Studying God's Word

Any time you read the Bible you need to interpret the books in the context of the society, culture and time in which they were written, along with the intended audience. The New Testament is almost 2000 years old and the Old Testament is much older (1400 BC to 400 BC). The Bible uses parables, metaphors and analogies that were recognized and understood by the people living in the times the Scriptures were written. Let’s use the bema judgement seat of Christ as a good example. People living today don’t have a clue what that means but the people living in Palestine in the first century knew exactly what was meant by the term, “bema judgment seat.” That’s why the Apostle Paul used it in his analogy of Jesus judging all believers after they are in heaven.

Acts 12:21 – So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them.

Acts 18:12 – When Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him to the judgment seat.

In ancient times, the “bema” was a step or platform used in political and athletic arenas. Earthly bemas were raised platforms on which rulers or judges sat to make speeches or adjudicate legal cases. In sporting events the umpire or judge presided from a raised platform which was also called the bema seat. From there he watched the games and awarded prizes to the winners. When Pilate condemned Jesus to crucifixion he did it from the bema judgment seat. In the Roman coliseum Caesar sat on the bema judgment seat and gave a thumbs up or thumbs down to indicate whether the losing gladiator lived or died.

Jeremiah 17:10 – I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.

Matthew 5:16 – (Jesus speaking) – Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

There were two characteristics of the bema judgment seat that people today don’t realize but everyone in Jesus’ day fully understood them. First, the person in the bema seat doing the judging had “authority” given to him by a higher authority or the ruler. Pilate’s authority, for instance, came directly from Caesar. Jesus’ authority came directly from God. Second, the decision of the judge sitting on the bema judgment seat was final. No appeal was possible. All the men who have ever lived will have to appear before Jesus Christ for judgment. Nobody will have to appear before Allah or any of the other false gods because they’re all fake. Jesus Christ is the one true righteous judge of mankind. God made us all. We belong to God. When Jesus died for our sins God committed all judgment of man to his Son based on Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross for us. God did this because of his love, mercy and justice.

John 5:26-27 – (Jesus speaking) – For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.

Jeremiah 32:19 – You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for your eyes are open to the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings.

Jesus Christ is the Lion of the tribe of Judah and the Lamb of God who died and rose again. He who was judged has the right to judge all humanity because he is both the Sovereign and the Savior. The Bible says that Jesus is the “righteous judge,” and therefore all of his judgments will be fair and they will be final. Like the Father, Jesus will also judge, “without respect of persons.” The attributes of Jesus Christ as the Son of God guarantee that all the evidence will be gathered and carefully evaluated whether you’re the Pope or a poor beggar on the street. Everyone will get equal treatment and all will be treated fairly. Everyone will get exactly what they deserve for their works done in the body.

2 Corinthians 8:12 – For if there is first a willing mind, it is acceptable according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.

2 Corinthians 5:21 – For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Romans 8:1 – There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the spirit.

Some confusion about the judgment of all men by Jesus Christ stems from the fact there’s not one judgment but two judgments, at two different times for two different groups of people. Jesus will first judge all believers in heaven at the bema judgment seat of Christ to hand out rewards earned by good works on earth. The judgment of the righteous will result in more or less rewards in proportion to their faithfulness in obeying the commands of God.. The judgment of believers will occur after Jesus raptures the church and takes all believers to heaven and before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to judge the nations and set up his 1000 year millennial kingdom on the earth. The judgment of all nonbelievers will be at the end of this 1000 year reign of Christ in what is referred to as the Great White Throne judgment. This judgment of the wicked at the end of human history will result in suffering that is proportional to their wickedness.

Luke 19:17 – Well done good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.

2 Timothy 4:8 – Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

2 Corinthians 5:10 – For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

In 2 Corinthians 5:10, the Apostle Paul is making reference to both of Jesus’ coming judgments of man; one for the believer and one for the nonbeliever. Paul says Jesus will judge the, “good things done in the body,” at the bema judgment seat for all believers and that Jesus will judge the, “bad things done in the body,” at the Great White Throne judgment reserved for all nonbelievers. All believers standing before the bema judgment seat will be rewarded while nonbelievers standing before the Great White Throne will be judged and condemned before being thrown into the lake of fire forever.

Romans 5:1 – Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:17 – And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear.

Before God laid the foundation of the world he knew us and he knew who would accept his grace unto salvation so he prepared good works for believers to do while they’re here on earth. At the bema judgment seat we should fully expect that Jesus will examine our faithfulness in completing those good works that God prepared for us. It’s just common sense. Since all of our sin was judged at the cross we’ll only be judged at the bema judgment seat of Christ on our good works done after salvation. When you pray to God ask him to reveal the good works you are to do down here. One good work all believers are commanded to do is help the poor. The evaluation of the believer’s works will include the works themselves, the quality with which they have been done, and the motivation of the heart. The power to produce good works comes directly from God. Don’t do good works for the adulation of men but for the love of God. You can be sure that God keeps track of all that has been done for him.

Ephesians 2:10 – For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Luke 14:13-14 – (Jesus speaking) – But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be paid at the resurrection of the just.

Malachi 3:16 – Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened and heard them; so a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who feared the Lord and who meditate on His name.

2 Philippians 2:13 – For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure,

Have you ever fantasized what it would feel like to be an Olympic champion? Just imagine yourself winning your race in whatever sport is your passion. You mount the podium inside the stadium with 100,000 people cheering for you. Around the world millions more are watching you on television. Flags are flying, cameras are flashing and the national anthem is playing as the gold medal is placed around your neck. You are the best in the world and you’ve just received your reward for all the sacrifice, training and hard work you put into it. I’ve got news for you. If you’re a Christian believer who has accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior then you too will experience a thrill similar to that of an Olympic champion, only much better.

1 Corinthians 9:24-25 – Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.

Hebrews 12:1 – Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

When believers die their spirit will immediately go to heaven to be with the Lord. At the rapture Jesus will call all living believers to meet him in the air in their resurrection bodies before taking us back to heaven with him. At that point, all of the saints (the church) will be in heaven. Some time after that event all believers in heaven will be required to assemble so they can stand before the bema judgment seat of Christ to receive their reward for works done in the body from the moment of salvation until they entered heaven. Eternity in heaven is secure for all believers because salvation is by faith and not works. However, eternal rewards in heaven will be based on works done on earth. Your name will be called to step forward in front of Jesus. The gaze of Christ will pierce your soul. The eyes of all the saints in heaven will be on you during your 15 minutes of fame. Millions of angels in heaven will also be watching as you receive your reward. The Olympic medal ceremony will pale in comparison to the glory and majesty of the heavenly rewards ceremony. All believers in heaven will have to go through this bema judgment ceremony so start preparing for it now.

Romans 14:10-12 – But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.

