Heaven: The Greatest Home Makeover--Day 29

VIEW DECK
“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.”–Matthew 24:42

A deck with a view—what a wonderful feature for a home! Imagine one of fragrant redwood overlooking a waterfront or mountain view. How about a hot tub on one side and a fire pit for evening conversation on the other?

Will we enjoy “view decks” in Heaven? The Bible doesn’t say. But it does say much about a view that lifts our hearts toward Heaven. Think back to coastal New England in the 1800s, when many homes had a “widow’s walk” platform atop homes facing the sea. There, wives of seamen scanned the horizon for returning ships. When storms churned the ocean, these brave women knew some husbands might never return. Still they watched for that far dot hinting of a vessel headed home.

Our Biblical view deck looks out to the end of time. Now we see the storms of increasing turmoil and wretchedness on earth. But eternity is coming our way. Not all Bible scholars agree on the timing of Bible prophecy, but basic truths unite us. When we die, our bodies began decaying. But our spirits—the thinking-feeling-trusting-expressing part that understands and responds to God—immediately goes to be “with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:8). The spirits of those who rejected God, however, will go some place away from His gracious presence, where they’ll experience torment alone (Luke 16: 19-23).

The fullness of Heaven (and of hell) waits the end of history, when Christ returns to earth in glory. On that day, known to God, Christ will suddenly return to earth, as fast and spectacular as lightning across the sky. He will come “with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God” (1 Thess. 4:16). It will catch us by surprise, like a thief in the night (1 Thess. 5:2). At that moment, “the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever” (1 Thess. 4:16b-17). Imagine it! Withered corpses from graves, those lost at sea or burned up, others “lost”—all believers retrieved in a blink and whooshed to Heaven with Heaven-ready, “resurrection” bodies. Then living believers, “caught up” as well with transformed bodies. No rocket ships—just the power of God! This means that some will never die! They’ll be zapped right into eternity.

During this time frame, prophecies tell of a world writhing with lawlessness because of the activity of Satan. The earth will go through cosmic convulsions of natural disasters, disease and war. Some believe Christ will come before this terrible time of history so believers won’t have to go through it. Some say half-way through, and some say at the end. The Bible indicates Jesus will reign on earth for a thousand years (“The Millennium”) while Satan is “bound.” The world will have perfect government. But people of that era will still eventually die, bound for Heaven or hell. At the end of this, Satan will have a brief second chance to vent his fury, but Christ will win. He already won, on the cross. Satan’s defeat will open the jaws of hell where he and his company will be thrown forever (Rev. 20:10, Matt. 25:41).

Now come times of judgment. In the Great White Throne judgment, the “Book of Life” will be opened to reveal who believed that Jesus died for their sins. Those who didn’t will be condemned forever to hell (Rev. 20:11-15). The Bible describes hell as a place or state of unquenchable, eternal fire (Mark 9:43, Matt. 25:41). It’s called a “lake of burning sulfur” (Rev. 20:10), darkness with weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 8:12), eternal torment (Rev. 14:10, 11), and the forever “blackest darkness” (Jude 13). There’s no letup of suffering. Why would anyone choose that when Heaven is better by far?

There’s also the “Judgment Seat of Christ” for believers already destined for eternity in Heaven. Their lives will come under scrutiny in assigning the “rewards” of Heaven (2 Cor. 5:10).

Does all this seem too far away on the horizon? Don’t let the passing of years lull you into complacency. Willet and Vera, vibrant Christians in their nineties, put on the door of their assisted living apartment a sign that said, “Perhaps today.” They lived hoping that Christ might come in their lifetime. Both did die, but assured that immediately they’d be “with the Lord.” But the rest of us should never lose sight of that reminder. That speck on the horizon of Biblical prophecy could suddenly become now.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, the phrase “perhaps today” excites me and sobers me. I know You will be with me, whatever is on the horizon. Amen.

Heaven: The Greatest Home Makeover--Day 28

TRASH INCINERATOR
“There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” –Revelation 21:4

Years ago, before pollution crackdowns, many homes had back-yard incinerators to burn the family’s trash. Though they smoked and stunk, incinerators did destroy what wasn’t wanted. In thinking about Heaven, even an incinerator is symbolic--but for something far, far worse: hell. The Bible refers to it as “the lake of burning sulfur” or “lake of burning fire.” Scientists have determined that sulfur burns at 250 degrees Celsius. That’s two and a half times the boiling point of water. Though the burning lake is an earthly description of true hell, it still portrays the horrific destination for Satan and his demons, plus all those who reject God’s love.

