"Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven"

Have you ever pondered (as I often have) what heaven is like? This reference in the Lord's prayer has really perplexed me. For it seems that Jesus is charging us and explaining that our job on earth is to influence our surroundings in a way that clones or imitates heaven. Now that's a tall order.

Here I am pictured with my business partner Jonas Neilson and Sherry Lansing, who as head of Paramount Motion Pictures gave us the rights to produce THE FIRST WIVES CLUB on Broadway. When that day arrived I felt like I was in heaven.

But according to Jesus ... our home, workplace, relationships, thoughts, and actions are to parallel what it's like in heaven "everyday". Not just on certain special occasions.

I asked Pastor Bev if she could give me some insight into what heaven is like? She so simply and elegantly said, heaven is where God's love and values rule, and where all are completely devoted to fulfilling God's way and are conformed to God's character.

But here on earth it is very different ... and we have a nature that can be tempted, derailed, and do good or evil.

The Bible offers some help by saying ... "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect" Romans 12:2; "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you" Matt 6:33;  "For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men" I Peter 2:15.

Evil is a parasite ... and we live in a world that is cruel and unjust. But there is good news ... God has given us the Bible. A source that instructs how to make our environment more like heaven. It isn't easy. And it definitely helps if we have more and more Biblical knowledge that will help us navigate this dilemma.  Friday noon Bible Study will help us unlock the answer to how to make our earthly existence more like heaven.

So if you've ever wondered what it might be like ... to be an angel ... or actually be in the in the heavenly presence of God ...come to the Friday noon Bible study. I promise you ... there you'll get a "little" taste of heaven. And there, you'll join with Pastor Bev and others to figure out how to make our routines, decisions and actions better reflect God's blueprint for our lives here on earth.

Paul Lambert