"Wisdom And The Most Important Decision" (Videos - Chuck Smith and Andrew Murray) - Inspirational Weekend

The dictionary informs us that wisdom is the ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting.  The word "wisdom" is mentioned 222 times in the Hebrew Bible.  True wisdom is a gift from God.  Jesus is wisdom, as stated in 1 Corinthians 1:30 below:

"But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification. and redemption."

"True wisdom is the knowledge of Divine things, rightly used."  

"Wisdom is the power to see and the inclination to choose the best and highest goal, together with the surest means of attaining it."   -  J.I. Packer 

The book of Proverbs is best known for its wisdom.  I recommend you read all of it, and especially chapter 8 of Proverbs.  

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom:  and the knowledge of the holy is understanding."  -  Proverbs 9:10

We are only wise when we turn to God and reverently fear Him and go to Him about all decisions that need to be made; asking for the Holy Spirit to guide us and to give us strength and endurance.  He will enable us to deal rightly in all matters, when we seek to know His will and to follow through by obeying Him and doing His will, not ours.  We need to develop a close, personal, intimate, love relationship with God through Jesus Christ in order to know His will and to obey Him.  You must communicate with someone in order to build a relationship.  The same is true of the heavenly Father.  Go to Him often in prayer, and study His Holy Word to, in turn, listen to Him speak through His written Word.  As you come to know the Lord more and more, you will obey Him out of love, and you will surrender your life and your very being to Him.  

Andrew Murray says, "Abiding in Him, His wisdom will come to you as a spontaneous outflow of a life rooted in Him."  Following is an 11 minute audio sermon by Murray about abiding in Christ as your wisdom:

The late pastor, Chuck Smith, gives the benefits of wisdom in the following 25 minute audio sermon.  

In pastor Smith's sermon above, he mentions how experience is often the best teacher, especially when raising children.  We learn wisdom when we make mistakes and thereby learn what to avoid in the future.

We also learn wisdom by reading the Scriptures ....a really deep, serious study of God's Word.  

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."  -  James 1:5

To acquire wisdom, go to the good Lord in prayer and ask Him to give you wisdom.  God is a giver.  If you are a believer and in good standing with Him, He will grant your petition.  That is, if you ask in faith.  Remember, the doubting man dishonors God.  Therefore if we do not have faith, we should not expect God to answer us.  (James 1:6,7).

In making decisions, we should always endeavor to make them in a manner that glorifies God.  Always ask yourself what the Bible says about the problem.  Talk to your pastor or a mature believer and ask them if they can help you to more fully understand just what God's Word says about the matter you are concerned about; the decision you need to make.  Also, you may go by your past experiences to help you make a decision.   And, again, go to the Lord in prayer for help.

Ask yourself if this decision will keep you from a good witness for the Lord. We need to honor God and bring Him glory in all that we do and say. Consider all options and, again, take it to the Lord in prayer.

The most important decision anyone can make is the one that determines their eternal destiny.....heaven or hell.   If you are a true believer and have been born again (John 3:3) and you are putting God first in your life, then you will have heaven to look forward to.  But beware if you are putting off coming to the Lord in faith; refusing to believe in Jesus as your Savior.  Think about it:  Eternity is a long time to spend it in the wrong place, and suffering unbearable torment at that.

We are living in the last days the Bible prophesied about; current events are evidence that we are, indeed, in the very last hour of this present age.  Read Ezekiel 38 and 39 for starters; all the countries are now coming against Israel (as prophesied) in an effort to annihilate her.  Israel is God's prophetic time clock; God will rescue His chosen people.

The fact that this is the last "hour" of the end times, should move everyone to turn to God and cry out to Him for deliverance.  Unbelievers should repent of their sins, pray to the Lord for forgiveness, and believe with all their being that Jesus is the Savior and to put their faith and trust in Him.  They need to also believe that He rose from the dead and is now in heaven to make intercession for us to the Father.  (Romans 10:9,10,13).

Time is short.

Jesus will return soon to take true believers to heaven with Him in the Rapture of the Church.

Don't be left behind to face the torment and horrors of the 7 year Tribulation period and then afterwards hell itself, unless you repent first.

Jesus loves you !!

He will welcome you with open arms and pardon your sins, if you will only turn to Him in faith and belief and repentance.

"I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing:  therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:" -  Deuteronomy 30:19

Concerning end time events, Jesus said at Luke 21:28:  "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh."

