So what REALLY will be and NOT be in heaven?

Revelation 21:4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

The Bible is full of verses that discuss heaven; this is particularly true of the descriptions

of Prophets who have envisioned or been taken up to heaven, as John's account in

Revelation. 

Really there is much about what will NOT be there, as well, in scripture. Still, we are left wondering in anticipation of what our glorious God has created for those who follow and

have faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Well, as a blogger bonus, here are some special "Will's and Won'ts" when it comes to

what we all can expect. Ready....

-No mosquitoes! Not going to need any repellent when you venture outside in Heaven.

-Ice Creams of all types! Yes, Blue Bell, Ben and Jerry... the selections will be limitless!

-No poison ivy, sumac, etc. Put away the Calamine Lotion, not going to need it...

-Whataburger!  In and Out Burgers, burgers, burgers, burgers + no cholesterol! 

    That's right... no problems with saturated fats, clogged arteries.... 

-No lawyers!  There will be a  big-time Judge and He will know the verdict before

   someone gets their Miranda Rights!

-No one driving on your bumper down the interstate. No one changing lanes without

   any reason,  no one passing over that double yellow line...  I'm  not even sure 

   traffic lights will be necessary.

-smiles; real smiles! Lots of 'em.  

-glorious music of all kinds. Sunsets that amaze! Lots of beautiful trees and flowers.

    

-Animals and pets.... yep! Gonna be there to enjoy and love!

In heaven, there will be: No power shortages, for God is all powerful; no bumping into things in the dark; no sleepless nights (there is no night there, Revelation 21:25). Nor will there be: Bills; hospitals; bank accounts. In fact, heaven will have: No complaints; no back-talk; no hate; no fear; no crime.

- No sleep apnea, no migraines, no sprained ankles, no spider bites, no wrinkle creams,

    no anxiety attacks, no traffic circles...this is fun!

In all seriousness, God has promised such beauty and glory for those who love

and honor His Son. We do not want to do anything but praise Him, thank Him and

glorify Him as we wait for the day we are in His loving care!

Praise God!

Secrets we do NOT need to know!

“The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law." Deuteronomy 29: 29


It seems that the more we learn and know about God and His miraculous nature and
creation, the more we long to know even more. Maybe it's a human nature thing; we are
inquisitive and seek to broaden our knowledge. Yet, it seems to me that many of God's
secrets ought to remain His, alone. It is possible that we aren't capable or able
to comprehend a lot of those things we seek answers to. Somewhere along the way we
need to accept the fact that all questions will be or may not need to be answered when
we fall asleep and our souls are in Heaven.

So, what are some of the unanswered questions that you would like to know when you
arrive? I have some.....

How come God chose folks that weren't exactly perfect to be major players in His plan?
You know, King David, Moses, Abraham...  Well, that answer is almost self-evident. No one,
not even these great Biblical characters is/was perfect, except, of course, the Son of God.

What about election and predestination? Why are some chosen and others apparently not?
Since God alone can bring salvation, how did He make these decisions?

What about time, as it applies to God? is time just a human dimension? If God can see
all of time laid out before Him, can he go back and make changes?

Could Jesus have sinned? We knew that he was tempted in the same way humans are
tempted and we know that He lived a perfect, Holy life, but could He have?

Why did God give humans the possibility of redemption and not the angels? 

What will the new earth and the new heaven be like? What about those new, perfect
resurrected bodies? 

Will we see loved ones in Heaven? Will we recognize them and have similar relationships
with them?

Well, I could certainly go on. While it is fun to ponder some of these issues, there is
plenty that has been revealed to us in God's word and creation. Obviously, we haven't
been given all the details... maybe they are to come and maybe we just won't
really care.

I am looking forward to the future. Come, Jesus! We are certainly ready to take
to our knees and exalt You!!

A New Heaven and a New Earth

I suppose one could generalize and state that anytime something is redone or done over
it frequently results in something better. 

When God was done creating at the end of the sixth day, he declared that what had been
created was Good. If God says it was good and it pleased Him, I am thinking that there
isn't much room for questioning that. Of course the problem is that evil and sin crept
into this world and it was spoiled. That moment began a cycle toward eventual judgement
upon this world which will take place on that final day when the Lord returns to
claim His creation. All will be judged and all evil and sin will be removed.

Revelation discusses a New Heaven and a New Earth where God once again dwells with
His people as their God. There are descriptive passages from John's visions that may or
may not be symbolic or metaphorical, but I believe all can be certain that God will once
again create something new and Good.

This is where it is fun to imagine what that place would be like. When I look at the
many glorious and beautiful things about this fallen world that proclaim the creative hand
of God, I am amazed. I am a sun lover. (a son lover, as well!) Sunrises, sunsets, warm
sunshine that seems to immediately nourish the soul, I cannot get enough of that star.
The seasons, the weather, the stars at night, the sounds the emanate from nature,
the breeze, the sea and water in general...you get the picture. And speaking of pictures,
can you just imagine being able to take a good camera anywhere in this beautiful
world and shoot pictures? New Zealand comes to mind, immediately. 

Well I just have a feeling that the New Heaven and the New Earth will be exponentially
more breathtaking and wonderful. When we die, fall asleep and are reborn into a
resurrected body, we will inhabit such a place in the very presence of our Lord, Jesus
Christ. We know what will not be there: sin, sadness, death, tears, fear, loneliness...
so we can all just wait, anxiously and with great hope for the chance to open our
eyes onto a new and glorious existence. Worth the wait. 

What a remarkable reason to share the gospel of our Lord, His way, the only way,
to the Father. We do not want anyone to miss the curtain rise on this new, glorious
place. Praise God!