(This is lengthy, but I hope you will take 5 minutes and read it) Nobody likes to think about death. I doubt most of us wake up each morning wondering if this could be our last day on this earth. But in the last 10 days or so, I sure have been connected to a lot of folks who said goodbye to this world. Teenage girl from my hometown.....killed in car wreck between Christmas and New years. My brother-in-laws grandfather.....died of a massive stroke this week. My dads Aunt passed away this week. A young man in his early 20s who graduated with my nephew....killed in a car wreck this week. My dads cousin.... died this week. My friends Aunt.... died this week. Most of these people just finished celebrating Christmas, opening gifts, taking family photos.....and I am sure they never imagined they would die in the next few days. Like I said, we dont like to think about it. But we all need to be ready, because we never know when our time is up. The Bible says in Hebrews 9, it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment. Just as there is a time appointed for each of us to die, there will also be a judgement that follows. We will be judged according to our sin and we are all guilty. Romans 3:23 says, For ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Not one of us can stand before God and claim we have no sin. 1 John 1:8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. And Romans 6:23 tells us that, The wages (penalty) of sin is death. Jesus tells us what will happen to sinners who stand before God as guilty: Matthew 25:41 - Then He will say to them on the left hand, Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. If that were the end of the story, we would have no hope. Praise God, its not the end of the story. The passage from Romans 6:23 ends with good news...For the wages of sin is death, BUT the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to this earth as a man, lived a sinless life, and willingly laid down his life on the cross to take the wrath of God that you deserve upon Himself, so you could be forgiven. When Christ died, He paid the full debt that was owed for your sin with His blood....so that you could be found innocent before a holy God. So....how do you receive His gift of salvation? You must trust in what He has done for you, turn from your sin, and follow Him. And what does Jesus tell us, in that same Matthew passage, happens to those who are in Christ when they stand before God on judgement day? Matthew 25:34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. An eternal home in heaven awaits those who are in Christ. Some of the glimpses of heaven that we read in Scripture: Isa. 25:8 He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces. John 14:2 In my Fathers house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. Rev. 7:16-17 Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. (John describes Heaven as he is allowed to see it) Rev. 21:11 It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. 13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15 The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. 16 The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia [or 1,400 miles!] in length, and as wide and high as it is long [1,400 miles wide and tall!]. 17 The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits [that is 200 feet!] thick. 18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. 19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass. 22 I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. 25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. 26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. I can only imagine the beauty of what God has prepared for His people. I have seen some beautiful places here on this earth, and I know they wont even be worthy to compare to what He has in store for us. 1 Cor. 2:9 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 Dont put off another day making sure that you are prepared to face God on judgement day.....it might be today. Every one of the precious people I listed above have now seen God face to face, and they have entered into His judgement, and their eternal fate has been established based solely upon whether or not they trusted in Jesus. If you have not trusted in Him....is this the day of your salvation? If you have....meditate on the Heavenly home that awaits you and praise God for His goodness!
Posted on: Tue, 06 Jan 2015 04:54:55 +0000
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