Participants: Pr. John Lomacang
Series Code: ASHF
Program Code: ASHF000081
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00:18 Hello, friends.
00:19 Welcome to another Wednesday night Bible study here 00:22 at the 3ABN Worship Center, A Sharper Focus. 00:25 And our local audience 00:26 would like to welcome you with a hearty amen. 00:28 Amen. 00:30 And wherever you're joining us from, 00:31 whether from around the world or around the community, 00:34 we'd like to thank you for tuning in 00:36 to spend this thoughtful hour studying the Word of God. 00:39 Now you may say, boy, that shirt is bright. 00:42 But you know it's pretty cold here in the Midwest. 00:44 It's supposed to be spring, amen? 00:45 Amen. 00:47 And I'm so, I'm just reminding you that 00:48 although I may look gray outside, 00:49 the flowers are blooming somewhere 00:52 and so I just wanna brighten up the evening, 00:54 but the one who is going to brighten up 00:56 our time together tonight is the Holy Spirit. 00:59 And so, we're gonna pray tonight 01:01 but just in few moments 01:02 I'll tell you how to get a copy of the lesson to follow along, 01:05 but get your Bibles, get your pens, 01:06 invite your family and your friends 01:08 to sit down and study with us. 01:10 But before we do anything, 01:12 let's always began with the word of prayer. 01:14 Let's bow our heads. 01:15 Our kind Father in heaven, 01:17 the One who searches our hearts knows our thoughts. 01:21 The One who gives us power and strength and wisdom 01:25 to overcome the challenges that we face on a daily basis, 01:28 the One who delivers us from all evil 01:31 and forgive us of our sins. 01:33 Lord, we pray tonight 01:34 that You'll send Your Holy Spirit and power 01:38 to open our hearts and minds 01:40 to this wonderful theme 01:42 as we continue studying Your Word. 01:45 So, Father, we thank You in advance 01:46 what You will do 01:48 and how our lives will be drawn closer to you. 01:52 This is our prayer in Jesus name 01:54 we pray, amen. 01:56 Amen. 01:57 Now tonight if you want a copy of the lesson, 01:58 we are finishing up lesson number 25, 02:02 we just have an outline we're gonna go through. 02:03 So if you go to this website asf.3abn.org, 02:09 you can download right now, lesson number 25, 02:12 The Truth about the Millennium. 02:14 And then lesson number 26, 02:16 which is The Truth about Heaven and the New Earth. 02:21 You can download that lesson tonight 02:22 from that particular website. 02:24 But before we do anything, 02:25 we're gonna go ahead and begin with our theme song. 02:28 What is our theme song, together, what is it? 02:30 Victory in Jesus. 02:32 Let's sing that song together 02:33 before we begin our lesson study. 02:35 Here we are. 02:43 I heard an old, old story 02:47 How the Savior came from glory 02:51 How He gave His life on Calvary 02:55 To save a wretch like me 02:59 I heard about His groaning 03:02 Of His precious blood's atoning 03:06 Then I repented of my sin 03:10 And won the victory 03:13 Together. 03:14 O victory in Jesus 03:17 My Savior, forever 03:21 He sought me and bought me 03:25 With His redeeming blood 03:29 He loved me ere I knew Him 03:33 And all my love is due Him 03:36 He plunged me to victory 03:40 Beneath the cleansing flood 03:44 I heard about a mansion 03:48 He has built for me in glory 03:51 And I heard about the streets of gold 03:55 Beyond the crystal sea 03:59 About the angels singing 04:03 And the old redemption story 04:07 And some sweet day I'll sign up there 04:10 The song of victory Key change. 04:14 O victory in Jesus 04:18 My Savior, forever 04:22 He sought me and bought me 04:25 With His redeeming blood 04:29 He loved me ere I knew Him 04:33 And all my love is due Him 04:37 He plunged me to victory 04:41 Beneath the cleansing flood 04:44 He plunged me to victory 04:48 Beneath the cleansing flood 04:55 Amen? Amen. 04:56 He plunged me to what? Victory. 04:58 To victory. 04:59 To victory beneath the cleansing flood. 05:02 And that is baptism 05:04 but all more importantly than that, 05:07 that's the power of the blood of Jesus. 05:09 Can you say amen to that? 05:11 Well tonight, we'll continue in our study 05:12 on "The Truth about the Millennium." 05:16 And I think I mentioned the website, didn't I do that? 05:19 But if you just tuned in, here it is again asf.3abn.org, 05:24 download lesson number 25, 05:26 which we're finishing and lesson number 26. 05:30 Now, what we learned last week was very important 05:33 and the week before that, and the week before that. 05:35 What we did was 05:37 we began by getting rid of some of the myths 05:40 about the 1,000 years. 05:42 Now there are those who believe 05:43 that the 1,000 years is gonna be spent on earth. 05:46 That's why there are many today 05:47 that are trying to reform the earth 05:49 for Jesus to come back and reign on earth. 05:52 But let me just ask the questions, 05:54 and I'll make them easy in yes or no answer. 05:57 Is the earth going to be inhabited by humans 06:00 during the 1,000 years? 06:02 Yes or no? 06:04 Well, I wouldn't call that inhabitant. 06:07 Well, there's gonna be some dead folk down here. 06:10 And they're not gonna be mourned, gathered, 06:15 lamented or buried. 06:16 But they're gonna be, like the Bible says in Jeremiah, 06:18 like refuse on the ground. 06:20 And how many categories are they going to be 06:22 when Jesus comes back, how many? 06:24 Two. 06:25 Those who are just and those who are unjust. 06:28 Those who are filthy 06:29 and those who are righteous and clean. 06:32 Only two categories. 06:35 I don't wanna be the party pooper, 06:36 but there's no yellow line in this thing 06:38 called eternal life. 06:40 You're either going towards Christ 06:41 or you're going away from Him. 06:43 There's no yellow line where people, years ago. 06:48 The reason why that stuck in my mind years ago 06:52 when I was growing up in New York City, 06:53 my dad used to like to watch the honeymooners. 06:56 That's when comedy was clean with Jackie Gleason, 06:58 you remember that? 06:59 And they were doing Ralph Kramden 07:04 had to update his driver's license. 07:06 And there was a question and they ask 07:07 what's the yellow line for? 07:09 And Noran said everyone knows 07:12 what the yellow line is for 07:13 and Ralph says what he says for motorcycles. 07:15 And the point of the matter is, 07:18 the yellow line is just to keep you divided 07:20 from left or right, ain't that right? 07:22 There's no purpose for that yellow line 07:24 as far as traveling, 07:25 it's dividing the two categories, 07:27 is not to travel on. 07:29 It's a warning. 07:30 Either you're going in the right direction, 07:32 or you're going in the wrong direction. 07:33 Either you're going towards home 07:35 or you're going away from home. 07:36 And in the New Earth, 07:38 we're gonna be talking about that starting tonight 07:40 but what I'm going to do as we wind up 07:42 the thought about the millennium. 07:44 No one will be on the earth except all those who are dead. 07:47 How many resurrections will there be? 07:50 Two. 07:52 Which one is the good one? 07:54 The first resurrection. 07:55 If you die, and I wanna clear this up. 07:56 Somebody sent me a mail. 07:58 And I wanna clear this up, I get mails, 07:59 I mean, what's good about getting mails 08:01 and emails is that people are watching the program. 