Psalm 27:4
One thing I ask from the Lord,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to seek Him in His temple.
I dreamed about
Heaven...
Heaven is eternal joy!
The unavoidable & uncomfortable reality: aging. How do we deal
with becoming older? Yeah, we know a few things: exercise,
eat right,
keep healthy habits. Don't smoke. Stay away from alcohol, drugs, &
other immoral & unhealthy things.
Still every year, you add ONE.
Going through my twenties, I then seemed to nearly fancy myself as
"eternally young" (as a strong, healthy young man who'd
always only be strong, healthy and young). I never knew
anything else. This notion continued in all of its pristine bliss
'til about the time I hit my 30's (awhile back now). Since then, the
realities of growing older slowly have begun to dawn on me.
Though it might seem a bit premature for those of you with a few
more gray hairs than I, I - nevertheless - reached the point where
I began to pray: "Lord, renew my youth as the eagle's." Psalm
103:1-5 When you get a few more years under your belt, it becomes easier to relate to the verse
which says: "I was young and now I am old(er), but I have never
seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread." Psalm
37:25
The golden years, for me, one day, prematurely seemed to begin. I
began to have a heightened concern about growing older & was not feeling
so youthful anymore. Similar concerns have increased with
time.
As the years
increase, situations may bring a foretaste of some possible
discouragements & challenges which happen to some people related to aging. My concern about growing older began
to increase for me after I passed 30, 35, then beyond. Five years
of long hard efforts to complete my second college degree did not make
me feel any younger either. What will I do when I grow up?
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not afraid to die and I believe in
heaven. Yet aging (or
some of its accompaniments: like hair color changes, hair thinning,
changes in appearance, a few wrinkles, etc.) don't fit my (somewhat
unrealistic)
druthers. (I guess
I want to stay looking like my 20's & feeling like my 30's forever.)
Through most years, I keep a consistent balance of exercise.
And, in many ways,
maintain (or, in some areas, consistently regain) good, even excellent
health and maintain both physical & spiritual strength, and a sound,
strong mind
by God's grace. I am healthy & well, year after year, even
supernaturally
so.
One such recovery in earlier years was: I successfully
recovered from a
major area of nutritional ills (caused by yeast overgrowth in my system
from food intake. Through prayer & changing my diet, I left
behind
chronic fatigue, including skin rashes & itching aggravations that
accompanied the yeast. I got
serious about cutting yeast intake out of my diet and eating
better all the way around. The Lord restored me to health. And I have
been well & free ever
since. I learned from that episode to be strict about nutrition
& healthy diet. Yeast in foods is nobody's friend.
Despite the pluses and
positives I've usually experienced (or regained) in the area of health,
I've found myself (though optimistic & strong)
grappling with some of life's unavoidable issues related to aging. I
only find ultimate hope in heaven itself, knowing the Lord and His
promise of eternal life.
Jesus is the ONLY ONE who has real & lasting answers for both aging
& death. Positive thinking or ignoring the truth will not get
you across the "great divide," only faith in Jesus & the grace of
God.
Ephesians 2:8-9
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not
from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one
can boast.
In the last several years, again and again I honestly have had many
moments of troubling thoughts regarding growing older. (Although,
because of Jesus, and the reality of eternal life, the ultimate "aging
topic," death, actually can be seen as a subject of joy and great comfort.) Death, for
those who truly believe and know Jesus, is a doorway into a place far
better, a heavenly country, a place to call home, a reside of eternal
joy. Where we will be with the Lord forever! We can only get there by grace as a gift of God.
Here on earth, though, sooner or later, the shine of everyone's earthly youth someday will begin to
fade. As that begins happening to me, I am learning that God has blessing for all of one's years. That there is grace in gray hairs for those who seek and love
Jesus. (But, unfortunately, there will be torment and despair that will increase in older years for
those who reject the Lord. And try to make it on their own.) Psalm 78:32-33, Psalm 92:12-15, Jeremiah 29:11-14
Old age is blessed only for those who believe. Scripture promises
that, in Jesus, we will still bear fruit and be blessed in old age,
established in God's house, even through our older years. God's Spirit says: There's nothing to fear. "Lo, I am with you always!"
