The Truth About Angels: Ministering Spirits

Life is hard. It's a simple fact that we are all painfully aware of. And contrary to some common misconceptions, becoming a Christian doesn't mean that those pains and troubles will go away. In fact, by definition, it means that they will only get worse, sometimes much worse (Matthew 10:22, 2 Timothy 3:12).

BUT...


We have hope! We do not despair as the world despairs (1 Thessalonians 4:13). We may grieve, we may weep, we may hurt, but we do so with hope! And more importantly, we do not do it alone! We of course have the Holy Spirit with us at all times. But in addition to a God who never leaves us or forsakes us (Hebrews 13:5), we have been blessed with a multitude of angels who were created for the sole purpose of glorifying God and ministering to us (Hebrews 1:14)!

So when life threatens to consume us and every fiber of our being simply aches, physically, mentally and emotionally, we can remember God's promise to uphold us, and we can cling to the present help that he offers us through those sent to do his will. And we are told in Scripture that angels specifically minister to us in these ways:

• Angels protect and guard us from the threat of danger: Matthew 18:10 tells us that from birth, we have angels that are charged with our care, and these angels are physically present with the Lord. They take their orders directly from Him (Psalm 91:11), and they take their jobs seriously. Nothing happens to us that the Lord does not allow. Anything that might threaten us will be thwarted immediately. Daniel was protected from the hungry lions (Daniel 6:22), Mary and Joseph and Jesus were protected from the rage of Herod (Matthew 2:13, 19-21), and even Satan was aware of the protection that was available to Jesus should he choose to call upon it (Matthew 4:5-6). That same protection is available to us! We need only ask!

• Angels deliver us from present danger and trouble: While God is able to intercede and prevent trouble from coming at all, sometimes He allows us to go through the fire rather than around it. During those times, He is ever present, and his angels are sent to carry us through to the other side  (Psalm 34:7). When those moments of deliverance come, we need to remember why we have been carried through and be obedient to give glory where it is due. We can follow the example of the apostles in Acts 5:19-25 and again of Peter in Acts 12:1-14 who were imprisoned and were set free by God's angels. These men could have gone running into hiding, angry at God for allowing them to be subjected to prison and afraid of ending up back in their jail cells, but instead, they took their second chance and began to preach all the more, leading even more people to Christ! May we not cower in fear and anger when trials come our way, but allow God to use those painful moments to draw us closer to himself and then proclaim God's message of hope to the world when He faithfully carries us through to the other side.

• Angels strengthen us in the midst of pain and temptation: We see a beautiful picture of this in 1 Kings 19. Elijah, a prophet of God, has just come down from a mountaintop spiritual high, literally, and is now crashing physically, emotionally and spiritually. He has been obedient to God and has seen the incredible fruit of his faithfulness. The Lord used him to destroy the prophets of Baal and to display His magnificent power over evil and sin. But now Jezebel is outraged and has put out a death threat on his head. Elijah is overcome with grief and fear to the point of suicidal cries. And God's response here is such a sweet reminder of how much he truly loved Elijah. He doesn't tell him to snap out of it, to get it together and to get back to work. Instead he sends an angel to simply comfort him and minister to him. We read in verses 5 through 8 that the angel simply touches his shoulder to rouse him and encourages him to eat. Elijah is given food to eat and is simply told to rest. Elijah's experience is so like our own at many times, especially when we live lives committed to ministry. Those who have surrendered their lives to full-time ministry (I like to believe that full-time mommies who take seriously their calling to train up the souls God has given them into soldiers for the Kingdom fall into this category) will face this scenario many times in life. As we experience thrilling highs in the service of the Lord, we will be faced with equally crippling blows from the enemy, from the world, and from our own faults and failures that draw our attention away from where it belongs. When those moments come, we must remember to turn our hearts and minds back to Jesus and back to His Word. God will always be faithful to sustain us and restore us just as he did for Elijah!

We are treading on enemy territory and will be until the day that we are present with the Lord. The journey will be harrowing. Let us never forget the promises that we have been given and the very real, physical help that we have at our disposal. Let us pray accordingly, claiming the word for word promises of Scripture, for ourselves and for others! We were not meant to walk this road alone! We must rally around our brothers and sisters if we are to survive in this world. When you are on the mountaintop, look around and see who needs your hand to help uphold them, and when it's your turn to be upheld, look to the body of Christ to come with you before the throne. 

Praying God's protection, provision and encouragement over each of you this week. May His angels carry you through and rejoice with you in your triumphs.

*For further study, I suggest you take a listen to these sermons by Pastor J. Mark Martin of Calvary Community Church in Phoenix: Angels Among Us: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6.

The Truth About Angels: An Army In Action

"Don't be afraid!" Elisha told him. "For there are more on our side than on theirs!" Then Elisha prayed, "O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!" The Lord opened the young man's eyes, and when he looked up he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire. 2 Kings 6:16-17

Oh that our eyes would be opened like Elisha's servant's were. If only we could see the battle raging around us, maybe then we would take more seriously the threat that the enemy truly poses to those who are caught off-guard and unprepared; and likewise, how much more faith might we have in God's ability to protect us through his mighty angels.

We may not see much of this today, at least not with our eyes, but the Bible is full of many such tales and testimonies of those who did have the privilege of witnessing these beings in action with their own eyes and ears. In this post, I want to take you on a fly-over tour of some of these testimonies, as we take a look at what exactly angels do and what purposes they were created to fulfill...

• God has used angels to deliver messages: 
• Daniel engages in conversation with an angel through his series of visions in Daniel 7:15-28 and chapters 10-12, and specifically with Gabriel in Daniel 8:15-25 and 9:20-27. In each of these interactions, Daniel is given very specific information about the end times and about the tribulation and the antichrist.
• We are told in Acts 7:53, Galatians 3:19 and Hebrews 2:2 that angels were responsible for delivering God's law to Moses and the Israelites.
• Gabriel appears to Mary in Luke 1:26-38 to deliver the news of the coming birth of Jesus.

• Angels engage in both physical and spiritual battles:
• As mentioned in an earlier post, one angel in particular was reported in 2 Kings 19:35-36 to have slain an entire army of 185,000 men, single-handedly, and in a single night. 
• Also previously mentioned was the battle between one particularly powerful demon and an angel who was trying to reach Daniel in Daniel 10:12-21.
• By their very nature and definition, angels are warriors. As a group, they are referred to as the "armies of heaven" in 1 Kings 22:19, 2 Chronicles 18:18, Psalm 148:2 and Luke 2:13.

• Angels have been in the past, and will be again in the future, used as agents of God's righteous judgment:
• In Acts 12:20-25, God sends an angel to destroy Herod as punishment for accepting the praise of his people, rather than giving glory to God.
• 1 Corinthians 10:10 warns of destruction by the "angel of death" for those who forsake Christ and reject his ways.
• 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8 tells of the judgment that will be carried out by Jesus and his angels on those who "don't know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus."
• We read throughout Revelation of the role that angels will play during the tribulation, as they administer the trumpet and bowl judgments on an unrepentant world, and as they aid in the harvesting of the earth in Revelation 14:14-20.

