Heavenly Vision :: By Lisa Heaton

In all the doing I do, I sometimes have to stop and remind myself just how vital it is that I intentionally continue to prepare my heart for the coming of the Lord. I don’t know how far away the rapture is, but I believe it’s way sooner than some choose to admit. I know that once the rapture does happen, I want to be well-prepared to meet Jesus face to face with no regrets. I should never, ever stop growing and leaning into Him. Same with you.

“Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming” (1 John 2:28).

I don’t want to be found as a believer who has earthly vision but rather one with heavenly vision.

Recently, I’ve found that I’m not focusing as much on what’s coming in the world. Over the past two and a half years, I’ve watched, often in alarm, as darkness rises and evil appears to be taking over our world politically, economically, socially, and religiously. It’s not if a one-world order will form but when. Based on where we’re headed as a nation and a world, unless God intervenes, then it’s all over but the crying, as the idiom goes.

Can God still act and reverse the course we’re on? Sure, He can do anything He wills. But does that seem likely with where we are prophetically? Not to me. Seems to me that the God on Whom this nation was established has found the land of the free and the home of the brave has opted for bondage and fear instead of Him. Rather than having no other god before Him, we lift every other idol higher in our national esteem with each passing day. We’ve asked Him to leave and to close the door behind Him. So, I ask again, is it likely that this ship will be turned around? No, not at all. Once you come to that conclusion, it’s time to set your nationalism and pride for this once-great country aside and stop longing for a great-again America and begin longing and preparing your heart for the new home that awaits you.

That’s been my own subtle shift as the Lord has been consistent in directing me away from earthly vision to heavenly vision. Heaven is my future and my hope, to be where He is. Heaven is your future and your hope.

Do you ever consider heavenly things beyond the more obvious thoughts of loved ones and gold streets? Until recently, I’ve never been much of a what-will-heaven-be-like dweller. Maybe you have been. Maybe you’ve pondered random questions like one I’ve had lately: Will we meet friends for coffee or lunch? A friend brought that up not so long ago, that maybe we could invite Pastor JD Farag for lunch or coffee. What a great thought, that we might be able to linger over good food that won’t pack on the pounds or enjoy a cup of creamy coffee with a friend. Now that’s heaven if you ask me.

Mostly, though, my questions run a little deeper. Will I get to be with Jesus all the time, or will we all have to share time with Him? I know that may seem like a silly question, but I truly ponder on that. Will we walk with Him in the cool of the day as Adam and Eve did, like actually striding along and having conversations? If so, will we all “feel” as if we have one-on-one time with Him rather than only collective?

Ultimately, whatever our time with Him will be like, it will be, well, heavenly. It’ll be exactly what we need and what we want and even more than what we can anticipate.

“Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

We just can’t envision what Jesus has prepared, the dwelling place He has been working on these past two thousand years, and the life He has in store for us there.

This article was nearly complete when tragedy struck, and my father died. So now, with that in mind, I can interject that I look forward to seeing my dad. That’s yet another reason for me to keep my eyes peeled for Jesus and long even more for His appearing. If you would like to read more of how earthly vision can lead us to believe the enemy has won, check out When Darkness Prevails. Especially now, I’m incredibly thankful for the timing of God’s new teaching season in my life as He’s directed me toward heavenly vision.

One benefit I’ve discovered of having heavenly vision has been a deeper and more sustained peace than I’ve known since the spring of 2020. I can look at my future with excitement and be ready for the long-awaited wedding of Jesus and us the bride. Anticipation of this wedding will ensure I’m still working on my dress, in a sense, making sure my heart is right with Him, that I’m still running the race with His purposes in mind, and that my eyes are watching diligently for my blessed hope.

Heavenly vision also brings peace as I’m reminded that I’m not running this race alone, that a cloud of witnesses spurs me–all of us–on. But our real peace comes from fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). When we are focused on the Light, He eclipses the growing darkness around us, a darkness that can steal our hope and our courage and render us paralyzed with fear.

“… set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at His coming” (1 Peter 1:13).

One requirement of heavenly vision is turning away from earthly vision. I know in my own experience, much of my past two-and-a-half years has been spent watching pastors and teachers explain the truth of what is going on in the world and bringing those things to light that the media and social media have tried to keep from us. I learned all the whos and whats and hows. I discovered things I wish I hadn’t. Our world, and in many ways our nation, are so much darker than a church girl can handle.

Luke 21:28 says, “But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

The darkness around us assures us “these things” are beginning, so that leads us to our next step in what Jesus tells us to do. We lift up our heads. We fix our eyes on Jesus, lean into Him, and live with incomprehensible peace even in the midst of the rising darkness.

I think for any of us, an unhealthy balance of needing to know more and more and more can become something of an addiction, like news junkies just waiting for the next “fix” of information. How do we strike the right balance between learning more for more’s sake and learning what we need to benefit the kingdom? We may need to ask ourselves if what we’re hearing and learning are things that encourage us to press into Jesus and want more of Him, or do they breed anxiety and fear. Light and heavenly vision foster peace. Darkness and earthly vision foster fear.

It’s not a bad thing that we watch the horizon, and I don’t regret my time educating myself, but something comes with knowing the truth, a call to action. I can’t just know. I must tell and point others toward a heavenly vision.

I like how Pete Garcia said in a recent post titled Momentary, that we need to know “when we are” on God’s timeline in order to know what we’re supposed to be doing with our gifts and callings. I can’t agree more. This isn’t 2019, so we can’t “church” as if we’re still living in a pre-plandemic world. For us all, whether we have a national platform or just a handful of people in our circles, curiosity should shift to generosity, in that we begin to share what we know. Jesus is coming soon!

Takeaway:

During your quiet time with the Lord this week, will you allow Him to meddle? Place the following questions before Him and then let Him show you any areas where you might need a course correction.

• Am I spending more time getting to know the players in this earthly end-time scenario or getting to know Jesus, the One I will soon meet face to face?
• Does my time in the Word outweigh my time watching videos or reading about the coming tribulation?
• Is fear and anxiety over all I’m learning and hearing stealing my peace?
• Now that I know what’s coming and Who’s coming, what can I do with what I know?

Watch for my next installment here on Rapture Ready, Heavenly Vision: A Call to Action.

On a more personal note: Thank you to all who messaged me after the passing of my dad. Dede is strong and doing well. I’m doing better than makes sense. Your prayers have held us up over these past weeks.

Until next time,

Lisa

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If you would like to read Lisa’s previous Rapture Ready articles, you can find them here: Lisa’s Rapture Ready Articles/Series.

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About Daybreak with Lisa:

Daybreak is a way of life, one of exposing the rising darkness and telling of the soon-coming Light. We only have so many daybreaks remaining before that final sunset when we, as believers, are caught up in the air to meet Jesus.

As an author, Lisa Heaton is a storyteller with a heart for truth. Her greatest desire in her fiction and nonfiction work is to challenge the reader to discover the truth of who Jesus is and who they are to Him. Now, here as we wait for the any-minute arrival of Jesus for His church in the rapture, Lisa’s latest mission is to warn the lost and wake the found and to help others discover their unique voice to share the truth of our times. More at DaybreakWithLisa.com. Contact Lisa at Lisa@LisaHeatonBooks.com.

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