something better than heaven

Oh! don't you want to go there? to be granted the privilege -- once granted, never again lost -- to walk up those stairs; and, with every step, ascending . . . ascending, the power and glory and joy flooding your soul, as you begin to catch glimpses beyond the open gates of Heaven.  Once you step through those gates, you are Home, forevermore!  You shall not then be a visitor, nor a tourist; but this is YOUR own home!  It belongs to you.  Specially made, for you.

Go on! kick your shoes off, if you want to -- and shout the rafters down!!!  Walk barefooted on that street of pure gold (you couldn't even hold it in your hand, on earth).  Breathe -- for the first time ever, Celestial air . . . air that has never been polluted with any kind of filth, no, not with cursing and complaining, nor even with one, unkind word.  Everything, everywhere you look, is clean; so clean, in fact, the whole place seems to be glowing, radiant, shining.

Wow! look at the people -- lots of them, all of them looking so happy and healthy.  And look -- over there: a crowd of people is parting like the Red Sea, to make way for one small handful of others who are passing through the midst (those must be dignitaries, of some kind.  I wonder, how will I know who's who up here?  Still, somehow, I feel as if I've known every one of them all of my life. . .). 

Oh! Oh!  Wow!  Oh-wow!  Wow-ee-O!  Woohoo!!  Hallelujah!!  Praise the Lord!!!  O, yeah!  I made it!!!  O, man, O man. . . .   Hey, wait a minute; where is He?

"Whom do you mean?"

You know, Jesus.

"Yes.  He's not here right now."

What?  What do you mean, He's not "here" right now?  Isn't this where He stays?

"Yes.  Well, yes.  And no."

What?  What do you mean, yes -- and no?

"This is indeed the King's realm.  But He's not here -- right now."

Then, where is He?  I really want to see Him.  I -- I've waited a long time. . . .

"Yes.  He'll be here, very soon.  Just about this time, in fact, without fail. . . ."

I don't think I understand. . . ?  Then, where is He -- now?

"He's above, of course."

Above?  Above -- what?  I thought that this place was "above".

"Yes.  Well, this place is above: it is above all others."

Whaaaat?  What are you talking about?  Then, where is Jesus?  Where is God?

"I told you, He's above."

Yes; Yes; I know.  But you said this place is above; didn't you?

"No."

Whaaaaat?

"What I said, is, "This place is above all others": that is, above all other places."

Oh.

"Yes."

Then, where is He?

"Above."

Ungh.  Then, where is "above"?

"Above -- all."

You mean, . . .

"Yes."

Above?  Like, as in -- above -- this place?  Above . . . Heaven?

"Yes.  Of course." 

Yeah. . . . Of course. . . .  Of course!!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Probably most people -- on this side of Heaven, suppose that God lives in Heaven.  To be sure, He does; and, probably, in a similar way as He lives inside of you, that is, by His Spirit.  According to Scripture, too, we shall there also visibly see and be with Christ, bodily.  For, Jesus himself prayed, that we may "be with [him] where [he is]," that we may "behold [his] glory" (John 17:24).

But, Heaven itself is not the best thing, after all.  No, no.  Heaven is indeed a wonderful, magnificent place, a real place.  Still, there is something far greater -- infinitely greater, infinitely better, in fact, than that place: for, the One who made that place; the One who sustains it and Who fills it; the One whose glory is the very Light of that holy place: the One whose Spirit flows down from "above" that privileged place, in unmingled joy and perfect peace: HE IS GREATER, HE IS BETTER -- even than Heaven itself.

God is so much greater even than Heaven.  He is exalted high -- so high! -- above "all heavens":

"He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things (Ephesians 4:10)

God is so great above Heaven, in fact, that He "humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!" (Psalm 113:6)

Can you imagine such a thing?  God has to "humble himself" even to look upon -- not the things which are in hell, nor yet even in the earth -- but, in Heaven!  God humbles himself to behold the things that are in Heaven!

Truly, there is something better than Heaven.  If I view Heaven as being the very best thing which I can ever hope to know, to experience and to enjoy, then, I am cheating myself -- big time!!!  And I'm cheating God -- who made me for Himself.

Something better than Heaven -- Some-One greater than Heaven, lives.  There could be no such place as Heaven, except, the One who is better than Heaven, lives.  Heaven is what it is, because, Christ lives -- and he fills Heaven with his Spirit.

Yet, right now, he lives within me.  He fills me!  Do I get that at all?  Do I have any idea what that really means?

He wants me to know.  Perfectly.  Forever.  And ever. . . .

Oh! Oh!  Wow!
            Oh-wow!  Wow-ee-O!
                        Woohoo!!  Hallelujah!!
                                        Praise the Lord!!!
                                                       Yay, God!!!  Bless God!!!!  Wonderful!!!! . . . .