As Christians, the foundation of our faith is Jesus Christ. Paul said that we should always be prepared to explain to others why our hope and faith are in Jesus. So, who is Jesus? What do we tell the unbeliever or those who may have doubts? We can say with confidence that Jesus is Alive! His resurrection was real. The textual, documentary, and archaeological proof of Jesus’s life abounds!
(more…)Tag: Faith
Will we know people in heaven? What will Heaven be Like?
Will we know people in heaven?
Many people wonder if we will recognize our friends and family when we get to heaven. We will not only recognize our loved ones and friends, but it appears that we will know everyone in heaven. We will enjoy fellowship with people from all walks of life and from the time of Adam to the present time. Can you imagine meeting the saints of the Old and New Testaments or of the generations before us?
At the mount of transfiguration, Peter, James, and John recognized Elijah and Moses even though they had never seen them before and they were separated by hundreds of years (Luke 9:30-32). This is how it will be in heaven. We will recognize everyone else and will feel like one with them.
For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known (1 Corinthians 13:12).
We will leave our sinful nature behind, and we will instead be filled with the spirit of God. Therefore we will love each other as God intended us to. We will be like one big family in heaven. Parents, Grandparents, children, and babies will be reunited and will all recognize each other. It will be a family reunion like no other!
What will it be like When we get to Heaven?
The most glorious thing is that God will be there, and Christ will be there. Tens of thousands of angels will be there praising God and serving Him. The experience will be beyond our present understanding.
“But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly” (Hebrews 12:22).
While this scripture was not meant to describe heaven, the writer of Hebrews does give us a glimpse into heaven. The singing and music will be far beyond anything we have experienced before. Can you imagine singing with the angels? Our joy in the Lord will be complete.
“They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion…They will be like a well-watered garden, and they will sorrow no more…I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow” (Jeremiah 31:12-13).
Those that suffered bad things on earth will be comforted (Luke 16:25). The tired and weary will find rest. To the thief on the cross Jesus called Heaven Paradise (Luke 23:43).
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:4).
Discouragement, despair, and heartache will be a thing of the past. No more sickness or pain. No more sadness, no more sorrow. We will be filled with the peace and joy of being in the presence of God.
The Old Testament saints will be there. Saints such as Moses, Samuel, Daniel, Noah, and all the others. There will be people from every denomination, ethnic group, and continent in heaven, anyone who was a true believer and trusted Christ as Lord and Savior of their life. Children who died before the “age of accountability” will be there, as will those with mental limitations that made them unable to understand the gospel. Also, the millions of aborted babies will be in heaven. Our family and friends who accepted Christ as their Saviour and went before us will be there to welcome us home. It will be the greatest homecoming we have ever experienced. Wow!
This post was taken from my book “Things You Probably Didn’t Learn in Church.” To learn more about Heaven and many other subjects check out this book at https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jerry-Blount/author/B06XK4GJT1
Books by Jerry, most you can read for free:
- Things you Probably Didn’t Learn in Chruch
- Basic Christianity: Living a Joy-Filled Life and Making a Difference
- Noah and the Great Flood: Proof and Effects
- The End Times: Signs and Prophecy
- Following Jesus and Fishing Along the Way: Stories From God’s Great Outdoors
- The Rapture: Coming Soon
Will our Sins be Remembered at the Judgment?
If one should enter a jewelry store and ask to see a diamond or any other precious stone, the jeweler would first spread upon his showcase a black cloth and then place the diamonds upon it, not only for protection but also in order that the black background might bring out distinctly the brilliancy and worth of the gems. So God gives this best of all promises with the dark picture of sin clearly and thoughtfully portrayed.
But first, think about the fact that for each of us, there will come a time of judgment. We will be judged and then receive eternal punishment for our sins.
Every sin we have ever committed is written down. Every unkind word, every impure thought, and every godless act will be written down. When we stand at the judgment there shall appear before us all our sins of commission and all our sins of omission, the sins we have long forgotten, and more recent sins we have committed against our fellow man and against God. There is not a sin of your youth, or passion of our mature years that is not recorded. Every act, feeling, or imagination has been indelibly recorded. All the efforts of man cannot erase this record, nor will time dim it.
(more…)Praying in Faith
“Prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.” (James 5:15 NIV)
Without getting into the full meaning of this passage, we note that faith is one of the main ingredients of effective praying. There are others, of course (praying in God’s will, no unconfessed sin, unselfish motives, etc.), but all these must be “mixed with faith” to be effective (Hebrews 4:2).
There are many such exhortations to pray in faith. Jesus said, “And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” (Matthew 21:22 ESV).
Another example: “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” (James 1:5-6).
And another: “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Mark 11:24).
Every Scripture passage must be viewed in context, including the context of the entire Bible. The “faith” we must exercise is not only confidence that God will answer, but also faith in God who created all things and can do all things, and in Jesus Christ who hears our every prayer. James warns any man without genuine faith, “That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.” (James 1:7-8).
True Biblical faith is faith in God as the omnipotent Creator (Hebrews 11:3), faith in Christ as our redeeming Savior (John 3:16-18), and complete faith in the revealed Word of God (Romans 10:17). Then we can believe in confidence that God will indeed answer our prayer of faith.
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:2)
“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16)
ICR/HMM
Fighting Despair
We’ve all felt discouraged, and alone at some point in our lives. We feel drained, exhausted, and lethargic, and find difficulty getting out of bed.
