Heavenly Citizenship

Heaven Bound
This page contains scripture verses, poems, commentary, and inspiration on our eternal destination if we are among those who belong to Jesus Christ-and desire to be home with Him,
​where He is-in heaven.
This information, and material is offered freely under terms of Fair Use, according to the United States Fair Use Act of 1976, subsection 107, for research, comment, news, reporting, scholarship, and  educational purposes.
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If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear
with him in glory. Col 3:1-4
Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear,
​let him hear. Mat 13:43
​For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour,
the Lord Jesus Christ: 
Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. Php 3:20-21

Heavenly Citizenship

There are only three ways on record by which any man ever became a citizen of any state; but not by one only, but by all the three, are we citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem.
(1) For, first, we were made citizens by purchase. He who was the King of that beautiful city did actually give up for a season His kingdom, and He was content to become a stranger here, and to forfeit all His dignities, and to be human enough to die and to be buried, that He might by that absence and death buy an admission for you and me to that heavenly city.
(2) And, in addition to this purchase by the blood of Christ, it was free for us to take as a gift.
(3) And because birth is better than purchase or gift, therefore by the same grace we are born again, that we should change the place of our nativity and have our settlement no longer in a slavish world, but be born free; and this admission by birth is that which lies in the text: "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Look, next, at the privileges of citizenship.
(1) It is the first privilege of every citizen that he is represented. Accordingly it is the plan of God’s great government that every one who belongs to His Church is represented. Christ is gone into heaven for this purpose, and there at God’s right hand He stands.
(2). And the right of a citizen is that he is under the laws of his own state, and no other; he may appeal up to this. The Christian is continually appealing to a grander award than that of this world.
(3) The citizen can go in and out. Is he not free of his own state? But it is a holy liberty. There is the same God to all there in the city; He is very near.
​(4) It is the right or privilege of all citizens to go to the presence of the King. Whatever be their petitions, the access is open. We carry in our hands a white stone, with a new name written; we command entrance by that stone, the proof of our union with Christ. We are His people, and His whole empire is pledged to us; and we may be in that royal presence night and day, and enjoy such elevation and such converse and partake of such favours as it passeth the natural eye to see: "but God has revealed them to us by His Spirit."

​Dead End
by John Janzen © 2017

Each passing day upon this earth
I’m drawing near my death,
Each time I fill my lungs with air
I’ve left one fewer breath

As time goes on I close the gap
From start until the end
These labours cease the day that I
My tabernacle rend

What then of all those fleeting things
I’ve laboured to acquire
Or what of those I’ll leave behind
Sooner than desired

My deepest heart shall be laid bare
My motives once concealed
Shall in the brightness of my Lord
Be perfectly revealed

And what suppose ye would He find
A heart of rapturous joys
Or one of grief still of the world
Bereft of friends and toys

Should I with sadness and regrets
Now spend my living days
Or rather let eternity
Direct my wayward ways

Don’t worry of those left behind
Don’t fret or be afraid
It’s not like God who’s led til now
Can’t lead without your aide

Possessed by our possessions we
Bind fast our earthen ties
So comfortable that when God calls
“So soon?” each one replies

Set your affections up above
Not here upon the earth
This vapour shall soon fade away
To your eternal birth

The hope of those “In Christ” is such
It makes the world grow dim
They count but loss those things they’ve gained
They’ve all in all, in Him

Consider now the greater good
Is it to live or die?
If life means earth and death means Heav’n
Tis hard to choose, but why?

The moment those “in Christ” do pass
Eternity is theirs
The “well done” heard from Jesus lips
Erases all their cares

Suppose we all decided now
To take God at His Word
We choose not to be scared again
But trust the things we’ve heard

Imagine if we faced the grave
With hope and joy and trust
Because in heaven’s treasure store
No moth, no thief, no rust!

