Real Hope: The Power of the GospelShembull

## Heaven My perception of heaven has changed a lot in my lifetime. I didn’t grow up in a Christian family. Truthfully, my earliest perceptions of Christianity came from the Simpsons. Think about it . . . what other TV family goes to church every Sunday? For me, heaven was a place you go when you die, with pearly gates, and a bearded (yellow) Peter to evaluate you before you could get in. When I first read the Bible and made it to the end of Revelation (it took a while!), this completely changed. The picture I found is one of heaven coming here! Heaven is what the world is like when there’s no more death, mourning, crying, or pain. Most importantly, it’s when there’s no more separation between God and His people. The other place we see this union of earth and heaven is in Jesus Himself. He was fully human and yet fully divine. In His life and ministry, Jesus showed us what it’s like when God is with His people. He showed us what it can be like when heaven breaks into our present broken reality. He taught us to pray "on earth as it is in heaven"–and for me, that’s the power of the Gospel. It’s not just a future hope, but also a vision for a better today. If we want to emulate Jesus, we need to hold both of these together. What would it look like for the future reality of heaven to break into your today? I encourage you to pray these words, trusting that God’s will is the best for us–now and forever. #### Written by CHRIS GRESHAM-BRITT