Is Heaven Real or is it a Myth?

Heaven, Is it Real or Myth?

I want to touch on the subject of Heaven because during the past week or so I had conversations with folks who were having a hard time grasping the fact whether Heaven is real or just a story.

First of all let me say, that a person must have accepted Jesus Christ into their life and fully trust and believe in His word and His promises before one can have his mind and heart opened through the Holy Spirit in order to believe that Heaven is a definite place.

The very fact that Jesus Himself mentions Heaven about seventy times in the Gospel of Matthew alone should be enough to make one believe that Heaven is real.

The word Heaven is mentioned from the very first verse of Genesis to the 21st chapter of Revelation. Fifty four of the sixty six books of the bible speak of Heaven.

After Jesus resurrection Mark 16:19 tells us that Jesus " was received up into Heaven, and sat on the right hand of God."

The book of Hebrews tells us about the Old Testament heroes of faith and their looking forward to someday being in Heaven. Abraham was not just living in a state of mind he looked to the promise spoken of in Hebrews 11:10, “a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." All the heroes of faith looked forward to a better country. Hebrews 11:16, “but now they desire a better country, that is, an Heavenly; wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He hath prepared for them a city."

In John 14:3-4 Jesus told His disciples that He was going to prepare a place for them. “ where I go ye know, and the way ye know." That place Jesus was telling them about is Heaven. Jesus is there now preparing a place for everyone who trust Him as their Lord and Savior, making it ready for our arrival.

Having faith in the promise that Heaven is a real place is very important, but even more important is that we understand what it takes to get there. The only thing that can give us true directions is Christ's Gospel Plan of Salvation. That plan is summed up in these words from Jesus Himself. John 14:6

"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one cometh to the Father, but by Me."

Moses prayed that God would “Look down from Heaven, your Holy dwelling place."

King Solomon prayed, "O, Lord my God, hear from Heaven, your dwelling place."

Abram said, "God most high, Creator of Heaven."

Jesus taught us to pray " Our Father who art in Heaven."

Heaven is a literal place that is occupied by the presence of Almighty God. This should make Heaven the most important destination for all those who love Christ and long to worship and praise Him as their Creator, God, Lord, Father and Savior.

Heaven is the Father’s house. Heaven is the dwelling place of His Son Jesus Christ. Heaven is the city of the living God and all the redeemed. If all this doesn't fill you with excitement, hope, and a strong desire to someday go to that better country, then I strongly urge you to examine where you stand in your relationship with God.

If you truly love Jesus Christ with all your heart, soul, mind and strength you will want to follow Him all the way to that Glorious Place called Heaven.

The belief of heaven has no value if we don't believe in the resurrection of the one who created Heaven and opened the way to everyone who will enter.

There are those who say they strongly doubt that Jesus was raised from the dead and today lives in Heaven. Yet they will read a book written by someone who says he was taken up to heaven and returned, thus bringing them to say, “I now believe in Heaven." They will believe in a man’s vision more than they believe in what God's Holy Word says. My friends, God's Holy Word, the Holy Bible, is our only true guide. The Bible alone leads us to the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Look at what Jesus Himself said ' And no man hath ascended up to Heaven, but He that came down from Heaven, even the Son of Man, who is in Heaven."

So what does Jesus Resurrection have to do with Heaven? Not only does it prove that He was the Son Of God and that there is life after death, but it also assures us that death, our final enemy has been defeated.

The Lord Jesus gave proof of His power over death in the story of Lazarus in the 11th chapter of John when Jesus stood before the tomb where Lazarus was buried and cried with a loud voice, " Lazarus, come forth" and he that was dead walked out of the tomb.

That proved that Jesus has power over death and the truth of this promise to all of us " I am the resurrection and the life, he who believes in me will live even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

In the revelation of Jesus Christ to the apostle John, John is reminding all of us that He was an eye witness to the overall final scene that Jesus reveals to Him about being in Heaven with Christ for eternity. Revelation 21:1

Revelation 21:2 speaks of the new Jerusalem coming down from God out of Heaven. The new Jerusalem will be the dwelling place throughout eternity for the saints of all ages and fulfills the hope of Abraham for the heavenly city, whose builder and maker is God.

Heaven is not just some Beautiful Isle of Somewhere, Heaven is a definite place. The new Jerusalem is the habitation, the eternal home that Jesus has prepared for the church. John 14:2-3 "I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am there ye may be also."

You can rest assured as you pass through this world, it is only a place where we work, eat, sleep and dwell for a short time knowing that Heaven is our real home. The Lord Jesus is there at this moment making everything ready to welcome us home.