MY FRIENDS, ARE WE WORTHY, OF SUCH AN HONOR?

Oct. 14, 2016

MY FRIENDS, ARE WE WORTHY, OF SUCH AN HONOR?

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.

[And then] He will wipe every tear from the eyes of [all who endured till the end. In addition,] there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Rev. 21:1-5 (NIV) “A new heaven and a new earth.” “God’s dwelling place is now among the people.” “No more tears, sadness or death.”

My friends, tears will become “an object only by reason of its age or its association with the past” and we will have the privilege of having the one who made it all possible wipe away the last trace of all tears that so often filled our eyes and sometimes was the only thing that brought us relief through our trials and tribulation here on earth and after ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of years into eternity, no more my friends, no more.

And oh what a privilege to stand next to Steven the first Christian martyr, along with Paul and all the apostles, and John Wycliff, Huss, Jerome and all of the reformers who made a difference in this controversy along with millions of others who came through great tribulations and stayed focused. And our only defense will be, all for the glory of God we took up our cross and followed Christ even through “great tribulations.”

And now our robes will forever be “washed and made white with the blood of the Lamb.” My friends, as we look at the world on this journey Christ has placed us on, our finite minds are really unable to define great tribulation in regards to our salvation because it will be a time like no other so how do you define what has never happened in the history of our world.

My friends, it seems inconceivable today, but what we can define to a world that seeks hope, is a shared vision that says; “the garden, the jail, the hammer, the nail, how could a night be so long? “then came the morning that night turned into day and the stone was rolled away. Then hope rose with dawn, then came the morning, the shadows vanished before the sun because death had lost, and life had won [for the sun or Son had risen] for morning had come.” (Bill Gaither, Then Came The Morning)

My friends then came morning and now He lives and despite awareness of our own sinfulness and humanity, as we look at Calvary and our own “great tribulations” as we carry our own cross, the thought should overwhelm us in the fact that when we give it all to Christ, God sees us just as perfectly righteous as Christ.

The one “who was made lower than the angels for a little while. And suffered death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.” And, “though He knew no sin, God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Cor. 5:21 (KJV) Heb. 2:9 (KJV) My friends are we worthy, of such an honor.