The perfect place exists

“Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”
Luke 23:43

Let me start with one word, “Mayberry”. Many thoughts just entered your head. If you are a young person, you are probably thinking, “it’s just that old black and white tv show that Mom and Dad watch every day”, but to the rest of us, it means so much more. It represents a simpler time and lifestyle.  Problems no matter how personal or difficult they may seem, always worked out during that 30 minutes. It was a time when family meant something. Generations went to church together. Friends stuck together. Think about how many times Andy covered for Barney’s mistakes and never said a word or brought them up later to throw in his face. Remember how many times Otis, Goomer and Floyd were willing to step up and be deputies when a friend was in need. Andy and Opie had just about the perfect father/child relationship. They talked things out and trusted each other. Even as aggravating and hard to get along with as Mayor Pike and Ben Weaver could be, Andy always kept the peace and worked things out.

I think the show still has so much appeal, because it represents, in my opinion, the way that we want life to be. We want to know that everything is going to be alright. We want to believe that people are going to get along and will walk the streets of the town in harmony. Deep down, we want to know that others care for us and will be there for us in our times of need. Yes, I believe we see something in Mayberry that we want in our lives. We want to live in a place like that.

I have good news for you; there is a better place than that to live! God is preparing a place for those that love and trust Him, a place of pure perfection, and a place that sin has not stained. It is a place that does not have a single lock or burglar alarm. Revelation 7:16 “They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore: neither shall the sun beat down on them, nor any heat.”  Revelation 21:21 “And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.” Ezekiel 1: 28 “As the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance.”  Revelation 4:6 “and before the throne there was, as it were a sea of glass like crystal…” Now I cannot include all of the descriptions of heaven in this column, but I will share my favorite with you. Revelation 21:3-4, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them, and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death, there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying or pain; the first things have passed away.”

The good news is that God is preparing the perfect place for those that have repented of their sins and accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. It is heaven. I  hope to see you there.