Are You Looking Forward to Heaven?

“And He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away” (Rev. 21:4).

Hey Gang:  Can we start this morning message with a gigantic, “Whoopie?” When I was a little squeezer my dear saintly grandmother lived with us.  She did needle-point and sewed beautiful pictures on towels. And, while sewing, she also sowed the seeds of my future salvation.  Once she made a statement that I did not understand; she said, “She was homesick for heaven”. 

I didn’t have a clue what she was talking about.  What is this leaving the luxury of living with my family to going to some unknown place she knew nothing about.  I was very young at that time and had no serious dreams of what I wanted to accomplish in my life.  Today that is a malady among a very large percentage of kids in college.  Many do not have a clue what the path will look like when they walk the stage in cap and gown and hear, “You completed the challenge, now go and do something with it.”

I fear that many, sadly, a very many, would not have had a clue what my Gram meant, “I am homesick for heaven”.  In my 85 years of endurance on this planet God has sent a multitude of kids across my path. I put them into two categories: The first I call the ‘empty-eye syndrome’ which consist of those who do not have clue what this day holds for them. 

There is a saying that one percent of the people of the decide what will happen; three percent will make things happen; the remaining 96 percent spend their lives wondering what happened!.”  I have often been asked, how do you know when it is time to send the kids out the door.  My answer, “When I can look into their eyes and see light.”

But getting back to Gram’s comment, “I am looking forward to heaven”, now that I am in that Golden Years bracket, I am beginning to understand what she meant.  The years have a way of increasing our tears as we see life-long friends go to be with the Lord and we move from that stage in our lives of making things happen to wondering what is happening.  

When you notice a person who has just been crying, you can look into their eyes and see traces of tears.  When we love Christ, the day will come when even these traces will be gone.  They won’t just evaporate- God will wipe them from our eyes! (Revelation 21:4).

 Jesus said, “There will be no tears of sorrow” in heaven. I think tears of joy as we look into the face of Jesus and see the nail prints of that day He died on a hideous cross to set me free from my bondages of sins.  How tragically sad that so many do not have the peace that passes all understanding and knowing our name is written in the Lamb’s Book Of Life. And, one day will hear Him, say, “Well done, faithful servant, enter into the place I have prepared for you. (Matthew 24).

 

So,  my friends, I know I am writing to the choir, but when you are up to your armpits in alligators and your focus is on the here and now, it is then you need to take a  minute and remember Jesus said and what awaits us in His Kingdom! Can you day “Whoopie?”

Blessings,

Gramps