​Joni Eareckson Tada is a good example of someone who has worked to be a witness of God’s great love through dealing with adversity in her life. Tada had a diving accident at the age of 17 that resulted in her being a quadriplegic in a wheelchair. Since this time she has written books and spoken often about the importance of faith in God. Christian singer Nancy Honeytree wrote a poem called, “Joni’s Waltz,” that describes the mindset Joni has taken driven by her Christian faith. Like Joni Eareckson Tada, we know that in heaven our bodies will be perfect. We can draw on strength from God during our time on earth and trust that God can use any difficulty in our life for good.

​Joni’s Waltz
Though I spend my mortal lifetime in this chair,
I refuse to waste it living in despair.
And though others may receive
Gifts of healing, I believe
That He has given me a gift beyond compare…
 
For heaven is nearer to me,
And at times it is all I can see.
Sweet music I hear
Coming down to my ear;
And I know it’s playing for me.
 
For I am Christ the Savior’s own bride,
And redeemed I shall stand by His side.
He will say, “Shall we dance?”
And our endless romance
Will be worth all the tears I have cried.
  
I rejoice with him whose pain my Savior heals.
And I weep with him who still his anguish feels.
But earthly joys and earthly tears,
Are confined to earthly years,
And a greater good the Word of God reveals.
 
In this life we have a cross that we must bear;
A tiny part of Jesus’ death that we can share.
And one day we’ll lay it down,
For He has promised us a crown,
To which our suffering can never be compared.

References:
Tada, J.E. (2010). Heaven. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
Stohlmann, M. (2020). The world's greatest future. Seattle, WA: KDP.  

Author Anne Graham Lotz’s mom told her a story when she was young to reinforce that we can have 100 percent certainty that heaven is our home. This story is a true story. A young boy who lived in London, England heard that the great American evangelist, Dr. D.L. Moody, was coming to London to preach. The boy walked all the way across the city in order to hear Dr. Moody’s message.

When he drew near to the church, he saw that it was situated on a hill. The sun was setting, and the colors of the sunset were reflected in the multifaceted stained glass windows, making them look as though they were glowing. The sound of hundreds of voices joined by a powerful pipe organ drifted toward him. The church looked and sounded like heaven to him. He forgot how tired he was, and he ran all the way up the long granite staircase that led to the front door.

 As he reached the main door, a big hand grasped him firmly by the shoulder and spun him around. “What do you think you’re doing, laddie?” demanded a tall, severe-looking deacon.

The little boy told him he had walked all the way across the city in order to hear Dr. Moody. The keeper of the door looked the little boy up and down from head to toe, taking in the uncombed hair, the unwashed face, the dirty feet, and the unclean clothes. He then retorted, “Not you, sonny. You’re too dirty to go inside. Be gone.”

The little boy threw his head back, squared his shoulders, and set off with a determined gait to find another way inside the church. But the other doors were locked and the windows were too high to climb through. Dejected, he went back to the front steps, sat down, and began to cry.

Just then he was distracted by a carriage that pulled up to the foot of the steps. Out bounded a distinguished-looking gentleman who marched quickly up the steps. He stopped when he came near to the little boy, noticing his tear-streaked face. “What’s the matter, son?” he inquired. The little boy explained that he had walked all the way across London to hear Dr. Moody, only to find out he was too dirty to go inside the church. The gentlemen looked at him kindly, then extended his hand. “Here. Put your hand in mine.” The boy thought about it for a moment, then he slipped his little hand into the big man’s grasp.

Hand in hand they walked up the steps of the church. When they came to the door that had previously been shut to the little boy, it was flung wide open. Hand in hand the big man and the little boy walked down the center aisle. When they came to the front row, the gentleman instructed the boy to have a seat in the pew. The man then walked up to the platform, into the pulpit and began to preach. The man was Dr. D. L. Moody!

The only way the boy got inside that church was because he was holding Dr. Moody’s hand. In the same way, the only reason anyone—whether it’s you or I or Billy Graham or Mother Teresa or a murderer on death row or an alcoholic in the gutter—the only reason anyone gets into heaven is because that person is holding the hand of Jesus. Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6.