Consider if the world looked on
Just utterly amazed
If Christians practiced what they preached
And faced the grave unfazed

In light of this eternity
And promises He’s giv'n
Let’s realign our focal point
And set our sights on heav'n

So bear in mind the lesson here
Don’t run headlong to die
But when God calls to take you home
Just say “Lord, here am I”

It’s guaranteed the time will come
When each must round the bend
What blessed joy the Christian has
To know it’s no dead end

Sweet Beulah Land by Squire Parsons Lyrics
https://youtu.be/I4OTkaNzOoA

Thoughts of Heaven-From Two Perspectives

Alone, the sun rises
over people unknown.
Although they ignore it,
its sunlight is thrown,
over the river and
through the faint fog,
like lone little flowers
on top a dead log,
growing so freely,
so gentle, so bright -
as God's great creation
is seen from His light.

Some hovering noises
seem somewhat bizarre,
trespassing nature
from places afar -
while God, the Great Artist
keeps painting His way -
another day passes
just like yesterday.
A bright colored sunset
surrounds a lone loon.
Reflected on water,
His bright crescent moon.

Now stars hold God's canvas
while brush strokes so grand,
paint wide vivid colors
with love's perfect hand.
And God - although we
cannot even imagine -
prepares us a place, in
His painting called 'Heaven'.
So things we see here
will seem dreary and gray,
compared to the next one
that'll blow us away!

©2011 louis gander ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
http://www.ganderpoems.org/

John 14:2 (KJV)
In my Father's house are many mansions:
if it were not so, I would have told you.
I go to prepare a place for you.

SEEKING THE “THINGS THAT ARE ABOVE”

Let us repeat the glorious truth, which was doubtless the heart of Paul’s teaching, that our old nature has been nailed in Christ to the Cross, and laid in the grave; and that our real self, the second Adam, has entered the new world of resurrection. We belong to the world on the threshold of which Jesus said, “Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended.” We must guard against the defiling touch of the world, of sin, and of the old self-life. We stand between two worlds, each solicits us: let us yield to the influences that pull us upward, and not to those that anchor us to this sinful and vain world. Our eternal blessedness has begun, let us walk in it.
In Christ we profess to have put off the old man, i.e., the habits of our former life, Col_3:9; now let us actually do so, in the power of the Holy Spirit. We profess to have put on the risen Christ, Col_3:10; now let us don the attire and habits of the new man. Too many Christians resemble Lazarus, quickened from his death-sleep, but still arrayed in grave-clothes. Too few array themselves in the radiant beauty of the risen Lord, which is the common heritage of all who believe in Him, whatever their rank or nationality.
​F.B. Meyer

​Vacation

I'm going on vacation soon, alone or so it seems.
I won't do any packing or going to extremes.

I will not need my wallet, for everything is free.
And I won't need my brand new phone, for there's so much to see.

I will not take a big jet plane or ride a fancy bus,
yet I'll be meeting my best Friend. There's so much to discuss.

And all will meet Him one fine day - not many, but a few.
I will not keep you in suspense, for you should know Him too.
---
Now first I'll need to be in court. It's all or nothing there.
My Friend will be there for me too. I'll not be in despair.

His Father is the highest judge of anyone around.
And quietly, I will stand there, in awe without a sound.

My Friend is there to defend me. My faith in Him is strong.
He sacrificed His everything. His grace blots out all wrong.

For those, through faith, believeth Him, His grace pours from above.
The Judge will tap His gavel soft. His countenance shows love.

AND THEN all Heaven will rejoice, in unison will sing-
as I enjoy this paradise, vast love and ev'rything.
---
Though body soon will turn to dust as earth can clearly see,
don't shed a single tear for me. I'm alive as I can be!

The masses run through widest gate. The narrow allows few.
So many store up treasures here. Is gate too small for you?

Possessions are not needed there- and yours won't leave this earth.
For God prepared a place for us alone with immense worth.

You, too, will see this paradise, at least I pray you do...
Yes, I'll be on vacation soon and I'll wait there for you
​
by louis gander © 2022