PRE-CHRISTMAS CONTEMPLATIONS-PART 8-THE FIRST REJECTION OF THE MESSIAH

Herod

The arrival of the magi was quickly noised throughout Jerusalem.  Their strange errand created excitement among the people, which penetrated to the palace of King Herod.

Being of alien blood, he was hated by the people over whom he ruled. His only security was the favor of Rome. But this new Prince had a higher claim. He was born to the kingdom.

Herod suspected the priests of plotting with the strangers to excite a popular tumult and unseat him from the throne. He concealed his mistrust, however, determined to thwart their schemes by superior cunning. Summoning the chief priests and the scribes, he questioned them as to the teaching of their sacred books regarding the place of the Messiah’s birth.

This inquiry from the usurper of the throne, and made at the request of strangers, stung the pride of the Jewish teachers. The indifference with which they turned to the rolls of prophecy enraged the jealous tyrant. He thought them trying to conceal their knowledge of the matter. With authority they dared not disregard, he commanded them to make a close search and to declare the birthplace of their expected King.

 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:

‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;
For out of you shall come a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ” Matthew 2: 5-6

Herod now invited the magi to a private interview. A tempest of wrath and fear raged in his heart, but he preserved a calm exterior and received the strangers courteously. He inquired at what time the star had appeared and professed to hail with joy the intimation of the birth of Christ. He bade his visitors,

“Search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found Him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship Him also.”

Matthew 2:8

So saying, he dismissed them to go on their way to Bethlehem.

Priests and Elders

The priests and elders of Jerusalem were not as ignorant concerning the birth of Christ as they pretended. The report of the angels’ visit to the shepherds had been brought to Jerusalem, but the rabbis had treated it as unworthy of their notice. They, themselves, might have found Jesus and might have been ready to lead the magi to His birthplace, but instead of this, the wise men came to call their attention to the birth of the Messiah. “

Where is He that is born King of the Jews?” they said, “for we have seen His star in the East and are come to worship Him.”

Matthew 2:2

Now pride and envy closed the door against the light. If the reports brought by the shepherds and the wise men were credited, they would place the priests and rabbis in a most unenviable position, disproving their claim to be the exponents of the truth of God. These learned teachers would not stoop to be instructed by those whom they termed heathen. It could not be, they said, that God had passed them by to communicate with ignorant shepherds or uncircumcised Gentiles.

They determined to show their contempt for the reports that were exciting King Herod and all of Jerusalem. They would not even go to Bethlehem to see whether these things were so. And they led the people to regard the interest in Jesus as a fanatical excitement. Here began the rejection of Christ by the priests and rabbis. From this point, their pride and stubbornness grew into a settled hatred of the Saviour. While God was opening the door to the Gentiles, the Jewish leaders closed it to themselves.

Desire of Ages, p. 61-63

PRE-CHRISTMAS CONTEMPLATIONS-PART 7-“WE HAVE SEEN HIS STAR!”

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod, the king, behold, there came wise men from the East to Jerusalem, saying, Where is He that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the East and are come to worship Him.” Matthew 2: 1-2

The wise men from the East were philosophers. They belonged to a large and influential class that included men of noble birth and comprised much of the wealth and learning of their nation. Among these were many who imposed on the credulity of the people. Others were upright men who studied the indications of Providence in nature and who were honored for their integrity and wisdom. Of this character were the wise men who came to Jesus.

The light of God is ever shining amid the darkness of heathenism. As these magi studied the starry heavens and sought to fathom the mystery hidden in their bright paths, they beheld the glory of the Creator. Seeking clearer knowledge, they turned to the Hebrew Scriptures.

The wise men had seen a mysterious light in the heavens upon that night when the glory of God flooded the hills of Bethlehem. As the light faded, a luminous star appeared and lingered in the sky. It was not a fixed star nor a planet, and the phenomenon excited the keenest interest. That star was a distant company of shining angels, but of this, the wise men were ignorant.

Yet they were impressed that the star was of special import to them. They consulted priests and philosophers and searched the scrolls of the ancient records. The prophecy of Balaam declared, “

There shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel.” Numbers 24:17.

Could this strange star have been sent as a harbinger of the Promised One? The magi had welcomed the light of heaven-sent truth; now it was shed upon them in brighter rays. Through dreams, they were instructed to go in search of the newborn Prince.

While they had the star before them as an outward sign, they also had the inward evidence of the Holy Spirit, which was impressing their hearts and inspiring them with hope. The journey, though long, was a happy one for them.

Apathetic Greeting

They have reached the land of Israel and are descending the Mount of Olives, with Jerusalem in sight, when, lo, the star that has guided them all the weary way rests above the temple and, after a season, fades from their view. With eager steps, they press onward, confidently expecting the Messiah’s birth to be the joyful burden of every tongue. But their inquiries are in vain. Entering the holy city, they repaired to the temple. To their amazement, they find none who seem to have knowledge of the newborn king. Their questions call forth no expressions of joy but rather of surprise and fear, not unmingled with contempt.

The priests are rehearsing traditions. They extol their religion and their own piety while they denounce the Greeks and Romans as heathens and sinners above others. The wise men are not idolaters, and in the sight of God, they stand far higher than do these, His professed worshipers, yet the Jews look upon them as heathen. Even among the appointed guardians of the Holy Oracles, their eager questionings touch no chord of sympathy.

The arrival of the magi was quickly noised throughout Jerusalem.  Their strange errand created excitement among the people, which penetrated to the palace of King Herod.

To be continued tomorrow…

Desire of Ages, p. 59-61

PRE-CHRISTMAS CONTEMPLATIONS-PART 6-THE BABY’S MISSION

The birth of Christ was senseless unless there was a cross and a resurrection in His future.

Mary looked forward to the Messiah’s reign on David’s throne, but she saw not the baptism of suffering by which it must be won. Through Simeon, it is revealed that the Messiah is to have no unobstructed passage through the world. In the words to Mary,

“A sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,”

Luke 2:35a (KJ)

God, in His tender mercy, gives to the mother of Jesus an intimation of the anguish that already, for His sake, she had begun to bear.

“Behold,” Simeon had said,

“…this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against.””

