Resources by Topic: Heaven

Tragically, many people do not find their joy in Christ and Heaven. In fact, many people find no joy at all when they think about Heaven. A pastor once confessed to me, “Whenever I think about Heaven, it makes me depressed. I’d rather just cease to exist when I die.”

When we’re in Heaven, without sin, it won’t be hard to remember that Jesus is the source of every good thing, including reunion with loved ones. And here and now, we can pray, telling Jesus how much we long for that reunion, and sharing our deepest longings, hopes, and hurts with Him.

Before she died, weary of the struggle, Nanci squeezed my hand and said, “Randy, please take me Home.” I said, “If I could, I would take you Home right now. And I would never come back to this world the way it is.” God promises we will in fact come back to this world, but NOT to the way it is now. He will bring us down to a New Earth, a resurrected planet with no more sin, no more death, no more suffering, no more weeping.

Randy Alcorn was on the Do Hard Things podcast with The Rebelution to talk about the hope we have in Heaven (and what Heaven is really going to be like). He shared how this hope has sustained him through his own season of loss and suffering.

In late 2022 Randy Alcorn spoke with Pastor Jeff Schreve on Real Truth for Today about his book The Promise of the New Earth.  Many Christians think about the present Heaven, where Christians go now when they die, but have never considered the future Heaven, after the resurrection, which will be a physical place occupied by physical people who will live forever with Jesus and all those who love Him.

Christians faced with terminal illness or imminent death often feel they’re leaving the party before it’s over. They have to go home early. They’re disappointed, thinking of all they’ll miss when they leave. But the truth is, the real party is underway at home.

Like anything, our imaginations can be used for good or for bad. Randy also writes, “The acid test of using our imaginations is whether doing so brings us back to the present world content and committed to deal positively with our circumstances. It should leave us refreshed and ready to better face the rest of our day.”

I think we underestimate just how much of our lives here is from the hand of God in the first place. The life that we now know and the things we enjoy so much—the parts untainted by sin—we would naturally expect to have carried over, including distinctive personalities.

Randy visited California Baptist University in Riverside, California where he shared at their chapel. He spoke about suffering, Heaven, and the goodness of God, and also about his wife Nanci and her faithfulness through cancer. The date he spoke was actually the one-year anniversary of the day the Alcorn family of 11 gathered around her bed, and Nanci spoke powerfully into their lives. A week later, she went to be with Jesus.

Jesus said, “there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” By putting on his own joyful party, the father of the prodigal son is mirroring the heavenly Father’s joyful party in Heaven over a beloved image bearer entering His family.

Wishful thinking is not the reason why, deep in our hearts, we desire a resurrected life on a resurrected Earth instead of a disembodied existence in a spiritual realm. Rather, we desire it precisely because God intends for us to be raised to new life on the New Earth.

Martin Luther said, “It is pleasing to the dear God whenever thou rejoicest or laughest from the bottom of thy heart.” And who does that more frequently and sincerely than children? Talking to kids about Heaven was the focus of an interview I did with Greg Laurie, senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship, for his radio program about my book Heaven for Kids.

Read Randy Alcorn's complete book Heaven for Kids in Ukranian.

In this clip Greg Laurie asks Randy Alcorn: When you order a burger, what do you order on it? Will there be hamburgers in Heaven?