2 Corinthians 5:10 – For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

God classifies the works of believers into one of six areas: gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay and stubble. God will test each man’s works by fire. Works deemed to be gold, silver or precious stones are indestructible and worthy objects which will survive the fire. Works deemed to be wood, hay and stubble are destructible and worthless objects which will be burned up in the fire. Only works classified as gold, silver or precious stones will receive a reward. God does not tell us explicitly what constitutes a work worthy of a reward so we must look for clues in the Bible to help us figure it out. There is a general consensus among Bible scholars that there are twelve areas of conduct that God is interested in that will most likely result in heavenly rewards of some kind:

1. How we treat other believers.
2. How we exercise our authority over others.
3. How we employ our God-given abilities.
4. How we use our money.
5. How much we suffer for Jesus.
6. How we spend our time.
7. How we run that particular race which God has chosen for us.
8. How effectively we control the old nature.
9. How many souls we witness to and win to Christ.
10. How we react to temptation.
11. How much the doctrine of the rapture means to us.
12. How faithful we are to the Word of God and the flock of God.

After believers have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior they’re left on the earth to do the work of God. As disciples of Christ we are to witness the gospel of Christ to all the world and do good works so that men may see the light of God in our actions and be drawn to the truth of God. Let’s see if it’s possible to break down the classification of heavenly rewards into something easier to understand. The lowest reward level in heaven is precious stones (plural) which corresponds with good works here on earth, the lowest level of activity required by the saints. Every good work of the believer will be rewarded and there could be many so when we refer to them as precious stones it makes perfect sense. I believe all believers will have done some good deeds that result in rewards (precious stones). The only exception might be those saints who were unborn, died as children or those saved on their deathbed. The Scriptures are very clear that no child of God will have to answer for his sins after this life so the important thing for believers to focus on is receiving heavenly rewards and those are earned by our earthly works. Whatever rewards we receive in heaven are permanent and they’ll last for all eternity. Our citizenship is in heaven and we’re aliens on the earth. Let’s make good use of the short time we have on earth to earn heavenly rewards.

Philippians 3:20 – For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly await for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:11-15 – For no other foundation can one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 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. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

1 Corinthians 4:1-2 – Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one may be found faithful.

It is clear from Scripture that the primary duty of all disciples of Christ is the Great Commission. We are to witness the gospel of Christ to all the world in order to save souls unto eternal life in heaven. Those who sow the seed of the gospel and those who reap souls for the kingdom of God here on earth will receive a reward in heaven which will correspond to the heavenly classification of silver. I know from Scripture that God is generous and he will reward the sower and the reaper equally whenever a soul is saved for the kingdom of God. I would hate to stand before Jesus never having witnessed the gospel to anyone and never having saved anyone unto eternal life. If you don’t witness the gospel of Christ to others there’s no way you’ll hear Jesus say to you, “Well done good and faithful servant,” I don’t care how many good works you do.

Daniel 12:3 – Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.

Proverbs 14:25 – A true witness delivers souls, but a deceitful witness speaks lies.

As a layman, I’ve often wondered how many souls do I have to save to please God? Our main objective in life should be to please God. I believe if you save at least one person for the kingdom of God you have nothing to be ashamed of when you stand before the bema judgment seat of Christ. In God’s economy he values quality over quantity. I’ve noticed in the Bible when God speaks about a really good harvest of anything he repeatedly uses the term “hundredfold” as the upper limit. Since I’m running my race here on earth to get the maximum rewards in heaven I’m taking my que from God. My personal goal is to save a hundredfold (100 people) for the kingdom of God. I agree with the Apostle Paul that it’s okay to seek heavenly rewards if your heart is right with God and I also concur with Paul’s thinking that it’s okay to go big and bold with our spiritual goals. I know my goal is a lofty one but then again I have the rest of my life to try to achieve it. God will judge you based on how well you use the gifts he gave you. For a preacher called to serve in the pulpit bringing 100 people to God is probably no big deal. It’s expected. But for a layman to save that many souls will result in his receiving a much greater reward because he wasn’t given that special gift and calling from God yet he obeyed the command of God to spread the gospel of Christ. Obedience to the commands of God will be rewarded generously in heaven.

Isaiah 38:17 – But you have lovingly delivered my soul from the pit of corruption, for You have cast all my sins behind Your back.

Isaiah 44:22 – I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions, and like a cloud, your sins. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.

1 Peter 4:10 – As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

I believe the top rewards in heaven, those that correspond to classification of gold, will be based on how believers have treated Jews and the nation of Israel while on earth. Numerous Scriptures warn us to treat God’s people kindly or face the wrath of God. We Gentiles owe our salvation to the Jewish people and we enjoy all the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant. People want to say the church has replaced Israel as the apple of God’s eye but don’t you believe it. The Jews will always be the chosen people of God. However, the Jews are currently still being punished by God for rejecting Christ as their Messiah. However, God is faithful to his covenant with Israel and he will save a Jewish remnant on the last Day that will enter heaven with us. Jews will have a very prominent role in heaven. King David will be Jesus’ deputy in the millennial kingdom. Never lose sight of the fact that Jesus is now and always will be a Jewish Rabbi. In heaven, both Jew and Gentile will be equal in the sight of God. Both Jew and Gentile will be brothers and sisters in Christ and we will all be serving the Lord together forever. If you want to receive more honor and glory in heaven than other believers then always look for ways to protect and help Jews who needs it, consistently witness the gospel of Christ and win souls for the kingdom of God and continually do good works in the name of Jesus. I’ve given you the blueprint to win heavenly rewards but it’s up to you to implement it.

2 Timothy 4:1-2 – I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

1 John 1:7 – But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Matthew 10:42 – (Jesus speaking) – And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.

All world religions claim their god is the only god. All religions are mutually exclusive which means only one religion and one god can be true and all the rest must be false or none are true. How can we know which religion and which god is the right one or even if there is a god? The theory of evolution is one of Satan’s biggest lies. For the sake of argument let’s assume we didn’t evolve by chance from the primordial ooze into human beings but we were made by God and placed on the earth and in the universe God created. Would such a God want to reveal himself to his creation in a way that would be irrefutable? Would such a God have a good reason for creating man and the universe? Would such a God reveal that reason to us and also provide us with instructions as to what we’re to do? The answer is yes. If the answer is yes, then which god has done this? Otherwise, what’s the point of creation in the first place? We need to compare all the religions of the world side by side to see which one provides answers to the above questions, if any of them do. If any religion does provide satisfactory answers to the questions I’ve just raised then that religion is the true religion and their god is the one true God. Only with Christianity do we find sensible answers to all the questions we have about who God is and why he put us here. Jehovah is God; the only God; and all other religions and their gods are false.

Psalm 19:1 – The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.

Isaiah 45:5 – I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me.

All religions have their holy writings which we can compare to see what is true and what is false. The gold standard to prove which god is true is whether or not they can predict future events. If any god’s prophecies come true then they are the genuine article. They are the true God and all the rest are impostors. Let’s look at the evidence to see which god can tell the future. The Christian God Jehovah has given us his Word, our Holy Bible. The Bible contains over 1000 prophecies, over 500 of which have already been fulfilled and documented as fact. Therefore we can have confidence that the other 500 prophecies will also be fulfilled at a later date. No Bible prophecy has failed to be fulfilled in its allotted time frame so the Bible has a 100% accuracy rate thus far. Prophecy is nothing more than history written in advance. Only God is the author of history and if the god of any religion puts forth prophecy which comes true it’s proof he is God. Let’s contrast the fulfilled prophecies in God’s Word (over 500) with all other religions. All the other world religions combined have no fulfilled prophecies, which simply proves beyond any doubt that they are all fake religions. All the false gods of all the fake religions stand lifeless and mute before the awesome power of our God. Jehovah is God, and there is no other.

