Let’s Talk About Heaven | What We Need to Know

Today's episode of a new beginning is brought to you by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God. Learn more@harness.org and while you're there, browse our library and free e-books designed to help you grow in your faith is one out of every one for the high life of your life was a long, long, so we need to know about a new beginning for Greg Laurie help us learn more about the future destination every true believer in Jesus Christ as a whole person is supernatural, certain below.

Whatever 7000 moving away when we move we try to find out details about our new home today on a new beginning for Greg Laurie provide some details about our eternal home.

The Bible gives a more detailed and you may be aware, none of us knows are moving good idea to get that information now very about heaven because out of the subject. I love to talk about that topic.

The Bible addresses many many many times that heaven is a place that we all need to know about because it were a Christian. That's a really end up one day and you want to be ready for your gonna take a trip you want to know a little bit about where you're going, you know what close.

Do I take with the good place to eat. Where should I stay what site should I go see you we prepare ourselves for a trip that we take. Well, we want to be prepared for heaven, because heaven is a prepared place for prepared people.

So let's talk about heaven you turn the Colossians chapter 3 tonight turn over there with me if you would Colossians chapter 3 heard about an 85-year-old couple who had been married for almost 60 years who incredibly died on the same day they been in good health. Actually, for the last 10 years mainly as a result of the wife's interest in health food and exercise so they reach the pearly gates in the matter course by St. Peter and he takes them to their brand-new mansion waiting for them in heaven, it's equipped with a beautiful kitchen. The master bath suite and a sauna and Jacuzzi at sertraline and online. The old man says to Peter how much is this going to cost Peter says the cost anything man. This is evident and then they looked out of their backyard and it's a championship golf course that changes every day resembling one of the great golf courses on planet Earth and the old man says one of the green fees. Peter says there's no green fees kids have and everything is free. Then they take the couple to this massive buffet lunch and have all the food that the old man wanted to eat but couldn't eat Mexican food, Italian food nachos with lots of cheese pizza, hamburgers, all that good stuff that's.

I like to buy the way and the old guys looking at all of this food and he says well worth the low-fat and low-cholesterol tables. Peter says that's the great thing we don't have low-fat tables. We don't have low-cholesterol eat whatever you want and you never get fat and you never get sick without the old bed take this out of throws out on the ground that start stomping on it and Peter and his wife are looking like what is wrong with you. This is what what is happening. He looks at the wife and he says this is your fault. He says if you hadn't been feeding me those blasted bran muffin for the last 10 years I would've been here sooner is a two-story, it's also about you, but heaven, of course, is no joke. It's a real place. As I said, for real people to do real things now how many of you believe in heaven raising you believe in heaven right okay well most Americans actually do believe in a place called heaven.

81% of the stocks are a little lower for hell, 69% believe in a place called hell. But I think deep down inside we long for a place we've never been to before you ever traveled for a while, especially overseas and found yourself really homesick wanting to get home again, especially those that serve in the Armed Forces are those that do business overseas. They can wait to get back home again. I think deep down inside, God is prewired us to be homesick for a place we've never been to before and that place is heaven.

We long for the Bible even tells us over in Ecclesiastes 311 that God has said eternity in our hearts. It was Augustine who said quote you form this for yourself and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you, the great writer CS Lewis.

Speaking of heaven, said it was this secret signature of each soul. Lewis continues have been times when I think we do not desire heaven, but more often I find myself wondering whether in our heart of hearts if we have ever desired anything else. It's a secret signature of each soul. The incommunicable and on a peaceable want." I love that that it's his longing deep inside of us like the story of a little boy who was flying the sky and I went up higher and higher in soon. You couldn't see that was obscured by the cloud and someone said boy, how do you know that kite still up there the little guy said I can still feel it's Todd and I think deep down inside we feel the tug of heaven goes back to our childhood. I think even our excitement about Christmas and away as a longing for heaven. There's something about Christmas. Apart from all the commercialism of it and also apart from the fact that it starts in August.

Now that there really is a glimpse of heaven is not all the beautiful lights, the Angels, the beautiful songs like I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus know about those once a beautiful Christmas songs that we sing and it's just like a little glimpse of heaven. It sort of like a promise record Christmas cannot deliver on the promise, but Christ can in heaven can in the Bible teaches that when a Christian dies they go straight to heaven. Now I came across an atheist website a while ago. I don't usually read that many atheist websites, but from time to time of check-in and what other people are saying and it turns out that they were quoting something I said on their atheist website and here's what it said they quoted me rightly with these words, they said that I said quote when a Christian dies.

It's a direct flight to heaven. There are no stopovers. The moment we take our last breath on earth. We take our first breath. In heaven we go in the presence of God exactly what I said they were outraged by this and here was a response.

Going to heaven after death is assumed not only does he start with this unsubstantiated and onerous assumption, but he goes on a more detail about the precise state of affairs that take place in heaven. Once you arrive and what evidence does Greg Laurie have both of these claims. Nothing at all just a bunch of Bible quotes. That's right, just a bunch of Bible quote by the way, I love the I stand by that.

