By Dr. Kerry Knight, Minister, Emerald Beach Church of Christ
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. 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 to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:1-3)
We all seek to look beyond this veil of tears. Is there something better awaiting us? This question is especially pertinent for those who have gone through an enormous amount of physical or emotional pain.
On a lighter note, I’ll never forget how my wife and I felt after a long stay in the Middle East. It was a wonderful tour, but after sixteen days of rushing from place to place, the heat and exhaustion took its toll. As we boarded our final flight back to the States (a 10-hour flight), we didn’t even mind the long flight. WE WERE GOING HOME!
The Bible depicts “heaven” as “going home.” I have stood by the bedside of many church members who were dying. They would often say, “I’m going home.” I knew they weren’t talking about being released from the hospital. It was a much bigger picture than just returning to their earthly home; it was the expectation of going to their heavenly home. Oftentimes, they seemed to have a sense of acceptance, even actual joy. It was the soul’s gladness that God was welcoming them home. Love seemed to be the prevailing emotion. In 1 John 4:18, the writer said, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.”
Heaven is a prepared place for those who love and obey His Will. John again writes, “If you love me you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Jesus, in His final words to His apostles said, “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16). Throughout the Bible, the words “walking with God” appears to be the defending step that announces that we have chosen to remain close to our Lord in this lifetime. Thus we attend services of the Lord’s church regularly, we study our bible to learn more of Him and His Will, and we pray to God always, recognizing that “heaven” is our real Home.
Emerald Beach Church of Christ
301 Alf Coleman Road
RSS
