It is Finished!

It is hard to look back and see that 195 Bible Study sessions have walked us through the Book of Revelation, verse by verse so we can have a true understanding of what is contained in this Book. People have been afraid to read these words contained within it. The Book of Revelation begins with a blessing, and it ends with a provision of blessing of God's grace. You will never find another God's like ours. This is the final message in this series.

God did not give us prophecy to scare us, He gave us prophecy to prepare us.

Remember you will never understand the Book of Revelation without understanding the Old Testament, that is answered in the Book of Revelation by design.

We need to stand in our wholly Bibles unto the end.

Revelation 22:19 ~ "and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."

We read yesterday about the warning "not to add to," the Bible which is a warning against cults. Those who add to the Bible are recognized as cults, like Jehovah's Witnesses, Scientology, Mormons. They breed abhorrent theology in thinking God's Word is not enough and it needs interpretations outside of the Bible to explain what it really means.

Verse 19 is a warning to those who want to "take away" from what the Bible has to say. It recognizes theological liberalism. This 'take away' is amazing because it directly warns against biblical liberalism in the last days. Biblical liberalism means to diminish, to revise, to suppress, to altar, to usurp over the Author with the intent to change its original meaning. To sum it up, a false prophet.

Deuteronomy 4:2 ~ "You shall not add to the word which I command you, not take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you."

2 Peter 2:1-3 ~ "But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber."

While the "taking away" from the Bible also gives birth to cults as well like Dan Brown (The DaVinci Code). Without knowing what the Bible has to say, how can you tell the truth from the lies permeating the world today. Their goal is to get you to question what is really true or not.

1 Peter 1:17-21 ~ "And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of you stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God."

The Bible isn't some private interpretation, and man didn't write it. The Holy Spirit possessed man to write it. That is why it is without error.

How do I stand in my wholly Bible until the end?

1. Start to take your daily reading and glue it to your day. (No matter how many times you have started it, don't back up, pick it up today and keep on going. Get out a highlighter and highlight the verse that speaks to you in your daily reading. Incorporate that into your prayer and into your day.

2. Move out being confident because it's God's Word.

3. Confront the false, by using the Truth!

We need to trust in our Lord Jesus Christ right now.

Revelation 22:20 ~ "He who testifies to these things says, "Surely, I am coming quickly." Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!"

But how do I trust Jesus more? Do it now! God have never lied or deceives you.

1. Know what He says is true beyond perceptions.
2. Let Him be personal with you.
3. Obey Him when he speaks to you.

Mark 5:35-36 ~ :While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who said, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?" As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid; only believe."

We need to enjoy our Lord Jesus Christ every day.

Revelation 22:21 ~ "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen."

The grace - is the enemy of every cult and the stumbling block of every liberal. In the Greek, is is 'charis' meaning the divine influence upon the heart, being accepted, benefited, favored, gifted, to become an object of joy, pleasure, approval, unearned delight!

A cult says you have to work you way into heaven and the one saying that all can agree with that Jesus said is that you should tithe. They are all about you giving your money to them.

Ephesians 2:4-10 ~ "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ, (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."

The Christian life begins with grace; it is sustained by His grace; and we will finish by His grace. And we, we're finished by His grace.

Amen - so let it be, it is the truth, that's it.

But how do I enjoy the Lord Jesus more?

1. Take hold of His grace.
2. Practice His presence moment by moment.
3. Rest in the fact that you are His special child.

Remember you will NEVER have to work to get saved. It is a gift from God, paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross and all it takes is for you to simply accept it and ask Him into your heart today. Won't you take God on His word and be saved?

My hope is that first of all you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and that you have enjoyed these 195 individual Bible Study sessions through the Book of Revelation. My goal is that Jesus Christ has been revealed to you in a more powerful and real way through our time together. Now it is time to begin to study how we can be more Christ-like in our own life! Hope you continue to join me.

What is Behind Door # 2?

Who doesn't love a vacation? In fact, most of us are counting down the number of days or hours until we leave for a vacation. You know what the best part of a vacation is? The anticipation! It is knowing all the planning, all the preparation is counting it down til the day you leave. That is the best part! That is how God wants you to be in anticipation of Jesus Christ's return.

He is coming soon! The more we think on that and the more real it becomes to us, we begin to prioritize what is really important and what isn't. We need to weed out those things that carry us far from what Jesus wants in our life and start digging in a bit more to what He wants us to know and do in these coming and final days.

In our study today, we will realize that Jesus doesn't say I am coming soon, but He says "I am coming quickly." As you look around the world today, doesn't it seem like things are becoming unhinged, a bit on the crazy side? When we see these things we know that they are signs that He will come quickly, when we least expect it.

We need to turn off those distractions and get some time alone with God. Pray that God will reveal those things in your life that are keeping us apart from God. To knowing who He really is. That is how we can prepare to get ready for His coming. We won't have time to look around when He does come back. He is coming quickly.

As we begin our study today, in these final lessons on the Book of Revelation, we see the last words of Jesus and they are found in the final book of the Bible. These are His last recorded words and the words, "Surely, I am coming quickly," answers any questions we might have regarding our Christian walk of faith. Why do we read our Bible? Why do we go to church? Why do we feed the poor? Why do we help the homeless? All because Jesus is coming quickly.

Now a days there are more theologies out there than you can shake a stick at. Everyone has their own theory, everyone has the right answer to get you into heaven, and to help you know God more fully. One thing is certain, that all roads lead to God!" The real meat of it is, however, that not everyone gets to stay. Every man and woman will stand before God one day regards of your religious beliefs or non religious beliefs. Every. Single. One. We need to be concerned however, about what lies behind door number 2. The first door gets us all into God's presence, it's what lies behind door number 2 that should really cause us to sit up and take notice.

Just like the television show, Let's Make a Deal. There were always three doors, and more than anything you wanted to ensure that you picked the right door to get the best prize. This is certainly the case here. It's what lies beyond door number 2 that matters. Is it heaven? Or is it hell? Those are our only two options, regardless of what your "religious" upbringing my have you to believe.

Revelation 22:18-21 ~ "For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plague that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. He who testifies to these things says, Surely I am coming quickly." Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen."

These final words of Jesus Christ demand an attentiveness to exhort the church to be ready and stay awake. But how do we get ready and how do we stay awake?

These are the questions that we must answer if we're going to be faithful until the end, if we're going to persevere in this life, if we're going to be effective Christians.

There are those who would tell you that the Bible does not contain the Word of God, and that is true! The Bible IS the Word of God. To say that it contains the Word of God implies that not all of it is the Word of God and other interpretations are represented in it. That is 100% false. Every. Single. Word. of the Bible is the Word of God. Not of man. Don't be confused.

Because Jesus is coming quickly, we need to know our wholly Bibles like never before. Yes, I said, "wholly" Bible.