Luke 2:34 (KJ)

 They must fall who would rise again. We must fall upon the Rock and be broken before we can be uplifted in Christ. Self must be dethroned, and pride must be humbled if we would know the glory of the spiritual kingdom. The Jews would not accept the honor that is reached through humiliation. Therefore, they would not receive their Redeemer. He was a sign that was spoken against.

“That the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” Luke 2:35b

In the light of the Saviour’s life, the hearts of all, even from the Creator to the prince of darkness, are revealed.

Satan has represented God as selfish and oppressive, as claiming all and giving nothing, as requiring the service of His creatures for His own glory and making no sacrifice for their good.

But the gift of Christ reveals the Father’s heart. It testifies that the thoughts of God toward us are

thoughts of peace, and not of evil.”

Jeremiah 29:11.

while God’s hatred of sin is as strong as death, His love for the sinner is stronger than death. Having undertaken our redemption, He will spare nothing, however dear, which is necessary to complete His work.

Desire of Ages p. 57

It declares that while God’s hatred of sin is as strong as death, His love for the sinner is stronger than death. Having undertaken our redemption, He will spare nothing, however dear, which is necessary to complete His work. No truth essential to our salvation is withheld, no miracle of mercy is neglected, and no divine agency is left unemployed.

Favor is heaped upon favor, gift upon gift. The whole treasury of heaven is open to those He seeks to save. Having collected the riches of the universe and laid open the resources of infinite power, He gives them all into the hands of Christ and says, All these are for man. Use these gifts to convince him that no love is greater than Mine on earth or heaven. His greatest happiness will be found in loving Me.

At the cross of Calvary, love and selfishness stood face to face. Here was their crowning manifestation.

Desire of Ages p. 57

At the cross of Calvary, love and selfishness stood face to face. Here was their crowning manifestation. Christ had lived only to comfort and bless, and in putting Him to death, Satan manifested the malignity of his hatred against God. He made it evident that the real purpose of his rebellion was to dethrone God and to destroy Him through whom the love of God was shown.

Through the life and the death of Christ, the thoughts of men also are brought into view. From the manger to the cross, the life of Jesus was a call to self-surrender and to fellowship in suffering. It unveiled the purposes of men. Jesus came with the truth of heaven, and all who were listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit were drawn to Him. The worshipers of self belonged to Satan’s kingdom. In their attitude toward Christ, all would show on which side they stood. And thus, everyone passes judgment on himself.

In the day of final judgment, every lost soul will understand the nature of his own rejection of truth. The cross will be presented, and its real bearing will be seen by every mind that has been blinded by transgression. Before the vision of Calvary with its mysterious Victim, sinners will stand condemned. Every lying excuse will be swept away. Human apostasy will appear in its heinous character. Men will see what their choice has been. Every question of truth and error in the long-standing controversy will then have been made plain. In the judgment of the universe, God will stand clear of blame for the existence or continuance of evil. It will be demonstrated that the divine decrees are not accessory to sin. There was no defect in God’s government, no cause for disaffection. When the thoughts of all hearts shall be revealed, both the loyal and the rebellious will unite in declaring,

“Just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of saints. Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? . . . for Thy judgments are made manifest.”

Revelation 15:3, 4.

“Just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of saints. Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? . . . for Thy judgments are made manifest.” Revelation 15:3, 4.

Desire of Ages, P.56-58

PRE-CHRISTMAS CONTEMPLATIONS-PART 5-SIMEON AND ANNA

Spiritual things are spiritually discerned. In the temple, the Son of God was dedicated to the work He had come to do. The priest looked upon Him as he would upon any other child. But though he neither saw nor felt anything unusual, God’s act in giving His Son to the world was acknowledged. This occasion did not pass without some recognition of Christ.

Simeon

“And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.”

Luke 2: 25-26

As Simeon enters the temple, he sees a family presenting their firstborn son before the priest. Their appearance bespeaks poverty, but Simeon understands the warnings of the Spirit, and he is deeply impressed that the infant being presented to the Lord is the Consolation of Israel, the One he has longed to see. To the astonished priest, Simeon appears as a man enraptured. The child has been returned to Mary, and he takes it in his arms and presents it to God while a joy that he never felt before enters his soul. As he lifts the infant Saviour toward heaven, he says,

“Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace,
According to Your word;
For my eyes have seen Your salvation
 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.”

The spirit of prophecy was upon this man of God, and while Joseph and Mary stood by, wondering at his words; he blessed them and said to Mary,

“Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

Luke 2: 29-35

Anna

Anna, also a prophetess, came in and confirmed Simeon’s testimony concerning Christ. As Simeon spoke, her face lighted up with the glory of God, and she poured out her heartfelt thanks that she had been permitted to behold Christ the Lord.

These humble worshipers had not studied the prophecies in vain. But those who held positions as rulers and priests in Israel, though they too had before them the precious utterances of prophecy, were not walking in the way of the Lord, and their eyes were not open to behold the Light of life. 

So it is still. Events upon which the attention of all heaven is centered are undiscerned; their very occurrence is unnoticed by religious leaders and worshipers in the house of God. Men acknowledge Christ in history, while they turn away from the living Christ. Christ, in His word, calling to self-sacrifice, in the poor and suffering who plead for relief, in the righteous cause that involves poverty and toil and reproach, is no more readily received today than He was eighteen hundred years ago.

Mary pondered the broad and far-reaching prophecy of Simeon. As she looked upon the child in her arms and recalled the words spoken by the shepherds of Bethlehem, she was full of grateful joy and bright hope. Simeon’s words called to her mind the prophetic utterances of Isaiah:

“There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. . . . And righteousness shall be the girdle of His loins, and faithfulness the girdle of His reins.” “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. . . . For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 11:1-5; 9:2-6.

Yet Mary did not understand Christ’s mission. Simeon had prophesied of Him as a light to lighten the Gentiles, as well as a glory to Israel. Thus the angels had announced the Saviour’s birth as tidings of joy to all peoples. God sought to correct the narrow Jewish conception of the Messiah’s work. He desired men to behold Him not merely as the deliverer of Israel but as the Redeemer of the world. But many years must pass before even the mother of Jesus would understand His mission.