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

"God Is A Sanctuary" (Videos) - Inspirational Weekend

These cattle egrets seem to have found themselves a tranquil sanctuary in the branches of an extremely large old tree.  A sanctuary can be a church or an area in your home where you pray to and worship God, or any place of refuge where you feel safe and protected.  The ancient Jews, as mentioned in the Bible at Numbers 35:11-15, had cities of refuge where the person who accidentally killed someone could flee to for safety from the avenger of blood.

But God Himself called Himself a sanctuary:

"Therefore say, thus saith the LORD God; although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come."  -  Ezekiel 11:16

Following is a 2 minute sermon clip by Charles Spurgeon on the above verse: 

The ancient Jews were sent into exile in other countries because God was punishing them for their lack of respect for Him and for their disobedience and rebellion.  It was an event that displayed the holiness of God; and it was a severe punishment for His people.  The event was to show God's goodness. Even in judgment, He showed mercy.  It was not His intention to destroy, but to correct and reform.

The good Lord assured His people that He would be "a little sanctuary" for them wherever they went.  In using the word "little", perhaps God was saying that He would be as they were; that He would bow down to their littleness and be to each one of them a little sanctuary.  "When the Lord communes with the greatest of men, He must become little to speak with them."  The dispersion made the Jews able to worship God everywhere without a material temple.

"And He shall be for a sanctuary....."  -  Isaiah 8:14a

"Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe Me, the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. (22)  Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. (23)  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.  (24) God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth."   -  John 4:21-24

A sanctuary was a place of refuge, a place of worship, a place of mercy, the house of mercy, and a place of great holiness.  God Himself is all of that and more.  He will be to us a place of communion and of revelation.  He answers our prayers, and today He "speaks" to us through the Bible, His Holy Word.  So you may find in God and Jesus your sanctuary.  All that you ever could want or need.

If for some reason, either sickness or a long journey, you are unable to go to the house of God, remember that God is your sanctuary and you can worship Him and pray to Him from your home or hospital.  

Below is a song video that relates to this message, although it does not mention God Himself as being our sanctuary:

If you are an unbeliever, you need to turn now to the Lord in repentance before it is too late.  Before Jesus returns to take true believers to be home with Him in heaven; or else you will be left behind to face unbelievable horrors during the 7 year tribulation period after the Rapture of the church occurs.  Your eternal destiny, heaven or hell, is what is at stake.

"But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find Him, if thou seek Him with all thy heart and all thy soul."   -  Deuteronomy 4:29

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by Me."  -  John 14:6

Jesus is ready to receive you in His loving embrace.  His outstretched arms will receive you with joy and with pardon for your sins.

All it takes is true repentance and a prayer for forgiveness. And, of course, a belief and faith in Jesus as your Savior and belief in His resurrection.

Romans 10:9,10,13 tells us :  (9) "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  (13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

"Being Reflectors Of God's Beauty" (With Videos) - Inspirational Weekend

Recently I wrote here about "Beauty, Art, and God".  Then I wrote primarily about how God loves beauty and how He is a Master Artist as all of creation testifies.  This weekend I will focus on the beauty of the Lord Himself, and how we should, as true believers, reflect His beauty and His attributes in our conduct and in all of our life.

"And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it."  -  Psalm 90:17

"One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple."  -  Psalm 27:4

First, just what does it mean to say "the beauty of the LORD"?

Matthew Poole's Commentary tells us it is "His favorable countenance, and gracious influence, and glorious presence."

The word  translated "beauty" here means pleasantness, then beauty, as well as splendor.  Holiness is also the beauty of the Lord (Psalm 110:3), as is His goodness (Zechariah 9:17).  You can pretty much sum it all up by saying that "The harmony of all His attributes is the beauty of His nature"; as Matthew Henry tells us.

Here is a song video about the beauty of the Lord:

In Psalm 90:17 it says "let the beauty of the Lord be upon us."   This not only means the Lord's blessing upon us, but also that we may endeavor to exhibit some of the Lord's beauty and attributes in our own speech, conduct, and attitudes....that we may reflect God's holiness, His goodness, His love, His patience, and so much more.  This becomes more manifest as we grow spiritually to maturity in our walk with the Lord.  His beauty will inspire us to be filled with love and gratitude towards Him, and to be on fire to witness to others about the Gospel; to be reflectors of His beauty.  

When we became true believers, we became a new person (2 Corinthians 5:17).    "And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him:"   -  Colossians 3:10.   This is possible because at salvation God changes the believer's nature.  Therefore we can reflect the Lord's beauty by having a holy nature; a heart that has been transformed; a godly life will be the outcome of our conversion.  And a godly life is a wonderful reflection on the beautiful, saving power of our Lord.  

