a real, physical place. Jesus went there in bodily form, as did Elijah and Enoch, so we know it’s not some spiritual vapor cloud somewhere.

The Bible tells us there are streets in heaven, as well as trees, mountains, animals, cities, buildings, water, and everything you can possibly imagine. Yes, heaven will be filled with things absolutely unheard of on planet earth. It will cause us to nod enthusiastically and say, “Of course!” We’ll point our finger at places and things and say with exuberance, “Look at that! Wow! Will you look at that!?! Will you look at all that!?!” You will see how different things are than what you thought they would be. You’ll scratch your head and wonder why you had not been able to see or imagine it before.

Heaven is a world of enchantment, the drumbeat certainty of victory over hell and the grave. It is the fortress against the mundane reality that life in human form provides. Our lives on planet earth is a challenge made to be overcome and heaven is the prize for those who do.

Think of heaven as one big gigantic planet. The book of Revelation tells us there are directions in heaven. There is a north, south, east, and west, so this tells us that it is round. I can’t prove it but it would not surprise me one bit if the North Star that shines so bright in the night sky was in fact Planet Heaven. We know it’s not part of our solar system so it’s got to be millions of light years away. Do you know what that means? It means that at the rapture we’ll all become space travelers. We’ll be spiritual astronauts. “Beam me up, Scottie!” Ha! Ha! I bet you never thought of that, did you?

Heaven will be a place of resolution. We’ll have the mind of Christ and will be strikingly intelligent and full of life. We will have firmness of purpose and will be filled with an overwhelming zeal and earnest energy. We’ll move from partial to full understanding. 1 Cor. 13:12 says, “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.” The Message Bible puts it this way, “We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a midst. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing Him directly just as He knows us!”

In heaven we’ll understand all there is to know. We’ll know everything wholly and completely. All the loose ends will come together and get connected. You will be confident, sure of yourself, always in control. You will have a gifted, brilliant mind and the studious eye of a great scholar. An air of polished confidence will surround you and your thoughts will be bright and clear and magnificent. You will know everything that is going on and what is going to happen.

All the questions we’ve ever had will be answered with divine satisfaction. Never again will we wonder about anything. We’ll possess astonishing intelligence and we will know everything about everything. We’ll have in fullness the mind of Christ. I mean, we have to. How else will we be able to comprehend all that God has in store for us when we cross over to the other side into the realm of eternal glory?

-3-

In heaven we will have new bodies, different kinds of bodies but probably not as different as we think. People ask all the time, “Will people recognize one another in heaven?” Let me answer this question with a question. Will you be recognized in Dallas? Or Chicago? Or how about in Miami? There is only one answer to this question.. Of course we’ll be recognized in heaven. We’ll look pretty much the same as we do now, only better.

Our new bodies will be gorgeous, more splendid than we could ever imagine. They’ll be brand new and immaculate, a spectacular work of divine creativity. They’ll be firm and strong, shaped like a dream. They’ll be impeccably clean and neat, pure as the wind driven snow. You’ll stand straight and tall with the distinguished look of a conquering warrior spread across your face. An Olympic champion receiving the gold medal comes to mind.

Like Jesus you also have conquered hell and the grave and a triumphant smile will dance across your face. Your face will shine with the glory of God and it’s brilliance will be like that of a very precious jewel. It will be perfectly symmetrical and all it’s features will be the perfect size and shape. A tidal wave of God’s love will engulf you which you’ll be able to express with the look on your face.

In heaven your hair will glow and will be softer than the beautiful mane of a huge lion. It will glisten in the light of God’s glory.

If Jesus counts the hairs on your head on planet earth, you can be sure special attention will be given to your hair in heaven. No more split ends or dark hair turning gray or falling out. What color will your hair be and what will be it’s length? Whatever your heart desires! Yes, Jesus will give you the desires of your heart. Also, we’ll have eyebrows designed by God and there will be no hair growing out of our ears and nose.

Every little microscopic detail will be touched by the creative and mighty hand of God. If you don’t like the way you do now, don’t worry about it. Total satisfaction is guaranteed in heaven. You’ll be the perfect height, shape, and size. Nothing will be overlooked. You’ll be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. You’ll be without spot or wrinkle. There will be no runs, no drips, no errors. You’ll be the ultimate portrait of Godly perfection.

In heaven you’ll have skin like silk, fine, delicate, and shining forever. There will be a gleam in your doe-like eyes so bright and so radiant that there will be a very attractive precision in what you see and how you’ll be able to express yourself. You will flash smiles of sat-isfaction on your rose-petal mouth and the sound of laughter will follow you wherever you go.

The glory of God will be blazing across your face like a flowing river and everything about you will be one hundred percent perfect. So much can be told about a person by looking them in the eye. In heaven your eyes will be alive and full of passion. They will be remarkable for their depth and tranquility. Crystal clarity will shine forth at whatever you direct your gaze. Your glorious eyes will boldly proclaim that inside you is life, life, and more life. The very zoe life of God will be pouring out of you like an erupting volcano and this will heighten the sharp definition of your face with it’s soft and smooth skin, created by the Master Himself.

Your new glorified bodies will be perfectly manicured. No more pimples, warts, crossed eyes, in-grown toenails, bad breath, and body odor. Yes, you’ll be entirely unique and perfect through and through. You’ll be absolutely flawless. You’ll walk with perfect balance and there will be no more stumbling or tripping over your feet. You’ll walk with such elegant poise and grace that it will put the most gifted dancer to shame..

Your voice will have excitement in it and will have no range as you give expression to all that is inside you. With a youthful exuberance you’ll speak in tones of utter amazement. We’ll all have endless smiles that are filled with vibrant energy. Your teeth will be perfectly aligned and will be lovingly polished to a deep gloss. They’ll sparkle like diamonds as it adds to the beauty of your glory-filled face. You’ll possess a smile that will be an expression of perfect love and sincerity.

We have already seen where Paul said “eye has not seen or ear heard all the things that God has prepared for those who live Him.” If our sight and hearing is affected by our glorious transformation to the here after, then it only stands to reason that all our physical senses will also be affected once we become like Jesus when we see Him as He is. Ps. 17:15 says, “As for me, I will see His face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.” Oh yes, you can believe with full confidence that heaven is a place of total and complete satisfaction.

Once there you’ll have a new and unfamiliar sense of taste and smell and touch. Heaven is so electrifying you’ll be able to feel the voltage of life that surrounds you. You’ll be driven by the power of simply being alive. In heaven you’ll be living a dream, a golden dream, a perfect idyllic life that is totally fabulous and you’ll have non-stop energy.

You won’t get tired in heaven but wouldn’t it be nice to lie down with the back of a huge lion as your pillow? And then, when you get up, the grass you were on wouldn’t be crushed but immediately will rebound back to it’s previous position. Yes, heaven will be that perfect.

In heaven your nostrils will be rewarded with a fragrance so stimulating you’ll think that you will be able to reach out and touch it. The air will be fresh and sweet and clean. The smell of heavenly spices will fill the air and the soft velvet touch of the green grass under your feet will take you to a place beyond relaxation.. You’ll be floating on air, eternally content in every way.

You will hear fresh new sounds that on earth you never thought was imaginable. The beautiful birds of heaven will astound you as they orchestrate heaven’s symphony and chirp away in divine harmony. The trees, grass, and rocks are alive and will sing merry melodies to the Lord God for all eternity causing you to stop and bask in the splendor of the moment. The trees of the fields will clap their hands and before you know it you’ll be joining them with uplifted hands as you also give praise and glory and honor to the great God of the universe.

In heaven you will reach out and touch the hand of God. You will see Him. You will touch Him. You will hug Him. You will kiss Him. You will talk to Him and He will talk to you. Oh, the glory of it all! I can’t wait to get there!

There will be beautiful new colors in heaven, more vibrant and more bright and more stunning than the grandest rainbow and the picture perfect night time sunset. Earth today will seem to be but a black and white world when compared to the glorious splendor of heaven, a kingdom filled with colors galore. Each and every color will have a life all it’s own and will be commissioned by God to bring pleasure to all you look at. You’ll see blazing colors in heaven that will be a kind of neon advertisement of what is to come as you partake of the greatest adventure of all time.

