[John Hamilton]

Re: What is Heaven Really Like?

I'm not sure if there's an after-life or not; part of me even feels that perhaps it might be dangerous to put too much faith in an after-life, lest I don't do my utmost with the life I already have; thinking I can make up for missed opportunities after I die.

But deep down...I think I believe in Heaven. It's too hard for my feeble human brain to comprehend "Absolute Nothingness" lol. XD

I think Heaven is akin to an extremely elevated state of consciousness; much like when you dream at night. I don't think it'll necessarily be "perfect" in the traditional sense though; I believe it can be more wonderful than anything I can possibly imagine right now, but I also believe it could be a nightmare at times, because I believe Heaven is a place that's different for each person, and fluctuates and changes in accordance with the individual. I believe sometimes it may be necessary or otherwise important to feel painful emotions at times, or overcome physical obstacles standing in your way. I believe YOU control your Heaven; perhaps like a vivid, lucid dream-like state. A dream where reality is influenced by your thoughts and emotions.

If you have positive thoughts and emotions in Heaven, then it'll be wonderful beyond your wildest dreams. But if you have negative thoughts and emotions in Heaven, then Heaven can become...Hell, lol...

...And I believe the same holds true in THIS life; that positive thoughts and emotions contribute to a happy, heavenly life, and that negative thoughts and emotions; Sin itself perhaps, contributes to a sad, painful life of torment.....Sin is it's own punishment. What goes around comes around as the old saying goes. Like attracts like, etc. Basic law of nature.

--John

[Basilissa]

Re: What is Heaven Really Like?

I'm not sure if there's an after-life or not; part of me even feels that perhaps it might be dangerous to put too much faith in an after-life, lest I don't do my utmost with the life I already have; thinking I can make up for missed opportunities after I die.

But deep down...I think I believe in Heaven. It's too hard for my feeble human brain to comprehend "Absolute Nothingness" lol. XD

Well, the intrinsic part of believing is not having any evidence to support it, so you are on the good path so far, but...

I think Heaven is akin to an extremely elevated state of consciousness; much like when you dream at night. I don't think it'll necessarily be "perfect" in the traditional sense though; I believe it can be more wonderful than anything I can possibly imagine right now, but I also believe it could be a nightmare at times, because I believe Heaven is a place that's different for each person, and fluctuates and changes in accordance with the individual. I believe sometimes it may be necessary or otherwise important to feel painful emotions at times, or overcome physical obstacles standing in your way. I believe YOU control your Heaven; perhaps like a vivid, lucid dream-like state. A dream where reality is influenced by your thoughts and emotions.

If you have positive thoughts and emotions in Heaven, then it'll be wonderful beyond your wildest dreams. But if you have negative thoughts and emotions in Heaven, then Heaven can become...Hell, lol...

...And I believe the same holds true in THIS life; that positive thoughts and emotions contribute to a happy, heavenly life, and that negative thoughts and emotions; Sin itself perhaps, contributes to a sad, painful life of torment.....Sin is it's own punishment. What goes around comes around as the old saying goes. Like attracts like, etc. Basic law of nature.

This is all very interesting and I'm sure you had a lot of time to make stuff like this up when you were locked down by the Mormons, but I would like to take this opportunity to remind you that this is a Christian forum and we don't believe stuff you make up, we only believe stuff the Bible tells us.

[Elmer G. White]

Re: What is Heaven Really Like?

...thinking I can make up for missed opportunities after I die... I think I believe in Heaven. I think Heaven is akin to an extremely elevated state of consciousness...

Mr. Hamilton,

You seem to be a sincere seeker for the Truth™ but there's an inherent problem.

You think.

Instead of thinking, we trust the Bible™. It was written (by proxies) by God, and it is only reasonable to trust Him (Titus 1:2). We do not need to think, we just follow God's Word and it tells us many things about heaven!

• Wolves, sheep, lions, leopards and children will be there (Isaiah 11:6).
• Dogs won't be there (Revelation 22:15).
• Jesus will feed us personally so we won't have to use our hands (Revelation 7:17).
• God will be wiping tears off our faces (ibid.)
• The best of the best of us will be busy 24/7 servicing and praising God - this is the ultimate reward for the most chaste and Godly (verse below!