Desire of Ages, p. 55 in part

PRE-CHRISTMAS CONTEMPLATIONS- PART 4-THE DEDICATION

About forty days after the birth of Christ, Joseph and Mary took Him (Jesus) to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord and to offer sacrifice. This was according to Jewish law, and as man’s substitute, Christ must conform to the law in every particular. He had already been subjected to the rite of circumcision as a pledge of His obedience to the law.

As an offering for the mother, the law required a lamb of the first year for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering. But the law provided that if the parents were too poor to bring a lamb, a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering, the other for a sin offering, might be accepted.

The offerings presented to the Lord were to be without blemish. These offerings represented Christ, and from this, it is evident that Jesus Himself was free from physical deformity. He was the
“lamb without blemish and without spot.”
1 Peter 1:19.

Desire of Ages, p. 50

His physical structure was not marred by any defect; His body was strong and healthy. And throughout His lifetime, He lived in conformity to nature’s laws. Physically as well as spiritually, He was an example of what God designed all humanity to be through obedience to His laws.

The dedication of the firstborn had its origin in the earliest times. God had promised to give the Firstborn of heaven to save the sinner. This gift was to be acknowledged in every household by the consecration of the firstborn son. He was to be devoted to the priesthood as a representative of Christ among men.

In the deliverance of Israel from Egypt, the dedication of the firstborn was again commanded. While the children of Israel were in bondage to the Egyptians, the Lord directed Moses to go to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and say, “

Thus saith the Lord, Israel is My son, even My first-born: and I say unto thee, Let My son go, that he may serve Me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy first-born.”

Exodus 4:22, 23.

Moses delivered his message, but the proud king’s answer was,

“Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.”

Exodus 5:2.

The Lord worked for His people by signs and wonders, sending terrible judgments upon Pharaoh. At length, the destroying angel was bidden to slay the firstborn of man and beast among the Egyptians. That the Israelites might be spared, they were directed to place upon their doorposts the blood of a slain lamb. Every house was to be marked so that when the angel came on his mission of death, he might pass over the homes of the Israelites.

After sending this judgment upon Egypt, the Lord said to Moses,

“Sanctify unto Me all the first-born, . . . both of man and of the beast: it is Mine;” “for on the day that I smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto Me all the first-born in Israel, both man and beast: Mine shall they be: I am the Lord.”

Exodus 13:2; Numbers 3:13.

After the Tabernacle service was established, the Lord chose the tribe of Levi in the place of the firstborn of all Israel to minister in the sanctuary. But the firstborn were still to be regarded as the Lord’s and were to be bought back by a ransom.

Thus the law for the presentation of the firstborn was made particularly significant. While it was a memorial of the Lord’s wonderful deliverance of the children of Israel, it prefigured a greater deliverance to be wrought out by the only-begotten Son of God. As the blood sprinkled on the doorposts had saved the firstborn of Israel, so the blood of Christ has the power to save the world. 

What meaning then was attached to Christ’s presentation! But the priest did not see through the veil or read the mystery beyond. The presentation of infants was a common scene. Day after day, the priest received the redemption money as the babes were presented to the Lord. Day after day, he went through the routine of his work, giving little heed to the parents or children unless he saw some indication of the wealth or high rank of the parents. Joseph and Mary were poor, and when they came with their child, the priests saw only a man and woman dressed as Galileans and in the humblest garments. There was nothing in their appearance to attract attention, and they presented only the offerings made by the poorer classes.

The priest went through the ceremony of his official work. He took the child in his arms and held it up before the altar. After handing it back to its mother, he inscribed the name “Jesus” on the roll of the firstborn. Little did he think, as the babe lay in his arms, that it was the Majesty of heaven, the King of glory. The priest did not think that this babe was the One of whom Moses had written, “

A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; Him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever He shall say unto you.”

Acts 3:22.

He did not think that this babe was He whose glory Moses had asked to see. But One greater than Moses lay in the priest’s arms, and when he enrolled the child’s name, he was enrolling the name of One who was the foundation of the whole Jewish economy. That name was to be its death warrant, for the system of sacrifices and offerings was waxing old; the type had almost reached its antitype, the shadow of its substance.

The Shekinah had departed from the sanctuary, but in the Child of Bethlehem was veiled the glory before which angels bow. This unconscious babe was the promised seed to whom the first altar at the gate of Eden pointed. This was Shiloh, the peace giver. It was He who declared Himself to Moses as the I AM. It was He who, in the pillar of cloud and fire, had guided Israel. This was He whom seers had long foretold. He was the Desire of all nations, the Root and the Offspring of David, and the Bright and Morning Star. The name of that helpless little babe, inscribed in the roll of Israel, declaring Him our brother, was the hope of fallen humanity. The child for whom the redemption money had been paid was He who was to pay the ransom for the sins of the whole world. He was the true…

“…high priest over the house of God,” the head of “an unchangeable priesthood,” the intercessor at “the right hand of the Majesty on high.” Hebrews 10:21; 7:24; 1:3.

Desire of Ages, Pages 50-52

PRE-CHRISTMAS CONTEMPLATIONS-PART-3-“UNTO YOU A SAVIOR…”

 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2: 10-11

The King of Glory stooped low to take humanity. Rude and forbidding were His earthly surroundings. His glory was veiled so that the majesty of His outward form might not become an object of attraction. He shunned all outward display. Riches, worldly honor, and human greatness can never save a soul from death;

Jesus purposed that no attraction of an earthly nature should call men to His side. Only the beauty of heavenly truth must draw those who would follow Him. The character of the Messiah had long been foretold in prophecy, and He desired men to accept Him upon the testimony of the word of God.

Desire of Ages, p. 44

The angels had wondered at the glorious plan of redemption. They watched to see how the people of God would receive His Son, clothed in the garb of humanity. Angels came to the land of the chosen people. Other nations were dealing in fables and worshiping false gods. To the land where the glory of God had been revealed, and the light of prophecy had shone, the angels came. 