Isaiah 46:9 – Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me.

Isaiah 44:24 – Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, and He who formed you in the womb: I am the Lord, who makes all things, who stretches out the heavens all alone, who spreads abroad the earth by Myself.

The Bible is one third prophecy and God did this for two reasons. First, God gave us prophecy to prove he is God. Anyone can make broad general prophecies that people can twist to fit any time and place in history. Nostradamus is a good example. But only God can give us very specific prophecies from the Bible which, when fulfilled, validate the identity of the true God. Let me give you a few quick examples. God foretold that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. Israel had two towns named Bethlehem so God specifically indicated Jesus would be born in the smaller of the two towns, called Bethlehem Ephrathah, which only had about 200 families living there when Jesus was born in the town just as God said he would be. God also foretold the name of the man (Cyrus) that he would use to free the Israelites from their seventy years of Babylonian captivity. History confirms that King Cyrus did free the Israelites as foretold by God. God said the nation of Israel would be reborn in a single day and this occurred on May 14, 1947, when Israel declared itself a new nation from Jerusalem, the traditional capital of the Jewish people. Such a thing had never happened before in the annals of human history and never will again. God’s Word contains more than sixty prophecies concerning the coming of Christ, the Messiah. The life and ministry of Jesus Christ fulfilled every one of those sixty prophecies.

Micah 5:2 – But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from old, from everlasting.

Isaiah 45:22 – Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.

Isaiah 44:28 – (God) – Who says of Cyrus, he is my shepherd, and he shall perform all My pleasure, saying to Jerusalem, “You shall be built,” and to the temple, “Your foundation shall be laid!”

2 Peter 1:21 – For prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

Second, God wants to communicate with us. God wants to share with us his salvation plan for man. God wants us to know him personally. God wants us to know what’s coming in the future so we can be prepared and take appropriate action. God wants us to know we are his beloved children and that he created us for fellowship with him in heaven forever. The Bible is God’s love letter to us and also our owner’s manual for how we’re to live our lives here on earth in order to please the God who made us. The Bible answers all the questions we started out with and much more because the Bible is the wisdom of God. For those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior the Bible is God’s truth.

Hosea 13:4 – Yet I am the LORD your God …. there is no Savior besides Me.

Isaiah 43:11 – I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no Savior.

All the other world religions have uninspired holy writings that are ambiguous and filled with contradictions and errors. Only the Holy Bible has proven to be without error even after 2000 years of critics trying to discredit it. All 66 books of the Bible, written by 40 different writers, mesh together seamlessly with a consistent message of God’s love for man and without contradicting or walking over each other. The Bible tells the story of God’s love for man by the sending of his Son Jesus to die on the cross to redeem us from our sins so we can have eternal life in heaven. All other religions have gods that are aloof and impersonal. Only the Christian God Jehovah says, “come let us reason together.” Over the last 2000 years Christianity has dramatically changed the lives of millions of believers for the better and I can add my testimony to theirs. No other religion in the world can make this claim. These other false religions have gods that are fake so, of course, they can’t let their followers to get close to their god or they would learn the terrible truth that they’re following a false god. To prevent this, fake religions make their gods mysterious and unapproachable and they punish anyone who dares ask probing questions about god and their faith.

Isaiah 1:18 – Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Isaiah 42:8 – I am the Lord, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another.

Satan is the god of this world and he has blinded nonbelievers to the truth of God’s Word. The Holy Bible is foolishness to the nonbeliever but for those who believe the gospel of Christ is the light of God that illuminates the truth and leads to salvation unto eternal life. All the false religions of the world are sponsored by Satan to lead man away from the truth of God and Satan is doing a good job of it because the vast majority of the human race has spiritual blinders on and they won’t find the narrow path that leads to eternal life in heaven. All Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews and the followers of all the other satanic cults have been blinded by Satan and they’ll all wind up in hell for eternity if they don’t believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God. There’s no way to sugar-coat it. There’s no such thing as multiple paths to heaven. Jesus is the only way to heaven. No rational person can evaluate the evidence I’ve just presented without concluding Jehovah is God and the Bible is God’s Word.

1 Corinthians 15:51-53 – Behold, I tell you a mystery: we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed – in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

2 Corinthians 5:10 – For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

The rapture is the next prophetic event on the Christian calendar, the one all believers have been waiting for. The word rapture doesn’t appear in the Bible but as the Latin verb which means, “to transport from one place to another,” it perfectly describes what will take place. Jesus will descend from heaven and appear in the clouds above the earth and call all believers to himself, both dead and alive. All believers will instantly vanish from the earth and appear before Jesus in the air in their resurrection bodies. Jesus will escort the saints back to heaven where we’ll be in his presence forevermore. I love prophecy, it’s what first drew me to the Bible and confirmed my belief in God. I’m a student of prophecy and it never ceases to thrill me as I study it. The rapture is the prophecy I love the most. How I long for that day!

1 Thessalonians 4:14-15 – For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 – 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. 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.

Daniel 12:2-3 – And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.

God’s first commandment is, “You shall have no other gods before me.” Our God is a jealous God and he will not allow another to steal his glory. In Isaiah 41: 21-24, God issues a lengthy challenge to any false gods to match what he has done; to prove themselves to be gods. God closes these passages by declaring anyone who chooses to follow after fake religions and worship false gods is an abomination to God. When God refers to something as an abomination he really hates it. Anyone God hates will feel the terrible wrath of God on the last Day by being thrown into the lake of fire for eternity. This is a reminder to all nonbelievers to examine the Christian faith while there is still time to do so. Everyone must accept God’s saving grace through the gospel of Christ or face eternal punishment in the lake of fire. All I can do is witness the truth of God to all who will listen and pray that their hearts will be ready to receive the gospel message of Christ and accept God’s salvation.

Isaiah 41:21-22 – Present your case, says the Lord. Bring forth your strong reasons, says the King of Jacob. Let them bring forth and show us what will happen; let them show the former things, what they were, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare to us things to come.

Isaiah 41:23-24 – Show the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that you are gods; yes, do good or do evil, that we may be dismayed and see it together. Indeed you are nothing, and your work is nothing; he who chooses you is an abomination.