Your wardrobe will be magnificent and abundant in size and scope. You won’t be limited to wearing a one color white robe for all eternity. That would be so boring. I mean, this is heaven we’re talking about here. With great exuberance you can design your own clothes with color schemes and patterns of your own making. Or, if you like, you can let the angels of heaven design them for you. Whichever way you choose you can be sure you’ll be dressed better and will display more class than the greatest fashion model on earth.

The dazzling colors of the Chinese culture is but a shadow of how you’ll be dressed in heaven. You’ll be the center of attention wherever you go as will be everybody else. And since forever is a long time, there will be no limit to the number and style of clothes available to you. You’ll have an infinite wardrobe and you can wear whatever you want whenever you want. The good news for all you ladies is that you’ll never have to wear the same thing twice. Another option is that if you like what you’re wearing you can have the freedom to wear it for a million years if not longer. Why not? Like I said, forever is a very long time. Think about it. I do.

In heaven you’ll taste things so delicious you’ll think you’re in another world, which, of course, is precisely where you’ll be. The Bible records three times where Jesus ate food after His resurrection, so yes, there will be gourmet food once we cross over to the other side. I cannot begin to conceive that something as enjoyable as eating a great tasting meal being eliminated once we get to heaven. Can you? I mean, what do you think the Marriage Supper of the Lamb is all about? It’s one great big, gigantic party! Yahoo!

The supercharged atmosphere of this event will be more electrifying and more exciting and fun than the best New Year’s Eve party on earth. It will be the celebration of all celebrations as God welcomes all of us to our eternal home. It’s a heavenly banquet of mammoth proportions with angelic food and drink prepared by the very hosts of heaven themselves. These angelic beings are assigned by God to serve us for all eternity and it will be glaringly obvious that at this mega feast they’ll be up to the task.

There will be an air of confidence in everything they do and the food they’ll prepare will be totally indescribable. Can you imagine being given the assignment to prepare a meal so special that even God Himself will sit down and partake of it? Can you imagine what this food must taste like? It will be phenomenal to say the least. Just think, a perfect body eating perfect food. It gives me hunger pains just thinking about it.

We’ll have a multitude of specialties to choose from and there will be no limit to the variety of flavors these creative angels will prepare for us. Yes, this food will be far greater than anything you’ve ever tasted on earth. It will be better than your mother’s fresh baked apple pie and your grandmother’s homemade country biscuits. It will be…heavenly! Here’s the part I like best. Since we won’t get filled up in heaven we’ll be able to try everything. There will be no limits put on how big our portions are. Yum! Yum! Bring it on!

Don’t ever forget that Jesus loves parties. He performed His first miracle at a wedding feast when He turned water into wine. Let me tell you, these feasts were no small affair. They were big, really big! They went on for several days. Also, the Old Testament tells of several feasts ordained by God for the children of Israel to partake in. And like the wedding feast these times of celebration were monumental affairs and went on for days on end. Well, this Marriage Supper of the Lamb, this one meal, this huge party, this ultimate banquet, will go on for seven years.

And it’s only one party! Think of how many more there are to come! If you like good food as much as I do, you can rest assured that there is heavenly food in our future, food so scrumptious, so tasty, so appetizing, so juicy, so succulent, so mouthwatering, so pleasing, so abounding in flavor that you’ll wish you had gone to heaven long before you did. All I can say is, “Jesus, will You pass the sauce, please?”

Also, the book of Revelation tells about fruit trees in heaven that will have different fruit on them each month. Rev. 22:1,2a says, “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of it’s street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding it’s fruit every month.” When Jesus walked the earth He once cursed a fig tree for having no fruit on it. Rest assured, this won’t happen in heaven. When you pluck one of those fruit off a tree another one will instantly pop back into it’s place. (Imagine that happening on earth.)

Every fruit tree in heaven will have an endless supply of fruit hanging from it’s branches. In heaven the sin of gluttony will no longer exist so we can eat at our heart’s content whenever we want to. Personally, I love to swim so I’m sure that between bites I’ll probably take a nice long dip in the river of life that flows from the throne of God. I get excited just thinking about it. Come quickly, Lord Jesus.

Finally, in heaven we’ll all be the perfect age. Jesus was 33 when He received His glorified body, and since we will be like Him because we’ll see Him as He is, we also will have the equivalent of a 33 year old body. Think about it. That is indeed the perfect age. Not too young, not too old.

For all you sports fans out there, Michael Jordan was 33 when he came out of his first retirement to lead his team to the world championship and the best record in basketball history. And oh, what a fine physical specimen he was. Yes, your new glorified body will be the perfect mix of elegance and athleticism. There are no steroids where we’re going, only the power of God flowing in and through your perfect 33 year old body.

In heaven you’ll be able to do things so astonishing that on earth you thought were only possible in some science fiction movie. John 20:19 says, “That evening, on the first day of the week, the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them!”

Also, we read in Luke 24:31 that after breaking bread for the men He met on the road to Emmaus, “then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.” In His glorified body Jesus could walk through walls and disappear in a flash! We also will have the capability to vanish in our resurrected bodies and reappear in a different location. Sounds like “Beam me up, Scottie” to me.

This explains how we’ll be able to travel far distances in the new heaven and new earth. The city of God, the New Jerusalem, is a gigantic cube-shaped city of glorious splendor and is 1400 miles long and 1400 miles wide and 1400 miles tall. It is so huge that to travel around this magnificent dwelling place will most certainly require the “need for speed”.

After Jesus arose from the dead He interacted with His disciples for forty days and then He ascended up into heaven. His body levitated off the ground and He travel to another planet…Planet Heaven! We also will be able to float and drift in the air and travel to other galaxies. (And you thought heaven was boring.) How do I know this? Because Jesus did it and we shall be like Him because we shall see Him as He is. Whatever Jesus can do we also will be able to do.

This is the one reality that must be grasped if we are to gain even a sliver of understanding of what awaits us once we get to heaven.. Your new glorified bodies will have incredible new “superhero” abilities and you can walk, float, or immediately translate somewhere. In the Broadway show “Peter Pan” the audience was always most captivated when the boy who wouldn’t grow up was lifted off the stage and began to fly over their heads. Think of being able to do this whenever you wanted to. It will be unlike anything ever imagined on planet earth. And this is only the beginning!

If all this is not enough to whet your appetite, just wait until you see what we get to do with these new glorified bodies. For sure, the best is yet to come. God has a habit of always saving the best for last. What we’ll be able to do in heaven is totally out of this world. Literally!

-4-

God has placed inside each of us the need for discovery and adventure. It is a need that is utterly addictive and has been in the heart of man since the beginning when God formed Adam out of the dust of the earth. We notice in Gen. 2:7,8 that Adam was not made in the Garden of Eden. No, he was formed out in the wilderness and then God put him in the garden. The word “wilderness” is an extension of the word “wild” and I believe God made man wild at heart and placed within him the spirit of adventure. How else was he going to fulfill the command of God to “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Gen. 1:28)?

A person with a passive, unassertive spirit would not be able to do this. No, it takes the authoritative, imposing, and commanding presence of an adventurous spirit to do this. The compulsion that drives us forward to get this need fulfilled is what drove Columbus on his journey to discover America. This same drive, this same ambition, is what compelled Lewis and Clark to set out on a pilgrimage to discover what this great country was like and to see how big it actually was. It’s what caused scientists to make shattering new discoveries in the field of medicine and it’s what drove man in his quest to set foot on the moon. It’s what drives us to climb the highest mountains and explore the deepest oceans.. It’s what causes us to throw caution to the wind and walk a tightrope over Niagara Falls or to fall head first off a tall bridge with a bungee cord attached to our waist.

Beyond a shadow of a doubt, man can not and will not live without adventure in his life. Why are we this way? Simple. God is this way and all of us have been made in His image. If the craving for adventure is here with us on earth, most certainly the desire will be there in heaven as well. The good news is that God never gives us desires without also giving us the opportuni-ties to get those desires fulfilled. Sounds exciting? Trust me, it is!