Jesus extends his hand to you and to me and to everyone at the cross. He invites us to come home with Him into His Father’s house. When the time comes for our life to end, the gates of heaven will be flung open. We will be welcomed into heaven because Jesus will carry us home and He has us in the strong grip of His grace.

What must we do to get to heaven? Just put our faith in God who saves us and freely gives us eternal life in heaven. Always remember the following. Jesus is in heaven preparing a place for you. You get to live there forever. It is going to be more wonderful than you can possibly imagine!  You can have full confidence in this! Heaven is your eternal home! Jesus has promised this and He always keeps His Word!
 
References:
 Lotz, A. (2014). Heaven: My Father’s house. Nashville, TN; Thomas Nelson.
Stohlmann, M. (2020). The world's greatest future. Seattle, WA: KDP. 

Christians are saved by grace. Grace is unmerited love and favor given to us by God. Max Lucado describes it this way, “Jesus: Five letters. Six hours. One cross. Three nails. We live because he does, hope because he works, and matter because he matters. To be saved by grace is to be saved by him.” God’s grace and forgiveness is a marvelous gift to us. The wonderful hymn, “Grace Greater than Our Sin,” summarizes it well.

​There is nothing we can do earn to heaven. We need to just believe in Jesus as our Savior. God freely gives us His grace. Poet Deborah Ann Belka has a poem that describes the view that Christians can take.

There’s Nothing I Can Do

There is nothing I can do,
no magic door to enter in
if I want to get to heaven
there’s no lottery, I can win.
 
There is nothing I can do,
I couldn’t purchase my way
Even if I had a trillion dollars
To compensate for my stay.
 
There is nothing I can do,
to reserve a room for me
none of my works on earth
comes with such a guarantee.
 
There is nothing I can do,
 to enter God’s kingdom
no way for me to earn
the access or the freedom.
 
There is nothing I can do,
for Jesus paid the full price.
I believe He died for my sins
that’s all I need to suffice!

References:
Lucado, M. (2020). Jesus. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.
Johnston, J. (1911). “Grace Greater Than Our Sin.”
Belka, A. (2014). “There’s nothing I can do.” Retrieved from https://www.christart.com/poetry/poem/1150
Stohlmann, M. (2020). The world's greatest future. ​Seattle, WA: KDP. 

Because of our sins, we deserve death. Jesus took the punishment for all of our sins by dying on the cross. When Jesus uttered His last words on the cross, “It is finished” (John 19:30), He was letting all know that the debt had been paid in full. The Greek word translated, “it is finished”, is tetelestai, which means paid in full. Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice and glorious resurrection three days later accomplished what no human was capable of doing. Jesus washed away all our sins so that we might receive the righteousness of God. “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter 2:24. Jesus rescued us so that we could be children of God. Praise be to Jesus for His amazing love and sacrifice for us!

A great hymn to sing and remember is, “Jesus Paid it All.” The lyrics have a good connection with Isaiah 1:18 and how we need to solely rely on Christ for salvation. “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” Isaiah 1:18.

Jesus Paid it All

I hear the Savior say,
“Thy strength indeed is small,
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.”

Refrain:
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

Lord, now indeed I find
Thy pow’r, and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone.

For nothing good have I
Where-by Thy grace to claim;
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.
 
And when, before the throne,
I stand in Him complete,
“Jesus died my soul to save,”
My lips shall still repeat.
​

References:
Stohlmann, M. (2020). The world's greatest future. Seattle, WA: KDP.
Hall,  E. (1865). “Jesus Paid it All.”

​There is a joke about a man who dies and goes to the gates of heaven. The Apostle Peter meets him at the pearly gates and tells the man, “Here’s how it works. You need 100 points to make it into heaven. You can tell me all the good things you’ve done, and I give you a certain number of points for each item, depending on how good it was. When you reach 100 points, you get in.”
                "Okay," the man says, "I was married to the same woman for 50 years and never cheated on her, even in my heart."
                 "That's wonderful," says Peter, "that's worth three points!"
             "Three points?" the man stated confused. "Well here’s more, I attended church all my life and supported its ministry with my tithe and service."
                 "Terrific!" says Peter, "that's certainly worth two points."
            "Two points? How about this: I started a soup kitchen in my city and worked in a shelter for homeless veterans."
                 "Fantastic, that's good for two more points," notes Peter.
            "TWO POINTS!!" the man cries, "At this rate the only way I get into heaven is by the grace of God!"
                   "Come on in!" exclaimed Peter.