Contrary to cartoons and flippant jokes, this won’t be “one hot party.” Those there are “tormented day and night for ever and ever” (Rev. 20:10). This is not annihilation. It is constant, endless misery. And this misery has no company. Hell is solitary aloneness, abandonment, and alienation. Jesus told about a man who trusted in his riches, but not in God. At death he went to hell and experienced utter agony from heat and thirst. He pleaded in vain for someone to warn his five brothers to change their ways, lest they end up there, too (Luke 16:19-31).

People still reject God until it’s too late. The French infidel Voltaire once claimed he’d help bring an end to Christianity. But as Voltaire neared death at 83, his doctor reported Voltaire expressed great emotional torment, crying out, “I am abandoned by God and man!” (1)

Be sure of this: the trash incinerator is outside heaven. It’s nowhere nearby. God planned that all wickedness and sorrow be kept far away from His perfect eternal home for us. Death will not taint it. No more “terminal” diagnoses. No more cancer, strokes, Lou Gehrig’s disease, diabetes, heart attacks, or kidney failure. No more fatal accidents that whisk away life in a blink. We’ll no longer mourn our losses or diseases or fractured homes. God will wipe every sorrowful tear from our eyes. Any tears will be of joy. No more pain. No aspirin or other pain-killers. No codeine or morphine. No laying in bed, moaning in pain because your body won’t quit hurting. All these went in the incinerator because they were part of Satan’s weaponry against God’s perfect order.

These days it’s become politically incorrect to talk about hell. Some avoid the subject, not wanting to offend anyone. They contend, “Why would a loving God send anybody to hell?” They skirt the real question: “Why would a holy and just God allow His heaven to become tainted with sin?” God has already decided who will be sent to the ever-burning incinerator of hell. The sexually immoral will land there. The Bible includes in that description those who live for lust and debauchery, and practice adultery, male and female prostitution, and homosexuality (1 Cor. 6:19, 1 Peter 4:3). The Bible describes them as people who’ve lost sensitivity to God’s Way and lust for more and more wrongdoing (Eph. 4:19). The self-indulgent will be there: drunkards, carousers (1 Peter 4:3). The selfish will be there: thieves, the greedy (1 Cor. 6:10). Slanderers will find themselves kept out of heaven (1 Cor. 6:20). So will idolaters—those who put pursuit or position or possession above following God. The same for those who follow after false gods or religions. “False teachers” who advocate non-Biblical religions will be in hell.

Does this list scare you? Have any been a part of your life? Remember, these are people who died unchanged. Heaven waits if you have turned your back on these lifestyles and behaviors, and believe that Jesus died for every sin in the book. Heaven will be full of people who were once sexually immoral, but purified by faith in Christ. It will embrace those who turned away from excesses or prideful sins. What matters is what they are at death, not what they were. And that is what some of you were,” Paul wrote the believers in the sin-riddled city of Corinth. “But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the lord Jesus Christ, and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:11).

No human words exist for the horror of hell’s incinerator. Its occupants will suffer forever and forever. That’s the bad—very bad—news. But this is the good news: Sin will never taint heaven, nor distract from God’s holiness. Be encouraged by this: “There is no condemnation [no hell] for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1).

Have these descriptions of hell upset you? Do you wonder if you’re bound for Heaven? If not, don’t wait any longer. Make this prayer yours: “Dear God, I know I have sinned. I deserve the worst there is. I also believe that Jesus died for my sins. I claim Your offer of forgiveness and ask You to come into my life. For whatever time I have on earth, dwell within me and prepare me for my Heavenly Home. Amen.”

(1) Luis Palau, “Overcoming the Greatest fear of All,” Pursuit, Vol. III, No. 1 (1994), p. 22.

Heaven: The Greatest Home Makeover--Day 27

THE GARDEN
“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.” –Revelation 22:1-2

Would your “perfect home” have a garden for food or flowers? Are you inspired by another garden, maybe one acclaimed by travel brochures? Could it be at the home of a friend skilled in coaxing loveliness out of flowers, trees, rocks and water? As you strolled the gardens, did you savor the colors, textures, sounds and fragrance? Or was the best part just the peaceful beauty that spoke nobly of God as Creator?

