by Msgr. Charles Pope

After some sobering reflection on death and judgment over the past several days, it’s finally time to talk about Heaven. Now that is a topic everyone wants to hear about! Yet there is a strange disconnect today. As it becomes easier and easier to satisfy our desire for instant gratification, we find it harder and harder to take the time to ponder a future paradise.

Almost no one talks about Heaven today—except perhaps at funerals—and then it is often to inappropriately presume the instant promotion of the deceased through Heaven’s gate.

The way most of our prayers sound today, it seems that we would be content to have God make this world a better place. People will ask God to improve their health and solve their financial problems, but rarely will they express any desire to go to Heaven and be with Him. It is almost as if we were saying to God, “If you’ll make this world a little more comfortable I’ll just stay here forever!”

Many older prayers speak of longing for Heaven. The “Hail, Holy Queen” laments that we live in exile, in a valley of tears, and are poor, banished children of Eve, who long to see the blessed fruit of Mary’s womb, Jesus. Many old hymns refer to being free at last, to flying away to Heaven some bright morning when this life is over, to looking forward to that day. Yes, soon and very soon we are going to see the King! Older churches were designed to remind Catholics of Heaven; their structures were often centered around the vision of Heaven.

Do you long for Heaven or are you just trying to make it through the day? When was the last time you heard a sermon about Heaven? Does the thought of it excite you? It is after all our reward, which eye has not seen and ear has not heard!

A big factor for the lack of longing for Heaven is that our lives are so comfortable these days. It is a kind of comfort that both distracts us from spiritual things and focuses us on worldly things. Our comforts also make the cross seem strange, even immoral. If Heaven is obtained through the cross, many say “It’s too much trouble.” They would rather focus on getting that new channel added to their cable television service or planning a cruise.

Add to this that we live in a world that is utterly upside down, a world in which most are not rich in what matters to God, a world that obsesses over passing and trivial things and pays little mind to eternal and heavenly things. Learning to love Heaven can mean some pretty radical things. It often means being willing to be 180 degrees out of phase with the world’s priorities and preoccupations.

St. Cyprian pondered this problem, which seems to have been evident to some degree in the wealthy city of Carthage:

[Regarding death] we struggle and resist like self-willed slaves and are brought into the Lord’s presence with sorrow and lamentation, not freely consenting to our departure, but constrained by necessity.

Why then do we pray for the kingdom of heaven to come if this earthly bondage pleases us? … If we should rather serve the devil here than reign with Christ?

The world hates Christians, so why give your love to it instead of following Christ, who loves you and has redeemed you? So banish the fear of death and think of the eternal life that follows. That will show people that we really live our faith.

Who of us, if he had long been a sojourner in a foreign land would not desire to return to his native country? Who of us, when he had begun to sail there would not wish for a prosperous wind to carry him to his desired home with speed, that he might sooner embrace his friends and relatives? We must account paradise our country (De Mortalitate, 26).

Heaven is something we must learn to love. In this, it is like many of the finer things in life. Its appeal may not be immediately obvious, but having been trained in its ways, we learn to love it very deeply.

If we think that it is only natural to love Heaven, we must become more sober. The fact is, we have obtuse spirits. We live in a fallen world, governed by a fallen angel, and we have fallen natures. We tend to love that which is destructive and harmful, and even knowing that, we are still attracted to it. We tend to esteem that which is foolish and passing, while glamorizing evil. We tend to call “good” or “no big deal” what God calls sinful.

G.K. Chesterton observed,

The point of the story of Satan is not that he revolted against being in hell, but that he revolted against being in heaven. The point about Adam is not that he was discontented with the conditions of this earth, but that he was discontented with the conditions of paradise
(New York American, 12-15-1932).

If Satan revolted against Heaven even while still in Heaven, and Adam preferred something to paradise while still in paradise, how much more should we be sober about the fact that it is very easy for us, who have not yet seen paradise or Heaven, to despise or minimize the value of the glory of God’s Kingdom.

Help us, Lord, to desire Heaven, to learn its ways, to learn of you, and to love you above all things.

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by John MacArthur, Grace Community Church

"By faith [Abraham] lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God"
(Heb. 11:9-10).

Focusing on Heaven is the best way to endure difficulties on earth.

Following God's call isn't always easy. He expects us to trust Him explicitly, yet doesn't ask our advice on decisions that may impact us dramatically. He doesn't tell us His specific plans at any given point in our lives. He doesn't always shelter us from adversity. He tests our faith to produce endurance and spiritual maturity—tests that are sometimes painful. He makes some promises that we'll never see fulfilled in this life.