This made-up story illustrates the amazing blessing of being a Christian. We receive eternal life in heaven not based on our good deeds but solely by the grace of God through belief in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Ephesians 2:8-9 states this well. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. We do good works in response to God’s love, not to earn salvation.    

All other religions are works-based. People have to do enough of the right things to avoid punishment. Christianity is grace-based. Those who are unfamiliar with Christianity or new to Christianity can find this hard to comprehend. I went to a concert several years ago and the singer talked a little bit before singing a song about love. He described that, “The number of teeth on a shark is equal to the number of seeds on a strawberry which is the same as the number of seams on a baseball.” He then followed that up by noting, “That is not true, but love does not always make sense either.”

​God is all powerful and perfect. We are weak and sinful. It does not make sense that God would love us so much. Yet, God showed His amazing love to us by sending Jesus to earth to pay the price for our sins. We deserve death, but instead Jesus died in our place. Jesus rose from the dead and defeated death and the devil for all time! We now have been freely given eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23. This is Good News that we should talk about, share, and discuss often.
Reference
Stohlmann, M.  (2020). The world's greatest future. ​Seattle, WA:  KDP.

God’s promises do not change so we can trust that His wonderful promise of eternal life in heaven will never be taken away. Hebrews 13:8 provides this reassurance. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. In a changing world, we can draw great hope and strength in our unchanging God.

There was an old retired music professor who moved into an apartment. Every day, one of his neighbors, a young man in his twenties would check in on the professor. He would always ask, “What’s the good word of the day?” The professor would then always pull out his tuning fork and hit the metal part of his wheelchair with it. He would then put the tuning fork up to his ear and say, “That is a middle C. The piano above is out of tune and the singer below us sings flat, but that is a middle C.”

It is good to have things that are consistent in our lives. Things that we can depend on, don’t change, and that we can trust. God is that middle C in our lives. He is always the same. He does not change. He is dependable. He does what He promises.

A man was eating at a restaurant and it came time to pay. He asked for the bill and was surprised to hear that the bill was covered. The server simply stated, “He took care of it,” pointing at a man at a nearby table. When judgement day comes, we will be held accountable for all of our sins. It is not something to fear though. When it comes time to be judged for our sins, there will be no record of them. We know that we can point at Jesus and say, “He took care of it.” Jesus is our Savior who takes away the sins of the world!

There is an old saying that Christianity promises you two things; that your life will have meaning and that you will live forever. And if you get a better offer, you should take it. There will never be a better offer. Jesus paid the price for our sins through his death and glorious resurrection three days later. His great love for us provides us eternal life in heaven!
​
As Christians, we know the Good News that leads to eternal salvation. English physicist, Michael Faraday, clearly states this belief drawing on the beautiful words of Job 19:25-27. Heaven is real! “Speculations? I know nothing about speculations. I’m resting on certainties. I know that my Redeemer lives, and because He lives, I shall live also.”

​I know that my redeemer lives,
and that in the end he will stand on the earth.
And after my skin has been destroyed,
yet in my flesh I will see God;
I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!
Job 19:25-27

Reference:
Stohlmann, M. (2020). The world's greatest future. Seattle, WA: KDP. 

When something is mentioned twice in the Bible it is important, even more so the more times it is mentioned. The Bible has over 500 references to heaven! God wants us to know that He has our future in His hands. Our future is wonderful, great, and will be beyond our imagination!

Consider this glimpse into life in heaven. In heaven there is no more suffering or death or mourning or crying or pain (Revelation 21:4). In heaven there is absolute safety and eternal security within the high, thick walls (Revelation 21:12,17). Heaven is a home that is stable and unshakable with firm foundations (Revelation 21:14). In heaven there is no more night or darkness (Revelation 21:25). Heaven is where God’s people gather to worship Him forever and ever (Revelation 7:9). In heaven we will serve God and see His face (Revelation 22:4). We will have a relationship with God that is pure and perfect without any sin (Revelation 21:5). Certainly this is the greatest future!

