Finish this sentence: Jesus said, in my Father’s house there are many…
a) Mansions
b) Trailers
I’ve been to heaven. I know some people don’t believe it, but I really don’t care. It happened. God sent an angel and that angel escorted me there in 1988. I was there five hours and 15 minutes, and did you know that in all that time I never saw a poor person? I never saw a homeless individual or anyone who was despondent or depressed.
I never saw sadness. I saw no hiding. And everyone—and I mean everyone—got along. That in itself was amazing. I saw praise. I saw worship…worship like I’ve never seen on earth. It made me fall on my face. I heard laughter. Heaven filled my ears with sounds I’ve never heard on earth.
I’m an advocate of biblical prosperity. But you know I really could have cared less about the gold streets, even though I’d heard so much about them, and yes, the sight of them was spectacular. All of heaven was breathtakingly spectacular. But what I was more interested in was the people occupying the place.
And let me tell you something—I didn’t see one despondent, beat-down, depressed and complaining person. Not one! I didn’t see one person griping, “I tell you what, things are tough, man. Gabriel broke his wing last week. We got trouble up here. God had to cut back. It’s bad, Jack! He had to go to hell and get some money and bring it back to us.”
No, I didn’t see any of that! People were prosperous there. They were full of joy! They were full of laughter! And they didn’t seem bothered or aggravated about the fact that gold paved the streets and jewels held up the city. They were all prosperous.
If you have a hard time with extravagance, I must let you in on a secret: heaven is extravagant. God is extravagant! You can’t get around the fact that the place is extravagant. I think that if reporters from the major television networks went to heaven, they’d pass out. They couldn’t get a spiteful story on the news fast enough!
But you know for all that beauty and all that wealth, I didn’t once hear God say, “Hey, boys. Check out the sheen on my gold street. Check out that monster pearl on the gate outside!” No, He didn’t brag about it. But if you look in the Bible, you’ll find out that He made no point of hiding it either.
Even Jesus talked about material things in John 14:2 when He said, “In my Father’s house there are many mansions.” If it were not so, I would have told you. He didn’t say, “In My Father’s house there are many trailers.” He said mansions—nice places!
Now, why do you think God’s building mansions for His children? Why is he having a nice place built for you? Well, um, let’s see. Could it possibly be that, uh, maybe…He loves you? Yes! He loves you!
He loves you so much that He’s planning a place for you that will go far beyond what you can ask or think! And if He loves you enough to plan a home in heaven for you, don’t you think He loves you enough to get you a decent place here on the earth?
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers
Jesse Duplantis, minister of the Gospel, motivational speaker, television personality, and best-selling author, has been in full-time ministry since 1976 and is the founder of Jesse Duplantis Ministries, located in the Greater New Orleans area of south Louisiana in the United States of America. With over four decades of sharing his unique blend of humor and faith around the world, generations of believers have been inspired by his messages and countless numbers have come to know Jesus Christ as Savior through his ministry.
Known for his unflinching, status-quo-breaking messages and humorous take on experiences in the life of the believer, Jesse continues to draw large audiences of believers through social media, television, and meetings held around the world. With speaking engagements booked years in advance, Jesse Duplantis continues to keep an intense traveling schedule, flying throughout the United States and the world preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. With no booking agents pursuing meetings for him and no set fees imposed upon churches for speaking engagements, Jesse chooses his outreach meetings based on the same two criteria he always has: invitations that come in and prayer over each one. This uncommon way of scheduling in today’s world means Jesse’s many followers may find him speaking in some of the largest churches and venues in America and the world, as well as a great many small and growing congregations, too. No church is too big or small for the Holy Spirit, as he says.
Side by side with his wife Cathy Duplantis, the co-founder and chief of staff of Jesse Duplantis Ministries and the senior pastor of Covenant Church in Destrehan, Louisiana, Jesse continues to fulfill his life’s calling by daily taking up the Great Commission of Jesus Christ: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). Through social media, television broadcasts, books, and other ministry products, as well as through many evangelistic meetings, the JDM website, the JDM app, and Voice of the Covenant magazine, Jesse Duplantis continues to see growth in his ministry and expand each year while maintaining his roots. Jesus is the center of his life. The salvation of lost people and the growth of believers is the purpose of his ministry. And for both he and his wife, every day is another day to “Reach People and Change Lives, One Soul at a Time.”