_______HEAVEN_________

____Heaven__ __

Revelation + 21:2
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; the first heaven and the first
earth had disappeared now, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, and the New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, as
beautiful as a bride all dressed for her husband. Then I heard a loud voice call from the throne, You see this city? Here God lives among men. He will make his home among them; they shall be his people, and he will be their God; his name is God-with-them
Think of the most wonderful, easy-going, love-filled, fun day, hour,
minute you have ever lived, and then multiply it by at least ten, and you will
have some idea of what heaven is like all the time.
Remember, if you can, the sight of very young children playing, without a
care in the world, jumping for joy, frolicking, running around in a state
of pure, unadulterated bliss, and multiply that remembrance by at least
five, and you will have an even more insightful idea of what it is like in
heaven all the time.
Matthew + 11:25
I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these
things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children.
(Jesus Christ)
Matthew + 18:3
I tell you solemnly, unless you change and become like little children
you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. And, so, the one who makes
himself as little as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of
heaven. Anyone who welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.
(Jesus Christ)
Matthew + 19:14
Let the little children alone, and do not stop them coming to me; for it
is such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs. (Jesus Christ)
1 Corinthians + 14:20
You can be babies as far as wickedness is concerned, but mentally you
must be adult.
If heaven completely saturated earth, there would be no wickedness, and we could all enjoy the luxury of not having to concern ourselves with the
ungodly things of this world, just as children do under the protection and
care of their parents.
But as we grow in Christ, and discover our ministerial responsibilities,
the weight of what Jesus suffered while He was here also dawns on our
maturing awareness as we confront the realities of this world and learn the
contrasting differences between it and heaven.

Heaven on Earth
The kingdom of heaven is among you within you, revealed Jesus to His
followers. God only knows what they must have thought when He shared this simple fact of life with them, and said also, If you know me, you know my Father too.
The Lord taught us to pray to our Father in heaven. Therefore, depending
on how much time we give to knowing Jesus by obeying and being God's Word
and will, like He did while He was on earth, His presence and influence in
our lives places us into a heavenly state of being while on earth.
John + 14:28
No one can come to the Father except through me. If you know me, you know
my Father too.(Jesus Christ)
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, instructed Jesus when He
taught us how to pray. Notice, it was more a statement of fact than
something asked for.
What this one line of prayer does is prophesy, as does the first scripture
quote of this teaching, the literal and ultimate arrival of God's kingdom
here on earth. By saying Amen to the Lord's Prayer we also say ˜I believe this is happening.
Mark + 11:24
Everything you ask and pray for, believe that you have it already and it
will be yours.(Jesus Christ)
What Jesus is essentially saying to us is that we should seek to
actualize, with and through Him, heaven on earth; that our expectations should be centered in and grounded on heaven consciousness, not the natural mindedness of this world.
Colossians + 3:2
Let your thoughts be on heavenly things, not on the things that are on
the earth
2 Corinthians + 4:18
And so we have no eyes for things that are visible, but only for things
that are invisible; for visible things last only for a time, and the
invisible things are eternal.
Hold That Thought
And even though we couldn't possibly create on earth the things which are
in heaven, we can most certainly live as if we were already in heaven by
allowing the Holy Spirit to operate through us as often as possible, just as
He does in heaven all the time. How do we do that? By constantly keeping
our thinking locked onto and into the Mind of Christ.
How do we do that? By letting go of the things and thinking of this world
and seeking after the kingdom of God and His righteousness. And how do we do that?
Romans + 12:1
Think of God's mercy, my brothers, and worship him, I beg you, in a way
that is worthy of thinking beings, by offering your living bodies as a holy
sacrifice, truly pleasing to God.

The Ultimate Eye-Opener
Is it not a marvelous truth to believe and know that no matter how
beautiful and pristine nature may appear to our flesh and blood eyes, heaven will be even more beautiful, more spectacular, more awe inspiring than anything we have ever seen on earth? Know, also, that even the things made by man will appear archaic to our fully opened spiritual eyes when we truly see what God has created for us in heaven.
1 Corinthians + 2:9
We teach what scripture calls: the things that no eye has seen, and no
ear has heard, things beyond the mind of man, all that God has prepared for
those who love him.
Only God's Holy Spirit can teach us the ways of heaven. And as we become
more an more aware of them, so, too, can we appreciate the difference
between what this world is all about and what God has in store for those who love Him. The natural mind cannot even begin to ponder the reality of heaven, let alone believe it exists.
1 Corinthians + 2:14
An unspiritual person is one who does not accept anything of the Spirit
of God; he sees it all as nonsense; it is beyond his understanding because
it can only be understood by means of the Spirit.
1 Corinthians + 2:16
Who can know the mind of the Lord, so who can teach him? But we are those who have the mind of Christ.