Was your favorite garden on a grander scale? Did you pull off a mountain highway to drink in the view of a mountain peak, its craggy shoulders softened by snow like an ermine cape? Did you pause in view of the bridal veil froth of a waterfall shooting from the top of a cliff? Was it the forest, where you stopped to listen to birds chatter? Or did you stand on a beach to watch the setting sun ooze tangerine onto the clouds and water?

In earth’s beautiful places, we see God’s shadow. That’s why the Bible says that “since creation God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen” (Rom. 1:20). Nature shouts the reality of a divine Creator. Gardens stir up our longings for God. He began human history in a garden that He planted. We know it by the name “Eden,” Hebrew for “delight.” Scholars say it probably was located in present-day Iraq. There, God enjoyed His plant and animal creations in company with the people He created, Adam and Eve, charged with being gardeners. In Eden they had beauty, shelter, pleasure, food, and reflection.

Then sin ruined the perfect garden. Adam and Eve’s disobedience closed its entrance and removed them from daily intimacy with God. The ground was cursed, and “gardening” became a weary battle with thorns and thistles (Gen. 3:17-18). In our times, those “thorns and thistles” wear names like pestilence, drought, fire, flood, tornados, hurricanes, complex laws, economic woes, and the energy crisis. Deep inside, we still long for that garden. We want to know God fully and have the incomparable pleasure of tending His perfect creation. It will never happen on our terms. It will, though, on God’s.

He began with a garden. He will end with it. The Bible says the earth as we know it—the battered, polluted, evil-stained place where Satan did His destructive work—will be burned up and purified, and there will be a “new Heaven and a new earth” (Rev. 21:1). The Greek word used for “new,” kainos, means “new as to form or quality, of a different nature from what is contrasted as old” (4). It will be “new” in a new way. The “New Jerusalem” will come down from Heaven, so beautiful that even descriptions comparing its loveliness to pure gold and precious gemstones don’t do it justice (Rev. 21:18-21). Within will be elements of a garden.

The Tree of Life, the centerpiece of Eden, will be there. (Eden’s “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil,” the sad site of Adam and Eve’s sin, is gone.) Somehow, the Tree of Life will straddle a pure river, bearing a different crop every month as evidence of God’s abundant care. Its leaves will be “for the healing of the nations” (Rev. 22:2)—for in Heaven there will be no more global conflict. That pure river will come from God’s throne. Hadn’t Jesus connected Himself with “Living Water” (John 4: 10, 14; John 7: 37, 38)? The book of Revelation ends before telling us any more. But we can be confident that there’s more, much more. Why? Because God can do it! Many believe He will do it again on our planet, purified by fire, ready for a fresh start without sin.

If God had given more detail of Heaven’s garden, some might have tried to cultivate a similar garden on earth, advertising it as a “must-see” place of pilgrimage. But greed for profit would taint it. And its owners would still fight the effects of Adam’s sin: weeds, pests, and bad weather.

Heaven’s garden—however, whatever, and wherever God creates it—will surpass anything now known for delight. The eternal ache we sensed in admiring earthly places of beauty will find satisfaction. We’ll remember: “The Heavens declare the glory of God, and the skies proclaim the work of his hands” (Psalm 119:1).

Thoughts of Heaven’s garden also return us to words of an old hymn (2). Imagine coming there alone, the dew glistening on the roses, then walking and talking with the One who says, “You are my own.” What indescribable joy!

Prayer: Father, the days my heart wishes for peace and tranquility are really my longing for your perfect Garden. Thank you reminding me it’s ahead. Amen.

(1) W.E. Vine, An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words Vol. III (Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell, 1940), p. 109.
(2) The 1912 hymn “In the Garden” by C. Austin Miles.

Heaven: The Greatest Home Makeover--Day 26

Photo: some tokens of my past: my baby book

and infant dress, father's Bible, and century-old pitcher.



