Is there a heaven?

Have you ever wondered if heaven really exists? If you have ever been diagnosed with cancer, you have likely pondered some variation of this question at various point(s) during your cancer trial. It is a ginormous question which is not often discussed in the world today, meaning most people go out of their way to avoid talking about it publicly. Why isn’t this question discussed more in society today? Death is our greatest fear, and most people realize you cannot get to heaven unless you die here on earth first. Because it is directly tied to that “D” word, DEATH, discussing the reality and existence of heaven is a question which terrifies most people, causing them to not want to engage in any discussions about it. It is also considered to be a controversial question about a morbid, gloomy, sensitive, and/or extreme topic. Whenever there is controversy and gloominess surrounding a discussion topic or question, most people run for the hills to avoid such conversations. It is also a question which so many people know so little about, meaning they do not know how to answer it. This lack of knowledge can lead to misunderstandings, misconceptions, and errors in decision making, especially for people facing a terminal cancer trial. Here is how dictionary.com defines the word “heaven”:

“the abode of God, the angels, and the spirits of the righteous after death; the place or state of existence of the blessed after the mortal life"

Why would I write about the question “if heaven really exists” in this blog post? In the middle of August, I read a Facebook tribute post about a woman, Maisie Emerald Hitchcock, who died of ovarian cancer, and I can’t stop thinking about that social media post. Why? It is the way the tribute post about Maisie ends which has caused me to excessively ruminate about it ever since I read it. Below is that 8-13-23 Facebook post, which was written by Maisie’s father, Robyn Hitchcock:

Maisie Hitchcock 1976 - 2023 My daughter Maisie Emerald Hitchcock passed gently out of this life on the evening of Wednesday August 9th. She was born on the first warm day of the year, April 17th, in Cambridge, and died as night fell in Sussex last week. She had Peritoneal Cancer, a rare form of Ovarian. Maisie was vital. From the perspective of only three days, I can feel how unique she was: very much her own person with her own take on life. There was no filter between her feelings and the outside world. Her undiluted Maisie-ness and her deep dark eyes gave her a magical charisma which attracted her many friends. She was fiery at times, almost combustible: she didn’t just smoulder - she was an ingot of crimson heat, and so she loved to douse herself in water, swimming in lakes and pools and oceans. Maisie fed on art, music, thought and the wild open air. And comedy: she and I spent many hours together in Python Land, and she introduced me to the Mighty Boosh. I have lost, too, my fellow Ferry connoisseur - we did a *lot* of Bryan Ferry over the decades. But Maisie also fed on food (she loved her food, so she did), and one of the sad and terrible effects of the cancer that she held at bay for nearly three years (despite being diagnosed with Stage 4 in autumn 2020) was that she could eat less and less. She remained feisty and optimistic for the longest time, until this summer she bravely faced up to the inevitable and discontinued her chemotherapy treatment. I was glad to be able to visit her most days in her final two months. We had some laughs, some arguments, and a lot of philosophy: Mais and I could both wander the labyrinths of the mind for hours. Almost the last word she said to me was “Pangolin” before she curled away and sank back into her morphine cocoon. My phone revealed this to be an endangered species of anteater, with a scaly dragon tail. Pangolin! I mean - jeez, what an utterance - what way to go…Tears are back in my eyes. Thank you for being my daughter, Mais. You were special, vibrant, and lovely. I’m sending out love to all who loved and cared for Maisie, especially her mum Rosalind and brother Jack. Also the nurses and doctors at the Wiltshaw Ward in the Marsden Hospital in Chelsea and then at St. Peter & St. James Hospice in Sussex. “Is there a heaven? I’d like to think so.”

