Reflections on “Journey to Heaven” for April 22,2025
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” John 14:6-7.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever. Psalm 23:5-6.
What do you believe in? What do you think about the most, and who do you want to please?
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. John 1:1-5.
If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:9-13.
Believing in Father God is the first step to having faith.
What is this thing called Faith? Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. Hebrews 11:1-3.
The Word of God is a book comprising sixty-six short books that teach us about our Journey to Heaven, explaining how we can please Him. It reveals how He created us in His Image in Genesis 1 and how He created the World. And how God provided Redemption through the sacrifice on the cross for us. Enoch loved God, and God was pleased with Enoch’s faith.
Enoch was one man who pleased God with his faith. Enoch did not die, but God took him. By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken, he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. Hebrews 11:5-7.
Believe
Enoch believed God, as did Noah. It took faith and belief in what God told Noah for him to build the ark. Through Jesus Christ, we have the right to become God’s children because we believe in His name.
He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: John who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:6-8.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” Romans 1:16-17.
Jesus came into this world to save sinners. We have obtained mercy. I love the benediction Paul wrote to Timothy. Now, to the King Eternal, immortal, invisible. To God, who alone is wise. Be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. 1 Timothy 1:15-17.
Faith in God is Trust
Do you trust in God? Then, rejoice! Shout for joy! God has defended you! Be joyful! God will bless you and surround you with favor, just like a shield. He is your rock, fortress, deliverer, and strength. God is my light, and my heart trusts in Him.
But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name. Be joyful in You. For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; With favor you will surround him as with a shield. Psalm 5:11-12.
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; I will love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Psalm 18:1-3.
The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore. my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him. Psalm 28:7.
“Who among you fears the Lord? Who obeys the voice of His Servant? Who walks in darkness. And has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord And rely upon his God. Psalm 50:10.
Faith
God is faithful. He keeps His promises for a thousand generations for those who love Him. God prolongs your days.
“Therefore, know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments; and He repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack with him who hates Him; He will repay him to his face. Therefore, you shall keep the commandment, the statutes, and the judgments which I command you today, to observe them. Deuteronomy 7:9-10.
“Therefore, you shall keep every commandment which I command you today, that you may be strong, and go in and possess the land which you cross over to possess, and that you may prolong your days in the land which the Lord swore to give your fathers, to them and their descendants, ‘a land flowing with milk and honey.’ Hebrews 11:8-9.
Baptized
We are baptized as Jesus was baptized. Jesus went to His cousin John the Baptizer when it was time for His baptism. When he came out of the water, the Spirit of God descended like a dove and alighted on Him. And God said, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:16-17.
Obey
And then we obey. The many instructions come down to these two commandments. Love the Lord Your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and body. And love your neighbor as you do yourself. And in these obedient acts, we can look forward in hope to when Jesus Christ returns again. Live in peace and be renewed in the spirit of your mind.
So get yourselves ready, prepare your minds to act, control yourselves, and look forward in hope as you focus on the grace that comes when Jesus the Anointed returns and is completely revealed to you. Be like obedient children as you put aside the desires you used to pursue when you didn’t know better. Since the One who called you is holy, be holy in all you do. For the Scripture says, “You are to be holy, for I am holy.” If you call on the Father who judges everyone without partiality according to their actions, then you should live in reverence and awe while you live out the days of your exile. 1 Peter:1:13-17.
Put up with one another. Forgive. Pardon any offenses against one another, as the Lord has pardoned you, because you should act in kind. But above all these, put on love! Love is the perfect tie to bind these together. Let your hearts fall under the rule of the Anointed’s peace (the peace you were called to as one body), and be thankful. Colossians 3:13-15.
Be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:23-24.
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:10-12.
Emily wrote her blogs with the same kind of faith and outlook that she lived. In her final blog, she encapsulated her life and the principles of the Christian faith that her parents and older generations of her family had modeled for her. She, in turn, lived out the same principles and beliefs, modeling them for her children and others around her.
She believed the Bible to be God’s Word and took the Word of God to heart. “So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17. She trusted what God said, knowing His Word was reliable and would keep her anchored in the right way of living. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding,” Proverbs 3:5.
She was baptized, showing the world that she believed Jesus was her Savior and that she would be obedient to His commands. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” Matthew 28:19. And she obeyed God’s commands by the way she lived. “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome,” 1 John 5:3.
Her life was not always easy, yet she remained faithful to the Lord because there was no other way to live for her.
And here we are. We must be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Emily didn’t finish this blog. She had all the verses there and a few paragraphs. I tried to finish this with her writing in mind. And my brother, Paul, also added a few paragraphs. It’s a little longer than usual.
However, in writing the Journey to Heaven and remembering her favorite song, Goin’ Home, she graduated to heaven and into the arms of her Savior. She is currently praising God with her family in Heaven.