The Anticipation of Glory

Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

The anticipation of Heaven is a vital Doctrine for living victorious in Jesus. Heaven is the great hope that we have that puts all our current trials and challenges into perspective.

Romans 8:18 KJV 1900

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Heaven is a wonderful promise for the Christians rest.

Hebrews 4:1 KJV 1900

Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

But Heaven is also the settlement of mans greatest fear. Mans greatest fear is death.

Hebrews 2:15 KJV 1900

And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Anyone who says that they dont fear death is lying, we want to live. But death is also the ultimate statistic: 10 out 10 people die. You will die, unless the Lord returns within your lifetime. That is assuming you only die at an old age.

But 150 000 people die everyday, some young, some old, men, woman, death does not discriminate and of that 150 000 people how many of them knew that today would be their last day?

But for the Christian, death is not a terror but a rest.

1 Corinthians 15:55–57 KJV 1900

O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus attended a wedding and turned water into wine, but Jesus also attended a funeral and truned tears into joy.

The Comfort of Jesus

John 14:1–4 KJV 1900

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

When someone we love does, Jesus does not say “Don’t let your heart be sad” because sadness and sorrow are not evil things. But he does say that our hearts should not be troubled.

Our hearts are troubled when we see death as an end, or as a mystery.

The great beyond, the great unknown....

Jesus wants everyone of us to know that He had disarmed death of its fear. And does not want you to be uninformed about this reality of life.

1 Thessalonians 4:13 KJV 1900

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

So Jesus says: Let not your hearts be troubled.

Next: In my fathers house are many mansions. If were not so He would have told us. If there was no hope, no heaven, no eternal life, Jesus would have told us explicitly. But he is there is a Heaven and There are mansions waiting in Heaven.

Look what he says next: I am going to prepare a place for you.

This iss amazing. There is a place in heaven prepared and reserved for each of God’s children. AND NOT ONLY THAT but Jesus promises to come and take us home PERSONALLY!!!

“I will come again and recieve you to myself..”

He does not delegate the ask to an angel or some one else, as if Jesus has more important things to do.

Some will ask don’t angels take you to heaven? well yes they did.

Luke 16:22 KJV 1900

And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

But this begger died under the old covenant, but john 14 is Jesus speaking to those under the new covenant. Do you thing Jesus would come in the flesh, live a sinless life, die an excruciating death all so that you can go to heaven and then not even bother to show up when you do?

Lets talk about that for a moment.

The Dying Part

Likie i said, everbody dies. Its just a question of when and how.

However when someones does, we also ask another question, especually if its someone we will miss, when, how, but also why?

Why did they have to die?

Lets what Paul has to say on this issue:

2 Corinthians 5:1–8 KJV 1900

For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

Notice the word goes used to describe our bodies: tabernacles, ie tents.

Tents are not homes, they are by design not permanent dwelling places, their nature is temporary. We stay in tents, or the weekend, but we dont live in tents all the time. Tents are not meant for that.

Go buy a new tent. Its great - like our young bodies. Everything works.

But take that same tent out season after season and the temporary nature of the tents starts to show. The zips get stuck the net gers ripped, the seams come loose.

Our bodies are the same, as we accumulate the years, the back gets stiff, the knees get weak, the eyes go dim. thats assuming you get old.

Your tent many be quite new but mould can grow and then its finished, tents are not very durable. Nor are bodies. Disease and illness can cut our lives shorter as well.

And then an intresting situation arises: God has to make a choice: There is one of his beloved children - living in an old broken down tent, a tent that cause pain, suffering and sorrow. And There is heaven is a brand new empty mansion ready and reserved for that self same saint.

And when we die, the why is an easy question: The tent that the child of God was living in, was no longer fit for such a precious inhabitant and God is his mercy, took them home to their new mansion.

Thats why Jesus says: Do not let your hearts be troubled.

He also says:

John 14:4 KJV 1900

And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

He says: And you know how to come into possession of this wonderful mansion.

Thomas the disciple cant take this and asks perhaps the best question anyone can ever ask:

John 14:5 KJV 1900

Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?

Translation: How do we get to Heaven? Am i good enough to go to heaven when i die?

Are you good Enough to Go to Heaven?

Thats a good question and you dont have to hope or wonder. God did not leave us any ambiguity over this issue. God has told us what His standard of goodness is. He has said: That you have to be this good to enter into Heaven.

What is that Standard? the 10 commandments.

Thou shall not lie, Thou shall not steal, Thou shall not blaspheme, thou that not commit adultery.

Are you good enough to Go to heaven? No and i knew before the test.

Romans 3:10–12 KJV 1900

As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

So when Thomas ask Jesus How do we get to Heaven, what is Jesus response?

John 14:6 KJV 1900

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Unless we have repented and trusting Jesus as our Lord and Saviour we will not go to heaven.

But If you have:

John 11:25 KJV 1900

Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

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