Given May 2010
In this second lesson, after we’ve decided to go on vacation and begun looking forward to it, it’s time to start preparing. You’ll need to decide when you’ll go, where you will stay, (depending on how much you can afford and you’ll probably have to send a deposit), how to get there, get someone to pick up your mail while you’re gone and maybe water your garden, who’s going with you, and what you’ll have to take along. Then you continue looking forward to the grand time you’re all going to have.
So let’s look at the comparison to Heaven which takes some preparation as well. After you decide you want to go to Heaven and get saved, you don’t get to pick the time you’ll go; only the Father knows that. And you don’t have to worry about where you’ll stay, Jesus has already taken care of that, (John 14:2), your mansion is ready. How you’ll get there is not a worry either because, “…we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 5:8). But there are some preparations you do need to look after.
Who’s going with you? One of the most important things we are to do here on earth is to witness to others so they can go to Heaven with us. So, in preparation, we live our lives so that others will see and hear and want to go to Heaven. We need to take as many with us as we can and there IS room in the vehicle. And, we don’t have to worry about the mail, the garden, or the job because we can’t take any of that with us anyway, “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.” (1 Timothy 6:7). But what we really need to spend time on and send ahead are Kingdom things; Spiritual things that will last and profit us in eternity. “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:20). In 1 Corinthians 3 Paul says that earthly things we spend time preparing will be burned up at the judgment but Spiritual things will last.
If you haven’t already, start preparing for this Heavenly trip now and look forward to it!
