​An elderly couple passed away and found themselves at the pearly gates. Peter was there to welcome them. First he showed them their mansion. The man overwhelmed by the sheer luxury of it all.  Being accustomed to business on earth he asked, "How much does this place cost per night?" Peter replied, "Sir, this is Heaven, it doesn’t cost anything." Then Peter took them to the dining room where table upon table was piled high with the most delicious foods you could imagine. Again overwhelmed by the glory of it all the man asked, "How much for the meals?" Peter said, "You forget, this is Heaven, it’s free." Peter then took them out back where they saw a fantastically beautiful golf course. As the man stood there open-mouthed Peter said, "Now before you ask, there are no fees, this is Heaven, everything is free." The man looked at his wife; "You and your confounded bran muffins.  If it wasn’t for them I could have been here 10 years ago!"
 
A great room, an amazing all-you-can-eat buffet, and even the greenest golf courses – as much as they are all nice – are not what heaven is about.  The best thing about heaven is who we are with.
 
“Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:1-4).
 
Most of the time, when we talk about heaven, we tend to focus our “what” heaven is like. Will it be “up there” somewhere?  Where exactly will it be? Will there be fishing streams?  Will my cat be in heaven.  [Ugh… I hope not]. Then there are the streets of gold.  Just what kind of gold are we talking about anyway?
 
There’s the story of the rich man who, on his deathbed, negotiated with God to allow him to bring his earthly treasures with him when he came to heaven. God thought this was a little strange, but being the benevolent God that he is decided to grant the man’s request.  Sure enough the man died and he showed up at the pearly gates with a suitcase.  St. Peter, being in charge of the front door and all, needed to take a look (I guess even heaven has security screening).  Peter took the suitcase, opened it, saw all the gold that the man had brought, and asked with disbelief, “Pavement? You brought PAVEMENT?"
 
Gold streets are nice, I’m sure – but that’s not what heaven is about.
 
The most important questions about heaven are not “what” questions; they are “who” questions. Namely; who will be there? And of course, the most important “who” in “who will be there” is Jesus. The glory of heaven is not in the beautiful descriptions and all the wonderful comforts.
 
For example, we know that in heaven there will be no sorrow or crying or pain.  Now, that sounds good! There is a lot of pain in this world.  Some of you have been through so much already. I don’t understand it all.  But I do know that all of that will be a thing of the past in heaven. That’s sounds good.  And it is good.  But even that isn’t the best part about heaven.
 
The glory of heaven will be the presence of God. Remember, John 14, when Jesus is comforting his disciples, “That where I am, you will be also….”  And in Revelation: “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them”  (Rev. 21:4).
 
Now, don’t get me wrong….. I like my friends and my congregation. You are an amazing people.  You’ve been patient with me, you’ve supported me, you’ve been there for me when I’ve gone through difficult times – you guys are awesome – and I very sincerely hope that all of us will be in heaven together some day.  That would be awesome for sure.  But [are you ready for this – brace yourself – this might come as a shock] I’m not looking forward to heaven because I’ll see you there.      Crazy, isn’t it? And I’m not even looking forward to heaven because I’ll see my grandparents there. I know that sounds awful, like I don’t care.  That’s not true at all.  I do care. But heaven isn’t about me and my buddies or even my family – it’s about God.  Heaven is about being in the presence of the eternal God of all creation, and being able to know him, worship him, and love him free from all hindrances and limitations.
 
Let’s take a look at 1 Corinthians 13:12, “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”
 
Right now, we see God with our human lens, but we don’t see him clearly. Right now, we love God with our human heart, but there are also other things that compete. Right now, we worship Him – and yet even our worship is limited. In heaven, we will see him face to face, we will know him fully and we will worship him without hindrance. In heaven, we will be able to have that full and complete, unhindered relationship with our Lord and Saviour.  We will see him, we will understand him, we will be able to worship him – fully and freely. All our imperfections will be gone.  All our misunderstandings will be gone.
 
Going back to Rev. 21:7; “He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.”  Sounds pretty good.  That’s what heaven is. Our relationship with, our communion and our understanding of God – fully restored.
 
But there’s one other thing that needs to be said about heaven – and that is that it’s not the eternal home for everyone.
 
We have this concept in our mind – and I think it starts in grade school now – where everyone is a winner. You win, I win, we all win.  No one loses. And that concept has passed into the spiritual realm. God loves us all.   We are all his children. We’re all going to end up in heaven one way or another. Sounds very modern – but it’s not at all biblical.
 
