Spring is one of my favorite times of year... a time when that which seemed dead 'springs' to life again. Wooden skeletons bud and the green leaves that follow bring life and fullness to the formerly sparse and barren forests and meadows. Beautiful and fragrant flowers spontaneously burst forth from trees and gardens. It is a time to appreciate the joys and wonders of God's creation... to 'stop and smell the roses', per se. It is a time of renewal, of new life, and of new beginnings. I am convinced that it is no coincidence that the Lord of Creation was resurrected from death to a new and transformed life during the spring... it is as if the seasons were invented to remind us of the new life that sprang forth from the grave outside of Jerusalem, twenty centuries ago, still so fresh and powerful these many years later.I recently reformatted my YouTube channel to focus exclusively on people that have 'temporarily died' and visited Heaven (and sometimes hell), then were 'resurrected'... or is some cases visited Heaven/hell sans NDE. In sorting through which videos to post, I have watched countless hours where time and time again, people described a world so much more alive, present, beautiful, and full of love than the world in which we live today. For all of its wonder and beauty, the physical realm is a mere shadow and reflection of the spiritual world that those who have been there will tell you without hesitation, is ten times more real than the world in which we currently seem to exist. It is also a world where angels and demons are in bold opposition, and where Jesus Christ is simultaneously loving and and approachable, as well as being Lord and King of the Universe. I encourage you to visit the channel and share in these amazing and telling experiences. My channel handle is Truthrabbit, as I have lived in the rabbit hole of truth for a while, and this is a dimension that many have no clue about.
The adventure and drama of the greatest movies ever made (greatest books, greatest video games, etc.) cannot compare to the power and impact of the spiritual realm. The good and evil of this present matrix is magnified a hundred trillion times in the spiritual realm. The place where God, Jesus, the angels, and the redeemed live is called 'the third Heaven'. This is not sequential in time, but rather layered in space, as it were. The 'first heaven' is the atmosphere around earth... the air we breath, the blue sky. The second heaven is primarily the realm of Satan and his demons (though they frequent the first heaven, the earth, and under the earth), and reaches out into the stars and galaxies (Are 'aliens' actually demons? That is the subject of a separate study). The Third Heaven is a place beyond the known universe, in another dimension, and a place where Satan and his demons cannot go. Some tell of traveling through the stars to get there, while others are there in an instant, so time and space are actually made irrelevant by its unique nature.
As full of love, joy, peace and light the kingdom if Heaven is, the realm of hell is its polar opposite... full of darkness, pain, anguish, and regret, and completely devoid of love. Though I have doubted the existence of hell in the past (and still am not sure of its permanence, at least in its current state, as hell itself is cast into the lake of fire which is called the second death), I can no longer doubt that hell is real, based on the consistency of the 'eyewitness testimonies'. Once a person is there, there is no escape, no redemption, no second chances. It is a place so horrible and frightening that no description can fully capture the hopelessness, fear, agony and emptiness of this realm. What is even more alarming (per numerous accounts) is the number of people that thought they were going to Heaven that end up in hell! Our Lord was not just being dramatic when he declared, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it... Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" In this age of the church of Laodicea only a small percentage will actually make it to Heaven (one 'traveler' estimated that it worked out to about 2.5% of the population). If that is not a wake up call, I don't know what is!
People plan for vacations, they plan for retirement, they plan for the future... but few people plan for eternity. Of primary concern, above all the sandcastles of this world, is your final destination! Commune with those who have visited Heaven and hell, and the preferred option and the importance of making sure you get there is crystal clear. One cannot take it for granted, and get lazy and lukewarm. First of all, make sure Jesus Christ is you Lord. That means you put Him in charge of your life, that you seek above all things to do His will... not (if it contradicts God's will) the will your father, your mother, your husband or wife, your kids, your boss, and specially yourself... the will of these are secondary and subservient to the will of God. How do you do this? Consistent time in His Word, consistent prayer, consistently seeking his direction, looking for opportunities to help others, to be kind, to be a blessing, to do good, to share the gospel, and then doing it. If you screw up, sincerely repent, commit to never doing it again, do your best to 'make it right', and then continue to be 'transformed by the renewing of your mind'. Remember, only he that DOES the will of the Father will enter the kingdom of Heaven.
There is nothing more important in life than securing your final destination, and secondly, positioning yourself for the best possible outcome when you get there. Once there, your status is pretty much established, and there is not much more you can do to change it. Your choices now determine your destiny in eternity... whether you live forever in a glorious mansion living a life beyond your wildest dreams, or not. This is our 'final exam', the clock is ticking, and the bell could ring anytime, so stay focused on your heavenly treasures. The greatest achievement is bringing others into the kingdom and helping them to achieve spiritual maturity, and living a godly, holy life of praise, worship and communion with our Creator. When you finally get to Heaven, what could be more important, more wonderful, more fulfilling, than hearing the words, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant"! That is ultimate apex of existence!