"For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn amongst many brethren."  -  Romans 8:29

Romans 8:29 is referring to believers having the moral  conformity to the likeness of God's Son.

All of these holy attributes we acquire at conversion (although it takes time to mature spiritually, the possibilities are there) because at conversion we are sealed with the Holy Spirit, which empowers us to live a godly life and to reflect the beauty of the Lord.

"In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise," -  Ephesians 1:13

Following is a sermon clip  (about 2 minutes in length) by Charles Spurgeon on being reflectors of the Lord's beauty:

The beauty of the Lord is also found in redemption and, as stated previously, in His creation; as well as the revelation of His character and work in Scripture.   If you are a true believer, you need to endeavor to develop a strong, close, personal and intimate relationship with the Lord through Jesus Christ, and that will empower you to grow in maturity and to be filled with love and devotion to God like you have never experienced before.  In order to have this close relationship, you need to be in prayer often; you cannot have a good relationship with someone you never communicate with.  Daily reading of God's Word is important as well, for God "speaks" through the Bible.  You get to know more about Him and Jesus when you read His Holy Word, thereby growing closer to Him.

If you are an unbeliever, you need to turn to God before it is too late.   None of us know whether we will be alive tomorrow, or even in our next few minutes.   Now is the time to give your life and devotion to the Lord, so you will not suffer the coming 7 year Tribulation and eventually hell itself.  

Pray and ask God for forgiveness. Honestly repent of your sins and do not continue living in sin;  Believe that Jesus is the Savior and only through Him is eternal life in heaven possible.  Believe that God raised Jesus from the dead, and that His shed blood on the cross can wash your sins away; redeem you.

Jesus is waiting with open arms of love and forgiveness if only you will come to Him in full faith and belief and in repentance.  

Romans 10:9,10,13 tells us,  (9) "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."   -  John 14:6

"And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us.  God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him."  -  1 John 4:16

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are past away; behold, all things are become new."  -  2 Corinthians 5:17

Be Joyful ! The End Is Near ! - Videos With Billy Crone And Brent Miller, Sr.

But, you may wonder, how can we be joyful if the end is near?  For true believers, that is easy to answer: soon we will be forever with the Lord Jesus Christ !!   What a glorious day that will be ! and for all of eternity as well.  

Following is a 14 minute video from prophecywatchers.com  which features pastor Billy Crone.  His enthusiasm and joy are contagious and he focuses on "a bright and awesome future !"

He discusses how most people today live like this world is all there is.   That should not be true of believers !  If we read the Bible daily and pray daily and the Holy Spirit is within us (as it should be if we have truly been converted), then we will realize that the return of Jesus for His followers could be any day now.  We will long to be with Him for all eternity in our true home, which is far better than this wicked and corrupt earth !

"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."  -  Revelation 21:4

1 John 2:15-17 tells us:  (15) "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.  If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  (16) For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.  (17) And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth  for ever."

This system of things has an expiration date !!  Don't get so caught up in this world system and its pleasures that you expire with it !  Put your faith and hope in Jesus and surrender all to Him, before it is too late!

Here is another recent video from prophecywatchers.com  featuring Brent Miller, Sr.  He speaks about two of his videos, and also about signs of the end times, and how they are all beginning to converge at one time right now. This video is almost 29 minutes in length and features two trailers of two of his videos.  Mr. Miller and Gary Stearman discuss how you can reach the unsaved by making them aware of Bible prophecy.  They also discuss the prophetic significance of Israel becoming a nation in 1948 and how this year marks its 70th anniversary of its being a nation again.  Keep in mind that Israel is God's prophetic time clock!  He is still dealing with Israel, and the Tribulation period is to bring the Jewish people to repent and recognize and accept that Jesus is the Messiah.

I pray that you take the time to view both of these videos.  We need to be aware of the prophetic significance of our times right now.  If you are a Christian, you can bring Bible prophecy to light in the heart of unbelieving family members or friends if you are aware of how current events are now leading up to the Rapture of the Church and also the future 7 year Tribulation period.   Use Bible prophecy as a witnessing tool. 

If you are not a believer,  these videos will impress upon you the urgency of the times and that now is the time to give your life in total surrender to the Lord before it is too late to do so.  You need to regret your sins, totally repent of them, and ask the Lord to forgive you.  It needs to be a heartfelt repentance, and not just a head knowledge that it seems to be the proper thing to do;  not just an intellectual reasoning in your mind.   A true regret for your sins and a burning desire to live for the Lord is what is required of you.  But the main thing, as well as all that, is to have a belief in Jesus as the Savior, and to believe in His resurrection.