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John Bunyan called it Giant Despair in his timeless classic The Pilgrim’s Progress, and it imprisoned Christian until he found the Key of Promise in his clothing.
It’s natural to become discouraged, but it’s unhealthy to stay that way. Satan loves to utilize the giant of discouragement to cast down our faith and progress. Satan knows exactly what will discourage us and will use it to get us down. We are no match for him, he has had thousands of years to practice his craft. Our only hope is in Christ and the promises of God.
Discouragement is the temptation to evaluate your momentary circumstances apart from the overarching plan of God for your life. God is a God of encouragement, not discouragement. As soon as you become discouraged, cry out to Him in prayer and ask for His help. God wants to hear your prayers, even when discouraged. He will answer and bring encouragement to your heart.
If Giant Despair has you in his dungeon today, remember you have the key to escape. It’s inside your Bible, found in one of the hundreds of promises God has given you. For example, Joshua 1:9, says, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (NIV).
“When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” (Psalms 34:17-19) God is near to the “broken-hearted”. He wants us to reach out to Him for help.
“Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” (Psalms 55:22) We don’t need to struggle alone. The Lord will shoulder our burdens for us.
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28
“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (Deuteronomy 31:8)
“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:31)
“Discouragement can be defeated only when the full truth of everything that is for us confronts and conquers the half-truth of fear and despair.” Jason Meyer
Can we Comprehend the Greatness of God?
As we consider the greatness of God, we may be inclined to think of events or miracles that
have happened to ourselves or others or the great love of the Father to offer His Son as a
sacrifice for our sins. Maybe we would consider His creation of the human body with all its
complex and intricate elements and its DNA code that is 67 billion miles long—the same as
about 150,000 round trips to the Moon. To think of all He has created is mind-boggling.
Consider the earth’s beauty and majestic wonders that cause us to stand in
awe of His creation. Or consider the universe with over a billion known galaxies; planets
that are so large that they make the earth look like a golf ball next to them. Wow!
A light year is a measure of time, that is how far light travels in a year, which is 5.88
trillion miles or 9.46 trillion kilometers. The observable universe is 93 billion light-years across.
To most of us, that is an incomprehensible number, yet the universe goes beyond that.
How far, only God knows. As enormous as the universe is — God is bigger. God created the universe, therefore it
cannot contain Him. He is far greater than His creation.
God tells us that His thoughts and ways are beyond us. They are beyond our human
minds to grasp or understand.
Our Two-Fold Problem: Sins and Sin
God makes it quite clear in His Word that He has only one answer to every human need; His Son Jesus Christ. In all His dealings with us, He works by taking us out of the way and substituting Christ in our place. The Son of God died for our forgiveness, He lives for our deliverance. It will help us greatly and save us much confusion, if we keep constantly before us this fact, that God will answer all our questions in one way and one way only, namely, by showing us more of His Son.
Our problem is twofold: sins and sin. To better understand this let us look at the first eight chapters of the Epistle to the Romans. It will be helpful first to point out a natural division of this section of Romans into two and note certain striking differences in the subject matter of the two parts.
The first eight chapters of Romans form a self-contained unit. The four-and-one-half chapters from 1:1 to 5:11 form the first half of this unit and the three-and-one-half chapters from 5:12 to 8:39 the second half. A careful reading will show that the subject matter of the two halves is different. In the first section, we find the word “sins” given prominence. In the second half, the word “sins” hardly occurs once, however, the singular word “sin” occurs repeatedly and is the subject mainly dealt with. Why is this?
(more…)Our Task is Simply to Trust and Obey
Lord, give to me a quiet heart, that does not ask to understand but confidently steps forward in the darkness guided by thy hand. (Elizabeth Elliott)
As humans, we understand so little of God. God’s thoughts are as far above ours as the heaven is above the earth (Isaiah 55:8-9). But He knows the plans He has for us (Jeremiah 29:11). It is enough that we know we are a part of God’s sovereign design and that we are important to Him. God thought of each one of us before the earth was even formed (Ephesians 1:4). Knowing this, we can trust God with our lives, for He only wants what is best for each of us. After all, He knows what is better for us than we do. He sees the big picture, we only see this moment in time. yet, it is a hard thing to do as we all want to have full control of our own destiny. But, if we just trust God and obey Him, then we can confidently step forward in any situation, knowing our Lord is already there. What a peace it is, knowing God is in control of every situation in our lives.
It Only Takes a Little bit of Faith
We will never behold the glory of Christ by sight in the next world if we have not in some measure beheld it by faith here in this world.
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1)
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)
The eleventh chapter of the book of Hebrews lists many examples of men that had great faith and the things they accomplished.
Yet, it is not the quantity of faith that saves us. A little faith is just as real faith as the person with the greatest faith. A drop of water is just as real water as the whole ocean. A spark of fire is as real fire as a whole forest fire. A sickly man is just as real of a human being as a healthy man. So it is not the measure of your faith that saves you, but the blood of Christ. We all start out with little faith, but as we grow and see the hand of God in our lives and the lives of others, our faith increases astronomically. So if your faith is small, yet you seek Christ, He will not let you perish. The weakest hands may take the gift as well as the strongest. Christ is that gift, and a little faith is all it takes to begin a journey that will lead to a life of triumphant joy in our Lord.
Sharing Jesus 