Did you catch the last nine words of his post where her dad asks if heaven really exists? In my role as a ministry coordinator for a cancer support group, I read a lot of obituaries and posthumous tributes and I do not ever recall having read such a unique way to end a tribute by a loved one honoring a family member who recently passed away. To me at least, his final four-word question seems to come out of left field and doesn’t seem to go with the rest of the tribute, which focuses mostly on her loves (I had to google “Bryan Ferry “), personality traits and the last few months of her cancer trial. It is a beautiful tribute which made me cry the first time I read it. One of the reasons I got so emotional when I read it for the first time is her dad is just so direct and honest with his “is there a heaven” question which, as I mentioned earlier in this blog, is a question which everyone thinks about but does not want to discuss publicly. I will discuss later in this blog post “why” everyone thinks about this question. The last five words of his posthumous tribute express her father’s opinion when he says: “I’d like to think so.” According to urban dictionary, here is how “I’d like to think so” is defined:

“The cool way of saying 'in my opinion'. It is often said after sharing pretty suspect opinions. It can be abbreviated ILTTS”

I understand that her dad wrote this tribute to honor his daughter while expressing his own grief. Her dad was an actual rock star, who sang with The Soft Boys as well as Robyn Hitchcock and The Egyptians. Since he was a rock star, wouldn’t you expect him to ask a big question in the way which urban dictionary defines as a “cool way”? My heart breaks for him as I cannot even begin to fathom the pain her father is experiencing in the loss of his only daughter. As my mom has always said to me, there is nothing like the pain a parent experiences in losing a child. However, I keep wondering why he chose to end this wonderful tribute with those final nine words. Was he just implying that Maisie was so special and incredible that she deserves to be in heaven? Or, does he not really know the answer to his question about if heaven exists or not? Or, as Urbandictionary.com suggests, does he realize he is sharing a pretty suspect opinion, but he is hopeful it is true somehow? Perhaps he is asking this question for some other reason(s)? I do not know what his motives were in ending this wonderful tribute in the way that he did, but I am writing this blog post so that others may better understand what the bible has to say about this important question about heaven’s existence. It is a big question which every cancer patient as well as their loved ones should know how to answer correctly.

Before I get to what the bible has to say about heaven, what are some of the beliefs about heaven which exist in our world today? There are all sorts of crazy beliefs and notions about if heaven exists, and if it does, how someone can gain access to heaven. Many believe heaven just exists and just about everyone gets in. It is a common belief that so long as you didn’t end up in jail or do something which was extraordinarily vicious during your lifetime, you automatically get into heaven. Others do not believe heaven really exists – they just believe it is some sort of made-up fairy tale or something like that. Others, like Maisie’s father, are not confident that it exists but would like to think it does, especially when a loved one has recently passed away. If you also consider what pop culture has to say about heaven, you become even more confused and can see why there is so much bewilderment about the reality of heaven. For example, there was a 1978 movie called “Heaven Can Wait” about a young man (played by Warren Beatty) being mistakenly taken to heaven by his guardian angel, and the resulting complications of how this mistake can be undone, given that his earthly body had been cremated. The movie downplays, in a very humorous fashion, the reality and significance of heaven. In 1992, Bryan Adams’ hit song, Heaven, suggests he and his lover are in heaven. Here is the signature chorus of Bryan Adams’ Heaven below:

"And baby you're all that I want When you're lyin' here in my arms I'm findin' it hard to believe We're in heaven And love is all that I need And I found it there in your heart Isn't too hard to see We're in heaven, heaven Whoa, oh, oh!"

Finally, if you consider what other religions have to say about heaven and all the different ways these religions proclaim entrance into heaven can be achieved, it is not surprising that so many people are confused about the existence of heaven as well as the entrance requirements for being granted access to heaven.

