Tuesday, September 3, 2024
I’m guessing most of you, like me, had an active imagination as a child. I can remember playing for countless hours in the woods across from my home, chasing Indians and bank robbers, slaying dragons, and so on. My imagination created endless fantasies where I acted out different heroic roles.
Nowadays, the need for imagination is greatly lessened as we have a plethora of realistic video games in which to indulge our heroic desires. However, as realistic as these games seem, the worlds created by the designers are still fantasy. With the invention of VR (virtual reality), we can now enter worlds that seem so real that people experience real fright, anxiety, and even injuries during use. But again, the scenarios are fake and limited by the designer’s imagination.
But what if imagination is backed up by facts? If you are like many others, you may believe that heaven is some fantastical place, existing only in the constructs of a Christian’s mind and simply meant to create hope so that people will believe. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Unlike the VR designers, God’s ingenuity and power is unlimited—what he creates is not virtual, but very real, as described in the book of Revelation.
Revelation 22:1-2
1 Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations.
Revelation 21:10-11
10 So he took me in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. 11 It shone with the glory of God and sparkled like a precious stone—like jasper as clear as crystal.
This clearly describes a place so amazing, it is beyond any human’s comprehension. A place with plenty of space for all who believe and follow Jesus. A place where God dwells and is waiting for you and me.
Yes, heaven is real!
The question is: Do you believe, and are you making the proper preparations to get there? Or, are you simply content to live in the virtual reality of today’s world?
Questions:
Do you believe in the reality of heaven?
How confident are you that heaven will someday be your final destination?
Next Steps:
Take time to do a Bible study of the book of Revelation to gain more insight on heaven. Check out the RightNow Media resources on the app.
If you missed any of the The End series, go back and watch it on the CedarCreek app.
Prayer:
Loving Father, you have not only created me in your likeness but have prepared a place for me to live with you for eternity once my race on earth is done. Please give me the wisdom and strength of character to follow your Word and avoid the distractions of the evil one. Give me the faith and courage to share the truth of Jesus with others so that they may one day find themselves a place in your house for all eternity. In Jesus’ precious name, amen.
Series Theme Verse:
Hebrews 3:14
For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ.
This post was written by Ned Miller, a regular contributor to the LivingItOut Devotional.