Take a look at Rev. 21:8, “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all the liars – their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur.  This is the second death.”   Whoa…. Where did that come from?  Yes, right after all that other nice talk about what heaven will be like.
 
Not everyone is in heaven now. Some people won't make it. The Bible speaks of the saved and the lost. The saved are those who trust Jesus Christ as their eternal Savior. The lost are those who do not trust Christ as Savior. This is the great dividing line of humanity-you are either saved or you are lost. And there is no middle category. You will either spend eternity in heaven or eternity in hell.
 
Way back in Deuteronomy 30:15-20, God made it clear to the people that there were two choices, two ways, two outcomes as they entered the promised land.
 
See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 16 For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.  17 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, 18 I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. 19 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
 
The same is true for us as we face the prospect of eternity.  There is an eternal life and there is a second death.  And the sad part is that no one needs to face the reality of hell. That’s why Jesus died for our sins – he took our sin upon himself – so that we can find life. We have a choice – life or death; blessings or curses.  Eternity with God – knowing him fully – or rejecting Him and facing the consequences.
 
In his book "Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life", the author Charles Swindoll tells a story about the 19th Century agnostic Thomas Huxley. Huxley was in Dublin and was rushing to catch a train. He climbed aboard one of Dublin’s famous horse drawn taxis and said to the driver "Hurry, I’m almost late, drive fast". Off they went at a furious pace and Huxley sat back in his seat and closed his eyes. After a while Huxley opened his eyes and glanced out the window to notice that they were going in the wrong direction. Realizing that he hadn’t told the driver where to take him he called out ‘do you know where you’re going?’ The driver replied "No, your honour, but I am driving very fast’.
 
Far too many people are racing along in life but they haven’t given much thought to where they are going. The question for us is, where are you headed? I don’t ask you that, with a figurative gavel in my hand and a long finger pointing at you; I ask you that as a friend.   “There is a way that seems right but in the end it leads to death.”  Prov. 14:12.
 
There are two ways; two destinies; two choices.  We don’t end up in heaven because we were lucky, or because we kept our nose relatively clean.  We can only come into heaven through Christ.
 

​Benjamin Franklin, in a 1789 letter to Jean-Baptiste Leroy made the comment, "'In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes."
 
Of course, we could probably add a whole lot to that list if we really wanted to. But one thing we know, we know that one day we will die. James 4:14 puts it rather bluntly…. “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”
 
The most common reaction to discussions about death is fear.  We fear death.  But why?  Why are we so afraid of death?  Or, to put it another way…. why do we fight so hard to extend life as far as humanly (and as scientifically) as possible?  Why do we fear death so much and treat it like an enemy that has to be conquered at all costs, especially when we know that we will all submit to it in the final battle?
 
I think part of the reason why we resist death so much is because we were never meant to die.  Death was not part of God’s plan for us when he created us.  We were not designed to die – and frankly, I think that’s one of the reasons why we have such a hard time with it.  In a way, death is unnatural – even though it has become very natural.
 
So why do we die?  We know that death came as a result of sin.  Of course, the warning was there.  When God placed Adam in the garden and told him about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, God warned him, “for when you eat of it, you will surely die” (Genesis 2:17). And in that sense, death reminds us of our own sinful nature.  “All have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God” (Romans 3:23).   And “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).  But there is also more. The very next statement is that the gift of God is eternal life.
 
While death is a forgone conclusion… there is also more.
 
In 1 Corinthians 15:54b-57, Paul was writing to a church that was concerned about death.  And in reference to the work of God he said “’Death has been swallowed up in victory.’  ‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
 
“The sting of death is sin” (1 Corinthians 15:56).  That agrees to what we already read in Genesis. If there were no sin, there would have been no death.  But now there is death.  It can’t be avoided. But the power of death has been broken because the power of sin has also been broken. We still die, physically, but death has no power over us – it merely becomes a transition to eternal life. In essence, for the believer at least, death becomes the passageway to victory. Which takes me back to the question I started with earlier… why then are we so afraid of death?
 
When a runner is running a marathon… I don’t know how many miles that is, but it’s a lot.  Does the runner see the finishing line and say, “Oh great…. now my race will be over” and pout across the line? Of course not!  He or she sees that end and gets excited. We see the end and we tremble, moan, groan, etc.  Why?
 
Instead of seeing death as a defeat, or even a symbol of our sinful nature, we need to see death as one who crosses the finishing line into victory; where the power of sin no longer has any dominion over us.
 