Our resurrection after death can be a confusing topic for believers because it’ll happen several times to different groups of people. We know that after Jesus was crucified the resurrected Christ appeared to his disciples and over 500 other people in his glorified body. This is important because it proves Jesus is God and since he rose from the dead it means we will too. Not only that, we will receive a resurrection body just like the one Jesus has. We know that the resurrected Jesus walked through walls, disappeared at will and traveled long distances in the blink of an eye. Our new bodies will be mature like we were in our thirties. Our glorified bodies will never age or get sick. We’ll have our glorified bodies forever in heaven. I see four different resurrections for believers:

1. At the time of Jesus’ death – Prior to the death of Jesus, the souls of all the righteous dead went to Paradise within the earth. I’m talking about Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Moses, Joshua, all the prophets and anyone else God deemed righteous. Their eternal spirits from God couldn’t enter heaven because of the stain of sin on their spirits from birth because of Adam’s fall from grace in the Garden of Eden. God hates sin and will not allow it in heaven. One of the spiritual laws of heaven is the wages of sin is death. The righteous dead in Paradise had to wait for the arrival of the Son of God as the only one worthy to die in their place so they could all go to heaven. The death of Jesus Christ on the cross at Calvary paid the sin debt of all those saints in Paradise. During his three days in the earth Jesus went down to Paradise and gave the saints a new spirit without sin and he also gave them their new resurrection bodies. This is the first resurrection. Jesus then escorted these saints directly to heaven. Some of these resurrected saints later appeared in Jerusalem as a witness to the resurrection of Christ and the glory of God.

Matthew 27:51-53 – Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

2. At the end of church age – When the Jews rejected Jesus as their Messiah God then temporarily turned away from Israel and turned to the Gentiles (us) to build his church and spread the gospel of Christ. Almost 2000 years have passed and we’re still in the church age today, which is also referred to as the time of the Gentiles. The church age officially began on Pentecost, fifty days after the crucifixion of Jesus, when God sent the Holy Spirit to earth to indwell believers. The church age will end when Jesus comes to rapture all believers to himself, both dead and alive. We will meet Jesus in the clouds and he will give us our resurrection bodies before taking us back to heaven with him. This is the second resurrection.

1 Thessalonians 4:14-15 – For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 – For the Lord Himself will descend with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. 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.

3. At the end of the tribulation period – The rapture of the saints ends the church age and triggers the last seven years of human history which we refer to as the tribulation. With the church now in heaven God will turn his focus back to Israel where he’ll save a remnant of his chosen people. The tribulation period will last exactly seven years and it will end with the second coming of Jesus to the earth where he will set foot on the Mount of Olives. Jesus will save Jerusalem from destruction and destroy the nations attacking Israel. There will be people who were saved after the rapture took place but who also died prior to the return of Jesus. These saints will receive their resurrection bodies at this time, known as the great Day of the Lord. This is the third resurrection.

Revelation 20:4 – Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshipped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

4. At the end of the millennium – At his second coming Jesus will establish the kingdom of God on earth with himself as King. Jesus will rule the world from Jerusalem for 1000 years. Not everyone will be killed during the tribulation period and those people who survived will become a part of the millennial kingdom. The life span of these people will be greatly lengthened much like the patriarchs of old who lived to be hundreds of years old. These people will eventually die but they will not receive their resurrected bodies until after the millennium is over, which will be the end of the age. This is the fourth resurrection.

Revelation 4:5 – But the rest of the dead (who died during the millennium) did not live again until the thousand years were finished.

After this last resurrection of the saints comes the Great White throne judgement of Jesus. The eternal spirits of all the unsaved of all ages go straight to hell upon their death. At this time all of them are resurrected bodily to stand before Jesus in judgment. God is reciprocal and fair to saint and sinner alike. Believers will be glorified in heaven so God gives them a glorified physical body for that purpose which is theirs to keep forever. What God does for the believer he will also do for the nonbeliever. Since sinners are to be condemned in hell forever God will give them a condemned body suitable for hell. The nonbeliever’s physical body will be a dead, decomposing, cadaver full of worms (maggots).

Hebrews 9:27 – And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.

It’s obvious to me those going to hell have physical bodies because Revelation says an angel will grab hold of the lost and physically throw them into the lake of fire. You don’t “grab” and “throw” something that’s not physical. Three verses in the book of Mark never made any sense to me until now. In the book of Mark Jesus is talking about those in hell where he is quoted as saying, “Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.” Jesus says it three times and I don’t recall God ever saying something in the Bible three times together like that so it must be really important for us to know. Those who have died without accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are eternally dead. Why would God give a living resurrected body to those who are already dead in their sin? He won’t and he can’t. Those nonbelievers who are dead in their sin get the corpse they deserve for eternity.

Mark 9:44,46,48 -(Jesus speaking about those in hell) – Their worm does not die, and the fire is nor quenched.

The unsaved will burn in hell forever but they will not be consumed by the fire and neither will the maggots infesting their rotting corpses. I can’t think of anything more repulsive to me than that. The flesh of all dead bodies is eaten by worms (maggots) as part of nature’s normal decomposition process. Those in hell will spend an eternity in a rotting corpse which will be very similar to those zombies we see in these “walking dead” movies and television shows. That’s not a pretty picture is it? If you’re not a believer let me urge you right now to go seek God while there is still time. The Bible says if you seek God you will find him and God cannot lie. You have everything to lose by waiting but you have everything to gain by taking action now. As Christians we have almost 2000 years of historical evidence, research, documentation, proof, and personal testimony that prove beyond any doubt that Jehovah is the one and only living God whom we are to worship. God has made everything in the universe for his pleasure and he’s waiting to meet you personally.

John 5:28-29 – (Jesus speaking) – For the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth-those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.

Job 19:26 – And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God.

Isaiah 1:18 – Come now and let us reason together, says the Lord, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Revelation 20:15 – And anyone nor found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

As believers and children of God we are also “stewards” of God and accountable to God for managing the affairs of the kingdom of God here on earth. As the disciples of Christ we may called upon by God to be the pastor of a church, a shepherd over a group of fellow believers or a myriad other things God may require of you. However, the most important function we have as a steward of God is to handle our own personal affairs in such a way that we serve God while bringing honor, praise and glory to God. Each member of the kingdom of God is the “church” so personal stewardship is critical for an effective ministry for Christ.

1 Corinthians 4:1-2 – Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.

1 Peter 4:10 – As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Provers 3:9-10 – Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.

In the New Testament world stewards were common. Stewards managed a household or estate. Stewards were appointed by the owner and entrusted to keep the estate running smoothly. It is that context, God has given all believers the keys to the kingdom of God here on earth. It’s a lot like us giving our teenager the keys to the family car before they’re able to drive. In Scripture the Apostles Peter and Paul both make reference to this stewardship arrangement and urge us to be good stewards for God. Our responsibilities to God as stewards on the earth are threefold:

1 John 3:17 – But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?

Psalm 50:12 – If I were hungry, I would not tell you; for the world is Mine, and all its fullness.

1 Timothy 5:17-18 – Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer is worthy of his wages.”

How we use our time – God made us and he has given us our life. God has allotted each of us a set number of days on this earth. Some will live to be a hundred years old while others are cut down at eighteen, in the flower of youth. Who knows the reason for this or the mind of God? God does as he pleases and doesn’t owe us an explanation. What we do know is each day we have on this earth cannot be relived once it’s gone and is therefore priceless. Before God laid the foundation of the world he established the date, time and place of our birth and who our parents would be. God knows the exact moment when we’ll die and where that will be. There are no surprises with a God who knows everything. In between the time of our birth and death God has given us ample opportunity to do good works. It’s up to each of us to be good stewards of the “time” God has given us.

1 Corinthians 7:7 – For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that.

Matthew 25:21 – (Jesus speaking) – His lord said to him, well done , good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.

Luke 6:38 – (Jesus speaking) – Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.