Revelation 22: 18 ~ "For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plague that are written in this book;"

"Wholly" means complete in its fullness. There is nothing more to add or take away. It is done. Here in the consummation of the Bible, warnings are given that ring loud and true in our day. Who hasn't heard of numerous versions of the Bible or additional books claiming to contain the Words of God? There have never been more cults on earth than right now.

"If anyone adds..." In other words: (1) to tamper with what the Father has said, God has preserved the Bible throughout all these years. (2)To confuse what Jesus has said; people have always argued with the words of Jesus Christ, and what He really meant or who He was really. (3) To improved upon what the Holy Spirit has said; the Holy Spirit is the author of the Scriptures.

Galatians 1:8-9 ~ "But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you that what you have received, let him be accursed."

This was written more than 2000 years ago and now there are numerous other resources out there other than the Bible.

Acts 17:11 ~ "These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so."

This is the standard on how we are to judge things today, from what our pastors have to say from the pulpit, and what other Christians say.

1 John 4:1 ~ "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world."

There have been and will continue to be...many false prophets in the world today, from Jim Jones, David Koresh, to even Dan Brown, author of the DaVinci Code, is a false prophet. In just one novel he has people second guessing what they know of the Bible to be true. He makes you doubt the Bible and only through a fictional novel.

Proverbs 30:5-6 ~ "Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to his words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar."

Even without the Bible as a resource, we know that in 1947, the Dead Sea scrolls have backed up the Bible, Word for Word, with the exclusion of the Book of Esther. So how can we know our wholly Bibles like never before? (1) stop pretending that you're a Christian, and become one. Put it into practice every single day, not just on Sunday's. Be a Christian every single day. (2) Determine now to put the Bible into practice daily. Don't just read it, live it out among your family and friends. (3) Go on a diet, eat up what it is saying to you!

We will finish our study on the Book of Revelation tomorrow. 

He Wants You!

I remember during World War 1 and 2, we saw posters of Uncle Sam saying, "I want YOU!" It was a plea to inspire men and women to do their part to win in the war effort. It was a strong message in hopes of pulling on the patriotic heart strings of those to do their part. They were needed. Wanted! Doesn't everyone everywhere desire to be needed and wanted? Deep inside all of our hearts, we have a thirst for someone to love us as we desire to be loved. To be wanted, cherished, admired and cared for unconditionally, don't we?

Jesus Christ is being proclaimed to know who He really is. Isn't it amazing that He is personally inviting us to eternal life in heaven with Him. As long as we are willing to give everything up we are holding on to just to follow Him. No other faith group extends this invitation, from a God who loves you so much He wants to do everything He can to make sure you're not left behind for all eternity. He's willing to remove all of our sings and allow us to start fresh today.

Isaiah 1:18 ~ "Come now, and let us reason together, says the LORD, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool."

Whatever excuse you think you can make as to the reason why you have put off taking Jesus up on his offer, is not reason enough to separate you from Him for all eternity. Will you come to Him today, while you still have that chance and opportunity to do so? You can't do it when you're dead. It has to happen before them and no one is ever guaranteed a tomorrow.

We've been studying yesterday and continuing today about the deity of Jesus Christ and the scriptures that back up that Jesus Christ is God!

Psalm 2:11-12 ~ "Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling, Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are those who put their trust in Him."

Isaiah 7:14 ~ "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel."

Luke 1:30-32 ~ "Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David."

Philippians 2:10-11 ~ "that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Philippians 3:20 ~ "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ."

John 3:16 ~ "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

John 4:42 ~ "Then they said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world."

1 John 4:14 ~ "And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world."

2 Peter 1:11 ~ "for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

It's no wonder than that Jesus Christ is crying out to you today.

Romans 10:13 ~ "For whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."

Acts 4:12 ~ "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

And this is just the beginning....read the Bible from cover to cover! You can't help but see Jesus as God throughout! Now will you come please, because Jesus Christ is the request and He is requesting YOU!

Revelation 22:14-16 ~ "Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie. I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star."

When it says that outside...this is not referring to looking over the wall of the heavenly city and seeing those who have rejected Christ, it is simply referencing hell, the complete opposite of where Jesus is and as far away as possible as they can be.

Jesus, Himself, is making a personal plea and testimony. He is speaking to YOU! Confirming the message He has sent in the churches, inviting YOU to come to know Him personally in your heart. Jesus is the Root of David, He has engineered it all from the very beginning of creation.

Revelation 22:17 ~ "And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" and let him who hears say, "Come!" And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely."

Come is a very common and simple word in the Greek language, which means to show up, to arrive, to return, to be there. There is a subtle, yet profound truth here in the Greek construction of this verse. Collectively, the confession is Come, Lord Jesus!

I would encourage you if you have been waiting on making your choice to follow Jesus, Come! Come to know Him today! Come let Him change your life forever! Come make the choice before it's too late. Come just as YOU are and He will do the work to restore, redeem and renew your life. Just invite Him in, He is waiting for You!

Is Jesus God?

Image courtesy of USAtoday.com "Son of God"

That is really the question that sparks all kinds of controversy in almost every single religion and even among Atheists, is the deity of Jesus Christ. Is Jesus God? He is no other than God in the flesh, but this very study will answer all those questions pertaining to the very essence and nature of just who Jesus is. You might want to print this to answer all those door knockers who come to your door with another gospel. This study will determine what the Bible has to say about whether Jesus is God.

One verse alone almost is guaranteed to upset most Muslims, Jews and other religious groups because their agenda is to dismiss or downgrade Jesus Christ. Some try to make Him a god among other gods; some try to make Him an angel among others, and some try to make Him an enlightened one among others. The issue has to do with Jesus Christ. 

Proverbs 30:4  ~ "Who has ascended into heaven, or descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His Son's name, if you know?"

Even Jew's can't answer this one. Most of them don't believe Jesus Christ was the Son of God. They are still waiting on the promised Messiah! Yet they can't argue this verse. They are stuck. This is the very same reason that the god of Islam is not the same God of the Bible. Islam refuses to acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God and goes so far as to proclaim it around the Dome of the Rock in Arabic..."There is no God but God. He is One. God has no son." The Muslims don't even know the name of God and that is why they call Him, Allah. It's just a title, but the Bible clearly gives the many names of God in it. It is a monotheistic belief, a belief in one God is about all we have in common with Islam. With God, there are no multiples, no Firsts and Lasts, plural.

Did you know that prior to 1954, our government allocated part of its operating budget dedicated to the printing of the Bible? The reason "In God We Trust" is printed on our currency is because the government feared that during our countries prosperity, we would forget about God. Did you know that?

God anticipated that Jesus Christ would be under attack, and that is why the Book of Revelation, the final book of the Bible is all about the revealing who Jesus Christ really is. Why?

Because if you remove Christ out of the message, if you take away His deity, mankind is lost, no matter how religious he may try to me. There is no hope of eternal life if Jesus didn't really rise from the dead. 

Jesus Christ is the Righteousness! The one thing to note is that not all Bible versions have verse 13 from Revelation 22 printed in them. The King James and New King James Versions and some New International Versions do, but most modern versions don't. It's omitted. Even modern day publishers are trying to remove the very deity of Jesus Christ and are stripping it out. Be careful of that.

