Heb.11.13 – “All these faithful ones died without receiving what God had promised them, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed the promises of God. They agreed that they were no more than foreigners and nomads here on earth.
Heb.11.14 – And obviously people who talk like that are looking forward to a country they can call their own.
Heb.11.15 – If they had meant the country they came from, they would have found a way to go back.
Heb.11.16 – But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a heavenly city for them” . (NLT)
Heaven is real. To doubt the existence of it is akin to doubting the existence of Almighty God because that is His dwelling place. See 2 Chronicles 6:29-30; Ecclesiastes 5:2; Isaiah 66:1-2; 63:15.
The Holy Bible teaches that God made all things, and this means all living and none living things in their original forms, in all spheres of existence. This includes the human race, so anyone who doubts God’s existence is also doubting our very existence.But, since no one in their right minds would doubt their own existence or the existence of the natural world in which we live, we
must, therefore, accept the existence of God and of heaven His dwelling place, not only on the basis of faith, but also as a matter of fact that cannot be denied.To be otherwise persuaded would be unwise.
Ps.14.1 – “Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; no one does good! “ ( NLT).
This message is not a treatise intended to convince unbelievers of the existence of God; rather it is a literature written to encourage and help believers to live each day for God and to serve Him with heaven in mind, and I have formulated three points to help the Christian achieve this.
- Why Seek Heaven?
Genesis 3:14-19;6:1-6; Ecclesiastes 7:10; Matthew 6:33; 2 Peter 3:7-18; 1John 2:15-17.
Why seek heaven at all? The answer is as simple as it is compelling: God
commands us to.
Matt.6.31 – “So don’t worry about having enough food or drink or clothing.
Matt.6.32 – Why be like the pagans who are so deeply concerned about these things? Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs,
Matt.6.33 – and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern” . ( NLT)
This present world is a failed state awaiting the set day for its ultimate destruction in order to pave the way for another new world, which is free of all the present societal ills.
The result of the fall of man in Genesis 3:1-24 has given rise, not only to the observable evils in our world today, but also to the unseen spiritual wickedness in realms behind the reach of the human eyes. The whole world, both physical and spiritual, is corrupt such that there’s nothing worth redeeming from it other than the soul of mankind because it was made in the image
and likeness of God.
Gen.6.5 – “Now the LORD observed the extent of the people’s wickedness, and he saw that all their thoughts were consistently and totally evil.
Gen.6.6 – So the LORD was sorry he had ever made them. It broke his heart.
Gen.6.7 – And the LORD said, “I will completely wipe out this human race that I have created. Yes, and I will destroy all the animals and birds, too. I am sorry I ever made them.”
This earth has already been cursed by God, and it must soon be
destroyed (Genesis 3:14-19).
As a result of this curse, there has been a progressive decline and/or deterioration of the earth, and this is observable not only in the natural habitat, but also in the religious, social and economic order of the lives of its inhabitants.
Knowledge has increased tremendously since creation, and we have seen some extraordinary achievements, by man, in the fields of arts, science and technology, yet that has not reversed the curse of God. The earth is dying! Even with the astounding architectural master pieces gracing its landscape, it is still obvious to those who have eyes to see that its original and natural beauty is fast eroding. The morals of its inhabitants, once godly and full of love, have become corrupt and devoid of both sympathy and empathy. Ecclesiastes 7:10 captures this essence when it says:
” Do not say, ‘Why were the old days better than these?’ For it is not wise to ask such questions’ “. (NIV)
The consummation of this downward spiral would be as 2Peter 3:10 puts it:
“But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and everything in them will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be exposed to judgment”. (NLT)
With such a disaster looming in the horizon of time, it makes sense why God commands us to seek repose in heavenly Kingdom.
2Pet.3.13: “But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness”. (NIV)
All of the above reasons give a compelling evidence why we
must seek heaven now because to be otherwise minded would be tying our fate to this cursed
world which must pass away soon!
1John.2.15: “Do not love or cherish the world or the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. (AMP)
1John.2.16: For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh [craving for sensual gratification] and the lust of the eyes [greedy longings of the mind] and the pride of life [assurance in one ‘s own resources or in the stability of earthly things] – these do not come from the Father but are from the world [itself]. (AMP)
1John.2.17: And the world passes away and disappears, and with it the forbidden cravings (the passionate desires, the lust) of it; but he who does the will of God and carries out His purposes in his life abides (remains) forever.” (AMP)
- Who Does God Admit Into Heaven?
JOHN 3:1-3; HEBREWS 12:14-15; 1PETER 1:13-17; PHILIPPIANS 3:7-14: 2TIMOTHY 2:3-4; 4:1-2; ACTS 6:4.
The first step in preparing for heaven is to be enlisted as a disciple of Jesus because those are the people whom He personally asked God to allow to live with Him in heaven.
John.17.24: “Father, I want those you gave me To be with me, right where I am, So they can see my glory, the splendor you gave me, Having loved me Long before there ever was a world”. (MSB)
The process of enlisting into God’s heavenly Kingdom is as real, as engaging and as deliberate as the normal process of enlisting or gaining admission into an institution of learning. The only difference in this case is that the enlistment is done in heaven by God Himself for those who, by faith, approach Him through Jesus Christ His Son to qualify them for the exercise.