Romans 10:9,10,13 tells us:  (9) "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  (13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."  -  John 17:3

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

"Faith And Prayer Work Together" (Videos) - Inspirational Weekend

"And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.  For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.  Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them."   -  Mark 11:22-24

I could end this post right now, for those words spoken above by Jesus say it all.   Faith and prayer go hand in hand; they work together.  

The Lord plainly explained that faith held the secret to having your prayers answered.

I am reminded of the account in Matthew 17:14-21 about how the disciples of Jesus could not cast out the demon from the lunatic son.  When the disciples asked Jesus why they failed, Jesus told them in Matthew 17:20 that it was because of their unbelief, and in verse 21, the Lord said, concerning the demon, "Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting."  Evidently, the disciples had not been nourishing their faith;  they had not been in prayer (and they did not fast) so their trust and their efforts completely failed.   They did not have the power because they did not have a strong faith.

"And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."   -  Matthew 21:22

You need to believe.  You need to have faith.  So then when you pray, your prayers will be answered.   But remember, you need to be specific when you pray.   Also keep in mind that prayer is, in many ways, dependent upon the Word of God.  God's Holy Word becomes the reason and the inspiration of our prayers.

"If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you."   -  John 15:7

Hebrews 11:1 tells us,  "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."     

Faith is believing that God will make a way where there is no way.  Following is an encouraging and up-lifting song of faith by Don Moen titled "God Will Make A Way":

"The Bible recognizes no faith that does not lead to obedience, nor does it recognize any obedience that does not spring from faith.  The two are at opposite sides of the same coin."  -  A.W. Tozer

"If you find your life of prayer to be always so short, and so easy, and so spiritual, as to be without cost and strain and sweat to you, you may depend on it, you have not yet begun to pray."  -  Alexander Whyte

The good Lord wants to fellowship with us.  He loves us and desires to commune with us.   That word "commune" means with intensity, with passion, and with intimacy.  Our prayers should reflect that kind of intensity and intimacy;  I can picture that God cares not for many so-called "Ho-Hum" prayers that have no feeling and no depth.  Remember He is God Almighty, the Creator, the Sovereign of the universe.   Show Him honor and respect, and be in awe of Him when you pray and worship.  You can do nothing without Him;  your very life depends upon His grace and love.  Give God the honor and the glory He deserves and expects.

Following are two short videos (around 16 minutes each) reciting from the works of Andrew Murray.  The first one is about the source of the power in prayer:

The next discourse by Andrew Murray concerns Faith:

But what if you are not saved?   Then the prayer that God will answer is the one where you ask Him for forgiveness, repenting in all sincerity, and believing with all your very being that Jesus is the Savior and also believing in His resurrection.

If you are living in sin and are disobedient to the good Lord, your prayers will not be answered unless you repent and ask Him for forgiveness and for salvation through Jesus Christ, and do this in humility and in faith.

"Neither is there salvation in any other:  for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." -  Acts 4:12

Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."    -  John 14:6

"Jesus answered and said unto him,  Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."   John 3:3

Many people realize that we are now living in the last days - the end times - and Bible prophecy is now being fulfilled before our very eyes.  Soon Jesus will return again to take true believers to heaven with Him.  They will avoid the horrific 7 year Tribulation period that follows.   Will you be among the true believers that go to heaven with the Lord, or will you be left behind to face the doom and disaster that occurs during the Tribulation?

The Lord loves you and does not wish for any to be destroyed.  

All it takes is one step of faith from you and a true repentance.

Jesus is waiting for you with love and outstretched arms of tender compassion to hold you close in His embrace and in the safety and salvation found in Him.

Time is short.  

Romans 10:9,10,13 tells us,  "(9)  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  (13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Think Russia, Turkey, Iran Alliance - Think End Times Upon Us (With Videos)

I have written often on various end time Bible prophesies.  Go to the above right on this page where you see the Search box and type in "end times,  the Rapture, the Tribulation, mark of the beast" and other terms pertaining to various Bible prophecies and previous posts on those topics will pop up for you to view. I write about such subjects because I feel the urgency of these perilous days we find ourselves living in now, and because believers are urged by the Lord to spread His Word.  Bible prophecy is approximately 1/3 of the contents found in God's Holy Word, and many have come to faith in Jesus upon learning we are in the last days, and that the Bible predicts the future and that much of what is happening now was foretold in its pages.  But, of course, also because Jesus is the only way to heaven, and those who put their faith and trust in Him, believing Him to be the Savior of all who surrender to Him, will have everlasting life. 