God City
But heaven is not only a Holy Spiritual place; it contains solid things as
well. Chapters 21 and 22 of the Book of Revelation prophesy this in great
detail. However, unless one is born again through water and the Spirit, one
cannot enter the kingdom of heaven, let alone see it. (John + 3:3 to 5)
Philippians + 3:20
For us, our homeland is in heaven, and from heaven comes the savior we
are waiting for, the Lord Jesus Christ, and he will transfigure these
wretched bodies of ours into copies of his glorious body.
1 Corinthians + 15:48
This will be instantaneous, in the twinkling of an eye, when the last
trumpet sounds. It will sound, and the dead will be raised, imperishable, and we shall be changed as well, because our present perishable nature must put on imperishability and this mortal nature must put on immortality.
The Perfect Body
These verses tell us something profound about our future lives in heaven,
for they promise something mysterious with regard to the bodies we will
inherit as citizens of God's Kingdom.
On the mount of transfiguration, Jesus showed Himself to Peter, James and John in all His transfigured glory. (Matthew + 17:2 and Mark + 9:2) So
amazed and struck with awe were they that none of them could speak what was on their minds, since nothing they had ever seen could compare to what Jesus looked like in His glorified state. Instead, they spoke of earthly things like tents and camping out, for all they could think was how to accommodate Jesus, Moses and Elijah in earthly terms.
When Jesus appeared to and struck Saul down on the road to Damascus, He also took away his physical ability to see. The last image the new apostle's
mind beheld was that of Jesus transfigured form. The wisdom of that real
time vision stuck with the newly named Paul for days, if not years,
constantly reminding him of what Jesus really looks like seated at the right hand of His Father in heaven.
Paul was given a glimpse into the future through that Damascus Road
encounter, as well as later in his discipleship when the Holy Spirit possessed him and transported his awareness to a place so different from this world he could not even begin to describe it.

2 Corinthians + 12:4
I know a man in Christ who, fourteen years ago, was caught up- whether
still in the body or out of the body, I do not know; God knows- right into
the third heaven. I do not know, however, that this same person- whether in the body or out of the body, I do not know; God knows- was caught up into paradise and heard things which must not and cannot be put into human language.
What this tells us is that heaven is not only an incredible place to see,
but to hear as well; a place of indescribable aural beauty- so outside our
realms of experience it cannot be described in human terms.
Old News
The super-positive atmospherics of heaven are so overwhelmingly pleasing
to both the eye and ear they will instantly dominate all of our transfigured
senses. The memory of this world and all its physical and natural minded
enticements will be completely overshadowed, transcended and replaced by the out-of-this- world environment God has created for us in His ethereal
household.
1 Corinthians + 15:48
As the earthly man was, so are we on earth; and as the heavenly man is,
so are we in heaven. And we, who have been modeled on the earthly man, will be modeled on the heavenly man. Or else, brothers, put it this way: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God: and the perishable cannot inherit what lasts forever.
1 Corinthians + 6:13
Food is only meant for the stomach, and the stomach for food; yes, and
God is going to do away with both of them.
Imagine, we are eventually going to be so preoccupied by the senses and
abilities of our heavenly bodies that eating and drinking earthly food will
become a thing of the past. However, there will be nourishment in heaven,
but not of the sort that now titillates our aromatic and taste bud senses.
Revelation + 2:7
those who prove victorious I will feed from the tree of life set in God's paradise.
Revelation + 22:1
Then the angel showed me the river of life, rising from the thrown of God
and of the Lamb and flowing crystal clear down the middle of the city
street. On either side of the river were the trees of life, which bear twelve
crops of fruit in a year, one in each month, and the leaves of which are the
cure for the pagans.
The last few words of these verses tell us that pagans will inhabit earth
when we are in heaven, but will not be permitted to eat the fruit of its
trees of life. However, they will be able to partake of the healing power
contained in its leaves. The mystery contained in this verse not only reveals that the food of heaven will only be available to the citizenry of heaven, but that God's mercy will extend beyond its confines to non-believers as well.
Since the Book of Revelation does not specify exactly what this limitation
implies, we can only wonder what God has in mind for those who will
populate the earth during and beyond the thousand year kingdom that follows the tribulation and the triumphant return from heaven of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Matthew + 16:27
For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his
angels, and when he does, he will reward each one according to his behavior.
(Jesus Christ)
Matthew + 24:31
And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet to gather his chosen from
the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Jesus Christ)

Wall-To-Wall Joy
But of all the endemic and gloriously inherent rewards our citizenship in
heaven will afford us, the one that will preoccupy our awareness on a
second-by-second basis will be the indefinable bliss we will savor and radiate
for having said yesto God's call to obedience.

