A New Heaven and A New Earth

I often like to take scripture and turn it into a conversation with God using verse. It just seems to bring me closer to God within my Bible study. Revelation 21: 1-5 inspired the following: 

 

A New Heaven and A New Earth 

 

I am clothe in white,

Washed clean and bright,

With no lingering sin left in sight.

That’s what I see in this new heaven and earth,

After God has established my merit and worth.

I now stand in God’s Holy City among the righteous and equal.

But there is a sequel!

There are no tears-

There are no fears.

There are no rich or poor

Wanting what’s yours.

I cry no more.

I’m given no heavy chore.

There is no more pain;

Only joy is my gain. 

God dwells with me here.

On His throne is where I see Him appear.

He is robed in glory and might.

I see no darkness, only light.

God has made all things new;

Given everyone their due.

He sits on His throne,

And I glory in how He rules over His own.

 

Mary Crisp Jameson   2/22/2026 

“Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then He said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Revelation 21:1-5 NIV 

 

A Song In My Heart ...

Daily, I am joyful and encouraged!  

     All I need to do is think about what heaven will be like and know that when I take my last breath on earth, I will take my first breath in heaven. Shouldn’t that make me want to shout and sing! 

     As far as the wait to get there, I am also encouraged by knowing I am only passing through this world. I am only here for a short time as compared to eternity in heaven. Oh, what a day that will be!

     As I wait for heaven’s gain, I know my purpose. It is temporary. I am to live as an ambassador for Christ. Although, I have regrets, have sinned, and continue to fail, my hope and confidence lies in the fact that I have accepted Jesus into my life. I live, breathe, and function because I was created by the great I Am, saved by the Lamb, and guided by the Holy Spirit. 

     All is well, and although I will go through troubles and guilt, I can still sing, “Hallelujah to the King”! 

Heaven

Heaven and what it will truly be like remains somewhat a mystery to me! I say, “somewhat” because I am given hints of what it will be like in scripture. When I read Dr. David Jeremiah’s Turning Point devotional, he gave scriptures of what Jesus said about heaven. I looked them up and found: 

 

In Luke 23:43, Jesus said Heaven was “Paradise.” 

(meaning an ideal place)

 

John 14: 2 Jesus called Heaven, “His Father’s house with many mansions” 

(meaning a luxurious dwelling place owned by God)

 

Luke 23:43 Jesus called it, “The kingdom” 

(meaning a country ruled by a King) 

 

Matthew 6:20 Jesus said it was, “A place where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieve do not break through nor steal.” 

(meaning a safe place) 

 

I also remember what is written in Revelation 21. I looked at it again and found more details about Heaven: 

 

It will be new.

It will be holy.

It will be a tabernacle with God on His throne.

It will be a place of no more tears, no death, no sorrow, no pain.

It will have foundations are of precious stones- jasper, sapphire, chalcedony, emerald, sardonyx, sardius, chrysolite, beryl, topaz, chrysoprasus, jacinth, and amethyst.

It will be a city is of pure gold, clear like glass.

It will have gates of pearl and the street is of pure gold, transparent as glass.

It will be filled with the glory of God and the Lamb with no need for sun of moon; Their glory will lighten it.

It will be a place with no need for night.

It will be a place where nothing will walk within that will defile.

 

With this image set before me, my desire is that all choose heaven over hell. In hell there will be eternal suffering with fire and brimstone. It is actually an easy path to choose heaven. Just obey John 3:16, “…Whosoever believes in Him (Jesus) shall not perish but have eternal life.”  

Heaven

When I think about heaven, I think about the streets of gold, transparent as glass, and the gates of pearl but, more importantly, I think about my Christ who sits at the right-hand side of His Father. I think about being held in the arms of Jesus and bowing to praise His holy name. 

HEAVEN

Although heaven is a mystery,

it has been talked about throughout history.

And, because heaven is real,

my heart is calmed and still. 

For me, heaven is a hope;

a promise; 

and that helps me, on earth, to cope. 

Heaven is my incentive-my desire

to be a fire for Christ;

an influencer, a witness, a changer for good,

even though heaven is not fully understood.

