Heaven is About Jesus 7-15-25
I recently asked a group of people where they went on their honeymoon. Living in South Dakota, a common destinations has been the Black Hills. One of the couples, however had been to St. John's Island. This sounded like a beautiful place and once I saw the pictures I realized that it really was. White sand beaches framed with luscious vegetation and sunny skies made for a postcard image.
As I asked the question, one of the men had his face light up when he heard about St. John's Island. He quickly acknowledged that he would like to go there if he had the chance. The problem, however, is that he could not take his wife with him because she had already passed away.
Not far away was a set of outdoor school bleachers overlooking a softball field. I asked the man, “If you had a choice between going to St. John's Island by yourself or sitting on those bleachers with your wife, which would you choose?” Without a moment's hesitation he pointed to the bleachers.
As wonderful as an island paradise would be, what really makes a place special is who is there. Revelation 21 describes the paradise that we call heaven. It sounds even more beautiful than St. John's Island. “And the material of the wall was jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass.”
(Revelation 21:18) The next verse gives even more detail and talks of streets of pure gold. Chapter 22 then talks of flowing water bright as crystal flowing down the street. Then it tells of the tree of life with 12 fruits.
As wonderful as this place is, I would not want to live there if I had to live there alone. Thankfully others will be there too, but best of all Jesus will be there. Not only did he create you and me, but he created this new heaven and new earth with all its beauty. He created the tree of life and the streets of gold. He created all that is in our world today including the white sand beaches.
Although he created everything, he decided to become a man and even be born just like any other man. He did that to show his love. He showed his love in spite of the sinfulness of the rest of mankind. Not only was he born to show his love, but he died to show his love. Romans 5:8 tells us, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Jesus died so that our sins could be forgiven. Our sin deserves death, but Jesus died so that he could extend a peace offer to us. All we have to do is surrender to him and he gives us peace as we are reminded that when he died he paid for our sins. Knowing he loved me that much and wants to care for me, I want to be where he is for eternity. Jesus is what makes the heavenly paradise special, not the streets of gold.
In John 14:2 Jesus tells us he is preparing something special for us. “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.” That place has many rooms so there is a place for you if you will just come to Jesus. But you must come to him in order to be with him. He then says, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (John 14:3)
Even better than knowing he is preparing a place for me, is knowing that if I believe in him as King of kings and Lord of lords, then I get to be where he is at. I get to be with him in paradise- with him as my perfect king.
Guilty & Pardoned by God 6-30-25
Imagine that two brothers broke the laws of the state of South Dakota. There were many witnesses who saw them break the law. Not only were the police there to see it, but several people pulled out their phones and recorded the event. The brothers were immediately arrested and taken into custody. They knew that once the trial came, they would be found guilty and sentenced for their crimes.
The older brother showed no remorse. The younger brother however admitted what he did was wrong and wished that he could just start over and redo that day so that the outcome would be different. He did not want to live a life of crime any longer. The governor felt sorry for him and thus granted him a full pardon. That meant he did not even have to face trial and did not have to worry about sentencing. The older brother however had to face both, and it was obvious that he would be found guilty.
This fictitious scenario reminds me of the very real situation that will one day take place at the Great White Throne Judgment. Revelation 20:12 tells us that the dead will stand before God to be judged for the things they had done. Those who had followed Christ will already be alive, so they are not included in this judgment. They are the ones who had been pardoned by Jesus when they followed him. His payment on the cross insured their pardon so they did not have to face the White Throne Judgment.
But those who refused to confess their sins and repent had to face God. The power of God on that throne is shown when Revelation 20:11 says, “And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.” If heaven and earth cannot hide from God and are forced to flee from him, that means no one can escape his judgment.
Further Romans 3:10 says that none are righteous, no not one. And Romans 3:23 tells us that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. That means that whoever stands before the Great White Throne Judgment will be found guilty. Revelation 20:12 tells us, “And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.” There will be books there that have all the evidence in order to get a guilty verdict.
Not only will all be found guilty, but the sentence is serious. “And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:15).
Anyone who has to stand before that judgment will be found guilty because all of us have sinned. That is why it is so important that we have a pardon from God. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
We get our pardon when we believe on Jesus Christ and agree with him about our sin. Then 1 John 2:1 assures us, “My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;”.
Jesus is both the judge at the White Throne and the defense attorney for the Christians. If you have come to Christ, then you do not have to worry about him being overruled when he defends you. In fact, he was the one who pardoned you. If you have not yet come to Jesus, do so now, so you do not have to be found guilty and sentenced at the Great White Throne Judgment.
Follow the King of Kings 6-16-25
Imagine that two countries were at war. One country had all the power, but the other country refused to surrender. The king of the powerful country had the ability to wipe out all the leaders and all the citizens of the weaker country. In fact, all he had to do is just say the word and they would be gone and then he could have all their land and possessions.