Revelation 7:15
Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.

Consider this: I did not have to think at all to gain as much knowledge about Heaven! I just accepted the Bible as it is. If you have other notions of Heaven, that is perfectly legal but, please, provide us with some a bit more tangible evidence about your musings except your "thinking". You probably know that after the Fall (Genesis 3:6) mankind has been prone to all kinds of biases. Please, tell us why your subjective "thinking" should replace God's Word.


Yours in Christ,

Elmer

[John Hamilton]

Re: What is Heaven Really Like?

Mr. Hamilton,

You seem to be a sincere seeker for the Truth™ but there's an inherent problem.

You think.

Bad habit. I've tried NOT Thinking...but I have to Think about not Thinking in order to stop Thinking but I Think that means I never stopped Thinking; I Think, therefore "I am." as an old philosopher once said. (He was trying to imagine what it would be like to simply not exist at the time; gave him a headache lol. )

Instead of thinking, we trust the Bible™.

But in order to read the Bible, don't you have to think the words in your head, and doesn't your lizard brain inevitably ponder those thoughts? You also need to be able to think in the first place in order to trust, don't you? What is thought without trust, or trust without thought?

It was written (by proxies) by God, and it is only reasonable to trust Him (Titus 1:2). We do not need to think, we just follow God's Word and it tells us many things about heaven!

I trust Him...but I don't trust people; those proxies you mentioned were flesh and blood PEOPLE; prone to folly. There's an old saying that goes something like "Trust...but Verify." When I'm working with the VFD for example, I don't just "have faith" that there aren't any occupants inside just because one of their neighbors said they didn't think so. I'd VERIFY it by seeing if there are vehicles parked out front or in a garage, if there's any tracks, if there are lights on inside, even calling out into the windows; I don't just charge into the burning building on faith lol.

• Wolves, sheep, lions, leopards and children will be there (Isaiah 11:6).
• Dogs won't be there (Revelation 22:15).
• Jesus will feed us personally so we won't have to use our hands (Revelation 7:17).
• God will be wiping tears off our faces (ibid.)
• The best of the best of us will be busy 24/7 servicing and praising God - this is the ultimate reward for the most chaste and Godly (verse below!

Revelation 7:15
Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.

No dogs in Heaven? ...That must be using the word "dogs" in some kind of derogatory sense; like "That guy's such a DOG; he disgusts me!" or something lol. Interesting. Ah; it must be that, because if wolves are in Heaven then canines (dogs) would be as well because wolves are dogs lmao. XD

What if I don't want the Christ to spend His time spoon feeding me like a fucking baby? What if, Heaven forbid, I want to actually use my hands to feed myself food that I hunted myself and grew in my own garden, from dishes which I molded myself? What if I have serious boundary issues, and would feel quesy and uncomfortable with being spoon fed, or having somebody close enough to me to wipe my tears? Why can't I wipe my own tears away? I get freaked out when people put their hands anywhere near my face; when people touch me, my skin crawls and I just want to leave as fast as I can.

In regards to "servicing" God, (that sounds dirty lol), I don't think He wants us to be slaves; I think He just wants what is best for us, and to love us as His own children. I think perhaps God's whole plan was for us to be happy and joyous, because that's what brings HIM happiness and joy; by doing what He our Father commands us to do, (I'm mostly just concerned with the 10 Commandments; I have little knowledge of all the hundreds of other little rules throughout the Old Testament), we ARE serving Him and his ultimate Plan, (for us to be happy), because the 10 Commandments are basically a guide to how to live a happy life, because when any of the commandments are broken, it always brings nothing but pain and sorrow, loneliness, torment, wrath, destruction, and and ultimate self-sabotage.

Consider this: I did not have to think at all to gain as much knowledge about Heaven! I just accepted the Bible as it is.

...So...wait...does that mean you've been walking around all this time believing there's definitely going to be wolves in Heaven, but there couldn't possibly be any dogs there? XD

If you have other notions of Heaven, that is perfectly legal but, please, provide us with some a bit more tangible evidence about your musings except your "thinking".