With amazement, the heavenly messengers beheld the indifference of the people whom God had called to communicate to the world the light of sacred truth. The Jewish nation had been preserved as a witness that Christ was to be born of the seed of Abraham and David’s line, yet they knew not that His coming was now at hand. In the temple, the morning and the evening sacrifice daily pointed to the Lamb of God, yet even here was no preparation to receive Him. The priests and teachers of the nation knew not that the greatest event of the ages was about to take place. They rehearsed their meaningless prayers and performed the rites of worship to be seen by men, but in their strife for riches and worldly honor, they were not prepared for the revelation of the Messiah. 

Desire of Ages, p. 44

Angels attend Joseph and Mary as they journey from their home in Nazareth to the city of David. The decree of imperial Rome for the enrollment of the peoples of her vast dominion has extended to the dwellers among the hills of Galilee. As in old times, Cyrus was called to the throne of the world’s empire so that he might set free the captives of the Lord, so Caesar Augustus was made the agent for the fulfillment of God’s purpose in bringing the mother of Jesus to Bethlehem. She is of David’s lineage, and the son of David must be born in David’s city. Out of Bethlehem, said the prophet,

“shall He come forth . . . that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from the days of eternity.”

Micah 5:2, margin

Weary and homeless, they traverse the entire length of the narrow street, from the city’s gate to the eastern extremity of the town, vainly seeking a resting place for the night. There is no room for them at the crowded inn. In a rude building where the beasts are sheltered, they at last find refuge, and here, the Redeemer of the world is born.

Above the hills of Bethlehem, an innumerable throng of angels are gathered. They wait for the signal to declare the glad news to the world. Had the leaders in Israel been true to their trust, they might have shared the joy of heralding the birth of Jesus. But now they are passed by.

God declares,

“I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground.” Isaiah 44:3;

“Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness.”

Psalm 112:4.

To those seeking light and who accept it with gladness, the bright rays from the throne of God will shine.

In the fields where the boy David had led his flock, shepherds still kept watch by night. Through the silent hours, they talked together of the promised Saviour and prayed for the coming of the King to David’s throne. “And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2: 10-11

At these words, visions of glory fill the minds of the listening shepherds. The Deliverer has come to Israel! Power, exaltation, and triumph are associated with His coming. But the angel must prepare them to recognize their Saviour in poverty and humiliation. “This shall be a sign unto you,” he says; “Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”

Desire of Ages, p. 48

Oh, that today, the human family could recognize that song! The declaration then made, the note then struck, will swell to the close of time and resound to the ends of the earth. When the Sun of Righteousness shall arise, with healing in His wings, that song will be re-echoed by the voice of a great multitude, as the voice of many waters, saying,

“Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.”

Revelation 19:6.

The story of Bethlehem is an exhaustless theme. In it is hidden “the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God.” Romans 11:33. We marvel at the Saviour’s sacrifice in exchanging the throne of heaven for the manger and the companionship of adoring angels for the beasts of the stall. Human pride and self-sufficiency stand rebuked in His presence. Yet this was but the beginning of His wonderful condescension. It would have been an almost infinite humiliation for the Son of God to take man’s nature, even when Adam stood in his innocence in Eden. But Jesus accepted humanity when the race had been weakened by four thousand years of sin. Like every child of Adam, He accepted the results of the working of the great law of heredity. What these results were is shown in the history of His earthly ancestors. He came with such a heredity to share our sorrows and temptations and to give us the example of a sinless life.

The heart of the human father yearns over his son. He looks into the face of his little child and trembles at the thought of life’s peril. He longs to shield his dear one from Satan’s power, to hold him back from temptation and conflict. To meet a bitterer conflict and a more fearful risk, God gave His only-begotten Son so that the path of life might be made sure for our little ones.

“Herein is love.” Wonder, O heavens! and be astonished, O earth!”

Romans 11:33

Desire of Ages, P. 43-49 in part

PRE-CHRISTMAS CONTEMPLATIONS-PART 2 (CONDITIONS AT THE TIME OF HIS BIRTH)

Part 2 of a 10-part series ending on Christmas Eve

The fullness of time had come…Humanity, becoming more degraded through ages of transgression, called for the coming of the Redeemer.

Satan was seeking to shut out from men a knowledge of God, to turn their attention from the temple of God, and to establish his own kingdom. His moves for supremacy had seemed to be almost wholly successful.

Through heathenism, Satan had, for ages, turned men away from God, but he won his great triumph in perverting the faith of Israel. The principle that man can save himself by his own works lay at the foundation of every heathen religion.

The people whom God had called to be the pillar and ground of the truth had become representatives of Satan. The deception of sin had reached its height. All the agencies for depraving the souls of men had been put into operation.

The Son of God, looking upon the world, beheld suffering and misery. With pity, He saw how men had become victims of satanic cruelty. He looked, with compassion, upon those who were being corrupted, murdered and lost.

Sin had become a science. And vice was consecrated as a part of religion. It was demonstrated before the universe that, apart from God, humanity could not be lifted. A new element of life and power must be imparted by Him, who made the world…through every age, through every hour, the love of God had been exercised toward the fallen race.

None but Christ can fashion anew the character that has been ruined by sin. He came to expel the demons that had controlled the will. He came to lift us up from the dust, to reshape the marred character after the pattern of His divine character, and to make it beautiful with His own glory.

Desire of Ages. Pages 34-38 in part

The world is in a similar situation today, only worse…“as it was in the days of Noah.” “Their thoughts were only evil continually. “ While the compassion and love of God is great, his justice will be demonstrated in these last days. Come aboard the ark of Jesus and be spared the coming destruction. God wants to save you and your family today through the sacrifice of that baby in the manager, whose purpose was to live then die for the sins of the world. He was called Immanuel (God with us).

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. Revelation 3:20the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. John 6:37

Give in to the Spirit of God, who brings conviction to your heart. Give in and surrender to the one who is faithful to do all He has promised. Please write me and let me know your decision.

I will pray for you as a child of the King. You can do the same! Eddie

PRE-CHRISTMAS CONTEMPLATIONS-PART 1

The Fullness of Time

“When the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His son…to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” Galatians 4:4-5

The Saviour’s coming was foretold in Eden…From the days of Enoch, the promise was repeated through patriarchs and prophets, keeping alive the hope of His appearing, and yet He came not. The prophecy of Daniel revealed the time of His advent, but not all rightly interpreted the message.