• Angels are evangelistic:
• After the birth of Jesus, God sends an angel to declare the gospel message to a group of shepherds. He tells them in Luke 2:10-11, "Don't be afraid! I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior--yes, the Messiah, the Lord--has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!" And in verse 13, this angel is joined by an entire host of angels who all declare, "Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased."
• In Revelation 14:6-13, we see three angels who fly through the air proclaiming the Good News of salvation and issuing a warning about the soon-coming judgment.

• Angels are deeply concerned for our spiritual well-being, and they rejoice over our salvation:
• Jesus tells us in Luke 15:10 that "there is joy in the presence of God's angels when even one sinner repents."

And let's not forget about the other heavenly beings God created: the Cherubim and Seraphim. I promised to come back to them in an earlier post. What does the Bible say about these creatures?

• Cherubim:
• Isaiah 37:16 tells us that these creatures surround the throne of God like honor guards. 
• They are also mentioned in Genesis 3:24 as being stationed outside the Garden of Eden after the fall and banishment of Adam and Eve.
• They are referred to multiple times throughout the book of Ezekiel. Specifically in chapter 1, verses 4-28, we are given an extremely detailed description of their physical appearance and capabilities. They are truly unlike anything we could possibly dream up or imagine, and I would guess that even this description hardly does them justice. I cannot wait to see these beings for myself someday in heaven! Take a look at this passage to get a sneak preview for yourself!

• Seraphim:
• The word seraphim means "burning ones". These creatures must surely be a glorious sight to behold and to hear...
• They are only mentioned once in Scripture. Isaiah 6:2-4 tells us of a vision of the Lord which includes these unique creatures: "Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. They were calling out to each other, 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven's Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!' Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke."

We learned in the last post of the frightening power of Satan and his fallen angels. They truly are a force to be reckoned with and absolutely must not be underestimated, ignored or entertained. But we can know with absolute certainty that those who are with us are greater than those who are with them! And indeed, if God is for us, who can be against us?

Satan may wage his war on this earth, but in the end, Jesus wins!

There is a real battle being fought, and your soul is at stake! Whose side do you want to be on in the end?

*If you missed the previous posts on angels, you can check them out HERE and HERE.
*For further study, I suggest you take a listen to these sermons by Pastor J. Mark Martin of Calvary Community Church in Phoenix: Angels Among Us: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6.

The Truth About Angels: Fact or Fiction Pt. 2

. . . Continuing from last time: Here are some more facts about what angels ARE and ARE NOT. As we address today's bullet points, there are a few details that we need to understand:

• First, angels ARE NOT all identical. They have varying abilities and strengths, and there are also various "rankings" among angels. It is important to understand that some angels are stronger than others, and some have been given specific positions of leadership among their fellow angels.
• Second, there ARE only two angels which the Bible actually names for us: One is Gabriel, who appears as a messenger in Daniel 8:16-18, Daniel 9:21, and Luke 1:19,26,28. The other is Michael the Archangel, mentioned in Daniel 10:13,21, Daniel 12:1, Jude 1:9, and Revelation 12:7. Michael, by definition, is the lead angel; he is the archangel; there can not be more than one archangel. 

Now that we have that under our belt...

• Angels (and Cherubim and Seraphim) ARE NOT the only spiritual creatures that exist and interact with us. Angels were given free will, just as humans were, and one angel in particular began a rebellion in heaven which resulted in a great separation among God's created beings. His name was Lucifer, which means Light-bearer. We know him now as Satan, among other names and titles. His job in heaven was worship director. Picture yourself in his position, standing facing the masses of angels, hands raised, God behind you, and every single one of these angels is singing and worshipping, shouting praise and acclamation to God, but in your direction! Have you ever had someone wave at you and you jump up and smile, waving back, only to realize they were actually waving at the person behind you? No? Just me? Well, the only difference is Lucifer knew exactly where that praise was directed, but from his perspective, it was easy to imagine that it was actually being directed at him. And that seed of a thought turned into a sin that is at the root of all other sin in this world: PRIDE! Lucifer believed that he deserved that praise, that he was just as worthy, if not more so, as God was, and he wanted it for himself (Isaiah 14:12-14). This rebellion resulted in his being cast out of heaven, along with 1/3 of heaven's angels who chose to follow him instead of the God who created them, and sent to a place which God created for NO OTHER PURPOSE than to house these wicked creatures: hell (Matthew 25:41). Satan is still immensely powerful, and though he can do nothing that God does not allow, he has been given dominion over this earth for a time, and his fallen angels, or demons as we might call them, are busily at work. These "powers of the air" (Ephesians 2:2) are engaged in a very real battle (if you need proof, take a look at the account of one angel who was sent to deliver a message to Daniel and was detained in battle for 21 days with a very powerful demon, resorting eventually to seeking aid from the most powerful angel of all, Michael the Archangel [Daniel 10:12-13, 20-21]), and they will use every means available to them to pull as many people as possible along with them. If you are a follower of Christ, they know that your soul belongs to God. But that will not stop them from waging war on it nonetheless, making sure that at the very least, you are not an effective soldier for the kingdom of heaven, either lulling you into an apathetic sleep or even inciting you to disobedience and rebellion against your heavenly Father. Please hear me, beloved, these creatures are ruthless and relentless, and the only thing they love more than someone who willingly pursues evil is someone who apathetically denies or ignores their existence in the first place, because they know that you cannot fight something you do not acknowledge. The Bible tells us that if we resist the devil, he will flee from us (James 4:7). But in order to resist Satan and his demons, we MUST be aware of and acknowledge their existence and their capabilities and learn to distinguish their deeds from those of true angels who seek to guard and protect us. So how do we tell them apart?...

Quite frankly, that can be a very difficult task to the untrained soul. Christian or not, we must learn to distinguish between these two forces of good and evil by educating ourselves with the only reliable source of information we possess, our sword, the Word of God. We are told very clearly in Scripture that Satan and his demons have the power to appear as angels of LIGHT (2 Corinthians 11:14)! Evil rarely appears as blatantly evil. 

For the majority of us, these battles will be subtle. It will be a whisper in the ear, a tugging on the heart that threatens to pull us away from God, a thought planted in the mind that cultivates a desire to serve our own desires above those of God, much like Lucifer. A thought that says, "You deserve time to yourself. You don't have time to teach that class at church. You aren't 'called' to do all that crazy Bible-thumping nonsense; that's for the pastors and teachers. You can't really be expected to use the Bible as a literal daily guideline for how to live your life; it's so old and out of touch with 'the real world.'" Or better yet, "You have to do everything at church. It's your job to make sure it all gets done. If you don't do it, no one else will. You're the glue that holds it all together. Your family can wait; they don't really need you at home." If the devil can't make you bad, he'll make you busy!

While much of the spiritual warfare we encounter is subtle, there are certainly times that it can be much more overt. For those moments, here are some important distinguishing factors that you can use for yourself or to help educate your friends and family who may be in danger of falling victim to these conniving creatures.