08:04 I wanna clear something up 08:05 because this person added something to it 08:07 that I didn't say. 08:10 And I said, "The first death happens to us all, 08:13 but the second death only happens to the wicked." 08:16 Now, what I meant by that 08:18 is the first death affects all of humanity. 08:21 But not everybody's going to die the first death. 08:24 They're gonna be those who will be alive 08:25 when Jesus comes, am I right? 08:26 Correct. 08:28 We who are alive and remain, they will be alive 08:31 but the first death applies to all, 08:34 for all have sinned 08:36 and the wages of sin is death. 08:39 So everyone alive, who has ever been alive, 08:42 will be affected in one way or the other, 08:45 or might be affected in one way or the other 08:47 by the first death. 08:48 But there are those who will be alive 08:50 when Jesus comes. 08:51 But the second death only affects the wicked. 08:54 So, here's the point, here's the equation. 08:57 You can die once and live twice 08:59 or you can die twice and live once. 09:02 You get it? 09:04 Die once. 09:05 If you die, 09:07 you have had life before that you die 09:08 and you're waiting for Jesus to come back, you live again. 09:11 Die once, the first death and live twice. 09:13 Or live once and die twice, okay. 09:17 We don't want that 09:19 'cause really you get that all clear in your head, 09:21 but the second death 09:23 does not happen to the righteous. 09:24 Praise the Lord for that. 09:26 We also discovered that during the millennium, 09:29 the saints will judge the world. 09:31 So what we're gonna do tonight, 09:33 we're gonna put together a quick outline 09:35 because you know, 09:36 when you go over a topic for three weeks, 09:39 for those who don't get the early stage 09:41 or the middle stage or the ending stage, 09:43 we're actually in the fourth week 09:44 of the topic of the millennium, 09:46 what I'm going to do tonight is just put together a summary, 09:49 and if you have your paper, 09:50 if you downloaded the syllabus, 09:54 what I wanna do to transition into the areas 09:57 that we're gonna break down and here it is on the screen. 09:59 We're gonna walk through three particular areas. 10:03 How many areas did I say? Three. 10:05 Three particular areas. 10:06 They're outlined in A Millennium begins, 10:10 B, Millennium continues 10:13 and C, Millennium ends. 10:17 Begins, continues and ends. 10:20 Now what I want to rejoice with is the fact that 10:23 when we were studying last week, 10:25 the first text or the last text 10:27 that we ended with was from the Book of Nahum. 10:30 Nahum 1:9, well if you remember that, 10:32 it says, affliction shall not rise up what? 10:37 A second time, amen? Amen. 10:40 So when the issue of sin is finally resolved, 10:46 there will be no second possibility. 10:48 I want to make it very, very clear. 10:51 There was some confusion about that, 10:53 somebody may say, well, isn't it possible 10:54 that sin could rise up a second time? 10:56 Because people are gonna be 10:58 there like they were on the first time. 10:59 Well the sin problem is being addressed now, right? 11:03 And so, here is what you say 11:05 if there's a possibility for sin 11:07 to rise up a second time, 11:08 do you know the ramifications of that? 11:11 There's a possibility of the need of another savior. 11:14 There's a possibility of the need of another Calvary. 11:17 There's a possibility of a... 11:19 Now, here's where so ridiculous about that. 11:21 If the devil's not gonna be around, 11:26 do I need to go further? 11:27 If the devil's not gonna be around 11:29 and sin is going to be destroyed, 11:33 if the very root of the sin is gonna be destroyed, 11:36 how are you gonna get fruit, if there's no root? 11:40 And the Bible says in Malachi 4, 11:42 go there very quickly. 11:43 Just to benefit those who are 11:45 maybe tuning it for the first time. 11:46 Go to Malachi. 11:49 Jesus says, "He is the wine" in John Chapter 15. 11:52 Jesus says, "I'm the wine, you are the," what? 11:55 "Branches. 11:56 So any righteousness that we have comes from who? 11:59 From Jesus. 12:01 So therefore, if Satan was because, not if, 12:05 but because Satan is a liar from the beginning, 12:08 he's a murderer from the beginning. 12:11 Lies and murder are from whom? 12:15 From Satan. Okay, now clearly. 12:17 So if the one who produces this is no longer around, 12:22 cannot be produced, yes or no? 12:24 Absolutely not. 12:25 Let's look at this and show you the evidence of this. 12:27 Malachi Chapter 4. 12:29 And this was talking about the lake of fire 12:31 and brimstone which will be a part of the second death. 12:34 It's not burning right now. 12:37 Malachi 4:1, the Bible says "For behold, the day is," what? 12:41 "Is coming, burning like an oven, 12:46 and all the proud, yes, all who do," what? 12:51 "Wickedly will be stubble. 12:53 The day which is coming shall burn them up, 12:56 says the Lord of hosts, 12:58 that will leave them neither," what?" 13:00 Root nor branch." 13:01 Now here it is. 13:03 If those who do wickedly gonna be burned up. 13:07 Who's gonna be left? 13:09 Those who don't do wickedly. 13:11 Why won't we do wickedly? 13:13 Come on, give me a theological answer. 13:15 Why won't we do wickedly? 13:18 Because we will be completely reproduced in the image, 13:22 and the character of Jesus, what do you say? 13:25 So if you are now made like the Bible says, 13:28 we will see Him as he is for we will be like Him. 13:32 1 John 3:1-2, 13:35 we will see Him as He is, for we will be like Him. 13:39 So if we're gonna be like Jesus 13:41 and Jesus said to the price of his world, 13:43 the prince of this world has come, 13:45 and he has nothing in me. 13:47 Amen? 13:49 So was there sin in Jesus? 13:50 No, absolutely. 13:52 He bore our sins, 13:54 but He didn't have sin within Him. 13:56 The prince tried to get in. 13:58 He said, "But you have nothing in me." 14:00 So if there's nothing, if there's no sin in Jesus 14:03 and we are made in His character, 14:06 there'll be no sin where? 14:07 In us. 14:08 So there's no sin in us, so it can't come out. 14:11 What's not in cannot come out. 14:13 Amen for that. 14:14 But let's finish it, look at verse 3... 14:18 of Malachi 4. 14:20 "You shall trample the wicked, 14:22 for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet 14:26 on the day that I do this, 14:29 says the Lord of hosts." 14:31 And we also discovered in Ezekiel Chapter 28 14:33 that Satan himself is gonna be turned to ashes, right? 14:37 So if the devil himself is gonna be turned to ashes 14:39 and those who do wickedly will be turned to ashes, 14:44 there'll be no continued existence for the devil, 14:46 and there'll be no continued existence 14:49 for those who do wickedly. 14:51 All sin will be eradicated. 14:53 Is that clear? 14:54 So let's look at the outline very quickly tonight. 14:56 We're gonna walk through this 14:58 and not gonna spend time on this. 15:00 You've received the download copy 15:02 from the website that you visited, 15:04 and we all have the copy. 15:05 But we're gonna walk through this very quickly, 15:07 just to give you ideas of the three segments. 15:09 Start with section A, all right? 15:12 How does the millennium begin? 15:15 Together, Jesus returns. 15:18 Let's look at the next one. 15:19 And what happens when Jesus returns, 15:21 what takes place? 15:23 The first resurrection. 15:25 Then after the first resurrection, 15:27 what happens? 15:28 The saints saw what? 15:30 Caught up to meet Jesus, 15:32 the living saints along with the resurrected saints 15:34 because the resurrection just took place. 