Can You See Me From Heaven?
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| This is my desk at the lake. I'm blogging this morning with John and Jesus! |
After our loss, we find ourselves fascinated with the subject of Heaven. It makes sense, right? Our son is there and we miss him. We want to know where he is, what he's doing, and if he can see what's happening here. We want to know if he's enjoying his life, and what his days are filled with. Our fear of death is gone, and we look forward to the day we are reunited in our Heavenly Home. For those of you who have never read or studied about Heaven, I think you'd be amazed at what's in store for believers after our life here is done. It's going to be fantastic.
In looking back, I see once again the hand of God as He - being detailed and thoughtful, put people in our path and paved the way for us to learn more about his residence and what our lives there will look like. It started with a friend mentioning the book "Heaven" by Randy Alcorn. It was several years ago, but I never forgot the book or the author - and it had been in the back of mind all this time. Which is a feat in itself! My memory is not always very good! So fast forward a few years - we experience this devasting loss - and right away, my husband says that he wants to read books about Heaven. So, I logged into my Kindle Unlimited account and started downloading books for him to read. He was looking for the near-death experience books, and believe me, there are thousands.
After he devoured a few of those books, the Randy Alcorn book came to my mind. I thought after what I had heard about it, it might be a good fit. Instead of a story about a NDE (near death experience), it would be a scripturally based book that teaches what the Bible has to say about Heaven. It's a well written and very detailed biblical investigation of Heaven, penned after 25 years of research on the part of the author. I downloaded the book and Brian jumped in. It wasn't a quick read for him this time. In fact, he is still working on it, but he is almost done. He is reading it slowly, reading a lot of it to me, and is asking me a ton of questions. (All those years of Bible study are coming in handy!)
Brian asked me several times to read it too, but I kept declining. My brain has been shrouded in distraction and fog, a side effect of grief they say, and I have had a very hard time concentrating on the written word. In fact, I defaulted to Audible - listening to books that mindlessly entertained, kept my racing thoughts at bay, and helped to put me to sleep at night. Some mornings I'd wake up and find that many chapters had played - and I had slept through them all. Other nights, I laid awake listening to half a book, waiting for sleep that never came.
Anyway, was the reason that the book stayed in my brain simply so Brian could read it? Probably not. I think God knew I'd also benefit from the book and probably needed it just as much as Brian did, whether I was willing or not. So after my refusals to read, he sent another friend who asked me if I'd like to attend a Bible study with her on Tuesday mornings this summer - and the topic is...Heaven. Yep, you guessed it. But it isn't the 556-page book that Brian is reading - it's a 303-page version that Randy Alcorn published after condensing the larger version into 50 days of reading and reflection. It's adorable. In addition to that, it turns out that Randy Alcorn mentored Dr. David Jeremiah on the topic - and Dr. David Jeremiah happens to be one of my favorite teaching pastors, and wouldn't you know, the study leader is using his YouTube videos/audio to supplement the daily reading! Coincidence? I don't think so. I said yes, went to the study, and guys, I have to tell you, I am blown away by what I've been learning!!
Is anyone else preaching on this? Shouldn't we be extremely well versed in what our future is going to look like? The mortality rate is 100% - and we only get two choices of where we spend our afterlife. Heaven, the goal, and super easy to get to . . .and Hell, the default. I'm going to capitalize Heaven and Hell just as Randy Alcorn does because they are actual places.
I'm going to stop here and add links to the books I'm talking about in case you'd like to join me in reading about what will hopefully be your future home!
Click here for:
The 556-page book from Amazon
Click here for:
the 303-page version from Amazon
Okay, let's keep moving! What have I learned that is so fascinating? Well, for one, God made the Earth as a dwelling place for us humans, and He isn't planning on abandoning it. So, we started out this journey on Earth, we'll take a detour to Heaven, and then, we will experience the new Heaven on Earth!
Now in this Present Heaven, our loved ones who died believing in Jesus have temporary bodies. As we see in the previous paragraph, at the resurrection, we will all be reunited with the bodies we were born with. Just remember, they'll be glorified versions - so stop thinking about that cellulite on your thighs! Because you'll love it, it will be perfect. And perfectly you.
Mr. Alcorn also makes a great case for our loved ones in Heaven being able to see and remember at least some of what is going on here with us. There are a few verses in Revelation that point to the inhabitants of Heaven clearly observing what is happening on Earth. The Bible also says Christ and the Angels are aware of what is happening down here - so why wouldn't the rest of Heaven be aware as well? He also points out that Jesus prays for us, intercedes for us to His Father, and if Jesus is praying in Heaven, I can imagine we would be too. In the book, he states "We are never told to pray for the saints (in Heaven), or to the saints, or through the saints, but only to God, through his son. But though we should not pray to the saints the saints may well be praying for us."
This is the picture of Jesus that the 8-year-old Akaine Kramark painted after having visions of Jesus, Heaven, God and the Angels. Such a cool story - check it out. Brian asked for the painting of "Prince of Peace" after reading the book "Heaven Is For Real". It's available on Amazon
He also points out the verse in Luke 15:10 that says "There is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents". Notice he doesn't say the rejoicing is done by the angels, but in the presence of the angels.
