Innate in every person is a desire to connect with God and a longing for heaven. The secular band Creed articulates that desire in the song "Higher," listen to the words:

— From the song, "Higher" by Creed, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Dave Bootsma

A new name is gaining popularity in America. More parents are naming their baby girls Nevaeh (pronounced nah-VAY-uh) than Sara, Vanessa, Amanda, and many other names. The name was the 70th most popular name for girls in 2005. Oddly, Nevaeh is not in the Bible or a religious text. It is not derived from a foreign language, nor is it the name of any celebrity.

The name has become popular because it has religious overtones along with a creative twist, and the fashionable final "ah" sound. The origin of the name can be traced to a single event. Sonny Sandoval of the music group P.O.D. appeared with his baby daughter on MTV in 2000. The name, he explained, is "Heaven spelled backwards." Today, Sandoval is introduced to and photographed with baby Nevaehs all the time. When asked if his own Nevaeh, now age 6, understands the meaning of heaven, Sandoval replied, "She knows that is where her grandmother is."

—http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/18/us/18heaven.html. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Matthew 18:3-4 (NIV) "And he said: 'I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. [4] Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

Have you given much thought about what you'd like be doing here on earth the moment before you are transported from this life to the next one?Though I never met him personally, I'm quite sure that 69-year old Jack Arnold was doing exactly what he'd want to be doing before he died on January 9, 2005.Rev Arnold was standing in his pulpit at Covenant Presbyterian Church in a Suburb of Orlando, Florida preaching on the subject of heaven.According to the Associate Pastor, Rev. Michael S. Beates, Arnold had quoted John Wesley in his sermon saying, "Until my work on this earth is done, I am immortal. But when my work for Christ is done... I go to be with Jesus," Though he didn't finish his sermon, he finished his work on earth and went to be with the Lord.As he was winding down his sermon, he uttered his final words on this earth, "And when I go to heaven..." On the other side, I wonder how he finished that sentence?

—http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=816&e=2&u=/ap/20050111/ap_on_fe_st/preacher_collapses Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

John 14:2-3 (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. [3] And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."

The recent mission of the space shuttle ferried a couple of rookie astronauts to the International Space Station. In an interview from space, Kevin Ford, Discovery pilot and first time space-flyer, talked about experiencing the new surroundings. Ford said, “It’s a very, very different environment than I expected.” Ford described space travel as offering many new sensations. He said when Discovery fires her maneuvering thrusters, they are very loud, and so powerful that they give the shuttle a kick, and astronauts “feel a little twang throughout the orbiter when they’re firing to keep you in position.”

Ford said one of the things he was not ready for was the weird smell of space. Other astronauts have described the smell of space as being like gunpowder or ozone. Ford said, “From the (spacewalks) there really is a distinct smell of space when they come back in. It’s like…something I haven’t ever smelled before, but I’ll never forget it. You know how those things stick with you.”

Space Shocks Rookie Astronaut’s Senses; http://news.aol.com/article/astronaut-kevin-ford-shocked-by-smell-of/657641; September 5, 2009; Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

If the new experience of space travel offers such unique sensations, imagine what being in the presence of the Lord for eternity must be like.

1Corinthians 2:9 CEV But it is just as the Scriptures say, "What God has planned for people who love him is more than eyes have seen or ears have heard. It has never even entered our minds!"

Most of the central banks are increasing the amount of gold in their portfolios and many individual investors are following their lead. The current recession and the devaluation of the dollar are helping to push the price of gold upward. At the beginning of 2009, gold was just below $900.00 an ounce, up from just over $200.00 a decade before. Today it is approaching $1200.00 in value.

-- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/article-1231413/Gold-price-closes-1-200.html Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

However, the value of gold in heaven is unchanged—it is still used for asphalt there.

Revelation 21:21 (CEV) “Each of the twelve gates was a solid pearl. The streets of the city were made of pure gold, clear as crystal.”

Some people think they can crash any party. Michaele and Tareq Salahi crashed the White House state dinner given in honor of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in November 2009. The couple bluffed their way through security and even though they had no invitation they hobnobbed with the famous guests who were actually invited.

They had close up pictures taken with many celebrities, including several with the vice president. They got close enough to the President to shake his hand for a celebrity photograph. The secret service is embarrassed and considering filing criminal charges against the Salahis.

--Farmington Daily Times, November 28, 2009, p. A1 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

While security at the most important of events can be breeched by non-authorized, there is one event that is crash proof. None that is, except for one. No one will make it into Heaven without their name in the book of life (Rev 20:15).

John 14:6 (NASB) “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’”

New scientific techniques have uncovered some corrections made to early drafts of one of the most important documents in American history. Researchers discovered that Thomas Jefferson used the word “subjects” when referring to the people of the colonies in one of the early drafts of the Declaration of Independence. The Library released news of the stricken words nearly a year after the discovery was originally made. Research chemist Fenalia France said, “The laboratory made the discovery last year by using hyper spectral imaging, a high resolution digital camera that compiles a series of images to highlight layers of a document.”

