“But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Savior.” Philippians 3:20 (NLT)
Most people do not understand the absolute awesome reality of life after this world. We will not be floating around on clouds strumming our harps for eternity! This world, that is the best of this world, is but a shadow of heaven. In eternity there will be no more sin, no more suffering, no more pain, no more sickness, no more sorrow, no more bondage, no more fear, no more regret, because the old order of things has passed away (Revelation 21:4). Imagine the Garden of Eden. Though Adam had things to do, he enjoyed his ongoing communion with the Father in the cool of the day (Genesis 3:8). That’s a taste of heaven. Though there will not be marriage in heaven as we have it on earth, we will still know our spouses very well (Matthew 22:30). There will only be one marriage in heaven, and that will be Jesus and His bride (Revelation 19:7-9)! Heaven will consist of joy and eternal pleasures (Psalm 16:9). And our Maker knows how to do that the best! The best of this world is but an appetizer for the pleasures of eternity.
Wow, in this world we relate pleasure with the flesh and sinful desires. But in heaven those will no longer exist. Take the beautiful things and lift them to an infinite degree! The spirit that God has placed in you will live eternally. It was placed within you at your conception. What you do in this life will impact the rewards you will receive and experience in heaven. In other words, what you do now matters. Paul told us that we our works on earth will be tested in fire and only that which is of heavenly nature, “gold, silver and precious jewels” will endure. All else will be consumed by the fire (1 Corinthians 3:12-15). Many will enter heaven, but will not have rewards waiting for them. Even more tragically, some will not enter heaven because they never chose Jesus, who is the only way there.
Ask the Lord to burn within you the reality of heaven, and the importance of your investing in eternity now. Tell Him that you do not simply want to get into heaven, but want your life now to matter for eternity. Ask Him how to invest in the lives around you so that others will be there too. Ask Him how to pray more effectively and in line with His will. Ask Him to mold your life so that it will allow others to see the reality of heaven on earth (Matthew 6:10) and desire it. Ask Him to grant your pastor wisdom to be a wise investor in eternal matters. Thank Him for granting you citizenship in heaven!!!