Century after century passed away; the voices of the prophets ceased. The hand of the oppressor was heavy upon Israel, and many were ready to exclaim, “The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth.” Ezekiel 12:22.

So in heaven’s council, the hour for the coming of Christ had been determined. When the great clock of time pointed to that hour, Jesus was born in Bethlehem…

The nations were united under one government. One language was widely spoken and was recognized everywhere as the language of literature…

For hundreds of years, the Scriptures had been translated into Greek, then widely spoken throughout the Roman Empire. The Jews were scattered everywhere, and their expectation of the Messiah’s coming was, to some extent, shared by the Gentiles.

At this time, the systems of heathenism were losing their hold upon the people. Men were weary of pageants and fables. They longed for a religion that could satisfy the heart.

Among those whom the Jews styled heathen were men who had a better understanding of the Scripture prophecies concerning the Messiah than the teachers in Israel.

God had spoken to the world through nature, through types and symbols, through patriarchs and prophets. Lessons must be given to humanity in the language of humanity. The Messenger of the covenant must speak.

While few understood the nature of Christ’s mission, there was a widespread expectation of a mighty prince who should establish his kingdom in Israel and who should come as a deliverer to the nations.

The fullness of the time had come. Humanity, becoming more degraded through ages of transgression, called for the coming of the Redeemer.

Desire of Ages, pages 31-34 in part.

The Enemies of Israel-Part 5-God or a King

Now, all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition (warning) upon whom the ends of the ages have come. 1 Corinthians 10:11

“We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us and His teaching in our history.” EGW

We Want A King!

The children of Israel had settled in the promised land.  All seemed good. But they soon began to complain to Samuel for a king.  They wanted to be like other nations and be ruled by someone they could see but still keep God—two masters, as it were.   No longer satisfied with a theocracy governed by God through judges and priests, they desired an earthly monarchy.  They felt a king would make them acceptable and powerful like other nations.

Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah and said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.” 1 Samuel 8:4-5

Samuel was not pleased with their request despite the sound reasoning that Samuel’s sons would soon be their judges, but they were not like Samuel.  They were corrupt:

But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice. 1 Samuel 8: 3

Samuel understood that establishing a king was a giant step in the wrong direction for the people of Promise. As the old proverb goes, “absolute power corrupts absolutely.”  Like their forefathers who wandered in the desert for 40 years, the people had not come to trust God and put Him first.

Thought question:  Do we make God our sole source of direction, or do we put our trust in a person or persons?  The children of Israel would start down a path that would lead them further away from God by substituting God with a king.

We must balance this thought with the fact that God works through people whom He educates and gives power to do his will through truth and goodness.  But the enemy also works through people to harm and divide.

Rejection of God’s Rule

Samuel did not know what to do nor how to respond to their logical reasoning about his sons and the eventual rule by corrupt judges.  He did what every believer must do when faced with a challenging situation.  He prayed to seek God’s wisdom.

So Samuel prayed to the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. 1 Samuel 6-7

Samuel must have been surprised by the response from God.  Let them have what they want!  Don’t feel bad, Samuel.  They have not rejected you.  They have rejected me and don’t want Me to rule over them.

Thought question:  Do we do the same thing when we trust in priests, pastors, and strong personalities rather than God our Father?  How can we know which are good and which have a different agenda than God?

After all that God had done for them by delivering them from the rule of Egypt and a powerful pharaoh, they sought to be placed under the sovereign whims of an earthly king.  God told Samuel to remind them what God had done for them.  Then, He warned them about what to expect.  Samuel obeyed God and laid it all out in 1 Samuel 8: 10-18.

Consequences:

A king would take advantage of them. He would build up an army.  They didn’t need an army under the protection of God.  God had protected them from the pursuing army of Egypt. 

A king would take their daughters and put them to work for him.  He would bring the best of their agriculture and a tenth of produce and livestock.  The people of God would become servants to the king. At some point, they would cry out to God, but He would not listen to them.

And you will cry out that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the Lord will not hear you that day.” 1 Samuel 8:18

Consequences-The Theme Going Forward

They would have to bear the consequences of not trusting God.  That is the central theme of the people of God’s mistakes, which Paul warns us in our opening passage.  It is what Paul wants us to hear, see, and understand so that we don’t do the same. 

Thought question: How well is your trust in God?  Can you trust Him, no matter the circumstance?  Have you had to bear the consequences of making someone or something else king in your life?

Despite the gloomy prophecy, the people went ahead with their desire to have a man rule over them.

Nevertheless, the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel, and they said, “No, but we will have a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.”  1 Samuel 8: 19-20

When the people of God desire to compromise and become like “all the nations,” they lose the power of God.  They would become ineffective for Him and the truth that would save the lost.  They would become poor witnesses to the only true God.

Our failure to trust in Him leaves us vulnerable.  Instead of letting God fight our battles, we seek the government or some other entity to fight them for us.  This is an unholy alliance and not in the will of God.  In the book of Revelation, a corrupt church (Babylon) and the State will unite to enforce the church’s ungodly dogma through the government.  The people of God should never seek to have the government force people to believe as they do.  Our God does not work by force or through any government edicts. 

Moral laws, as described in the last six commandments, are acceptable legislation to produce for a safe society, but the first four commandments of God relate to Him alone.  These, in particular, are never to be legislated.  They are about the worship of the only Creator.  The beast of Revelation 13 creates laws about worship because the enemy seeks to replace God and how people worship Him.

As we will see as we move along in understanding the enemies of Israel, their captors want to eliminate the true God of the Israelites.  The hate is not just about a people, but the only true God.  Herein is the primary goal of the enemy.

The First King-Saul

And Samuel heard all the people’s words and repeated them in the hearing of the Lord. So the Lord said to Samuel, “Heed their voice, and make them a king.” And Samuel told the men of Israel, “Every man go to his city.”

1 Samuel 8: 21-22

Samuel broke up the crowd of unsatisfied grumblers and sent them home.   Then Samuel went about the task of finding a good king. He desired a candidate who would be obedient and submissive to the guidance of God. His journey would lead to a Benjamite man named Kish, who was powerful and wealthy.  Kish’s son Saul, a very tall and handsome man, was his choice.  On the outside, he looked like a king who could influence the nations around Israel.

