Five People You Meet in Heaven

The Five People You Meet in Heaven

You will meet more than five people in Heaven, but you will meet five people that are especially significant.

1. You will meet a NEW YOU, an immortal you. 2 Corinthians 5:1ff promises that one day you will break camp, leave your earthly tent behind and head for a better, permanent home. In this better place, you get a better you.  This new you will never get acne, wrinkles, cancer or even a runny nose. Your new body will never need aspirin, antibiotics, exercise, or broccoli (and the chocolate will have no calories). This new you will never sin, never cry and never die!

2. You will meet the person who led you to Christ your Savior. This person believed in you. He or she had a faith you imitated. This is the person God placed in your path for a reason; to help you get to heaven. In heaven you’ll get to hug this person, you’ll get to tell them again and again how thankful you are that they loved you enough to tell you about Jesus. What a reunion that will be!

3. You will meet someone you led to Christ. No one goes to heaven (or hell) alone. In heaven you’ll be getting lots of hugs from the person (or persons) you shared eternal treasure with—the person you introduced to the Savior. This is the one you prayed for, the one you never gave up on. And because of you they will live forever!

I got a note the other day from a lady named Lisa.

             “Hello Jeff! Today is 20 years since I was baptized. Thank you for coming and  

               bringing me the Word which changed my life dramatically."  

I met Lisa in Ukraine many years ago. 

One day I’ll met her again—in heaven!

And in heaven you will the meet the person you led to Christ.

4. You will meet someone you did not expect to meet in heaven. This is the person you had “all figured out,” the one you thought to be too bad, too dirty, too wild to get into heaven. You will meet someone you misjudged but someone who God, by His mercy, was eager to save. You’ll see this person and think, “Wow, God’s grace really is amazing.” And by the way, someone may think the same when they see you in heaven.

Grace will likely produce many “heavenly surprises.”

5. Best of all, in heaven, you will meet Him. You will meet Jesus! He made you, named you, bled for you, forgave you, prepared heaven for you… And now you get to meet Him. You’ll see His scars, his face, His love.

“Welcome home,” He will say. “I’ve been expecting you. Enter into the joy of your Lord.”

And you will try to muster some words, “Thank you, thank you, thank you…I deserved death, hell, the beating you took for me. Look at your scars…Thank you my dear sweet Jesus for loving me when I was so unworthy...”

One day you will meet Jesus. You may even get to give Him a hug. What a moment! What a celebration to anticipate!

As you head for heaven, think of it not so much as a place, but as a group of precious people, including your Savior, awaiting your arrival.

How to Protect Your Child From Sexual Predators

In response to feedback from Sunday night’s lesson I want to again emphasize some practical steps parents can take to better protect their children from predators.

To Protect Your Child From Sexual Predators

1. Do not permit your child to be alone with any adult.
2. Maintain great communication with your child. Talk and listen daily! Have a loving, supportive relationship and home.
3. Teach your child to never keep secrets from you. If someone tells them “not to tell,” be sure you’re your child immediately does tell…
4. Teach your child to, no matter the situation, never go anywhere with a stranger. Your child should be prepared to fight, scream and run for their life.
5. Teach your child what to do if separated from you in a store (seek help from a uniformed employee or young mother with children, never go into restroom or storage room and if accosted by an adult, scream, “this is not my parent, help me”).
6. Learn the predator’s methods. He tries to build trust with both child and family to gain access to the child.  To hurt a child the predator needs trust, access, and secrecy.
7. Teach your child that no one should touch them in private places (areas covered by a swim suit).
8. Be involved in your child’s life; especially make an effort to participate in his or her extracurricular activities. The predator is looking for a child that no one is watching.
9. Do not expect a predator to look like a monster. Most are charming and well groomed.
10.  Do not make your child associate with an adult that “makes them feel uncomfortable.”
11. If you must hire a babysitter, purchase and install a "nanny cam."
12. Suspicious behavior must be reported to the Department of Human Services and/or the police immediately. If you self-investigate, or confront the “accused” you may cause evidence to be destroyed.

                                          What Can Churches Do?

1. Conduct background checks on all employees, teachers, nursery workers, etc.
2. Enforce a “no adult may be alone with a child” policy.
3. Have windows on all office and classroom doors.
4. Encourage parent participation in child and youth functions.
5. Report any suspicious behavior to DHR/police immediately.

God bless,

                 Jeff Abrams