15:37 What happens? 15:38 The living wicked are what? 15:40 Destroyed. 15:42 They are destroyed by the brightness 15:43 of the Lord's coming. 15:44 These are the references. 15:46 The other one, who's alive on earth? 15:48 No one left alive on earth. 15:50 The wicked that were living destroyed by the brightness 15:53 and the wicked that were dead are still in their graves. 15:55 And then what happens? 15:57 To bind in the devil. 15:58 What's the last part? 15:59 Satan is bound for how long? 16:01 A thousand years. 16:02 Now, very carefully before we go to second section. 16:05 What binds the devil? 16:09 Okay, a set of circumstances, nobody here to tempt. 16:13 And if you are a thief and you like to steal 16:14 but there's no one to rob... 16:18 Really. 16:19 If you like to kill and everybody's dead... 16:22 Really, right? 16:23 If you wanna deceive and everybody 16:25 is no longer deceivable because they're all dead, 16:28 hello, 16:30 don't wanna be cynical, 16:32 but there's nobody that's going to be alive. 16:34 The only ones that are going to be buzzing around this earth 16:36 for 1,000 years the devil and his angels. 16:40 That's it. 16:42 I tried to envision and I thought, 16:43 boy, I cannot imagine. 16:46 I mean growing up, 16:48 some of us probably were exposed 16:49 to scary movies. 16:51 You don't need to tell me that you weren't 16:53 'cause I know somebody saw something scary along the way. 16:57 I don't watch them anymore, I praise the Lord for that. 17:02 But this earth is going to be infested 17:04 by demons for 1,000 years. 17:06 The same ones that are active today, 17:08 tempting, 17:11 working with the devil, 17:13 they try to cause people to fall and be lost. 17:16 It's gonna be bound to the earth 17:18 for 1,000 years with no one to tempt, 17:21 with nothing to do, a 1,000 years. 17:24 Now, I want to just add something here, 17:26 just to kind of give you. 17:27 We didn't talk about this 17:29 but here's the reason why I said 1,000 years. 17:33 When you follow the cycles of seven, 17:36 and I like that statement Ellen White makes, 17:37 she says, "The great controversy 17:39 that's been going on for nearly 6,000 years 17:42 will soon come to a close. 17:45 The Bible has time periods 17:49 referred to as 17:53 in cycles of seven. 17:56 And each cycle is talked about my mind just right now, 18:01 I got a warm rush here that. 18:04 It's called the... 18:06 I'll come back to it in a moment. 18:08 But at the end of the cycle of sixes, 18:10 the land returns to its rightful owner. 18:14 Did you believe? Praise the Lord. 18:15 Thank you for those of you who are awake tonight. 18:18 At the beginning of the jubilee, 18:20 the land shall returns to the rightful owner. 18:23 And during that time, the land is allowed to rest. 18:28 Thus, 18:29 when the controversy is over, 18:31 for 1,000 years 18:33 the land is returned to its rightful owner, 18:35 and the land is allowed to rest. 18:37 There's no activity on the earth at all. 18:42 That even applied to slaves or servants. 18:45 When the jubilee came, they had to return, 18:47 the slave was set free, 18:48 the servant was set free and the land was given back. 18:51 And even in the agricultural setting, 18:53 the Bible talks about this. 18:54 When they planted for the seventh time, 18:58 the land rested 18:59 so that it could replenish itself 19:01 and at the end of that year rest, 19:03 then it was ready to be planted again. 19:05 So a lot of the cycles in the Bible follow 19:08 the phrase termed the "jubilee," 19:10 the jubilee cycle. 19:11 There's more things 19:13 that we could apply to later on. 19:14 But let's go to section or the center section 19:16 what happens to continue the millennium? 19:20 Section B, here we are. 19:21 During the 1,000 years, 19:24 saints reigned with Christ for how long? 19:27 A 1,000 years. 19:29 Because they're caught up to be with Christ. 19:33 That's in Revelation 20:4. 19:34 Saints also participate in the judgment. 19:37 Now in what way do they participate 19:38 in the judgment, let me just make the statement. 19:40 They don't participate in the judgment 19:42 in the sense of a metering up the punishments, 19:45 but they participate in the judgment 19:46 seeing that the decisions 19:48 that are made by the Christ are just. 19:49 Amen? Amen. 19:51 Because Jesus Himself is the judge, 19:53 the Father judges no one, 19:55 but has given all judgment to the Son. 19:57 The other one, 19:59 the earth is completely desolate. 20:01 There's a reference, Jeremiah 4:23-26, 20:04 "There no man, no birds, 20:06 the cities have broken down by the fierceness of God 20:08 and by His anger, 20:10 the cities are broken at the presence of the Lord." 20:12 But the Bible also says in verse 26, 20:14 "Yet he will not make a full end." 20:15 Look at the next one. 20:16 "All the wicked are still dead," 20:22 Revelation 20:5," 20:23 but the rest of the dead live 20:25 not again till the 1,000 years are finished. 20:28 And then finally, Satan and His angels bound to earth. 20:34 Jude and 2 Peter calls it chains, calls it what? 20:39 Chains. 20:40 The earth is gonna be dark. 20:44 The light, the Bible talks about that. 20:46 It says as though the lights have been blotted out, 20:49 as though the earth is wrapped in darkness and desolation. 20:52 And for 1,000 years, 20:54 the chain of circumstances bound in darkness, 20:57 because you don't really handcuff the devil. 21:00 You really can't. 21:02 But the circumstances 21:03 under which sin has led Him to be in, 21:06 will be the reason why He is imprisoned 21:09 for 1,000 years. 21:10 Let me give you another example. 21:11 You can put somebody on an aisle 21:13 and let me just use this examples. 21:16 We've gone to Australia for many, many years. 21:18 But I learned the history of Australia. 21:20 Australia used to be a place 21:23 where prisoners from England 21:26 were sent all the way down to this rock, 21:28 way down in Australia. 21:33 And when you go to Australia, 21:35 sometimes some of the people joke around with you 21:37 and say, "Be careful, 21:38 my relatives are prisoners." 21:40 You know, they say be careful 21:41 my relatives started out by being imprisoned. 21:44 The fact of the matter is you can put them 21:46 on that piece of land with no jail, 21:49 with no chains, 21:50 and just drive away or float away. 21:54 And do they have, where do they go? 21:57 So they could roam around 21:58 the entire continent of Australia 22:02 and where did they go? 22:03 Nowhere. They're bound by circumstances. 22:08 Like Siberia, don't ever wanna go there. 22:12 Let's look at the last part 22:13 before we transition into the new lesson. 22:15 So these are there, 22:17 third section, section C, here it is. 22:20 The New Jerusalem descends to the earth. 22:24 At the end of the 1,000 years, 22:26 the New Jerusalem descends to the earth 22:28 and as we study further about heaven, 22:30 we'll point out the New Jerusalem 22:32 doesn't descend to the earth with the saints in it, 22:34 it descends first, 22:36 and then Jesus comes back with His saints. 22:40 What a time it's gonna be 22:41 because the walls gonna be clear, 22:42 I'll tell you about that in just a moment. 22:44 But I'm not gonna go too much on that. 22:45 Then the second resurrection takes place. 22:47 The resurrection of the righteous 22:49 or the wicked? 22:50 The wicked. 22:51 Then the wicked attack the New Jerusalem. 