Incentives to Sign up for Heaven
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Incentives to Sign up for Heaven
fennywest Sun 01 Jul 2012, 9:02 am
Reasons to make your reservation for Heaven
Your 12 disciples to heaven
Many people want to go to heaven. They have heard about the horrors of hell and the beauties and bounties of heaven and have no second thoughts about where they would rather be- Heaven!
The primary condition however for going to heaven is the Lordship of Jesus. We must come to the place where we acknowledge that we are sinners by nature and can only be saved by grace and not our merit or works. All those who have come to this realisation and given their lives to Jesus, are children of God and have passed from death to life. Their names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
Redemption Personified
Redemption personified, the resurrection and the Life, redeemer, our Ransom, our Sacrifice- the Lamb that died in our place and makes those who accept His atoning sacrifice qualified, accepted in the beloved, the Door to heaven, the Key to heaven. He opened the gates of heaven for whosoever will come as they are to the throne of grace and bow the knee, confess their sins and their inability to save themselves and depend on His merit alone to save them. He has borne our grief and carried our sorrows. He took the punishment that we deserved and brought us peace with God through the shedding of His precious blood. We cannot work for our place in heaven. We cannot earn it. He paid for our place. No work is good enough to pass us or earn us a ticket or a reservation.
"When I stand before the throne
Dressed in beauty not my own;
When I see Thee as Thou art,
Love Thee with unsinning heart;
Then, Lord, shall I fully know-
Not till then-how much I owe."
So what are the incentives to sign up for heaven?
What other incentives are there to sign up for heaven? Who are your 12 disciple to heaven or your 12 shepherds or 12 appetizers to heaven?
Reunion
O what a wonderful reunion it would be when we meet our Saviour, Jesus Christ, face to face and the saints and our loved ones who died in Christ who have gone before us!
9 And they sang a new song, saying: " You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth."
11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands,
12 saying with a loud voice: " Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!"Rev5:9-12
2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. 1John3:2-3
Rejoicing
That glorious reunion will be attended by great rejoicing as the Bride is festooned by the Bridegroom in a marriage super of the Lamb. O what a joy that will fill the air as we celebrate or Saviour and our home-coming. The great joy that attended the gathering of the angels over every sinner that repented will be relived millions of times. Think about it. If you have known joy, this joy will be unspeakable, unassailable and unbreakable.
6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, "Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!
7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready."
8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
9 Then he said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!' "Rev19:6-9
Rest
Heaven is a place of true rest from labours. On earth, the rest we can have cannot be compared to the one heaven provides. If we can have peace that passes all understanding here on earth, as a result of making Jesus Lord, think of the rest that will have in heaven. It is just indescribable.
I know of some people who have been on holidays and return only to say they need another holiday because of the holiday. In other words, the time for rest was insufficient- the rest was:
Rough
Exasperating
Stressful and
Tortuous.
9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.
10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Heb4:9-10
13 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, "Write: 'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.' " "Yes," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them."Rev14:13
Rewards
Heaven is the place where God will reward His saints for their exploits on earth. It is the place where we will give account as to how we lived our lives on earth. The parable of the talents will come alive then.
8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
9 For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building.
10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.
11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
13 each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is.
14 If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.
15 If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. 1Cor3:8-15
Think of the Crown of Life (Jam.1:12, Rev.4:10) the Crown of Glory, the Incorruptible Crown(1Cor.9:24-27), Crown of Rejoicing(1Thess2:19,Phil4:1) Crown of Righteousness (2Tim4:
etc.
So find out your life’s purpose and face it until you finish it with finesse and you will not lose your reward.
Reassurance
Even after committing your life to Christ, pangs of doubt can assault our soul causing us to waver, unsure whether we are saved and therefore fit for heaven. We need this disciple to guide us in our maze and daze as we navigate our way en route heaven. If we sin we have an advocate with the Father Jesus who daily makes intercession for us.
25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. Heb 7:25
1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.1John2:1
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1John1:8-9
12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
1John5:12
7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
2Cor5:7,17
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.John3:14-15
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: John1:12
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."
12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.
