Focus Verse: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28, ESV) Have you ever heard someone describe their weariness or fatigue as “worn to the bone”? Maybe you’ve been there yourself. You are weary, running on empty, worn out, and ready to drop. It’s just not a good place to be. What is weariness? According to the KJV Dictionary (https://av1611.com/), it is defined as: The state of being weary or tired; that lassitude or exhaustion of strength which is induced by labor; fatigue. Lassitude; uneasiness proceeding from continued waiting, disappointed…
“For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.” Matthew 16:27 There is nothing that we can do to earn salvation. We are saved by grace. But the Bible plainly teaches us that good works will be the result of our faith and that the Lord will reward us for them. There are many scriptures that refer to rewards as crowns: An Incorruptible Crown promised to those who run the race of life faithfully I Corinthians 9:25 Paul speaks of the saints at Philippi as being his joy and crown. Philippians 4:1 Paul says his crown of rejoicing will be a result of the people of Thessalonica being ready to meet the Lord. I Thessalonians 2:19 Paul spoke of the crown of righteousness which was waiting for him because of his faithfulness. II Timothy 4:8 James talks about the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who endure temptation. James 1:12 Peter writes of the crown of glory reserved for the faithful shepherds. I Peter 5:4 The crown of life will be given to those who have endured persecution.…
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. I Thessalonians 4:16-17 Have you ever been homesick? I can remember the first time I experienced this as a child. Nothing could solve the problem except going home. Reading and writing about heaven has made me homesick. We are strangers and pilgrims here on earth, and we long for that day, when we shall see Jesus face to face. I just listened to this beautiful song: Destination Known. Here is the link and I hope you will take time to listen to it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYi7RIjaltU Although the Bible does not give us a lot of details about Heaven there are some things that we do know about the New Jerusalem, which is our final destination. Heaven is a holy place. Sin can never enter there. Revelation 21:27 “And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth,…
“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. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.” I Thessalonians 4:13-14 Last night I turned my light off at 10:30 and apparently went right to sleep. When I woke up and looked at my clock it was 7:00 AM. I remember that I did have some dreams, but I had a perfect night of rest. It did not seem like…
“Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” Ecclesiastes 12:7 We all have questions about what happens to us after we die. Where is Heaven? What is it like? Who will go there? Will we know our loved ones? Can they look down on earth and see us? We often wish there was a book in the Bible that spelled out exactly what the future holds for us, but that is not so. The Scriptures give us some insights, but there are many things that we do not fully understand. One thing we know for sure, God has a plan and in the fullness of time He will bring it all to pass. I certainly do not have all the answers but have been asking the Lord to reveal His Word to me and open my spiritual eyes to eternity, and what He has in store for us. When God created man, He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul. When Adam and Eve sinned, the flesh began to die, but the soul lived on forever. When we die, our…
“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.” John 14:1-4 We live in a troubled world. When we turn on our radios in the morning or look at the News sites on our computers, we are bombarded with stories of wars, uprisings, mass shootings, trouble, and strife. The Bible tells us that this is what we can expect as we near the time of the return of Jesus for His bride. I am so thankful for the hope we have of His coming. We do not let these things that are happening deprive us of the joy and peace we have in knowing Christ. He has told us not to fear, but to look up because our redemption draws nigh. What do you think of when you hear the word,…