FAMILY TREASURES“But store up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” –Matthew 6:21
Maybe it’s an old rocker, quilt, set of dishes, a piece of jewelry, artwork, or wedding veil—but most families have some sort of “treasure” passed down through the generations. Sometimes we display our “family treasures”; sometimes we carefully pack them away, telling our children, “This is old and special and you’ll inherit it.” As such, family treasures become a sort of time capsule—reminders of life in our families in years past.

Few of us, however, go as far as folks in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in “preserving” a generation’s treasures. In 1957, Tulsans buried a new gold-and-white Plymouth Belvedere automobile in a vault at the courthouse. The plan was to unearth it in fifty years, at which time some believed we wouldn’t even use cars any more. In 2007, about seven thousand people (who, despite the 1957 prediction, still drove cars) watched workmen pull out the rusty relic. It had flat tires, a corroded radiator, and disintegrating upholstery. The engine that one writer described as “a very large paperweight” wouldn’t start. (1)

Tulsa’s folly brings to mind Jesus’ teaching that earth’s treasures are vulnerable to rust (like this once-new car), moths and thieves (Matt. 6:19-21). Someday the end will come for that heirloom vase, two-hundred-year-old quilt, antique car, trophy case, stuffed moose head, Oscar or Super Bowl ring, or even a building named in your honor. We take none of it to Heaven.

Yet Heaven does have room for intangible “treasures” connected with our lives on earth. The apostle Peter said they’re a spiritual inheritance that will never perish, spoil or fade, and they’re kept in Heaven for those who trust in Jesus as their Savior (1 Pet. 1:3-5). This promise meant a lot to people of Bible times who faced personal losses because of their faith in Christ. They endured public insult, persecution, confiscation of their property, and even imprisonment. Yet the Bible says these believers were able to weather hardship and loss with joy because they believed they had “better and lasting possessions” in eternity (Heb.10:34).

But what of the other side of the coin: devout people who’ve been blessed with wealth and advantage and who can store and enjoy those “family treasures”? The Bible advises them to “pay forward” to spiritual treasures--“do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share” (1 Tim. 6:17-19). In our times, an example of that was Dr. Ken Taylor, best known for the paraphrased The Living Bible and several children’s books, and for founding a successful Christian publishing house. His vision brought financial success, but he directed his worldly wealth to foundations to further the publication of the Bible throughout the world. Many accolades came Taylor’s way, including four honorary doctorates, but he continued to live humbly into old age. At 87, asked to reflect on his life, he didn’t talk about worldly success but rather a spiritual inheritance and knowing God better. “I want to see my stumbling prayer life grow strong,” he said, adding he’d once again begun a prayer notebook. He wanted to continue reading the Bible daily--Genesis to Revelation—as he’d often urged others to practice. “I will be His servant to the end,” Taylor added, “and then suddenly be transformed from a servant into a son!” (2) He died about a year later, just weeks after turning 88. He left behind the earthly ledger books and awards. He entered Heaven to claim treasures that the Bible calls “crowns.”

Many people mistakenly think that the Bible’s crowns imply Heavenly royalty. Instead, the word the Bible uses for these Heavenly rewards is the same as that for circlets of vines or leaves used to “crown” skilled athletes. Commending individual success in athletic games, these crowns eventually wilted and dried up. But Heaven’s commendation “crowns” will last forever (1 Cor. 9:25). The Bible named some. The “crown of life” is for those who persevered in faith, some to martyrdom (James 1:12. Rev. 2:10). The “crown of righteousness” recognizes performing with integrity the ministry God entrusts to you (2 Tim. 4:8). The “crown of rejoicing” commends those who lead others to faith in Christ (1 Thess. 2:19). The “crown of glory” is for sacrificial pastoral ministry (1 Pet. 5:2-4).

What will we do with these crowns? Be assured: they won’t go in a vault or time capsule for safekeeping. In his vision of Heaven, John saw saints laying their crowns before God’s throne as they worshipped Him as “worthy…to receive glory and honor and power” (Rev. 4:11).Being a part of God’s family is the treasure!

Prayer: God, help me to keep the perspective of Heavenly treasures when I fuss too much about leaving behind earthly “stuff.” Amen.
 (1) Randy Krehbiel, “Tarnished Gold,” Tulsa World, June 16, 2007, http://www.tulsaworld.com/common/printerfriendlystory.aspx?articleID=070616_238_A1_spanc28602, accessed November 9, 2008.
(2) Kenneth Taylor, “On Aging,” Wheaton Magazine (Autumn 2004), p. 14.