If following God's call is a challenge for us, imagine how it was for Abraham, who had no Bible, no pastor, no sermons, no commentaries, and no Christian encouragement or accountability. But what he did have was the promise of a nation, a land, and a blessing (Gen. 12:1-3). That was good enough for him.

Abraham never settled in the land of promise. Neither did his son Isaac or grandson Jacob. They were aliens, dwelling in tents like nomads. Abraham never built houses or cities. The only way he would possess the land was by faith. Yet Abraham patiently waited for God's promises to be fulfilled.

As important as the earthly land was to him, Abraham was patient because his sight was on his heavenly home, "the city . . . whose architect and builder is God" (Heb. 11:10). He knew beyond any doubt that he would inherit that city, whether or not he ever saw his earthly home in his lifetime.

Similarly, being heavenly minded gives you the patience to continue working for the Lord when things get tough. It's the best cure I know for discouragement or spiritual fatigue. That's why Paul says to set your mind "on the things above, not on the things that are on earth" (Col. 3:2). If your mind is set on heaven, you can endure whatever happens here.

Suggestions for Prayer

Praise God for your heavenly home. Seek His grace to help you keep a proper perspective amid the difficulties of this life. For Further Study

Read the portion of Abraham's life recorded in Genesis 12-17.

by Greg Laurie

We are here for only a moment, visitors and strangers in the land as our ancestors were before us. Our days on earth are like a passing shadow, gone so soon without a trace.
- 1 Chronicles 29:15

When we're young, life seems to go slowly. But as we get older, we can't believe how quickly life goes. We can't believe how quickly a week goes—then a month, then a year.

The Bible says this about our lives: "We are here for only a moment, visitors and strangers in the land as our ancestors were before us. Our days on earth are like a passing shadow, gone so soon without a trace" (1 Chronicles 29:15).

Yet the Bible also says that God "has planted eternity in the human heart" (Ecclesiastes 3:11). We are not highly evolved animals; we are uniquely made in the image of God with a soul and a desire to know the God who created us.

For those of us who have put our trust in Christ, we are citizens of a different place. You might say that we have dual citizenship. We are citizens of the planet Earth, but we are heavenly citizens as well. Philippians 3:20 says, "We are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior."

I heard the story of a little boy who was flying his kite, which had gone up so high, he could no longer see it. Someone saw him tugging on the string and asked, "Where is your kite?"

"Up there," he said.

"I can't see your kite. How do you know it's there?"

"It's there," the boy said. "I feel its tug."

We feel the same thing. We feel the pull of heaven deep down inside. As Augustine wrote, "Thou madest us for Thyself, and our heart is restless, until it [rests] in Thee." There's a desire in us, a craving in us, that nothing on this earth will ever satisfy.

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We are not highly evolved animals; we are uniquely made in the image of God with a soul and a desire to know the God who created us.

by Colin Smith, UnlockingTheBible.org

Will we know each other in heaven?

Let's cut to the chase with a one-word answer: Yes!

The two-word answer would be, "For sure!"

And the five-word answer would be, "You can count on it!"

But being a wise and discerning reader, you will want more than the word of a pastor on this. You will want to see it in your Bible.

So let me offer seven Scriptures that I have used to help people who wonder if they will be reunited with their believing loved ones in heaven. All of these point to our knowing one another in the resurrection, and some of them point to believers knowing one another immediately after death.

1. David and his son

King David had a son who died in infancy. When the little boy died, David said, "I'll go to him" (2 Samuel 12:23).

David knew that he would see his son again in the presence of the Lord, and knowing that he would be reunited with the son he loved brought him comfort in his bereavement.

2. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

Our Lord said that many will come from the east and the west and recline at table "with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 8:11).

Abraham was the father of Isaac and the grandfather of Jacob, and in heaven he enjoys the company of his son and his grandson, while Jacob enjoys the company of his father and his grandfather.

3. Jesus and the disciples

Jesus told his disciples, "I will not drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in a new way in my Father's kingdom with you" (Matthew 26:29, emphasis mine).

The eleven, who shared the Last Supper with Jesus on earth, will eat and drink with him in heaven. Peter, James, John, and the others will be named and known in heaven as clearly as they were named and known on earth.

4. Moses and Elijah

When the glory of Jesus was revealed in the transfiguration, we are told that "Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with him" (Matthew 17:3).

This is fascinating because when Moses and Elijah appeared, they did not have the resurrection body. They were souls made visible as the angels were made visible to the shepherds, and as the souls under the altar were made visible to John (Revelation 6:9). Although they were still waiting to be clothed with the resurrection body, Moses and Elijah were known. They were recognizable, and they were able to engage in conversation. That tells us a lot about the conscious joy of fellowship that believers share immediately after death in the presence of the Lord.