The changes are nearly invisible until the technique is applied which brings underlying text and even finger prints into view. Researchers believe Jefferson wrote “subjects” and then changed his mind. He apparently used his hand to wipe the word out while the ink was wet. Scientists of preservation at the Library of Congress theorize Jefferson either had concerns about his spelling, or trouble breaking from the tradition of rule by a monarch. Though his early draft used the word “subjects” to refer to the American public, Jefferson later replaced it with the word “citizens” which appears frequently in the final draft.

--Third President Thomas Jefferson Independence Draft, http://www.newsoxy.com/world/spell-checker-thomas-jefferson-needed-one-13644.html; July 4, 2010. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Philippians 3:20 (CEV) “But we are citizens of heaven and are eagerly waiting for our Savior to come from there.”

Three Zen Buddhist monks stopped on their journey to rest. One of the monks saw a flag and said, "Oh, What a strong wind blowing!” The second monk argued that it was not the wind blowing but the flag flying. The third monk contended that neither the wind was blowing nor the flag flying, but their minds were floating.

Uncertain faith cannot result in certain answer. Neither can they attain a clear destination.
For the believers, heaven is their destination. There is no other answer. It is up to one who chooses the definite goal and the one who chooses the uncertain destination.

-- http://moemaka.com (Article in Burmese) Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Bawm Luk Lagwi

John 14:2 (NIV): “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?”

As the Internal Revenue Service has increased their efforts to track down and prosecute U.S. Citizens who are evading taxes, a growing number of people are resorting to a drastic step to avoid paying. The IRS says there has been a sharp increase in the numbers of Americans renouncing their citizenship to avoid disclosing foreign account information. The numbers have increased from 226 in 2008 to over 1400 in 2010. The IRS says the average number was between 200 and 400 renunciations annually before a recent court ruling requiring a Swiss bank to turn over the names of thousands of American clients with secret accounts. The numbers are expected to continue to increase as tax authorities will require more foreign banks to supply information about the accounts of Americans.

Most people who renounce their citizenship are already citizens of two nations. All they have to do is appear before a U.S, Diplomatic representative and sign an oath relinquishing their citizenship from the United States. Peter Dunn is one such person. He says he gave up his citizenship after the IRS demanded his Canadian wife turn over records from joint bank accounts. When asked why he would take such extreme measures, Dunn replied, “My wife’s account is none of their business.” --Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

--More are renouncing U.S. Citizenship as IRS cracks down, http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/05/13/2798237/more-are-renouncing-us-citizenship.html; May 13, 2012,

Philippians 3:20-21 CEV “But we are citizens of heaven and are eagerly waiting for our Savior to come from there. Our Lord Jesus Christ has power over everything, and he will make these poor bodies of ours like his own glorious body.”

Eban Alexander was just another neurosurgeon until bacterial meningitis put him in a coma. While in the hospital, Alexander was whisked to an otherworld of pink clouds, transparent angel-like beings, and lots of butterflies. Alexander is certain he encountered the divine and has written a book , Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey Into the Afterlife. (Simon and Schuster)

Alexander’s near death experience is like many others. In this case it convinced him that heaven is real. We believe that God has prepared a place for his children to dwell in eternity. --Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

John 14:2 (HCSB) “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if not, I would have told you. I am going away to prepare a place for you.”

In our human condition, the specter of death is ever-present and with all our might we resist it until the very end. Part of the reason for this resistance is fear of the unknown – our lack of knowledge about heaven. What happens to us after we die? Is that the end? Where do we go and what will we be doing when we get there? What is heaven like?

In his book, Heaven, Randy Alcorn writes, “The most ordinary moment on the New Earth will be greater than the most perfect moments in this life – those experiences you wanted to bottle or hang on to but couldn’t. It can get better, far better, than this – and it will. Life on the New Earth will be like sitting in front of the fire with family and friends, basking in the warmth, laughing uproariously, dreaming of the adventures to come – and then going out and living those adventures together. With no fear that life will ever end or that tragedy will descend like a dark cloud. With no fear that dreams will be shattered or relationships broken.” —Jim L. Wilson and Stephen Argilla

Revelation 21:1–5 (HCSB) “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea no longer existed. 2 I also saw the Holy City, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.
3 Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look! God’s dwelling is with humanity, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will no longer exist; grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer, because the previous things have passed away. 5 Then the One seated on the throne said, ‘Look! I am making everything new.’ He also said, ‘Write, because these words are faithful and true.’”

A British woman didn’t hear a voice from heaven; she received a text instead. When Sheri Emerson’s grandmother died she dealt with her loss by continuing to send her grandmother text messages. Then one day she received a reply. “I’m watching over you and it’s all going to get better.”

After a few anxious moments and a little checking she found out her grandmother’s number had been reassigned and the text came from the new owner. After apologizing he explained that he thought they were prank texts from one of his friends and he just replied to one.

While our Grandparents in heaven are not looking out for us, our Father in heaven is. --Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Psalm 121:5 (HCSB) The LORD protects you; the LORD is a shelter right by your side.