13 For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."
Rom10:9-13
Resurrection
Another incentive to sign up for heaven is the promise of resurrection when mortality will be clothe with immortality and that sown is dishonour raised in glory, that sown in corruption raised incorruptible, that sown in weakness raised in power. God will exchange or decaying body with one that will not decay.
23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."
24 Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."
25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"John11:23-26
54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory."
55 " O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?"1Cor15:54-55
Rapture
The first stage of the coming of the Lord is the rapture which can happen any time when the dead in Christ will rise first and those who are alive and are in Christ will be caught up with them in the air.
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
1Thess4:14-16
So keep yourself ready and radiant for the rapture. Don’t be cut out; be caught up.
Reigning
One of the reasons why we are here on planet earth is to be trained to reign with Christ. How glorious to reign with Christ when he comes! Bt unless we are part of the Bride we cannot reign with Him. Besides apart from being part of the Bride of Christ we also need to suffer with him to reign with Him.
16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
17 and if children, then heirs --- heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Rom8:16-18
12 If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us.
2Tim2:12
Release
There is no doubt that life is war. There is constant struggle with temptation and sin, fears taunting us on many fronts. We also have principalities and powers to deal with and they often cause us pain and untold hardships and suffering which is part of the pruning or refining process God has allowed to mature and make us come forth as gold.
Signing up for heaven ensures that when e eventually die, which we all will, the suffering does not continue in hell.
4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."
Rev21:4
So there will be a release from sin, sickness, suffering, sorrow, pain, strain, fears and
tears, weakness, wickedness, hunger and thirst.
16 They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat;
17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." Rev7:16-17
Registration
Do you know that there will be registration in heaven? Teaching in schools, I know the importance of registration. It is not only to ascertain who is in school and to promptly identify those who are truant and reporting promptly to their parents, it is also a legal document which the government treasures and ascribes great importance to.
Similarly by giving your life to Christ you are ensuring that your name goes into the Book of Life which will one day be opened and checked to see if your name is entered.
Registration also reminds me of the drama Heaven’s Gate’s Hell’s Flames in which was a Father and son scene. The father was very rich and had no time for God. His son tried to persuade him to surrender to Christ but his response was: ‘Son, see this lovely car we are driving and the five-star house we’re living in; it was my sweat that got them- not religion. Besides, your mum attends Church on Sunday morning, Sunday evening and even on Wednesday. That’s enough religion for the family.’
The son kept pressing the dad but he insisted: ‘Boy, forget about religion for now, we have enough time.’
Soon after, they had a fatal accident and both died and appeared at Heaven’s gates to their surprise, consternation and dismay. In trepidation the son asked: ‘Dad, where are we?’
Dad: Son... it appears this is Heaven’s gates.
Son: and who are those? (pointing at the angels who were opening and checking the Book of life.
Dad: I think they are angel in charge of the Book of Life
Son: ( furious and fuming and in tears ) But that you told me we had enough time. I was only trying to be like you.
Dad: Son, I am sorry. I misled you.
Son: Dad, find out if our names are in that Book.
Dad: son, I will try but I am doubtful. (He approaches one of the angel).
Angel, I know my name will not be there, but please check for the name of my son, It is not his fault. He is just 17. He was only trying to be like his dad. Don’t let him suffer. (He checked and checked and could not find the name and signalled by shaking his head.)
Next, in came the devil and his cohorts to take both of them to hell. That scene amongst others underscored the importance of Registration with regards to heaven.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.
13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.
14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
So make sure you name is in the Book of Life.
It is also note worthy that the doctrine of once saved ever saved does not hold water. Your name can be removed if you live as you like after giving your life to Christ. This is why we were enjoined to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. We cannot crucify Christ afresh and expect grace to abound.
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;
Phil2:12
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?
2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?
Rom1:1-2
Make sure your name is written in the Book of Life.
Residence
When we sign up for heaven, we are translated from the Kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of God’s dear Son, from the Kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of Light and Life. We who were formerly aliens, with no part in God’s economy or inheritance are made partakers of the commonwealth of promise. We become citizens of heaven. Heaven becomes our eternal residence. We are in this world but not of this world. We are traveller en route an eternal city- not built with hands, the Maker and builder Who is God
8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.