5. The gathered souls in heaven

The writer to the Hebrews speaks of "the spirits of righteous people made perfect," that is, the souls of believers in the presence of Jesus. These souls, he tells us, are gathered in "the assembly of the firstborn" (Hebrews 12:23). Right now, in heaven, the spirits of the righteous made perfect are gathered. Gathered means community, and community means relationship.

6. Paul and the Thessalonians

Paul makes it clear that the believers he loved on earth will be his joy in heaven. "For who is our hope or joy or crown of boasting in the presence of our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you?" (1 Thessalonians 2:19). When Paul says this, he clearly anticipates that relationships forged on earth will continue in heaven.

7. The reunion of believing loved ones

When Paul writes to believers who grieve the loss of a loved one, he offers them this comfort: "We who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air" (1 Thessalonians 4:17, emphasis mine).

"Them" refers to believing loved ones who are now in the presence of the Lord. A wife who grieves the loss of her believing husband has the comfort of knowing that when the Lord comes, she will meet her husband again. Sons and daughters who grieve the loss of a believing father or mother can find comfort in the prospect of this happy reunion when we will be reunited with those who have gone before us into the presence of the Lord.

That's more than enough to settle the issue for me, and I hope that it is for you as well. Christians who know and love each other on earth will know and love each other in heaven.

[This article is adapted from Pastor Colin's February 2017 column in Mature Living Magazine.] Content taken from UnlockingTheBible.org; used with permission.

The main reason why Jesus became a human being was to die for our sins so we could be forgiven. Jesus was the "Lamb of God," and it was God's will that He die in Jerusalem during the Passover feast with all the other Passover lambs. As Jesus made His final journey from Galilee to Jerusalem, He taught in towns and villages on the way, and one day someone asked Him a very important question: "Lord, will only a few be saved?"

Using different words, Jesus restated what He'd taught during His sermon on the mountainside, revealing that only a minority of people would be saved, while the majority would go to hell: "You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose the easy way. But the gateway to life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it" (Matthew 7:13-14).

In this instance, Jesus told His questioner that many people would try to enter heaven, but they would be kept out for one reason---because they were evildoers. Some people will even claim that they ate and drank with Jesus and listened to Him teach in their streets, which will be true of many people who were alive when Jesus walked the earth. However, their association with Him won't be enough for them to be saved. It's not being just associated with Jesus that gets a person into heaven, it's believing with an obedient faith that He is the Son of God. If a person only associates with Jesus, he obviously doesn't believe that Jesus is the Son of God, otherwise he would give his life to Him in obedient service, and no longer be categorized as an evildoer. He may believe that Jesus is a nice person, a good teacher or a faithful friend, but that is not enough. Are you a part of the minority who will enter heaven through the narrow gate?

Jesus also made it plain that there are only two places people will go after they die: heaven or hell. There is no purgatory as some think, a place where people pay for their sins and then are eventually released into heaven.

In the final part of today's reading, we read of Jesus lamenting over Jerusalem. Take note that although He knew He would soon be crucified in that city, He wasn't feeling sorry for Himself. Rather, He was feeling sorry for the people of Jerusalem because He knew the consequences they would suffer for rejecting Him. Within forty years, their city would be destroyed, and tens of thousands of the inhabitants would be crucified by the Roman army. Worse than that, those who rejected Christ would spend eternity in hell.

It was God's perfect will that all the people of Jerusalem be saved, expressed by Jesus when He said, "How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings" (Luke 13:34). But why wasn't He able to do what He wanted? Jesus explained: "But you wouldn't let me." It won't be God's fault that anyone is in hell.

Q. Jesus said that in the future, when His kingdom comes, there will be people who are despised now but who will be greatly honored then, and there will be some who are greatly honored now who will be despised then. About what kinds of people do you think He was speaking?

A. For the most part, those who are devoted followers of Christ are not being honored by the world, but are being despised as fanatics and fools. They will be honored by God in His kingdom. On the other hand, there are many unsaved people whom the world presently honors, but who will be despised by God when they stand before Him.

Q. In today's reading, Jesus quoted from Psalm 118. We can read in that same psalm these words: "The stone rejected by the builders has now become the cornerstone" (Psalm 118:22). What do you think the writer of that Psalm was talking about?d?

A. According to Jesus and Peter, Jesus is the rejected stone that became the cornerstone (see Matthew 21:42; Acts 4:11). If you don't know what a cornerstone is, ask your parents.