In the movie The Terminal, Tom Hanks plays the role of Viktor Narvorski who has traveled from his home country of Krakozhia to the United States for a vacation. During his flight however, rebels pulled off a coup d’etat which resulted in the international community no longer recognizing Krakozhia as a county. As a result Viktor was confined to JFK International because he now had no country to which he belonged. In one scene US Customs agent Frank Dixon gives Narvorski the option to claim political asylum.

Narvorski viewed such a declaration to be tantamount to rejecting his country, which to him was unacceptable. He was a committed citizen of Krakozhia and resolutely desired to be home. In his heart and mind, this trip to the United States was no more than a temporary sojourn and his real longing was only to be home where he belonged. —Jim L. Wilson and Rob Berhorst

but our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ben Bender is 93-years-old and has been playing golf for 65 years. At one point he got pretty good, as low as a 3-handicap. While playing his last round, he was on the third hole, when did something he had never done before. He made a hole-in-one. It was a crowning achievement. He played a few more holes that morning but the pain in his hips convinced him to stop. He ended his golfing life a very happy golfer.

There is a day coming when you and I will stand on the last green and survey our life. I hope that like Ben Bender, that last act will be the crowning achievement as we step into eternity with the Lord Jesus. We are never too old to serve the Lord. —Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

In my Father’s house are many rooms; if not, I would have told you. I am going away to prepare a place for you. If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also. You know the way to where I am going.”

North and South Korea agreed to allow some families to meet with family members who were separated at the end of the Korean War in 1953. Eighty-nine South Koreans traveled into the North for the reunion. 92-year-old Lee Keum-seom embraced her North Korean son, 71-year-old Ri Sand Chol. He showed his mom pictures of her late husband who had also been on the other side of the border when the war ended.

Parents are visiting with children they haven’t seen for 65 years. The Parents are in their 90’s, the children in their 70’s. After the three-day reunion was over, they had to separate, probably never to see one another again.

This story reminded me of another family reunion. This will take place between brothers and sisters who have never seen one another, separated by time, history, culture, politics, along with family members death has taken. The Bible talks of this reunion when all the saints of the ages will gather around the throne of God. “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain.” —Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

Then I saw thrones, and people seated on them who were given authority to judge. I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and who had not accepted the mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed.

This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

An Arizona woman, Tina Hines went into cardiac arrest and appeared close to death. Her heart had to be restarted with a defibrillator five times. When she finally regained consciousness she asked for a pen and a piece of paper and wrote, “It’s real.” As she wrote she began pointing upward with tears in her eyes, explaining she had seen heaven. “It was so real, the colors where so vibrant,” Hines later said.

Incidences like this can be believed or rebuffed, depending on one’s own beliefs. For those of us who believe in Jesus Christ, Heaven is as real as the earth upon which we stand. Maybe even more so. –Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

John 14:1–3 (CSB) “Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if not, I would have told you. I am going away to prepare a place for you. If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also.”

A German multimillionaire has invited 10 “nice people” to live with him on his 550-acre property in New Zealand. International businessman Karl Reipen placed an ad in the New Zealand Herald two times inviting up to ten people to share the “paradise” he has created. The property features horse stables, a winery, and views of the Tasman Sea, located in a remote part of New Zealand. Reipen suggested the people could live in homes on the site and would welcome adults up to 70 years of age. He would also allow them to bring their own horses. In his invitation, Reipen wrote, “You can enjoy walking, fishing, shopping, kayaking, bird watching, swimming, or looking at animals. If you are interested to live a life with a Group of interesting people, it can be a new life for You.” —Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

An Ohio minister and former football coach is planning to sue the NFL over its racy Super Bowl halftime show. Dave Daubenmire claims Shakira and Jennifer Lopez’s “soft-porn performance” may prevent him from “getting into the Kingdom of Heaven.”

https://www.complex.com/music/2020/02/ohio-minister-dragged-for-threatening-to-sue-nfl-over-shakira-jennifer-lopez-halftime-show

Daubenmire may have a correct attitude regarding the pornography shown on television during a family viewing event, but I question the theology that worries this event could keep him out of heaven. There is only way into heaven, and rejecting that way is the only thing that keeps us out of heaven. —Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Psychiatrist Jessi Gold said that “A major cause of anxiety during the coronavirus pandemic is the uncertainty about what the near future will hold.”

While there is uncertainty about the near future for everyone in the pandemic, everyone can have certainty about their eternity. —Jim L. Wilson

I have heard it said, I believe in heaven but I’m not in any hurry to get there. This feeling became real for Stanley Heerboth and his wife after they attended the funeral of a good friend. When the service concluded the Heerboths decided to go to a Chinese restaurant for a little Szechuan pick-me-up. When he read his fortune cookie the message read; “You will soon be reunited with a good friend.”

Stan really liked his friend and he hoped to be reunited someday. It was the word “soon” that attracted the negative attention. —Jim Wilson and Rodger Russell

Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.