Heaven: The Greatest Home Makeover--Day 25

THE MUSIC ROOM
“And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. And they sang a new song before the throne….” –Revelation 14:2, 3a

“Heavenly music” to my husband means Southern Gospel songs, including “It’s Your First Day in Heaven.” One of my top picks (besides the hymn “Be Thou My Vision”) is Handel’s Messiah. As an amateur violinist, stumbling through my part for that work in worship concerts, I sometimes wonder how it would be to play it perfectly in a heavenly orchestra. Then there’s my son, with a basement music studio where he “jams” with friends playing an array of guitars, electronic keyboards, and drums. He wouldn’t mind picking an electric guitar for heaven’s worship band--with as many amplifiers and sound effect pedals as possible! My daughter, a violinist, would sign up for sacred string quartets. Mitch from my church would wail a soulful praise harmonica.

If the music and instruments we know on earth existed in heaven, its “Music Room” would be enormous beyond understanding. We don’t know just what God plans musically for Heaven, but we know it’s an important part. It’s been significant on earth from the beginning. Widespread tradition claims music was the first language that God spoke to create the universe. Poet Christina Rossetti remarked that Heaven is revealed to earth as the homeland of music. (1)

The Bible says on the day the earth’s foundations were set, “the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy”(Job 38:7). Jubal, the seventh generation from Adam, was called “the father of all who play the harp and flute”(Gen. 4:22). Thousands of years of music later, Solomon’s temple had a staff of 288 priestly musicians just for worship music (1 Chron. 25:7). Imagine that for your church! Truly, God valued music in worship.

The Bible says Heaven’s worship music will be musically exciting and loud. John’s vision included loud thunder peals, roars like rushing waters, trumpets, and harps, along with innumerable believers and angelic beings praising God. “Then I heard every creature in Heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea,” John wrote, “and all that is in him, singing, ‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!’”(Rev. 5:13). The last book of the Bible calls this “a new song” (Rev. 14:3). Whatever their lyrics and music lines, Heaven’s songs will never grow old. That’s great news for those who mentally disconnect while singing the same old choruses and hymns at church. In Heaven, too, we’ll finally put to rest those church divisions over whether we should have traditional hymns or contemporary choruses.

One Bible teacher noted that some who claim to have had visions of Heaven while “dead” (they were later revived) described its music as entirely different from earthly music. They said it was “like comparing a toddler’s banging on a toy xylophone with a symphony orchestra.” (2)

Could some of earth’s inspired worship music be a part of Heaven’s worship? We don’t know, but we do know that some great Christian music has bridged diverse cultures. The late J. Oswald Sanders, a well-loved Bible teacher, told of traveling three days through China’s mountains by horseback to a primitive village where a conference drew a thousand people. To his surprise, the program included a performance of “The Hallelujah Chorus” (from Handel’s Messiah) sung in Chinese along with other praise songs. (3)

Even more profound, has Heaven’s music, hidden in our hearts, become expressed through earthly songs? Years after spearing five missionaries attempting a friendly contact, Waodoni Indians of Ecuador, now Christians, recalled hearing strange music in the treetops as the missionaries died. One Waodoni woman said she heard the same “strange music” when she listened to her missionary-friend’s record of Christian choir music. Decades later, a still-living warrior from the time of the murders heard a recording of a music arrangement based on the hymn “Every Tribe, Every Nation.” In his native tongue, he declared, “manami ihindabopa” [“just as I heard it”]—meaning it matched the tree-top angel choir he heard that fateful day. (4)

As you anticipate the Music Room, recall these lines from the hymn “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing”: “Streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise./Teach me some melodious sonnet,/Sung by flaming tongues above.” In your spirit, clear your throat, wet your reed, warm up your horn, tune that stringed instrument. Get ready for the matchless Heavenly praise concert that will release unfettered joy in worship.

Prayer: Dear God, even if my “joyful noise” of praise to you on earth left a lot to be desired, I can’t wait to do it the right way in Heaven! Amen.

