Place Called Heaven

Robert Jeffress Dr.

Description

If any of us learned we were going to move to a foreign country, we'd do everything we could to learn about that place so that we'd be prepared when moving day arrived. As Christians, we know some day we will leave our familiar country and be united with God in heaven. And yet many of us know very little about this place called heaven. In this enlightening book, bestselling author Dr. Robert Jeffress opens the Scriptures to unpack ten surprising truths about heaven and explain who we will see there and how we can prepare to go there someday. Perfect for believers or skeptics who are curious about heaven.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie
• Christian theology

Informations

• Publié par: Baker Publishing Group
• Date de parution: 05 septembre 2017
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781493409242
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
© 2017 by Robert Jeffress
Published by Baker Books
a division of Baker Publishing Group
P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www. bakerbooks.com
Ebook edition created 2017
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
ISBN 978-1-4934-0924-2
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. ( www.Lockman.org )
Scripture quotations labeled NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com
Scripture quotations labeled NKJV are from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations labeled NLT are from the Holy Bible , New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations labeled Phillips are from The New Testament in Modern English, revised edition—J. B. Phillips, translator. © J. B. Phillips 1958, 1960, 1972. Used by permission of Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc.
Scripture quotations labeled TLB are from The Living Bible, copyright © 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
All italics in Scripture quotations are the author’s emphasis.
Published in association with Yates & Yates, www.yates2.com .
Endorsements
“C. S. Lewis famously observed, ‘If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were those who thought most of the next.” Our problem is not that we think too much about heaven but rather think too little of it. In A Place Called Heaven , my friend Robert Jeffress has done a masterful job of helping believers think biblically about that future home Jesus is preparing for every believer.”
Dr. David Jeremiah, founder and president, Turning Point Ministries
“When it comes to the bottom line for Christians, heaven is it. Our life on earth is but a brief wisp of vapor compared to the eternity of heaven, so it makes sense to learn as much as possible about our everlasting home. Dr. Jeffress does a stellar job of answering peoples’ questions about this marvelous place beyond our tombstones, and I highly recommend A Place Called Heaven to every Christ-follower. I also recommend it to those who do not yet follow Christ, as it will give the skeptical reader solid, biblical answers to their toughest questions about the world beyond the grave!”
Joni Eareckson Tada , Joni and Friends International Disability Center
“We’re all curious about heaven, and thankfully this book uses biblical teaching to enable us to get a peek behind the curtain. Read it to be reminded that the best is yet to come!”
Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer, pastor emeritus, The Moody Church, Chicago, Illinois
“Why is it that most of us know so little about heaven? If how we live here directly impacts how we live there—in eternity—shouldn’t we know more about the consequences of this life and about the place God is preparing for His heirs? I’m so excited about this book you hold in your hands. Dr. Jeffress is a strong Christian voice in this day of chaos. And A Place Called Heaven is a clarion call for us all to look up and consider afresh how much God loves us and how profoundly our lives on earth matter. Jesus is preparing a place in heaven for you, a place that fits you perfectly. Imagine! May you devour these pages, as I did, and begin to live more purposefully with eternity in mind.”
Susie Larson, talk radio host, national speaker, and author of Your Powerful Prayers
“Robert Jeffress gets right to the point—in fact, he gets to ten of the main points people need to know and believe if they expect to go to heaven. A Place Called Heaven is clear and biblical in its approach. This is a good read for all and a great tool to use in sharing the good news of the gospel with others.”
Dr. Mark L. Bailey, president, Dallas Theological Seminary, Dallas, Texas
“A thousand years from today you will be alive . . . somewhere. No one is really ready to live life to the fullest until he or she is ready to die. Robert Jeffress opens biblical truth with the desired end that you can have the assurance you will live forever in . . . A Place Called Heaven .”