Revelation + 21:3
Then I heard a loud voice call from the throne, You see this city? Here
God lives among men. He will make his home among them; they shall be his
people, and he will be their God; his name is God-with-them. He will wipe
away all tears from their eyes; there will be no more death, and no more
mourning or sadness. The world of the past is gone.

Revelation + 22:5
It will never be night again and they will not need lamplight or
sunlight, because the Lord God will be shining on them. They will reign for ever and ever.
Colossians + 1:13
he has taken us out of the power of darkness and created a place for us
in the kingdom of the Son that he loves, and in him we gain our freedom,
the forgiveness of our sins.
You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet
If we think we have reverence for the Lord now, wait till we behold Him on
His throne in heaven. The joyous, holy fear that overtakes us will cast
off any trace of pride that might have lingered either beyond the moment of
death or at our transfiguration into heaven at the Rapture.

Psalm + 19:9
The fear of Yahweh is pure, lasting forever
There will be no looking back at the lives we lived on earth until the
Lord opens the Book of Life to read the reasons we were given the rewards our obedience to His will garnered. And even then, those recollections will all be edifying accounts of how, through our faith and the power of God's Holy Spirit, we overcame the Evil One by fulfilling the Law and will of God;
how we behaved in the face of ignorance, abuse, disbelief, apostate
brainwashing and all the tactics this world used in an attempt to destroy the truths we held so dear.
Revelation + 5:9
with your blood you bought men for God of every race, people and nation
and made them a line of kings and priests to serve our God and to rule the
world.
King of Kings
Every rewarding crown we wear will be studded with the precious stones of our accomplishments, of how we co-ministered the spiritual gifts while in
our Spirit filled and led flesh and blood bodies. Each diadem will have its
history lesson to impart as to how we suffered for the sake of the Gospel;
how, through Christ, we overcame and co-mastered every situation,
distraction and temptation Satan threw at us to destroy, weaken or taint our faith in Jesus.
2 Timothy + 4:8
all there is to come now is the crown of righteousness reserved for me,
which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day; and not
only me but to all those who have longed for his Appearing.
James + 1:12
Happy the man who stands firm when trials come. He has proven himself,
and will win the prize of life, the crown that the Lord has promised to those
who love him.
Revelation + 3:21
Those who prove victorious I will allow to share my throne, just as I was
victorious myself and took my place with my Father on his throne.
1 John + 5:4
Who can overcome the world? Only the man who believes that Jesus is the
Son of God...
The New Jerusalem
The City of God in heaven is unlike any this world has ever seen,
conceived or imagined. It is huge and beyond comprehension, much the same as the universe is to our current perspective when compared to the tininess of planet earth. And when we enter it and behold its magnificent and presently indefinable beauty, nothing we've ever beheld before will hold a candle to the brilliant architecture, sheer perfection and user friendliness of its eye-popping appointments.
Instead of asphalt and cement, pure, translucent gold will shine up at us
as we walk and fly over the streets, highways and byways of God's City. Its
gates are gigantic pearls, and precious stones are everywhere, shimmering
and reflecting the omnipresent majesty of God's glory, God's creative
genius and Mastery over all things spiritual and material for all time and
beyond.

And in the midst of all this eternal grandeur and luxurious living will God's throne, the throne of His Son Jesus Christ, and our thrones be set. That's right; we will all have a throne in heaven upon which to sit and from
which to co-reign over earth.
Is that too big a reality to ponder? Is it too overwhelming a
responsibility to wrap our minds around? It sure is, but, in time, we will learn to both accept and embrace our kingships in the Kingdom of God; our inherited futures in the will of God.
Revelation + 20:6
Happy and blessed are those who share in the first resurrection; the
second death cannot affect them but they will be priests of God and of Christ and reign with him for a thousand years.

The New Priesthood
As priests of the Most High, we will be given the ultimate privilege of
serving God Himself, not within the walls of His temple or the aura and
cloudiness of His invisible presence, as did the priests of old, but face to
face. For there will be no need for a temple in New Jerusalem. God's Holy and perfect presence will be everywhere.

Revelation + 21:22
I saw that there was no temple in the city since the Lord God Almighty
and the Lamb were themselves the temple, and the city did not need the sun or the moon for light, since it was lit by the radiant glory of God and the
Lamb was a lighted torch for it.
Psalm + 16:11
you will reveal the path of life for me, give me unbounded joy in your
presence, and at your right hand everlasting pleasures.

The Quintessential Gift
But of all the Divine advantages enjoyed by heaven's citizenry, the one we
will cherish above all else is the 24/7 awareness and blessing of God's
perfect, loving company; His ever-present, spiritually personal affection and Fatherly attentiveness.
Psalm + 136:26
Give thanks to the God heaven, his love is everlasting!

