“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
“And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.”—Revelation 22:5
The contrast between an eternal hell and an eternal heaven could not be more vivid, more motivating and above all, more frightening. When I read these passages, I ask myself: where are the people who are too good to go to hell, but not good …
“Thenthe seventh angel blew his trumpet, andthere were loud voices in heaven, saying,“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and ofhis Christ, andhe shall reign forever and ever.”And the twenty-four elderswho sit on their thrones before Godfell on their faces and worshiped God, saying,
‘We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign. The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to …
“Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.”—Revelation 1:7
“Since all these things are thus to be dissolved,what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness,waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, andthe heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!”—2 Peter 3:11,12
“Therefore, brothers,since we have confidence to enterthe holy places by the blood of Jesus,bythe new and living way that he opened for us throughthe curtain, that is, through his flesh,and since we havea great priest over the house of God,let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our heartssprinkled cleanfrom an evil conscience...”—Hebrews 10:19-22
When Old Testament High Priests entered the Holy Place and went behind the curtain into the Holy …
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”—Hebrews 4:12-13
We should not be surprised that the Word of God is compared to a sword. A Roman sword had two edges; it cut both ways. God does not use the sword of the Word to destroy His people, but rather …
“God is ourrefuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.”—Psalm 46:1-3
“‘Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!’ The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”—Psalm 46:10-11
Katrina, Irene, and Sandy—just three of the mighty hurricanes that have hit our shores here in America recently. …
“Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. Trust in theLord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in theLord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to theLord; trust in him, and he will act… Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him”—Psalm 37:1-5, 7
There are several commands in these verses that, if we were to obey them, we would …
“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know…I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”—Job 42:2-3; 5,6
Last time, we saw Job’s despair in trying to find God in the midst of his unforeseen trials, and yet he also saw the light of hope, …
“Oh, that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his seat! I would lay my case before him and fill my mouth with arguments…Behold, I go forward, but he is not there, and backward, but I do not perceive him; on the left hand when he is working, I do not behold him; he turns to the right hand, but I do not see him. But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.”—Job 23:3-4, 8-10
Job felt abandoned by God and his grief was increased by listening to …
“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”—Philippians 1:9-11
Today we come to the prayer that I personally pray for each of my grandchildren individually each week. If this prayer were answered, it would encompass the hopes and dreams of any parent or grandparent. No prayer covers so much of what is essential for all of …