• A real angel of God will NEVER leave you feeling anxious, fearful or confused. Satan and his demons are masters of deceit (John 8:44). True angels of God are sent to communicate God's messages. They are not sent to confuse you, "For God is not a God of confusion but of peace." (1 Corinthians 14:33) Any message that an angel conveys WILL NOT contradict, add to, or subtract from God's word, the Bible. Jesus Christ gave us the LAST revelation from God. He has NO NEW INFORMATION to give us. The supposed "angels" that appeared to the false prophets found in religions such as Mormonism and Islam were NOT messengers of God and the religions that have resulted are NOT to be accepted as truth!
• A real angel of God will NEVER tell you that they are the spirit of a dead relative, friend or ancestor. As mentioned before, people do not become angels when they die. And their souls do not remain in a state of limbo between heaven and hell. Upon death, a soul is IMMEDIATELY in either heaven or hell. There is no such thing as purgatory. A choice to reject or accept Christ must be made in this life, and another chance after death will never be given (Hebrews 9:27). Souls of dead people DO NOT haunt or linger. I absolutely believe that when people say they have been in a haunted house or some other haunted place, they are telling the truth as they understand it. There very well may be spirits in that place, but if there are, they are demons, plain and simple; they ARE NOT the souls of deceased people. Demons are capable of impersonating people and appearing to us to be our long-deceased great aunt Ruth. Whether the experience is frightening, such as a believed "haunting", or pleasant, such as a tearful "reunion", facilitated by a human "medium" between the living and the "dead", it is ALWAYS a demon! We DO NOT have contact with the dead. If you or someone you know has been contacted by a spirit of a human being, it is actually a demon that you or your friend is speaking with. HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS PRACTICE OR ANYTHING RELATED TO IT! This is extremely serious business and we are to have NO PART in it!
• In that same vein, a true angel of God will NEVER tell you that they are your spirit guide, or any other such related term. The ONLY "spirit guide" we have or need is the Holy Spirit. He guides us and directs us in all our ways. Only God knows the future. Those who consider themselves psychics, palm readers or mediums may actually be able to do some seemingly amazing things. But we must remember that any "power" they have comes from one of two sources, either God or Satan, and God does not look favorably on such practices (Deuteronomy 18:10, 2 Chronicles 33:6, Micah 5:12, Revelation 21:8). These people, whether they understand it or not, whether they acknowledge it or not, are in league with the devil himself and have invited Satan and his demons into their lives. You open that same door to the enemy when you participate in any way, shape or form in these same practices, whether it be overtly or, I believe, even subtly through seemingly harmless outlets such as horoscopes, Ouija boards, Halloween, and other entertainment media which shall remain unnamed, that glorifies witchcraft and entices children to just "have fun" with it; it's all just pretend anyways, right? The same is true of other religions which are based on similar practices, such as Native American spirit guides. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you cannot be demon possessed, but you absolutely can be demonically oppressed, meaning that a demon cannot dwell within you, but they can attach themselves to you and wreak havoc in your life both physically and spiritually. Even a dabble in some of these outlets will open a door and give the enemy a foothold that you do not want him to have in your life. At the very least, it will serve as a distraction, an unholy "hobby" that directs your mind and your heart towards the things that bring Satan pleasure rather than the things that bring God pleasure.

I say these things not to frighten you. God tells us that he "has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:7) There are certain things I wish we never had to talk about. But just as you teach your child about the dangers of this world, such as people who would wish to harm them, we MUST educate ourselves on the spiritual dangers that exist so that we are prepared and are equipped to resist them when that opposition comes. And believe me, loved ones, it absolutely will! But there is hope! Not only do we have Jesus, our mediator and savior, but we have his angels, whom he commands to come to our aid! In the next post, we'll take a look at just what these creatures are capable of...

*For further study, I suggest you take a listen to these sermons by Pastor J. Mark Martin of Calvary Community Church in Phoenix: Angels Among Us: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6.

The Truth About Angels: Fact or Fiction Pt. 1

Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. Revelation 5:11

Angels. Millions of them. In heaven. On earth. And probably not the least bit like what you would expect them to be.

In the next few posts, I hope to clear up some myths about these intriguing beings and shed some light on who they really are, what their purpose is and what significance they hold for us personally. In doing so, it is my prayer that we would all acquire a slightly more accurate perspective on heaven, as well. After all, how better might we understand a place than by learning about those who inhabit it. And in the process, I think we will also be given a clearer picture of the true nature of the one who created them, God himself.

For starters, let's clear up what exactly angels ARE and ARE NOT:

• Angels ARE NOT deceased human beings. Contrary to popular belief, we do not become angels when we die. Humans and angels are distinctly different creations. Humans have a soul that, upon death, goes immediately to either be with the Lord if the person was a believer in Jesus Christ, or to hell if they were not. We have mortal bodies which die and are separated from our spirit upon death and will one day be resurrected and transformed into an immortal, glorified body like the one that Jesus has now. Angels ARE immortal and were created for the sole purpose of serving God and ministering to believers (Hebrews 1:14).

• Angels ARE spiritual beings; they are minds without form. They do not have flesh and blood, and they ARE NOT bound by our laws of physics. However, they can appear in human form, and in fact, quite often do, though we typically are unaware of it. They may show up in a time of need, an anonymous stranger who happens to show up at just the right time; they may themselves appear to be the one in need, not because they truly are helpless, but simply to test us. Hebrews 13:2 tells us, "Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!"

• Get ready for this one: Angels DO NOT have wings! The Bible does not indicate in any way, shape or form that angels have wings. Perhaps the misconception comes from the fact that they DO, in deed, "fly"; that is, they travel through the air, but they do not do so with the aid of wings, like a bird. However, this leads me to my next point, which is...

• Angels ARE NOT the only heavenly beings which the Bible speaks of. There are two other beings which God created, which are Cherubim and Seraphim. These creatures DO have wings, as described in books such as Ezekiel, Daniel, Isaiah, and Revelation. These creatures ARE NOT angels, and they serve an entirely different purpose than angels do, something we'll get into in a later post. And speaking of Cherubim, "im" making it the plural form of the word cherub, a word that undoubtedly brings to mind certain Valentine's Day-related imagery, some clarification might be needed...

• Let's start with Cherubim: They, most emphatically, ARE NOT chubby babies with bows and arrows and harps. For starters, not only are they not babies, but they are also NOT female, none of the heavenly beings are! The Bible always, in every single reference to cherubim, seraphim and angels, refers to them with male pronouns: he, him, his, etc. They are all masculine. They ARE also mighty, fearsome warriors! Should we need any convincing of this, we need only take a look at the account of one angel who was sent to the aid of Hezekiah in Isaiah 37. Hezekiah was up against insurmountable odds, facing certain defeat by the Assyrians, a group of people known for their ruthlessness, their mastery of torture and death, their unmatchable strength and power. What army could possibly defeat them? And yet, God sends ONE angel! Not an army, but ONE. And this one angel singlehandedly slays 185 THOUSAND soldiers in one night, securing the victory for God's servant Hezekiah! Now that's might and power!

More fascinating facts in the next post...