It has been said that the Bible reveals to us the perfect will of God. While this may be true, there are only four chapters in the entire Bible that shows us what I call the “perfect” perfect will of God. The first two chapters of Genesis and the last two chapters of Revelation show us the original intent of God for the human race. These scriptural “bookends” outline for us what God’s “perfect” perfect will actually is. Every chapter in between is God’s effort to get man back into a covenant relationship with Himself after the fall of Adam which, of course, was not part of His will for man.

We can catch a glimpse of heaven by seeing what is revealed in these special four chapters. When you study these portions of scripture you will see that Gen. 1 and Rev. 21 both begin with God’s creative power going forth to create and sculpture a whole new world that previously did not exist. Gen. 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

The very first thing God reveals to us in His Word is that He is a God of adventure! For sure, God is action-oriented. He is constantly creating new things. In the middle of the Bible we read in Is. 43:18,19 where God said, “Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Wow! Can you sense the spirit of adventure in these verses?

Then in Rev. 21:1 we read, “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.” There is definitely a pattern here.. The beginning, middle, and end of the Bible all talk about God creating new things. That’s exciting! That’s adventure! That is what going to heaven is all about!

Rest assured, heaven is NOT a place of fixed monotony and endless repetition. Neither is it one long, eternal, unending church service. In heaven we don’t have to go to church, we are the church. With God dwelling among us everything we do and everywhere we go can be considered a church service,

No, heaven will certainly not be boring and neither will we be sitting in a church pew for the next trillion years. On the contrary. Heaven is a place of action and new adventures that will be totally grand. We will do things unheard of on planet earth, things so unbelieving that it will take an eternity to discover them all, things so magnificent that we would be left spellbound if they were all revealed to us. “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

Heaven is a place of grand adventure, of constant challenges and new responsibilities. It’s a place of action! It’s a place where we’ll be hooked up with the Creator of the universe Who is constantly creating new things and new wonders. What we see in heaven when we first get there will be different in the future because new things will forever be created. That’s what a Creator does. He consistently creates new and exciting things.

Let’s face it, on earth new things get old and boring after a while. You may be excited about getting a new car for two or three weeks but before you know it the excitement wears out. We’re ready for something different. Something new and exciting. Something fresh. To compensate for this God has given us the spirit of adventure that drives us forward in our quest to discover and explore new things. Heaven is going to be very dynamic. It’s going to be one long, fantastic, eternal adventure. Would you expect anything less?

Here’s where it really gets exciting. Since we’ll be like Jesus because we’ll see Him as He is, we also will be able to create new things. “What things?” you ask. How about your own planet? You think I’m kidding? I’m not! John 1:1-3,10-14 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

These verses reveal to us that it was Jesus Who created the heavens and the earth back in Gen. 1:1. Now remember, we can do the same things Jesus does because we’ll be exactly like Him in terms of creative powers and abilities. We will be perfect beings in a perfect world so we’ve got to expand our thinking here. We’ve got to go beyond the norm. In heaven we’ll think like God thinks and we’ll do what God does. We’ll be just like Jesus because we’ll see Him as He is. And if Jesus can create and design an entire planet, then we also will be able to do the very same thing.

You are probably wondering how I came up with the fanatical idea that all believers have the potential to live their lives on earth in a certain way that they will be rewarded in heaven with their own planet. The truth is, I did not come up with this idea. God did! Let’s go back to God’s “perfect” perfect will in Gen. 1 and 2. What did He give the first man and woman? Answer: their own planet! He gave them Planet Earth to be their own personal domain. This is a hint of what heaven will be like. I remind you that God is no respecter of persons. If He did it for Adam and Eve He will do it for you and me.

Stop for a moment and think how awesome that is. Adam was given an entire planet to rule over and the same thing can happen to us once we get to heaven. We need to understand that our lives in the here and now is a training ground for the next life. It’s a heavenly “boot camp” and we are being prepared in this life to fulfill the positions of authority that we’ll hold in heaven (see 2 Tim. 2:5, Rev. 22:5). Have you ever wondered why this vast universe is so barren but earth is so full of potential rulers being prepared for the life to come?

Jesus said in John 14:2, “I go to prepare a place for you.” What comes to your mind when you think of Jesus saying to you in heaven, “This is your place”? A country estate? A village on the Riviera? Sandy beaches and palm trees? Personally, I see a monster-sized planet!!! I see beautiful pictures taken by the Hubble telescope of galaxies millions of light years from earth and I think to myself, “There’s my planet! There’s my kingdom! There’s my galaxy!” I really do think this. For those of you who don’t, well, all I can do is quote the words of Jesus, “Be it unto you according to your faith” (Matt. 9:29).

We must understand that God does not make anything in vain. For everything there is a plan and a purpose. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Notice the word “heavens”. That’s plural. For what reason do you think He made all these worlds that cannot be seen with the naked eye? I am here to tell you that He made them for us!! Jesus went away two thousand years ago to prepare a place for us. Not just a house or a mansion, but a place, a location, a real live physical place where we’ll spend all eternity ruling and reigning with Him.

If Jesus created the heavens and the earth in six days, can you imagine what all He can create in two thousand plus years? And He’s doing it all for you and me! I’m telling you, this is going to be a joy ride we’ll never get tired of. It’s going to be wild! Totally, totally wild! How wild? Wild as the wind! Believe it!

All of us need to enlarge the vision we have of what we think heaven will be like. It’s beyond anything we can think or imagine. “Eye has not seen nor ear heard all that God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Cor. 2:9). Notice the phrase “all that”. We’ll say in heaven like we say on earth, “Wow! Look at all that!”

I’ve been on some beautiful winding roads up in the mountains and a magnificent panoramic view was seen around every bend in the road. I’d pull off to the side of the road and the splendor and majesty before me made me speechless. Beautiful waterfalls fell off the top of mountains and glistened in the sun. Thousands of gallons of water rushed over the out-crop of rocks and created a wonderful display of God’s glory. A giant glacier moved between two mountains on it’s slow but relentless journey to the lake below. Eagles soared in the air and bears roamed in the woods. I was given the privilege to step out of my own world and into a beautiful kingdom filled with sight and sound. It was magnificent!

The sun was shining above, the sky was blue, and a cool breeze blew in my face as I beheld this miraculous display of God’s creative power. Yes, this was an awesome creation, created by God Himself. As I stood there awestruck I felt like I was in another world. I said to myself, “Will you look at that? Will you look at all that?” ALL THAT!!! I’d drive to the next bend in the road and repeat the same process all over again. This went on for the entire day and I didn’t want to leave.. Down in my heart I knew that this was just a small hint of what heaven is like.

Since man is made in the image of God, I also believe that earth is made in the image of heaven. And if earth is like the view before me, what do you think heaven is going to be like? I drove away with one thought in my mind. Come quickly, Lord Jesus! These few words were ringing in my ear, “Will you look at that? ALL THAT!!”

Jesus created the heavens and the earth and Gen. 1 tells us He did it by speaking words. The phrase “And God said…” is found throughout the entire chapter. In the kingdom of God things get created by the simple act of speaking your desire out of your mouth. We also can do the same thing. Jesus did it and we can too because we will be like Him because we’ll see Him as He is.

You’ll be able to create your own world, your own kingdom, just like Jesus did in the book of Genesis. It will be great! It will be grand! It will be absolutely wonderful! How would you like to have your own personal Grand Canyon in your back yard? Or how about a forest of giant redwood trees like they have in California or the cedars of Lebanon? Or how about something as majestic as Niagara Falls or as towering as Mt. Everest? It’s possible. In heaven all things are possible. The sky’s the limit. Literally!

Just think, all you have to do is speak it out. A spiritual metamorphous will take place before your very eyes. If a caterpillar can turn into a butterfly and water can turn into wine, then the mountain range in your back yard can turn into a sandy beach whenever you want it to. Yes, you can have the exact same creative abilities as Jesus and you can change the landscape of your “place” anytime you so desire!