Not only is it legal, haha, but it was ENCOURAGED lol. XD The request/encouragement by the original poster at the end of his sermon was this: "I want to encourage you to post your visions of what Heaven will be like."

"Visions" imply personal thoughts and opinions; which don't actually require any tangible evidence at all; no more than is tangible evidence of God required for people to believe in Him.

My own personal opinion is merely based on my observations of numerous individuals who had Near Death Experiences and claimed to have seen God and Heaven and Jesus and all that jazz. Some of them seemed kinda cheesy.....but then there were some others who were really really convincing. The thing they all had in common was that it happened in the form of an extremely vivid and intense dream. Their bodies didn't actually travel to another place; it was all happening in their minds, (not to be confused with the brain; you may need to do some research on the mind/brain connection and what the difference is, I don't have time to explain it for you).

You probably know that after the Fall (Genesis 3:6) mankind has been prone to all kinds of biases. Please, tell us why your subjective "thinking" should replace God's Word.

Whoever said that I was ever saying my subjective thinking should replace God's word?! Lol. XD I was just trying to contribute in an open and honest way; I'm sorry.

One last thing......What about my personal theory contradicts God's word about Heaven? In my own vision of what Heaven will be like, everything that John the Revelator witnessed is possible there....and so much more. It's simply the only way my human brain can even BEGIN to comprehend the notion of Heaven or Hell; the only way I can think of for any place to be as great as Heaven as described in the Bible is the same way that my brain can even begin to imagine a place as horrible as Hell: If it is all like a lucid dream; tailored for the individual. This doesn't mean that you won't also be able to find your family and friends there also. Truly ANYTHING is possible according to my personal Vision.....which again, I was encouraged to share. Kinda sorry that I did now.



--John

[John Hamilton]

Re: What is Heaven Really Like?

Well, the intrinsic part of believing is not having any evidence to support it, so you are on the good path so far,

Interesting; for some reason it's extraordinarily difficult for me to believe
something WITHOUT any evidence to support it. I suppose you could call me a Doubting Thomas; probably won't truly believe until I see the proverbial holes in His hands for myself. In my own mind, beliefs should always be formed lightly and cautiously and with extreme scrutiny....I've experienced firsthand what danger there can be in putting Faith into the wrong kinds of things; Faith is too powerful to not be used carefully; it's not something I can just do on a whim. Put it into the wrong thing, it can really mess you up....trust me.

This is all very interesting and I'm sure you had a lot of time to make stuff like this up when you were locked down by the Mormons, but I would like to take this opportunity to remind you that this is a Christian forum and we don't believe stuff you make up, we only believe stuff the Bible tells us.

I sincerely apologize if I came off as trying to say that this is what Heaven IS for a FACT; I was simply trying to oblige the original poster's wish to hear what "my visions of what Heaven will be like." He asked for my opinion, so I gave it to him. I have not read the entire Bible; and I was averse to reading it in Utah; they made me despise religion of all kinds for a very long time. I've only just recently began finding my faith again; feeling that vaguely familiar Holy "presence" in my life, but still haven't gotten around to reading the whole Bible yet; I'm opting to wait to begin until either December 25th or January 1st; I'd like to finish it in a year or less. Theoretically it could be done in three months, but I don't want to do that; that's too much input to truly digest. I'd rather just read a chapter or two or so each day, giving me plenty of time to actually study it and read between the lines. I truly do want to understand; not just believe. I want to be as sure as I can be before I decide to get baptized; another decision which I don't feel should be taken lightly, much like the formations of Beliefs in the mind.


--John

[Elmer G. White]

Re: What is Heaven Really Like?

No dogs in Heaven? ...That must be using the word "dogs" in some kind of derogatory sense; like "That guy's such a DOG; he disgusts me!" or something lol. Interesting. Ah; it must be that, because if wolves are in Heaven then canines (dogs) would be as well because wolves are dogs lmao. XD

Wolves and dogs are of the same Created kind (=baramin) but due to genetic entropy (Romans 8:22) they've diverged since Noah's Flood and are no longer totally compatible. This is microevolution, one of the key concepts of Creation Science!