22:54 Satan's... 22:56 The Bible doesn't give a particular time frame 22:58 of how long this is gonna take, 22:59 but somehow he convinces all these evil men of the ages, 23:03 go far back as you can think. 23:05 All the way back from the Cain, in fact, 23:09 he's going to be in that number, 23:10 all the way to the last tyrant that reigned, 23:13 all these evil men and their evil machines 23:16 are going to somehow think, 23:17 when they see this glorious city, 23:19 they're gonna think that they can overtake the city. 23:22 Let's go on. 23:24 The wicked attack the New Jerusalem, 23:26 and then the White Throne judgment occurs. 23:30 You'll find that there in Revelation 20:11-13, 23:32 the White Throne Judgment occurs. 23:34 Now what is the result of the White throne judgment? 23:37 That's when the books are open, 23:39 and those who attack will be judged 23:42 according to their words 23:43 and then what takes place again? 23:45 The second death occurs. 23:46 How does the second death occur? 23:48 Someone tell me. 23:50 Fire came down from God of the heaven and what? 23:53 Devoured them. 23:54 Not only did fire come down, 23:56 but the earth became a lake of fire 24:00 in the same way that the earth was destroyed by water, 24:04 there was no ocean somewhere 24:05 where people were thrown in to drown, 24:07 the earth became an entire planet of water, 24:09 this time will be an entire planet of fire. 24:12 And then finally, 24:14 let's say the last one together. 24:15 Sin eradicated eternally. 24:18 Let's try it one more time, sin what? 24:20 Eradicated eternally. 24:23 It's hard to think that way, isn't it? 24:25 Think about it. 24:27 It's hard to think about anything 24:29 not existing any longer. 24:31 It's hard to think that one day, 24:33 we won't have any more struggles. 24:34 But I want to tell you tonight, 24:35 one day there'll be no more temptation. 24:37 Amen. 24:39 Thank you, David. 24:40 One day, there'll be no more heartache, 24:42 no more suffering, no more death, 24:44 no more trials, no more anger, 24:46 no more hostility, no more deception. 24:48 Can I go on? 24:50 I'll be here for weeks 24:51 because there's so much wrong with this world, 24:53 there's so much wrong with this planet, 24:55 there's so much wrong with the human heart 24:58 that the Lord will eradicate sin eternally. 25:01 And so, 25:03 here's the best way to be happy about that. 25:07 Here's the best way to be happy about that last statement. 25:11 If you begin to live a righteous life 25:14 before Jesus comes, 25:16 you won't be sad when sin is eradicated 25:20 because your life would not include the things of sin. 25:25 Amen. 25:27 And I do have big ears. 25:29 If you begin to include in your life 25:31 those things that are connected to heaven, 25:33 you will not miss the things connected to earth 25:36 when Jesus comes back. 25:38 The reason why Lot's wife lost her life 25:43 is because her affection was still 25:44 where God was trying to take her from. 25:48 If your affection, that's why the Bible says, 25:50 set your affections on things where? 25:52 Above and not on things of the earth. 25:55 I feel... 25:56 Now, I'm not gonna condemn, 25:58 but there's some people that live lavishly and wealthy 25:59 and they got every, 26:01 you know, they got the whole garage of 16 cars 26:04 and all the models and, 26:06 if they could afford that, fine. 26:07 If their hearts are not connected to that, 26:09 wonderfully. 26:11 But I've seen some situations where I'm thinking to myself, 26:12 "Do they really want the Lord to come back?" 26:15 Saying, didn't had the chance to ride their new car 26:16 just imported from Germany, you know. 26:20 Nothing wrong with having those things. 26:21 There are very wealthy people spoken of in the Bible. 26:23 So wealth is not a sin. 26:25 Don't wanna give that impression at all. 26:27 Somebody once said, 26:28 that money doesn't buy happiness 26:30 and somebody else responded, 26:31 give me a chance to conclude that myself. 26:34 But if your heart is connected to this money, 26:36 remember the Lord says, 26:37 "You cannot serve God and money." 26:39 And there's some individuals in James. 26:41 James brings out a continual stern rebuke 26:44 to those who gather up which is for the last days. 26:47 Because what happens is where your treasure is, 26:49 there will your heart be also. 26:52 So if you love all the things you're surrounded with, 26:54 it's hard to say, it's time to leave the city. 26:57 Wait a minute, 26:59 you mean I gotta leave all this behind? 27:01 Well, the fact of the matter is 27:03 and here's the bulleting for tonight. 27:05 This is the truth of the ages. 27:07 You can't take it with you. 27:09 Amen. Amen? 27:11 So you might as well leave it 27:13 or the only choice is leave it or burn with it. 27:17 I'm not burning with the car. What do you think? 27:20 The rich young ruler. He had it all. 27:22 I was reading about that earlier this week. 27:25 And I discovered that 27:26 it was not only his possessions, 27:28 he wanted eternal life 27:30 but he did not want Jesus to be his leader. 27:34 That was the issue. 27:35 He said, "What good things shall I do?" 27:39 And Lord says, "Follow me." 27:40 "I want eternal life but I don't wanna follow You." 27:43 And he walked, but he walked away. 27:46 He didn't walk with Jesus. 27:48 So anytime you don't want Jesus to be your leader, 27:50 then you're moving in the wrong direction. 27:52 The reason I want Jesus to be my leader everyday 27:55 is because the Bible says in Revelation Chapter 14, 27:58 they follow the Lamb, wherever He goes. 28:02 Amen? 28:04 So if you're in the valley of the shadows, 28:06 you maybe on the hilltop, 28:08 follow the Lamb wherever He goes. 28:11 And we're gonna find out tonight 28:12 where He went. 28:14 And how wonderful it is to get ready for 28:16 where the Lord presently is. 28:17 Amen? Amen. 28:18 So let's go to our new lesson, 28:20 we just went through an outline 28:21 and for those of you who followed along 28:23 in our final outline, 28:25 the specifics are in lesson number 25. 28:27 But tonight, our new lesson is entitled, 28:31 "The Truth about Heaven and the New Earth." 28:35 You know that, as I listen to this lesson, 28:39 I have just been amazed how many times, 28:43 and I wanna say this, 28:44 I even heard this sometimes amongst us. 28:46 How people get things mixed up? 28:48 I might just drop something, I might drop, 28:50 give you one drop, 28:52 just one drop of some to think about. 28:54 Because I've heard people say that, 28:55 I remember when I was growing up, 28:57 I used to think the very same thing 28:58 when I lost my puppy, when I lost my dog, 29:00 when I lost my favorite pet, 29:01 I would ask, is it gonna be in heaven? 29:05 But we'll discover where pets are going to be. 29:09 We'll discover what the Bible says 29:11 about heaven and the New Earth. 29:14 What is going to be there, who is going to be there, 29:17 what's going to be there 29:18 and what's not going to be there, 29:20 all right. 29:21 So let's not 'cause... we have the, 29:22 so many people have all these, 29:24 you know, statements about what's gonna be in heaven. 29:27 And sometimes, we even mix up text, 29:30 and sometimes even people perceive it, 29:32 "Oh, when I get to heaven, 29:33 I'm gonna go to the heavenly zoo." 29:36 Think about it. 29:38 The lion shall be laid down with the lamb. 29:40 Do we say that? That's in the Bible. 