What’s more, there will be no more long periods of waiting for our faith-filled words of creation to get fulfilled. Time as we know it will be no more in heaven. I mean, how do you measure “forever”? We’ll live completely in the present tense. Everything will be one eternal, continuous “NOW”! Therefore, we will get instantaneous results! Things happen in heaven faster than the twinkling of an eye. Words cannot describe how spectacular this great adventure will be.

Oh, and let’s not forget about the angelic spaceships that will forever be at our disposal. You’re probably thinking, “Spaceships? Now you’ve gone too far.” Sorry, my friend, but it is true. There are two places in scripture where spaceships are recorded. No, they’re not called “spaceships” but that’s precisely what they are. 2 Kings 2:11 says, “Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.” What do you think this “chariot of fire” was? What do you think it looked like? This was not some man-made piece of medal like the one Charleton Heston drove in the movie “Ben Hur”. No, this was a God-made vehicle sent to bring Elijah by a whirlwind into heaven. Elijah was taken off of planet earth, traveled millions of light years through outer space, and arrived at Planet Heaven. In today’s terminology this “chariot of fire” would be called a spaceship.

Why would we be surprised at this? We send men and women into space all the time. We even have a manned space station orbiting earth which, by the way, I have seen as it passed overhead on a clear star-filled night. These “chariots of fire” still exist and I’m sure there’s more than one of them. In heaven we can disappear from where we’re at and instantly reappear someplace else. Or, if we like, we can let some mighty angel be our chauffeur and take us for an unforgettable ride on a heavenly spaceship, a chariot of fire pulled by horses of fire. It goes beyond anything you’ll experience at some amusement park. It will be a ride you’ll never forget!

The second Biblical reference to a spaceship is found in the description of Ezekiel’s vision of God’s glory. Ezek. 1:4 says, “Then I looked, and behold, a whirl-wind was coming out of the north, a great cloud with raging fire engulfing itself; and brightness was all around it and radiating out of it’s midst like the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire.”

Stop for a moment and meditate on this description that Ezekiel gives us of God’s glory. Some of the pictures I have seen from the Hubble telescope can be described the very same way. The images recorded for us are almost identical to what is described here in Ezekiel’s opening chapter. Also, what is it with all these whirlwinds? Apparently our journey to heaven will not be some quiet affair.

Ezekiel proceeds to describe the four living creatures he sees in heaven and then goes on to say in vs. 1:15-21, “Now as I looked at the living creatures, behold, a wheel was on the earth beside each living creature with it’s four faces. The appearance of the wheels and their workings was like the color of beryl, and all four had the same likeness. The appearance of their workings was, as it were, a wheel in the middle of a wheel. When they moved, they went toward any one of the four directions; they did not turn aside when they went. As for their rims, they were so high they were awesome; and their rims were full of eyes, all around the four of them. When the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up. Wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went, because there the spirit went; and the wheels were lifted together with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. When those went, these went; when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up together with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.”

There it is, written for you in black and white. I challenge you to tell me this is not a spaceship. A wheel within a wheel with huge, awesome rims that are full of eyes. The galactic design and capabilities of this angelic vehicle will make Captain Kirk’s Enterprise look like some children’s toy. Each of us will have a whole fleet of these faster-than-lightning vessels at our disposal as we set out to explore the deepest parts of God’s forever expanding universe. For sure, we’ll boldly go where no man has gone before. Really!

I call heaven “the great adventure” because once there we’ll go on one breath-taking adventure after another. We’ll live an existence that will never cease. Think about it…we’re going to live forever!!! We’ll see God face-to-face and we’ll be able to create our own worlds and travel to other planets and galaxies faster than you can blink an eye. (Whew! Hold on a second as I catch my breath.) Yes, my friend, in heaven you can have your cake and eat it too.

Forever is a long, long time and we’ll never run out of things to do and places to go. Think about that the next time your alarm goes off and you have to force yourself out of bed to spend another long day at work. Comfort yourself knowing that real soon all the hardships and mundane things of this life will all be over. Hallelujah!

-5-

Hopefully we’ve all had a lot of fun learning about heaven and what’s it’s going to be like once we get there. The time has come, however, for us to take a more serious look at this important subject. There is a myth about heaven that a lot of people believe and it is time to put these false beliefs to rest. People think they can live any way they want to on earth but if they say a special prayer before they die they can go to heaven and be like everybody else who goes there and live happily ever after in their great big mansion. Who do they think they’re kidding?

First of all, no where in scripture does it say that everybody will get a mansion in heaven. Yes, Jesus said “In My Father’s house are many mansions” but He didn’t say everybody would get one. As we shall see, rewards will be handed out in heaven and the size of our eternal dwelling place will be based on how well we served and obeyed God during our lives on planet earth. Gal. 6:7,8 says, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he shall also reap. For he who sows to the flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.”

This spiritual law is true in this life and the consequences and rewards of what we do in the here and now will be carried over into the next life. Our status in heaven is determined by what we do while we’re here on earth. There are no promotions in heaven. Once we leave this planet our eternal destiny and positions are forever sealed. This is why we should live every moment of our lives according to our design with the end in mind. For sure, our future status in heaven depends on it.

Prophetically speaking, it is the midnight hour. The end is near and the trumpet is ready to sound. People everywhere talk, sing, and preach about the rapture and the second coming of Jesus but live like it’s never coming. Many believers have become complacent in their walk with the Lord and are no longer on fire for God like they once were. The things of God that once burned in their hearts have become commonplace to them and they have stopped pursuing the things of God like they once did. But soon, when they least expect it, the day will come that in the “twinkling of an eye” they will be caught up in the air and come face to face with their Savior.

Then what? Rom. 14:10b-12 tells us, “For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me and every tongue shall confess to God.’ So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.” People who think they can live any way they want to with everything being grand for them in heaven are in reality mocking God. They are running away from the responsibility God places on their lives to do that which is pleasing to Him. Those who plan to make things right with God tomorrow usually die today.

In the parable of the rich fool Jesus taught in Luke 12:16-21, “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room for my crops?’ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.’” But God said to him, ‘You fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” This is no game, my friends. God takes what we do with our lives very seriously and so should we. All of us must take heed to what was said in Amos 4:12b, “Prepare to meet your God…”

The Bible speaks of two judgments to come. At the last judgment, the Great White Throne Judgment, God will judge those who haven’t accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and their judgment will be one of eternal damnation where there will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Rev. 20:11-15; Matt. 8:12). Christians, however, will not be a part of this final judgment. During the seven year period between the rapture and the second coming of Christ a great reward ceremony and celebration will take place as all believers one by one stand before Jesus at what is known as the Judgment Seat of Christ. This is all part of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and we’ve already seen how wonderful that will be.

2 Cor. 5:9,10 says, “Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” At both judgments people will be judged “according to their works” done on planet earth.

As a Christian you are going to be held accountable for the life you’ve lived since you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. You will not be held accountable for anything that has happened in your life up until that time. The Word of God says that when you were born-again your past was wiped away. It was thrown into the sea of forgetfulness and as far as God is concerned your past doesn’t exist. Your conduct since becoming a born-again believer is what you will be held accountable for.

When you stand before Jesus you will give an account to Him for your behavior and attitudes toward the things of God, toward fellow believers, and toward those not born-again. You will give an account for every idle word spoken and for your motives for doing the things you do. Also, you will give an account for the talents, skills, and resources that God has given you (Luke 19:12-26).

We are accountable to God to shine as bright lights in this dark world and to glorify God on the earth. Notice the end of 2 Cor. 5:10. It says we will be judged according to what one has done “whether good or bad”. 1 Cor. 3:13-15 (AMP) says, “The work of each one will become plainly and openly known - shown for what it is; for the day of Christ will disclose and declare it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test and critically appraise the character and worth of the work each person has done. If the work which any person has built on this Foundation (Jesus Christ) - any product of his efforts whatever - survives this test, he will get his reward. But if any person’s work is burned up under the test, he will suffer the loss of it all, losing his reward, though he himself will be saved, but only as one who has passed through fire.”