*For further study, I suggest you take a listen to these sermons by Pastor J. Mark Martin of Calvary Community Church in Phoenix: Angels Among Us: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6.

Turning the World on Its Head

"The Kingdom of Heaven is like..."

Six times in a row, in Matthew, Jesus utters these words. He tells us that the Kingdom of Heaven is like...

• A field of wheat mixed with weeds, both growing freely and untouched until the appropriate time, when finally the weeds will be uprooted and thrown away while the wheat is harvested and saved.
• A mustard seed, the smallest of all seeds, which grows to become the mightiest of trees.
• A tiny amount of yeast added to an abundance of flour, which permeates every bit of the dough.
• A treasure hidden in a field, which a man discovers and hastens to sell everything he owns in order to buy.
• A merchant who finds a choice pearl and sells all he owns to buy it.
• A fishing net which is cast out and retrieved to produce both good fish and bad and is sorted through, keeping the "good" and discarding the "bad".

That is the way it will be at the end of the world. The angels will come and separate the wicked people from the righteous, throwing the wicked into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 13:49-50

And what distinguishes the "wicked" from the "righteous"?

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

Purely the grace of God and your choice to follow Him. Nothing else. Only this will save you.

And what's more than this-- not only will our worldly strivings not save us, but they will also only minimize our blessing in the Kingdom of Heaven. For Jesus tells us...

So those who are last will be first then, and those who are first will be last. Matthew 20:16

And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life. But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then." Matthew 19:29-30

Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many. Mark 10:43-45

The world tells us that heaven will be full of people who are "good"/ Jesus tells us that it will be full of people who are righteous, covered by the blood of the Lamb.

The world tells us that heaven must be earned/ Jesus tells us that it is a free gift from a doting Father to his precious children.

The world tells us that we must pursue God and seek after Him. Jesus tells us that He has come looking for us, He has found us, He has pursued us with a lover's passion, and He has paid the greatest price to have us at his side.

The world tells us that we must make a name for ourselves, we must establish ourselves, personally and professionally, we must make ourselves worthy of the world's praise/ Jesus tells us that we must instead make his name famous, establish His Word in the hearts of the lost, become invisible ourselves to the world, functioning purely as a reflector of light, reflecting Jesus to the world, that they might see only Jesus when they look our way. May we disappear to the world, that Jesus might shine through. And when we do, we can know that a glorious reward beyond anything we can imagine will be waiting for us, a reward not for our benefit or enjoyment, but the means with which we will have anything to lay at our savior's feet in worship.

I pray this week that your eyes are fixed on Jesus, your hearts are fitting homes for the King of Kings, and your lives are a reflector for His glory, nothing more.

Jesus came to turn this world upside down. How will you turn your world upside down this week, and for the rest of your days?

The Narrow Road

"You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it." -Jesus, speaking in Matthew 7:13-14

Who will be in heaven? Does God have the same requirements for the entire world? What about someone who has never heard the gospel or been introduced to Western Christianity? Does it seem fair or reasonable that God would condemn a person to hell who was born and raised in a non-Christian culture and is altogether unaware of the Bible, the message of the gospel, and their need for a savior? Wouldn't God just judge people by their intentions and their desire to seek "god" in their own way, even if it isn't the Christian way, especially if they have never heard of the Christian way? Does a person have to actually know and claim the literal name of Jesus, or is it possible for a person who has never heard that name to still seek God in an acceptable way? Was the Bible really meant for the entire world, or is it just one way in which God chose to speak to humanity? You might quickly dismiss some of these questions, but they are very delicate and very real concerns that many god-seeking people sincerely have.

I recently discussed these questions, and others, with a family member over the holidays who claims Christianity and the Bible as his own belief, yet finds it unacceptable that the Bible and the things written in it could possibly be the only way to God. I, of course, defended the validity of the Bible, and pointed out the fact that the Bible does not allow for the possibility of an "alternate" route (John 14:6; 1 Timothy 2:5; Acts 4:12; Exodus 20:3). Clearly, anyone who chooses to follow any god or religion other than that of Jesus Christ, the God of the Bible, will not find themselves in heaven at the end of their lives. And yet, some of these questions can be so very difficult to answer. If you ever share your belief that Jesus is the only way to heaven with anyone around you, you will almost certainly encounter one of these concerns at some point. We can know a great many things with certainty; however, there will always be some things that we can never fully answer or understand. If we knew everything, we would be God. Know that it is never wrong to simply say, "I don't know." For those other difficult moments, here are some truths that you can know and share:

• What about babies, children, and mentally handicapped adults? It is TRUE that we are all born in sin. We are not sinners because we sin, we are sinners because we are born that way. Babies and children are far from innocent. (Psalm 51:5; Gen. 8:21) It is TRUE that in order to enter heaven, we must accept the gift of salvation, repent from our sinful nature, and be transformed by the Holy Spirit. (Romans 3:23) HOWEVER, God makes it clear in his Word that an individual must be aware of and capable of understanding these truths before He will hold them accountable to them. (John 15:22) The Bible does not specifically mention an "age of accountability", but it does seem to indicate that such a thing exists. In 2 Samuel 12:23, after his son has died, David states matter-of-factly that he (David) will go to his son one day (presumably meaning that he will join him in heaven.) That age is undoubtedly different for each child, but I absolutely believe that there comes a certain point in each child's life when they become cognitively aware of concepts such as sin, repentance, redemption, and salvation. Once a child is capable of truly saying yes or no to the convicting of the Holy Spirit, I believe that child will then be held accountable for his or her decision to either follow or reject Jesus. I DON'T KNOW, but I feel very strongly, that mentally handicapped individuals fall under this same category. If their mind never becomes capable of consciously deciding to follow or reject God, I do not believe that God will hold them accountable. In each of these situations, it is important to remember that these individuals are not saved because of their innocence or an exemption from the laws of sin and death; they are just as sinful, just as guilty, and just as much in need of a savior as any other person on this earth. They are saved only by the grace and mercy of a just and righteous God. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

• What about the unreached peoples of this earth? It is TRUE that faith comes by hearing (Romans 10:13-17). And while there are many people throughout the world over the course of history who were never reached with the gospel by other human beings, we must remember that, quite frankly, God does not need us to accomplish his will. He graciously uses us and will reward us for our obedience in being available to him, but we cannot think that just because we failed at reaching a group of people, God also "failed" at it. It is TRUE that he is fully capable of revealing himself to individuals through the glory of his creation (Romans 1:19-20), as well as much more overtly, if he should so choose. There was a story not too long ago about a group of unreached people who were finally contacted by a group of missionaries. When the missionaries arrived, they discovered that these people had been preparing for their arrival for decades because God had spoken to them, won their hearts, and told them to be ready. They were so excited that the missionaries had finally arrived. It is also TRUE that despite God's ever present voice, many will still reject him (Romans 1:21-25).

