Imagine

Rev 5:13  And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang: “Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever.”

Is 6:3  They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!”

I've been reading a book called "Imagine Heaven" by John Burke.  In this book Mr. Burke seeks to compare people's "near death experiences" with Biblical descriptions of Heaven.  He has interviewed people around the world, adults and children alike who claim to have visited Heaven when they were medically declared dead or near dead.  Amazingly, most of these people have described very similar experiences and their tales line up with what we are told in the Bible.  A few things they all have in common is the presence of a great, warm light that fills everything with it's energy and love.  This light is coming from Jesus Himself.   Another commonality are the amazing colors Heaven seems to be awash with....everything is vibrant, vivid and beyond anything we see on earth.  There is a lot of activity, singing, animals, beautiful fields, angelic beings and the whole experience feels so much more reality than life on earth.  Many describe this life as actually being dream like while Heaven itself is real.

Last weekend we saw the move "I Can Only Imagine" based on the song of the same title.  It was the story of  Bart Milliard's life and the redemption he saw for his Dad.  Bart Milliard is the lead singer in MercyMe and he wrote the song.  I remember going to church after my Mom died and on the way home I this song was playing on the radio as I saw the most beautiful and expansive sky full of clouds....my Mom so loved looking at the clouds.  And her dream was to dance with Jesus.  And in that moment I knew that is exactly what she was doing.

So I guess you can say Heaven has been on my mind a lot lately.  After hearing all the descriptions I almost can't wait to get there....but that's God's timing not mine, so wait I will!!

Today I felt led to write about this.  Maybe we all need to be reminded of our future.  Sometimes this life gets so gritty.  Things are hard, painful.  Days seem monotonous and dreary.  Even the best days seem to fly by and fade to memory.  Up, down, up, down.....life cycles on in a endless stream.  Thankfully, God is with us throughout it all.  Thankfully we have many bright spots to carry us through the difficulties, His Presence and His love surround all of it, but it's not Heaven.  It's not the place of perfection, the place of complete love that I think all of our hearts long for even if we don't recognize that longing.  And then there is the loss of loved ones.  We need to be reminded although they are not physically with us, they are in a so over the top, beyond imagining, amazingly beautiful, Jesus filled place.  So I wanted to share this hope with you all, remind us of our future.  Perhaps we need to read the description in Revelation a little more often, especially when we are feeling lost or low.

Revelation 21  Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

5 And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” 6 And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. 7 All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.

8 “But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

9 Then one of the seven angels who held the seven bowls containing the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come with me! I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”

10 So he took me in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. 11 It shone with the glory of God and sparkled like a precious stone—like jasper as clear as crystal. 12 The city wall was broad and high, with twelve gates guarded by twelve angels. And the names of the twelve tribes of Israel were written on the gates. 13 There were three gates on each side—east, north, south, and west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were written the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

15 The angel who talked to me held in his hand a gold measuring stick to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. 16 When he measured it, he found it was a square, as wide as it was long. In fact, its length and width and height were each 1,400 miles. 17 Then he measured the walls and found them to be 216 feet thick (according to the human standard used by the angel).

18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city was pure gold, as clear as glass. 19 The wall of the city was built on foundation stones inlaid with twelve precious stones: the first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst.

21 The twelve gates were made of pearls—each gate from a single pearl! And the main street was pure gold, as clear as glass.

22 I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light. 24 The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the world will enter the city in all their glory. 25 Its gates will never be closed at the end of day because there is no night there. 26 And all the nations will bring their glory and honor into the city. 27 Nothing evil will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Revelation 22:1-7  Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

5 And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” 6 And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. 7 All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.

Lord thank You for the fact that “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9).  We can't fully imagine what You have for us in Heaven, but I can't wait to be in Your presence.  I can't wait to see You fully.  Lord, You have put this in our hearts...this desire, this longing for home.  I look forward to the day when we are there.  Comfort us with this knowledge...help us to focus on the future when we feel this life is too much.  And let us take solace when we lose those we love, that they are in Your Presence, filled with joy and peace and fully loved.  Life gets us down, but You are the one who lifts us up.  I praise You for this wonderful fact!  We have a home in You, both now and forever.  Thank You for saving us for this purpose.  Thank You for saving us  period!

Take time to dream and imagine Heaven this week.  Let God's Word inspire you.