Heaven will be a place of personal rewards and this excites me more than words can say. Not only will we be judged according to our works done on planet earth, we’ll be richly rewarded for them as well. Based on the works that we do there will be a wide range of rewards and positions of authority given to believers. For example, the apostle Paul will receive far more rewards in heaven than let’s say the thief on the cross who asked Jesus to remember him in Paradise.

I love what Jesus says in Rev. 22:12, “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.” We are the ones who determine the degree to which we get rewarded in heaven, not God. Did our lives gravitate toward those temporal things that only satisfy the flesh or did we live in such a way that daily our lives were lined up with the eternal will and Word of God? Have you sought God earnestly? Heb. 11:6b says that God “is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

Are you fulfilling your destiny, the heavenly call God placed on each of our lives? Have you planted yourself in a local church? Ps. 92:12,13 says, “The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of God.” Yes, going to church on a regular basis and getting involved there is important.

The work we do is not a finite work! Everything we do has eternal consequences and how you live your life has accountability in the end. Every day we are being given the opportunity to lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven. That excites me! That gives me a reason to get up in the morning. That gives me a reason to live.

The greatest joy a person can have is to know that their life counts for something, to know that they have made a positive difference in the lives of other people. Life has no meaning when all your energy, talents, finances, and desires are consumed only on yourself. True peace and contentment comes only by reaching out to others and being a blessing to their lives. When you’ve lived a life of spiritual integrity, when everything you’ve done is motivated by your love for God and other people, you can stand with confidence before God Who knows everything about you. He knows who you are, what choices you’ve made, and why you made them..

Not only will our works be examined but our thoughts, motives, and intentions will be as well. Jesus said in Luke 8:17, “For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.” Heb. 4:12,13 says, “For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to Whom we must give account.” God knows everything about you and He longs to reward you openly and abundantly for all the things you do for Him and with Him. Be confident that what you do for Him will be rewarded and not forgotten.

-6-

I’m sure it will come as a surprise to many believers all the things they can do on earth for which they will be rewarded once they get to heaven. Our God is a loving God and He is truly reward-minded. 2 Cor. 5:9,10 says, “Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”

Your rewards in heaven will be eternal and can never be taken from you. Heb. 6:10 says, “For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His Name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” The Message Bible says, :God doesn’t miss anything. He knows perfectly well all the love you’ve shown Him by helping needy Christians, and that you keep at it.”

All the work we do for God carries with it an eternal reward. Paul wrote in 1 Cor. 3:6-8, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters is one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.”

It only stands to reason that the more work you do for God the more abundance of rewards you will receive. This is proof positive that since some people do more work for God than others not everybody will be the same or hold the same positions of authority in heaven. The choice is clearly ours to make. Jeremiah wrote in Jer. 32:19, “You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for Your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give to everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings.” Ezekiel says the same thing, “Righteous people will be rewarded for their own goodness, and wicked people will be punished for their own wickedness” (Ezek. 18:20 NLT). This is sowing and reaping in it’s simplest form.

Although the rewards in heaven will be plentiful, and yes, we should seek after them, God desires us to serve Him for Who He is and not just because of all the eternal benefits that are available to us. He desires people to serve Him with a pure heart and if our motives are right and in the proper order, this attitude of putting God first will also be rewarded.

Jer. 17:10 says, “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” Prov. 24:12 (TEV) says, “You may say that it is none of your business, but God knows and judges your motives.. He keeps watch on you; He knows. And He will reward you according to what you do.” Remember, with God motive and attitude are everything. If you do a good deed for somebody in order to receive praises from them, then God says you have your reward. To Him, it’s as if the good deed was never done.

Paul wrote in 1 Cor. 9:16,17, “For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! For if I do this willingly, I have been entrusted with a stewardship.” The Mes-sage Bible says this, “Still, I want to make it clear that I’ve never gotten anything out of this for myself, and that I’m not writing now to get something. I’d rather die than give anyone ammunition to discredit me or im-pugn my motives. If I proclaim the Message, It’s not to get something out of it for myself. I’m compelled to do it, and doomed if I don’t! If this was my own idea of just another way to make a living, I’d expect some pay. But since it’s not my idea but something solemnly entrusted to me, why would I expect to get paid? So am I getting anything out of it? Yes, as a matter of fact: the pleasure of proclaiming the Message at no cost to you. You don’t even have to pay my ex-penses!” Like I said, motive is everything! What you do in secret God will reward openly (Matt. 6:4,6,18).

The integrity in which we conduct the affairs of our life and our walk of holiness will also be rewarded. David wrote in Ps. 18:20, “The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me.” The Amplified translation says, “The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness (my conscious integrity and sincerity with Him): according to the cleanness of my hands has He recompensed me.” Can you see in all theses verses how the responsibility of how we live and what rewards we receive in heaven is clearly on our shoulders.

David tells us in Ps. 7:8 how we’ll be judged in heaven, “Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to my integrity within me.” He also says in vs. 9,10, “Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the just; For the righteous God tests the hearts and minds. My defense is of God, Who saves the upright in heart.” We must be faithful to forever walk the straight and narrow path that the Lord laid out before us.

1 Peter 1:13,16 says, “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He Who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’” Yes, our faithfulness to live this way and to conform our lives to the image and glory of God (1 Cor. 11:7) will also be rewarded in heaven. 1 Sam. 26:23 (NIV) says, “The Lord rewards every man for his righteousness and faithfulness.”

The words we say also carry with it a great recompense of reward. Prov. 12:13,14 says, “The wicked is ensnared by the transgression of his lips, but the righteous will come through trouble. A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth, and the recompense of a man’s hands will be rendered to him.” Another translation says, “Your reward depends on what you say and what you do; you will get what you deserve.” Get up every morning, fill your heart with good intentions, and make it a point every where you go to say encouraging words to people. Lift them up and make them feel special. Eph. 4:29 says, “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.”

Prov. 13:2a says, “A man shall eat well by the fruit of his mouth…” Yes, people will be rewarded for what they say. Jesus said it best in Matt. 12:36,37, “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Since so much depends on the words we say we must forever be watchful over the words we speak. They do, after all, reveal what is in your heart.

Jesus said in Matt. 12:34, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” If you cannot speak proper words to people, then do what David did in Ps. 39:1, “I said, ‘I will guard my ways lest I sin with my tongue; I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle…” He said the same thing in Ps. 141:3, “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.” It would be a wise thing for all of us to follow David’s example. After all, many of our rewards are dependent on it.

There are certainly many other things we can do in and with our lives for which we can receive eternal rewards. Giving is one such thing. “I tell you, use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. In this way, your generosity stores up a reward for you in heaven” (Luke 16:9). Also, you will receive rewards for services done by the people you’ve given your resources to. Matt. 10:41 says, “He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.”

Think about that for a moment. If you give financial support to an evangelist you will be rewarded for the thousands upon thousands of souls that get saved in his or her ministry. Personally you may only lead a handful of people to the Lord but at the great reward ceremony you will be accredited with getting thousands if not millions of people saved. And if those people who got saved go out and get other people saved, you will be rewarded for that as well. It’s the snowball effect and the rewards just keep getting bigger and bigger. That should put a smile on your face. It does mine.

In heaven we will be rewarded for the sincere, heartfelt prayers we pray in secret. Jesus said in Matt. 6:5,6, “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father Who is in the secret place, and your Father Who sees in secret will reward you openly.”

If you are not in full-time ministry but instead have jobs that you go to, then rejoice because eternal rewards are available to you for putting in a hard day’s work (this also includes stay-at-home moms). Prov. 27:18 says, “In the same way, workers who protect their employer’s interest will be rewarded.” Col. 3:22-24 says, “Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eye service, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance, for you serve the Lord Jesus.”

If your boss or others persecute you, then rejoice for great is your reward in heaven. 1 Peter 3:14 says, “But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it.” Thank the person who does you wrong for he unknowingly has heaped another reward onto the pile of eternal blessings you’ll receive from the Lord. Thank him for that and see how he responds. Who knows? This could be the doorway that leads him to the gift of salvation.