What if I don't want the Christ to spend His time spoon feeding me like a piffleing baby? What if, Heaven forbid, I want to actually use my hands to feed myself food that I hunted myself and grew in my own garden, from dishes which I molded myself? What if I have serious boundary issues, and would feel quesy and uncomfortable with being spoon fed, or having somebody close enough to me to wipe my tears? Why can't I wipe my own tears away? I get freaked out when people put their hands anywhere near my face; when people touch me, my skin crawls and I just want to leave as fast as I can.

In regards to "servicing" God, (that sounds dirty lol), I don't think He wants us to be slaves...

God wants you to fear and obey Him. That is all. You've stated elsewhere how you appreciate the Book of Ecclesiastes. Here's the main message of that Book.

Ecclesiastes 12:13
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.


Yours in Christ,

Elmer

[John Hamilton]

Re: What is Heaven Really Like?

Interesting.

[Elmer G. White]

Re: What is Heaven Really Like?

Interesting.

I don't know if it is interesting but it is pivotal when aspiring to reach Heaven. What can we trust? You've provided us with opinions and musings. They show sincerity and hard work. You've put effort into your world view but can we trust it? Can you trust it? While admitting that you can be absolutely correct, do we have a way of knowing how probable it is that a person reaches the Truth unaided?

Not very likely:

• Our senses are unreliable.
• Our memory is unreliable.
• We have cognitive biases that prevent us from seeing the Truth™.

Thus, without independent sources, plain assertions and opinions are worthless and it is quite meaningless to discuss them - they can be correct but based on a single testimonial it is impossible to assess that. We are fortunate to have independent sources, the Revelation in Scripture (the Bible) and the Revelation by Incarnation (Jesus Christ) that both testify of the same thing: Our God and Doctrine are correct and all the others are faulty. This is supported by evidence material from the persecution that we suffer on a daily basis from the sinnerswarm. This is also clearly stated in the Bible.

1 Timothy 4:10
For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.


Yours in Christ,

Elmer

[John Hamilton]

Re: What is Heaven Really Like?

I don't know if it is interesting but it is pivotal when aspiring to reach Heaven. What can we trust? You've provided us with opinions and musings. They show sincerity and hard work. You've put effort into your world view but can we trust it? Can you trust it? While admitting that you can be absolutely correct, do we have a way of knowing how probable it is that a person reaches the Truth unaided?

Not very likely:

It's not important to me if you trust my own perception or not; they aren't for you, they're for me.
Can I trust it? So far I can trust it, but perhaps in the future I'll discover new information which will force me to re-evaluate my beliefs. That aside, I'd hardly say that I've reached this point (whether it's the Truth or not) completely unaided. I was fortunate enough to have extremely loving friends and family who helped me out of the darkness far enough to feel God's presence again. I've had a lot of aid; I don't know where I'd be right now if I didn't have people in my life who even cared enough to notice that I was headed down a dark path.

• Our senses are unreliable.
• Our memory is unreliable.
• We have cognitive biases that prevent us from seeing the Truth™.

Indeed they are; constantly playing tricks on us; operating so lightning fast without bothering to take a closer look at things and try to see the big picture, setting aside any preconceived notions. ....In a sense, I might be better off having my mind already stripped down to it's bare essence in that godforsaken desert...well...maybe it wasn't as godforsaken as I've always thought.....if I hadn't been taken, I might not have ever gone through such an intense crucible; something that broke me down completely until all that was left was pure, unadulterated, all-natural human carnality; in it's rawest form. 100% Id and no Ego left to speak of....it was a nightmare....but it rid me of all my former biases; completely rewired me into something new, paving the way for me to gradually begin to re-discover the Truth and hear God's word...His real one; not just the paper one, because like you said, our senses can't be trusted; the Bible has been translated from ancient Greek and re-translated and translated some more several times over; it's a very rare individual who can actually know what the Bible is really talking about at all different points; can YOU trust your senses and cognitive abilities to translate the True meaning behind the text? ....I think sometimes one just has to ignore their head and their senses, and focus on their heart; listen within, to your gut....I believe if you feel a genuine connection to Christ, you'll know what I'm talking about.....it's that "weird" feeling.