So, what does the bible have to say about heaven? I will quote a few verses which outline some of what the bible has to say about heaven and eternal life. Psalm 124:8 tells us God is our helper and He created both heaven and earth:

“Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”

In Matthew 7:21, Jesus tells us that only those who are in Christ will enter the kingdom of heaven:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

In John 14:1-3, Jesus tells us that God has many rooms in heaven and that He has prepared a place for those who believe in Him:

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

In Philippians 2:9-11, we learn that everyone, including those who get to heaven and those who do not, will eventually bow their knee to Jesus Christ:

“Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

As we just learned from in Psalm 124:8, the bible tells us heaven exists and it was created by God. Therefore, it is not a suspect opinion as urban dictionary defined for us earlier, but the reality and existence of heaven is a biblical truth. As we learned in Matthew 7:21, only those people who come to the Father through true faith in Christ will become citizens of that kingdom forever. In John 14:2, we learn that God has prepared a place for only believers in Heaven. Finally, as we learned in Philippians 2:9-10, everyone, including those people who are not Christians, will eventually bow their knee to Jesus. Consequently, will you be willing to bow your knee in repentance and faith to Jesus before you leave this world to be granted access to heaven through the righteousness of Christ? If not, Philippians 2:10 tells us you will bow your knee to him when you are “under this earth” when it is too late to save your soul. Yes, most people would consider a terminal cancer patient, who has been given weeks to live by his or her medical professionals, to be one of the “walking dead.” However, as we learned in Philippians 2:9-10, people who do not confess that Jesus is Lord are the ones who are the “walking dead”, not the terminal cancer patient who trusts in the Lord Jesus. While most would consider the preceding statement about who really are the “walking dead” to be absurd or ironic, the bible tells us it is absolutely true.

Can you imagine planning your own wedding and then choosing someone, who you have never met before, to be your best man? Recently, I was watching the NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. One of the NBC News reporters highlighted the story of how Ben Clark married Jayme, the love of his life, in Iowa on September 16, 2023, and his best man was a man he first met in person the day before he tied the knot. Ben is a lymphoma cancer survivor (2010) and his stem cell transplant donor, Jan Rolfes who lives in Europe, is the person who he chose to be his best man. Here is what Ben said about selecting Jan to be his best man:

“Without him, I wouldn’t be here to marry the woman of my dreams that God has placed into my life. My 3 brothers and her 2 brothers are the groomsmen, and they all understand… I mean none of them have saved my life.”

As you can see from the preceding quote in the following article: “From Lifesaver to Best Man” on DKMS.org, Ben is beyond grateful for what Jan did to help him recover from cancer over a decade earlier. Ben was so indebted to Jan that he chose Jan to be his best man over his own family members and closest friends here in the USA. Wow, it is a story which tugs at your heart strings. It was such an inspiring news story that it made the national news. When I reflect on this incredible story, it makes me think of how a cancer patient feels when they come to faith in Christ during their cancer trial. These new Christians are incredibly grateful that their new faith in Christ, which transforms their heart, will save them, and provide them with a true and living hope no matter the outcome of their earthly cancer trial. In other words, they realize that if they do not survive their cancer trial, their new faith in Christ will allow them to spend eternity with God in the kingdom of heaven. Ben’s story of gratitude for Jan’s gift of earthly salvation is an imperfect illustration how much elation and gratitude the cancer patient feels when they finally realize that Jesus is the only one who provides them with eternal salvation. Martin Luther, a German monk who was a critical figure in the protestant reformation, said the following about heaven:

“I would not give up one moment of heaven for all the joys and riches of the world, even if they last thousands and thousands of years.”

Maisie’s dad mentions that he spent almost every day with her during her final two months and they spent a lot of time discussing philosophy. He goes on to say: “Mais and I could both wander the labyrinths of the mind for hours.” He also said that “She remained feisty and optimistic for the longest time, until this summer she bravely faced up to the inevitable and discontinued her chemotherapy treatment.” In the summer of 2023, her dad said she came to terms with the fact that she was not going to survive her cancer trial, meaning she knew she was going to die soon. When she was finally confronted head on with her own mortality earlier this year, I wonder if she started to think about or talked to her dad about what would happen to her soul after she left this world? Obviously, her dad wrote this final tribute, so we do not know what Maisie was thinking or believed. However, since her dad mentioned that they spent her final two months discussing philosophies and since her dad chose to end his tribute with those final nine words, it makes me think they did discuss heaven or the afterlife in her final days.