Dr. O. S. Hawkins, president/CEO, GuideStone Financial Resources, Dallas, Texas
“Dr. Robert Jeffress not only continues to have one of the most remarkable preaching ministries in America but also makes it available through the publication of many of those messages. The present book on heaven is no exception. The vast majority seem to fear preaching on eternal destiny and are much more moved by the social agendas of the day. But A Place Called Heaven answers serious questions that the average believer desperately wants to know. Further, this tome will generate a desire on the part of those who read it to experience for themselves the glories of heaven. The chapter on what people will do in heaven is one of the most perceptive I have ever read.”
Dr. Paige Patterson, president, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Ft. Worth, Texas
Dedication
To Randy and Kathie King
Thank you for your vision for our Pathway to Victory ministry as we share with the world the message of Jesus Christ—the only Way to that “place called heaven.”
Contents
Cover 1
Title Page 2
Copyright Page 3
Endorsements 4
Dedication 5
Acknowledgments 9
1. What Difference Does a Future Heaven Make in My Life Today? 11
2. Is Heaven a Real Place or Is It a State of Mind? 36
3. Have Some People Already Visited Heaven? 57
4. Do Christians Immediately Go to Heaven When They Die? 79
5. What Will We Do in Heaven? 98
6. Do People in Heaven Know What Is Happening on Earth? 121
7. Will We Know One Another in Heaven? 145
8. Will Heaven Be the Same for Everyone? 169
9. Who Will Be in Heaven? 191
10. How Can I Prepare for My Journey to Heaven? 217
Notes 241
About the Author 251
Back Ads 253
Back Cover 257
Acknowledgments
No book is a solo effort. I’m deeply indebted to the following people who were tremendously helpful in creating and communicating this encouraging message about “a place called heaven.”
Brian Vos, Mark Rice, Brianna DeWitt, Lindsey Spoolstra, and the entire team at Baker Books, who caught the vision for this book immediately.
Derrick G. Jeter, our creative director at Pathway to Victory, who was an invaluable help to me in the development of this book’s message.
Sealy Yates, my literary agent and friend for more than twenty years, who always provides sound advice and “outside the lines” creativity.
Carrilyn Baker, my faithful associate for nearly two decades, who helped keep track of the numerous drafts of this book while juggling a multitude of other tasks at the same time—and always with excellence.
Ben Lovvorn, Nate Curtis, Patrick Heatherington, Vickie Sterling, and the entire Pathway to Victory team, who share the message of this book to millions of people throughout the world.
Amy Jeffress, my junior-high girlfriend and wife of forty years, who makes everything I am able to do possible.
1 What Difference Does a Future Heaven Make in My Life Today?
Keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.
Colossians 3:1–2
My ministry necessitates a lot of travel. Even now, as I’m beginning this book on heaven, I’m preparing for an international flight. Every time I journey to a distant destination, I make a mental checklist of things I need to accomplish before leaving and items I need to take with me on my trip. This is especially true if I know I’ll be gone for an extended period of time.
Right now, I’m preparing for a trip to London. So the items on my to-do list are a bit more involved than if I were flying to New York for a day or two. For example, I need to contact the post office and the newspaper to have my deliveries stopped. I need to contact my credit card company and notify them of where I’ll be so they don’t think my card or identity has been stolen and freeze my account. I need to call the cell phone company to have my phone enabled for international service. I also need to check the exchange rate of dollars to pounds, see what the weather is going to be like so I can pack appropriately, and most important of all . . . make sure I have my ticket and passport. Without a ticket I can’t board the plane; without a passport I can’t enter the country.
Wise travelers go through a routine to prepare for leaving home—even if it’s just for a weekend getaway. Yet very few people ever take time to prepare for the ultimate journey to a distant land everyone will take. My trip to London will only be for a couple of weeks, but the journey I’m referring to is a one-way trip that will last for eternity: it’s the journey every Christian will embark upon to that “place called heaven.”
Admittedly, many Christians do not consciously spend a lot of time thinking about heaven—perhaps you haven’t either. That’s understandable. The overwhelming responsibilities of living in this world eclipse much thought about living in the next world. Additionally, the fact that we know so little about our home in heaven makes it seem both remote and irrelevant to our existence.
Yet we