Thus, without independent sources, plain assertions and opinions are worthless and it is quite meaningless to discuss them - they can be correct but based on a single testimonial it is impossible to assess that. We are fortunate to have independent sources, the Revelation in Scripture (the Bible) and the Revelation by Incarnation (Jesus Christ) that both testify of the same thing: Our God and Doctrine are correct and all the others are faulty. This is supported by evidence material from the persecution that we suffer on a daily basis from the sinnerswarm. This is also clearly stated in the Bible.

I don't believe anything is truly worthless; the Bible says there's a time and a place for everything. You sharing your opinions help me to formulate my own; which may be akin to yours, just as my sharing my opinions may help someone else who may be struggling to make sense of their world but with only a small part of the picture.

Jesus was also careful to note that we should try to refrain from judgement, lest we be judged similarly. I know I've made mistakes in the past; I've done some downright horrible things before, for various reasons, but reasons aside there was no real excuse for my behavior; I have no room to judge other people as "wrong" or "right", "correct" or "faulty". ....I understand that nobody's perfect, and everyone is vulnerable to sin. I don't believe in a life of any kind without pain....maybe that's a good thing.....maybe pain opens up the doorway for evil and darkness and sin to creep on in, enticing us, tempting us....testing us and our Faith....corrupting us slowly, like a cancer, without us even really noticing it at first, and then one day you look in the mirror and don't recognize the face looking back....like you've been possessed by a demon. Maybe it's addiction....or hatred....or anger.....or shame. Could be any number of things; demons will pass themselves off as anything if it means the Corruption of one of God's Children.

1 Timothy 4:10
For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.

....The living God....that is a very interesting choice of words for him to pick...who could have just said "God", but he didn't; he specifically said, the living God...fascinating.


--John

[MitzaLizalor]

Re: What is Heaven Really Like?

ECCLESIASTES 3 .KJV . look up
21 Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?

No dogs in Heaven? ...That must be using the word "dogs" in some kind of derogatory sense; like "That guy's such a DOG; he disgusts me!"

There is another type of person who'd use the word in a different sense; like "That guy's such a DOG; I can't get enough of him!" Their heaven would be imagined as a calypso party of the baser kind. Nothing like actual Heaven which is described in The Bible.

•

But in order to read the Bible, don't you have to think the words in your head, and doesn't your lizard brain inevitably ponder those thoughts?

If by "lizard brain" you mean the brainstem and/or The Id wouldn't information be processed there just as a lizard processes information, not involving language at all? And wouldn't its motivation be the same as any lizard? Isn't its expression a reflex action? If you've been reading Alfred Adler or Umberto Eco and pondering their thoughts using your lizard brain, that would explain a lot. The Bible is much better.

• Wolves, sheep, lions, leopards and children will be there
  • Dogs won't be there
• Jesus will feed us
• God will be wiping

No dogs in Heaven?

Wolves and dogs are of the same Created kind but due to genetic entropy they've diverged

I'm getting confused now. Does that mean if the spirit of the beast goeth downward to the earth but wolves are in Heaven wolves are no longer beasts? Or is it a future divergence? Can we observe microevolution taking place now?

[baptistislove21]

Re: What is Heaven Really Like?

Heaven is a place, just as much a place as is Freehold, Iowa. That's the first thing you should know.

I begin this sermon with two statements that I believe to be almost universally true: Everyone wants to know about Heaven and everyone wants to go there. Recent polls suggest that nearly 80% of all Americans believe there is a place called Heaven. I find that statistic encouraging because it tells me that even in this skeptical age there is something deep inside the human heart that cries out, “Jesus is waiting for me."

I. Where is heaven?

There are three things I can tell you in answer to this question. The most important fact is that heaven is a real place. Listen to the words of Jesus on the night before he was crucified:



Twice in three verses Jesus calls heaven a place. He means that Heaven ("my Father’s house") is a real place, as real as New York, London or Chicago. The place called Heaven is just as real as the place you call home. It’s a real place filled with real people, which is why the Bible sometimes compares heaven to a mansion with many rooms (John 14:1-3) and sometimes to an enormous city teeming with people (Revelation 21-22).
The Bible also tells us that heaven is the dwelling place of God. His throne is there, the angels are there, and the Lord Jesus Christ is in heaven. Philippians 3:20 says very plainly that “our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.” That’s why Jesus told the thief on the Cross, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).

