Influencers Weekly Devotional- Being Prepared For Heaven

Being Prepared for Heaven   by   Rocky Fleming     “But, on the contrary, as the Scripture says, What eye has not seen and ear has not heard and has not entered into the heart of man, [all that] God has prepared (made and keeps ready) for those who love Him [who hold Him in affectionate reverence, promptly obeying Him and gratefully recognizing the benefits He has bestowed].” 1 Corinthians 2: 9 (AMP)     This morning as I was riding into town to meet my brothers for our early morning prayer time, my mind went to Heaven.  What I mean to say is I had thoughts about Heaven and what it would be like.  Now I must say I am cloudy on what it will be like.  There are scriptures and thoughts about Heaven in the Bible.  Jesus spoke about Heaven and gave us a little taste on what it will be like.  There are books and conjecture about Heaven.  Randy Alcorn wrote about the best book I’ve read on Heaven called appropriately, Heaven.  He says there is more said in the Bible about Heaven and what it will be like than we realize.  I know when I read his book, it encouraged me greatly.  However, I still only see Heaven vaguely.  But I do see it with joy … with hope … with anticipation …, and yet with only enough information to cause me to ask more questions about it, and I think I know why.   Some time ago I heard someone say, “We can be so heavenly minded that we are no earthly good”, and that begs the question, “Do you think God knows this and that is why He has not revealed more of what Heaven is like to us for that reason?”  I think that if we only knew what was stored up for us, we couldn’t be content with this life and we would spend our life simply wanting to get through it and to the next one.  Romans 8:19 speaks of a “longing” in creation for those who will be revealed as sons of God.  This tells me there is a “heaven factor” in mankind that tells us that there is something more, something better, something that will be our destiny, provided we are invited and we accept God’s invitation through the Bridge to mankind God has built through Jesus Christ.  We long for Heaven, and the better we can see it the more we want it.   A couple weeks ago, I was closer to Heaven’s gates than I realized at the time.  I had peace.  I had joy.  I had my customary view that like Paul said, “For me, living is Christ and dying is gain.”  I have had that view for a while.  Therefore I realize that I have a good enough view of Heaven to make me look beyond death and with joy to that glorious place.  But there is something else going on in my point of view, and I believe it is the view Christ would have me have.  It is to ask myself the question, “Do I have anything left in me to give for my King?”  The answer to that question is a resounding “YES!”  I do have more to give, and there is more that I need to give … which always brings me back to the will and purpose of my King.  As long as I am still alive, I have a purpose, and that purpose is to do the will of the Father.  But the next question I’ve asked lately is, “Am I being prepared for Heaven.”   Jesus said in John 14:3, “When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am” (NLT). He said “When everything is ready,” and everything could mean several things. I think most often we think He is talking about Heaven being prepared for us. But we know what he did in the six days of creation, so just ask yourself if He needs over two thousand years to prepare Heaven for us, unless heaven includes more than just His place. Could the preparation of heaven also include preparing His Bride for Heaven? Think about it. Just as surely as Jesus is preparing Heaven for you, could He also be preparing you for Heaven?   I have only my thoughts on this and not a lot of scripture or commentary to reference, so what I say is simply how I am beginning to see my destination with Heaven with my sacred responsibility with life. But I have come to conclude that Heaven is a literal place where we will live with Jesus Christ, and there will be a divine purpose for why we are there. But what will that purpose be? I do not know the answer. I have a strong conviction that we will be part of something big that we will do with Jesus. He has the whole of His creation to work with, and we may very well play a part in His continued work throughout the Universe? If that is true that is something that excites me. But who knows? We only know that Heaven awaits God’s family for its occupancy, and that is why he has put a longing in us for it.   Now here's a question you might want to ponder. “If God is preparing His family, and especially His men for Heaven, how do you think He would do it?” Would it not be to make us more Christ-like, for it will be God's forgiven family taking on the likeness of Jesus who will be walking the streets of Heaven? Would this preparation not start while we are alive? How would this preparation help us grow as disciples and our service for the Lord's interests? Would it not be to help us gain Heaven’s perspective, and to be separated from the earthbound perspective that is introduced to us from the day of our birth? Would it not be that God allows trials, and challenges that challenge our earthly perspective, and to tear down our idols, and by doing so build our faith and open our eyes to God’s glory? Have you ever thought that as surely as Jesus has prepared a place for you in Heaven, He is preparing you for that place? Have you ever thought that He is involved with you on a much deeper level, and you have a much deeper purpose than you realize? I don’t know about you, but that is an exciting and exhilarating thought to me, to realize that God is preparing me for something magnificent that he wants me to join Him in. I can really get into that.   The thought that I am being prepared for Heaven makes me want to not give up on life and to instead stay and tough out this life. Sure, it is full of pains and challenges. But, it is also full of God’s grace and purpose as well. We have much to look forward to in Heaven, much more than we can even imagine. It will surely come. But there is much that God wants to do in a man who is willing to say, “Prepare me Lord to do your will, and I will follow you through this life and into the next one.” When we abandon our rights to our self to God, we also abandon a life that could be wasted with empty pursuits, and one that has no eternal purpose. When we give our life to God in this manner, He will be faithful to use it to His glory and His purpose. You can count on it. So today, right now, you can take a step closer to Heaven on earth by allowing God to create in you a man who is ready for what is ahead in this life and the one to come. Let Him have His way with you, and you will be fully prepared and equipped for both Heaven and earth.   Can I get an “amen I'm in” on this Brothers?