• Isn't it unfair for God to condemn people to hell if they haven't had the same opportunities as someone else? This is such a humanist concept. It is so ingrained in us that we all deserve a fair chance and an equal opportunity; we all just want "what we've got coming to us." But it is not unfair for anyone to go to hell. The only fair and just thing is for everyone to go to hell. It is only by the grace and mercy of a loving God that any of us are deemed fit for heaven. God may be fully capable of revealing himself to each individual, whether subtly or overtly, but I have absolutely no idea whether he actually has, or to what extent he has. I DON'T KNOW if we all have the same opportunity, or if some have more of an advantage than others. I DON'T KNOW why God ordained that I be born into an American, Christian home, and why others were not afforded that same privilege. But I do know that God is sovereign, that He is perfect and holy and good and just. I choose to trust that He knew exactly what he was doing and that he placed each individual where he meant them to be (Acts 17:26-31). And I trust that the eternal fate of every individual will be perfectly just and fitting, however that conclusion is reached. Heaven is real. Hell is real. Both places will be filled with the souls of men and women. It should not offend our senses to see sinners condemned to hell; rather, the offense should be that any would dare be admitted to heaven. We ought to be stunned speechless at the impossibility that any creature, the likes of us, could ever be made fit to stand in the presence of the Almighty God who created the world. Our hearts, just as the Father's, may break over souls that are lost; but we ought never be angry at God for such a fate, nor, especially, twist his words into a more "comfortable" meaning in order to make ourselves feel better about the fact that indeed...

"The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it..."

It's ALL about Jesus!

Day after day and night after night they keep on saying, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God, the Almighty-- the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come." Revelation 4:8

As we jump into a series of posts on the subject of heaven, I think the first, and most important concept we need to understand is that it's ALL ABOUT JESUS! Heaven has nothing to do with a fulfillment of our personal pleasures; it has everything to do with Jesus. It's not about relief from pain; it's about Jesus. It's not about any of the great number of wonderful things that will possibly await us; it's about Jesus! Jesus is not a means to an end. He is THE end!

So, knowing this, what effect should it have on our lives? Remember, the purpose of all of this is not simply to get us excited about the things to come; the purpose is to teach us how we should live now, in light of the things we know about our future. If heaven is going to be all about Jesus, then there is not a single good reason why any aspect of our lives now, no matter how small, should not also be ALL about Jesus!

The concept of raising our self-esteem is beyond common practice, almost an inherent quality, that we as a community, even within the Christian church, possess. There are millions of books and movies and television shows and motivational conferences and even Sunday sermons out there that are adamant in their teachings that (1) many of us have low self-esteem, (2) this is a bad thing, and (3) we not only deserve to have a high opinion of ourselves, we actually must have such an opinion in order to function properly in society.

This distorted outlook on life has penetrated even into popular Christian culture. There is a song by Natalie Grant that is played on Christian radio stations, which proclaims this very notion. In one line, she sings...

"And you can't love, if you don't love yourself..." -In Better Hands Now

I point this out, not to condemn Natalie Grant; in fact, I am a huge fan of her music. I point it out simply to demonstrate how easily the world's values can become our own if we are not careful. Think about what this artist is saying here, and sadly, what so many of us say everyday. "You can't love, if you don't love yourself." This is not even remotely biblical. No where in the Bible is there even the faintest indication that in order for me to love my neighbor as Christ loved the church, I must first learn to love myself. In fact, it says just the opposite...

1 John 4:19 says, "We love because He first loved us!"

...and likewise...

"He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less." John 3:30

BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED US! It is Christ's love for me that empowers me and compels me to love others! What a difference there is in those two "requirements" or "motivations" for love. One says that I must work to grow in love, and not even for God, but for myself before I will be capable of loving others. The other says that it is God's love, something which always has and always will exist without fail, regardless of how I feel or whether I deserve it, that works in me, without my striving or consent, to supernaturally compel me to love, not only to feel love, but to act in love.

In fact, if we are truly honest with ourselves, the more we come to know ourselves for who we really are, the more we realize that there really isn't much to love. We're pretty rotten creatures. Were it not for the saving grace of Jesus Christ and the transforming power of his Holy Spirit, we would be fit for nothing less than the depths of hell. I mean, really. What's to love about that? It is JESUS that makes me worth something. It is JESUS that fills me with anything even remotely worthwhile.

I don't need more self-esteem. I need more JESUS-esteem. I don't need to love myself more. I need to love JESUS more! Our ability to love and serve others has NOTHING to do with loving ourselves.

The point is not to berate ourselves or to belittle ourselves. The point is to lay aside our wants, our needs, our ambitions, our pride, our agendas and say, "Jesus is the only one with any claim to any kind of want, need, ambition, pride, or agenda. His wishes and desires are the only ones that matter. So I will worship him, I will exalt him, and I will serve others, not because I feel like it today or because I like myself today or because I happen to have a little room in my schedule today, but because Jesus has already given me all that I have or will ever need!"

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead he gave up his divine privileges, he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross. Philippians 2:5-8

It always has been, and it always will be, ALL ABOUT JESUS! Heaven is going to be a glorious reunion. I cannot wait to see my savior, to hug him, to talk to him, to see his face, and to finally fall at his feet and worship him in person! Why on earth would I waste a single moment fretting about whether or not I luv myself enough or whether I have a high enough opinion of myself when I could be spending that time formulating the correct opinion of Jesus and falling more and more in love simply with Him? Why would you? Heaven starts here and now. Let's start a Jesus-esteem revolution!

How Much Are You Worth?

The twelve gates were made of pearls--each gate from a single pearl! Revelation 21:21

We've all heard the term "pearly gates" and have probably developed varying pictures in our minds of what we think heaven looks like and what it will be like. Television and movies have portrayed heaven in a myriad of ways, most of which probably have nothing at all to do with reality.

For starters, despite popular belief, we do not become angels when we die. Angels are created by God as beings which are wholly separate from humans. Once a human, always a human.

We won't be floating around on clouds, strumming harps. The Bible doesn't really give us any indication as to what kind of "work" we will be doing in heaven, but it does tell us very clearly that we will have work to do for the Lord once we get there. We're going to be busy doing something, and I have a sneaking suspicion that whatever job God has prepared for each of us will be thoroughly enjoyable; I am positive that we will be fulfilling the roles that God has designed each of us to be good at and to love.

Above all, I am certain that heaven will not be underwhelming, and it will not be boring!

The Bible has quite a bit to say about heaven, but as much information as we are given, it still says...

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him. 1 Corinthians 2:9

 "No mind has imagined..." Wow! I think I can imagine some pretty great stuff, but the best I, or anyone else, could possibly come up with will drastically pale in comparison to the glory of what's waiting for us! In the next few posts, I plan to spend a little bit of time walking us through what the Bible does have to say about heaven. We may never be able to wrap our heads around the entirety of it, but the little glimpse we do get is extraordinary!

For today, I'll leave you with this: Look back up at the verse at the top. These enormous gates are each made from a single pearl! That's one big oyster! Now, mind-boggling magnitude aside, the fact that these gates are made of pearl is in and of itself a significant thing. Nothing that God does is arbitrary. Everything He does is intentional and purposeful. So, why are the gates made of pearl?