Paul even used that imagery in his second letter to Timothy, in 4:7-8.  “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will aware to me on that day…” That doesn’t sound like someone who is facing death kicking and screaming – resisting it to the very bitter end?  No.  He knows his work on earth is done and he’s ready to cross the line.  No fear.
 
Listen to how he expresses it to the Philippians.  He wrote: “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21).  That’s amazing!  It’s not a loss…. It’s a gain!
 
Going back to the Corinthians in a second letter, we see why Paul is so confident. “We are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord…”  And then he goes on to say he “would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”  (2 Corinthians 5:6-8). To die is gain because he will be with the Lord!  What could possibly be better than that?
 
There was the time when Lazarus was sick and his sisters (Mary and Martha) had called for Jesus to come.  Remember what Jesus did?  He intentionally delayed before he went to see Lazarus – who was only 2 miles away.  What’s two miles?  A 40 minute walk?  Maybe 45 minutes? Jesus waited even though he knew Lazarus was dying.
 
Sure enough, by the time Jesus came, Lazarus had been dead four days! Do you remember what Jesus said, when he was comforting Martha?  “Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die” (John 11:25). Even though a person dies physically, they will live on spiritually, with a new body – eternal life.
 
That is why death is a non-issue.  Death has no power.  It has no sting. 
 
Yes, I know we will miss people – of course we will – we’re attached to them.  And yes, we will grieve and mourn – I understand that.  I have no problem with that. But in the overall scheme of things, death is a transition into eternal life – it’s a day of victory. It’s a day when there will be no more mourning or crying or pain. It’s a day when we will be free from the burdens of this world – and the temptations of this world. It’s a day when we will be with the Lord – forever.  That’s the best part of it all!
 
But it didn’t happen that way by itself.  Remember, “the wages of sin is death”.  What happened to that? Hebrews 2:14-15, “he [Jesus] shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death - that is, the devil - and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”
 
Jesus broke the power of sin.  Jesus sets us free from the fear and despair of death.  Our hope is in Him. The Bible is very clear – that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life. It’s not a matter of being a “good person”, whatever that means.  It’s not a matter of our works, even though they are important.  We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
 
The question becomes; have you put your faith in Jesus?  If you have, then death has absolutely no power over you.  If it means anything, it means victory!  You’ve simply crossed a finish line. If you haven’t put your faith in Jesus, you need to. It is the only way to cross over from death to life.
 

There is no doubt about it in my mind.  None.  Absolutely zero.

Those who are growing in the Lord are the ones who are making the time for prayer and the study of God's Word.  I can almost guarantee it; in fact, I'm sure that I can.

I'm not writing to chastise anyone; I'm writing to encourage you. I would love to see each and every person growing in their faith; experiencing a deeper more meaningful prayer life; encountering the Living God through God's Living Word.  God has more for us than we can even imagine.  But are we experiencing it?

I am sure you are aware that we have been encouraging prayer and bible study a lot in the past year.  I am convinced that this is why we are seeing such wonderful blessings poured out into lives. It is not a coincidence.

If you haven't already been doing so; I encourage you, I even plead with you (if Paul could do it in Philippians 4:2, I'm sure I can too), get involved in a prayer group.  Get involved in a Bible Study group.  And of course, make prayer and Bible study a part of your personal life at home too.  We are all busy.  We have so much on our plates.  Believe me, I thoroughly understand the challenges of fulfilling our various responsibilities and taking time for God's Word and Prayer - but it must be done; otherwise we become like stagnant water; going nowhere.

There are many ways we can do this.  Below are just some ways that we, as the Body of Christ, can come together and encourage one another in prayer and Bible Study.

• Tuesday night prayer; weekly at 8:45 pm.
• Sunday night prayer; third Sunday each month at 7:00 pm.
• Sunday Adult Bible Study; weekly at 9:45 am.
• Wednesday Bible Study; weekly at 1:15 pm and again at 7:15 pm.

For those who might be interested, I have updated our web site with tons of information regarding our latest study we just begun (we had our introduction day yesterday) called Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People.  What a great opportunity to dive deep into God's Word and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to us.  At this web site, you will find chapters from a highly recommended book (you can read it online) as well as my review/notes for each chapter.  You can also listen to a previously given sermon based on the same weekly theme.  It is a hard-hitting but greatly helpful study.

We also have our Sunday morning Adult Bible Study - a steady stream of God's Word.  The materials used for this study include weekly lessons and commentary.  The adults that participate learn together.

Proverbs 27:17 says "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."  That's what happens when we study and pray together.

Will you join us?  I encourage you to put it on your calendar.