Matthew 28:20, Hebrews 13:5-6
Isaiah 46:4
Even to your old age and grey hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain
you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will
rescue you.
Again and again in recent years I have sought the Lord about the
fragile state of human life. Life truly seems like "a mist that appears for a
little while and then vanishes." (James 4:14)
A revelation about aging & growing older with gratitude & grace
"From the rising of the sun (symbolic of birth and youth) to
the going down of the same the name of the Lord is to be praised."
One day, the Lord whispered to my heart and
said: "From the rising of the sun (symbolic of birth and youth) to
the going down of the same (metaphoric of one's older years, like an
approaching sunset) the name of the Lord is to be praised." -
Psalms
Note: With the Lord, a thousand years is like a day and - to Him -
our lifespan, compared to eternity, is like the mere span of a day of hours from sunrise to sunset.
If we really apprehend God's goodness, we can praise Him throughout
all our years - and during each of our days. I believe God's unchanging
goodness and grace is available to fill our hearts and manifest
good things throughout our lives. The Lord can give us something good to praise Him for
all the years of our lives! Truly"from the rising of the sun
to the going down of the same the name of the Lord is to be
praised."
"Emmanuel" is a Hebrew word, one of the names of Jesus, which means
God is with us and reveals the deepest reason for joy, even as we grow
older. "God is with us!" Jesus said: "Surely I am with you
always, even to the very end of the age!" Emmanuel is a
prophetic name given to Jesus through the Old Testament
prophet, Isaiah.
The whole subject of growing older may still seem a bit dismal
sometimes. But if we take whatever despair, fears or
discouragements we may have and
turn to Jesus and the Bible each day, we can find truth from God which
will set us free!
A song about aging & growing older with prayer & optimism
Great and unspeakable comfort came to me one day as the Lord brought
forth a new song to my heart. I believe its perspective contains a
ray of grace to shine on us all...
Growing older each day
Growing older each day - In Jesus, I pray
that each passing day will be blessed
There is nothing to fear when Emmanuel's here
And each passing year will be blessed!
Jesus is Lord when I'm young, when I'm old
Jesus is Lord! every day - every year
And when I am old, I will be so much wiser
In You, Lord, my life will be blessed!
As I've prayed and searched the scriptures, Jesus has repeatedly
given me encouragement, truth and revelation about the availability
of His grace. And the promise of His blessing all the years of our
lives. He sounds a call to each of us, wanting us to live our years productively,
following in His way, bearing good fruit, knowing the joy of eternal salvation. And we
are called to triumph through tribulation. And follow the Lord's true way
to inherit eternal life forever with Jesus! John 14:6
The greatest consolation for earthly life fading is eternal life in heaven which will never end.
Over the last few years, the Lord has been teaching and
reminding me more and more about a very real place called heaven. Where His love, forgiveness, and eternal life are ours in Jesus! (Sadly, Humanism is
so short sighted. Atheism, such a lie! Other religions will get you nowhere. We will
live forever in one of two places, with varying rewards.
Eternity is forever! Matthew 25, Lk. 16:19-31
With Jesus, we can find the way to heaven. Jesus said: "I AM the DOOR."
When it's all said and done, the (earthside of our) grave will prove
merely a disguise. Because, for those who believe, heaven is the
reality!
A dream about heaven & what it is really like
Good News in my family!
My grandmother loved Jesus her whole life. God gave me a vivid dream about what the reality of heaven is like for my grandmother. The dream showed her face shining with joy, dancing & singing, overflowing with praise - as she experienced freedom & sweet salvation in the Lord's Presence. I got a glimpse of Heaven.
My grandmother (at 96 1/2 years of age, in earth years)
"graduated" to heaven one summer. If you have ever been
separated through death from close relatives or friends on the
earthly plane, then you know how this kind of separation can feel
and hurt. I really missed my grandmother. But I was so
happy for her! The sting of loss, the pain of separation can leave
us with overpowering feelings of emptiness and loneliness.
Hurting deep inside, some people even become bitter against God, blaming
our grief upon someone who didn't deserve our rage. Death can be
very tough when it touches someone we love.