How we use our talents – God gives each of us talents and abilities that are unique. No two people have the exact same skillset. God gives us our individual talents so that we can prosper in the world and also glorify God. In addition, believers are also given special spiritual gifts once they are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. These special gifts are provided each child of God to help rhem serve the Lord here on earth. Everyone is different and some people will be blessed more than others. God will judge us based on how we used the blessings he bestowed on us. In the end, everyone will be treated fairly because God is good and God is just. God loves us and wants the best possible outcome for us.

James 1:17 – Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow or turning.

Deuteronomy 8:18 – And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

2 Corinthians 9:7 – So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

How we use our money – In God’s Word he has told us everything we need to know about money. It’s no accident that twelve of the thirty six parables in the New Testament are about money. One our of every six verses in the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke are about money. 100% of what we have comes from God and we are responsible and we are accountable to God for using it wisely and in accordance with God’s will. When you give money to charity or you are funding a good work you’re worshipping God by serving God. Every time you use your money for the kingdom of God you’re being blessed by God. God has blessed you financially. Everything belongs to God so when you turn around and give away the money God has graciously given you for the purpose of giving you are double blessed by God. What a deal!

Isaiah 55:1 – Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

1 Timothy 6:10 – For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many arrows.

2 Corinthians 9:6 – But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

All decisions about money should be based on your recognition and acceptance that all money comes from God and belongs to God. Don’t get attached to money because money doesn’t satisfy but pleasing God does. God always comes before money, Money is simply a tool God gives you to do good works. As a child of God no matter what you give away God will always provide for you so you don’t have to hold onto every dime for a rainy day. God’s got your back. When a believer gives money on behalf of God he is blessed to the point he receives back more than he ever gave. God doesn’t need our money. God is graciously allowing us to give our money so that he can bless us. We have the privilege of giving for our own benefit.

1 Timothy 6:17 – Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.

Philippians 4:19 – And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Malachi 3:10 – Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.

When we give to support the works of God and to help the needy we are obeying the commands of God and glorifying God. Giving our money to God should be systematic and done cheerfully. Don’t write a $50 check to United Way once a year and congratulate yourself for giving when you have half a million in the bank drawing interest. You are to give out of your increase what you can afford to give out of the goodness of your heart. God alone will be your judge. Just remember the Bible story about the rich man who stored up his riches so he could live a life of ease. God took his life before he could enjoy it. We can’t take our money with us when we die but we can pay it forward by using it for good works here on earth which will accrue treasures in heaven for us when we get there.

Matthew 6:34 – (Jesus speaking) – Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Proverbs 11:24-25 – There is one who scatters, yet increases more; and there is one who withholds more than is right, but it leads to poverty. The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself.

2 Corinthians 8:12 – For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.

As a child growing up in America and attending a Christian church we were taught you worship God by going to church on Sunday morning. That meant going early to attend Sunday school class with your particular age group followed by the regular church service where a few hymns were sung, the Pastor gave his sermon, and then we closed out the Sunday service with a prayer. Three hours each Sunday morning we worshipped God and we were done by noon. God was taken care of so we were good for the week. That was our idea of worshipping God, which was reinforced by the words and actions of our Pastor and deacons in the church. We thought at the time we were doing good by God. We thought God would be proud of us for spending three hours a week worshipping him.

Psalm 29:2 – Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

John 4:23-24 – (Jesus speaking) – But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.

Christians have been indoctrinated into accepting the traditional “church model” of worship. Christians have been conditioned to worship God in a particular way that is beneficial to the church. We are led to believe we must go to a building in a physical location owned by the church on a particular day and time in order to properly worship God. Christians are made to feel guilty if they miss church as if somehow they have disappointed God in some way. Church leaders, of course, do nothing to lessen this perception because it’s critical for them to keep the members coming to the church and giving their tithes so that the interest can be paid the loans the church didn’t need in the first place. Churches have to go in debt so they can build bigger buildings and more buildings because Pastors were taught that bigger is always better. Instead of out tithes directly funding good works that actually help people most of our donations wind us as interest income for local banks. As it turns out, churches don’t manage their finances any better than we do and most of us are heavily in debt.

Revelation 4:11 – You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.

Psalm 95:6 – Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our maker.

Revelation 1:6 – And He has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Let me remind you the “church” is the body of believers and not a building or a particular denomination. Each individual believer is the church and your body is the temple of God. Jesus Christ is the author and finisher of our faith and as our high priest he sits at the right hand of God making intercession for the saints. At the moment of salvation the Holy Spirit of God indwells us forever. At that point we can worship God anywhere we are and any time we want. We are the temple, God is inside us, and we can worship God spirit to Spirit as God intended. In the first century church believers met in small groups in each other’s homes to have fellowship and share the teachings of Jesus. That was worshipping God just as much as attending a service at a 15,000 member megachurch. There is nothing wrong with the “church model” of Christian worship but it’s not the only way to worship God and it’s not the best way.

1 Timothy 4:13 – Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.

1 Timothy 4:6 – If you instruct the brethren in these things (the word of God), you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed.

2 Peter 2:9 – But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

We need to define what it means to worship God so we’re all on the same page. The dictionary definition of worship is to show great admiration and respect for someone and when used in a religious context this is expressed through praise and prayer to God. The New Testament was originally written in Greek where the translated English word “worship” had three different meanings that were similar depending on how the verb was used. In the Greek, worship could mean, “to look upon with awe,” or, “to bow down to in deep reverence,” or, “to render service for.” We should note here that the Bible constantly tells us to “fear” the Lord which in the biblical context means we are to look upon God with, “respect, awe and deep reverence.” We’re to maintain our “fear” of the Lord through daily Bible reading and prayer. The definition of fear and worship are almost identical. When we “fear” the Lord it’s the same as worshipping God. It’s also clear to me worship is not something we do three hours a week. Worship is an attitude, a state of mind where we’re in tune with God, where we’re in proper fellowship with God and God is pleased with us. There is nothing more important on this earth than pleasing God. When we abide in Christ we are “worship”. Worship is something we “become”, something we “are” all the time.

Ephesians 5:19 – Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.

Colossians 3:16 – Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

2 Timothy 3:15 – And that from childhood you (Timothy) have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

God never does anything without a reason. God made the angels in heaven to worship him. God made man to worship him, first on earth, and then later on in heaven once we’ve accepted God’s grace unto salvation. God gave us a physical body as the vessel through which we are to worship God. Scripture says we were fearfully and wonderfully made. Why does God say this? God never wastes words and every word in Scripture conveys information for the spiritually perceptive. Physically we’re “wonderfully” made because the human body is a marvel that only God could make. No other adjective is needed.

Psalm 139:14 – I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.

If God were only talking about our physical bodies he would have stopped with the adjective “wonderfully” because that says it all. When God continued on in the Scripture to also describe us as “fearfully” made he has gone beyond the physical man to describe the spiritual man. Spiritually we’re “fearfully” made because our bodies are the instrument through which we worship God by showing the awe, deep respect and reverence God deserves. To “fear” the Lord is to worship God. Most people don’t catch the double meaning intended by this scripture. Putting “fearfully” ahead of “wonderfully” in this Scripture tells you God’s priority. God gives us our bodies primarily for the purpose of worshipping him. Man is worship the same way God is love.