Why do I suggest that Maisie and her dad may have discussed heaven in her final days? In ministering to people with cancer for over 15 years, I have observed repeatedly how people will have all sorts of beliefs when they live in this world and life appears to be going along just swell. However, when faced with their own mortality in the form of a terminal cancer prognosis, many people will openly question their prior beliefs and start to search for answers to eternity, which God has put in the hearts of all men. Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us:

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.”

I mentioned earlier in this blog post that everyone will ponder the existence of heaven at some point(s) in their lives. How do I know this? Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells is that in every human soul is a God-given awareness that there is “something more” than this transient world. And with that awareness of eternity comes a hope that we can one day find a fulfillment not afforded by the “vanity” in this world. God designed each of our hearts with an eternal perspective, meaning He loves us and wants us to come to faith in His son, Jesus. In other words, the initiative of our loving God lies behind every affirmation of faith in Jesus Christ. Alistair Begg, from Truth for Life, said the following:

“We become the friends of Jesus as the result of the initiative of Jesus. That’s what grace is. That’s a seeking God. Love was when God stepped down into time with the express purpose of putting together a people that are His very own.”

As her cancer trial progressed and her medical prognosis became bleaker, I wonder if Maisie ever listened to the way which God designed her heart and started to search for “something more”?

God also gives each of us the ability to choose what we believe and do not believe. Accordingly, the terminal cancer patient needs to determine if they believe Matthew 7:21, which says that Jesus is the gatekeeper of heaven. This verse goes on to tell us that only those who trust in Christ as savior and lord will be granted access to heaven through the righteousness of Christ. Therefore, because your decision about this critical question has eternal implications, do you believe and trust in what Matthew 7:21 says? It is the single biggest question any of us, including the terminal cancer patient, will ever ponder and answer in our lives.

The world teaches us that we are in control of our own destiny. Tony Robbins, the famous self-help guru, is currently offering a seminar in 2023 on how to control your destiny. The Huffington Post published an article in 2015 called “Your Destiny is Controlled by your Decisions” by Natasha Koifman. Jack Welch, the former CEO of General Electric, is famous for saying “control your own destiny or someone else will.” There are millions of other ridiculous examples of people who claim to have all the answers about your destiny, but the main point here is the world wants us to believe that we are in complete control of our lives and futures. The bible, however, tells us a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT story which is God is sovereign and in control of all things, including heaven and our eternal destiny. Proverbs 3:5 tells us:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.”

Unfortunately, it can be extremely difficult for many people to believe that God is sovereign over the heavens and the earth and to NOT trust in their own understanding. If you are unwilling to acknowledge God’s sovereignty, then you will be unable to give up control of your life by putting your faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Why? The world teaches us from an early age that we can control our own futures and that we need to trust in our own understanding. Therefore, most people do not want to give up control of their lives because they realize it will require a change in their own behavior and beliefs. Here are a couple of quotes which drive home this point:

“Be very sure of this, – people never reject the Bible because they cannot understand it. They understand it only too well; they understand that it condemns their own behavior; they understand that it witnesses against their own sins and summons them to judgment.” – J. C. Ryle, an English evangelical Anglican bishop.

“The chief reason people do not know God is not because He hides from them but because they hide from Him.” – John Stott, an English Anglican priest and theologian who was noted as a leader of the worldwide evangelical movement.

I have run into more than my fair share of people over the years who claim that Christianity is a fairy tale and that I, as a Christian, need to learn to think for myself. These critics are suggesting that I do the exact opposite of what proverbs 3:5, quoted earlier, tells us. These criticisms incorrectly suggest that I need to trust in my own understanding by “thinking for myself” to determine what I believe and don’t believe in the bible and elsewhere. When I respond to such critics by asking them, as humbly as I can, what they believe in or what happens to people after they die, I have yet to receive an answer which is believable or makes any sense to me. They often provide their own self-contrived solutions or point to religions or solutions which lack the historical authenticity and documented witnesses which the bible provides. In fact, most of these people will begin to reiterate their criticism of Christianity and will often walk away angry with me. In my experience, these critics are quick to offer their objections to Christianity but are unable to offer any viable alternative solutions.

