When We All Get to Heaven
From time-to-time God’s people like to speculate about heaven - what will it look like, the specific things that we will be doing, what will we look like and how will we recognize one another? Which version of Bruce’s physical body will eventually be in heaven? The body which I had on my last day of life on earth, or the body that thought it could play in the NFL? (You have permission to laugh at me for that.) Above all I do know this – we will be continually and forever worshiping God.
Of course, the first person I will want to see in the flesh will be my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I will want to hear His actual speaking voice and I will want to see the scars in His hands. I want Him to hug me. After that, I will want to be reunited with my family and loved ones who have passed on in the faith before me.
I will also want to see a very specific person. I only know that his last name is Lowery, and that he was preaching in the morning when I first understood the gospel, in the most childlike way. This man was preaching at FBC Texarkana, Texas, or as it is known locally, “old downtown Baptist,” which I think is now actually defunct. I remember sitting next to my mother in “big church” (this was before my father was saved), and Mr. Lowery presented the gospel in a way that my little five-year-old brain could understand. In my later years, especially since internet searches are so easy, I have tried to determine who this man was and where he may be now, if he is even alive at all. A few people seem to remember his name, but I have never been able to determine exactly who he was or whatever may have happened to him. When I get to heaven, I want to find this man and express my gratitude for his faithfulness to the Lord in sharing the gospel, and for being one of the steps the Lord used in my salvation.
Is there anyone who will be looking for you in heaven for this reason? Is there anyone who will come up to you and say, “You shared the gospel with me, and you never knew it, but years later I was saved because of it. God used you as part of the process.” Have you shared the gospel with others? Have you taken that chance with any strangers? A couple of years ago while on vacation in Florida, I was sitting on a bench outside of a store, while Leanne was inside shopping. A stranger stopped to share the gospel with me. When he learned that I was already a Christian, we had a wonderful conversation. Before we parted, I said, “If I don’t see you again on earth, I will see you in heaven!” Christian – yes you reading this – what are you waiting on? Go! Go share the gospel. The survival of Lakewood depends on this. It’s not just important that you share the gospel, it is vital. And then one day, many years from now, you will be worshiping the Lord in heaven and someone you don’t remember will come find you to express their gratitude for your faithfulness. What a day of rejoining to the Lord that will be.
Blessings,
Pastor Bruce