That's right, just a bunch of Bible quotes I'm building everything I believe I just a bunch of Bible quotes I'm building my hope on Jesus Christ. What he tells me in his word, no listen I don't expect EPS to understand the hope of a Christian it's hard for them to wrap your mind around the fact that we have such a strong hope that this is something that God gives to us isn't it. It's a quiet confidence. It's a supernatural certainty and where we find this hope we find it from Scripture or is he atheist website, said a bunch of Bible quotes.

That's why it's a good thing to memorize the Bible and pull your mind with what the Bible says in the Bible actually has a lot to say about heaven that someone 19 says you are my refuge, my shield, your word is my only source of hope. That's one of the reasons the Scripture was given to us to begin with, to give us hope. Romans 15 for says such things were written in the Scriptures long ago did teach us. They give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God's promises by the way, the word that is used there were, hope is a word that can be translated a strong and confident expectation will have that I have the hope that one day I will go to heaven or Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message just a moment, emails, letters and phone calls from listeners are so encouraging to us and they let us know the effectiveness of these studies, Pastor Greg, I wanted to relate an extraordinary experience. My Bible study group shared recently. We are studying your tell someone online class material and had come to me called, what is the gospel. Our usual study leader was ill and asked me to lead the group of 15 or 20, which by the way, includes two very experienced pastors.

I was hesitant and felt very insecure, but agreed to fill in. Just as we were getting started. A young lady walked into the meeting room and sat down to join us. I not seen her church for several years and to my delight, she participated in the discussions and soak in the message of the gospel as you presented afterward, while we were enjoying refreshments. I noticed that our pastor and the young lady were talking off to the side and within a few minutes. He announced to the group that she accepted Christ. Right then and there. We were able to live or congratulate her and welcome her and then we found just the right resources that she might need and began to get connected with other believers. Pastor Greg, I'm so thankful that you included that chapter was exactly what this young lady here.

Thank you and your team at harvest, for all that you do. What an encouraging story of how God's word touch this young woman's life.

If you or someone you know have their life changed because of the Ministry of harvest, would you let Pastor Greg know just drop him an email.

great@harvest.org again, that's great@harvest.org and check out all of Pastor Greg's free online courses at courses.harvest.orgy will you join us for Pastor Greg's message called lunch talk about heaven part one of his us in a TV interview a while ago by the interviewer what you talk about heaven all the times that I noticed in your sermons. I'll see you on TV or hear you on the radio and you're always talking about heaven and I thought really well good thing to be always talking about. I wasn't aware that but I'm not embarrassed by that are ashamed of that because really when it said and done.

What's more important than that, the more we spend our eternal destiny and I want to do everything to help you, your relationship with God and find that beautiful and meaningful relationship he has for you on this earth. But when it's all said and done the statistics on death are quite impressive.

One out of every one prisons will die. And then there's the afterlife in the afterlife last a lot longer than this life on earth that we should call our time on earth. The before life. We put so much focus on the afterlife know the before life is short, the afterlife is forever. Yes, it's true, I admitted I wanted to get as many people to heaven with me as I possibly can.

And so we need to know about half have always studied haven't always been fascinated by.

I wouldn't say I'm an expert on it at all, but I would say am a student of it and I probably became greater student of it. No doubt in 2008 when my son went to heaven he beat me to heaven.

My son Christopher was 33 at the time. Now Christopher and I used to race each other on the beach and he was a runner. He was out in track and field is very good but I was okay as a runner in high school and so I was a bit younger and so we be on the beach and I brace him all the time, I'd say let's raise to that mark down there and you know what I was better at short distance and he was better long distance so I always pick a distance. It favored me right because I would run out of steam quicker than he would let friend about markets up, ready doughnut, you would run and I get ahead of him and IBG again. Even Mimi had one day while walking on the beach. Is it okay I picked a spot. Let's go Newmarket said going off we went in. He beat me finally happened that happen in life to it. I expected that I would go way before him to heaven. In fact, written on his tombstone are the words I fought the good fight, I kept the faith. I finish the course and that is what were all going to do when we don't know how long the course will be some of us may run that course for 8595 years.

Some of us may run that course for 45 years. Some of us may run the course for 18 years. Some may run it for 33 years. Likewise, and we don't know none of us know. That's why we want to run as well as we can and as hard as we can while we can, because one day will be our last day and there were an eternity and then were standing before the Lord. So what is heaven like let's talk about that a little bit here in Colossians chapter 3 and read two verses. Since then, you've been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. There so we are to set our hearts. We are to set our minds on things above.

This phrase set your mind to be translated. Think, or more thoroughly, have this inner disposition.

Let me put it another way versus actually saying simply think heaven think heaven that something were all supposed to do as Christians and by the way, the verb that used in this verse is in the present tense. So to be translated. Keep thinking heaven, or keep thinking about heaven, or keep seeking heaven put it all together and think constantly be seeking and thinking about heaven. You see her feet must be on earth, but our minds and our hearts can be in heaven but if were honest many of us have gone an entire day without a single thought about heaven. That's not a good thing we should always be thinking about it. Warren wears be a great Bible commentator said, quote for the Christian heaven isn't simply a destination. It's a motivation is a okay will that that's fine but you know how to weigh think about a place I've never been to before. Otto I wrap my mind around the place.