For a while, the weaker country had thought that they might be able to get the upper hand. In fact, they had even killed the king of the powerful country. But then they realized what they were up against. The king that they killed did not stay dead. Three days later he was alive and walking among them and they could do nothing to stop him. He even went around their land for 40 days without being harmed.
Eventually he went back to his own land, but kept asking the weaker country to surrender. Many of it's citizens did surrender to him. They decided that it made more sense to follow him than to perish. They had been told that when he walked among them, he had showed kindness and compassion. Their own leaders had shown only selfishness.
Further, those who followed him the most closely found out that although they had to serve the powerful king, his expectations were not unreasonable. In fact, they reminded others that he had promised that his yoke would be easy and his burden would be light. They had found that to be true.
Many joined them and dedicated themselves to the king. Most, however did not. Some of them mocked those who served the great king. Some even killed them. Many just didn't seem to care at all.
Those who served the king got old and passed away. Many others were born and heard about the king and also trusted him. They were reminded that the king had died and had come alive again and that he had the power to give them eternal life as well. They understood that when they died they would get to be with the king.
Meanwhile the king had promised that he would eventually come back. He knew that when he came back, he would have to destroy his enemies. But he wanted to show love and grace. He wanted to keep extending his offer of peace as long as he could. Through those who had already surrendered to him, he kept spreading the word of the peace he had offered. In fact, he was able to show them that the reason he died was so that he could show how serious he was about making peace with them.
The powerful king was more than just a king. He was God in the flesh. His followers were able to relay his promise that whoever comes to him, will not be cast out. They were able to say that he loved them and if they believe on him, he will give them eternal life. They were able to tell people that the King is Jesus Christ.
John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” When you believe in Jesus, you should believe in him like you believe in a powerful king. You should believe that he has the power and authority to rule. You should believe that he is a good king who deserves your allegiance. You should then follow him and trust him as one of his faithful subjects, knowing he will reward you for your faithfulness.
Jesus is the powerful king and it makes no sense to resist him. It does however make perfect sense to follow him. He is good. He is loving. He is all powerful.
Escape God's Wrath 6-2-25
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I watched our 2 year old little girl playing with another toddler when suddenly a little 4 year old ran into her with a bike. Kids are clumsy and although the other little girl barely bumped her, our daughter fell down and bumped her head. When we see our children hurt, there is often a desire to be able to take their place so that they do not have to suffer. Thankfully the tears lasted less than a minute and our daughter was fine.
Our heavenly father has a desire to spare us from suffering as well. In fact, he loved us so much, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. Jesus willingly went to the cross to bear the punishment for sin that we deserved.
I better grasped what Jesus did for us as I studied the book of Revelation. As we come to chapter 16, we see God's wrath poured out upon the earth. “And I heard a loud voice from the temple, saying to the seven angels, "Go and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God into the earth."
(Revelation 16:1) Romans 6:23 tells us that the wages of sin is death. Sin has consequences and if sin is not paid for then the consequence for sin is the wrath of God.
In Revelation we read about the Apocalypse/ The Great Tribulation. During that Apocalypse, God's wrath will be poured out of 7 bowls. Each bowl has a different consequence. Summarized in order we find 1) sores on people, 2) sea water turned to blood, 3) fresh water turned to blood, 4) severe heat from the sun, 5) darkness, 6) a river dried up so kings can gather for the battle of Armageddon , and 7) a great earthquake.
This is the wrath that mankind deserves for sin and this is the wrath that will be poured out in the last days. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God, so we all deserve his wrath, yet God loves us. In fact he loves us so much, that he took the wrath upon himself.
As we look at those 7 bowels, we can be reminded of the cross. Jesus took sores upon his own body. He also shed his blood as shown in the second and third bowels of wrath. Although I cannot be dogmatic about Jesus enduring heat as he hung on the cross, John 19:28 tells us that he said he thirsted. The 5th bowel speaks of darkness, and Matthew, Mark, and Luke all tell of darkness as Jesus hung on the cross. The 6th bowel speaks of a river drying up and kings coming against God for the battle of Armageddon. Jesus on the cross was definitely the result of human rulers going against God. Finally, the 7th bowel has an earthquake. Matthew 27:54 records an earthquake as Jesus died on the cross.
I Thessalonians 5:9 tells Christians, “For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,” Without Jesus people will be appointed to wrath. We are warned, in Matthew 25:41, "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;” Without Jesus, we can expect the wrath of God, but if we put our trust in Jesus as we follow him, then we escape God's wrath because Jesus already took it upon himself for us. Romans 6:23 says it so beautifully, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Trust Jesus, knowing that he died on the cross so you would not have to face the wrath of God. Reject Jesus and know you will have to face God's wrath yourself. Without Jesus, God's wrath will last for eternity and you will not escape it.