It is important to note that pearls are not a Jewish stone. Pearls come from oysters, which are a shellfish, and shellfish are considered unclean in Jewish culture. Pearls, especially at the time that the Scriptures were written, would have been known as a gentile stone. What other verse comes to mind when we think about pearls? How about the parable of the pearl of great price...

Jesus tells us in Matthew 13:45-46, "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!"

God's choice of material here is a sweet reminder to the gentile believer that God's home is our home. We have been adopted into God's family. The Jews are God's children by birth, so to speak. We gentiles, on the other hand, were adopted into the family when Christ's blood was spilled on the cross. He gave everything he had; he gave up his seat on the throne to be born as a baby, live a life of servitude on the earth, and die a criminal's death, our criminal death, on the cross, all to purchase us, the pearl of great price!

Those pearly gates are a reminder of the great worth and value we have in God's eyes, and the price that he was willing to pay in order to purchase us and adopt us into his family! Now, that's a home I can't wait to get to!

A Glimpse at The New Jerusalem

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. Revelation 21:1-2

Life on this earth as we know it has ceased to exist. The tribulation is long gone, the millennial reign of Jesus Christ has come to an end, Satan has finally been done away with, never to be heard from again, and it's time to begin anew! Try to picture this!!...

God's holy city, the new Jerusalem, which the Bible describes as a very large cube, has been hovering over the earth during the millennium like an enormous moon! And now, at the end of the millennium, after Satan has been defeated for good, this city is going to literally descend from the sky, and be placed on this earth, becoming the city from which God himself will eternally dwell among us! Check out some of the details that we are given about this incredible city in Scripture, and then take a look at these artists' renderings to get an idea of what is being described.

• It is about 1,500 miles cubed (12,000 stadia in the Greek) Rev. 21:16. Just to give you an idea, that would roughly cover the entire United States, as well as part of Canada, and that's just the first level; remember it is as tall as it is long and wide!
• "It shone with the glory of God and sparkled like a precious stone--like jasper as clear as crystal." Rev. 21:11 There are no lights in this city; it emanates The Light of our Lord and Savior!
• The city has 12 gates guarded by 12 angels. Rev. 21:12 These angels must be honor guards of sorts, because there is nothing that we will need to be "protected" from in heaven!
• "The wall was made of jasper, and the city was pure gold, as clear as glass." Rev. 21:18 We are going to be walking on streets of gold! And this gold is so pure, that it is actually clear!
• "The twelve gates were made of pearls--each gate from a single pearl! And the main street was pure gold, as clear as glass." Rev. 21:21
• The foundation of this city is not made of concrete or stone; it is made of precious jewels! There are 12 layers, each made of jasper, sapphire, agate, emerald, onyx, carnelian, chrysolite, beryl, topaz, chrysoprase, jacinth, and amethyst! Rev. 21:19-20 Now imagine the light mentioned earlier, radiating through these foundation stones! This city is going to be a dazzling jewel box!!

I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light... Its gates will never be closed at the end of the day because there is no night there... Nothing evil will be allowed to enter... but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Revelation 21:22,23,25,27

Putting An End To Satan, Once And For All

When the thousand years come to an end, Satan will be let out of his prison... Revelation 20:7

For the past 1,000 years, the earth will have been enjoying near perfect paradise. Jesus will have been living and ruling here on earth from Jerusalem, with the church at his side. We will have been experiencing an earth that is like the garden of Eden from top to bottom, with not a single trace of unpleasant weather or uninhabitable terrain as far as the eye can see. There will have been no hunger, no fear, and almost no death at all, much less premature death. However, I say "near" perfect, because the propensity for sin will still exist, not in those who have already come to know the Lord either before or during the tribulation, but in the generations who will be born during the Millennial Kingdom to the Jews and Gentiles who accepted Christ during the tribulation. And it is this propensity for sin that will sadly give Satan one last foothold before he is done away with for good...

He will go out to deceive the nations--called Gog and Magog--in every corner of the earth. He will gather them together for a battle--a mighty army, as numberless as the sand along the seashore. Rev. 20:8

There are two separate battles which are referred to as the war of Gog and Magog. One is the attack that will come against Israel, as described in Ezekiel 38-39, which we discussed in a previous post. The other is this battle at the end of the 1,000 years. Though we see that, much like the quickly thwarted attack of Ezekiel 38-39, there isn't much of a "battle" to speak of here either...

And I saw them as they went up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded God's people and the beloved city. But fire from heaven came down on the attacking armies and consumed them. Rev. 20:9

And what of Satan?

Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Rev. 20:10

Forever and ever! Those words are SO important! It is of course a great comfort and joy to know that Satan will no longer be a threat to anyone ever again and that his fate is sealed; he will spend eternity in hell. BUT, it is so important to understand that this place of very real, excruciating, unending torment, which was created NOT for people, but solely for Satan and his demons, will also be the final destination for anyone who chooses, either by outright opposition or passive indifference, to reject Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior!

And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God's throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books... And all were judged according to their deeds... And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire. Rev. 20:11-15

To be judged according to your deeds is not a balancing game of weighing the "good" against the "bad" and hoping you measure up enough to get into heaven. Without Jesus Christ as Lord of your life, you can do no good. Heaven cannot be bought or earned. It can only be accepted as a free gift from Jesus Christ. To not take this seriously, or to reject it entirely, is foolish beyond explanation. Don't wait a moment longer to make this decision for yourself OR to share your faith with the world around you, starting with your closest family and friends. We just never know how much time any of us have left on this earth.

As we near the end of this series, I encourage you to take a look back through any of the posts that you may have missed under the label prophecy. I also encourage you to share this series, or maybe just one post, with anyone in your life who is feeling the weight of the times in which we are living and is wondering what it all means. 


If you have doubts or questions about whether or not hell is real and what the Bible has to say about it, I encourage you to check out the book Erasing Hell by Francis Chan.

The weight of hell and the reality that many of our loved ones may face can be overwhelming. "But take heart!" Jesus tells us. "I have overcome the world!" John 16:33. Next week, we see the new Jerusalem and the beginning of eternity in heaven with Jesus!

The Millennial Kingdom Continued: Who? and What?

"Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth, and no one will even think about the old ones anymore. Be glad; rejoice forever in my creation!" Isaiah 65:17-18a

In the last post, we learned why there will be a millennial kingdom. Now, we'll take a look at what it will be like. The Bible offers such a significantly VAST amount of information on this future time period that, in the interest of at least attempting to be brief, I will list some scripture references at the bottom in case you would like to do further study on your own. Here's just a little taste of what God has given us:

For starters...
Who will be there?

• The church- We will have been with Jesus in heaven as the tribulation was happening on earth. The moment we were raptured, our bodies will have been transformed into what the Bible calls "glorified" bodies, just like that of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:50-58)! When we return with Jesus, we will be coming back with these immortal, indestructible, pain-free, nearly limitless bodies, unrestrained by the current laws of nature that have plagued us on earth. We will no longer be married or bear children. We will now have a new purpose. This includes all believers, past and present.
• The gentiles and Jews who were saved during the tribulation and their future descendants- Those who accepted Jesus during the tribulation will be resurrected (Revelation 20:4-6), as most of them will have likely been martyred for their faith, and they will enter into the Millennium along with the church. These people will have new bodies, and they will benefit from the near perfect environment that God is creating, but they will still be mortal, as will their descendants be, as they will quickly repopulate the earth. When the Millennial Kingdom begins, everyone present will be a follower of Jesus. These people are eternally saved; they cannot lose that security and salvation. However, the generations that will follow must accept Christ at some point in their lives just as all of us have had to do. 

