Lent day 8 - heaven

What did Jesus die for?

I suppose we are all agreed that He died as a sacrifice - His blood covering the sins of everyone in the world, once and for all so that we no longer need to kill animals every year to buy our temporary freedom.   His sacrifice tore the veil that separated us from the Father and gives us access into the Holy of Holies. 

Allelujah and Amen!  


Now what?

This is surely the starting point of our story and yet so often I think we live as though it were the end.   We got saved.  We will be going to heaven.  And in the meantime we will go to work and wash the dishes and go to church and read our Bibles.

But what if........ what if ....

What if we dont wait until we get to heaven before we step through the veil that He tore for us and start to experience what it is like in there?   What if the words ' where I am, there shall you be also' ( John 14;3)  are not referring to something that happens after we die, but refer to what happens when we have been filled with the Holy Spirit and start to let the Spirit direct and lead us.   Where is Jesus? He is seated at the right hand of the Father.  We are seated with Him in heavenly places ( Eph 2:6)
Now.  Not after we die but right now.

And what is it like sitting next to Jesus in heavenly places?   Well, according to Revelation 4 it is hugely bright and colourful - all the colours of the rainbow and every imaginable precious stone all reflected in a massive glass mirror so that the light is bouncing around.  It is really noisy - there is thunder and lightning and shouting and singing.  There are mysterious creatures flying and moving around.  If you have ever pictured heaven as angels sitting on clouds with harps you could not be further away from the truth.  Heaven is a mad praise party with fire and gold and crowns.  You are seated there with Jesus , you are a part of the worship and the shouts of Holy.  You are dressed in white and have a crown.  Prophet priest and king.  Yes, you.

Every now and again I catch a glimpse of the ' real world' beyond the veil.  Most often when Im in worship, but sometimes when Im out in nature or in the half world between waking and sleeping. I think if I was able to live with more awareness of the reality of heaven in my everyday life I would become a place where the colour and song and light and life of heaven touches earth more.  Like Jesus did.