If you are facing a terminal cancer trial and if you would like to spend eternity with God in heaven, you will need to determine if Christianity is the biggest lie to ever hit this world or not. The bible tells us that the scriptures, which do not contradict themselves, are the word of God. For example, 2 Timothy 3:16 to 17 tells us:

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

Therefore, the bible tells us we cannot choose which of its scriptures we believe and do not believe. If we were able to choose in the bible which scriptures we believe or do not believe, that would put us on the same level as God and it would make God irrelevant, which is of course ludicrous and blasphemous. Brad Pitt is famous for saying that he is 20% atheist and 80% agnostic. Agnostics believe that the existence of God or a higher power is unknowable while atheists don’t believe in God at all. Although his quote will help sell magazines it is featured in and will likely cause him to rise in stature with both groups, it tells me that Brad Pitt doesn’t really know what he believes either. It is why he is hedging his position with his stated percentages as he obviously doesn’t know if he’s an atheist or agnostic. In other words, he does not know what he believes but the one thing he claims to know for certain is he doesn’t believe in Christianity which was the religion his devout Christian parents raised him to believe when he was a child. If all scripture is breathed out by God, then the bible cannot be 20% true or 80% true. Therefore, the preceding two verses in 2 Timothy tell us the whole bible is 100% true. If the bible really is the word of God as stated in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, then do you believe what it says?

One of the blessings of a terminal cancer trial is it normally gives the cancer patient plenty of time to ponder their own circumstances and to think about what happens to them if they do not survive their cancer trial. Trials are opportunities for us to either come to faith in Christ or to grow in our faith in Christ more than we ever have before in our lives. Why? Trials are the times when we realize how much we need the Lord by experiencing how fragile and tough life in this world can be. Unfortunately, so many terminal cancer patients are stubborn and reject or do not understand the Gospel message. Instead, many of them focus all their energies in trying to find someone (i.e., medical professionals) or something (i.e., new clinical trial, special diet, bucket list, etc.) to save them and have no contingency plan if said efforts are unsuccessful. If you are on the fence or undecided about your belief in Christ, you are either knowingly or unknowingly rejecting the Gospel, meaning both perspectives are the same perspective as someone who rejects the message of the Gospel altogether. Maisie’s dad said she remained feisty and optimistic for the longest time and then bravely faced up to the inevitable and discontinued her oncology treatments. Once she discontinued her chemo treatments, I wonder what her plan was then? If she did trust in Jesus as her savior and Lord, her father did not mention it in his final tribute. It is not my place to suggest what happened to her as only God knows what happens to the souls of those who pass away.

The question in Maisie’s tribute is just one example of how there is just so much confusion in this world about if heaven exists and how someone gains access to heaven. In all my years of being ministry coordinator for a cancer support group, I have seen, heard, and read about examples of this confusion repeatedly. In fact, trying to clear up some of the confusion about the reality of heaven and the existence of eternal life is why I spend so much time writing these blog posts. As we just discussed in the preceding pages of this blog post, the bible could not be clearer on how to answer this important question. Unfortunately, so many people either do not know how to answer it or they refuse to believe the bible, which provides us with clear instructions on how to answer it. Instead, they would prefer to trust in their own understanding, incorrectly believing that they are in control of their lives and destinies. For those who reject what the bible has to say about this important question, I wonder if they realize that the whole bible points to Christ? Alistair Begg, from TruthforLife.org, summarizes how the message of Jesus Christ permeates the entire bible in his following quote:

“We find Christ in all the Scriptures. In the Old Testament He is predicted, in the Gospels He is revealed, in Acts He is preached, in the epistles He is explained, and in Revelation He is expected.”

Yes, Jesus is the focus of the entire bible, and ALL the scriptures point to Him. 2 Timothy 1:9 (New Living Translation) tells us:

“For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.”