What I know about heaven, 

is that there is an eternity,

a timeless existence,

which make me want to run the distance. 

In my run and in my roam, 

there is a yearning for my forever home. 

One day, my heartbeat will sink;

I will blink

and be held in the arms of Jesus-

in Heaven.

 

Mary Crisp Jameson  9/24/2025 

 

“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.” Philippians 3:20 NIV 

 

“Set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above.” Colossians 3:1b-2a NIV 

 

 

Passport

     Passports are needed to travel to foreign lands, but passports expire.  They have to be renewed and, often, it takes time to obtain those renewals.  They are also expensive. 

     When I think about traveling to Heaven, a foreign place for me, I am so thankful that my passport has not and will never expire.  Once I accepted Jesus as the Son of God, I obtained a permanent passport.  It never expires.  I am prepared and ready in the “blink of an eye” to travel to my forever, foreign land, a land where there will be no ills, no troubles, no sorrow; a land where I will find joy, love, peace and be in the midst of my Savior.   

     Do you have a permanent passport which never expires?  It is free.

 

Watch!

     Before Jesus was born, people were waiting and watching for a King.  They did not know the hour or time of His arrival just as we do not know, today, the hour of His return.  We are told in several scriptures to "watch".  Matthew 24:42 says, "Therefore keep watch..."  Matthew 26:41 tells us, "Watch and pray...."
     What is so important about "watch"?  And how do we watch?     For me, being watchful means staying in the Word.  To remind myself of why, I developed the following acronym:
  W-ord
  A-lpha
  T-emptations
  C-hrist
  H-eaven
     
     By staying in the Word of God, I am strengthening myself and surrounding myself with His shield of protection.  I am preparing myself to be watchful of the way I live my life as a witness for others.   1 John 2:5 "But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him."
     Jesus said, I am the Alpha and Omega; the beginning and the end.  From the beginning of my Christian life to the end, I need to study the Word, being watchful to remain true to God throughout my life.  Jesus and His Word are my safety net.   Isaiah 40:8 lets me know that from beginning to end God's Word stands forever.  "The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever."
     Temptations come at me every day, for Satan is roaming to overcome me at my weakest moments.  Only by staying in God's Word can I watch and even attempt to overcome my sinful nature.  Hebrews 4:12, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."
     Jesus Christ is the who said, "Watch."  By watching and strengthening myself in His word, I am striving to be an obedient child of God.   2 Timothy 2:15, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
     Heaven will be my reward for remaining watchful and for trusting in the One who created me.  Proverbs 30:5,  "Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him."

 

 

Believe

     Jesus said in John 3:16-18, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God send not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."
     I love this scripture!  It is all about salvation through faith.  Even though we have not seen God in person, the Christian has felt His mighty presence and seen His works in their lives and in the lives of others. 
     Other synonyms we can use for "believe" is to rest assured, be convinced, to have confidence in, to affirm, to give credence to, and to accept.  We accept that Jesus died on the cross to save us from our sins and to give us eternal life, and by accepting, we rejoice in the truth of the cross.  With our acceptance, we obtain the living presence of the Holy Spirit.  We obtain peace, joy, and love. 
     For those who have heard but not believed, and have chosen to use antonyms like; reject, dispute, discard, and ignore, rest assured there will be will be a future, either in heaven or in hell.  What will be your final decision?  Is it worth the chance?  Is it not time to let God enter your heart so that heaven can be your final destination? 
     Here in "A Friendly Shade", I rest assured that the Bible leaves no doubt there is a life after death, and for me, it will be heaven; my final home which will be filled with light, "for the glory of God will lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. "  (Revelation 21:23b)    

Heaven and Home

      I jokely call "A Friendly Shade" heaven on earth, but when I really think about heaven there is no way to imagine what it is really like.

     Heaven was created by God as told in Genesis. “In the beginning God created the heaven… and God called the firmament Heaven…” We also know that heaven is God’s throne. Revelation 21:22, “And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.” Again, in Revelations, we are told of a city of “pure gold, like unto clear glass.” It is garnished with all manner of precious stones. Even though we read about heaven and what God has in store for believers, we truly have no concept of what heaven will really be like.

