Daily Encounter: A Week-day Devotional by a staff of ACTS International.

Monday, November 14, 2011

You may have seen the video of the blind man sitting by the wayside with a sign that said, "I'M BLIND PLEASE HELP." He received very few coins. A lady walked by and, when passing, glanced at the blind man's sign. After taking a few steps, she turned back and re-wrote the man's sign without saying a word and went on her way. Soon endless passerby people were donating coins. When returning, the lady who re-wrote the sign stopped to see how the blind man was faring. He asked enquiringly, "What did you write on my sign?" She simply said, "I wrote the same but in different words." She had written, "IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY AND I CAN'T SEE IT." Her "vision" changed this man's world and life.

This brings to mind how many people we pass by every day that are totally blind spiritually and cannot "see" Heaven, most of whom don't wear a sign to ask for help, let alone having a sign that says: "Heaven is beautiful and I can't see it."

So let me share with you how God in his Word, the Bible, has painted a beautiful picture of Heaven that the mind's eye, when opened, can clearly see.

No more hunger or sadness: "Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them, nor any scorching heat…. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."¹

No more death, grieving, crying or pain: "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. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 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.' 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."²

Beauty beyond compare: "The wall [of Heaven] was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.

"I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's [Jesus Christ's] book of life."³

Jesus himself made many references about heaven. The Apostle Paul and several of Jesus' disciples also wrote about heaven. In fact, in the New Testament section of God's Word, the Bible, there are 237 references relating to Heaven. There are many more in the Old Testament section of the Bible. Rest assured, God himself repeatedly  validates Heaven.

The critical issue is, are you ready to literally see Heaven from within when your life's journey on earth is finished? God's Word makes it plain that there are only two places where we will spend eternity after deathâ€"either with God in Heaven or in Hell with Satan and his evil demons. We need to make sure we make our choice today as to where we want to spend eternity. Heaven is beautiful so make absolute sure you get to see it. To make absolutely sure that you do, be sure to make peace with God today. For help go to: http://tinyurl.com/find-peace.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, Thank you for the promise in your Word that assures all your true followers that there is a Heaven that is beyond all beauty we can ever imagine, and that because of your free pardon for all my sins you have guaranteed me a home in Heaven to be with you for all eternity. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus' name, amen."

1. Revelation 7:16-17 (NIV).
2. Revelation 21:1-4 (NIV).
3. Revelation 21:18-27 (NIV).

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