It all started when I moved to the German countryside with my parents a few years ago, to a house with a wonderful view of the Siebengebirge mountains.

From my window I could see the 300-metre-high Ölberg. A landscape of green meadows and small hills unfolded before me. A piece of land, still empty today, bordered our property. The grass grew tall and there was a plum tree. I often wished I could buy that piece of land and build a tennis court, a swimming pool and a garden shed.

But then I had a brilliant idea, a dream that I'd probably never be able to fulfil on this earth because I didn't have the financial means. I imagined a huge plot of land for me and my friends. I would build houses for us in a circle. There would be a big garden pavilion in the middle where we could gather in the evenings to barbecue, laugh, and have fun. I haven't stopped dreaming about it, because I know there will be a place where I can make it come true. But it gets even better. There's a place where the Bible says I don't even have to build a house for myself; Jesus is already building it for me (John 14:2). Maybe you know what I'm talking about.

Of course, it's about heaven! None of us has been there yet, but we can read about it in the Bible. It's not just a place where Jesus builds a house for us. It's a place where something within us, that we all long for here, will be fulfilled.

What do you long for? What do you think of when I say that all our longings will be fulfilled? Someone once asked me what I was looking forward to in heaven. I said playing with lions and tigers, flying, or meeting my friends in the house I built for us. But then I realised something:

Above all, heaven is a Person. It is a reunion with the one from whom I have been separated by sin. I will meet Jesus, the one who died for you and me, the one who is always there and always has an open ear when we have something on our minds.

Another need is also being met. The Bible says that God has put eternity in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11). No one wants to die, yet this world is a place teeming with death. I only have to turn on the news for five minutes and then I want to turn it off. But in heaven there will be no more death.

The last book of the Bible says, "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'" (Revelation 21:3-4).

There will be no more suffering, no more pain, no more death. The earth, with all its injustice and wickedness, will have passed away because a perfect world will take its place. God Himself will live among us forever.

Are we really aware of the implications of this statement? That we will live with Him forever? We will never be separated from Him! There will be no more sin when we live with God. Where God dwells, there is no sin! The great battle that has cost billions of lives over the millennia will be over. We can stand beside our Creator forever, learning from Him and thanking Him for what He has done for us. For everything He has done and will do for us is a testimony to His love for us. God IS love! How beautiful it must be to be there. Can you feel the anticipation building in your heart? The more I think about it, the happier I get. I hope the joy spreads to you too. I can hardly wait for heaven to become a reality.

God loves you! He has given everything for you. It would be incredibly sad if you and I didn't accept His gift. Accept His gift of love and eternal life, and maybe then we can build a house together in this new and perfect world!

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Bible texts for in-depth study:
Isaiah 35; 65:17-25; Matthew 5:1-12; John 14:1-3; Romans 8:18; 1 Corinthians 15:50-58; 2 Corinthians 4:17-18; 2 Timothy 4:7-8; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 11:15; 21:1-7; 22:1-5