9 By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise;
10 for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
Heb11:8-10
Philippians 3
20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
Jesus while praying His High-Priestly prayer in John17 prayed: 14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
John17:14,16
So we see that twice in this prayer, Jesus alluded to the truth that we were not of this world albeit passing through it.
Resplendence
1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.
2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
11 having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.
12 Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: 18 The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass.
19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald,
20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.
21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. 22 But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.
24 And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.
25 Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there).
26 And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it.
27 But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
Rev21:10-12,18-27
Exodus 24
10 and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity.
Amazing, breath-taking, tantalizing and inviting as these descriptions are, the picture painted by John will fade into insignificance when we behold heaven. There are no words that can adequately describe heaven to a mortal being. John was limited only to capturing what words can describe and his knowledge. Heaven is simply indescribable!
I hope I have wetted your appetite enough to sign up for heaven. Make your reservation today! There will be no Lastminute.com
If you want to sign up, this is a prayer to assist you:
Today, I come to the Throne of Grace
There to repent of all my sins
O Lord, I desire to see Your face
Forgive me, Lord, lift me from the bin.
Nothing can I do without You.
O Lord, I bow my knees at the cross
Withholding nothing from you my King
Come and wash clean, take away the curse.
I lay at Your feet all ambitions, everything.
Only You and You alone can satisfy.
Give me a clean slate, a new lease of life
That life purchased by Christ on the cross
The God-kind of Life- abundant life
That turns to good and gold, all dross.
O Lord, let this be a New Beginning with You.
Gracious God, let the Old go and the New Come
Write my name in Your Book of Life
Your will be done, Your Kingdom come
Let me pass, this Day from death to Life
I sever all ties with the enemy of my soul.
10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."
12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.
13 For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved." Rom10:10-13
It is important that you pray this prayer from your heart otherwise it is meaningless.
Please let me you know
So that I can help you grow.
Alternatively, let a mature Christian near you know,
and ask for further help to grow.
You may also wonder: What next? If so, go to this link for help.
https://christian-talk.forumotion.com/t5603-what-next
Your 12 disciples to heaven
Many people want to go to heaven. They have heard about the horrors of hell and the beauties and bounties of heaven and have no second thoughts about where they would rather be- Heaven!
The primary condition however for going to heaven is the Lordship of Jesus. We must come to the place where we acknowledge that we are sinners by nature and can only be saved by grace and not our merit or works. All those who have come to this realisation and given their lives to Jesus, are children of God and have passed from death to life. Their names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
Redemption Personified
Redemption personified, the resurrection and the Life, redeemer, our Ransom, our Sacrifice- the Lamb that died in our place and makes those who accept His atoning sacrifice qualified, accepted in the beloved, the Door to heaven, the Key to heaven. He opened the gates of heaven for whosoever will come as they are to the throne of grace and bow the knee, confess their sins and their inability to save themselves and depend on His merit alone to save them. He has borne our grief and carried our sorrows. He took the punishment that we deserved and brought us peace with God through the shedding of His precious blood. We cannot work for our place in heaven. We cannot earn it. He paid for our place. No work is good enough to pass us or earn us a ticket or a reservation.
"When I stand before the throne
Dressed in beauty not my own;
When I see Thee as Thou art,
Love Thee with unsinning heart;
Then, Lord, shall I fully know-
Not till then-how much I owe."
So what are the incentives to sign up for heaven?
What other incentives are there to sign up for heaven? Who are your 12 disciple to heaven or your 12 shepherds or 12 appetizers to heaven?
Reunion
O what a wonderful reunion it would be when we meet our Saviour, Jesus Christ, face to face and the saints and our loved ones who died in Christ who have gone before us!
9 And they sang a new song, saying: " You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth."
11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands,
12 saying with a loud voice: " Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!"Rev5:9-12
2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. 1John3:2-3
Rejoicing
That glorious reunion will be attended by great rejoicing as the Bride is festooned by the Bridegroom in a marriage super of the Lamb. O what a joy that will fill the air as we celebrate or Saviour and our home-coming. The great joy that attended the gathering of the angels over every sinner that repented will be relived millions of times. Think about it. If you have known joy, this joy will be unspeakable, unassailable and unbreakable.
