them over and over — because we will no longer inhabit aging bodies that grow tired or live in a sin-infected world that makes life tedious . In that “ place called heaven ” we will enjoy an “ excess of life .” We ’ ll be like children saying to our heavenly Father , “ Do it again !”
3 . Heaven will be one long church service — While worshiping God will be a central activity in heaven , it will not be our only activity . Just as Christians today can offer praise to God while engaging in other tasks throughout the week , Christians in the new heaven and new earth will worship God during special , designated times as well as while involved in other activities .
Kelinda : There ’ s an old saying : “ He ’ s so heavenly-minded that he ’ s no earthly good .” Would you share with us your thoughts on that adage ?
Dr . Jeffress : We ’ ve all heard this old cliché , and some people use the idea to justify focusing their efforts and affections solely on this world — deluding themselves into thinking such a limited perspective is actually a virtue . Like the foolish farmer who acted as if he would live forever , these people fail to realize the brevity of this life and the length of eternity .
But here is the great irony : the more we think about the next world , the more effective we become in this world .
The realization that we are headed to a new location called “ heaven ” should be great motivation for us to spend our limited time on earth productively . No need to be concerned about piling up a large amount of money — we ’ ll leave it all behind when we depart . No reason to be fixated on what other people do to us or think about us — our calling to our new location is assured . Instead , grasping the reality of that “ place called heaven ” that awaits us should liberate us to invest our few remaining years on earth as wisely as possible .
Kelinda : There are some books , already on the market , written about Near-Death Experiences , some of which involve visits to heaven . Do you believe these are actual visits ?
Dr . Jeffress : The popularity of these NDE books goes beyond our natural curiosity about the unknown . Implanted deep inside each of us is a longing for this “ place called heaven .” While there is much to love about earth — its people and places — we instinctively know there must be something more , something better . King Solomon wrote that God has “ set eternity in [ our ] heart ”
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