Heaven Around Us

"We should expect to see what He sees."

JESUS BROUGHT HEAVEN to earth so that we'd have a vision of heaven. He wanted to make heaven real to us. Men have painted false visions of heaven. As my mom would say, "Based upon no facts at all." Angels are depicted as women, which is untrue. All angels of any status or social order are male. There are not any female or cherubic angels. Woman was made specifically for man. She is his gift, and he is her strength and certainty. Other pictures of heaven are drawn from earthly desires, from sexual lust and physical greed. These pictures come from the devil who saw heaven and desired to control it. Heaven is a place of reward but not of social class, where some are poor while others are rich. It is not "all about me" at all but is, instead, God’s generous heart for those who have salvation.

God’s heart for us to have the fullness of His goodness in heaven spills over into our lives on earth. We are not meant to suffer on earth with anything He gives us in heaven. Our only suffering here comes from persecution by those "led by the nose" after the devil and from our submission to obey God’s work in us. Sometimes what He asks us to do we hesitate to do. But know this for sure—He never asks us to be sick in any manner nor to be poor. Heaven's streets are solid gold; and the authority of heaven works in us, and the wisdom of heaven comes in fullness. The power of heaven that raised Jesus from death is the Holy Spirit within us and upon us like at Pentecost.

“Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes.” (Psalms 119:68)

“But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” (Romans 8:11)

I have closed the door to any more physical illness in my life. Not even the rumored problems of aging have a place. I grow older. That is not my point nor am I that foolish, but the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart will not speak nor accept any thoughts of mental or physical troubles (Psalm 19:14). I choose to walk close to God. It is our mouths that get us into trouble. The devil is all talk. He is incessant and every word is rife with jealousy and envy and spite. We just usually don't see what we say as coming straight from him. We speak mental diagnosis over our children and over ourselves as we age that comes straight from hell and is not a product of heaven.

Jesus has lifted us up to His level. We are seated with Him in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6). We are meant to live like it and to see what He sees. We should expect to see what He sees. Because He is in us, we can expect to see heaven all around us. Some have seen angels. The writer of Hebrews said some have entertained angels without knowing it (Hebrews 13:2). Some have seen the presence of God as a mist or smoke or light. Some have heard God’s voice. I have spoken to the Father who sounds distinct from the Son and the Spirit. We should desire all that He wishes to bless us with. But our hunger is for Him, our love is for Him. It is because we keep ourselves close to Him that we see these manifestations.

The gifts of the Spirit are better called manifestations. They are different methods He speaks and reveals knowledge. The apostle Paul's point in delineating them in 1 Corinthians 12 was the unity of believers and not competition. Nor criticism, as some choose to do. Believing any child of God is wrong in their beliefs should send us to prayer and blessing for them. That should be how we react. For if I bless that one then they will come to know truth and be led away from misinformation. It pays to ask yourself how Jesus would speak to them. This will always stop us in our tracks if we truly know Him.

He came from heaven to bring us heaven and lead us from temptation brought by evil into His glorious light. And that is where I choose to remain, here and now, until the day I see Him face-to-face in heaven. How beautiful that will be.

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be encumbered once more by a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1 BSB)

“The entire law is fulfilled in a single decree: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' But if you keep on biting and devouring one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.” (Galatians 5:14-15 BSB)

“I press forward, constantly toward the goal of Christlike perfection—one day to experience the ultimate prize for which God has called me heavenward—the joy of seeing him face to face.” (Philippians 3:14, Remedy)

“But our minds and hearts—our very citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await the return from heaven of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” (Philippians 3:20, Remedy)

Image by Gianluca from Pixabay


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Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.suzannedwilliams.com
www.feelgoodromance.com