Kish had a son named Saul, as handsome a young man as could be found anywhere in Israel, and he was a head taller than anyone else.1 Samuel 9: 2 NIV

The meeting between Samuel and Saul is very interesting.  Saul’s journey to look for his father’s lost donkeys is recorded in 1 Samuel 9.  I won’t take much time here, but I want to point out a couple of passages.

Saul is Born-Again

When Saul and Samuel’s paths cross, as directed by the Lord (See 1 Samuel 9: 16), the exchange of their first words is important:

Samuel said, As for the donkeys you lost three days ago, do not worry about them; they have been found. And to whom is all the desire of Israel turned, if not to you and your whole family line?” 1 Samuel 9: 20b

Saul came looking for a prophet (Samuel) to help him find the lost donkeys.  Instead, he is greeted by the prophet in a very respectful and unusual way.  Then Saul reveals his character with these words:

Saul answered, “But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?”

1 Samuel 9: 21

God does not use the biggest, strongest, and most famous to initiate His will and leadership.  It is the small and humble He seeks. 

Something else demonstrates that God has prepared Saul for his journey as a king.  He gave him a new heart.

So it was, when he had turned his back to go on Samuel, God gave him another heart, and all those signs came to pass that day. When they arrived there to the hill, there was a group of prophets to meet him; then the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them. 1 Samuel 9: 9-10

God directed the meeting of Saul and Samuel.  At least at this point, Saul was a humble young man born again (another heart), and the Spirit of God was upon him.  Saul started well with a new heart and the direction of God’s Spirit.

However, as the story goes, this same Saul, after many years as king of the united kingdom of Israel, would change and lose his way.  The people would also become different people. 

Among the people were rebels who did not accept Saul as their king. This is important because, ultimately, there would be a clear division of the people of God’s kingdoms of the North and the South.

Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, accompanied by valiant men whose hearts God had touched. But some scoundrels said, “How can this fellow save us?” They despised him and brought him no gifts. But Saul kept silent.

1 Samuel 10: 26-27

Saul’s mentor, Samuel, had died. There came a point when Saul lost his way and did not rely on God.  He grew impatient with God because of the clear and present danger of the Philistines.      

In desperation, instead of waiting on the Lord, he sought wisdom from a medium.  God forbade this for His people (Lev. 19:31), but Saul went to the medium of En Dor disguised in other clothes and at night.  He hoped to have Samuel brought up from the grave to give him advice.  Saul should have humbled himself and trusted God, but Saul had rejected God, and God rejected him.

When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams, by Urim, or by the prophets…. So Saul disguised himself and put on other clothes, and he went, and two men with him; and they came to the woman by night. And he said, “Please conduct a séance for me and bring up for me the one I shall name to you.” 1 Samuel 28: 5-6, 8

In the beginning, God had selected Saul and gave him what was needed to rule over His people, but now Saul was under this medium’s bewitching power and deception.  She brought up a spirit that Saul “assumed” was Samuel (1 Samuel 28: 14) .  This spirit made a prediction that would come true.

The spirit of God had departed from Saul and became his enemy. God had torn the kingdom from Saul and given it to David.  Why? Because Saul did not obey the voice of the Lord nor attack the enemy with the wrath of God as God had instructed (1 Samuel 28:18).

As a result, Israel would be given over to the Philistines on the very next day.  Further, Saul and his sons would die in battle. For the full story, see 1 Samuel 28 and 1 Samuel 31

After Saul came David, a good ruler. Then Solomon, who would take Israel to great heights.  These three were the only three kings that would rule a united kingdom.  Then, God’s promised land would be divided into the northern kingdom of Judah and Israel in the south.

As predicted by Samuel, the kings that the people cried for would become their enemies, oppressing and dividing them.  Most of the future kings would lead them into sin and evil.

In the chart below, you can see that only a few were faithful to God.  The 20 kings of the northern tribes of Israel were ALL disobedient to God.  The southern kingdom had only 6 out of 20 (30%) who were obedient to their Maker!  What a terrible record of these kings!

Without a doubt, the choice to have kings rule them was a very bad one.  But God allowed them to have what they wanted.

Thought question: Is getting what we want better than what God has in mind for us?

The story of Saul and the following kings was recorded to show how turning our backs on God in favor of a king only leads to misery and failure.  In the final events of Earth’s history, individuals will decide like the Israelites.  Will God be our ruler, or will someone else steal our worship and devotion?  Those who we think will be our savior will become our enemy…just as the kings of Judah and Israel became the enemies of God’s people.  May we learn to lean on and trust the only faithful Savior of the world…. Jesus is the Messiah and the soon-coming King of Kings.

May their story of poor choices and lack of trust in God give us wisdom so we do not make the same mistakes.

Final thought question. Does the church have a religious king in modern society? Who is it?

Now, all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition (warning) upon whom the ends of the ages have come. 1 Corinthians 10:11