What will it be like?

• Despite the fact that future generations will be required to make a heart choice to love and obey God inwardly, which sadly some will not, everyone will obey Him outwardly. Zechariah 14:16-19 tells us that there will be INSTANT judgment against disobedience. Justice will be served and evil will not be tolerated. This same passage also tells us that temple worship will be reinstated during the millennium, something we'll get into more in the next post, as we take a look at God's special plans for the nation of Israel.
• Isaiah 65:19-25 gives us a beautiful picture of what to expect:

• No more crying. (v.19)

• No infant mortality. No premature death of any kind. (v.20) This verse clearly indicates that there will still be death, just not in the way that we're used to seeing it now.

• Tremendous blessing produced by the work of our own hands. (v.21)

• No theft and extremely long life. (v.22)

• God will respond to the call of every person on the earth before they even finish speaking the words, perhaps before they even finish a thought. (v.24)

• Perfect peace and perfect protection. (v.25)

• Isaiah 29:17-21 tells us that the land will be fertile, the deaf will hear, the blind will see, there will be no more scoffers, no more arrogance, and those who plot evil will be destroyed. The innocent will no longer be falsely accused and justice will no longer be perverted. 
• And good news for anyone who's sick of Arizona summers or Nebraska winters! The whole world will be a perfect paradise, unaffected by harsh seasons or uninhabitable terrains. Right now, only small portions of this enormous earth are truly inhabitable. In the millennium, that will no longer be a problem. (Isaiah 35:1-2,6-7)
• What will we do? We, the church, will be ruling along side Jesus, our King (Revelation 5:10, 20:4). We will rule over the gentile world, while King David, under the rule of Christ, will govern the Hebrew people. We also learn from 1 Corinthians 6:2-3 that we will have a hand in judging the world.

As wonderful as all of this sounds, the point is not how amazing our world will be; the MOST IMPORTANT part is the fact that we will be with Jesus! We will be living in the very midst of God himself. We will be able to see him, talk to him, touch him... This is what should drive us forward. It's what should give us hope for the future, and it is what should be our joy and comfort now, in this life!

Jesus is not a means to an end. He IS the end! He IS our prize! He IS our answered prayer!

Is Jesus your "end"? Or is he just the means by which you hope to receive some other blessing, financial, relational, professional, personal? If you aren't satisfied with Jesus now, you won't be satisfied with him later. He has to be your everything!

Next time, we'll take a look at God's special plans for the nation of Israel. The Jewish people have always been and always will be his chosen people. They must accept Jesus Christ as their savior, just as the rest of the world is required to do, but God has not forgotten them, despite their rejection of him, and during the millennial kingdom, he will fulfill every last promise he has ever made to them. 

**For further study: Zechariah 14; Also, take a look at the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Joel, and Revelation, just for starters! 

1,000 Years of Perfection... But Why?

This, then, is how you should pray: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven..." Matthew 6:9-10 NIV

God's will. His good and perfect will. The way it has always been in heaven. Coming to earth! This prayer that we have been praying for centuries is about to come to fruition on this earth.

We saw in the last post the return of Jesus to earth, with the church following behind, and the banishment of Satan to hell. Now, as we continue reading in Revelation, we learn of the 1,000 years that are to follow. Some have argued that the Bible is not speaking of a literal 1,000 years, but the Scriptures really don't leave us any room to believe anything but that. The Bible should always be taken literally unless it tells us not to, through obvious imagery and the use of phrases such as, "it was like such and such." But, here in Revelation 20, we are given reference to an exact number, and we see it multiple times in just a few verses:

"... --and bound him in chains for a thousand years..." (v. 2)

"... Satan could not deceive the nations anymore until the thousand years were finished..." (v.3)

"... They all came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years." (v. 4)

"..., but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him a thousand years." (v.6)

"When the thousand years come to an end, ..." (v.7)

Clearly, God is speaking of a literal thousand year period, the Millennial Kingdom, during which Christ will rule on earth as King, with us, his bride, ruling at his side. The book of Revelation itself doesn't have a whole lot to say about what the Millennial Kingdom will be like, but God has given us plenty of other details throughout the rest of the Bible. In the next few posts, I'll outline some of the details that we're given in Scripture of our future on earth. For starters, WHY?

What's the point? What is the purpose of Christ's thousand year reign on earth? Why this gap between life as we know it and eternity? Here are six points, as outlined by Pastor J. Mark Martin of Calvary Community Church in Phoenix:

1. To fulfill promises: Throughout the Bible, God made specific promises to Abraham (Genesis 12:7), to Isaac (Genesis 17:19), and to Jacob (Genesis 28:13-15) to give them the land of Israel. Throughout history, the Jewish people have never truly had full possession of the land, and in fact were driven entirely out of it for the last 2,000 years, up until the rebirth of Israel after WWII. To this day, the land that God promised them is still not safely and undisputedly theirs. During the Millennial Kingdom, that promise will be fulfilled. Also, God made promises to King David that he would be given an everlasting throne (2 Samuel 7:8-16). During the Millennial Kingdom, that promise will be fulfilled as well. Later, we'll take a look at the ruling structure that will be in place during the Millennium. There will again be a division of Jews and Gentiles, with the Jews living in their own land, ruled by King David, and ruled ultimately by Jesus Christ.
2. To fulfill prophecy: Simply, because God said so! The Bible is teeming with prophecy, some of which has been fulfilled throughout history, and much of which is still to come. God keeps his promises. If he says it's going to happen, it's going to happen.
3. To reward saints: A "saint" is not a person who has somehow earned a position of praise and importance as a result of good works. We all, who have believed in Jesus Christ, and have been covered by his blood, are considered the saints. Those of us who have believed now, those who will believe during the tribulation, and those who believed in the messiah to come, before Christ came to earth, are all going to be rewarded during this time on earth.
4. To answer prayer: As I stated above, this time on earth is God's answer to the prayer that we have all been praying for centuries. It is God's will finally come to earth, as it has always been in heaven.
5. To free creation: We read in Romans 8:20 that we are under a curse. Our world and our bodies have been in a cursed state of decay and deprivation ever since Adam and Eve sinned. During the Millennium, that curse will be lifted. This earth will be renewed. It will be nearly perfect in every way. There will be no hunger, no fear, no suffering. We won't have to pray and wait years for an answer. We will be living in the midst of God himself. We will have everything we could possibly need or want. It will be the garden of Eden all over again, this time without the serpent to get in the way.
6. To show the TRUTH: This thousand year period is going to demonstrate once and for all God's perfect righteousness and man's utter depravity. For 1,000 years, the world will live in perfect peace and harmony, with want for nothing. No longer will it be a matter of faith without seeing. You doubt the existence of God? Go look at him! He'll be right there. He'll give you everything you could possibly need. People like to complain now that the reason no one believes in God or obeys God is because of all the evil and sin in the world. If God would fix everything, then they would believe. If they could see and touch him, then they would believe. If He didn't allow so much suffering, maybe they would believe that He's out there and that He's good. But even after 1,000 years of perfection, there will be MANY (of those who are born after the start of the Millennium) who will turn against him and forfeit eternity with him in order to assert their own wills and their own egos (Revelation 20:7-10). It is ONLY by the grace and mercy of a perfect, loving God that we have any hope whatsoever of possessing even the tiniest, remotely redeeming quality. The Millennium will prove that.