29:43 But I want just tell you this now 29:45 so we could break it down a little later. 29:47 The lion and the lamb are gonna be in the New Earth, 29:50 not in heaven. 29:52 I wanna follow this very carefully. 29:53 We'll talk about that later on 29:56 'cause now your wheels are spinning. 29:59 Okay, we'll talk about it a little later, all right? 30:01 The New Earth is going to be the creation restored, 30:05 remember that. 30:07 When God created the earth, 30:10 during the week He created animals. 30:13 He didn't send them down here, He created animals. 30:16 Then He created Adam and Adam named all the animals. 30:20 Jesus is coming back for His church, 30:24 and in the New Earth. 30:26 My own personal desire, 30:27 and I said this one day to a little child who said, 30:31 it's my puppy, get the puppy. 30:32 When we lost out only dog 30:34 that we had as a married couple, 30:36 a long time ago. 30:38 We were so torn by seeing him hit right in front of us. 30:42 You know, we just bought him a brand new chain 30:43 and he was just my, 30:45 somebody had given to him to us 30:47 when I was going passing around 30:48 thanksgiving baskets 30:50 in the mountains of northern California. 30:51 I went to an house and the lady said, 30:53 I wanna give you something as she took me to her backyard 30:55 and there was a dog 30:57 that had a litter of puppies 30:59 and I picked the one that was most strange 31:01 from the whole pile and I named him Snuggles. 31:04 He was a child Labrador. 31:06 And wherever I went, 31:09 just imagine me pulling out from the church, 31:12 and there's a whole long line of traffic 31:15 behind me going really slow and I'm thinking, 31:17 why they're going so slow 31:19 and then I see this little brown dog 31:21 in the middle of the traffic, 31:22 and it's my dog running 31:24 in front of all the cars and trucks, 31:26 because he's trying to catch up with me. 31:28 That's how close we were. 31:30 I would stop and I said, 31:31 Snuggles, you're gonna get killed! 31:33 I stopped and he jumped into our van, 31:35 right into my lap 31:36 and stick its head outside the window 31:38 while then in the couch and he'll jump on my chest 31:40 and put his face right here and then go. 31:43 And we had such a connection. 31:45 Very loyal dog 31:46 and that one evening, we went to the store 31:48 and he was so used to just running 31:50 'cause he heard dogs bark across the road 31:52 where just like it, just two lanes, 31:53 one in each direction. 31:55 And he ran out, right across, 31:57 he ran across the road way at night 32:00 and a pickup truck hit him, knocked him way up in the air 32:02 and he landed and he died in my arms. 32:04 And from then, we never got a pup again 32:06 because all the pain of death. 32:08 And we called a deacon 32:10 and he buried him in the mountains of California. 32:12 You know what I said? 32:14 Man, I tell you, for weeks we were not even any good. 32:16 We'd see a piece of here in the house, 32:18 I'm talking about the New Earth, okay. 32:20 And so I thought in the New Earth, 32:22 there gonna be some dogs, they're gonna be some pets, 32:23 they're gonna be some animals and horses, why not mine? 32:26 Come on, say amen somebody. 32:28 But here's my point. 32:29 If he's not there, I'm not gonna be upset! 32:32 Can I get an amen? Amen. 32:34 Whatever the Lord decides will be better than 32:36 what we have now, isn't it right? 32:38 So let's not get all bent out of shape 32:40 and give God a list of all the reasons why we, 32:42 if, Lord, if You have this in the New Earth, I'll go. 32:48 I've heard some people say, I've heard some people say, 32:51 "If he's not gonna be in heaven, 32:53 I don't wanna be there." 32:54 And I thought to myself, 32:55 if you don't wanna be in heaven, 32:57 I'm not pointing you, 32:58 but if you don't wanna be in heaven, 32:59 I'm not losing heaven because you don't wanna be there. 33:01 Amen somebody? Amen. 33:02 I'm going because Jesus is gonna be there, right? 33:04 That's the number one reason why we're going, 33:06 not because, oh, 33:08 if my cousin doesn't make it, I don't wanna be in. 33:09 I've heard somebody say, 33:10 "My brother's not gonna be there, 33:12 I don't wanna be there." 33:13 I said, "Well, I guess, you both won't be there." 33:14 Don't wanna be very harsh 33:16 but the fact of the matter is the only reason 33:17 why we should go because Jesus is going to be there. 33:20 Not for mansions, not for golden streets, 33:22 not for fruit we're going 33:24 because that's the place of the redeemed. 33:26 So tonight, let's begin with the promise. 33:28 Question number one, here it is. 33:30 What promise did Jesus make 33:32 concerning His desire to have us with Him? 33:34 What promise did Jesus make? 33:36 John Chapter 14, 33:38 all you theologians know this very well. 33:40 John 14:1-3 33:42 as we'll find our answer tonight. 33:44 In this world where so many things are going wrong. 33:46 This text is a constant comfort to know that one day, 33:50 there's gonna be a permanent change. 33:52 Here it is. 33:54 On the screen, John 14:1-3, let's read this together, 33:56 we all know this, I think we should 33:58 all recite this together. 33:59 Together, here we are, 34:01 "Let not your heart be troubled, 34:03 you believe in God, believe also in Me. 34:06 In My Father's house are many mansions, 34:09 if it were not so, I would have told you. 34:12 I go to prepare a place for you. 34:15 And if I go and prepare a place for you, 34:18 I will come again 34:21 and receive you to Myself, 34:23 that where I am, there you may be also." 34:27 I wanna be where Jesus is. 34:29 Jesus already came down to be where I am, 34:31 but this time I wanna be where He is, amen? 34:34 You see what people don't understand, 34:36 we've traveled, right now I think in our list, 34:37 we've been to 52 countries. 34:39 I want you to turn with me 34:41 to the Book of Hebrews Chapter 9. 34:42 We've been to 52 countries. 34:44 Matter of fact, Hebrews Chapter 11, 34:45 not Hebrews chapter 9. 34:47 We've been to 52 countries 34:48 and I haven't seen a country on earth yet 34:51 that I'm willing to trade for heaven. 34:54 I haven't seen a country on earth yet. 34:56 I mean, I haven't been to Dubai yet I've heard about 34:59 my good friend Pastor Doug Batchelor went to Dubai, 35:02 and you know he comes from a lot of wealth. 35:04 His dad was a billionaire and it's hard to impress him 35:07 and he said to me, John, you know 35:08 it's hard to impress me. 35:11 I was impressed. 35:13 Dubai, the tallest building in the world. 35:15 He said, you walk into hotel lobbies 35:17 and everything is gold. 35:19 I mean the best of the best, 35:21 the best of the best of the best. 35:22 Gold plated and platinum plated things all round you, 35:24 just money flowing. 35:27 And I found out that like 35:28 over a hundred million dollars a day, 35:31 that's some crazy amount. 35:33 Hundred million dollars a day flowing to these areas 35:35 just because of the oil. 35:37 I mean that's a small amount, 35:38 I'm sure I'm way out by whole lot. 35:40 But, so if you got this money flowing in, 35:43 you gotta find something to do with it. 35:46 But I wanna tell you, after I read this text, 35:48 not even Dubai is the place that I wanna be eternally. 