Revelation 22:13 ~ "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last."

There are three distinctive names of God given here by Jesus.

1. The Alpha and the Omega
2. The Beginning and the End.
3. The First and the Last

How is Jesus Christ our righteousness? Jesus is God incarnate? A few of the scriptures that teach this truth...

Isaiah 48:12 ~ "Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel, My called: I am He, I am the First, I am also the Last."

Isaiah 44:6 ~ "Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: I am the First and I am the Last; besides Me there is no God."

The Lord of the Hosts is a reference to the Lord of armies or the Lord of war.

Isaiah 41:4 ~ "Who has performed it and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD, am the first; and with the last I am He."

Isaiah 43:10 ~ "You are My witnesses," says the LORD, "and My servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, nor shall there be after Me."

"I am He" is a reference to the eternal self existing one.

Revelation 1:8 ~ "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, says the Lord, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."

Revelation 21:6 ~ "And he said to me, "It is done!" I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts."

Revelation 4:8 ~ "The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!"

Revelation 1:11 ~ "saying, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, and what you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches..."

Revelation 22:13 ~ "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last."

Revelation 1:17-18 ~ "And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, "Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death."

Just this one verse alone, verse 18, points specifically to Jesus Christ alone, which the door knockers have written in their version of the book but refuse to believe what it says. Highlight that one!

Revelation 2:8 ~ "And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, "These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life:"

1 John 5:20 ~ "And we know that the Son of God has come and have given us an understanding, that we might know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life."

1 Timothy 3:16 ~ "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory."

Titus 2:13 ~ "Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ."

John 8:58 ~ "Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."

John 8:24 ~ "Therefore I sad to you that you will die in your sins' for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."

John 10:32 ~ " Jesus answered them, "Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?"

Titus 2:10 ~ "not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things."

Jude 1:24-25 ~ "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever, Amen."

1 Timothy 4:10 ~ "For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe."

Isaiah 42:8 ~ "I am the LORD, that is My name; and my glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to carved images."

Hosea 13:4 ~ "Yet I am the LORD your God ever since the land of Egypt, and you shall know no God but Me; for there is no savior besides Me."

Isaiah 45:21 ~ "Tell and bring forth your case; Yes, let them take counsel together. Who has declared this from ancient time? Who has told it from that time? Have not I, the LORD? And there is other other God besides Me, a just God and a Savior; there is none besides Me."

Isaiah 43:11 ~ "I, even am the LORD, and besides Me there is no savior."

Psalm 68:4 ~ "Sing to God, sing praises to His name; extol Him who rides on the clouds, by His name YAH, and rejoice before Him."

There is no "J" in the Hebrew language. God is called YAH-Weh or YHWH, meaning Yehovah! This would be the correct pronunciation of the word we see often times as Jehovah!

We will continue this tomorrow....

You will NOT Get to Heaven Based On Your Works!

A lot of Christians believe their Christianity or maintain their Christianity or somehow conclude their Christianity by salvation being established, kept or preserved by works. It's human nature, as fallen as it is, to assume the responsibility of works and in many cases it can be commendable, but not when it comes to your salvation.

You will NOT get to heaven based on your works. Jesus did the work to get you into heaven. As a born again Christian, the Holy Spirit dwelling within you will cause works to come out of your life. Words, deeds, actions, but it doesn't save you. It's just evidence that you are saved.

Don't make the mistake thinking you can work your way into heaven. That's an abomination. The unsaved will be condemned by their works, while the saved are rewarded for their works. That is exactly what the Bible teaches.

We start to approach God on our merits. We have good weeks so we attribute that to how much God must love us and we must be doing good in His eyes. But that is NOT how God loves us. That's not how we relate to Him or even love Him.

Because we have a true living relationship with the LORD, that new life produces good works, but we are not saved by them. It's just proof we are saved. You don't have to work your way into heaven and any religion that tells you that is false. That is why Jesus said, "It is finished," as He hung on the cross dying for our sins. He gave His life that we might be saved.

What is required of you?

Jesus said, "This is the work, to believe on Him, whom God has sent." That is the work you are to do. Singular! From that life flows a life of works as proof that you have been saved, and have faith in Christ.

Does the return of Jesus Christ excite you? If not, why not? If you are afraid, perhaps something in your life isn't right. Will you now open your heart and give up everything for Christ today? Perhaps finally give up after all these years...your status, your religion, your position and give everything up to Jesus and humble yourself before Him? All your righteousness? Give it up!

Revelation 22:12-17 ~ "And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last. Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie. I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star. And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely."

Why should you come? Because Jesus Christ is the reality.

Revelation 22:12a ~ "And behold, I am coming quickly..." 

No less than six times does Jesus teach us about His return, twice as a warning (Revelation 2:5,16) and four times as a promise (Revelation 3:11, 22:7, 12, 20).

Why Jesus Christ?

He is our only hope! He could come suddenly and without warning! There is nothing worth living for in this world, if we don't have Jesus. He promised He would come the first time, and He'll come back as He has promised again for the second time! When death comes to us in this life, it is merely a doorway to eternity.

Jesus Christ is the reward.

Revelation 22:12b ~ "My reward is with me, to give to every one according to his work."

This is not a verse for justification for salvation by works as many would quote and point to, when they read this. Salvation is apart from works, says the Bible. But the LORD will give rewards according to the words which the Christian, the one who has come to Jesus, has done while in this world!

You and I will be rewarded for every penny that we've invested in work of the Lord. You and I will be rewarded for every effort that we've made to tell others about Jesus and His love for them. You and I will be rewarded for every act of obedience to Christ while in this life.

Matthew 13:23 ~ "But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces; some a hundredfold, some sixty and some thirty."

Here's a simple, but powerful self-test to determine if you are a real, fruit-bearing Christian...What "effect for Christ" have you left people? His reward will be the "complete redemption" of our person. It needs to be for God's glory and not ours!

Believers will stand before the judgment seat of Christ, not the Great White Throne judgment, not to determine salvation and our entrance into heaven, but to determine our rewards and our intents on our works whether for our glory or for Jesus'!

What will you do today for the glory of Jesus?

Are We Cursed?

 image courtesy of gpbnews.org

Are we cursed?

The Bible says that everything is this life is under the curse of sin. Our thinking, our living, our eating, our breathing, the world, the animal life, the universe, this earth, everything is under the curse of sin and it's all messed up. Looking around at the things in this life, it is easy to see that. With the recent shootings in Orlando, people are still trying to make sense of it all. It's simple, we are under the curse of sin. It doesn't mean God's not involved or that it happened because we are living in a cursed world, and God is simply letting things run its course, but we can forget that we now live in a sinful world filled now with the curse that began in the Garden of Eden when disobedience to God caused sin to enter a perfect place and into perfects hearts of His created beings. That means that people now have a choice, to follow God or to follow their own sin-filled hearts and the outcome of those choices is played out right before our very eyes.