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The Witness of The Warning 5-19-20
You never know what you might hit when you dig a hole. It could be a large rock, or it could be something much more dangerous.
I do some excavating work as a side job. We are meticulous about calling before we dig. Each spring, South Dakota 811 holds their damage prevention safety meetings. I recall going to one of those meetings and they showed a picture of a natural gas line that had been hit by heavy equipment. When it was hit, a spark happened and there was a huge explosion. The picture showed the charred remains of tractors and trucks. It was complete devastation. The presenter then solemnly told us that there had been people there and they had all perished.
Throughout the room some earnestly gazed at the picture. Some looked away. Others closed their eyes. Some prayed. We all grasped the importance of the warning. We knew why we should call 811 to locate any utilities before we dig. The representative from South Dakota 811 was witnessing to us about the importance of making that call 48 hours before we dig and of the dangers of digging over the location of the marked spot.
Although the picture showed a disaster of Biblical proportions, it pales in comparison to what we read about in Revelation. Chapter 12 shows us that during a time of great tribulation, two witnesses will be upon the earth. Anyone who tries to harm them will be consumed with fire. In other words, they will receive a similar fate as those who hit the gas line. Each time they do this, they will be a witness to the warning that they bring. They are showing the danger of ignoring the warning.
These witnesses will be on earth during a time when people have rejected God in spite of living through the sorts of trials that should cause them to call on God for help. “And the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk;” (Revelation 9:20) There are consequences for ignoring danger. There are consequences for ignoring God.
As I witness for Jesus Christ, I like to tell about his love and to quote John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” It is important that we understand God's love, grace, and care for us, but we must also be aware of his warnings and of what will happen if we do not listen to him. This is also part of the witness concerning Jesus: “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:” (Matthew 25:41). That everlasting fire will be worse than a natural gas explosion.
As we attended the South Dakota 811 meeting, they made it clear that they cared about us and our safety. They also made it clear that they were giving the warning about potential destruction and death because they cared about us and those around us. In a similar way, we should be witnesses to give God's warnings. Some people will not turn to God to glorify him until such a warning. Once they do turn to him, they are finally prepared to live under the loving rule and authority of Jesus Christ.
Stay Calm and Loving 5-5-25
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I was upset when I looked at my bill. Not only was it twice as much as I had expected, but I had been given a late payment service charge. I did not understand how I could have had a late payment since this was a monthly bill that was set up for direct payment from my credit card. The previous month's bill had not been paid, I had been charged a late fee, and then both month's bills had later been charged to the credit card.
I found the phone number to call the company and to let them know how unhappy I was that they had made such a mistake. As I was reflecting on my frustration, I considered how I should approach the conversation. I realized that it would not be fair to the person who answered the phone if I came across with an angry tone. Whoever had made the mistake, it was not that person, so there was no reason to take out my frustration on an innocent individual. Romans 12:18 tells us, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.”
Once the lady answered the phone, she kindly asked me for more information about my account. After she figured out which account I was calling about, she very professionally asked what she could help with. I calmly explained that I had a direct deposit account and could not figure out why the previous month had not been paid and why I had a service charge for the late payment.
She was able to find more information on her end and informed me that during the previous month, my credit card had been rejected so the payment had not been made. I have had this credit card for years and I pay it off each month, so it never occurred to me that it might have been rejected.
I was so thankful that I had remained calm, because suddenly I realized what had happened. The previous month we had a large bill come due that maxed out our credit card. The reason I put such a large payments on the card, was so we would get reward points. The bill needed to be paid anyway, and we had the funds in our checking account. Since the card was maxed out, I then made an early payment on the credit card before the monthly billing cycle so that I could keep using the card. Evidently, the direct deposit for the other bill had come during that time and since the credit card was maxed out for just a short period, it got rejected.
I immediately told the customer service representative that I knew what had happened and that it was totally my own fault and thanked her for her time. I then thanked the Lord that I had not gotten angry with her over MY mistake.
As we follow Christ, he tells us in Matthew 11:29 to, "Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and YOU SHALL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.” Knowing Jesus is meek and lowly, we should set aside our own arrogance and approach those who we think have wronged us with gentleness as well. As we listen to them, we might find out that they really had not done anything wrong.
Ephesians 4:31 tells us, “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice.” I wish I could say that I knew to be calm and gentle as I called because I have always been that way. Instead I have to say that it took time, and through the years I learned from my mistakes.
The more I learn about the grace of Jesus and his love, the more I want to be like him. I know I will not be perfect like he is, but that makes me even more thankful for his payment for my sins and that motivates me to love my neighbor as myself.