Posted by Believers Church of Sylvania on Sunday, September 15, 2019
(Ecclesiastes 3:11 NIV) . . . He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
(1 Thessalonians 4:13 NLT) And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope.
(1 Thessalonians 4:14-15 NLT) For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died.
(1 Thessalonians 4:16 NLT) For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves.
(1 Thessalonians 4:17 NLT) Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.
(1 Thessalonians 4:18 NLT) So encourage each other with these words.
(Luke 23:42-43 NLT) Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
(Revelation 21:1 NLT) Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone.
√ Heaven is a REAL place.
(Revelation 21:16-17 NLT) When he measured it, he found it was a square, as wide as it was long. In fact, its length and width and height were each 1,400 miles. Then he measured the walls and found them to be 216 feet thick. . .
√ Heaven is a RIGHT place.
(Revelation 21:4 NIV) ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
√ Heaven is a RELATIONAL place.
(Revelation 21:3 NLT) I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them.
√ Heaven is a REWARDING place.
(Revelation 22:12 NLT) “Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds.
(Matthew 16:27 NIV) For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.
√ Live for ETERNITY.
√ Will what I invest my time & resources into show up in HEAVEN?
(Hebrews 6:10-11 NLT) For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do. Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true.