My grandmother's life and heavenly "graduation," however, commenced with a
very meaningful impact on me. And a year & a half of insights & revelations from the Lord.
For some time I had experienced growing realizations about eternity. These were about to be confirmed and amplified!
Let's rewind back a year or two. Quite awhile before my grandmother died.
About a year or two before my grandmother died, I had a dream (when she was 95 or
so and still on earth). The dream came about two years before
my grandmother died.) The dream images are still very clear and vivid in my mind.
The dream felt like a "heavenly video" and pictured in precise
detail exactly what it would be (is now) like for my grandmother to
go and be with the Lord! In the dream, the Lord showed a clear
glimpse into the blessed reality of Heaven as eternal joy! The dream was only a sneak preview! And what a sight! This night vision showed my
Grandmother (as she would be & is now) up in heaven
full of indescribable joy overflowing with praise in the presence of the
Heavenly Father! Hallelujah!
In my dream all Heaven breaks loose!
My grandmother was seen (in the dream) up in heaven,
ecstatically singing, leaping, and dancing for joy with
total abandon! As she jumped with boundless and indescribable
joy (highsteppin' it like a spry teenager). Truly her youth & strength were fully restored as she sang: "Glory! Glory!
Glory! Hallelujah! (I'm so glad Jesus set me free)" (The tune she was singing was: I'm so glad
Jesus set me free!) The beaming grin on her face seemed to stretch
"about as wide as
the Red Sea (when the water parted & the children of Israel came out
of Egypt)!" My grandmother was beaming with joy, smiling, & gladly
singing, grinning ear to ear! (Just
picture the wild abandon of celebration which breaks out when the
home team suddenly wins the Super Bowl, then multiply this intensity of
rejoicing manifold!)
Heaven (in my dream, exactly as confirmed in the Bible, Psalm 16, Revelation 21 & 22.) was shown to
be a place of total unreserved rejoicing! Great joy! My
grandmother was seen experiencing complete release from all earthly
burden! No more tears. No more pain. Total liberty! In the Presence of the Lord is fullness of joy! Complete
and unfathomable joy!
Psalm 16
Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;
You make my lot secure.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.
7 I will praise the Lord, Who counsels me...
8 I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With Him at my right hand...
9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
10 because You will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
nor will You let your faithful one see decay.
11 You make known to me the path of life;
You will fill me with joy in Your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Psalm 27:4
One thing I ask from the Lord,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to seek Him in His temple.
What a fellowship! Leaning on the
Everlasting Arms! Forever in the Presence of the Lord.
The sight of my grandmother experiencing this unearthly intensity of
joy in the dream was tremendously comforting and inspiring to me. The
presence of God touched me as I beheld these sights in the dream.
The joy of heaven is like soaring on the
wings of the wind!
To this day, the dream and its message
remain vivid in my mind. Thanks be to God!
Truly, my grandmother was destined by God to enter into heavenly places & there
behold & worship the Lord, seeing Him as He is. Her whole heart was
laughing and singing, her whole body rejoicing! What comfort I felt
as I saw my grandmother's face shine with the glory of eternity!
Isaiah 60 says: "Arise, shine, for thy light has come!" Hallelujah!!!
In Jesus' Presence is fullness of joy!
"You have made known to me the path of life! You
will fill me with joy in Your presence, with
eternal pleasures (joy and ecstatic happiness) at Your
right hand!." Psalm 16:11
Heaven = eternal joy!
On earth, my grandmother was always a small, short, somewhat frail
woman (and slightly more frail in her later years). Yet the Lord
continued to bless her even into her 90's with strength, kindness with
which to bless others, and, overall, pretty good health. All the years I
knew her she typically maintained
a quiet, mannerly personality and was outwardly softspoken and
definitely not one to show a lot of emotion. (I found out by revelation
that some
things really change in heaven.) 1 Corinthians 15:50-52
My grandmother believed nearly all of her life in the good news of
the Bible. She had long embraced the Truth of Salvation from
God's Word. And knew that Jesus is the Way to Heaven (ever since
she was a little girl). Yet, like the rest of
us, she wasn't perfect. In her life I'm sure she made various
mistakes. Yet, in the end, according to the scriptures & the
confirming dream, none of her life's trials, burdens, shortcomings
or regrets remained. None at all. None of them were even
remembered. In heavenly
glory, there were no tears to cry or sadness to mourn, no sins to haunt,
or
mistakes to lament, no worries or cares or wounds or pains, no more
sorrow or loneliness from
earth hanging on to bother. Every bit of it was all gone!