Matthew 22:37 – You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.

Hebrews 1:6 – Let all the angels of God worship Him.

As I mentioned in a previous blog, our incredible mind is our “worship organ” through which we worship our Creator. Look at what “is” and work backward to determine the cause or the reason. Scientists know that human beings have a bigger brain than we need as a species to survive and flourish. Why is that? We also know that humans are only using 10% of their brain capacity. How is that possible? Nonbelievers will never figure this out. It’s like giving a monkey a football and telling him to go play the game. God’s Word says the Holy Scriptures are foolishness to the nonbeliever because Satan is the god of this world and he has blinded the nonbeliever so that they cannot see the truth of God without help from a believer or God himself.

John 9:31 – Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshipper of God and does His will, He hears him.

God gave us a bigger brain than we needed for survival because that’s where our eternal spirit is located. The Brain is also where the Holy Spirit resides. The brain is the link between the physical world and the spiritual world. The brain is the conduit through which we talk to God and God talks to us. The brain is what we use to worship God. We don’t need a bigger brain physically but we do spiritually. When we get to heaven our puny 10% capacity brain will not be up to the task of worshipping God properly when standing alongside the angels of heaven. God has thought of everything. God will give us back the 90% of our brain capacity we currently aren’t using because of Adam’s fall from grace in the Garden of Eden. With 100% of our brain capacity restored we will then be able to worship God properly. The theory of evolution is linear and it’s impossible to over build or have excess capacity. The only possible explanation for us having a bigger brain than we need and having 90% of our brain capacity currently not being used is that we were made that way by God.

1 Chronicles 16:29 – Give to the Lord the glory due His name; bring an offering and come before Him. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

If we abide in Christ and also in God’s Word our minds are in a constant state of worship. A Christian who obeys God and offers up prayers to God and the praise of our lips worships God for his honor and glory. A Christian who is living the life God intended is a walking, talking, worship machine 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The effective Christian does not need to go to church to worship God because we are the church and we carry our worship of God with us wherever we go, to the glory of God.

Ephesians 6:18 – Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.

Philippians 4:6 – Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

The Bible tells us we are to worship God for his work in creation and for his redemptive work in saving our souls. We are to worship God through obedience to his commands, through prayer and through song. We worship God every time we give a sacrifice to the Lord in the form of our money, our good works and our time. One of the definitions of worship in the original Greek was, “to render service to,” Every time we serve the Lord in any capacity it is worshipping God.

2 Timothy 2:15 – Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Every time we read the Bible, study the Bible or share the Bible with others we are worshipping God. You worship God simply by living a faithful Christian life to the best of your ability. If you’re a Christian don’t ever let anyone tell you you’re not worshipping God. If you’re a believer then you’re saved unto eternal life. If you have eternal life then you’re a child of God. If you’re a child of God your life is an instrument of worship to God the Father. Everything we have belongs to God and everything we do for the Lord is our reasonable service because God has given us life.

Romans 12:1 – I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

Hebrews 13:15-16 – Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

When we’re saved unto eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior it happens in an instant. It’s the greatest moment anyone can ever experience in their life. The Holy Spirit comes to indwell us, in our mind, as our friend and constant companion. Upon salvation the Holy Spirit gives us a new eternal spirit to replace our sin-stained spirit, hence we are reborn. At conception God gives us a part of himself, which is our original eternal spirit. At that point we become immortal beings. When the Holy Spirit swaps out the believer’s original spirit with a new replacement spirit it’s an actual “rebirth.” God is “birthing” us all over again. Don’t be confused when the Bible says we’re “reborn” because that is exactly what happens to us spiritually. The Holy Spirit is Jesus. The Holy Spirit is God.

Philippians 1:6 – Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

At the moment of salvation the Holy Spirit also changes the destination of our new spirit from eternal death in hell to eternal life in heaven. Just imagine your spirit is a train headed down the railroad tracks that eventually lead to the lake of fire. We’ve all seen the movies involving trains where the train gets to the end of the line, where the tracks end, and then plunges off the tracks into an abyss of some kind. Spiritually speaking, we’re all conceived and born in sin and our unsaved souls are like that train on the tracks headed straight to hell. We can’t stop the train once it leaves the station (at our conception). We can’t get off the train. We can’t prevent the train wreck that’s coming. The spirit of each nonbeliever is on their own individual train headed for the abyss we call the lake of fire. Our only hope is to change the train’s destination before it gets there. In the movies all the railroad switchman has to do is move a lever near the tracks to shift the tracks over a little bit so the train can be diverted down a different set of railroad tracks going to a different destination.

Proverbs 14:25 – A true witness delivers souls, but a deceitful speaks lies.

Keep this mental image I’ve created in your mind. Think of the Holy Spirit as your spiritual railroad switchman. The Holy Spirit of God is the only person who can move the rail switch which will divert the destination of your soul train from hell to heaven. When we’re saved, instead of going straight to hell when we die we now go directly to heaven to be in the presence of Jesus Christ himself. By his mercy and grace God himself saves the unborn and children up to the age of decision where they are able to choose between God and Satan (around age twelve). God’s love, mercy and grace unto eternal life is God’s greatest gift to man and we should honor, praise and glorify God for what he has done for us.

Matthew 22:14 – (Jesus speaking) – For many are called, but few are chosen.

The Holy Spirit writes our names in the book of life which means our salvation is secure. Salvation unto eternal life is irrevocable. Heaven is secure for all believers, who were called by God before the foundation of the world. If you’re going to heaven it’s because you were meant to be there and you belong there. God doesn’t make mistakes. Salvation is the easy part. The hard part of being a Christian is living the rest of your life in obedience to the commands of God, which is your reasonable service.

Jeremiah 31:16 – Thus says the Lord: Refrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears; for your work shall be rewarded, says the Lord.

Television preachers love to tell you all the “good stuff” God has in store for you but they neglect to tell you must also work for the kingdom of God if you want to please God. Working for God is the hardest thing you’ll ever do. As believers we are the “church” of God, not some building or a particular denomination. Jesus Christ is the head of our church and our high priest in heaven who is seated at the right hand of God making intercession for the saints. Believers are disciples of Christ and we are to obey all the commands of God, as spelled out in the Bible, to the best of our ability. As disciples of Christ we accept the new responsibilities and tasks we’re to perform for the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 3:13-15 – 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. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

We’re to glorify God and I went over the nine ways to do that in my previous blogs. It goes without saying that our first duty is to love God. That is God’s greatest commandment. If we read the Bible daily and pray daily it’s virtually impossible not to love God. Abide in God’s Word and our love for God will always be stoked. Jesus gave his disciples and all believers the Great Commission before he ascended back to heaven. We are to witness the gospel of Christ to the whole world. That is the believer’s number one responsibility.

Hebrews 6:10 – For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

Nothing is more important than saving lost souls for the kingdom of God. The Lord’s harvest field is full of lost souls and there are few believers who work it, who witness in it. Only 10% of church-going Christians have read the entire Bible and fewer still have taken the time to actually study God’s Word. You can’t effectively witness for Christ if you don’t know how and you won’t know how until you study the Bible. It’s only common sense. You can’t do anything until you know what to do and how to do it. Catholics don’t witness at all.