     Some people describe heaven as a higher place, a holy place, or even a paradise, yet Isaiah 64:4 tells us, “For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.

     As little as I know about what heaven will be like or what God has prepared for me I still would like to take my concept of heaven a bit further through the use of an acronym.

H ome - As a believer in Jesus Christ I know that I will be provided with a special place in heaven with God and I look forward to calling that place “home.”

John 14:2“In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” 

John 14:3,“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

E verlasting life – I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I will have everlasting life with God.

John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

 A ltered state – My life will be so very totally different in heaven.  I will have no worries, fears, sickness, or heartache.  

Revelation 21:3-5a, “ And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.  

V ictory –  Because of my faith and belief in Jesus I will have victory.  

 1 John 5:4-5, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?”

E ternal reward – Through the cross and the blood of Jesus I have grace, and there will be a reward for me in heaven, as underserving as it may be.

 

 

Ephesians 1:7, " In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; 

Revelation 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

N ew body – I know when I accepted Jesus as my savior I obtained a new body in Christ and can only imagine what restored perfect body God has waiting just for me.

Romans 8:10“And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.”

2 Corinthians 5:17, “ Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

     In ending, regardless of what heaven is like, God's glory will shine forth, and we are commissioned to tell others of Jesus and the home waiting for those who will believe in Him.

Psalm 19:1, The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shewth his handywork." 

Mark 16:15, "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."  

Heaven Is For Real

      Lately, my “Friendly Shade” has been getting a lot of rain, and I mean a whole lot of rain!   The ground is saturated, but I am determined not to complain for I know that in just a few weeks the ground could dry up and I will again be wishing and praying for rain. I really hope I am not often caught “wanting what I don’t have and not wanting what I have.”

      You know, when I think about the heavens and all the rain we have been getting, I can’t help but consider that God created and controls the heavens. (Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens…) God owns it all, so why worry about how much or how little the rain falls?   Who am I to question the God who controls all the elements sent from heaven.   ( Deuteronomy 10:14 To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens…)    Actually the Lord “opens the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands….” Deut. 28:12    I can just imagine the humor He gets out of watching and listening to His people as they get excited over the sunshine after a long bough of rain, or the rain shower after long months of dry spells and even the rainbow that shows out as God sets the bow over the land.  

    God's abundant storehouse in heaven is used by Him when needed, often to accomplish a purpose.  When the Israelites demanded food, the Lord told Moses, “I will rain bread from heaven for you….Exodus 16:4) When Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed, it came out of the heavens. (Genesis 19:24 Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah from the Lord out of the heavens.) Our dew comes from heaven. (May God give you heaven’s dew… Genesis 27:28) When Noah was instructed to build the Ark, it was because God was about to “bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens.” Genesis 8:2 Afterwards, God set His “bow in the cloud.” Our sun, moon, and stars are set in the heavens. (Deuteronomy 4:19 And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the heavenly array….) It is from heaven that our winds are created. (Jeremiah 49:36 I will bring against Elam the four winds from the four quarters of heaven…) From heaven comes the thunder and lightning. (When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roars; he makes clouds rise from the ends of earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouse. Jeremiah 10:13 ) It was from heaven that a bright light descended upon Saul and blinded him. (Acts 9:3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.) In 2 Kings 1:10 Elijah asked God to send down fire. (“If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!” Then fire fell from heaven” …)

     Even though there is a storehouse in heaven, we are warned not to bow down to any of them. God is the One in control of it all and it is to Him we should bow and worship. (“… do not be enticed into bowing down to them and worshiping things the Lord your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven.”)

     Heaven is God’s throne, and it is the place we should all seek. (Matthew 5:34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne.) (Philippians 3:20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.”
     Truly, “Heaven is for real!”    Although in terms of the distance heaven is from the earth, God is always near and available.  The wonders we have seen and read about are only a glimpse and a tiny taste of what we will experience eternally in heaven.   In the time between now and then God is waiting for us to seek Him daily and to praise Him for the heavenly show of abundance sent to earth.