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| Vol. 13 No. 2 February 2011 | Page 3 |
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| Vol. 13 No. 2 February 2011 | Page 3 |
Randall Evans
Heaven is a place of great mystery. We are told things about it, but yet, there are many things still unknown to us. Heaven is a word that conjures up positive emotions. Most everyone views heaven in a positive way, except atheists, who believe there is no such place. Almost every religious person believes he is going there, and for that matter, most non-religious people believe they are going there, too. However, the Bible says only the obedient will be going (Hebrews 5:8-9). I want to go to heaven more than anything in the world, and the following are some reasons why I want to go there.
I want to go to heaven because of who will be there. God will be in heaven. I look forward to basking in His glory and majesty. What a privilege it will be to be in the presence of His power for all eternity. Our fellow brethren will also be in heaven. In fact, brethren from all the ages will be there. Family members that died as faithful Christians will be there. Great Gospel preachers and elders will be there. All the faithful Bible characters of all time will be there. Can you imagine meeting and talking with the apostle Paul? What about conversing with our Lord? How wonderful that will truly be.
I want to go to heaven because of the things that will be there. Heaven will be a place of beauty. It is described in Revelation 21 as a city with walls of jasper, pearly gates and streets of gold. Heaven is a place where Jesus has prepared a mansion for us (John 14:1-3). Heaven will be a place of light as the brightness of God will light that great city (Revelation 21:23). Heaven will also be a place of rest (Hebrews 4:9-11). We will lay our spiritual armor down and rest from our labors here on this earth forevermore.
I want to go to heaven because of the things that will not be there. There will not be anything immoral in heaven (Revelation 21:17). In heaven, Satan will not be after us at every turn. God has prepared a place for him (Matthew 25:41). No more temptations, no one around us telling dirty jokes, no one dressing immodestly around us, no murder, no stealing, no lying, no evil of any kind. However in addition, Revelation 21:4 tells us some more things that will not be there. There will be no pain, no death and no more sorrow. Heaven will be such a wonderful place because of things that will not be there.
I want to go to heaven because of the reality of the alternative. Hell is a real place, and those who have died lost are already keenly aware of this fact (Luke 16:19-31). One of the main reasons I want to go to heaven is because I do not want to go to hell, and there are only two eternal habitations. One of the joys of heaven, no doubt, will be knowing that we have avoided the horrors of hell.
Are you ready for heaven? If not, get prepared while you still have time!
All Sufficiency of the Scriptures
Nat Evans
Paul told the young preacher Timothy, “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:15-17).
We are told by Peter in 2 Peter 1:3 that “According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue.” Friends, we have been given the perfect law of liberty (James 1:25). We are to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3). We are not to go beyond that which is written (1 Corinthians 4:6). We are to abide in the doctrine (that is the teaching of Christ) (2 John 9-11). We cannot have fellowship with those, or even encourage those, who depart from it or go beyond it. A special curse rests on any man who comes with a different gospel than what the apostles taught (Galatians 1:6-9). The Gospel of the first century is sufficient for the twenty-first century and every century thereafter if God sees fit for time on earth to continue (Matthew 24;35; Romans 1:16-17).
I affirm that the Bible is all sufficient and that it, therefore, meets man’s need for salvation (Mark 16:16). Man does not have the wherewithal to meet this need. He cannot lift himself up by his own bootstraps. He cannot save himself (Jeremiah 10:23).
The Bible meets man’s need for worship (John 4:24). God is God and man is a part of His creation. We are dependent upon His revealed will to let us know how and what we are to do in acceptable worship unto Him. This cannot be left up to mere guesswork or happenstance (Matthew 15:9, 13)!
The Bible meets man’s need to have guidance in the area of morals. We have not been left out on life seas without chart or compass in this all important area. We are not walking on our own in the dark. God has given us some rules. He has given us some moral principles to guide us. There is such a thing as conscience, and there is such a thing as right and wrong.
The Bible meets man’s needs for the home and the family (Colossians 3:18-21; Ephesians 6:1-4; 5). The Bible meets man’s need to remain faithful (2 Peter 1:5-11). The Bible meets mans need in the church. The Bible meets man’s needs in preparing for death and the judgment (Hebrews 9:27).
The question, though, is this. Are you prepared?