35:51 Come on amen somebody? Amen. 35:53 Hebrews 11:9, as Bible says, 35:56 "By faith, speaking about Abraham, 35:58 he sojourned in the land of promise 36:01 as in a foreign country, 36:05 dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, 36:07 the heirs with him of the same promise, 36:12 for he waited for the city 36:15 which has foundations, 36:16 whose builder and maker is God." 36:20 Verse 16, 36:24 "But now they desire a better, 36:26 that is a," what kind of country?" 36:28 A heavenly country. 36:30 Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, 36:34 for He has, together, prepared a city for them." 36:38 Tonight, there's a city prepared for us. 36:42 A wonderful city and a city of peace 36:45 because the prince of peace reigns there. 36:47 A city of no violence, 36:49 when you compared the city 36:51 that the Bible talks about in Revelation to the city 36:53 that Isaiah talks about. 36:55 Go to Isaiah Chapter 24. 36:58 Let's look at the city as Isaiah sees the earth. 37:01 And this is just a tip of the iceberg. 37:04 Isaiah Chapter 24. 37:11 Here it is, Isaiah Chapter 24. 37:16 Talking about the Day of Judgment 37:18 and Tribulation to come. 37:20 Everybody's gonna be involved. 37:21 Starting with verse 1, 37:23 "Behold, the Lord makes the earth empty 37:26 and makes it waste, 37:29 distorts its surface and scatters abroad 37:32 its inhabitants." 37:33 And notice how many will be affected? 37:35 Verse 2, 37:36 "And it shall be: As with the people, 37:38 so with the priest, 37:39 as with the servant, so with his master, 37:41 as with the maid, so with her mistress, 37:43 as with the buyer, so with the seller, 37:45 as with the lender, so with the borrower, 37:47 as with the creditor, so with the debtor. 37:49 The land shall be entirely emptied and utterly plundered, 37:53 for the Lord has spoken this word." 37:57 Notice what He says, verse 4, 37:59 "The earth mourns and fades away, 38:01 the world languishes and fades away, 38:04 the haughty people of the earth languish. 38:06 The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants 38:09 because of the people that live here, us, 38:11 because they have transgressed the laws, 38:13 changed the ordinance, 38:14 broken the everlasting covenant. 38:17 Therefore the curse has devoured how much, 38:20 the earth, 38:21 and those who dwell in it are desolate. 38:23 Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, 38:27 and few men are left." 38:28 That means so little. 38:30 After this devastation, so little. 38:31 That's the condition of that of the world 38:33 that we live in now, 38:35 compared to the world 38:36 that the Lord is preparing for us. 38:37 Amen? 38:39 So let's put the answer to question number one. 38:40 What promise did Jesus make concerning His desire 38:43 to have us with Him? 38:47 I will come again, write that. 38:51 He will come again. 38:53 He will return. 38:55 That's I will come back. 38:58 I will come again. 39:00 Reason why He's coming back is because while we live here, 39:04 we're not citizens down here, right? 39:07 When you accepted Jesus Christ, you change your citizenship. 39:11 You got a different passport. 39:14 See when I travel, they always ask, 39:16 you know, country of origin, 39:18 country of nationality, I got USA. 39:22 When I get to the New Jerusalem, 39:25 they can say, passport please. 39:27 Citizen of heaven, amen. Amen. 39:30 I got the proof today. Go to Philippians Chapter 3. 39:33 Got the proof to that, Philippians Chapter 3. 39:36 Look at this. 39:38 Philippians Chapter 3. 39:40 Okay, here we are. 39:46 Okay, here it is. 39:47 Philippians Chapter 3, 39:51 look at verse 20 and verse 21. 39:56 Citizens, citizens." 39:58 For our citizenship is," where? 40:01 "In heaven, 40:02 from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, 40:05 the Lord Jesus Christ, 40:07 who will transform our lowly body 40:10 that it may be conformed to His glorious body, 40:14 according to the working by which He is able even 40:18 to subdue all things to Himself." 40:20 So where is our citizenship? 40:22 It's in heaven. 40:23 As the evangelist would sing years ago 40:25 is your name written there. 40:28 Praise the Lord. 40:30 That's why He's coming back to get us 40:31 because wouldn't it make sense 40:33 when we had that terrible tragedy of September 11, 2001. 40:37 We arrived from Canada on a United Airlines airplane 40:41 and because we were on an American carrier, 40:45 we were allowed to come into America. 40:47 Here's the key. 40:48 Because we have a heavenly citizenship, 40:50 we'll be allowed to go to heaven. 40:52 Amen? Amen. 40:53 That's the key reason. 40:55 The heavenly citizenship is stamped on the passport, 40:58 the blood of Jesus Christ. 40:59 Let's go to question number two, here it is. 41:02 Question number two. 41:04 What reason does the Bible give 41:05 for the necessity of Jesus' return? 41:08 What reason does the Bible give 41:09 for the necessity of Jesus' return? 41:11 There's a reason it gives. 41:13 Go to John 3:13, okay. 41:15 John 3:13, okay. 41:24 John 3:13, here it is. 41:27 The Bible says, 41:29 "No one has ascended to heaven 41:32 but He who came down from heaven, 41:35 that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven." 41:40 That is the Son of man who is in heaven. 41:42 Now let me put this together 41:43 because I know you're thinking of Elijah, 41:45 you're thinking of Moses, you're thinking of Enoch. 41:48 They did not ascend to heaven. 41:50 They were carried to heaven. 41:53 Did you hear that? 41:54 They didn't ascend on their own power, 41:58 they were carried. 41:59 Swept away in a chariot of fire, see? 42:01 Enoch walked with God and it was for God took him. 42:05 And Moses, the Lord resurrected him. 42:06 He was a trophy of those 42:08 who'll come forth from the grave 42:10 in the resurrection. 42:11 They did not ascend on their own power like 42:14 the saints are going to ascend on the power of Christ. 42:19 So what this is talking about here 42:20 is no one has ascended to heaven 42:22 but He who came down from heaven, 42:24 that is the Son of man who is in, 42:26 was up, came down, went back. 42:30 Is that clear? 42:31 Now the reason I'm bringing this up 42:33 because I'm gonna go to the very next question, 42:34 and I'm going to address this issue 42:36 about this new show, "Heaven is for Real." 42:39 Or there's a new movie, Heaven is for Real," 42:41 where this little kid says he went to heaven. 42:44 Okay, I'm not gonna mention anything right now. 42:46 But let's just go on to the question to number two. 42:48 What reason does the Bible give 42:49 for the necessity of Jesus' return? 42:52 Is no one has ascended to heaven. 42:54 How many? No one. 42:55 Tonight, loved ones are not in heaven, 42:58 the Liberace is not there, Dean Martin is not there, 43:01 Frank Sinatra is not there, Michael Jackson is not there. 43:03 No one has ascended to heaven. 43:06 And we know the reason why no one has ascended. 43:09 It's because we cannot ascend 43:11 until we are changed to be immortal, 43:13 ain't that right? 43:15 The Bible says 43:16 when this mortal puts on immortality 43:20 and that happens at the last trumpet. 43:23 That does not happen at death, 43:25 until this mortal puts on immortality 43:27 and is corruptible puts on incorruption, 43:30 mortality cannot exist 43:31 in the presence of an immortal God. 43:34 David the Psalmist says, "Our God is a consuming fire." 43:37 What will happen to perishable things, 43:40 in the presence of a fire? 43:41 Come on, tell me what will happen? 