Third (and I find this fact fascinating), the Bible hints that heaven is not as far away as we might think. Because heaven is a real place, we sometimes think it must be outside our present universe-which would mean that it is billions and billions of light years away. However, it’s very clear that the early Christians understood that they would pass immediately from this life into the presence of Christ in heaven. How can that be possible if heaven is beyond the farthest galaxy? Hebrews 12:22-24 tells us something amazing about what the gospel has done for us:



The writer is here comparing Mt. Sinai with Mt. Zion. Under the old covenant no one could come near God except under very strict conditions. That’s why the mountain shook with thunder and lightning. [Note: three times the writer of Hebrews uses a Greek word that means “to come near” or “to approach closely.] But now in Christ we have been brought near to heavenly realities. Think of what he is saying:

We’re not that far from heaven.
We’re not that far from the angels.
We’re not that far from our loved ones in heaven.
We’re not that far from God.
We’re not that far from Jesus himself.

Heaven is a real place, it’s where Jesus is right now, and it’s not far away from us.

II. What is heaven like?
This question came from one of our junior high students. I would answer by saying that the Bible doesn’t give us a great deal of information. What we have are images and pictures of heaven and comparisons with life on earth.
What is heaven like? Here are some biblical facts about heaven. It is …

– God’s dwelling place (Psalm 33:13).
– Where Christ is today (Acts 1:11).
– Where Christians go when they die (Philippians 1:21-23).
– The Father’s house (John 14:2).
– A city designed and built by God (Hebrews 11:10).
– A better country (Hebrews 11:16).
– Paradise (Luke 23:43).

Most of us have heard that heaven is a place where the streets are paved with gold, the gates are made of pearl, and the walls made of precious jewels. Those images come from Revelation 21-22, which offers us the most extended picture of heaven in the entire Bible. If you ask me if I believe those things are literally true, the answer is yes and no. Yes, they are literally true but no, heaven won’t be anything like we imagine. It will be much greater.

Here’s a delightful legend that makes the point very well:
I love the old story of the rich man who, on his death bed, negotiated with God to allow him to bring his earthly treasures with him when he came to heaven. God’s reaction was that this was a most unusual request, but since this man had been exceptionally faithful, permission was granted to bring along just one suitcase. The time arrived, the man presented himself at the pearly gates, suitcase in hand– BOTH hands, actually, since he had stuffed it with as many bars of gold bullion as would fit. St. Peter said, “Sorry, you know the rules–you can’t take it with you.” But the man protested, “God said I could … one suitcase.” St. Peter checked, found out that this one would be an exception, prepared to let the man enter, then said, “OK, but I will have to examine the contents before you pass.” He took the suitcase, opened it, saw the gold bars and asked quizzically, “You brought PAVEMENT?”
[Note: This story is from the sermon “Heaven” by Dr. David Leininger, March 30, 1997]

When John writes about a street paved with gold, I do not doubt his words. He simply reports what he saw in his vision. Thus his words are literally true. They are also meant to tell us that the things we value so highly in this life will be used to pave the roads in heaven.

A City Built By God
Heaven is a real place filled with real people. The Bible pictures it as a great city filled with all of God’s people.

