You were just given a map to get to a destination by car.  To get to that destination from your present location has very precise instructions and there is only one path to get to that destination.  You have to take an elevated bridge that goes over the city, over a body of water, and ends at your destination.  You take any other roads and you will not get to the destination.  Oh, and you only have enough fuel to get you to your destination.  And if you leave the path you will end up in the most dangerous part of town.  And there are no gas stations between where you are and where you are going.  Would you follow the directions you were provided, or would you chance it?

Sadly, this is the view of many people today. 

Jesus tells us that His Kingdom is not of this world.   While facing Pontius Pilate before his crucifixion Jesus told him that His is the Kingdom of Heaven.  John 18:36 relays Jesus’ answer to Pilate in the following way: Jesus answered, “My kingdom ^[a]is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not ^[b]of this realm.”  Jesus is from the Kingdom of Heaven and that is where He rules from. 

During the Last Supper prior to His Crucifixion, Jesus told his disciples that He was going away and would return.  However, He would come back to get us.  Recorded in John 14 Jesus said, “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.  In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 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.  And you know the way where I am going.”

Heaven is a real place.  Jesus gave examples of some of the people who are in Heaven and who will be at his banquet in Matthew 8:11 “I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of Heaven.” 

Jesus tells us Heaven is a real place and the Saints that have passed on (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) are there. 

The Bible records two instances in the New Testament of Jesus’s Apostles allowed to see Heaven and discuss it.  2 Corinthians 2:12 is Paul’s testimony of seeing Heaven.  This is his testimony “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a man was caught up to the third heaven.”  It must have been so magnificent that Paul did not know how to describe it.  This is the reason he kept it vague. 

In Revelation 4:1 John of Patmos was called to Heaven.  I will only write the beginning of his description of Heaven for you: “After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.”  Immediately I was ^[a]in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne.  And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance.” 

Two different witnesses in the New Testament who witnessed Heaven wrote down what God inspired them to write. 

But how do we get there?  Jesus gives us clear instructions about how to get to Heaven.  It begins with the passage of scripture everyone is familiar with  – John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His ^[e]only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”  This is the passage of scripture that guarantees eternal life for everyone.  All God wants for us is to believe in Jesus and we will have eternal life.  No magic formulas, no secret handshakes, only believe in Jesus. 

At the Last Supper Thomas asked Jesus where he was going.  As recorded in John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” 

Jesus gives us eternal life.  For everyone who says, “But it is eternal life in Jesus.”  Where do Jesus and God live?  They live in Heaven. 

Isaiah 66:1 says of God “Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool.”  And Jesus told his Disciples in Matthew 24:30 “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” This scripture talks about Jesus coming down from the Heavens, which is the skies above the earth. 

Acts 1: 9 – 11 states “When He had spoken these things, while they looked, He was taken up. And a cloud received Him from their sight. While they looked intently toward heaven as He ascended, suddenly two men stood by them in white garments. They said, “Men of Galilee, why stand looking toward heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you to heaven, will come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

Jesus ascended into Heaven.  And in the same way, He went up into Heaven, Jesus will return for His people. 

To summarize, there is a Heaven.  The Saints and all who have been saved, who have gone before us are waiting for us.  Jesus is preparing a room for us in Heaven.   All we have to do is accept the free gift of God for our Salvation by accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior. 

If any of this has touched your heart, please read below:

If you want to spend life in Heaven and Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, or you feel you have backslidden and want to repent then please pray this prayer:

DEAR LORD, I KNOW I AM A SINNER.  I KNOW I HAVE HOPE IN JESUS.  I WANT TO REPENT OF MY SINS AND COME TO YOU TO ASK FORGIVENESS.  I WANT TO ASK YOU TO FORGIVE MY SINS, CLEANSE ME OF MY SINS, GIVE ME THE HOPE OF ETERNAL LIFE WITH JESUS, AND I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE JESUS IS MY LORD AND SAVIOR AND HE GAVE HIS LIFE FOR ME.  I ASK THE HOLY SPIRIT TO COME INTO ME AS THE GUARANTEE OF MY SALVATION AND WANT TO REPENT OF MY SINS.  ALL THIS I ASK IN JESUS HOLY AND PRECIOUS NAME, AMEN

If you prayed that prayer, then I want to say CONGRATULATIONS AND WELCOME TO THE FAMILY OF BELIEVERS.  The Angels, The Saints, The Lord Jesus, and all who have gone before us are having a party in Heaven because you chose Jesus.  And I want to welcome you to the family.  Find a good Bible-based church and continue to learn about Jesus.  We are all on this Journey.  And in the end, we will hear God say “Well Done my good and faithful servant!”