6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, "Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!
7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready."
8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
9 Then he said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!' "Rev19:6-9
Rest
Heaven is a place of true rest from labours. On earth, the rest we can have cannot be compared to the one heaven provides. If we can have peace that passes all understanding here on earth, as a result of making Jesus Lord, think of the rest that will have in heaven. It is just indescribable.
I know of some people who have been on holidays and return only to say they need another holiday because of the holiday. In other words, the time for rest was insufficient- the rest was:
Rough
Exasperating
Stressful and
Tortuous.
9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.
10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Heb4:9-10
13 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, "Write: 'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.' " "Yes," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them."Rev14:13
Rewards
Heaven is the place where God will reward His saints for their exploits on earth. It is the place where we will give account as to how we lived our lives on earth. The parable of the talents will come alive then.
8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
9 For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building.
10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.
11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
13 each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is.
14 If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.
15 If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. 1Cor3:8-15
Think of the Crown of Life (Jam.1:12, Rev.4:10) the Crown of Glory, the Incorruptible Crown(1Cor.9:24-27), Crown of Rejoicing(1Thess2:19,Phil4:1) Crown of Righteousness (2Tim4:
etc.So find out your life’s purpose and face it until you finish it with finesse and you will not lose your reward.
Reassurance
Even after committing your life to Christ, pangs of doubt can assault our soul causing us to waver, unsure whether we are saved and therefore fit for heaven. We need this disciple to guide us in our maze and daze as we navigate our way en route heaven. If we sin we have an advocate with the Father Jesus who daily makes intercession for us.
25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. Heb 7:25
1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.1John2:1
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1John1:8-9
12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
1John5:12
7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
2Cor5:7,17
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.John3:14-15
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: John1:12
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."
12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.
13 For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."
Rom10:9-13
Resurrection
Another incentive to sign up for heaven is the promise of resurrection when mortality will be clothe with immortality and that sown is dishonour raised in glory, that sown in corruption raised incorruptible, that sown in weakness raised in power. God will exchange or decaying body with one that will not decay.
23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."
24 Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."
25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"John11:23-26
54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory."
55 " O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?"1Cor15:54-55
Rapture
The first stage of the coming of the Lord is the rapture which can happen any time when the dead in Christ will rise first and those who are alive and are in Christ will be caught up with them in the air.
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
1Thess4:14-16
So keep yourself ready and radiant for the rapture. Don’t be cut out; be caught up.
Reigning
One of the reasons why we are here on planet earth is to be trained to reign with Christ. How glorious to reign with Christ when he comes! Bt unless we are part of the Bride we cannot reign with Him. Besides apart from being part of the Bride of Christ we also need to suffer with him to reign with Him.
16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
17 and if children, then heirs --- heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Rom8:16-18
12 If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us.
2Tim2:12
Release
There is no doubt that life is war. There is constant struggle with temptation and sin, fears taunting us on many fronts. We also have principalities and powers to deal with and they often cause us pain and untold hardships and suffering which is part of the pruning or refining process God has allowed to mature and make us come forth as gold.
Signing up for heaven ensures that when e eventually die, which we all will, the suffering does not continue in hell.
4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."
Rev21:4
So there will be a release from sin, sickness, suffering, sorrow, pain, strain, fears and
tears, weakness, wickedness, hunger and thirst.
16 They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat;
17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." Rev7:16-17
Registration
Do you know that there will be registration in heaven? Teaching in schools, I know the importance of registration. It is not only to ascertain who is in school and to promptly identify those who are truant and reporting promptly to their parents, it is also a legal document which the government treasures and ascribes great importance to.
Similarly by giving your life to Christ you are ensuring that your name goes into the Book of Life which will one day be opened and checked to see if your name is entered.
Registration also reminds me of the drama Heaven’s Gate’s Hell’s Flames in which was a Father and son scene. The father was very rich and had no time for God. His son tried to persuade him to surrender to Christ but his response was: ‘Son, see this lovely car we are driving and the five-star house we’re living in; it was my sweat that got them- not religion. Besides, your mum attends Church on Sunday morning, Sunday evening and even on Wednesday. That’s enough religion for the family.’