The preceding verse teaches us that Jesus has been God’s plan for salvation of mankind from before time began. Since the entire bible points to Christ and since He is God’s plan for salvation from before time began, we all need to determine if we believe what the scriptures have to say about Him or NOT. If you are facing terminal cancer and if you do NOT believe what the scriptures tell us, then what is it that you believe about what happens to a person and/or their soul after they pass away. The scriptures are either 100% true or they are the biggest lie to ever hit this world. However, the bible also instructs us that it is not partially true, and we cannot choose which scriptures we believe and do not believe.

Yes, the question raised at the end of Maisie’s tribute is a HUGE question. Unfortunately, so many people, including those with terminal cancer, do not know how to correctly respond to it. I often refer to terminal cancer as a trial with a deadline. Assuming the medical professionals are correct with their incurable diagnosis, these terminal patients know their time here on earth is limited, meaning they have an expiration date which is coming soon. Although we all have an expiration date whether we realize it or not, a terminal cancer diagnosis has a unique way of bringing your own mortality to the forefront of your mind in a way which most people have never experienced before in their lives. Many of these terminal cancer patients will become so consumed by thoughts of their pending expiration date that it is all they can think about. They become obsessed with their morbid thoughts which follow their terminal diagnosis. Many of them also become disproportionately preoccupied with trying to find a way in this world to save themselves.

There is nothing wrong with being a good steward of your cancer medical care and treatments. However, it becomes problematic when finding a treatment solution is your only focus with no acknowledgement of God’s sovereignty in your life. Terminal cancer patients who become disproportionately preoccupied with finding a cure for what their doctors claim is an incurable disease are desperately searching for a way to prove their medical professionals are fools who do not know what they are talking about. However, many of them refuse to listen to their own heart, which God designed with an eternal perspective. In my fifteen plus years of being involved with a cancer ministry, it saddens me deeply to say that I have seen, read, and heard about so many people who do not know the correct answer to this question which Maisie’s father raises in his final tribute. I have read about or observed way too many “I’d Like To Think So” responses, which is a cool way for someone to say they lack sufficient knowledge to respond correctly. When asked about his own technology products, F. Mark Gumz, former President, and CEO of Olympus Corporation said the following:

“Verbally owning up to my ignorance is really hard, but it's almost always smarter than faking certainty.”

The preceding quote has nothing to do with cancer or the bible, but it is a great quote about human ignorance. So how does this quote correlate to someone with cancer who cannot answer this important question? If you are facing a terminal cancer diagnosis and cannot answer this important question, please pray to God that He will help you see, understand, and believe the answers which are documented for us in the bible. It is better to own up to your own ignorance about heaven and eternal life, prayerfully asking God to help you, rather than faking certainty. Why? Incorrectly answering this important question will result in eternal separation from God. Therefore, it is my hope that what I discussed in this blog post will provide the reader with the biblical answers to this BIG question. The bible could not be clearer or more direct on how to answer this important question which so many people, including Maisie’s’ father, do not know how to answer.

I have experienced two cancer trials in my life already. While the medical professionals tell me those trials are long behind me, it would not surprise me if I were diagnosed with cancer again at some point in my future. If I end up being diagnosed with terminal cancer later in my life, my prayer is that I will continue to trust in Christ and Him alone. Why? Christ is the only one who can save me from my sinful condition so that I may be graciously granted access into God’s eternal kingdom, heaven. Yes, the bible tells us that heaven does exist, and it was created by God for those who come to the Father through true faith in Christ. Graciously, they will become citizens of His eternal kingdom, heaven, forever. Christ is a loving savior who does not want your hearts to be troubled in answering this critical and decisive question.

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. (John 14:1-3 ESV)

Jim Risk, a two-time cancer survivor, is the volunteer Ministry Coordinator for the Cancer Support Group (CSG) at a non-denominational church in NE Ohio. Jim and his wife, Kristina, have participated and served in CSG, a Christian ministry, since 2007.