First Day in Heaven

FIRST DAY IN HEAVEN

*Written on December 25^th in the Morning 2016—Dad’s 1^st Christmas in Heaven.

There is no sting in death. Death has no victory. JESUS collapsed that regime totally with death’s defeat on the cross! His one sacrificial offering of himself gave life to all who embrace this gift – the good news of Jesus Christ! On this side of heaven, we believe this by faith as we walk through the valley of the shadow of death.

One’s last breath here as difficult as it may seem is your first breath in heaven. A transformation begins in that moment – an awe-inspiring face-to-face encounter with the author and perfector of your faith! Jesus is there right before your eyes. You are gasping in disbelief but springing to a riveting consciousness that this is really happening! This instant involves a look of satisfaction from the Saviour that screams both well done and welcome home! His warm embrace is so incredibly loving and healing unlike any you’ve known – safe & secure. His hug felt like it lasted an eternity. It actually could. You see your Lord as He really is and can’t take it all in as this moment is magnanimously marvelous beyond words.

You start to notice the crowds. Every face beams with a deep understanding that tells you it has known this moment as well and is now celebrating with you being refreshed by the reminiscing of their first day in Heaven.

Now begins what you soon come to understand as the parade of celebration! It’s with you and Jesus walking hand-in-hand through the streets of glory with the hosts of heaven – that great cloud of witnesses – wildly applauding his goodness to you. Tears of Jesus joy flood your face as you think to yourself, “I can’t believe I’m walking with Jesus! It’s so worth it all! And yes, Jesus has been so good to me – even before Heaven!” The crowd cheers as they identify.

Overwhelmed by this complete and life-giving awareness (you are now with Jesus), you walk lightly and freely without a care in your heart or any pain in your body! You stroll along beside Him letting Him lead you being caught up in the rapture of sheer breath-taking appreciation. “He saved ME! I am actually in Heaven.”

You are, at this instant, fully oblivious to the realty of your hurts being healed, your body whole, all striving ceased, every longing fulfilled, all fears banished and every doubt erased. It has not sunk in that you are much more like Jesus now because you have seen Him as He is. That eye-locking gaze with your Saviour instantly changed you – it changed everything – for eternity.

Eternity…now that’s another thing. This is your first day of forever. You in a new, unexplainable way can actually understand infinity. Weird.

The parade route meanders casually through the magnificent streets of the city to the refreshing spontaneous applause and shouts of praise from countless saints who are erupting over the goodness of God in your life that is revealed in the instant they see you with Him. “Hallelujah, He has been so good to you!”

Unknown to you as Jesus and the welcome celebration have captivated you beyond measure, your heart bursting with a magnified, immeasurable satisfaction and joy, but the parade route is fully intentional and heading to the reunion vestibule just adjacent to the Lamb’s Holy Feast ballroom! You don’t get it yet and you won’t get it at all – at least not yet – because seeing Jesus and being transformed by Him is enough. Yes…Jesus is enough.

But the Lord is far from being done and in His love He is blessing you with a fully successful surprise party. You are His honored guest.

Oh my! It starts happening. You begin to catch glimpses of well-known and much-loved faces of all those who came here before you! You melt in this moment of the Lord’s goodness to you! It’s only your transformed body that now has room within for the all-surpassing explosion of joy of seeing your precious loved ones and friends who arrived in Heaven ahead of you. Oh my! They are all there beaming and shouting praise, and clapping and hugging and welcoming you with a shared look of understanding that the faith journey has been so worth it all. You glance over at the Lord and Jesus is beaming too!

As the last treasured saint releases you from that satisfying welcome hug, Jesus says, “Step inside…let the party begin!”

What follows is so refreshingly indescribable but the celebration at the party is always the same. The theme of the event is all people rejoicing over God’s all-surpassing goodness to you.

I am told these welcome celebrations happen all the time and last all day or was it 1000 years. It’s all the same now. These welcomes just don’t get old because we will all get it then.

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I’ve been writing for an hour. I’ll stop now to tweak this later or however the Lord prompts.

This is my Dad’s reality.

I love Jesus

Dave

© Dr. Dave Currie – Dec 2016

Feature image used with permission by 123rf.com/35596633/©author: Igor Zhuravlov