The son kept pressing the dad but he insisted: ‘Boy, forget about religion for now, we have enough time.’
Soon after, they had a fatal accident and both died and appeared at Heaven’s gates to their surprise, consternation and dismay. In trepidation the son asked: ‘Dad, where are we?’
Dad: Son... it appears this is Heaven’s gates.
Son: and who are those? (pointing at the angels who were opening and checking the Book of life.
Dad: I think they are angel in charge of the Book of Life
Son: ( furious and fuming and in tears ) But that you told me we had enough time. I was only trying to be like you.
Dad: Son, I am sorry. I misled you.
Son: Dad, find out if our names are in that Book.
Dad: son, I will try but I am doubtful. (He approaches one of the angel).
Angel, I know my name will not be there, but please check for the name of my son, It is not his fault. He is just 17. He was only trying to be like his dad. Don’t let him suffer. (He checked and checked and could not find the name and signalled by shaking his head.)
Next, in came the devil and his cohorts to take both of them to hell. That scene amongst others underscored the importance of Registration with regards to heaven.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.
13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.
14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
So make sure you name is in the Book of Life.
It is also note worthy that the doctrine of once saved ever saved does not hold water. Your name can be removed if you live as you like after giving your life to Christ. This is why we were enjoined to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. We cannot crucify Christ afresh and expect grace to abound.
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;
Phil2:12
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?
2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?
Rom1:1-2
Make sure your name is written in the Book of Life.
Residence
When we sign up for heaven, we are translated from the Kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of God’s dear Son, from the Kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of Light and Life. We who were formerly aliens, with no part in God’s economy or inheritance are made partakers of the commonwealth of promise. We become citizens of heaven. Heaven becomes our eternal residence. We are in this world but not of this world. We are traveller en route an eternal city- not built with hands, the Maker and builder Who is God
8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.
9 By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise;
10 for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
Heb11:8-10
Philippians 3
20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
Jesus while praying His High-Priestly prayer in John17 prayed: 14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
John17:14,16
So we see that twice in this prayer, Jesus alluded to the truth that we were not of this world albeit passing through it.
Resplendence
1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.
2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
11 having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.
12 Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: 18 The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass.
19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald,
20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.
21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. 22 But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.
24 And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.
25 Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there).
26 And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it.
27 But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
Rev21:10-12,18-27
Exodus 24
10 and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity.
Amazing, breath-taking, tantalizing and inviting as these descriptions are, the picture painted by John will fade into insignificance when we behold heaven. There are no words that can adequately describe heaven to a mortal being. John was limited only to capturing what words can describe and his knowledge. Heaven is simply indescribable!
I hope I have wetted your appetite enough to sign up for heaven. Make your reservation today! There will be no Lastminute.com
If you want to sign up, this is a prayer to assist you:
Today, I come to the Throne of Grace
There to repent of all my sins
O Lord, I desire to see Your face
Forgive me, Lord, lift me from the bin.
Nothing can I do without You.
O Lord, I bow my knees at the cross
Withholding nothing from you my King
Come and wash clean, take away the curse.
I lay at Your feet all ambitions, everything.
Only You and You alone can satisfy.
Give me a clean slate, a new lease of life
That life purchased by Christ on the cross
The God-kind of Life- abundant life
That turns to good and gold, all dross.
O Lord, let this be a New Beginning with You.
Gracious God, let the Old go and the New Come
Write my name in Your Book of Life
Your will be done, Your Kingdom come
Let me pass, this Day from death to Life
I sever all ties with the enemy of my soul.
10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."
12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.
13 For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved." Rom10:10-13
It is important that you pray this prayer from your heart otherwise it is meaningless.
Please let me you know
So that I can help you grow.
Alternatively, let a mature Christian near you know,
and ask for further help to grow.
You may also wonder: What next? If so, go to this link for help.
https://christian-talk.forumotion.com/t5603-what-next
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Jeanne Guyon (1648-1717) wrote powerfully about the need for an intimate relationship with Almighty God, including this: “He who has a pure heart will never cease to pray; and he who will be constant in prayer, shall know what it is to have a pure heart.”