(1) J. Oswald Sanders, Heaven: Better by Far (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Discovery House Publishers, 1993), p. 106.
(2) Peter Kreeft, “What Will Heaven Be Like?”, Christianity Today, http://ctlibrary.com/print.html?id=7409, accessed June 27, 2006.
(3) Sanders, pp. 106, 7
(4) Stephen Saint, “Angels, Yes, I Think It Was Angels,” January 30, 2002, from http://www.itecusa.org/itec_024.htm, accessed July 3, 2008.

Heaven: The Greatest Home Makeover--Day 24

THE LIBRARY
“I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may…grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”--Ephesians 3:17b-19

Grand homes, in contrast to ordinary homes with a bookcase or two, boast vast home libraries. You probably remember old movies that showed a silver-haired scholar browsing his floor-to-ceiling bookshelves via a rolling ladder, dusty light pouring through leaded windows between velvet curtains. Some may think that if (and that’s a big “if”) Heaven has a library, it might be like those portrayed in film. If so, it will also exist on a scale so grand as to make the Library of Congress look like the paperback rack at the convenience store. Others say Heaven couldn’t have a library because books are an invention of our earthly life. The Bible provides no answer for that. But remember that God chose to communicate to us through a book called the Bible.

Maybe the better issue to address in considering Heaven’s “library” is the acquisition of knowledge. Sometimes people say, “When I get to Heaven, I’ll understand everything.” The apostle Paul seemed to suggest that when he said that when “perfection” (Heaven) comes, “Then I shall know fully” (1 Cor. 15:12). But Paul didn’t mean that he’d have instant, entirely-complete knowledge. We won’t know everything because only God is all-knowing. Only an omniscient God can carry the burden of infinite knowledge. But Heaven will open our eyes in ways we cannot imagine.

I think that the God who created us to have curiosity, imagination and understanding will certainly allow us to continue learning without boredom. Mysteries will be explained: creation, Black Holes and the extent of all the universe, why God permitted evil, how the sun temporarily stopped for Joshua’s troops (Joshua 10:13), how a little bread multiplied for Jesus to feed five thousand—and on and on. God might even have us teach one another. Think of it: Adam teaching botany, Christ-honoring musicians like Bach explaining classical composition, and Calvin and Wesley finally reconciling their theologies in public forum. Maybe our “learning” will be the never-ending discovery of what the apostle Paul called “the incomparable riches of His grace” (Ephesians 2:6). We’ll fill innumerable pages with discoveries about God’s character. We’ll understand the prediction of an old, well-known hymn—that even if the seas were an ink well and the skies a parchment on which to write, we couldn’t write enough about the love and mercy of God. (1)

Another part of Heaven’s library strikes fear in many hearts. It’s what might be called a combination biography and reference section. Among its billions of volumes, there’s one with your name on it. “God has planned that the records of all our lives be preserved,” wrote Wesley Duewel. Your book has “all the facts of your thought life—your ambitions, your hopes, your prayers, your intentions, your motives, your efforts, your carefulness, and your carelessness. All your words, all your deeds, all your prayers, all your love or the opposite—all have been recorded.” (2) Jesus said our secret lives--those words and actions that we don’t want others to know about--will be public record (Luke 12:2,3). Every condemning thought, word, or action will be there, blatant evidence that you don’t belong in God’s perfect, holy Heaven.

There’s only one way to change the parts that bar you from Heaven. You must have your name written in another book, called the Book of Life. That’s the list of those who believe that Jesus died for every sin, including theirs, and who ask God to come into their lives. As for the other book, those forgiven sins will be blotted out, washed clean, as it were, by the blood of Christ. Peter, one of Jesus’ closest followers, preached of that image: “Repent, then, and turn to God, that your sins may be wiped out” (Acts 3:19). There will still be record of your faithfulness to God, to determine your rewards in Heaven. But the damning entries will be gone. You need not fear the “Records Room” of Heaven.

Instead, Heaven will release you to learn what is most important. The Bible puts it this way: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Prov. 9:10). Your earthly education, or lack of it, will no longer impair you. When we delight in God, He delights in revealing Himself. That includes understanding His handiwork and eternal plan. Don’t worry about not having enough time to learn in Heaven. If Heaven has a library, it will never close. God will lift any veil of confusion as you delve into the subjects that capture your heart. Best of all, no “overdues.” Remember, it will operate on eternity-time!

