HEAVENLY HOME We sing many songs about heaven.  By faith we look forward to something God is going to provide which is better than what we now possess.  When we sing these songs, we profess our faith and trust that God can and will provide.  Some songs include Earth Holds No Treasures, Heavenly Sunlight, How Beautiful Heaven Must Be, Just Over in the Glory-Land, Sing to Me of Heaven, When We All Get to Heaven and many more.  Consider the words and thoughts we        reinforce when we sing “Yonder Over the Rolling River.”   “Here we are but straying pilgrims; Here our path is often dim; But to cheer us on our journey, Still we sing this wayside hymn: Yonder over the rolling river, Where the shining mansions rise, Soon will be our home forever, And the smile of the blessed Giver Gladdens all our longing eyes.” Sometimes we irreverently joke about people wanting to go but not wanting to die.  We aught not to speak so lightly of such precious things.  Heaven is what makes death bearable for us all in dealing with the loss of our loved ones and also in giving us the assurance we need as to what lies ahead for us. Heaven gives believers hope when all the external signs of this world give us no hope.  Heaven is the safety-deposit (most precious and secure) place for our treasures.  Our Lord admonishes us to “Lay up for  ourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Mt. 6:20).  We   entrust the treasure of our faithful loved ones to God’s care, knowing that in His  timing He will provide heaven for all of His blood-bought people.  As Christians we   prepare for the future.  Our ultimate future plans need to include heaven as we are forced to face the reality of our own vulnerability and ultimate death.  We entrust our own precious souls to the thought of heaven.   Heaven is the place where we want to make sure our names are written (Lk. 10:20) even in what is known as the Book of Life (Rev. 20:12, 15, 21:27; 22:19).  All who know, love, an obey God know that this is a very serious issue.  We want to cooperate with God so that all things are in order before we die and face the judgment.   In His final hours before his betrayal in Gethsemane, Jesus encourages those who will soon be distressed and need comfort. Jesus in John 14:2 speaks of going away but not abandoning.  “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.”  Wherever Jesus is now is where He plans for His people to come and be with Him.  He sees that there is room for all His people. So where is Jesus right now?  In Acts 7:55, 56 as he was dying, Stephen was given a fleeting glimpse of Jesus.  Luke says in this Acts passage, “But he, (Stephen) being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into HEAVEN and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, ‘Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!’”  Jesus was in heaven.  This is the place He is at the present time, and this is the place He has gone to prepare for us. Christians know our souls have a temporary dwelling place in our fleshly frame.  2 Corinthians 5:1 speaks of this.  “For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”  A new house or dwelling place that is not man made and is even eternal awaits us somehow and somewhere in the dwelling place of God Himself.   God gives us great encouragement and assurance regarding our limited perspective of the future.  Our ultimate hope or anticipation lies in this place called heaven. Colossians 1:5 tells us “because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel.”  The Christian hope,         anticipation, or expectation ultimately revolve around being in heaven in the presence of God.  To the Christian this is the ultimate blessing and honor we can experience. Christians today are satisfied and thankful regarding what today brings;  however, we, being patient, wait for something better.  By faith we look for something better than the USA.  Most of us are thankful to be Americans, but we still long for something we know will be ultimately better.  We wait for the ultimate city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God (Heb. 11:10).  Christians are eternally optimistic.  Regardless of the messages this world may send us, our faith gives us the ultimate victory over all the negative messages of this old world.     Christians now desire a better, that is, a heavenly country; therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. (Hebrews 11:16).  Our heavenly country is where our eternal citizenship papers are. “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body,” (Philippians 3:20-21).   It is one thing to sing of heaven and have the hope/expectation of heaven — but have you obeyed God?  Know with certainty of your heavenly reward!