Kings of Israel
NameReign (BC)Ref. in 1& 2 KingsDeeds
Jeroboam I931-9101 Kings 12: 25-14:20Evil
Nadab910-9091 Kings 15: 25-32Evil
Baasha909-8861 Kings 15: 33-16:7Evil
Elah886-8851 Kings 16: 8-14Evil
Zimri8851 Kings 16: 15-20Evil
Tibni885-8801 Kings 16: 21-22Evil
Omri885-8741 Kings 16: 21-28Evil
Ahab874-8531 Kings 16: 29 – 22:40Evil
Ahaziah853-8521Kings 22:51 – 2 Kings 1:18Evil
Jehoram (Joram)852-8412 Kings 3:1 – 9:26Evil
Jehu841-8142 Kings 9:1 – 10:36Right and Evil
Jehoahaz814-7982 Kings 13: 1-9Evil
Jehoash (Joash)798-7822 Kings 13:10 – 14:16Evil
Jeroboam II793-7532 Kings 14: 23-29Evil
Zechariah753-7522 Kings 15: 8-12Evil
Shallum7522 Kings 15: 13-16Evil
Menahem752-7422 Kings 15: 17-22Evil
Pekahiah742-7402 Kings 15: 23-26Evil
Pekah752-7322 Kings 15: 27-31Evil
Hoshea732-7222 Kings 17: 1-6Evil
Kings of Judah
NameReign (BC)Ref. in 1&2 KingsRef. in 2 ChroniclesDeeds
Rehoboam931-9131 Kin. 12: 1-24, 14: 21-312 Chr. 10:1 – 12:16Evil
Abijam (Abijah)913-9111 Kin. 15: 1-82 Chr. 13: 1-22Evil
Asa911-8701 Kin. 15: 9-242 Chr. 14:1 – 16:14Right
Jehoshaphat872-8481 Kin. 22: 41-502 Chr. 17-1 – 20:37Right
Jehoram853-8412 Kin. 8: 16-242 Chr. 21: 1-20Evil
Ahaziah8412 Kin. 8:25-29 – 9: 21-292 Chr. 22: 1-9Evil
Athaliah (queen)841-8352 Kin. 11: 1-202 Chr. 22:10 – 23:21Evil
Joash (Jehoash)835-7962 Kin. 12: 1-212 Chr. 24: 1-27Right & Evil
Amaziah796-7672 Kin. 14: 1-222 Chr. 25: 1-28Right & Evil
Azariah (Uzziah)792-7402 Kin. 15: 1-72 Chr. 26: 1-23Right & Evil
Jotham750-7322 Kin. 15: 32-382 Chr. 27: 1-9Right & Evil
Ahaz735-7162 Kin. 16: 1-202 Chr. 28: 1-27Evil
Hezekiah716-6872 Kin. 18:1 – 20:212 Chr. 29:1 – 32:33Right
Manasseh697-6432 Kin. 21: 1-182 Chr. 31: 1-20Evil
Amon643-6412 Kin. 21: 19-262 Chr. 33: 21-25Evil
Josiah641-6092 Kin. 22:1 – 23:302 Chr. 34: 1 – 35:27Right
Jehoahaz6092 Kin. 23: 31-342 Chr. 36: 1-4Evil
Jehoiakim609-5982 Kin. 22:34 – 24:72 Chr. 36: 5-8Evil
Jehoiachin598-5972 Kin. 24:8-16, 25: 27-302 Chr. 36: 9-10Evil
Zedekiah597-5862 Kin. 24:17 – 25:212 Chr. 36: 11-21Evil

WE SHALL BE LIKE HIM!

There she was, lying in a hospital bed with crisp white sheets and monitors beeping all around.   Just a few weeks ago, she was up and doing her normal routine.  Today, she was lying on her back with an oxygen mask forcing her to breathe.  Icema Pappas, my Greek Mom, never liked anything over her face.  Like me, she was claustrophobic.

Mom was an attractive woman.  Some said she looked like Elizabeth Taylor when she was younger.  But what made her special was her kind, quiet spirit.  Everyone who ever met her liked her immediately because she liked people.  She was a praying woman like her mother before her. Even though I was in my Godless decade, having shaken my fist at God, telling Him to go away, I could feel His Spirit coming through her. I had not prayed in 10 years, but I felt moved to comfort her in some way through the God she loved.

My beautiful mom had been fervently praying for me for the last ten years, but I could not find a prayer within me.

They had done everything they could.  She was dying before my eyes.  My heart was breaking for her.  The air seemed to be leaving the room. I asked the doctors and nurses to make her comfortable.  She settled down as the morphine took over.

One by one, the family was called in to say their goodbyes.  She was only 73 years old. 

My parents divorced when I was six and my brother was two.  She had to return to work as the switchboard operator at a trucking company. My Mom, Ronnie, and I lived with my grandmother in a small one-bedroom apartment in a section of the house.  Two very loving women of God raised me.  Both were good Baptists but followers of Christ first. 

When I became a follower of Jesus some twenty-eight years earlier, after studying the Bible to prove my newly baptized Christian wife wrong about the whole religious thing, I shared some of the things I had learned from the Bible with my sweet mom and grandmother.  The passages on the state of the dead, the second coming, and the resurrection were fresh and new to them. 

They listened closely and asked questions.  They found comfort in the return of Jesus, the comparison of sleep with death, and the resurrection, just as Paul instructed in 1 Thess 4: 18 (Comfort one another with these words). They, indeed, found comfort in God’s word.      With a hopeful voice, I described going to sleep in death, but, in a flash, our next view would be of Jesus coming in the clouds; then we would rise above the earth with all the others who loved Him to meet Him there before going to where He promised to take us.

It was my turn to say goodbye to my beautiful, sweet mom, whose brown eyes glowed when she talked to me.  That is what I remember about her.  Her eyes.  Sometimes, it was like Jesus conversed with me…even joking around and laughing with me through those eyes! They were closed now.

I was not sure she could hear me because of the morphine.  She was quiet and not moving as I listened to the heart monitor, beginning to slow.

I took her hand like the young people shake hands by wrapping my fingers around her thumb.  I felt the soft flesh of her hands, which had brushed the hair back from my eyes and wiped the tears away from my face when I was young.    I leaned in to make sure she heard the last words she would hear from me.  “Mom, I love you.  I will see you resurrection morning.”  Suddenly, I felt those sweet fingers squeeze three times.  She had heard me!  Her spirit was saying playfully…”  “You better be there!”

As the heart monitor went silent, so did those in the room.  I looked out to watch the beautiful sun setting in the west.

I had made a promise to her to be there on resurrection morning.  The only way I could keep it is for God to have mercy on His prodigal son.  I was dead in sin.  But, praise God, I was resurrected a few weeks later. 

It is a spiritual truth that we can’t feel our sinfulness until we ask God to take over.  We are like a dead person that feels nothing.  When the Spirit of God convicts us at the request of sweet moms, dads, grandmothers, grandfathers, friends, or strangers. We come alive to our situation, our fate of eternal death; then we die to ourselves, pleading for God’s forgiveness.  Then Jesus comes into our hearts and mind, and the Spirit gives us a new birth, a new way of thinking and feeling.  We are changed miraculously.   

