A nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there

Last Tuesday when we had our prayer meeting somebody from the group had shared an episode from the Twilight Zone during the Bible sharing. Being a fan of the show I immediately knew that I should watch it myself because I know it would definitely be one of the great episodes of the Twilight Zone.

The story goes like this...

A Nice Place to Visit

Henry "Rocky" Valentine was robbing a pawnshop. He shoots a night watchman, and then a policeman, but before he can get away he was shot by another police officer.

When he woke up he found himself seemingly unharmed by the encounter. He is now in the company of a pleasant individual named “Pip” who tells Rocky he is his guide and has been instructed to grant Rocky whatever he desires. Rocky was suspicious at first and thought Pip is a cop but decided to follow Pip after he was given some money.

Pip then brought Rocky in a luxurious apartment and told him that it is Rocky's property. Demanding to know what he must do to acquire all this luxury, Rocky remains skeptical when he is told it's all for free. Despite his suspicions, Rocky begins to relax, change his clothes and took a shower, after which he is presented with a meal served on a silver platter. He suddenly becomes suspicious and demands Pip to taste the food, believing it to be poisoned. When Pip claims he can't remember how to eat, Rocky shoots him in the head but finds the bullets just bounce off, leaving Pip unharmed. Rocky now realizes he is dead and immediately assumes he has died and gone to heaven and Pip must be his guardian angel. Pip does not confirm his theory and merely says "yes, something like that."

Later, Rocky was already playing in a casino, surrounded by beautiful girls and winning every game he plays. Outside he sees a tall policeman and is able to make him smaller and thus pick on him. He returns fully contented to his apartment with the girls and Pip, and asks to see some of his former friends who have died. He is told by Pip that this will be difficult, this "paradise" is his own private world and none of the people are real except for them.

Soon, however, after a month he became so thoroughly bored by always having his whims satisfied and predictably winning at anything he attempts, he tells Pip "I don't belong in heaven, see? I want to go to the other place". Pip retorts "Heaven? Whatever gave you the idea that you were in heaven, Mr. Valentine? This is the other place! "

Well...sure it is a nice place but I definitely wouldn't want to live there!

Heaven or the Kingdom of God is not about getting what we want. It is not being rich, famous, having all the luxuries nor having a problem-free life. The happiness and satisfaction that God can give us comes from within. It comes from something deep that we can't even explain why we are happy or contented by the little thing that we have.

The happiness that Christians feel about their life is unexplainable. The wonders of God can't be explained by words. The only reason is God, His love for us and the Salvation from Jesus, that makes us happy, whole and contented.

A true happiness and full satisfaction cannot be achieved by owning and decorating your self with the most expensive jewelries. It can be achieve by filling your heart with the Holy Spirit for the Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self-control. Galatians 5:22-23