The list goes on and on. Consider these verses: “A curse on those who lead astray the godly. But men who encourage the upright to do good shall be given a worthwhile reward” (Prov. 28:10). “But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it” (1 Peter 3:14). “For I, the Lord, love justice. I hate robbery and wrongdoing. I will faithfully reward my people for their suffering and make an everlasting covenant with them” (Is. 61:8,9). “The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward” (Ps. 19: 8b,11). “If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; For so you will heap coals of fire on his head, and the Lord will reward you” (Prov. 25:21,22). “Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him; Behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him” (Is. 40:10). “And it shall be: like people, like priest. So I will punish them for their ways, and reward them for their deeds” (Hos. 4:9). “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be ex-ceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so thet persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matt. 5:11,12). “And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward” (Matt. 10:42). “And be very careful around them so you don’t lose out on what we’ve worked so diligently in together; I want you to get every reward coming to you” (2 John 8).

It goes beyond comprehension God’s desire to bless you and reward you for works rendered unto Him. All areas of life are avenues where we can do things for the glory of God and thus be rewarded. Daily go out and participate in what I call “the ministry of nice”. Buy a coworker a cup of coffee or bake some neighbor a dozen cookies. Open the door for somebody or help them carry out their groceries the next time you’re at the store. Fulfill the love walk that God has called each of us to. Do it cheerfully and always be prepared to speak a kind word into their lives.

Go get your calculator because you may not believe what I’m going to say next. Let’s say you’re an active believer who works hard at serving God and other people. You do 20 good deeds a day for which you will be rewarded. That’s 7300 rewards a year.. You got saved at an early age and were faithful for a total of 60 years. 7300 rewards X 60 years = 438,000 rewards! Oh, and that’s not all.. The Bible teaches that God will multiply your seed sown. The Bible also said that a person can believe for a hundredfold return on all their giving. If that is true on earth, then let’s believe that it is true in heaven as well. So let’s take our 438,000 rewards and multiply that by 100. That comes out to 43,800,000! Can you even begin to imagine that? 43 million, 800 thousand rewards! If all this weren’t enough, there is, however, one special reward in heaven that grabs hold of my attention and won’t let go. I pray that it grabs hold of yours as well.

-7-

Heaven will be a place of new status where positions of authority will be given out as rewards for work well done on planet earth. Know with certainty that every one will not be in the same position once we get to heaven. Heaven is not a huge celestial communion where everybody is the same, does the same, and gets rewarded the same. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Rev. 22:3-5 says this about heaven, “And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His Name shall be on their foreheads. And there shall be no light there! They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.”

Notice something very important here. This honor, this reward of rulership, of reigning forever and ever, is reserved for the servants of God. Not every believer while on planet earth surrendered their will to God and become a servant of the Most High. The life we now live is a training ground for heaven and our acts of service here is determining our status and positions of authority in heaven.

Read carefully what Jesus said in Matt. 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 wife or children or lands, for My Name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit everlasting life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.’” There is most definitely rank and file in heaven.

The Message Bible says, “Jesus replied, ‘Yes, you have followed Me. In the recreation of the world, when the Son of Man will rule gloriously, you who have followed Me will also rule, starting with the twelve tribes of Israel. And not only you, but anyone who sacrifices home, family, fields - whatever - because of Me will get it back a hundred times over, not to mention the considerable bonus of eternal life. This is the Great Reversal: many of the first ending up last, and the last first.’” Has this grabbed hold of your attention yet? Read on…

The Bible is filled with verses saying that in the next life some of us will rule and reign with Christ. 2 Tim. 2:12a says, “If we endure, we shall also reign with Him.” Do all believers endure? I don’t think so. Do all believers serve God with all their heart? Hardly. It stands to reason that if there are rulers in heaven then there must be followers there as well. The first shall be last, and the last shall be first. I’m telling you, not everybody will be the same in heaven. The good news is that the choice is ours to do with our lives that which will be able to get us promoted to positions of rulership in heaven.

The responsibility of where and how we’ll end up in the next life is entirely on our shoulders and this is why we should live our lives every minute of every day with the end in mind. In the parable of the talents recorded in Matt. 25:14-30, Jesus said in vs. 21 and 23, “His Lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of the Lord.’” The Message Bible records the Lord’s response this way, “Good work! You did your job well. From now on be My partner.” Jesus said in Luke 19:17, “Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.”

A good and faithful servant is a humble person who accepts his assigned task and fulfills his calling with devotion and integrity. Do all Christians do this? Sadly, no. The Message Bible declares the Lord’s response to the servant who buried his talent and did nothing for God, “You wicked and lazy servant…take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents…and cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Ouch! That doesn’t sound like a fun place to be.

Notice for a moment that this person was a servant just like the other two who doubled their talents. In other words, this unprofitable servant was a Christian with the same chance to be promoted as the other two. He did nothing for God with his life and look what happened to him. Please, don’t think you can be born-again on planet earth and then go off and live anyway you want to with no regards to God or His will for your life. God will not be mocked! What a man sows is precisely what he will reap.

On a more brighter note, I want to share with you now the one reward that excites me the most. Rev. 5:9, 10 says, “And they sang a new song, saying: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open it’s seals; For You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nations, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth..’” This is the new earth described in Rev. 21:1 and clearly we are taught here that many of us will be kings in heaven.

Tell me, what does every king need? Answer: a kingdom to rule over! Not only will some of us be given rewards like huge mansions and our very own planets, we’ll also be given kingdoms in which to rule over. We have already seen that some of us will be made ruler over ten cities, others five cities. Dan. 7:18, 27 tells us, “But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever. Then the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms (notice that’s plural) under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High.”

Wow! Talk about a great adventure! This excites me to no end! God’s kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and it’s made up of smaller kingdoms and dominions ruled by those who faithfully served Him with their lives on earth. Personally, this is the main reward that I’m living for. I want to be God’s partner forever and ever! Don’t you?

Rev. 2:26-29 says, “And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations - ‘He shall rule over them with a rod of iron; as the potter’s vessels shall be broken to pieces’ - as I also have received from My Father; and I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Notice that in heaven there are cities, nations, and kingdoms, all of which will have rulers over them. The Message Bible translates these words this way, “Here’s the reward I have for every conqueror, everyone who keeps at it, refusing to give up! You’ll rule the nations, your Shepherd King rules as firm as an iron staff, their re-sistance fragile as clay pots. This was the gift My Father gave Me; I pass it along to you - and with it the Morning Star! Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches.”

Did you catch that part about the morning star? We’ll rule the nations and we’ll be given our own star! Stars have planets and planets form galaxies! If we will heed the call to live our lives according to our design with the end in mind, and if we will do this faith-fully, then the day will come when we’ll be rewarded with our own star, our own planets, our own galaxy, our own kingdom! Wow! Double Wow! What could be more spectacular than that?

Heaven is a place of action and governing authorities will be needed in the areas of education, manufacturing, entertainment, the arts, and various other fields. Trust me, heaven will not be boring. They’ll be enough to do and enjoy for all eternity. Some of us will be God’s partners as we rule and reign with Him. We’ll work side by side with Jesus as we make plans for the eternal future and we’ll have a say-so in all the new things that will be created.

As His trusted advisors we’ll oversee life in God’s kingdom and will be liaisons between God and those under our rule. This is my dream. This is my goal. This is my reason for living. I strive to live every minute of every day in such a way that is pleasing to God with a firm belief that in the kingdom to come I will be His partner and rule and reign with Him forever and ever. It is my hope and desire that this is your dream as well. Preparing you for this great adventure is what the Bible is all about. Take heed and hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches.

Is. 3:10,11 says, “Say to the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him, for the reward of his hands shall be given him..” The NLT translation puts it this way, “But all will be well for those who are godly. Tell them, ‘You will receive a wonderful reward!’ But say to the wicked, ‘Your destruction is sure. You, too, will get what you deserve. Your well-earned punishment is on the way.’”

This isn’t all fun and games, folks. There is a serious side to all of this. The author of Hebrews says, “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10: 26,27,31).

Listen to what Jesus says in Luke 13:24-30, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us.’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where are you from,’ then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught us in our streets.’ But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’ There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out. They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. And indeed there are last who shall be first, and there are first who will be last.”