In our time on earth we can keep our focus on God, His love, and the sure promise of heaven. We need to avoid being impacted by worldly influences. In the movie, Collateral Beauty, Will Smith plays a character that is a successful advertising executive. He describes that to get people to buy something you need to remember three things: love, time, and death. Everyone is looking for love each day, they want more time, and are afraid of death. That is what you tap into in order to sell things to people.

Christians know that there is nothing that you can buy that will have a permanent impact on love, time, and a fear of death. The best way to take care of all three is to keep our hearts and minds fixed on God. God loves us with a self-sacrificing, unending love. God loves us so much that He gives us the free gift of eternal life in heaven with Him. In heaven, we will have unlimited time as we will live for eternity with God. Because of this, we have no need to fear death. When our time on earth is complete, we will be welcomed into heaven with open arms. You might say this is the most successful advertising campaign ever. It is a message that has connected with billions of people. The message has power because it is from God. His Word is trustworthy and true.
​
Since heaven will be beyond our imagination there are many things about heaven that we do not know. We can trust that God is all-knowing and wants only the best for us. Seventeenth century pastor Richard Baxter adeptly describes what our mindset to heaven can be.
​

​Reference
Stohlmann,  M. (2020). The world's greatest future. Seattle, WA: KDP. 

What does my future hold? This is a common question that many people wonder about. You may have thought about the following questions at some point in your life. Where will I live? What job will I have? Who will I marry? Will I be healthy? Will my friends stay the same? Some questions are more immediate in regards to the current day. Will my presentation go well? Will I do well in my interview? Will I get good results from my test? No matter if it is thinking about what will happen in the next couple of hours or what will happen years from now, we like to know that our future looks promising. 

People often try to plan for what the future will bring and also try to make the right decisions so they can have the best future. Making plans can help us feel better because we do not really know what the future holds. Having an uncertain future can create stress and anxiety.

Christians know that there is only one person that knows the future for certain and that is God. Christians can have confidence that God will guide, direct, and protect us in our time on earth. We may not be sure of our own plan for life and what it will bring, but we can draw strength from God’s promise that He has a plan for us. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11. This can provide us great encouragement to show God's love to others and do our best to give glory to God in all we do. 

God has a plan for you today, tomorrow, and in to your future. He always has something for you; a key for every problem, a light for every shadow, a relief for every sorrow, and a plan for every tomorrow. We may not know what our earthly future will hold, but every Christian has the joy and certain hope of life everlasting in heaven!

God provides us with the world’s greatest future. There is nothing that can compare on earth with what we will experience in heaven. God has promised that He is preparing a place for you and me. In heaven there will be no more sin, suffering, or sadness. Our bodies will be transformed with no weaknesses or diseases. This promised future of our permanent home in heaven brings great joy and anticipation! But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. Philippians 3:20-21.

Reference
Stohlmann, M. (2020). The world's greatest future. Seattle, WA: KDP. 

Always remember that God is greater than we can imagine. Nothing is beyond his ability; whether it is a problem to solve, relationships to heal, or sins to forgive. God has the power to create and sustain the universe. He can provide healing and restoration for us. ​

Reference: 
Groeschel, C. (2018). Hope in the dark. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Even though God is our light for the way, that does not mean our decisions in life will always be clear. There are often times when we want something in life—a new job, a family, a spouse, a house, new friends, less stress, relief, recovery, or removal from illness or disease. When it seems like God is not listening, be completely assured that He knows our needs and desires and is working for what is best for us in our lives. Through any situation in life, we can continue to rely on God, stay in His Word, and do our best to follow His will for our lives in our decisions.

There are multiple verses in the Bible that state the importance of waiting for the Lord. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:14. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him. Psalm 37:7a. While we are waiting for the second coming of Jesus, the verses can also remind us to have peace about our current situations. No matter what our circumstances, we have God and that is enough. That does not mean that we should not have tenacity to pursue dreams that we feel God is leading us to pursue. Waiting does not have to be inactivity, but a sustained focus on God through prayer and belief. It is being optimistic about the future, not focused on worry, but on the glorious inheritance that awaits us in heaven and the wonderful life that we can have on earth doing the Lord’s work.

Reference
Stohlmann, M. (2017). The world's greatest provider. Seattle, WA: CreateSpace.