Instead, because of Jesus, indescribable gladness overflowed.
My grandmother entered heavenly places, with all of her heart
loving God. My grandmother rejoiced as
she tasted the sweet fruit of everlasting Salvation! Romans 6:23 Her
life of believing and following Jesus led her to this place. She
began partaking of the gift Jesus obtained through His cross and
blood. He provided the power to go there through His matchless
resurrection!
In the dream, my grandmother danced and sang,
giving total abandoned praise to the One Who had bought her
with His own Blood! She was (and is, now as
you read) in the Presence of God. She is the sight of full-hearted rejoicing, reaping boundlessly
the joy of eternity. Hallelujah!
Liberated from earth's captivity, her mouth was filled with laughter, her
tongue with songs of joy! Psalm 126 Now heaven is her home. Hallelujah!
And she sings a brand new song: "Glory Hallelujah! I'm so glad Jesus
set me free!" Selah
My grandmother is in heaven. And the dream showed just what it was like.
Her ticket to heaven was the grace of God &
gray hair (and a heart which loved Jesus & believed His
Word. A heart which received Christ's salvation). My grandmother is enjoying overflowing eternal joy & eternal reward.
In the years following my grandmother's "graduation
ceremony," I often remember the Holy Spirit's dream, revealing
truths about the reality of what comes to those who believe - those who inherit the blessedness of
eternal life! This is a reality my grandmother is now reaping. Fullness of joy!
Of course, no one can earn or deserve this great reward. Eternal
salvation, and a place prepared for us, in a mansion of glory. These are solely for those who
believe, received through grace in Jesus. John 14:6, Ephesians 2:8-10
Never forget that Salvation is a gift.
Based on my grandmother's life & experience of faith (& the revelation from the Lord), I know dreams do come true! My grandmother is in God's Presence with fullness of joy, singing and rejoicing
now as we speak.
Each day, think about heaven
Eternity is unendingly long, and leads to a permanent,
unchangeable reside for each person in one of two places. Heaven or hell. Matthew 25:34, 41, 46; Luke 16:19-31 describe in details.
One place (being with
Jesus) is called heaven. It is characterized by indescribable
joy and blessing such as we have never known on this earth. Psalm
16:11
The other, equally permanent, reside is full of (deserved and)
indescribable judgment: horrible torments, an eternal myriad of unending
agonies. Bearing the brunt of deserved punishment for the sin, pride
& rejection of God's offer of salvation. This is what it's
like to be cut off forever from the Lord,
separated from His offered love and grace, suffering the deadly
result of our sin & unbelieving choice. Hell is about
suffering because of being forever separated from God, without
Him, the One we shunned, forever.
Jesus told us of these
eternal places in Matthew 25. [Christ also revealed that hell was
originally meant only for the devil and his (fallen) angels.]
To the
blessed contrary, he who stands firm (loving and holding to Jesus), to
the end, shall be saved (will inherit an eternal reward). Matthew 24:12-13
This world is not your home
A number of truths and insights about heaven and eternity
have been brought to me over the years.
One message a friend communicated to me bears witness to our eternal
subject. A close brother in the Lord exhorted me to keep in mind and
always remember: "This world is not your home." The statement
he shared made me think of verses in Hebrews which speak of being
"strangers" on earth, aliens, sojourners merely passing
through this world, looking for a better country. Heb.
11:13-16
I wrote my friend's message down and posted it over my kitchen sink
to remind myself every day.
Recently, the Lord revealed another part of how to benefit from
anticipating the reality of heaven while we live on this earth.
There are many practical,
earthside relevancies (or benefits) to holding onto the Biblical truth
about heaven.