It's not about gun control or terrorism, it's a matter of the heart. It is either filled with the things of God or the things with what man wants instead. In both situations in Orlando, the choices of the shooter is clear, they did what they wanted and what they felt was right in their own eyes, however wrong that may be. This is the outcome of living in a sinful world, but it will not always be the case. We need to place the blame in these situations where it needs to be and that is on Satan, not God. God merely lets things play out as He allows, and the fallout is what we experienced this weekend. Let's see how our study today, in the book of Revelation 22 will see what God has to say in these things.

There will be a time when we will no longer live under this curse of sin, and that is called heaven. As we believed in Jesus, repented of our sins, and now follow Him to the best of our ability, we moved from the curse of sin, which was lifted when we became born again in our spirits, and moved from judgment to eternal life. It's removed. It doesn't mean we won't get sick, have cancer, face unprecedented loss in some fashion, or dying in a shooting, because the world is still living under the curse of sin. Our spirit has been redeemed, our minds still need to be renewed, by the Word of God, but our physical body is still under the curse of sin. The last final stage of our removing the curse of sin, will be when as believers our body will be resurrected. It is a true benefit of going to heaven!

Jesus died for our sins on the cross, as an atonement, but He didn't stay dead. He rose again to guarantee our eternal life through Him. He was the perfect sacrifice. We don't need to do anything to better ourselves before Jesus

John 7:37-38 ~ "On that last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."

Is this the same water that came out of the side of Jesus when the soldier pierced His side with a spear in which blood and water flowed? Living water?

From Jesus Christ, our eternal temple, forgiveness and His benefits flow continually. Our ability to live the Christian life is of God, and it's Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 1:7-9 ~ "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself."

God has provided more than what is needed - sufficiency.

2 Corinthians 1:20-22 ~ "For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee."

We need to fix our eyes on eternal life and the prerequisite of God by Christ.

Revelation 22:2 ~ "In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations."

Prerequisite, means the performance of something that is required for the next step to take place in order to fulfill a purpose.

Psalm 46:4 ~ "There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High."

This verse references the verse in Revelation 22. Fixing our eyes on eternal life because, God performed, by Jesus Christ, our redemption. The cross for us became the tree of Life!

2 Corinthians 5:17-19 ~ "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away' behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation."

The prerequisite of God by Christ, but what does that mean to me? It means that I was so without God and so unable to save myself and so lost and so in need of being found and so in need of being rescued, that Jesus had to die for me, if I were to be saved from eternal destruction!

We all still struggle with our past, even though we are saved and bound for heaven. We try and pray for our meals but get too excited by the food around us and the presence of others, we forget. We try and dedicate time to read our Bibles, but other things get in the way and we don't. We try and spend time with God each day, but we struggle to find the time. We try and focus on our prayers but our thoughts get out of control and we are lost in our prayers. We try and stay awake to read our Bibles, pray and spend time with God at the end of the night, but we get tired and fall asleep instead. Isn't that the truth of what all believers in Christ struggle with? The old residual is still present in our world, even though we are saved.

We have all heard the words, "Be still and know that I am God." But do you ever wonder what that means? Especially in light of all the turmoil that is escalating everywhere we look today? It means Yada, the word for know. It means to discover. It means whenever we are facing difficulties in our own lives or in the world where we struggle to come up with all the why's, God is asking us to discover Him. See Him in whatever we are experiencing, whatever it is, God will speak to You in that moment.

We've all had those times where we could have done better in listening to God, handling things better but we blow it. God is really great at saying, "Well you could have done better, and I believe you can get through this, let's try again later." and sure enough that same test will come around again. We have to learn to not panic and fail and trust in our own answers, but be still and discover what is it God is trying to say?

We need to set our hearts upon the presence of God because of where He is in reality.

Revelation 22:3 ~ "And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him."

Much of what is found being lost in the Book of Genesis is recovered in the Book of Revelation. What was lost is now found. What has been denied is now accessible. What died is now made alive!

"No more curse" the undoing of the will of Satan. From death to life; Satan has a death wish for your life.

It was Satan, through the flesh who said, "Come on Eve! Live a little will ya, and be your own girl. Do your own thing!"

It was Satan, through the flesh who said, "Come on Job! Blame God for all that is wrong in your life."

It was Satan, through the flesh who said, "Come on Elisha, kill yourself because you're all alone."

Listen, its been Satan, through the flesh who says, "There's no hope for you, God won't forgive you. If God is a God of love, why do all these bad things happen?"

There will be no more curse one day. There is the curse of sin and that is death! There is a curse of the law and that is condemnation. This "no more curse," is the curse against creation! The cursed creation is gone and there is a new creation.

Where will you be in eternity? The choice is up to you but you have to choose before you die, otherwise your choice has already been made.

It's a Win-Win Situation!

Zig Ziglar has coined the phrase, "It's a win-win situation," but did you know that He said God gave it to him? That he is a solid born again Christian! Have you ever considered that one day, you will enjoy eternity with God, if you're a believer of Jesus Christ? If you've read the Book of Revelation, we know how it all ends up.  We are in the last chapter of Revelation and of the Bible, and we see how God's perfect restoration and identification all culminate in eternity with Him. We will all get new names in heaven and it will have a new significance there.

If we follow Christ, it's a win-win situation. It doesn't matter what happens to us in this life, whether we are shot, killed, or beheaded or simply breathe our final breath in peace, because when our life ends here, we go immediately into the presence of God. It's not about us and what we have done in this life, but in trusting in Jesus Christ and what He has done.

Some people think heaven will be boring. That it is quiet there. We're all in white choir robes. The Bible says that it is beyond man's ability to imagine or comprehend it. We will interface and interact with angels, and we will behold the face of God, face to face. No one has ever seen the face of God before. We will have an eternal existence, and there will be no end. We will explore an infinite world, beyond what we can ever imagine.

Eternity is real. You need to pick where you are going to live. There is more than enough room in heaven for everyone.

Revelation 22:1-7 ~ "Then the angels showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city, also on either side of the river, the tree of life, with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. And he said to me, "These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place." And behold, "I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of this prophecy of this book."

Until we get to heave, we need to fix our eyes on eternal life, and the sufficiency of God in Christ.

Revelation 22:1 ~ "Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb,"

Proceeding from God's throne...was a pure river of something very different. It's not water like we think of in terms of water to drink. This 'proceeding' is an overflowing, a flooding or a gushing forth. We saw life giving water flow out of Eden, the garden of God. We see life giving water flow out of the New Jerusalem, the city of God. It is God who gives eternal life. It's in the heart of every man.

What was lost in the garden of Eden is restored by God. Adam and Eve were created never to die. They were the first perfect humans, yet they sinned. Did you ever consider that? So how is that possible if they were perfect?

God engineered within them the ability to exercise a free moral agency. You can't have real love or a relationship without the ability to make real decisions. God doesn't make robots and we are all responsible for the decisions that we make. You can do anything you want in this life, it's your choice. You have that freedom. But freedom carries with it, responsibility. God says choose me. Your freedom of choice comes with it the responsibility for that choice.

If people can wrestle you into heaven, than they can wrestle you out of heaven as well. The choice must be yours.

The water in this verse is not real water. It is life giving water of eternity from God. There are four rivers that flowed from Eden. They had their origin there and we know the names because they are in the Bible. There is restoration in heaven, because there shall be no more curse there.

Jesus was the bridge of restoration of man. On one side, He reaches out to what was lost in the Garden of Eden with His right hand. With His left, He reaches out to the very eternity of God and the dwelling place of God's children, because it is God's desire to bridge that gap. In between those two moments, two great events, there is Jesus Christ.

Out of His side, the Bible tells us in John 19:34: "But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water."

People have tried to explain this event but the amount of water that came out doesn't make sense, "it gushed out, it didn't drip out slowly." What was Jesus doing on the cross? He was dying for our sins, it was an atonement for us and He had an appointment He couldn't miss.

Looking Into Eternity to Our Heavenly Home!

It's hard not to become disappointed in the things we see happening in the world today. Disasters, illnesses, death, financial loss, theft, murder, destruction on virtually every level and it seems to be getting worse, where there is no place we can look to for safety and security. Jesus reminded us that these would be the ways of things in the last days. He also reminded us to store up for ourselves treasures in heaven where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. (Matthew 6:20).

Aren't you glad that when we get to heaven, everything will be waiting there for us in absolute perfection as only Jesus can provide?  Everyone has their own vision of what they imagine heaven will be like, but why not go to the source to read what it will really be like! The Bible is clear what it will look like, but even then words pale in comparison to what it will truly be like in both sight, sound and glorious wonder!

There will no more need for temples in heaven either, because Jesus and God are already there. A temple is man's way of meeting God. It won't be needed anymore because Jesus is it! He is all we need in this life, everything else is what man puts on top.

Our new heavenly home will be beautiful.

Revelation 21:18-21 ~ "The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was gold, transparent as glass."

All these stones mentioned here are not only their colors, but they are opaque or translucent to allow light to penetrate. In Exodus 39, the LORD told Moses to make an ephod or breastplate that had 12 stones which represented the 12 tribes of Israel. When a high priest was to appear before the LORD, he was to be wearing the ephod with the 12 stones, which had the 12 names of the tribes of Israel.

Our God is a God of detail. The artwork of the city of God is beautiful no doubt, but do you think that a building or a city is more important than salvation? Your salvation is God's work! And if He has given such detail to foundations, gates and walls, then what about His love toward us and to our blessings?

These foundations will be ascending upwards for 1500 miles, and all of these things speak of God's love for us. God has wanted us with Him for all eternity and that is why He is going to such great lengths to reach us. The effects of the city speaks of His joy for us.

Revelation 21:21 ~ "And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was gold, transparent as glass."

The gates of pearl, each entrance is lined by a pearly gate. The appearance is of light and glory. We are reflections of His glory. This is impossible for us to imagine. It's beyond what we can comprehend. This is not a metaphorical description of heaven, it's the real thing~ Could God make an oyster large enough to get a pearl to make a single gate? Absolutely! Nothing limits God.

Our new heavenly home will be a place of worship. Worship in heaven will be direct.

Revelation 21:22 ~ "And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb."

There will be no need of a temple (absolute fellowship). We won't gather for church on Sunday's any longer because God will be among us. We can worship and honor Him now, we don't have to wait for heaven. We can walk in that reality and not be bound by earthly things. Our worship in heaven will be complete and again there will be no need for a temple (complete expression). In this time zone, this side of eternity, we are the temples of the Living God.

1 Corinthians 3:16 ~ "Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?"

Our heavenly home will be filled with light. Jesus is its light.

Revelation 21:23 ~ "And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb."

There is something about the light that blesses us. In John 3:16-19, the Bible says that people who love evil, love the darkness and the deeds that they do, they do in darkness so that nobody knows. They will not come to the Lord who is light, lest their deeds be exposed. But men loved the darkness, rather than the light (agape). We will be in the light.

John 8:12 ~" Again Jesus spoke to them saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life." 

Jesus Christ is its focus.

Revelation 21:24 ~ "By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, "

Everyone divorces himself from glory and honor and gives it to God. Our new heavenly home will have great access. The feeling of being welcomed. Heaven's gates will never be shut.

Revelation 21:25 ~ "and its gates will never be shut by day - and there will be no night there."

Why will the gates never be shut? There will be no need to shut them. There is no evil anymore. Nothing will need to be guarded against. This is God's infinite house in eternity, and you can come and go in infinite directions through infinite space for all eternity.

Heaven's glory will never diminish.

Revelation 21:26 ~ "They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations."

As we await this glorious time to come, in a way, this is being done now by every effort you make to obey the Lord today. Heaven's guests shall never be afraid.

Revelation 21:27 ~ "But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life."

Unbeknown to the non-believer is the constant danger of their name being blotted out of the Book of Life. Very well known to the Christian believer is the constant joy of knowing that your name can never be blotted out of the Book of Life. Why is this so? Because there is only one way to preserve your name in the Book of Life, and that is to have it written in the Lamb's Book of Life!

Can you imagine, someday every human being will await a call from heaven?

There is no longer any mention of the Book of Life because that dealt with those in the millennium. It doesn't matter anymore in eternity, because only those whose names are found in the Lamb's Book of Life are residents of heaven!

Is your name in the Lamb's Book of Life? Only those win it will be in heaven and see all these unbelievable and glorious things we have been studying.

Does heaven occupy your mind? Have you accepted Jesus? Are you going to be in heaven? It's all up to you and the choice has to be yours!

Room For All, But Not All Will Come!

Where exactly is heaven? We live in a physical realm, but heaven is in the spiritual realm. Its capital city will be the New Jerusalem. It will be massive in size but it doesn't limit the size of heaven. What if God provided enough room in heaven, and in New Jerusalem, the city, for all of human life that has ever lived. Imagine if every single person in the world, trusted in Jesus Christ, because God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believed in Him, should not perish but have everlasting life. Imagine if Jesus made room for everyone, but we know factually that in heaven, not everyone will be there, how big it will be?

Jesus Christ is the door. He said Himself, that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life and no one gets to the Father but through Him. Jesus loves every single person even though we can't comprehend what that is like. To love everyone.

Today as we open this study again into Revelation 21, we will be learning more about our heavenly home. It will be secured throughout all the ages.

Revelation 21:12-13 ~ " It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed - on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates and on the west three gates."

This is an awesome scene for those who came before Jesus Christ from Adam to John the Baptist. These looked forward to what Messiah would do for them. By faith, they looked ahead, trust in God's promises to come. Israel looked ahead for the coming Christ.

Matthew 8:11 ~ "I tell you, many will come from the east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven."

The church and the Gentile world looks back at what God has done. By faith we look back trusting in God's faithfulness to perform. God has always provided a lamb or sacrifice. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden and suddenly became aware of their nakedness, I believe God offered a lamb to cloth them. For Abraham and Isaac, God provided a lamb for his obedience, and He did it for the world by offering Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world, as payment. The cross is empty and even know Jesus Christ, is interceding for us before the Father.

1 John 1:9 ~ "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Your great security in Christ, you salvation is safe with Him - forever!!!

So what is the significance of the gates? There are angels at each gate. There is no evil there. There is no crime or sin there, so why the gates. It is to announce an entrance to the city. It defines the city limits. It sends a message of sovereignty and safety, a sense of proprietorship, it's God's estate. He doesn't need to. It's the epi-center of all eternity.

These gates will never be shut, never shut and forever open! The city of God will be the center of eternity. The coming and going of the holy angels and all of the believers.

It will be secured by the Word of God.

Revelation 21:14 ~ "And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb."

The gates of the city had the 12 names of the children of Israel and the foundation of the city had the 12 names of the 12 apostles.

Hebrews 12:22-24 ~ "But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel."

Ephesians 2:19-20 ~ "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone."

Our new heavenly home will be grand enough for all to enter in.

Revelation 21:15-17 ~ "And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rode of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 1,380 miles. It's length and width and height are equal. he also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel's measurement."

Four square, means totality of completion, as a square, equally balanced. Dr. Henry Morris states in his commentary on Revelation, that the foursquare shape is as a cube, the city itself is 1,380 miles or 2, 220 km on each side or face including the great wall which measure 72 yards thick or 216 feet or 66 m. If calculating only 25% of space available, just that 25% or 1/4 of the city would comfortably provide enough space for 25 billion people.

That means that the capacity of the city alone is 100 billion. Hidden here in the measurements of the city is a passionate announcement of grace. There is so much room available that it can be easily argued that God prepared enough room for all humanity to enter into heaven. Heaven will not be fully occupied not because the LORD failed to invite enough people, but because many people refused His invitation.

Matthew 22:1-5 ~ "And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent servants, saying ' Tell those who are invited, See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast. But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business." 

2 Peter 3:9 ~ "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance."

Remember this is not the size of heaven, but the dimensions of the city! The city will be multi-levels to all levels for 1500 miles upward. Each gate will open to all the levels. Think of it like a shopping mall. The gates will be 1500 miles tall, and there are 12 of them, 3 on each side!

A great analogy for the rapture is to take a rolly-polly and pick it up and move it to a new location. That rolly-polly has been raptured in a sense, it doesn't know how it happened, just that it did and it is now in a new location. We will not be bound in Heaven or the New Jerusalem by the effects of gravity or the laws of nature. We can move in any direction, horizontally, vertically or simply at will. This will not be like any city you have ever been to or imagined.

There is nothing worse than to plan for a joyous event and no one shows up! Remember the children of Israel said No!

God wants you in heaven, why would you not show up! He has prepared a great and glorious place. We're looking at it in our study today. He's sent you numerous invitations. He sent you friends and family that have told you about Him and heaven; you may have turned to a radio station and heard a message there, whether through a song or a message; you may have seen a billboard, read a book, or some other sign, but the point is God has sent you invitation after invitation and He's still waiting.

If you miss this, its not because God failed. You failed yourself!

You removed yourself out of His hands of grace and mercy. Why on earth and in hell, would you do such a thing, when God has prepared a place for you, just waiting for you to say Yes?!!!

What Will Your Final Destination Be?

I don't know about you, but I have seen the movies, "Final Destination," and as scary as they might be, not knowing where you will spend your eternity should be more frightening than anything. If you lack the confidence of what happens after you breathe your final breath, I would encourage you to discover Jesus Christ, while you still have time to make a choice. Don't wait. If you do, trust me the movie version will be much more light hearted than you can imagine.

You may have heard the saying, "Where God guides, God provides." Coming soon, as believers in Jesus Christ, we will have an eternal home in heaven to look forward to. Is this your hearts' passion and desire? God has paid the way for us to go, not by my own or anyone else's merits or works. It is in Jesus Christ alone and what He has done on the cross.

Have you ever been told that you're too heavenly-minded to be any earthy good? That is the response you might get from someone when you begin to talk about heaven and that anticipation you have. I know I have and at first it stung. But the more I thought about it, I realized my heart and mind are in the right place. While I am still here on this earth, I can keep my focus and goals on heaven. Most of the time however, we are too earthy-minded to be of any heavenly good. We lose our focus. We set our goals aside, but its never too late to get back on track or to get to know Jesus Christ. Look at David's example that is prevalent all throughout the Psalms. David was willing to live for the Lord, that is embarrassed his wife with all his dancing in the streets, something she didn't believe was the way a King should act. What did David tell her? That he would do all that and even more for the glory and joy of the Lord!

The Bible reminds us that as believers in Christ, our citizenship is in heaven and heaven is our final destination.

Revelation 3:12-13 ~ "The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he got out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

Heaven has been given many different names and titles in the Bible. Just a few of them are "paradise," "the Kingdom," "the Country," " The Dwelling," or even the "City." Here is Revelation 12, Heaven and the City of God is likened to a "Bride."

Revelation 21:1-2 ~ "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband."

But perhaps the greatest of all descriptions of heaven for me, is that it is the "Father's House." This we have no doubt that it is the place of desire and of hope for all those who believe in eternal life and presence of God. Heaven is our destination!

1 Corinthians 2:9 ~ "But, as it is written, What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him" 

John 14:2-3 ~ "In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go 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."

Our new home will be like a bride, filled with anticipation.

Revelation 21:9 ~ "Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seen last plagues and spoke to me, saying, "Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb."

Seeing that a city is neither a wife or a bride; what is announced here is that the dwelling of the Saints and the church is personified as a community or a place. Anticipation should mark the Christian's life.

Matthew 25:13 ~ "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day or the hour."

Titus 2:13 ~ "waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ."

These verses shouldn't make us afraid, in fact, they should excite us the more we think about heaven and being with Jesus Christ for all eternity! Does it change the way you live your life now? It should!!!

Our heavenly home will be like a bride kept with purity.

Revelation 21:10 ~ "And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city of Jerusalem coming down out of the heaven from God."

This is now eternity remember. The millennium has ended and we now have a new holy city, a new heaven and a new earth. The sun remember will never set. If you have ever had the most perfect day where you simply never wished for it to end, this will be the day that never ends and you won't want it too!

It will be illuminated with God.

Revelation 21:11 ~ "having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal."

All the stones we read about pertaining to heaven are all opaque or transparent. Here this is clear as crystal with light illuminating from it kinda of like a Thomas Kincaid painting. It looks so real and inviting when you gaze on any of his paintings, you simply wish you could be there. It doesn't even compare to what heaven will be like. It is just a really bad copy, can you imagine that? I only hope mine looks like the image below of Thomas Kincaid's Peaceful Retreat with a bit of snow and rain at times. That is my idea of heaven!

We will pick up more on what awaits us tomorrow! 

Hell Will Be Full of Almost Christians!

When you deal with loss and grief, it's hard to have hope in our darkest hours, but when that loved one is a believer, we do know that one day, we'll see them again, and there will be no separation or good-byes ever again. In eternity, in heaven, you don't wait for anything since thee is no time there. Our loved ones who have gone before us will be there, waiting for us the moment we get there!

"Thorough knowledge of the Bible is more valuable than a college education." ~ Teddy Roosevelt.

Hell will be filled with the cowardly, meaning those who were too afraid to trust in God; unbelieving, abominable, murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, drug users, idolaters, and all liars. Hell is for real. The Bible says so. For you to inherit hell, just stay sexually immoral, stay doing your drugs, stay unbelieving, stay abominable, staying murdering people, hating people, and the Bible is very clear what awaits you.

Think about how many moral people will be in hell, even those who a religious, who never saw a need for Jesus as Savior and Lord in their life. They never embraced the God who dies for their sins and instead thought they could make it on their own. God's not going to do one more thing to keep you out of hell! He's done it all by giving us His Son, to die for our sins, to pay the penalty we owe, but could never pay. Hell will be full of almost Christians!

When we come home, everything will be complete.

Revelation 21:5 ~ "And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."

The Lord will pick up where He left off. He will refresh, revitalize the heavens and the earth by fire. Aren't you glad that He completes His projects? God will complete that which He has started.

Philippians 1:6 ~ "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."

This will come to pass. It will happen. Nothing can stop it! No wonder why death has no victory and the grave will have no power over us any longer. Jesus has begun something, He's working on it now, and He will complete it. The process will be near complete when we breathe our last breath. What does that mean?

Revelation 21:6 ~ "And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment."

The Lord will finish what He alone started. By this I mean redemption. It's finished, but it's not done. The work has been accomplished, but the benefits have yet to be enjoyed.

John 19:30 ~ "When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, "It is finished," and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit."

This is in relation to our sin's debt and salvation. Two very different words and meanings here. It is finished and It is done. What do these mean?

"It is finished" all of humanity's sin debt was paid, past, present and future. In Greek, the word is "teleo" to end. i.e. complete, execute a transaction, to discharge payment for a debt, to accomplish what another could not, to bring to an end, to retire by performance. It was recorded in heaven= paid in full!

You can't live like hell and expect to get into heaven. You don't work you way into heaven either. That's not possible. Believe in Jesus Christ. Trust in God in whom He has sent.

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 ~ "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin, who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

"It is done," time has run its course, eternity now commences. I have completed all that I have set forth to do. I have delivered the fold, the sheep into the pasture. Not one of them has been lost. I deliver the sheep into the kingdom forever. I, as the Good Shepherd, have completed my task. It is done!

For us to be in heaven, is based on Jesus' performance, not ours. We will get to heaven because Jesus is faithful. We will get to heaven because He did it, not us!

The Lord will be our all in all.

Revelation 21:7 ~ "The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son (or daughter)."

He will be everything to us. When we come home, everything is going to be right, because the rejecter will be rejected.

Revelation 21:8 ~ "But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable,"

When we get to heaven, there will be no more sin anymore. The person who rejected Jesus, will be rejected. Cowardly, means the almost, the faithless, the fearful, the timid, the dread.

Acts 26:27-29 ~ "King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe. And Agrippa said to Paul, "In a short time you have almost proven me that I should become a Christian. Paul said,"My prayer to God, is that you and all who hear me today, would be a Christian as I am, only to not have these chains."

Your almost faith gets you into hell. It's Jesus' all together work that opens up heaven!

If you miss it, you'll have no one to blame but you. The unbelieving, in Greek is 'apistos' means the disbelieving, the double-minded, the faithless. The abominable, in Greek is 'bdelusso' which means to stink, something disgusting. i.e. to look to an idol which is abhorrent. Like putting something before an idol as a sacrifice and it begins to rot.

The abuser will be abused.

Revelation 21:8 ~ "as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters."

Don't confuse murder with killing. A drive by shooting is a murder. The 10 Commandments say "Thou Shall Not Murder" it is an English that might be transferred in error to say, "Thou Shalt Not Kill." In warfare, in God's eyes, when one man kills another in war, it is not murder. God does not judge anyone to murder in that sense, in the specter of war. That's killing and it's different. The word here for murder is homicide.

The sexually immoral in the Greek the word is 'pornos' from where we get the word pornography, it includes prostitutes, male and female, fornicators, whoremongers, homosexuals, and adulterers.

Idolaters is anyone who places their faith in anything other than God, be it their job, their families, their finances, their fame, their power or even their world wealth.

Because the deceiver will be deceived.

Revelation 21:8b ~ "and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."

Satan remember is the father of lies, and those that lie are his children.

John 8:44 ~ "You are of your father the devil, and you will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies."

James 1:21-22 ~ "Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls." 

What is you fall into any one of these categories, is there hope for you?

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 ~ "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, not adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, not the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."

Haven't you always wanted things to be right in your life? In the city of Corinth, no one wanted to live there and in fact if you were a big-time sinner, you were called a Corinthian. So what can you do? Two things.

1. Get Saved.
2. Stop Being Almost - Give Your Heart to Jesus

Galatians 6:7-8 ~ "Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh, will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. "

Have You Made Your Reservations Yet? If Not, What are You Waiting For?

What do you truly desire in this life? Does truth survive? What would it be like to live in perfect peace? How can you be happy forever? Will love last forever? There is a great future ahead of you if, your faith is in Jesus Christ!

Everything is going to be different when we come home, because when we get to heaven, our faith will no longer be needed.

Revelation 21:3 ~ "And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God."

Do you ever struggle with your faith? I know I do.

Romans 10:17 ~ "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ."

Our faith here is increased the more we hear the Word of God, whether reading our Bibles, going to church and listening to pastors preach, listening to Christian radio programs, but I'm sure you get the meaning. Are there times when your faith is stretched? When you find yourself questioning God about something happening in your life, a friend or family members or even in the world? This world is so messed up, the real question should be why not!

Most people these days question whether our food is real or not. You see it labeled from gluten-free, sugar-free, carb-free, organic, farm raised, hormone and antibiotic free, even GMO-free, so where does that leave us when we walk into a grocery store and go to pick up an apple. Is it real or genetically modified or pumped full of chemicals we are being told what is in them or sprayed over them any more. So what is real?

Yet one day, it will ALL be corrected. Our faith simply won't be needed. Nothing hidden will be invisible to us any longer. The habitation or dwelling place for us is being prepared.

John 14:2-3 ~ "In my Father's house are many rooms (mansions). If it were not so, would I have told you that I got 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."

If the Lord can make this creation in a matter of days, then imagine what heaven will look like if Jesus has been working on it for more than 2000 years. God could have done it all in one day, but Jesus has been building this since He left.

2 Corinthians 12:3-4 ~ "And I know that this man was caught up into paradise - whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows - and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter."

2 Corinthians 4:18, 5:1-2 ~ "as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent, we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling"

You will see that the light and life emanate from Jesus.

The curse will be done away with.

Revelation 21:4 ~ "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."

This is by far my favorite verse in the Bible. It gives me hope when we look at the world today. When a family member who believes in Jesus dies. It is what I live for to this very day. One day it will all be made right, and for now, we have to deal with the consequences of sin in this world and the impact the enemy has on our life. It was always God's desire that man be blessed and happy. Jesus paid for our ticket to get to heaven. Why in the world would you ever want to pass it up? You can't purchase your own ticket, you have to get it from Him. Take the ticket! What are you waiting for?

Genesis 3:17 ~ "And to Adam he said, Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, 'You shall not eat of it,' cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;"

Were Adam and Eve originally perfect? Was the Garden of Eden perfect at first? Yes! They sinned, but Jesus cancelled the debt, when He went to the cross. Sin interrupted it, but God's going to restore it.

Everything is going to be different because the past will all be left behind.

Revelation 21:4b ~ "for the former things have passed away."

In the Greek the word for passing away is aperchomai - it means to leave behind, or to sail away in the opposite direction, to go off and away from. This will be a final farewell, a good riddance ' bye-bye' to difficult things.

God said it, I believe it, that settles it. That is how we hear that saying, but it should say, "God said it, that settles it." It doesn't matter whether we believe it or not, because one day all this will come to pass and our past will go away forever, never to be brought up in our thoughts ever again, forever! It will set sail without us.

Isn't that worth taking the ticket and booking your trip now for? 

What Does Your Retirement Program Really Offer You?

In the world today, there are all kinds of what I would call bad doctrine. People taking the Bible out of context or even worse telling you that there is no hell or even heaven. We simply cease to exist when we die. That is often how people refer to the Book of Revelation. That it was a book created by people on drugs, or it's a dream sequence of some sort, symbolism that no one can understand, and therefore the very reason many churches today, avoid teaching on the Book of Revelation, either because they don't know how, they fail to understand it themselves, or others simply don't want to in fear it will scare people off from attending their churches.

As a Christian why wouldn't you want to know what your future looks like? For anyone really, that is why there is such an interest in fortune cookies, fortune tellers, tarot card, palm readers, the occult and even horoscopes. Stop doing those things and pick up the Bible and read the Book of Revelation if you want to know what your future will be like one day, especially Chapters 20-21. As a Christian, we should be very excited, because what we are studying is our future!

Find out today in our study what your real retirement program offers you as a believer in Christ as we look into Chapter 21! This is more true and read than today's headline news. It is a chapter referred to in Ryrie's Study Bible as the Eternal State. Meaning this, it is the doctrine of eternity. It is always now where we are going. It's where God and Jesus exist. Thee is no marking of time. It is always now. It's beyond our human comprehension and capability to even understand what that means. It is where believers in Christ are going one day.

When we think of a perfect life, we're talking about heaven. Our hearts desire will be fulfilled. One day when we all go home.

It is interesting to realize that in every culture and throughout human history, there has been several things that connect each civilization, regardless of their place in history or their status.

1. That man lives with an internal, moral law written within his heart, even in backwards tribal places.

2. That there is a passion for man to redeem himself, whether in an act or ritual to relive a man's sense of guilty.

3. That there is a place of paradise or a heaven to be sought after. Even a Utopia that can be obtained through the use of drugs by some cultures. People desire to go there.

4. That there is a God or gods that grant access. It's in our history even today. Why is that so? Where does that come from? Is it a left over ember from the Garden of Eden left behind in our spiritual DNA that beckons us?

There is a strong desire in each of us to know what's on the other side, and what would that be like, where will it be and how will it happen?

We don't have to dream about it or wonder anymore, we can know for sure! In our study through the Book of Revelation beginning in chapter 21, we will take a look first into the first seven verses, which are great but there is a warning in verse 8 as well.

Revelation 19, the central theme is the Second Coming of Christ, which fulfills Matthew 25.

Revelation 20, the central theme is the Millennial Reign of Christ on Earth. He must sit on the throne of David and that is not in heaven. When Jesus was here on earth the first time, did He ever sit on the throne of David? No, He didn't. But the Bible says this must happen. So when will it be fulfilled? It must be fulfilled literally during the Millennium found in chapter 20.

Revelation 21, the central theme is the Eternity of Christ.

In Chapter 21, the Millennium is over, and the Day of God, the Day of Eternity begins. Time ceases. God will establish eternity in a sense where we can physically touch and see and hear one another; we can eat; we can worship; we will be like Jesus post resurrection, where we can appear and disappear; we won't have any more death; there will be a new heaven and new earth; there will be no more sea. It will be a day that commences and never ends. Forever. It's going to be literally FOREVER!

That is the ultimate destination. We are currently taking reservations, but if you read the fine print in the Bible, you have to make your reservations now before you die. You have to book it now! If you want to enjoy eternity in heaven with God, you have to book it now. It's not that it is filling up, it's that your time is running out. Stop goofing around. Stop playing around with God.

Hebrews 9:27-28 ~ "And just as it is appointed for a man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him."

We're not going home, as believers in Christ, we're coming home. We know our time here is temporary, that this world is running out of time. We know time here is not fixed. There is a desire to come home to where we belong.

When we come home, everything is going to be new and we all love new things.

Revelation 21:1 ~ "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more." 

We need a new heaven and new earth. This one we are in has been filled with the effects of sin since the fall in the Garden of Eden. The climate will change. There will be not a new creation of the heaven where God lives, but this is a new atmosphere, a new celestial space, where the stars are...

Isaiah 65:17 ~ "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind."

Isaiah 66:22 ~ "For as the new heavens and the new earth that I make shall remain before me, says the LORD, so shall your offspring and your name remain."

Why would a new heaven (starry host) and a new earth (planet) be needed? Because sin has ravaged this world. The word "New" is not like God destroys the existing ones, He take the existing earth and autoclaves it. It means to sterilize it by a blast of heat or fire. Peter said that in the end that the elements will melt with fervent heat (2 Peter 3:10). The word "elements" in the Greek used here, means a-tom, where we get the word atom. This will not be a new creation, but God will sterilize it in such as way to make it fit for all eternity.

We will need a new city. This is not the earth Jerusalem.

Revelation 21:2 ~ "And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband."

This is a new Jerusalem, and it is holy, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Why? Because it will be the focal point of eternity to come. It is where the LORD Himself will dwell.

1 Corinthians 2:9-10 ~ "But as it is written, 'What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him' - these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God."

It's in the spiritual DNA to want this city.

Hebrews 11:8-10 ~ "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God."

Abraham believed he was going to see this city. It was a deep desire in his heart to go where God told him to. Almighty God wants you and I in heaven. Jesus came to provide the entrance into heaven. The Holy Spirit has authored the Holy Bible telling us how to get to heaven. And it is God's will that you will be there with Him. So now is the time to make sure you book your trip today!