I know so little about what you need to learn about heaven and see what the Bible says about Scripture because when you're thinking about heaven and you're seeking heaven. You will be a heavenly minded person in the best sense of that phrase.

I know it's used to critique people all there so heavenly minded. There are no earthly good and I know a lot of people are so overtly minor there no heavenly good and I think of your heavenly minded in the right way, you'll be of the greatest earthly good fact of the matter is those that think the most of the do the most in this one because of I believe there's an afterlife, and I believe there's a reward waiting for me for my people is what they make me want to serve the Lord, and of I believe in an afterlife and I believe there's a potential judgment for me more that make you want to fear God and avoid sin. So you see him. I believe in the afterlife affects me in this life, but on the other. Again, I don't believe there's a reward waiting. Why do anything for anyone but me. If I don't think there's a future judgment out there, why can't I do whatever the heck I want to do to whoever I want to do it to because know me know. Eternal repercussion so as you can see your thinking about the afterlife, has a dramatic effect on you in this life. So let's just start with what is heaven. What is while it's the dwelling place of God.

All right where is heaven well we know it's up. We know that there is 1/3 heaven of the Bible talks about three heavens and the first heaven would just be basically walk outside to look up to see the sky. The second heaven would be the solar system and the third heaven is that supernatural room, but it may be closer than we think. We think it's so far away you know maybe it's just right next to us in a way it's really another dimension. You see, right now we live in the physical dimension but at the same time we coexist within eternal dimension. It's a dimension of God and the devil of angels and demons of the supernatural world. Great illustration of this is found in the book of Kings with the prophet Elisha and his servant to his side, they were surrounded by their enemies and were closing in which chariots and Army soldiers in the haze.

I started breakout panic is that when we get to do mastery actually woke Elisha up alleges whatever okay Lord just opened his eyes and his eyes were open and he saw the supernatural forces of God all around him, and he discovered that they had more on their side than the enemy had on their side right now were surrounded by the supernatural world. The Bible says that the angel of the Lord encamps around those in fear and we may even have guardian angels.

I'm not sure of this, but I think you could make a fairly good case for it. At least maybe children have them because Jesus talks about how our little children have their angels, so it may be that we are personal angels in the maybe we just have angels that just do God's bidding, but they're working around this every single day God that works of the supernatural realm this place called heaven. We don't know where it is but it is where God is and that is the most important thing of all, because really the greatest thing about heaven is going to be seen to Greg Laurie is offering compelling insights on what's waiting for us in heaven. Good encouragement today here on a new beginning yesterday. I really enjoy those fixer-upper kind of programs on TV you will take an old home and renovated yeah maybe it's because I'm of frustrated non-carpenter, myself, and I love to be involved in a project like that yes but it's always a big deal when they have a problem with the foundation you know when there's a foundation problem. Everything stops until they get it corrected. Yet you and you know with our spiritual lives. When there's a problem with the foundation of our faith. It can bring our spiritual growth to a stop, but we have a special resource that can help with that.

Yes we do.

It's called the new believers guide to effective Christian living is no Dave I'm just like you. I love the idea of doing home repair, but I'm not very good at it. If my wife sees me walking through the house with a hammer. She's alarm where you going, what are you trying to fix because I will inevitably make whatever I'm trying to fix. Worse though, I love to go to the hardware store and look at all the cool stuff. Hey, maybe I'll try this not very good in that area, but I'll tell you what one area that I think I can help you win is in rebuilding your spiritual foundation and you gotta keep that strong because if you don't have your electrical and plumbing in actual foundation right all the rest is really of no consequence.

And that's true spiritually to sometimes we forget the basics basics like regular Bible study having a prayer life being an active part of the church, sharing our faith basics like how to know God's will. How to resist temptation, how to share your faith idea with all of this and more in this resort that simply called the new believers guide to effective Christian living in. It's a very understandable readable book, you can keep them in your back pocket.

You might even have a few extras on hand to give out to someone that could use some encouragement but I think that you will be encouraged by this book is well this is for the person that's new in their faith. And it's also for the person that might find themselves stuck spiritually again is called the new believers guide to effective Christian living and we have a copy with your name on it. That's right, and we hope you get in touch today so we can get it on its way to you.

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Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or go online to harvest.org ever start your day off wrong, you know, things started badly and just kept going downhill.

A lot of it has to do with your focus where your mind is centered as the day starts one of plug-in to pastor Greg's daily devotions there free of charge. It's good encouragement to keep your eyes fixed on Christ. You can read each phase devotion or listen to the audio version. Your choice. Sign up today free of charge@harvest.org is heaven just some ethereal metaphysical like the right deal next time pastor Greg points out, heaven is a real place and it's really paradise.

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