Country Roads

In 1971, a song that would become the #2 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 came over the radio and moved listeners so deeply that, reportedly, many stopped whatever they were doing just to hear this young man sing so passionately about a place he called home. He sang of its beauty, its mountains, its memories. He described it as "Almost Heaven".
Take Me Home, Country Roads, by John Denver, became so popular world-wide that it became his signature song and everybody and their uncle wanted to visit West Virginia. Who could blame them? Denver sounds so homesick that's it's hard to believe that he wasn't born and raised there. But in fact, he had never even been to West Virginia up to that point.
So, how can someone so fervently and so convincingly sing about a place that they have never been? As it turns out, Denver didn't even write the song.
Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert were a singing duo known as Fat City when John Denver met them. They were opening for him at a club called The Cellar Door, In Washington D.C., in 1970, when they insisted that he listen to a song that Bill had been working on. Back at their hotel room, John listened to the song and loved it so much that he insisted upon having it, rather than letting them sell it to Johnny Cash. Changes were made and the first standing ovation followed at The Cellar Door the next time the trio performed it off of a scrap piece of paper.
The story just gets more interesting because, in a twist of irony, Bill and Taffy had never even been to West Virginia themselves when the song was composed. The couple were on their way from D.C. to Maryland for a Nivert family reunion when Bill penned the words to Country Roads. The idyllic, pastoral settings that surrounded them made the words spill forth on paper.
But how did West Virginia make it into the song? Danoff had a very good friend that lived there and he would often send him picture postcards (probably in an attempt to get him to visit) of the Mountain State with little notes like "West Virginia, it's almost heaven". These notes found their way into the lyrics.

Those who have trusted Christ speak passionately of a place that they have never been. And yet, they call it home! We know that we have a forwarding address because Jesus told us so in John 14:1-3. We are pilgrims and strangers here on the earth (Ps. 119:19; 1 Ptr. 2:11).
When we speak of our heavenly home, we speak of its beauty, its inhabitants, and its amenities. Heaven is the place where we know that we belong.

I believe that God has sent postcards from Heaven in the form of several different things.
1. The Holy Bible - Heaven is mentioned 470 times in scripture. We can read about it from Genesis to Revelations.
2. Jesus Christ - He restored sight, hearing, and missing flesh. He made the lame to walk and the dead to rise. He healed diseases and cast out demons. He demonstrated sacrificial love and appeared to many after His resurrection.
3. His People - Jesus told His followers in Matthew 5:16, Let your light so shine among men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.
4. His Blessings - James 1:17 says, Every good and perfect gift comes from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights.

Looking at these postcards, certain questions might arise.
What is Heaven? A.It is the place where God sits on His throne (Ps.11:4) B. It is the eternal realm of God's children (Jn. 14:1-3; Rev. 21:3). C. It is a place of reward (Matt. 5:12; 1 Cor. 3:14).

Where is Heaven? Heaven is not here on Earth and it is not a state of mind. It is an actual place (John 14:1-3). This is demonstrated by the fact that it has its own architecture, agriculture, geography, geology, and inhabitants (Rev.7:16; Rev. 21; Rev. 22:1, 2, 5).
Is it possible that Heaven is beyond the empty place in Space that has astronomers baffled? In Job 26:7 it says, He (God) stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.
In Is. 14:13, Lucifer said that he would ascend into Heaven and exalt his throne above the stars of God. He said that he would sit upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north.
Psalms 75:6 says, For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. (That leaves only one option)

Why should we care about Heaven? This might sound absurd but - some people choose not see beyond their current circumstances. We anticipate Heaven because there will be no more curse (Rev. 21:4, 5), no more tears, death, sorrow, or crying, and no pain. All things will be new (Rev. 21:4, 5).

When do we go to Heaven? When we shed this mortal coil, our soul and spirit separate from our bodies and are immediately with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8). There is no holding pattern for the soul and no restless wandering through space and time. 1 Thess. 5:9-11 says, For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or slepp, we should live together with Him. Wherefore, comfort yourselves together. and edify one another, even as also ye do. Ps. 116:15 says, Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.
God so greatly desires to be with us that He will not allow anything to interrupt His relationship with us. Death of the physical body is not an impediment to God's love. In fact, death is very important to the believer and to God because it is only then that we can mutually enjoy an unfettered relationship with our Saviour.

How do we get to Heaven? In John 14:6, Jesus says, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.

One Man loved West Virginia so much that he shared small pictures with his friend. The friend was inspired by what he saw and wrote a song. Another was introduced to the song and was so moved by it that he sang it to the whole world. And the world paid attention!

My friend, do you know that Heaven is your home? If you put your trust in Jesus as God's satisfactory payment for your sin, then the Father will prepare a place for you and it will be the place where you belong.

Believers in Christ, I challenge you this week to allow God to use you as Heaven's postcard. You can make a difference!