Who?
The big question is: who gets to go to heaven, to partake of the fruit
trees and waters of life, and live perfectly and happily within New Jerusalem and in the presence of God Himself?
Jesus says that Many are called, but few are chosen, and that, unless
one is born again with water and the Spirit, one cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.
Luke + 12:32
There is no need to be afraid, little flock, for it has pleased your
Father to give you the kingdom. (Jesus Christ)
The key words here are ˜few and little flock, which clearly
prophesies that the chosen of God will not be the majority co-rulers of planet earth, but the hand-picked minority who truly believed in and loved the Lord Jesus Christ; those who did not deceive themselves with lip-service, opulent, ceremonial hoopla, and uninspired, self-serving, self-aggrandizing good deeds.
We do, however, know, in no uncertain terms, those who will not be
permitted into New Jerusalem. The scripture is quite specific about that.
Revelation + 22:14
Happy are those who will have washed their robes clean, so that they will
have the right to feed on the tree of life and can come through the gates
of the city. These others must stay outside: dogs, fortune-tellers, and
fornicators, and murderers, and idolaters, and every one of false speech and false life.
1 Peter + 4:17
The time has come for the judgment to begin at the household of God; and
if what we know now is only the beginning, what will it be for those who
refuse to believe God's Good News? If it is hard for a good man to be saved,
what will happen to the wicked and to sinners? So even those whom God
allows to suffer must trust themselves to the constancy of the creator and go on doing good.
Revelation + 21:6
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give
water from the well of life free to anybody who is thirsty; it is the rightful
inheritance of the one who proves victorious; and I will be his God and he
a son to me.

Press Release
We are going to be moving very soon, my family and me. We are going to
pack up all our God-given belongings into our new, transfigured bodies and fly by either Resurrection or Rapture to our new House.
It is going to be the greatest adventure of our lives, thus far, to move
into our new House. We have not actually seen it yet, but have heard and
read about it since we were enlightened enough to imagine what it might look like. It will be the largest dwelling place in which any of us have ever
lived, and will contain everything we will ever want or need for all time and
eternity.
Of course, we will have to learn to adjust ourselves to a whole new
lifestyle. We will have to get used to living in daylight all the time, and,
perhaps, learn how to function in different levels of gravity. But that's
all right, considering our rent-free status, and the safety of living in an
environment free from pollution, illness, war, hunger, and criminal
activity.
I suppose you could call our new dwelling place a 'Safe House.' It is even
shaped like a safe: perfectly square, and boy is it big: 1500 miles, from
corner to corner, and pretty, too, with pearls and gold, and all kinds of
precious stones and metals in its superstructure and inner and outer
appointments.
But you know, the best part about our new House is not what it looks like;
it is who lives in it with us. God lives in our new House, God and all His
children. You see, only the sons and daughters of God can live in New
Jerusalem. (That is what our new House is called.) Only those whom God Himself has chosen can inhabit His safe House, because only love, joy and peace are allowed to walk its hallowed streets. Only patience, trustfulness and gentleness are permitted free access to its kingdoms, of which there are many.
Only kindness, goodness and self-control, humility, compassion and faith
can visit the millions of abodes God has prepared for His perfect tenants.
Why? Because only perfect people live in New Jerusalem; only those of us
who answered the call of faith in Jesus Christ, and were chosen, can dwell in its mansions.
"And so I tell you this: use money, tainted as it is, to win you friends,
and thus make sure that when it fails you, they will welcome you into the
tents of eternity." (Jesus Christ through Luke + 16:9)
Our new House is more than just a place to live, it is a Temple unto
itself, a holy place, wherein people can grow and learn the true meaning of
family love. New Jerusalem is a spiritual place, where only Spirit-led and
filled acts are thought and done; fun things that children love to do and
think, for unless we become as little children, we cannot enter the Kingdom of God's heaven.
Our House is in heaven, and heaven is in our House, all the time. If it
were not, it would not be the House of God; it would be Satan's home, where cowards, those who break their word, or worship obscenities, murderers and fornicators, fortune tellers, idolaters, or any other sort of liars will spend their eternity. (Revelation + 19:8) People like that are not welcome in God's House, though they were invited to, but turned it down because they would not believe that its landlord is Jesus Christ, and that without Him there would be no heaven or eternal life for anyone.
There are these really neat trees growing in our House. We call them the
trees of life and, once a month, they bear fruit, and their leaves are used
to minister healing unto those who can't visit or live in New Jerusalem.
The trees of life do not need sunlight to thrive. They have their own grow
light, and it is called the glory of God. What is really great about the
trees of life is that their fruit is free of charge. We can eat all we want
for nothing, just like we can with the Word of God.
Wow! This is some kind of House we are going to be living in, wouldn't you
say?
(Revelation + 21 thru 22:5)
Amen
In the name of Jesus Christ
John Paul Christopher