The Spirit whispered to my heart:
How to cope with earth: Spend some time every day longing for heaven. (Col. 3:1-4 clearly confirms.)
1 Cor. 10:13 says a way of escape (from the tests,
trials and temptations of earth) is provided to believers in Jesus. God
(by the Spirit) encourages us to realize that one of His provided
ways to escape (to bring relief to our souls from) the burdens and
troubles of earth is to think about heaven.
In many ways, Jesus truly is the Way of escape for all who believe. And that's a good thing. Meditation on the joy
and comfort waiting for believers in eternity is one beautiful way God has provided for us to
escape the negativity of this world, by looking away to Jesus.
"Turn
your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face.
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His
glory and grace".
Colossians 3:1-4
"Set your hearts on things above, where Christ is
seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not
on earthly things. For you died and your life is now hidden with
Christ in God. When Christ Who is your life, appears, you also will
appear with Him in glory!"
Heaven, ultimately, is all about Jesus!
John14:6 tells us that Jesus Himself is
the
way to get there. When those who believe get to heaven, Jesus will also be the main
attraction! And the source of overflowing joy! We will gloriously behold Him then face to face!
Revelation chapters 4 - 5 & 19
Contemplate heaven. Before it's too late. Repent & turn
from your sin. Draw near to God. Ask for forgiveness.
Go to a church that believes & teaches the Bible.
When you receive salvation & walk with God, the sting of your
troubles will fade. Behold/Fix
your eyes on Jesus. Realize He alone is your salvation. Turn
from the dreary road you have walked. And look up. Your
redemption draweth nigh!
Thinking about heaven & looking to Jesus in prayer are some of
God's provided ways to escape
from sin, guilt,
unworthiness, condemnation, despair, discouragement, weariness,
hopelessness and most any earthly problem or concern. All the burdens of
earth slip
away when we turn our eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful
face.
John
1:29 Behold the Lamb of God who saves us from our sins. And,
like my grandmother, you will begin to sing: Hallelujah!
Read the scriptures & discover more about the Way to heaven. Hold the
hands of Jesus each day & walk further along that heavenly road! Isaiah
30:21, Hebrews 12:1-3
With faith eyes look upward each day, longing to see Jesus.
Begin to long for heaven. Savor the joy of God's Presence.
And begin to dream about walking those streets of gold!
Your friend in Jesus,
brother Jeff
The final word on heaven
Hebrews 11:13-16
13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They
did not receive (on earth) the things promised; they only saw them
and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were
aliens and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show
that they are looking for a country of their own. (Are you this kind
of seeker? Are you looking for a heavenly country?) 15 If they had
been thinking of the country (i.e. planet earth) they had left, they would have had
opportunity to return (to the sadness of it). 16 Instead, they were longing for a
better country--a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed
to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them (the Heavenly Jerusalem).
Hallelujah! God has prepared for us a city. A heavenly city.
Rejoice! The lodgings there are wonderful! The songs of praise never
end. And we will dance on streets that are golden! Through
Jesus, the price for our sins
is already paid. Hallelujah!!!
"Believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ and you shall be saved! You and your household."
When the road feels rough, go back to the truth and encouragement of
God's
Word. Turn to the Lord in prayer. The scriptures can renew
our strength to finish out the journey. Turn deeply to the
pages of God's Word. Listen to the Bible as often as you
can. Read & memorize truths Jesus taught about heaven
& prepare your heart for eternal life.
Realize that Jesus is the ONE & only way
to get to heaven.
John 14:6
Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through Me.
Always remember, for the believer, Jesus is our "resurrection
& the life." Remember Lazarus. How he personally experienced
the resurrection power of Christ flow into his body from the prayer
& anointing of Christ. John 11 Someday, Jesus will
command with His Voice & do the same for
you. And ultimately, on the day Jesus returns to earth, upon the
clouds with power & great glory, we will ride on white horses
behind the King of kings & Lord of lords. And meet Him in the
air. At that time, heaven will begin for all those who
believe.
And, we will rise. From that time on...
Heaven will be our...
And we will be with the Lord FOREVER!
HALLELUJAH!