This is serious business. Please, don’t take the one life you’ve been given lightly. It truly is a matter of spiritual life and death. And remember, it’s totally up to you to determine what your eternal destiny will be like.

Shortly before his death Paul wrote to Timothy, “For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Tim. 4:6-8).

Notice that there is a reward for being anxious for the Lord’s return. The Message Bible says, “You take over. I’m about to die, my life an offering on God’s altar. This is the only race worth running. I’ve run hard right to the finish, believed all the way. All that’s left now is the shouting - God’s applause! Depend on it, He’s an honest Judge. He’ll do right not only by me, but by everyone eager for His coming.”

A lot of people are eager for the Lord’s return for the wrong reason. The trials of this life overwhelm them and they don’t have the tenacious determination to rise up and fight the good fight of faith. They are sick and tired of being sick and tired. Their desire to go to heaven is that it will be an avenue of escape from the hardships of life. This is wrongful thinking. God has given each of us a mission in life, a heavenly call, and it’s only the completion thereof that should be the timeframe when we should want to go to heaven. Even Jesus said, “It is finished” before He hung His head and died on the cross.

Yes, we should all want to go to heaven. We should be anxious for the Lord’s return. It’s just that we shouldn’t want to go too early. There’s a work to be done and each day we’re alive the focus of our lives should be the fulfillment of our heavenly call.

Paul ran his race and he ran hard! He lived for Jesus and he gave it everything he had. We, too, must do the same. We cannot get so caught up and entangled with the affairs that weigh us down and prevent us from running and completing our race. Paul also says in Acts 20:24, “But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”

What we do with our lives is so important. This is why I strive to tell you that every day each of us should rise out of bed determined to live our lives according to our design (our heavenly call) with the end in mind. Your endurance, loyalty, and humility will secure for you the honor of receiving many great rewards when you stand before Jesus in heaven.

Luke 14:11 (AMP) says, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled (ranked below others who are honored or rewarded), and he who humbles himself (keeps a modest opinion of himself and behaves ac-cordingly) will be exalted (elevated in rank).” The Message Bible says, “What I’m saying is, if you walk around with your nose in the air, you’re going to end up flat on your face. But if you’re content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself. You’ll be - and experience - a blessing. They won’t be able to return the favor, but the favor will be returned - oh, how it will be returned! - at the resurrection of God’s people.”

-8-

Your life matters.. You are important to God and He wants to be important to you. Since we are going to be held accountable to Him for our actions and motives during our lives on planet earth, we should live each day to the fullest, serving Him with our whole heart. We all have a race to run and we should run it well.. We need to become a workman who is not ashamed.

2 Tim. 2:15 says, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the truth.” Concentrate on doing your best for God. Be all that you can be. Be motivated to have a continuous lifestyle of unending service to the King of kings and Lord of Lords. 1 Thess. 1:3 (NIV) says, “We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ…” As wonderful as heaven is, we can’t forget the life we have to live on planet earth. Remember, this life is the training ground for heaven. What we do here determines our rank and file in heaven.

Throughout the Bible we are given marching orders for what we are to do in order to have a bright future in heaven. Jesus said in John 15:9,10, “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you, abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” Earlier in John 15 Jesus said, “Abide in Me, and I in you” (vs. 4). The Message Bible says, “Live in Me. Make your home in Me just as I do in you.”

If you want to guarantee for yourself great rewards in heaven, then learn to abide in Christ every day of your lives. When you abide in Christ, God’s voice comes, faith flows, and amazing results are produced. The word “abide” means ‘to remain, stay, dwell, reside.’ It means to ‘continue in, dwell in, walk with, live in, seek after.’ Know that God must be sought after in order to be found. You must take an active part in your relationship with the great God of the universe.

James 4:8a says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” Abiding in Christ means to live in unison with Him. His will becomes your will. His desire becomes your desire. His way of doing things becomes your way of doing things. When you abide in Jesus He becomes your all in all. Nothing else matters but Him.

The word “abide” also means to ‘take up permanent residence.’ If you’re abiding somewhere you’re not just staying there temporarily as in a short stay at a hotel or a short vacation with family or friends. Abiding means you’re living there continually. When you abide in Jesus you think about Him all the time. He’s the first Person you think about when you get up in the morning and the last Person you think about when you go to bed. You think about Him at work and you think about Him at home. You think about Him when you’re shopping and you think about Him when you’re watching a ballgame. You think about Him when you’re doing the dishes and you think about Him when you’re mowing the lawn. Your desire will always follow what you give your attention to. Therefore, set your mind on Jesus and don’t let your life get cluttered with too many things. Simplify your life! Put God first! Paul told Timothy not to get entangled with the affairs of this life (2 Tim. 2:4). Remember, we are in the world but we are not of the world.

Do not get tied down to this natural realm because things in this life can steal your time away from God. In the parable of the sower Jesus said, “Now these are the owes sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the Word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the Word and it becomes unfruitful” (Mark 4:18,19).

Paul says that those who are the enemies of the cross of Christ have “set their mind on earthly things” (Phil. 3:18,19). In other words, if you’re too busy for God, you’re too busy. Do not give Him the last five minutes of your day. Do not give Him the leftovers. Our God is not a “leftover” God. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords. He is great and He is mighty. We should put Him first in everything we do. It is foolish not to.

Jesus came to give His life for us and we ought to do the same. Ask yourself if there is anything between you and God. If there is and you do nothing about it, you will one day have to stand before Christ and give an account for that. His response will probably be, “Depart from Me, I never knew you.” A workman who is not ashamed, however, will continually and steadfastly resist the temptation to become ensnared in the world’s fleshly distractions. A faithful person is one who has chosen eternal objectives for his or her life. A person who abides in Christ will “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…” (Matt. 6:33).

As born-again believers we must all develop a huge appetite for the Word of God. We must crave spiritual food more than we crave natural food, and that craving should be so great that it is impossible to satisfy. We need to become so addicted to the Word of God that it seems like we can’t get enough of It. Jer. 15:6 says, “Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your Name, O Lord God of hosts.”

Ezekiel says the same thing, “Moreover He said to me, ‘Son of man, eat what you find, eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.’ So I opened my mouth and He caused me to eat that scroll. And He said to me, ‘Son of man, feed your belly, and fill your stomach with this scroll that I give you.’ So I ate it, and it was in my mouth like honey is sweetness” (Ezek. 3: 1-3).

God says to “fill” your stomach with His Word. Don’t nibble on It a little bit. Don’t be content reading one verse on some “promise card” you have stored on some dusty shelf off in the back bedroom. To become addicted to the Word of God a person should read no less than ten chapters a day. This may seem like a lot buy you get out of the Word what you put into the Word. The more you grow in the Word the more the Word will grow in you.

Make a quality decision to give yourself completely and wholeheartedly to God’s anointed Word. Carry a pocket Bible with You in your purse or lunchbox. Put a Bible in the glove compartment of your car. Have one on the coffee table in your living room and on the nightstand in your bedroom. And don’t let those Bibles just sit there and collect dust. Read them, chew on them, meditate on them.

The more you give yourself to God’s Word the more your desire for It will grow. Come to a place where you can’t get enough of It. Let It consume you’re your spirit, soul, and body. Get addicted to the Word of God. The more you get, the more you’ll want. Job said, “I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12). Oh people, “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Ps. 34:8).

Another basic element we need to major in is to develop a life of prayer. How many times do we read in the gospels that Jesus went off by Himself to pray? Many people shake and tremble when faced with this important necessity to abiding in Christ. That’s because they don’t really understand what prayer really is. They think God is in some far off place and if you kneel on some hardwood floor long enough until your knees become raw then maybe, just maybe, He might listen to you. Prayer to them is burdensome, it makes a demand on their time, and they develop a contentment of praying at bedtime a prayer that begins, “Now I lay me down to sleep…” People like that don’t really know God at all, and they definitely don’t know what prayer really is.