Heb.12.22: “But rather, you have come to Mount Zion, even to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless multitudes of angels in festal gathering, (AMP)
Heb.12.23: And to the church (assembly) of the Firstborn who are registered [as citizens] in heaven, and to the God Who is Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous (the redeemed in heaven) who have been made perfect, (AMP)
Heb.12.24: And to Jesus, the Mediator (Go-between, Agent) of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood which speaks [of mercy], a better and nobler and more gracious message than the blood of Abel [which cried out for vengeance] “. (AMP)
The process must involve the rebirth of the beneficiary’s sin-marred soul, which has to be restored to its original purity, image and likeness of
God. But since this is beyond the ability of anyone to achieve, they must have to expressly ask God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to do this for them.They must have to believe and acknowledge that Jesus Christ died a sacrificial death on their behalf for this process to be made possible in their life, and they must also accept this sacrifice as the basis for the forgiveness of all their sins.
1Cor.15.1 – “Now let me remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then and still do now, for your faith is built on this wonderful message.
1Cor.15.2 – And it is this Good News that saves you if you firmly believe it–unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place.
1Cor.15.3 – I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me–that Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said.
1Cor.15.4 – He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, as the Scriptures said”. ( NLT)
For those who believe this proclamation of the gospel, accept it unconditionally and confess their sins to God, it is at this point that their journey to heaven actually begin in eamest. See John 3:3; 2Corinthians 5:17.
After haven been forgiven and freed from their sins, it becomes the Christian’s responsibility to desire to live a holy and righteous life; to be transformed into God’s image and likeness, and to strive to maintain this new life with all the zeal and earnestness that God’s grace can affords. See Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 12:4-15; Peter 1:13-17.
Success here would not only be as a result of God’s grace alone, but
also by our readiness to resist the devil and anyone who tries to corrupt our new life in Christ. See James 4:4,7; Philippians 3:7-14; 2Timothy 2:3-4.
Our calling in Christ Jesus does not end with this experience of new life, but we are also commanded by Him to share this experience with others and to give them God’s message of love and forgiveness. We are to warn them of the consequences of living in sin, of unbelief and of rejecting the love of God revealed to mankind through His Son Jesus Christ.
We are to teach those who accept this message the basic principles of the Christian life and ministry. See 2Timothy 4:1-2; Acts 6:4; 2Corinthians 5:11; 6:1-2; Matthew
28:18-20 .
Doing this daily not only helps us make people to choose to become the disciples of Jesus Christ, just like us, but it actually prepares us for heaven, God’s beautiful city.
John.14.2: – “There are many rooms in my Father’s home, and I am going to prepare a place for you. If this were not so, I would tell you plainly.
John.14.3: – “When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am”. (NLT)
- Who Will God Deny Entrance Into The City Of Heaven?
EZEKIEL 33:9; PROVERBS 1;24-32; REVELATION 21:8.
To reject God’s love and redemption from the slavery of sin and Satan would be to reject the chance of living with Him in heaven for ever because only the redeemed have access to His heavenly Kingdom.
Rev.22.14 – “Blessed are those who wash their robes so they can enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life .
Rev.22.15 – Outside the city are the dogs–the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idol worshipers, and all who love to live a lie.” (NLT)
Why would anyone reject this offer of eternal life in God’s heavenly city? It’s hard, if not impossible, to find anyone who would not want to go to heaven when they die, unless they do not really understand what’s at stake for those who miss heaven. However, for those who do, we must understand that our desire alone for heaven is not just enough to get us there unless we translate that desire into a consistent walk with God. We must put Him first above all others in our life and be willing elevate His will above ours. Anyone who chooses to be otherwise minded would have willingly chosen to lose heaven, their desire and passion for it notwithstanding.
Matt.7.21: “Not all people who sound religious are really godly. They may refer to me as ‘Lord,’ but they still won’t enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The decisive issue is whether they obey my Father in heaven .
Matt.7.22 – On judgment day many will tell me, ‘Lord, Lord, we prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’
Matt.7.23 – But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Go away; the things you did were unauthorized. ‘ (NLT)
No one has to be shut out of heaven; there’s room enough for everyone! But, and that sadly, some unfortunate folk would still lose out in their bid to enter heaven, not necessarily because that’s what they have always wanted, but because they were not careful to continue in their walk with God, through His Son Jesus Christ. His who foresaw this have the warning through His Son Jesus Christ in the following scriptures, which we will do well to commit to memory, and to earnestly watch and pray that this scriptures do not get fulfilled in us.
Luke.13.23 “Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”
Luke.13.24 He said to them, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.” (NLT)
Matt.7.13 – “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose the easy way.
Matt.7.14 – But the gateway to life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it . — ( NLT)
1Tim.5.15 – “For I am afraid that some of them have already gone astray and now follow Satan.” (NLT)
The choice between Jesus Christ and satan, heaven and hell is a personal one. We can either love God, serve Him faithfully and be destined for a glorious future in heaven or, on the other hand, follow after Satan and easy life of this present world and be lost in hell fire forever; the choice still remains our own to make. But God will rather have us all in heaven because He has made ready for us all a place to live with Him for ever.
Choose heaven!
Rev.21.3 – “I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, the home of God is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them.
Rev.21.4 – He will remove all of their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. For the old world and its evils are gone forever.” (NLT)