2 Timothy 2:21 – Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter (dishonor), he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.

Along with witnessing, Christians are also to instruct, edify and discipline fellow believers. Christians can’t do that unless they know what they’re talking about which brings us back to studying God’s Word. My passion is God’s Word. I read my Bible or Scriptures every day. I’ve assembled a reference library for my study of all things related to God. If you want to know God you must go to God. Don’t expect God to come to you. You must make the effort to know God first. I have an unquenchable thirst for God. Those who have it know what I mean. The Bible says those who seek God will have this thirst for God so I know I’m on the right track. God also says in the Bible if you seek him you will find him. I give you my personal testimony that this is true. Only our God says in Scripture, “come let us reason together.” Your duty as a believer is to know God. Search for the truth of God yourselves and then go where God leads you. Good luck on the race God has chosen for your life.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

The second greatest commandment of God is to love one another. As Christians we are to fellowship with each other because we are members of the same family. We are brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ. We are to love each other, support each other and strengthen each other. Another primary responsibility of Christians is to do good works. We are to care for our own fellow believers first but we are also called upon to help others in time of need. The Bible mentions caring for widows and children especially. God is good and as Christians we are to promote all that is good in the world and set an example so that nonbelievers will see the light of God in our actions and be drawn to the truth of God.

Ephesians 2:10 – For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

God will give us opportunities to witness for Christ to those whom he draws to the light of God in us. We do good works out of compassion for our fellowman but we must never lose sight of our main objective, which is to reap souls for the kingdom of God every chance we get. Christians must make their good works testify to Jesus Christ. All who receive our help because of our love, compassion and faith in God must know we come on behalf of our God and our Lord Jesus Christ in the hope that some will be drawn to the truth of our God. God will draw them if their heart is receptive. We just have to be ready to witness to them if they should ask the reason for our faith. All that we have belongs to God so when we do good works we’re only giving to others what God has given to us for this purpose. When we spend God’s money wisely we build up treasure in heaven for ourselves which we will receive on the last Day.

Psalm 42:2 – My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?

Psalm 63:1 – O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirst land where there is no water.

Psalm 143:6 – I spread out my hands to You; my souls longs for You like a thirsty land.

Psalm 42:1 – As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O Lord.

Matthew 7:7 – (Jesus speaking) – Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

Matthew 22:37 – (Jesus speaking) – You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.

Isaiah 1:18 – Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

GLORIFYING GOD: (cont’d)

9. Through our suffering – The ninth and final way we glorify God is through our suffering. I saved suffering until last because, not only is it a hard study to explain, it’s also my least favorite way to glorify God. I love God with all my heart and I want to glorify the Lord as much as possible but if I can avoid suffering I will. I’m just not really keen on the idea of suffering. I wouldn’t mind passing on the cup of “suffering” if it’s passed to me. My wife says I’m a hypochondriac because I run to the doctor every time I get the least little health problem. However, I am mentally, physically and spiritually prepared to suffer for Christ if it’s God’s will for me. I can say that without any reservation or worry because I know in the end my God loves me and anything God does is for my benefit even though I may not understand it this side of heaven. I trust in God the way a small child trusts his father.

1 Peter 3:18 – For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God.

That brings me to the age-old question Christians have asked for 2000 years. Why would a just and loving God allow suffering in the world? Why are believers and nonbelievers treated alike when it comes to suffering by allowing them both to suffer equally? Why do some people suffer a lot and others appear not to suffer at all? We really don’t know all the answers. We have more questions than answers. God is not clear on this subject in the Bible. However, God does give us a number of Scriptures that shed some light on the subject. We are told in the Bible that our suffering here on earth glorifies God and as a result of our pain and suffering we also will receive praise, honor and glory in heaven the more we suffer for Christ.

1 Peter 1:10-11 – Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what , or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.

I know God sent Jesus, his beloved and only begotten Son, to suffer and die a terrible death on the cross in our place. Because Jesus suffered for us he received praise, honor and glory in heaven from God and all the angels. My question is, was it really necessary for Jesus to suffer that much pain and suffering before and during his crucifixion? Would our sins still have been forgiven if Jesus had died a little less painfully? If Jesus had died an easier death would it still have appeased the wrath of God against all sinners?

1 Peter 2:21 – For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps.

Luke 24:26 – (Jesus speaking) – Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?

God has perfect knowledge and he wants what’s best for us in every circumstance so we have to trust God, even when we do not fully understand everything that is happening. There’s a lot about God and the spiritual world that we don’t know, don’t need to know, and we may never know. That’s okay. What’s important is we know that God is never arbitrary. God never does anything without a good reason. God doesn’t owe us an explanation for any of his actions. God does as he pleases. What I do know for sure is that God is good and God is great. We need to remind ourselves that every day and then just relax and put our trust in the God who made us and who loves us dearly. You would not be cruel to your children and neither would God. We are, after all, God’s beloved children. God dotes on us like we do our grandchildren.

1 Peter 4:14 – If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.

Luke 24:46 – (Jesus speaking) – Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day.

God loves Jesus dearly yet Jesus was made to suffer the pain and agony of a death by crucifixion, the cruelest method of death ever devised by man. Crucifixion was such a cruel way to die that no Roman citizen could be put to death in that manner. Death by crucifixion was so heinous that it was only used about 200 years before the Romans abolished its use. In the Bible it’s obvious Jesus’ death brought praise, honor and glory to Jesus and God the Father. It’s also obvious Jesus’ sacrificial death removed our sins so we could have eternal life in heaven. This may be hard to believe but God loves us ever bit as much as he loves his Son Jesus because we are also sons of God and co-heirs of heaven along with Christ.

1 Peter 4:12-13 – Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you: but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.

Jesus died on the cross for us because there was no other way to save us from eternal death in the lake of fire. Jesus suffered and died a painful death because there was no other way to fully appease the wrath of God for the sins of man. The wages of sin is death and a just God demanded that the debt be paid in full with a blood sacrifice. Since we could not save ourselves God came off his throne and came to earth in the incarnation of Jesus Christ to pay our sin debt with his own precious blood. That’s how much God loves us. We have no idea how much God hates sin.

1 Peter 4:16 – Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian. let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.

Jesus died by on the cross to fulfill the prophecies of the Bible. God’s Word must come to pass. The Scriptures cannot be broken. We don’t have to understand it all. We just have to accept what we know to be true and trust God with what we don’t know or what we can’t fully understand. Everything will be revealed to us in heaven one day. Just know that if Jesus suffered for us then we believers will also be called upon to suffer for Christ in return. By God’s will some will suffer more than others. However much we suffer and whatever fate befalls us we are to bear it with dignity and perseverance while continually giving praise, honor and glory to God in every circumstance. In heaven we will be rewarded for being faithful servants of God.

GLORIFYING GOD: (cont’d)

8. Through our love – As human beings in our physical plane we cannot love as deeply and completely as God can nor can we even understand it this side of heaven. The Bible tells us not only does God love us but that God IS love! Could any one of us have sentenced our only child, our firstborn son, to die a horrible death on the cross for another person, a total stranger who was not even a good person but a terrible sinner?