What would such a city look like? It would be a city with …
No pollution for the skies would always be crystal clear.
No crime or violence for no criminals would ever enter.
No greedy politicians, no drug pushers, no child molesters.
No potholes and no power outages either.
It would be filled with abundant parks, rivers, rolling meadows, and flowing streams. Lining the streets would be flowers in constant bloom, fruit trees of every kind, every species of plant life growing free from pestilence and disease.
The gates would be made of pearl, the walls of jasper, the streets of gold. Precious stones would lie on the ground like playthings: emeralds, rubies, diamonds galore.
On every hand there would be children laughing, bright conversation, music floating from every direction.
In the city that God builds, there are no tears, there is no sorrow … no regret … no remorse. Bitterness gone forever, failure left far behind, suffering redeemed and rewarded. There are no eyeglasses, no braces, no wheelchairs, no false teeth, no bald heads, no hearing aids, and no crutches. There are no more hospitals, no more nursing homes, no paramedics, no CPR. Doctors have to find a new job, they aren’t needed anymore. Aspirin gone, accidents over, cancer disappeared, heart attacks banished, AIDS a distant memory. In Heaven no one grows old and feeble.

There is one other thing you won’t find in heaven. There are no cemeteries in the city God builds. Why? There are no funerals … for in that glad city no one ever dies.

If you make it to that city, you live forever, never to die again. Either you believe in Heaven or you don’t. It’s either a real place or it isn’t. This is Heaven-where all our best dreams finally come true.

I'll have more to say on this.

I want to encourage you to post your visions of what Heaven will be like.

This was a great sermon. I really enjoyed reading!
I've been trying to educate myself with the bible more and reading posts from this website. I used to be ignorant and self centered thinking life was all about me. I even argued with members from this site a few years back which I punished myself severely for. I hope I am forgiven. If not, I will punish myself even more. I hope you're having a nice day
Keep the faith and stay a True Christian <3

[MitzaLizalor]

Re: What is Heaven Really Like?

Although we're not interested in what forms of self-punishment you use, it would be helpful to know whether you've had any contact with Opus Dei? Their teachings are heretical in the extreme.

Concerning your walk with Christ however, reading The Bible is the way to go. Jesus said:

John 14:6 I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Taken in context this helps us to understand what Heaven is really like. The Bible explains quite a lot for us, within our capacity to understand, and on more than one occasion God has even opened the sky allowing us to see what's up there! Not me personally, probably not you either due to if the sky had opened anywhere (for you) it would. be noticeable to others. Unless asleep. The witness of Luke is a good example.

It was Sunday.

A number of women had visited The Sepulchre and were surprised to see no Jesus. They thought He was dead. Jesus had. been dead but was now alive again. They went to inform the disciples but received a coolish reception.

Luke 24:11 Their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.

The salient feature in this historical account is the different nature of departures and arrivals by Jesus while still on Earth in the flesh compared with His final departure directly into Heaven. Once resurrected, Luke explains, Jesus would simply vanish. When ascending up to Heaven, on the other hand, His departure was observed and recorded.

It had been a long Sunday. His disciples had not identified Him as Jesus, quite understandably, as they walked along. Jesus was explaining Scripture concerning Himself from Moses and the prophets.—.which is most of The Old Testament.—.and daylight was fading. Naturally thoughts of a meal came up so they decided to stop in at the next village.

Luke 24:29-31 They [the disciples] constrained him [Jesus] saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them. And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.

Jesus also appeared spontaneously but the point is that when He went to Heaven vanishing abruptly was not the method He used. Later that evening, after eating some fish and honeycomb to demonstrate that He was not a wraith, Jesus departed in a more observable way.

Luke 24:50-51 He led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.

Elsewhere we have other accounts from many witnesses helping us to understand what Heaven is really like. It is above the clouds. It is illuminated by God's glory. Jesus is there. Many people in these last days are promoting different "heavens" very much opposed to what God has told us in The Bible. Satan is behind it of course, grotesque three-eyed fairies dripping with lotus blossoms, amaranthine slappers assigned by the score to mass-murderers, bizarre 25-armed elephants serving goblets of amrita juice, you name it someone's cooked up a heaven for it and probably have a book coming out sucking you in at so-much-a-word.

The real Heaven is not like any of those.

Vatican heretics will only ever deceive you but if you read on from the links I've appended I'm sure you'll find more information on this topic which, after all, is sufficiently important for God to have given us quite a bit of information. We are so richly blessed to know Him, through Christ, and to sing His praises forever.

1. John 14:2-6

2. Luke 24

3. Luke 23:55 – 24:10

4. Luke 24:36-43

5. Mark16:19; Acts1:9; Acts7:55-56