What Will Heaven Be Like?

It's really kind of amazing if you think about it that so little detail is given about heaven in the Bible!  The Scripture is clear that heaven is the abiding place of God where our victorious Lord Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father.  We have hints regarding the beauty of heaven with it's magnificent gates and streets of pure gold. Yet, a lot is left to educated guesses at best.  I think the Lord wants it that way to be a reward on the grandest scale. One rabbi has suggested that this life is like a lobby where we wait until that day when we can enter the grand banquet hall!  I like that!  Regardless, heaven is and will be a wonderful place. Then, as believers we have the promise that when we leave this body we immediately enter heaven.
Heaven is to be with Jesus.  I have no angst about any of that.  I do however, have a little concern about one part of life after death.  It has to do with the judgment seat of Christ.  I have always had this deep desire to hear from Jesus those words, "Well done thou good and faithful servant..."

Some have taught that the judgment seat of Christ had to do with rewards for good deeds and punishment for the bad.  That isn't possible!  Why?  Because sin has already been taken care of by the Blood of Jesus.  The judgment seat of Christ is a place of reward but not punishment.  Yet, I want the highest reward from Jesus because I want to please him as I am sure you do as well.  Now here's my point.  I believe to get the highest reward, like Paul, we all need to be faithful to the end and make sure we have "run the race" as best we can.  I remember as a new believer I sought to learn and grow every day.  If I saw it in the Word, I did it or tried as best I could. No one probably grows as quickly as in that first year of discipleship.  Just this morning as I read my devotional I was reading in Hebrews and saw the verse that said that we need to be careful how we treat strangers because we could be entertaining angels.  That started the process of thought that asks the question, "do I still strive to practice the Word as I once did?"  Do I forgive others as I once did?  Do I feed the hungry and visit those in prison like I once did?  Of course these are personal questions.  I in no way want to bring condemnation upon you or me.  I do however, ask that you join me in asking Jesus to help us be more aware of opportunities to live as He would live.