Ephesians 5:2 – And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

Don’t kid yourself. I couldn’t and wouldn’t make that kind of sacrifice and neither would you. Your Father and mine loved us enough to do this for us. If God’s emotions allow him to experience love and joy at an infinitely greater level than us it also means God experiences pain and grief much more profoundly than we do. God is reciprocal in all things. We can’t have the good without also having the bad. God would never take steps to ease his pain and suffering and we see that clearly in the life of Jesus. Jesus is God!

John 3:16 – (Jesus speaking) – For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Romans 15:5-6 – Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

John 15:8 – (Jesus speaking) – By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

In the New Testament Jesus said the two greatest commandments are to love God and to love one another. Both commandments are about love. I believe the main theme in Heaven is going to be love. Love will be the secret ingredient that makes heaven heaven. Jesus Christ showed us perfectly how to love while he walked among us and we are all commanded to emulate Christ in our lives and thereby glorify God.

Galatians 2:20 – I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Loving like God loves doesn’t come natural to us and if that is hard for believers to fully comprehend you know it is virtually impossible for the nonbeliever to understand that kind of love. Only as a saved child of God can we begin to understand God’s love, what it must have cost God personally to save us and how much we’re loved by our Father. It’s easy to love God because God first loved us.

Matthew 5:16 – (Jesus speaking) – Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Luke 6:45 – (Jesus speaking) – A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

John 7:38 – (Jesus speaking) – He who believes in Me, Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.

As you read your Bible regularly (daily I hope) you’ll find yourself loving God more and more. God loves us deeply and we are priceless in his sight and this comes across clearly in the Bible. As we realize God’s love for us our hearts naturally overflow with love for God in return and the “good fruit” of our heart will manifest itself for all to see. Over time it will become easier and easier for us to love God, ourselves and others as we abide in Christ.

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 – Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.

I’m an introvert by nature and I’m pretty much self-sufficient. Loving and showing love never came easy for me. The more I meditate on God and study his word the more love I feel for all men. I have an increased capacity to love believers and nonbelievers alike. The fruit of my heart is that I show my love through my constantly worry about all those lost souls headed for hell and what I ought to be doing about it. Not a day goes by that I don’t ask myself, “What more can I do?”

Titus 3:4-8 – But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

My Christian blog site, www.onemoreforjesus.net, was created for this reason. By my passive witnessing online I just wanted to help save one more person for the kingdom of God while at the same time exhorting them to study God’s Word for knowledge, understanding and wisdom. I seek to keep one more person from spending an eternity in hell by my “passive” witness for Christ. I pray that God will give me, “onemoreforjesus.”

John 15:13 – (Jesus speaking) – Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.

Mind you, I still don’t have enough love in me to give up one of my children for a lost soul but I’m at the point where I would give up my life if that was the only way to keep someone out of hell. I can justify that sacrifice in my mind because momentary pain is nothing when weighed against keeping someone out of the lake of fire for billions and billions of years. How could I not make that sacrifice for a fellow human being, someone I love? I can’t come anywhere close to God’s love but I can see where he is coming from.

GLORIFYING GOD: (cont’d)

6. Through our preaching and ministry – In an earlier blog (Spiritual principles #4) I listed the crowns or rewards we can receive from God which are mentioned in the Bible. One of those was the crown of rejoicing which is primarily for preachers and pastors who faithfully guide their local church. You can’t preach the word of God unless God calls you to that ministry. I’ve always been a little bit jealous of that because I know that is one crown that’s out of my reach since I’m not a preacher. In studying God’s Word I realized I was wrong. God is fair to everyone so all believers have an equal shot at every crown in heaven. God isn’t going to have a crown reserved for an exclusive and select group of people to the exclusion of everyone else. There is no country club mentality in heaven. All of us are equal in God’s sight. This crown is available to anyone because it also applies to church deacons and other church leaders. It applies to Sunday School teachers, choir directors and even those who conduct Bible study. If you want this crown go get it.

People fail to realize the crown of glory is also for believers who have a particular calling from God, a personal ministry, where they do the work of God for his glory. Missionaries will receive the crown of glory because God calls them to that ministry. Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity in 1950 as a ministry attending to the needs of the poor in Calcutta, India, where she worked all her adult life. Do you think Mother Teresa deserves the crown of glory for her work? You bet she does and when we get to heaven we’ll see she has it. Dr. Albert Schweitzer built and ran a hospital in rural Africa all his life because of his love for God. That’s what God called him to do. Dr. Schweitzer has also received a crown of glory in heaven.

Ask the Holy Spirit for your own ministry that touches your heart and serves God at the same time. The Lord gives each of us good works to do. We just need to pray for God to enlighten us what we’re to do for his glory. God won’t be shy about telling you. I know people who have been hospital volunteers over thirty years to God’s glory. That was their ministry. I know a lady in her nineties who volunteers every week at a local food bank (she won’t tell me her age). God moves other people to help prepare and serve food for the homeless both in shelters and on the street. There’s no end to the ways we can serve God in order to bring honor, praise and glory to God for his love and mercy.

1 Peter 4:11 – If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

7. Through our fruitbearing – In my blog, Spiritual principles #4, I discussed the crown of rejoicing which God will give to all believers who have been faithful and effective in witnessing for Christ. God will reward all who witness for Christ but even more will be given to those who are good at it. I’m thinking of evangelists like Billy Graham. That man probably brought thirty million people to Christ. Can you you imagine the treasure Billy Graham had waiting on him when he returned to his maker? You can be sure Christ told Billy, “Well done good and faithful servant.” In the final analysis that’s what I want too. I just want God to be pleased with me and my works done on earth to his glory. I’ll plan and do whatever is necessary to achieve that goal. 80% of the battle of life is just showing up.

In my zeal for the Lord I’ve studied God’s Word. I’m equipped and ready to witness for Christ. The problem is nobody has beat a path to my door to hear my witness. Those with a passion for God never have enough people to witness to so it’s up to us to find innovative ways to share our witness. If we don’t we won’t bear much fruit for the Lord. We won’t be as fruitful as we’d like. In my case, I purchase Christian tracts a thousand at a time and I leave them wherever I go. I leave them in doctor’s offices, department stores, in Walmart bathrooms and I hand them out to whoever will take one off me. I give myself a daily quota of Christian tracts to give out, although the pandemic has slowed me down tremendously.

My Christian blog site, www.onemoreforjesus.net, is what I call, “passive witnessing.” I sow the gospel seed by urging others to study God’s Word and witness for Christ. I pray that my blog site will bear fruit by leading at least one person to the truth of God’s Word and salvation unto eternal life. The name of my blog site tells you my ministry for God. You can’t be effective for God by accident. You have to come up with a plan and establish goals if you want to be effective for the Lord. I’m going to reveal my soul to you and tell you my secret desire. My goal is to help save 100 people unto eternal life. God says we’re to work in his harvest field to save as many as we can. I’ll be happy with saving just one person but of course I want as many people in heaven with me as I can get. Not a day goes that I don’t think about all those lost souls in the world dying every day and going straight to hell for the lack of a witness.

John 15:8 – (Jesus speaking) – By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit.