THE CROWN RIGHTS OF KING JESUS

Hear the Word of The Lord:

“Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.” Col. 2:8-10

Christ Is Supreme

“Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth.

He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. Col. 1:15-17

“God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this. Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand.  

‘The Lord said to my Lord,

“Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies making them a footstool under your feet.”’ “So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!” Acts 2: 32-36

“I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come.” Eph. 1: 19-21

There is today in the highest levels of authority in the visible Body of Christ –what the world understands to be Christianity- a fondness for the empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.

I will name only some of the “empty philosophies” that are currently influencing the words of those who stands in some of the most listened to pulpits in the world: Humanism – (You are The Boss); Materialism – (Possess all You can); Existentialism – (Feels Good Do It); Evolution – (No Creator, No Judgment); Environmentalism/ Climatechangeism – (You are in Control ).

I think you get it. “High-sounding nonsense” has seduced the thinking of many of those who speak publically as representatives of Jesus Christ. It saddens me that so many who carry His banner,  Gate Keepers of the City of God,  have surrendered the CROWN RIGHTS OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST at the altar of Human Reason or Human Quality of Life.

The minds of the most visible leaders of Christianity have been captured by the snare of the Fowler – the Father of Lies, Satan himself (the spiritual powers of this world).  They have ignored the plain declarations of the Word of God; and they have knelt at the altar of Scientism. “

And so, HE GAVE THEM OVER…….

“O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: which some professing have erred concerning the faith. 1 Tim. 6:20-21

 

 

 

 

 

 

ROBBING GOD

“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.” Ps. 24:1-2

Christian Stewardship includes personal self-control, the management of animals, the  conservation and preservation of natural resources, and a willingness to be faithful in your responsibilities to your family and neighbors; and it is the evidence of the measure to which you have fulfilled God’s mandate on your life.

“Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”

So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God He created them male and female He created them.

Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.” Gen. 1: 27-28

He covers the sky with clouds; He supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills. He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call. His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of the warrior; the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love. Ps. 147:8-11

A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without Him, who can eat or find enjoyment? To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. Eccl. 2:24-26

“I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.” Eccl. 3:12-14

Hear the prophets of Baal and study the fruit of their lies:

H. G Wells: “We do not know how life began upon the earth.” (The Outline of History)

Carl Sagan: “Some people think God is an outsized, light-skinned male with a long white beard, sitting on a throne somewhere up there in the sky, busily tallying the fall of every sparrow. Others—for example Baruch Spinoza and Albert Einstein—considered God to be essentially the sum total of the physical laws which describe the universe. I do not know of any compelling evidence for anthropomorphic patriarchs controlling human destiny from some hidden celestial vantage point, but it would be madness to deny the existence of physical laws.” (Wikipedia)

Albert Einstein: “I do not believe in a personal God and I have never denied this but have expressed it clearly. If something is in me which can be called religious then it is the unbounded admiration for the structure of the world so far as our science can reveal it.’ (Albert Einstein, 1954)

Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years.  Climate change is caused by factors such as biotic processes, variations in solar radiation received by Earth, plate tectonics, and volcanic eruptions. Certain human activities have also been identified as significant causes of recent climate change, often referred to as "global warming" (Wikipedia)

Scientism is a term used to refer to belief in the universal applicability of the scientific method and approach, and the view that empirical science constitutes the most authoritative worldview or to the most valuable part of human learning to the exclusion of other viewpoints.^[1] It has been defined as "the view that the characteristic inductive methods of the natural sciences are the only source of genuine factual knowledge and, in particular, that they alone can yield true knowledge about man and society. (Wikipedia)  

Paganism is the term that refers to those who worship false gods. Pantheism is the belief that the universe (or nature as the totality of everything) is identical with divinity or that everything composes an all-encompassing, immanent God.^[2] Pantheists thus do not believe in a distinct personal or anthropomorphic god. (Wikipedia)  

Naturalism is the view of the world that takes account only of natural elements and forces, excluding the supernatural or spiritual. The belief that all phenomena are covered by laws of science and that all teleological explanations are therefore without value. It is the doctrine that all religious truth is derived from a study of natural processes and not from revelation. It is the doctrine that natural religion is sufficient for salvation. (Wikipedia)

Environmentalism is the “child” of the above false religions promoted by their prophets and doctrines. Environmentalism arrogantly assumes its right to speak authoritatively to the world concerning the control of the heavens and the earth, i.e. Climate Change is possible through human effort.

Naturalism, scientism, paganism and environmentalism deny that “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” Ps. 24:1-2

God has commanded us to be good stewards of the physical world that He has provided for us. The first obligation of a steward is to recognize the authority of his master! Evolution and Environmentalism are religious systems that begin with the presupposition that God IS NOT the Creator and Sustainer of planet Earth. And thus do these false religions and their false prophets ROB God of His glory. They are wolves in sheep's clothing!

Hear the word of the Lord:

“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse; for although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being (Humanism) and birds and animals and reptiles (Animism).

Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Rom.1:18-20  

Blessed are they that do his commandments that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city; for without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loves and makes a lie. Rev. 22:14-15

 

 

 

THE PROPHETS OF BAAL ARE ALIVE AND WELL

Baal, literal meaning is "lord," in the Canaanite pantheon was the local title of fertility gods. Baal never emerged as a rain god until later times when he assumed the special functions of each. “The worship of Baal extended from the Canaanites to the Phoenicians who also were partially an agricultural people. Both Baal and his cohort Ashtoreth, or Astarte, who is equivalent to the Greek goddess Aphrodite, were both Phoenician fertility symbols. Baal, the sun god, was fervently prayed to for the protection of livestock and crops. Priests instructed the people that Baal was responsible for droughts, plagues, and other calamities. People were often worked up into great frenzies at the prospects of displeasing Baal.

Biblical tribes worshiped the god. The ordinary people ardently worshipped this sun god too because their prosperity depended on the productivity of their crops and livestock. The god's images were erected on many buildings. Within the religion there appeared to be numerous priests and various classes of devotees. During the ceremonies they wore appropriate robes. The ceremonies included burning incense, and offering burnt sacrifices, occasionally consisting of human victims. The officiating priests danced around the altars, chanting frantically and cutting themselves with knives to inspire the attention and compassion of the god.

In the Bible Baal is also called Beelzebub, or Baalzebub, one of the fallen angels of Satan.  

 

(Alan G. Hefner Encyclopedia Mythica)

Evolutionists attempt to rob God of His glory as Creator of heaven and earth. Environmentalists attempt to rob God of His glory as the Sustainer and Governor of His Creation.

 

All such attempts are the rebellious efforts of the wicked prophets of the modern day cults of Evolutionary Science (Father Time/Baal) and Environmental Science (Mother Nature/ Astarte).

Hear the Word of the Lord.:

“Who shut up the sea behind door when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness, when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place, when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt’?

Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth? Tell me, if you know all this. “What is the way to the abode of light? And where does darkness reside? Can you take them to their places? Do you know the paths to their dwellings? Surely you know, for you were already born.

“Have you entered the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of the hail, which I reserve for times of trouble, for days of war and battle?

What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed, or the place where the east winds are scattered over the earth?

Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain, and a path for the thunderstorm, to water a land where no one lives, an uninhabited desert, to satisfy a desolate wasteland and make it sprout with grass? Does the rain have a father? Who fathers the drops of dew? From whose womb comes the ice? Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens when the waters become hard as stone, when the surface of the deep is frozen?

“Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades? Can you loosen Orion’s belt? Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons or lead out the Bear with its cubs? Do you know the laws of the heavens?”

Can you set up God’s dominion over the earth? “Can you raise your voice to the clouds and cover yourself with a flood of water? Do you send the lightning bolts on their way? Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’?

Who has the wisdom to count the clouds? Who can tip over the water jars of the heavens when the dust becomes hard and the clods of earth stick together?  Job 38:8-38 (selected verses)

“If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God.’

“The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground. The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands.”  Deut. 28: 1, 11-12

However, if you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come on you and overtake you:

The sky over your head will be bronze, the ground beneath you iron. The Lord will turn the rain of your country into dust and powder; it will come down from the skies until you are destroyed. Deut. 28: 15, 24

President Obama, Secretary of State Kerry, the rest of the Political Class, the Academic Community, the Entertainment Industry and the Weather Industry all live the lie that they can in some way by all their mighty efforts change the weather!

"Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, “Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.”

The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. He rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, “I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.”

Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling. Kiss his son, or he will be angry and your way will lead to your destruction for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him." Psa. 2

 

 

 

  

THE GLORY OF GOD OR THE GOD OF GLORY

“What would you rather have: the Glory of God or the God of Glory??? Think about this!"

Thank God that we do not ever have to answer this question. God and His glory are inseparable. You simply cannot have the One without the other. There is no glory of God without God Himself radiating His glory. Any and all understanding of  glory must begin with God Himself. All other glory is either a reflection of His glory or the vainglory of human activity.

“And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.” Rev. 21: 22-23

“So the heathen shall fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth thy glory. When the LORD shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory.” Ps. 102:15-16

“The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.” Ps. 113:4

“And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.” Isa. 6:3

“Thus says God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that gives breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house. I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.” Isa. 42: 5-8

“Then at last the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will himself be Israel’s glorious crown. He will be the pride and joy of the remnant of his people.” Isa. 28: 5

“If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels. I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Kingdom of God.” Luke 9: 26-27

“When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” Col. 3:4

“For ye remember, brethren, we preached unto you the gospel of God.  As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children, that ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto His kingdom and glory.” 1 Thess. 2: 9-12

“But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you.” 1 Pet. 5:10

“I have… the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Col. 1: 25-26

Q. 1. What is the chief end of man?
A. Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.

THE HOPE OF THE GLORY OF GOD

To the Roman believers Paul says, ““Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:1-2

What is the hope of His calling?

The HOPE of His calling IS the GLORY OF GOD.

What is Hope? Hope is the confident expectation of future blessing. Hope looks forward to the future fulfillment of the promises of God. Faith looks backward to the record of the past promises that God has fulfilled. And thus, both Hope and Faith give us the confidence to Love in the present. I do believe this is what the apostle meant when he said that, “We are saved by Hope.” So, we rejoice in the present because of the promise of the hope of the glory of God in the future.  This hope keeps us moving forward to the Day when we stand in His presence!

The Glory of God is the prize that the apostle Paul so earnestly sought at the cost of ALL his earthly treasures and accomplishments.

“But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Phil. 3:13, 14  

So, what do we know of this glory of God?

He has not left us without witness.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Gen. 1:1

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” Ps. 19:1

The majesty of the sunrise and the sunset; the wonder of life at the birth of all creatures; the beauty and design of a single flower; the immensity of the canopy of stars displayed at the dark of the moon; the fury of the stormy seas; the deafening silence of snow falling; the terror of rumbling thunder and lightning strikes or the earth moving beneath our feet are all the works of His hands that we witness with our own eyes; and are common to all men.

He sent his own Son to walk the earth to redeem His world.

  “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.” 2 Cor. 4:6

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. Jn. 1:14

We witness the glory of God with the eyes of faith as we read the historical accounts of the life and work of His Son Jesus in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

“God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, “ The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” Acts 2: 32-35

“The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross. Col. 3: 15-20

“I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,… I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw… someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” Rev. 1: 9-18

“And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousand saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.  And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying,   “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!”

And so our hope is to enjoy the glory of God in His Person, forever.   

 

PIE IN THE SKY

When I Googled “pie in the sky” I found the following post on Phrase Finder.