As Mary said in the series The Chosen, “I was one way…now I am completely different, and the thing that happened in between was Him.”

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Even though my mother and grandmother were Baptist, They believed what I am about to bring you from God’s word.

The resurrection from the dead is the most important promised event in our spiritual lives! Without the resurrection of Jesus, you and I have no resurrection, and our faith is worthless.  I didn’t say it, Paul did.

1 Corinthians 15:14, 18-19

And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty, and your faith is also empty And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.

Let’s consider the event that turns us from mortal to immortal, from death to life.

I’ve heard many accounts of heaven, but what will we look like? What will our bodies be like?  Will we be just a wispy spirit floating on a cloud and plucking a harp? Will we be an angel?    

We Will Be Like Him

“…we know that when He is revealed, WE WILL BE LIKE HIM, for we shall see Him as He is.” 1 John 3:2

What was He like physically?

The disciples, who were eyewitnesses of Jesus’ post-resurrected body.  They tell us their account of a real Jesus, not a spirit.  When the disciples thought Jesus was a ghost, He said,

“Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a SPIRIT DOES NOT HAVE FLESH AND BONES as you see I have.”  Luke 24:39

Will we have flesh and bones? Yes! A real person! Then he asked for something to eat!

“But while they still did not believe for joy and marveled, He said to them, “Have you any food here?” So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. And He took it and ate in their presence. Luke 24: 41-43

Will we eat in our glorified bodies?  We will have an appetite!

Jesus had flesh and bones (unlike a spirit), and He ate fish and honey in His glorified body (post-resurrection).  We, too, will have a glorified body with flesh, bones, and an appetite.  We will get a signal from our body that it is time to eat.

The third time Jesus appeared to the disciples (after His resurrection), he returned the favor and cooked them fish and bread!

“Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have just caught…This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead.”  John 21: 9-10, 14

Movement by Thought

Our bodies will be like His… Our mode of travel will be walking because we will have legs, but we will be able to think our bodies somewhere, as did Jesus in a room behind locked doors. This is the spiritual side of us.

Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, “Peace to you.” Luke 24:36

Even though we will have real bodies, it will be fashioned after Jesus, not Adam.

The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.  1 Corinthians 15: 47-49

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When Do We Get Real Bodies?

We will get real bodies, but when does this happen?

Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

We are changed at the last trumpet, which is the second coming of Christ. Continuing with Paul’s description of the second coming, he says,

For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

“O Death, where is your sting?

O Hades, where is your victory?” 1 Corinthians 15: 51-55

Where I am!

 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.  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 to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. John 14: 1-3

So when He comes, he takes us to where He is now!  The City of Heaven, the mansions,-The New Jerusalem.  Streets of God, the river that flows from God., and the Tree of Life on both sides of the River.

But we don’t stay there forever after 1,000 years.  The redeemed of all ages return to this earth.  We will get to watch God recreate this earth. (See 1,000 years for more detail.)

Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Revelation 21:2

New Heavens and a New Earth

Isaiah, Peter, and John describe the abode of the redeemed. 

we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 2 Peter 3:13

After Jesus makes a new earth, the meek will finally inherit the earth.  We will have active lives and live forever!  We will continue to have worship services!

They shall build houses and inhabit them;

They shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit …And My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

They shall not labor in vain, Isaiah 66: 21-23

After working for six days, we will attend worship, not as different denominations, but as those who belong to Christ.

“For as the new heavens and the new earth

Which I will make shall remain before Me,” says the Lord,…And it shall come to pass, that from one New Moon to another,

And from one Sabbath to another, All flesh shall come to worship before Me,” says the Lord.”  Isaiah 66: 22: 23

Can you see it?  Time will still be measured in 7 days.  On the 7th (Sabbath), people will come to the throne of God in the city, and our hearts will be filled with joy to sing and worship the one who made all this possible!

Brothers and sisters, we will be like Him but retain our different personalities and features.  We will have real bodies with flesh and bones; We will enjoy eating and drinking the wine Jesus said he would not drink again until we see Him in the Kingdom (Matthew 26:29).  We will have a city home (Mansions) and a country home (Earth), where we will work and enjoy the work of our hands.  Once a month and weekly, we will travel worldwide by thought and attend worship services as one body of believers.

Yes! Eternity is real! But even all that is disclosed in scripture it is just the beginning of what God has prepared!

“The eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9

I want to be there!  Don’t you?

Do you love Him? 

HE Loves you!  He doesn’t want any to perish but all to come to repentance. This is the whole gospel in three words.  God is love!

To say “God is love” is to say the whole truth all at once. Everything after that is exposition. Everything contrary to that is heresy. Ty Gibson

It is because of His love that he comes back for us.

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore, comfort one another with these words.

1 Thess 4: 16-18

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Yes, one day, I will keep my promise to my Mom at resurrection morning, but I can’t do it myself.  I must trust Him alone!  Not my work, not anything I have done or will do.  I will meet my Mom and Dad in the air as the power of Christ draws us to Him.  The redeemed of all ages will gather together and go to where Jesus is simultaneously.  What a day that will be! What a family reunion!

Will you be there too?  How can you know for sure?

First, you must acknowledge that only He can get you there!

if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  Romans 10:9

 While you were yet a sinner, he came running after you.  You can’t get there by your parents’ experience with Christ; You must have your own experience.  You can’t get there by church membership, not your education, or anything but Christ.  It is only through Jesus.  Jesus does not save groups or denominations; He saves people as individuals.

There is no other name among men whereby we are saved.

Jesus tells us we must be born again.  Reborn of the Spirit.  Have you been reborn?  You will know by your love for others and the peace of knowing Jesus personally.

Salvation in Christ is about letting go to the pull (drawing) and convicting power of the Spirit to acknowledge your sins and shortcomings and let Him be your all and all.  It is about asking Him to take over your life.  It is about trusting Him every day.

The enemy will try to make you selfish and unbelieving, but stay close to Him, and no man can pluck you out of His Hand.

Won’t you talk to God today and receive eternal life?  Will you be like Him?

And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,
That in my flesh I shall see God,
Whom I shall see for myself,
And my eyes shall behold, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me! Job 19: 26-27

"He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. Colossians 1:28