43:43 Burned up! 43:44 Like dried leaves on a summer day. 43:46 It'll burn up just like that. 43:48 Our God is a consuming fire. 43:50 But if you're immortal, 43:53 you'll be able to walk into the presence of God 43:55 without being consumed. 43:56 And only as you are clothed in the character of Christ, 44:00 can you walk in the presence of His Father 44:02 and not be consumed. 44:05 That's the qualification, not your righteousness, 44:08 but His righteousness, right? 44:10 So no one has ascended but He who came down, 44:12 and that was the big issue with the Jews. 44:14 They would say, wait a minute, wait a minute. 44:17 He said, "How did you get fed in the wilderness?" 44:20 Well, 44:22 our father Moses fed us with the bread 44:24 that came down from heaven. 44:25 He did, didn't he? 44:28 And Jesus said to the Jewish leaders, 44:29 young man, young Jesus. 44:33 Well, I am the bread that came down from heaven. 44:38 You're not even old enough. 44:42 How are you the bread that came down from heaven? 44:47 But those who understood 44:49 as Jesus said to the women at the well, 44:51 she didn't argue like the Pharisees did. 44:53 They were determined to tell Jesus 44:55 He's not the bread. 44:57 When she met Jesus and found that He is the Christ, 44:59 she said, "Give me of that water 45:01 that I may never thirst again." 45:02 Amen? 45:04 That's the right response. 45:05 They said you're not the bread and she said, 45:07 "You are the water, give me that water 45:09 that I might not thirst again." 45:11 So no one has ascended. 45:12 So put that to the number two question, 45:14 what reason does the Bible give 45:15 for the necessity of Jesus' return? 45:17 No one has ascended. 45:18 We cannot ascend to heaven without the power of Christ. 45:21 We're not going on our own recognizance, 45:23 we're not flying away. 45:24 So when people sing that song, 45:26 "I'll fly away." 45:28 No, you'll be on the wings of Christ. 45:31 You'll be going on His wings. 45:32 We'll be flying but not on our own recognizance. 45:35 When I die, I'll fly away, 45:38 bulletin not, won't happen. 45:42 Number three. 45:44 How did Jesus confirm 45:47 that man cannot go to heaven until He returns? 45:51 Cannot go to heaven until He returns, 45:55 question number three. 45:57 All right? 45:58 How did Jesus confirm that? 46:00 Oh, man, 46:01 there's so many of these responses, 46:02 I had to pick one of them. 46:05 Because Jesus was clear. 46:07 Jesus was so clear. 46:11 I thank the Lord for the clarity of His Word. 46:12 Can you say amen to that? 46:14 John 13:33, 46:15 here is what the word of the Lord says 46:17 from the lips of Jesus. 46:20 He says, "Little children, 46:23 I shall be with you a little while longer. 46:27 You will seek Me, 46:28 and as I said to the Jews, 46:31 'Where I am going, together, 46:33 you cannot come,' so now I say to you.'" 46:37 Then he goes on to the very next verse 46:39 and says love one another. 46:41 And He made this clear, 46:42 there're at least four statements 46:44 where Jesus says, "Where I'm going, 46:45 you cannot come." 46:46 You know the way, but you can't come. 46:49 I'll come back to get you, you cannot come. 46:52 Where are you going, Father? 46:53 And he said to them, you know the way, 46:54 but let's just put it this way, I am the way, 46:56 the truth and the life. 46:57 But you can't come, I'll be back. 47:00 So people cannot go. 47:02 So when somebody says that they went to heaven, 47:05 I remember years ago, there was a book," 47:07 23 minutes in Heaven, 40 minutes in Hell". 47:13 And then about, maybe about 25 years ago 47:16 all of a sudden, for those of you who are, 47:18 you know, more mature, 47:19 I'm not referring to the kids here 47:21 but all of a sudden 47:22 we started having these reports of people 47:24 seeing this light, remember that? 47:26 They're going toward a light. 47:30 I saw the light. 47:32 And they said the light was warm 47:33 and it embraced me and then this little kid 47:36 came back with reports like, 47:37 well, everybody's gonna be there, 47:39 no one's gonna be lost, 47:41 and the devil like he did years ago on that 47:43 evil movie "Poltergeist", 47:47 saw it before I was converted. 47:52 He communicates lies 47:55 through innocent voices, subtle. 48:00 Daddy, I saw grandpa there. 48:04 What did he look like? 48:07 I saw my baby sister, 48:08 the one that died before she was born. 48:09 What she looked like? And he describes it. 48:12 Then you must've been there. 48:16 Don't even know that devil's been around 48:17 longer than this baby sitter's been around. 48:20 The devil and his angels. 48:22 People have deleted Satan and his angels 48:28 from the sin of the world. 48:30 Nowadays, particularly is preference, 48:32 lifestyle, 48:34 I prefer this way, you prefer that way, tradition. 48:37 I was saying to somebody yesterday, 48:39 I don't believe in traditional marriage, I really don't. 48:42 I believe in biblical marriage. 48:46 Traditions change, don't they? Oh, yes. 48:48 Whatever the society, it'll be a new tradition. 48:50 Let's start a new tradition. 48:51 We'll all go to church left foot first 48:53 right foot next, traditions. 48:55 But the Bible doesn't change, am I right? 48:58 So if somebody argues with you about traditional marriage, 49:01 say I don't believe in traditional marriage. 49:02 Let them sit there and simmer. Aren't you a Christian? 49:05 Yeah, but I do not believe in traditional marriage. 49:08 Let them sit there and sweat a little bit. 49:10 I believe in scriptural marriage. 49:11 Amen? 49:13 That is constant. 49:14 And you cannot argue with me based on my religious freedom. 49:17 That's what I'm basing it on, not my tradition. 49:19 So here's the point. 49:20 Where I'm going you cannot come. 49:22 So when people say they went to heaven, 49:23 they didn't go. 49:25 But now let me justify what is clear 49:28 because the Bible talks about the prophets 49:30 that had glimpses of heaven. 49:33 Some people dream, I had a dream a few nights ago. 49:35 It wasn't about heaven, but I'm sure that some of us 49:38 somewhere along the way in our lifetime 49:39 may have dreamed of something glorious 49:41 and woke up in the morning and desired, 49:42 from that day on to live righteous 49:43 because the dream is so beautiful about heaven 49:46 and being in the presence of Jesus. 49:48 I remember one day I did have a dream, 49:49 and I had told my wife about it the next morning. 49:52 I dreamed that I was in a room, just me and Jesus 49:54 and we had such a one to one conversation. 49:56 No one was there 49:58 and I woke up that next morning and I said, 50:00 "I've seen Jesus." 50:02 But Bible says, "No one has seen 50:04 the Father any time." 50:06 And I said, "Oh, how wonderful." 50:08 It was a dream. 50:11 And in the Bible, the Bible also talks about visions 50:14 that prophets had. 50:15 Go to Revelation Chapter 4, let's give you an example. 50:18 So how did Jesus confirm that 50:19 no man cannot go to heaven until He returns? 50:24 He says, "Where I am going, you cannot come." 50:28 Reason why, 50:29 you're not coming until you change. 50:31 We're not going in the condition that we're in. 50:34 Revelation Chapter 4. 50:35 Let's look at some examples in the Bible. 50:37 Revelation Chapter 4. 50:40 Okay. 50:41 This is the text that's often used 50:43 to bolster the rapture or the secret rapture, 50:47 but there's no secret rapture in this thing, 50:50 'cause we've to read the verse. 50:51 Revelation 4:1, 50:53 "After these things I looked, and behold, 50:56 a door standing open," where? 