“Pie in the sky: A promise of heaven, while continuing to suffer in this life.

This is an American phrase and was coined by Joe Hill in 1911. Hill was a Swedish-born itinerant labourer who migrated to the USA in 1902. He was a leading light of the radical labour organisation The Industrial Workers of the World - known as the Wobblies, writing many radical songs for them. The phrase appeared first in Hill's The Preacher and the Slave, which parodied the Salvation Army hymn In the Sweet Bye and Bye. The song, which criticized the Army's theology and philosophy, specifically their concentration on the salvation of souls rather than the feeding of the hungry, was popular when first recorded and remained so for some years.

Long-haired preachers come out every night,
Try to tell you what's wrong and what's right;
But when asked how 'bout something to eat
They will answer with voices so sweet:

              Chorus:
              You will eat, bye and bye,
              In that glorious land above the sky;
              Work and pray, live on hay,
               You'll get pie in the sky when you die.

The phrase wasn't taken up until the Second World War, when it began to be used figuratively to refer to any prospect of future happiness which was unlikely ever to be realized;….”

 

So we find another lying Marxist using a clever parody of Christian Truth to provide a catch phrase for those who “suppress the truth in unrighteousness”. (I know from personal experience that the Salvation Army is and has always been one of the most generous of welfare organizations.)

 

I cannot know exactly when the men who filled the lecterns and pulpits of the Mainline Christian Seminaries and Churches in America self-consciously began to minimize the doctrine of Heaven with its promise of future joy and rewards in the presence of God, but I suspect that it happened gradually between 1850 and 1950. Today the preaching of the Hope of Heaven as THE motive to godly living, regardless of one’s circumstances,  is practically absent from the Christian pulpits of America. When was the last time you heard a sermon on the particulars of Heaven. Or for that matter, even a song about Heaven during worship?

Consider and ponder the importance that the Apostles John, Peter and Paul placed on the importance of constantly focusing on the HOPE OF HEAVEN as it relates to the quality our daily living.

Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 1 Jn.3: 1, 2


All who have this hope in Him purify themselves, just as He is pure. 1 Jn.3:3

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.

Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 2 Pet. 3:10-14

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things; for you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry; because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Col. 3:1-10


Is it any wonder then that when we immerse ourselves in the practices of our existential, materialistic, pleasure seeking culture that we find ourselves, even as professing Christians,  stressed, discouraged and depressed? 

 

“This world is not my home.  I’m just ‘a passin’ through. If heaven’s not my home, O Lord what would I do?”

OUR INHERITANCE

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: in whom also we have obtained an inheritance,.. Eph. 1

I pray: “... that the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. Ephesians 1: 16-18-  

And what are “the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.”?

In this world at the expectation of a large inheritance there is talk of all that money can buy: perhaps several new, expensive cars; a beautifully furnished home in the best part of the city, as well as one in the country; a new wardrobe; first class world travel while visiting the most interesting places, and staying in the best of hotels, with the best of foods and wines; and the increase of capital that we can use to create even more wealth. All such imaginings are exhilarating because they hold out the promise of the future enjoyment of all the wonderful experiences that this world has to offer. Think Downton Abbey. But in this cursed world even the richest inheritance is accompanied with trouble. For in this world the more we have the more we have to care for and protect.  And when it’s time to leave, we leave it ALL behind. Naked comin’ in, naked goin’ out!

But, in the New Heavens and the New Earth we will enjoy every good thing and every good experience this old world offers, but there will be no more Curse, no more sin, evil, death, fear or sorrow. And, the Lord Himself will be there to rule over a New Creation, a true Land flowing with Milk and Honey, that exists in perfect harmony

Let’s consider just one of the many riches prepared for us.

Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when HE is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 1 John 3:1-2

He shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, Phil.3:21

For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body, we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God Himself and not by human hands. For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. God Himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee He has given us His Holy Spirit.  2 Corinthians 5:1-5

Heaven is the place where we will be given new bodies that are designed for living in the New Heaven and New Earth. Imagine, no more fear of crippling, wasting disease, the constant irritation of aches and pains, the loss of strength and vitality and the need for cosmetics or perfumes to deal with the effects of aging. And we will have brains that think clearly, learn thoroughly, create effortlessly, and never forget! And a spirit made perfect like His, and that will be in perfect knowledge of divine things, and completely at peace.

 

THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND

“From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”  Mt.4:17

The good news that Jesus of Nazareth declared that day begs the question: “What do I have to repent of to gain entrance into the Heavenly Kingdom?”

The Bible is clear as to what needs to be repented of so that you may be received with joy into the Kingdom of Heaven.

“…do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Cor. 6:9, 10

“Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.  Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. Col. 3

“The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Gal: 5:19-21

“… God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love and no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.” Rom: 1:26-32

“But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. Rom. 2:5-8

“Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. Rev. 22: 14, 15

 

OUR BLESSED HOPE

The author of the book of Hebrews said, “We heirs of promise enjoy a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters into that within the veil; where the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus,.. Heb.6:17-20

And the apostle Paul said: “He hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” Eph. 2:5,6

We have a hope that saves us. Yes, saves us. That hope of standing in the presence of the living God, the Creator of all that is; that hope of being with the Lord Jesus in the New Heaven and the New Earth; that hope of having eternal rewards that will help us fulfill our eternal purpose is an anchor set deep in the heart of Christ Jesus as He sits on His throne at the right hand of the Father, reigning and ruling over the nations of men.  And that anchor is securely attached to the Cable of the Holy Spirit who dwells in our hearts. The little boat, that is your life in Christ, is secure. Your life and eternal soul will not be lost in the turbulent seas of this world’s trials, troubles, tragedies and temptations. The Cable will hold until the day the Lord draws our souls to the Heavenly shore. Therefore, stand firm in your faith, and hold tight to your hope until you see His face.

AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER

Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the LORD, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all. Jer. 31:

When a story begins with, “Once upon a time and, ends with, “And they lived happily ever after,” it has universal appeal for the child in all of us. And, for that matter, it has an appeal for the adult in all of us as well.  

I love the classic fairy tales and the old school super heroes. The protagonist (good guy), the antagonist (the bad guy) and the hero (the deliverer) who comes to save the day! I believe every story ever told that becomes a classic is only a type of the true redemption story. Homer’s “Ulysses”, Hugo’s “Les Miserable” or Lucas’s “Star War Trilogy” all hold this in common – in the end the good overcomes the evil. The desire for things to end well is common in the hearts of us all.

I’ll be, Lord willing, threescore and ten in July. 70! The last few years every time I shave I am confronted with my mortality. The travel itinerary is set.  I’m leaving this earth. I am going to die, and, so are you. And I certainly want things to end well for me. And, I assume you feel the same about your eternal future.

“…. it is given unto men once to die, and then the judgment.” Heb. 9:27
So, experiencing the Glory of God, or what most folks call Heaven, or the New Heavens and the New Earth, forever; OR experiencing no hope in the torment of the Lake of Fire, forever, are the only two possible destinies for each of us. That’s it! It will be one or the other.

So, while it is yet today and the final destination of our lives has not yet been set, let’s listen as the Scriptures tell us the true tale of hope. 

Once upon a time, “…God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” Gal. 4:4-6

And they lived happily ever after, “…because the Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. Rom. 8:16, 17

This happy ending is what I call a very large slice of “The Children’s Bread”!

And what the apostle Peter called the exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature; and so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Pet. 1:4

Despite the certainty of death that seems to be rushing towards me, I live each day as one of the beloved characters in this tale of hope we call the Gospel of Jesus Christ, because Jesus made the same promise to me that He also made to all of you.  

He said, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in me, though he was dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” Jn. 11