More to come...

No More Suffering Servant

Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war.  Revelation 19:11

The time has finally come! The church has been "raptured", or "harpazo"(ed) as we see in the Greek; for seven years, the bride of Christ, or the church, has been fellowshipping with Jesus at the marriage feast of the lamb and has been awarded many crowns for their service to the King during their time on earth; during the same seven years, the rest of the world has been experiencing the most horrendous time of tribulation on earth from the terrifying reign of the Antichrist as well as the outpouring of the full and final wrath of God on an unrepentant world. Now, we are going to see the end of Satan's reign on earth and the return of Jesus with us, his bride...

When Jesus came the first time, he came as a small child, humbled by the human experience, being fully God, yet fully human. He suffered, he served, he was mocked, he was spit upon, he was beaten, he bled, he died so that we wouldn't have to, and then he rose from the dead. And this time, he is not coming back as the suffering servant; this time, he is coming back as the conquering king!

Revelation 19 continues to describe him for us... "His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God." (v.12-13)

And we, his bride, are not far behind...

The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. (v.14)

Jesus has finally drawn the line in the sand. He has waited ever so patiently for as many people as possible to let down their pride and come lay at his feet. And finally, he has said, "enough is enough."

From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords. (v.15-16)

Of course, Satan will not give up without a fight...

Then I saw the beast and the kings of the world and their armies gathered together to fight against the one sitting on the horse and his army. (v.19)

...though it will not be much of a "fight" to speak of...

And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet... Both the beast and the false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. Their entire army was killed by the sharp sword that came from the mouth of the one riding the white horse. And the vultures all gorged themselves on the dead bodies. (v.20-21)

It's a gruesome scene to be sure, and one that our gracious God would desire no one to experience. He calls us NOW to repentance. He calls us to stop, recognize the sin in our lives, beg for forgiveness, and come running back in the opposite direction, straight into his open arms. But we have to make the choice now.

And what of Satan?...

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the bottomless pit and a heavy chain in his hand. He seized the dragon-- that old serpent, who is the devil, Satan-- and bound him in chains for a thousand years. The angel threw him into the bottomless pit, which he then shut and locked so Satan could not deceive the nations anymore until the thousand years were finished. Revelation 20:1-3

Finally, Satan has been put where he belongs and will stay there for 1,000 years. In the next post, we'll take a look at what those glorious 1,000 years hold for us...

What Can I Offer You, My King

The incorruptible crown. The crown of life. The crown of exultation. The crown of glory. And the crown of righteousness. These five crowns are some of the potential prizes that await us in heaven if we strive to earn them according to the rules of the race that have been laid out for us in scripture.

But what's the point? Isn't it a bit mercenary to expect "prizes" or rewards once we get to heaven? Isn't heaven itself and eternal life with Jesus enough?

PICTURE THIS...

And instantly I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it. The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones-- like jasper and carnelian. And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow.

Twenty-four thrones surrounded him, and twenty-four elders sat on them. They were all clothed in white and had gold crowns on their heads.

From the throne came flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder. 

And in front of the throne were seven torches with burning flames. This is the sevenfold Spirit of God. In front of the throne was a shiny sea of glass, sparkling like crystal. Revelation 4:2-6a

In these verses, God is giving John a vision of heaven. The scene that unfolds is unlike anything we could possibly imagine, and even with the incredible imagery that John attempts to give us, we cannot possibly even begin to wrap our heads around the magnitude of it. But someday, we're going to be there!  Someday we will see these wonders with our own eyes... and we will hear and participate in a worship scene that has been going on in heaven for ages...

In the center and around the throne were four living beings, each covered with eyes, front and back.

The first of these living beings was like a lion; the second was like an ox; the third had a human face; and the fourth was like an eagle in flight.

Each of these living beings had six wings, and their wings were covered all over with eyes, inside and out. Day after day and night after night they keep on saying,

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty-- the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come." Revelation 4:6b-8

These four living creatures are like the living Bose system of heaven. Their sole job is to proclaim the name of Jesus, to SHOUT his holiness. They are like the "worship leaders" of heaven, and there won't be any problem following along. Notice also that it says that they repeat these words "day after day and night after night." These guys don't take a break. This is what they were created for. This is what they do. They do not cease to give praise to the King. And it isn't hard to imagine why. As they stand in the presence of Almighty God, how could they help but praise his name? All they can say is "holy, holy, holy..."

Notice the response of the 24 elders as this worship scene continues... (We do not know who the 24 elders are, but we do know that they are men; they are not angels.)

Whenever the living beings give glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever), the twenty-four elders fall down and worship the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever).

And they lay their crowns before the throne and say,

"You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased." Revelation 4:9-11 (emphasis added) 

The elders lay their crowns at the feet of Jesus.

It's not about the crowns; it's about what those crowns represent. For us, those crowns, the five mentioned above, are the result of years of selfless service to our master. They represent a life devoted to valuing righteousness and holiness above comfort and status and "happiness". It is ALL that we bring to heaven, and it will be the ONLY thing we have to give back to the one who gave all to us.

And it's not a one-time act of worship that will take place when we get to heaven and then be forgotten about as we continue into eternity. Notice that the scripture says, "whenever the living beings give glory..." This happens over and over and over again. It has been happening for ages and it will continue to be repeated throughout the ages to come. This is a form of worship which we will take part in, and the level to which we are able to participate will be determined solely by what we have put into it in these few short years on earth. We don't get a second chance. We don't get a do-over. And we don't get to keep earning rewards after we get to heaven. They must be earned now. And they will be a means with which we will forever worship our King.

But as long as we are on this earth, it is never too late to start! Maybe you have lived many years and have just now come to know the Lord. Do not feel defeated or hopeless, like you could never "catch up" to someone who has been walking with the Lord for years. Commit now to live the rest of your life in the sacrifice and service of your Savior! He knows your heart!

While Jesus was in the Temple, he watched the rich people dropping their gifts in the collection box. Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two small coins. "I tell you the truth," Jesus said, "this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has." Luke 21:1-4

*Remember, the rewarding of the crowns, and the worship and celebrations that have followed, have all been taking place in the time after the rapture, during the tribulation. Next, we will see what we can expect as we return with Jesus to earth to rule and to reign, and to watch as He puts an end to Satan and to the Antichrist, and restores the earth after the devastation of the tribulation. The sun is coming up...