Keys to the Kingdom
By Carolyn Tucker
Jimmybilt
In the action movie “Black Dog,” Patrick Swayze’s character expertly drives a 1994 Peterbilt. This tractor is known for long-haul and heavy-duty capabilities. No matter what the make, these big rigs are impressive as they barrel down our interstates. When I woke up this morning, I began thanking God for specific blessings. With so many people homeless, I thanked God for “our” home. (My late husband has been gone for five years, but it doesn’t sound right to say “my” home.) In my gratitude, it came to me that I have been living in a Jimmybilt home for 45 years. It’s a modest, well-built, efficient structure that has always suited our needs. Our home is a welcoming, heartwarming, and peaceful place where I see Jimmy’s excellent craftsmanship everywhere I cast my eyes.
Our home is beginning to show its age (and so am I). For believers, our destination will be a final Godbilt home. Ever since my parents, husband, and brother checked out of this world, I’ve been especially interested in heaven. I know that in the last moment of closing our fleshly eyes, we’ll open our spiritual eyes and find ourselves at Home. Even though there are descriptive verses in the Bible about heaven, I want to know more!
In my growing-up years, during testimony time at church, I would often hear, “There’s a heaven to gain and a hell to shun.” That’s a true statement that I haven’t heard in over 50 years. Should someone, in the distant future, tear down this Jimmybilt house, they will find that some of the 2x4s have a testimony! While helping to construct the house in 1980-81, I was compelled to write messages on the wood, “Jesus is Lord,” etc.
King David penned these words to the Lord: “Your house glows with Your glory” (Psalm 26:8 MSG). Some of the scriptures in the Book of Psalms were prophetic and this verse could fall into that category as we read further in the last book of the Bible: “The city has no need for the sun, neither of the moon, to shine, for the very glory of God illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb” (Revelation 21:23 HNV). Nothing negative that we’ve experienced on earth will be found in heaven. No regrets, no unhappiness, and (I believe) all questions about everything will be answered in some awesome fashion. “He [God] will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever” (Revelation 21:4 NLT).
Oh my! There are more biblical descriptions of heaven than I have room to mention! Actually, all I really need to understand about heaven is this: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT). My focus right now is to seek Him, love Him, obey Him, and serve Him with gladness. What my loved ones are doing in heaven at this moment is none of my business. Right now, my job is to represent Jesus well on earth and take as many to heaven as I can. I don’t want to be so heavenly minded that I’m of no earthly good.
During the stoning of Stephen, he tells what he saw, “But he, 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!” (Acts 7:54-56 NKJV).
The Key: Believers know enough about heaven to understand that God built it and we’ll enjoy living there forever.