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KEY BIBLE
STUDIES IN BRIEF FOR THE FAMILY
Key Verse ~ JOHN 14:2 “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.” (NKJV)
FOCUS ~
Either heaven is
real, or Jesus led His followers with lies. If heaven is a hoax,
then it is the biggest hoax ever perpetrated upon mankind. If there
is no heaven, then the Bible is not true, and Jesus was a deceiver.
If heaven is not the hope of humanity, then the human race has no
hope whatsoever
(Taken from the Pentecostal
Herald). Someone wrote a
poem some years back and called it “The Land of beginning again.” Of
course, we know that on this earth that will never happen. In the
heart of a Christian, there is hope because of the description of
Heaven in the Bible. God shall wipe away all tears, no pain, sorrow
or crying. All of this is wonderful to think about, but the greatest
reason to go to heaven is to know that He will be there, and it will
be eternal bliss.
The dictionary defines
HEAVEN as
the expanse of space that seems
to be over the earth like a dome; a spiritual state of everlasting
communion with God; a place or condition of utmost happiness.
Heaven is open to those who follow Jesus Christ
(John 14:2, 3).
·
The words of Jesus show
that the way to eternal life is through Him.
·
Your heavenly home is as
secure as your trust in Jesus.
·
He has already prepared
the way to eternal life. The only issue that may still be unsettled is
your willingness to believe.
Jesus is preparing places in heaven for his
followers.
·
The scriptures that describe eternal life are rich with promises.
·
Here Jesus says, “I am going there to prepare a place for you,” and “I
will come back.”
·
We can look forward to eternal life because Jesus has promised it to all
who believe in Him.
·
Although all the details of eternity are unknown, we need not fear,
because Jesus is preparing a place for us, and we will spend eternity
with Him.
Heaven’s priorities should be part of life here
on earth (Colossians 3:2).
·
Setting our hearts on
things above means striving to put heaven’s priorities into daily
practice.
·
Setting our minds on
things above means concentrating on the eternal rather than the
temporal. (See Philippians 4:8-9
and Colossians 3:15 for more
on Christ’s rule in our hearts and minds.)
·
Hebrews 11:9 and
10
says of Abraham, “By faith he
sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in
tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same
promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder
and maker is God.”
(KJV)
Focusing on heavenly things puts earthly things
in perspective.
·
The Christian’s real home is where Jesus Christ lives
(John 14:2-3).
·
This truth gives us a different perspective on our life here on earth.
We should let heaven fill our thoughts. This means to look at life from
God’s perspective and to seek what He desires, which is the antidote to
materialism. We gain the proper perspective on material goods when we
take God’s view of them. The more we regard the world around us as God
does, the more we will live in harmony with Him. · We must not become too attached to what is only temporary. Note Hebrews 11:13 – “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” (KJV)
It isn’t what, but Who, is in Heaven that matters
(Revelation 4:1).
·
Revelation,
chapters 4 & 5,
records glimpses into Christ’s glory. Here we see into the throne room
of Heaven.
·
God is on the throne and
orchestrating all the events that John records. The world is not
spinning out of control; rather, the God of creation will carry out his
plans as Jesus Christ initiates the final battle with the forces of
evil.
·
John shows us Heaven
before showing us earth so that we will not be frightened by future
events. Heaven is more beautiful than we can even imagine (1 Corinthians 2:9).
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What a wonderful home He
is preparing for His Bride. Certainly, we all want to go there! Let’s
live our lives accordingly. |