So who is doing the rejoicing? Possible the great cloud of witnesses? Those that have gone before? Who would gain more joy at witnessing a loved one coming to Christ then their family & friends in Heaven? They will now be anxiously anticipating that reunion! Or is it possibly John's excitement when he sees that you've given your life to Christ and he will one day be reunited with you in Heaven as well? He and Jesus will have a huge hug for you!
Dr. David Jeremiah does an excellent job of retelling the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16. In the passage, Abraham replies to the rich man after his death, "Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony". In his YouTube audio entitled "Where Are They Now", (To listen click here), Dr. David Jeremiah points out a few very exciting details in this story. First, Jesus tells the story using Lazarus's name, which tells us it's an actual story and not a parable. And it's not the Lazarus he raised from the dead - but another Lazarus who spent his life begging for scraps at the rich man's gate.
So the rich man lived a great life, eating lavishly in his beautiful home and enjoying his days while ignoring the plight of the beggar Lazarus who is sitting at his gate. They both die and the rich man goes to Hell, and Lazarus goes to Heaven (the early version of Heaven called Abraham's Bosom/Paradise). The former rich man is thirsty and he sees Lazarus standing with Abraham. At that time, Heaven and Hell were divided by the "great gap", and those unfortunate souls who got Hell by default, could look up and see Abraham's Bosom/Paradise.
Notice that even in a temporary body, they all know and recognize each other. So, when Abraham says Lazarus will be comforted, he must remember what his life was like on Earth, right? He must remember his plight and how he was treated. Because how can you be comforted for something you have no awareness of? And if the rich man recognizes Abraham and Lazarus, wouldn't we assume the rich man also remembers his former life? Now he realizes how great he had it, and how awful he was to Lazarus. However, he is in agony and asking for a drop of water, while Lazarus is enjoying a beautiful existence in Heaven - still. Revelation 21:1 says "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea." Not only will we be resurrected bodily at the end of this plan of His, but so will planet Earth.
So, what happens when we die? Do we sleep? No. Our soul/spirit is immediately in the presence of God. But where? Well, back in the time of Moses and Abraham, the Bible says they went to Abraham's Bosom/Paradise. That changed after Jesus died and conquered death and the grave. He grabbed them all up and they currently reside in Present or Intermediate Heaven. Heaven is where God's throne is. When we long for Heaven, we long for God/Jesus. To quote the book regarding Present Heaven: "Though it is a wonderful place, and we'll love it there, it is not the place we are ultimately made for, and it is not the place where we will live forever. God has destined his children to live as resurrected beings on a resurrected Earth."
Seriously, I have learned so many wonderful things about Heaven. I won't rewrite his book here for you - but I hope you are picking up on my enthusiasm and want to learn about Heaven for yourself. We cannot imagine how wonderful our life will be when we meet him face to face. And on that day, when He resurrects us all - and the New Heaven and the New Earth are finally our dwelling place for eternity - we will be dancing on the golden streets, and then, and only then, will Revelations 21:4 be true: 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.
We like to use that verse to prove that our loved ones have no idea what is happening on planet Earth because it would cause them pain or sorrow - well, Mr. Alcorn has a theory on that as well, and I think it's very true.
In his book, he says "Many assume that people in Heaven must not be aware of anything on Earth or else they wouldn't be happy. But people in Heaven are not frail beings whose joy can be preserved only by shielding them from what's really going on in the universe! Happiness in Heaven is not based on ignorance, but on perspective. Those in the presence of Christ will share God's perspective. God is full of joy, despite his awareness of what's happening on Earth, and despite his displeasure with certain things on Earth. Surely God's happiness is the prevailing mood of Heaven. We need not assume that happiness in heaven is based on ignorance of Earth."
If you want a book about Heaven that is more of a story, this one is Brian's current favorite. A doctor wrote it about his experiences and his child is married to Steven Curtis Chapman's child. Click here
For those of you that have inquired, here is an update:
Thanks for your continued prayers, for your kindnesses, invites, and for continuing to show the love of Christ through your sweet words and kind deeds. Our hearts are and will remain forever broken. We did get an update on the headstone - possibly August 10th. Dad had another good CT scan and continues with the chemo plan every two weeks. I made a CafePress store in honor of John's memory where you can purchase items if you'd like. It's under the tabs at the top of my blog page. We only marked the items up $1. But anything we raise will be donated to recovery.
It's our prayer that no one else will lose their life. That the addicted will successfully recover and chose life. That all the families involved will have their kids restored to them free of the bonds that enslave them, as is the desire of their hearts I am sure. Our son is no longer addicted to drugs. He's fine now, pain-free, but unfortunately, we won't see him again until we get to Heaven. And while Heaven is something to look forward to, living without your child feels more like Hell.
We don't want that to happen to anyone else. We will continue to speak out on behalf of your children and pray for them. May God heal hearts and minds, rescue the lost and heal their disease, and return them to their families. God Bless. 🐾❤️
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