50:59 "In heaven. 51:00 And the first voice 51:01 which I heard was like a trumpet." 51:04 Often times those who believe in the rapture 51:06 connects this to the last trumpet, 51:09 didn't say this last trumpet, said a trumpet. 51:12 And then they say, "Speaking with me, saying, 51:14 'Come up hither," as the King James 51:16 or "come up here, 51:18 and I will show you things 51:19 which must take place after this." 51:22 And notice how he was caught up. 51:25 "Immediately I was in the Spirit." 51:29 Spirit began to impress upon him. 51:31 That was the work of the Holy Spirit 51:32 to bring to his mind what God wanted him to see. 51:35 He was still on the earth. 51:37 He says, "And, behold, a throne set in heaven, 51:40 and one sat on the throne. 51:42 And He who sat there was like a jasper 51:46 and a sardius stone in appearance, 51:49 and there was a rainbow about the throne, 51:51 in appearance like an emerald." 51:54 I'll tell you, the devil has taken a symbol 51:56 that belongs to Christ 51:57 and has made it a putrid symbol in society, the rainbow. 52:02 That's what he does. So you see here. 52:04 I'm not gonna read the whole thing, 52:06 you get a chance to do that, and you see in this very verse, 52:09 one of the activities of the angel 52:10 is to praise God day and night. 52:12 The four and twenty elders, the angels, 52:15 they praised the Lord day and night 52:16 and they say in verse 11, 52:18 look at verse 11 of the same chapter. 52:21 You are Holy O Lord, 52:24 to receive glory and honor and power, 52:26 for you created all things and by Your will, 52:29 they exists and were created. 52:33 So John is caught up in vision, but where is John? 52:36 Someone tell me, where is he? 52:38 On the Island of Patmos. 52:40 But he's caught up in vision. 52:42 He's in chains, he's a prisoner. 52:44 But God has given him a glimpse 52:47 of the heavenly abode of God. 52:50 He's given him a glimpse. 52:52 But he's not there, but today, 52:54 one of the reasons why these things 52:55 have been happening more so over the last 25-30 years 52:58 is because Satan is setting the world up 53:00 for the ultimate deception. 53:03 The resurrection is a new show, don't watch it, 53:05 I don't watch it. 53:06 Don't watch it. Don't even. 53:08 There's a show called the Resurrection. 53:11 Little boy comes back after being dead 28 years, 53:13 saw the commercial and thought, what's your son's name? 53:16 Daddy... 53:18 Only the father and the son know this. 53:20 And you know, they said, 53:22 it'll challenge everything you ever believe, 53:24 that's what they said. 53:25 It'll challenge everything you think. 53:27 That's exactly what the devil wants you to do. 53:29 You know what he wants you to challenge? 53:30 The Word of God. 53:32 That's really what he wants you to challenge. 53:33 But the Bible says, but he's back 53:37 and they keep it, what, 53:39 I'm coming home, I'm coming home. 53:41 Tell the world I'm coming home. 53:44 They play that in the background 53:45 so you could hear that ethereal voice 53:47 in your head all day long. 53:48 No, here's what I say, Jesus is coming again. 53:53 He's coming and we're going home. 53:55 There no dead people coming back to my house! 54:00 Right? Yes. 54:02 In the Book of Job, Bible says, 54:04 "He shall not awake nor be raised," 54:05 Job Chapter 14. 54:07 Since you made me go there, let's go to Job Chapter 14. 54:11 Look at this. 54:12 I'm thanking God for His Word. You know what? 54:14 The only thing that will secure you 54:16 from the deception to come, 54:17 is a thus saith the Lord, isn't that right? 54:20 Don't believe in any experience, 54:22 no matter how warm it feels, it's a lie. 54:26 It's Job Chapter 14. 54:29 It's a lie. 54:31 People tell you, oh but I witnessed it myself. 54:35 Well, you just got deceived, 54:37 that's what it's called, deception, right? 54:40 Job Chapter 14 starting with verse 10. 54:45 Okay, I'm gonna try to read 54:46 because I don't have a ton of time, 54:48 "But man dies and is laid away, 54:49 indeed he breathes his last," and where is he? 54:54 "As water disappears from the sea, 54:56 and a river becomes parched and dries up, 54:59 so man lies down and does not rise." 55:03 Come on, say that together, does not rise. 55:06 "Till the heavens are no more, 55:10 they shall not awake nor be roused 55:13 or raised from their sleep. 55:15 Oh, that You would hide me in the grave, 55:17 that You would conceal me until Your wrath is past, 55:20 That You would appoint me a set time, 55:21 and remember me! 55:23 If a man dies, shall he live again? 55:24 Yeah. 55:26 All the days of my hard service I will wait, 55:28 till my change comes." 55:30 What change? 55:31 From mortal to immortal. 55:33 And let's go to one more, Job Chapter 17, 55:37 now they had this new phrase called home going services. 55:40 Well, I got an answer for that one too. 55:42 Praise the Lord. 55:43 Job Chapter 17, home going, we're doing home going. 55:47 They ain't going home, they're going to the cemetery. 55:49 But they wanna call it home, 55:51 the Lord has something for that too, here it is. 55:52 Job 17:13, 55:55 "If I wait for the grave as my house..." 55:59 Home going is where? 56:01 The grave. 56:03 "If I make my bed in the darkness, 56:06 if I say to corruption, 56:07 'You are my father,' and to the worm, 56:09 'You are my mother and my sister, 56:11 where is my hope? 56:13 As for my hope, who can see it? 56:16 Will they go down to the gates of Sheol? 56:19 Shall we rest together in the dust?" 56:21 That's right, home, the dust. 56:24 From dust thou what? 56:25 The Lord said to Adam unto dust, thou shall return. 56:28 They're in the dust, so don't get deceived, 56:30 the Lord says... 56:32 Did we just get to number three, that's it? 56:34 The Lord says, 56:35 "Where I'm going you cannot come." 56:38 So tonight my, brothers and sisters, 56:39 let's make sure that 56:41 we are preparing for the coming of Lord, 56:42 not for some new Hollywood production, 56:45 that either the resurrection's taken place 56:48 or heaven is for real, heaven is for real, right? 56:52 Don't get that mixed up, 56:54 but we don't go at different times. 56:56 We all go together. 56:58 We all go at the same time, the Lord is gonna descend. 57:01 He's coming back with the trumpet 57:03 to wake up all of our loved ones 57:04 who are resting in Jesus. 57:05 Isn't that wonderful? 57:07 And when that trumpet blows, 57:08 the dusty graves from all over the earth, 57:11 of all the sleeping saints will be open. 57:14 They'll come forth immortal, 57:16 perfectly reproduced in the character of Christ. 57:19 There'll be no more signs of sin, 57:21 no death, no suffering, no scars, no wrinkles, 57:24 they're gonna be perfect for the first time. 57:27 A smooth skin, no tattoos, David said. 57:30 They're gonna be... 57:31 Everything's gonna be fixed. 57:33 God is gonna get us ready for a place and a time 57:36 that we have never had in our lives. 57:38 And as the Apostle Paul says, "Eyes have not seen, 57:41 ears have not heard it, 57:42 and it hasn't even entered into our minds, our hearts 57:45 what God has prepared for those that love Him." 57:48 So here's my encouragement, heaven is for real. 57:51 We're gonna continue studying about heaven. 57:53 But if we hear things that don't make sense, 57:55 consult the Word of God and sooner or later, 57:58 it'll come into A Sharper Focus. 58:00 May God bless continue to bless you. |
Revised 2020-03-06