Prayer: Thank you, Lord Jesus, for wiping my sins off Heaven’s record books, and for inviting me to learn more about You for all eternity. Amen.

(1) The 1917 hymn, “The Love of God” by Frederick Lehman
(2) Wesley Duewel, “Your Biography in Heaven,” Women Alive! (May-June 2003), p. 11. Article taken from his book God’s Power Is For You, © 1999.

Heaven: The Greatest Home Makeover--Day 23

THE HOME OFFICE
“His servants will serve Him.”--Revelation 22:3

Heaven will be the ultimate home-based business. Although we won’t need to “tele-commute” as we know it, with computers, FAX machines, phones and other electronic marvels, Heaven will be home, and we will work. Our “work,” however, will differ from today’s tiring deadlines, pressure to excel, knotty relationships, and legal complications. We won’t end our day of Heavenly work exhausted.

God’s first perfect work environment was the Garden of Eden. Adam was his chief employee before Eve joined the “work force.” Only when Adam and Eve sinned did “work” turn into “toil” (Gen. 3:17). With no sin in Heaven, we can look forward to regaining the perfect work environment. In his vision of Heaven, John said that God’s servants will serve Him. What does “serve” really mean? The Amplified Bible, a translation that attempts to reflect original Greek word meanings, says: “His servants shall worship Him--pay divine honors to Him and do Him holy service” (Rev. 22:3).

The Bible tells little of our “work” in Heaven aside from worship. But we have the example of Eden before sin. Even though perfect, it occupied Adam and Eve as caretakers. That should be enough right there! But the Bible also suggests we’ll have Heavenly administrative duties in proportion to our faithfulness on earth. Jesus told two parables about servants who were faithful with investments when their master went away. In one parable the master entrusted the servants with different amounts of “talents” (one talent equaling about $1,000), each according to ability. One got five talents, another two, and a third just one (Matt. 25:14-30). In the other parable, each got just one “minah,” equal to about three months’ wages (Luke 19:11-26). In both parables, two faithful servants had huge returns on investing the master’s money. He was thrilled, calling them “good and faithful,” and increased their responsibilities. In one version of the parable, he gave them charge over multiple cities. In each parable, a servant who despised his master hid the money. At the end, he was criticized and sent away to “the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 25:30). That’s one way the Bible describes hell.

These parables teach us to serve our Master, God, with all our hearts and minds and strength. We may have differing abilities (the proportional talents) but we have equal opportunity (the equal minas). Doing nothing grieves God. While the parables point to answers, they also raise questions. What of having charge over ten and five cities? Could this refer to more faithful believers becoming mayors over many Heavenly cities? Or will their proportional faithfulness translate to celestial leadership in their chosen vocation? When we get our new resurrection bodies, will we return to the new earth to pick up when Eden ended? With no sin to complicate production and relationships, can we anticipate bosses who administer with pure love and understanding? If we’re not tapped for celestial government, will we have jobs similar to those we held on earth?

Will we be able to work at something we dreamed of, but had no opportunity or training? Will those who died before maturity, or who were mentally and physically disabled, discover their true, God-designed vocation? Will there be steady job openings in gardening and exploration? More chances for artists and musicians to release those gifts in pure worship? What about transportation jobs—both building and operating vehicles for the earth, water and sky? Remember, after His resurrection, Jesus didn’t need earthly transportation to return to Heaven. Before He returned to God in Heaven, His Heaven-ready body made sudden appearances from one place to another. He bodily went up in clouds and will return in grandeur the same way.

What jobs won’t be in a sinless Heaven? Will we need policemen, firemen, waste management experts, environmental whistle-blowers, or even medical professionals? Because Heaven won’t have unemployment, we must assume that they’ll serve God in a new way that’s exactly right for them. Even more thought-provoking, will angels, whom God created long ago for Heavenly service, be some of our co-workers?

We don’t know the answers to these questions. But we do know that God’s servants will serve and worship Him. They will be utterly happy. They won’t be bored. They may have “home offices” in the place Jesus has prepared just for them. Or their “office” may be in another work assignment area. Best of all, “work” won’t be “work.” It’s never “work” when you love what you’re doing and have the best Boss ever!

Prayer: God, this is something to look forward: starting a new job without those “first day jitters.” I know you have the perfect Heavenly job for me. Amen.