"Jesus said unto her,  I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:  And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die.  Believest thou this? "  -  John 11:25-26

Following is a  19 minute video focusing primarily on Ezekiel 38 and the recent alliance of Russia, Turkey, and Iran.  It features pastors Don Stewart and Jack Hibbs.  

Ezekiel 38:1-3 tells us, (1)" And the word of the Lord came unto me saying, (2) Son of man, set thy face against Gog the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, (3)  And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:"

Ezekiel 38 then lists the countries that will ally themselves with Gog to go against Israel in an effort to destroy Israel.  All of those countries are right now in place preparing to come against Israel very soon, by all indications.  If we are that close to the Ezekiel 38 and Ezekiel 39 war, then we must be ever so close to the time when Jesus returns to take us home with Him !!

I urge you to please read all of Ezekiel 38 as well as Ezekiel 39.

Following is another video (56 minutes in length), with a sermon by Jack Hibbs and also a sermon by Amir Tsarfati, which pertain to being ready for our "visitation" soon: the return of Jesus.  Both sermons refer to the recent alliance of Russia, Turkey, and Iran.  Amir Tsarfati reminds us that "The whole prophetic aspect of the Bible is all about Jesus."   He also warns us that, "People who don't know the time of their visitation cannot escape the calamity."

We should "occupy' until Jesus returns.  That means, besides normal activities such as your job, you should be busy telling others about Jesus and His soon return.

"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:  and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."  -  Matthew 28:19-20

Be watchful !  Be ready !

"And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh."   -  Luke 21:28

"Therefore, be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh."                     -  Matthew 24:44

"Heaven ! More Glorious Than We Can Imagine !" (Videos) - Inspirational Weekend

Everyone, even unbelievers, perk up their ears and pay attention when heaven is mentioned.   And everyone wants to go there, or they should want to.  Most Americans believe in heaven, and most of them hope to go there when they die.  The truth is, man, having an immortal soul, was made to live forever somewhere.   

"Those who go to heaven ride on a pass and enter into blessings that they never earned, but all who go to hell pay their own way."     -  John R. Rice

We will only concentrate on heaven in this post, and how glorious it will be.   The most wonderful part of heaven for believers is the fact that we will be with Jesus there for all of eternity. He is our Savior and  our Redeemer, and we love Him with all of our being.

Following is a cheerful discussion on what heaven will be like from prophecywatchers.com, featuring Gary Stearman and his guest, pastor Tom Hughes :

They speculate what heaven will be like, such as will there be grass in heaven, will there be baseball, and the like.  But it is not all fanciful wishing; there are some good nuggets of truth in this video.

Concerning our journey in this life, I enjoyed what Tom Hughes said,  "The Bible is our travel guide, and Jesus is our tour guide."  Jesus is now in heaven preparing a place for true believers:

" In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."   -  John 14:2-3

In the above verses, Jesus tells us that He will come again and receive us to Himself to be with Him in heaven.  He is referring to the Rapture of the Church, the body of true believers.  Jesus could return at any moment to take believers with Him to their eternal home.  

Are you ready?

At the end, after the 7 year Tribulation and the antichrist and the false prophet and satan are cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 19 and Revelation 20), the Bible book of Revelation 21 tells us:

"(1) And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.  (2) And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (3) And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God.  (4)  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."

The above verses are among the most beautiful and comforting in the Bible.  We need to dwell on such beautiful verses to counteract all the negativity in today's world of evil and violence and wars.   God's Holy Word gives us comfort and hope and a reason for living, that reason being to glorify God; to worship Him and to do His will and to live for Him and to bring lost souls to Jesus.

"For our conversation [citizenship] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ;"  -  Philippians 3:20

"Life, if properly viewed in any aspect, is great, but mainly great when viewed in its relation to the world to come."  -  Albert Barnes

Following is a sermon on heaven by Charles Spurgeon.  It is excellent and is only 37 minutes in length. 

In the above sermon, Spurgeon stresses that our imagination cannot truly picture heaven.  He says, "To know more of heaven, spend more time in prayer."

There is only one way to heaven !

Jesus !!

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life:  no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."  -  John 14:6

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."   -  Acts 4:12

Please read all of John 3.  Most all of you are no doubt familiar with John 3:16 ,  "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

John the Baptist said, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."  -  John 3:36

To be saved, you need to admit that you are a sinner and that you need a Savior.  Repent and pray for forgiveness.  Believe in faith that Jesus died for you and that His death on the cross paid for your sins in full; His shed blood redeems you.  All you need to do is to have faith and believe in Him and in His resurrection.  

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.   ......  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved"   -  Romans 10:9,10, 13

"Jesus answered and said unto him,  Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."  -  John 3:3