Application:

Jesus promised in today's reading that people from all over the world would be citizens of His future kingdom. This proves that Jesus died for everyone and that God loves every member of every race and nationality. He is not prejudiced at all. When you think of people of other races or nationalities, are your thoughts like God's thoughts? Christians, above all people, should not be prejudiced.

by Dr. David Jeremiah

Many people picture heaven as a never-ending church service in the sky. Or they think we will all become angels who float around on clouds playing harps for the rest of time. Neither of these make eternity seem very appealing. And both are completely inaccurate according to the Bible.

In fact, heaven will be glorious and full of grandeur. We will experience fullness of joy as we live in the presence of God and fellowship with each other. There are so many reasons to look forward to heaven, I want to give you a glimpse of three.

For one, our friendships will be richer. One of the most fascinating glimpses we have of heaven is in Hebrews 12:22-23, a passage that provides a list of heaven's inhabitants.

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the generalassembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect.

Now, who in that group is boring? We're going to spend eternity with God, with His angels, with the Old Testament saints, and with Christians through all the ages. Can you imagine being in an environment like that?

There will be no misunderstandings or tiffs or tension among us. Our relationships will be so much healthier in heaven than here. Down here we have problems even with our closest friends. You know what that's like. Someone says something to you, and you aren't sure how to interpret it. You react to it-- perhaps overact. You say to yourself, “I wonder what he meant by that? I wonder why she said that?”

In heaven there will be none of that. Our relationships will be open, honest, interesting, loving, and uncomplicated by sin or our sinful natures. We will dwell with God, the angels, and one another in perfect compatibility and refreshing intimacy.

We will all be together in heaven. It won't make any difference when we lived on earth. Imagine being best friends with people whom we've only read about in the Bible or in books. I'm eager to meet Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. Imagine having all the time we wanted to talk to Augustine, George Muller, Martin Luther, and William Tyndale. We'll be great friends with our missionary heroes--William Carey, Adoniram Judson, Jim Elliot, Hudson Taylor, Amy Carmichael, and Eric Liddell, the Olympic champion who left it all to go to China for Christ.

Heaven is going to be such an incredible time of unlimited fellowship with people who have lived in all ages that I can't begin to comprehend it, but I know it's true. The Lord Jesus even gave us a glimpse of this on the Mount of Transfiguration when He stood there talking to Moses and Elijah, as the twelve disciples listened to the amazing conversation.

And don't get me started on the fellowship we'll enjoy with the angels! In heaven, we'll be part of it all; and all our mentors, heroes, friends, ancestors, and descendants--all who know Jesus--will be there with us!

Our work will be sweeter. Many people don't think of heaven as a place of work but rather as a place of rest; but in heaven, the two go together. I wouldn't want to spend eternity with nothing to do, for God made us to be productive.

The idea of service pervades the book of Revelation. The most glorious verse on this subject occurs in the last chapter, in Revelation 22:3: “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.” That tells us what we'll be doing forever-- serving Him!

All of us will be serving in the fullest expression of the capacity God has given us and the giftedness with which He has blessed us. We will discover new gifts, new interests, and new pursuits. We will have new responsibilities and exercise positions of authority.

Whatever we do in heaven will have eternity stamped all over it. Think of that! Would your attitude toward your work change today if you knew everything you did, every ounce of energy you expended, every product you produced, every building you designed, every poem you wrote, every investment you made, and every lesson you taught would last forever? What a legacy! That's the heritage we'll have in heaven. Heaven won't be boring because our work won't be boring; it will be exciting.

Finally, our longing for home will be filled. Romans 8:22-23 says, “For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.”

There is a hunger with all creation and even among us who have God's Spirit within us. It's a yearning and an anticipation for the coming day of ultimate redemption. The redemption process unleashed at Calvary isn't finished. God won't be finished until all creation is redeemed and we yearn for that day. The decaying world around us will be replaced at the end of time by the new heaven and the new earth and the city of New Jerusalem. That's what we truly crave.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us God has placed eternity in our hearts. He created us with a space in our souls that can't be satisfied by anything except things of everlasting duration. We need permanence. We need transcendence. We try to cram temporal things in the empty space with us, but they don't assuage our spiritual appetite.

When we get to heaven, that ache is going to vanish. When we get to heaven, everything we do will bring us perfect satisfaction and lasting reward. When we get to heaven, we will never again engage in anything that will leave us feeling even a tad empty. When we get to heaven, everything we do will bring joy. We'll be home.

It's safe to say we won't be bored in heaven. Heaven is going to be the most exciting, adventure-filled place your mind can imagine, multiplied by trillions.

For more on what the Bible says about heaven, check out David Jeremiah's new book, Revealing the Mysteries of Heaven.