All pray means is to talk with God. We talk and communicate with people every day of our lives, and how we talk to them is determined by what type of relationship you have with those to whom you are directing your words. You will say more to a spouse you are deeply in love with than some stranger standing on a street corner. If you go to some department store there will probably be hundreds of other customers there whom you have never met before, How many of those strangers will you go up to and begin to share your most intimate and personal thoughts with? Probably none. But if you go into that same store and meet your best friend whom you’ve known for over twenty years, you will probably share with him or her every detail of what’s gone on in your life since the last time the two of you talked. See the difference?

How you talk to someone and what you say to them is determined by the quality of relationship you have with them. So the question is, what type of relationship do you have with God? Is He your best friend or some stranger you’ve never met? The answer to that question is what determines your eternal destiny.

-9-

Yes, heaven will be a great adventure but first we must strive to have a great adventure here on planet earth. And it all begins with a personal one-on-one relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus made it clear that He wants to be your friend. In John 15:15 He says, “No longer do I call you servants, for a ser-vant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.” Jesus said that He was your friend, and now we must decide if we want to become His friend.

How does one become a friend of Jesus? He tells us in the preceding verse, “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you” (John 15:14). The degree to which we are obedient to God is the degree to which we become friends with Him. (It’s also the degree to which we’ll receive our heavenly rewards.) Abraham was called the friend of God (James 2:23; Is. 41:8) and he was obedient to the point where he was willing to offer up his only son as a burnt offering to his Lord. Nothing will bring you closer to God than your obedience to His Word.

Ex. 33:11 says, “So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.” Begin today by talking to God as if He were your friend. When you get out of bed each day begin by saying, “Good morning, Lord. Is there anything special You would like for me to do today?” Get personal with Him. Talk to Him about anything and everything. He cares about the smallest details of your life. He really does.

If you don’t like how your favorite ball team played on Saturday afternoon, tell Him about it. If you like a new fashion of clothing that’s recently come out, tell Him about it. If you’re on a golf course and you’ve got a difficult shot ahead of you, talk to Him about it. I’m serious. God wants to get involved in every area of your life. He loves you so much that you can talk to Him about anything and everything. I mean, you’ll be talking with Him for all eternity so you may as well get started here on planet earth.

The longing of His heart is to get personal with you on a daily basis. How would you feel if somebody only came to you when they needed something? Yes, Jesus will be there when you call on Him. He is the “Great Provider”. He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. Truly, a friend in need is a friend indeed. That’s Jesus. Still, He wants to be closer to you than that. He wants to be your friend. Don’t let an hour go by without sharing with him all that’s on your heart. He truly is reaching out to you. Won’t you reach out to Him as well?

Equally important is to learn to listen when spending time with God. The Bible says, “Be still and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10). Before long you will develop a special bond with Him where He’ll be able to talk to you “as a man speaks to his friend.” God resides on the inside of you, and as you get quiet before Him “a small, still voice” will rise up out of your innermost being. Instantly you will know that this is the voice of the Lord.

Soon your spirit will be energized with the magnetic flow of the Holy Spirit. You have been still and now you know that He is God. He is talking to you. He is telling you what’s on His heart. He is your friend and He wants to get intimate with you. A surge of joyful excitement causes you to listen intently as His voice continues to speak. “Tell me more, Lord, tell me more!”

You raise your hands in praise and you tell Him how much you love Him. Tears of joy run down your cheek as you realize you can’t contain yourself any longer. This is heaven on earth and you are having a great adventure. You stand up and jump with glee because you are in the presence of the Lord. Soon a peaceful calm and tranquility overtakes you as you look at the clock and realize that four hours have gone by. Your mind cannot comprehend what has just taken place but your spirit can. You have been abiding in Christ and He has been abiding in you. Whew!

We have seen that we must all give an account to Christ for the works we’ve done since being born-again (2 Cor. 5:10). Paul says in Eph. 2:10, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God has prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” The Message Bible says, “He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join Him in the work He does, the good work He has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.”

God wants us to be His partner, both in heaven and on earth. We must all understand that God has a specific mission for each of us individually to accomplish in our lifetime. 2 Tim. 1:9 says that God “has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.” Before God created the heavens and the earth He had a specific mission for your life which we will one day be held accountable for.

Far too many Christians are lazy and live as though they can get away with anything. They think getting born-again is the end of their obligation to God instead of the beginning of a lifetime of service to their Master. They live like they will never have to give an account for anything they do or say. These people are in for a rude awakening.

The Bible says that tears will be shed in heaven (Rev. 21:4) and I believe that these deceived believers will be the ones who shed the most. This is your wake-up call! We all need to conform our will to that which God wants us to do with our lives. Even Jesus prayed, “Not My will but Your will be done.” We need to put His will first in our lives instead of trying to shape and mold Him into our own.

Matt. 5:6 says, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled.” God alone deserves the throne of your heart and He is forever ready and willing to reveal His plan to anyone who will hunger and thirst for it. Matt. 7:7 says, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” Col. 1:9 says to pray “that you might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.”

Discovering your mission in life will require time and effort on your part. Even Jesus had to spend time seeking the will of the Father. He fasted and prayed for forty days (Like 4:1-15). He studied the Word and based His ministry on scripture (Luke 4:18). And He developed a habit of praying for long hours on end (Luke 6:12). Jesus was not born with the knowledge of what He was supposed to do. He was, after all, a baby born in a manger. As He “increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (Luke 2:52) He discovered what His mission was by faithfully spending time with the Father. Scripture tells us that by the age of twelve He had received revelation of what His mission in life was (Luke 2:49). To discover our calling we must also do the same thing Jesus did.

While we are seeking God and waiting for His call on our lives to be revealed to us we must learn to be faithful where we are. Jesus said “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much…(Luke 16:10a). God rewards faithfulness, in heaven as well as on earth, and our future work for Him is determined by our attitudes and actions right now.

A person who is faithful will be trustworthy, sure, reliable, and dependable. Faithfulness means doing a good job regardless of what the job may be even when nobody is watch-ing. Remember, what you do in secret God will reward openly (Matt. 6:4). Col. 3:23 says, “And whatever you do, do it heartily as unto the Lord and not to men.”

God says that if you are faithful in small things you can be promoted to bigger and better things. Joseph was betrayed by his brothers and sold as a slave but he still found favor by working hard (Gen. 39:4,22). He worked hard caring for the household of Potiphar and when falsely accused by his master’s wife he worked hard and with a good attitude for the Egyptian jailer under whom he was bound. Joseph worked “as unto the Lord” and one day his childhood dream became a reality when he was promoted and made ruler over all of Egypt.

Once the Father’s will is made known to us we must faithfully commit ourselves to the fulfillment of our call. For this we must be willing to give up all we have. It’s a life of total surrender as you abandon all that you want for the sake of doing what God wants. Trust me, there’s no greater way to live. When you give your all to God, He will give His all to you.

Jesus said, “So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that He has cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:33). The Message Bible says, “Simply put, if you’re not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it goodbye, you can’t be My disciple.” The rich young ruler refused to give up all he had and he walked away saddened. He was more devoted to his wealth than he was to God. Very rarely does God ask you to forsake all your natural resources for Him. He does, however, require a willingness for us to do so if this is what He requires. God asked Abraham to give up his only son and when the old man began to slay the young Isaac God intervened and allowed the boy to live.

Prov. 16:3 says, “Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.” Dedication is the foundation of commitment and without it the believer is unable to offer God anything else. Commitment is the act of giving God the very best we have. It means to “surrender” or to “yield”. Ninety percent of being a workman who is not ashamed is found in our attitude and commitment to the will of God.

When you are committed there is a transfer of authority. You cheerfully surrender your will to that of the Father. Jesus did it when He walked the earth and we are required to do the same. It truly is a wonderful way to live. To be committed means “to practice, to perform something repeatedly.’’ Don’t just say you’re committed, show it. Repeatedly.. James 1:22 says, “But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” Actions speak louder than words, and it is these actions that we will be held accountable for at the judgment seat of Christ.

May we all “have a walk worthy of the calling with which you were called” (Eph. 4:1) so that one day we can stand before the Lord and hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of the Lord.” Heaven. It’s what I call “The Great Adventure.” I’m going. Won’t you come with me?