Showing posts with label heaven. Show all posts
Showing posts with label heaven. Show all posts

Friday, February 23, 2024

Heaven on Earth

Genesis 1:24-31

24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.
25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.
31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

On the sixth day, God was especially busy, setting the example that we should always be prepared for a day of rest, when no work can be done.

He gave mankind, us, the power to subdue and rule over every creature on the face of the earth.

The animals and the trees are ours to tame and to use to our advantage and for our food and our comfort.

There is nothing that God left out to satisfy and interest the heart of man.

He gave us the command to be fruitful, to multiply and to take over the earth that He created.

It was to be our home for eternity. There was no death or sickness, as long as we lived in the Will of the Father.

Today, we struggle to stay with-in the perimeters of our God; but, it is a fight worth having.

Where, before it was easy, now our sin nature gets in the way and sometimes we fail to enjoy all God has offered us.

Discontent with what we have is our greatest sin.

Paul said, in the New Testament,

Philippians 4:11-13

11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

We must look toward Jesus for our strength and contentment, that we may enjoy God's Creation and realize that we have heaven here on earth if we want it!

Sunday, May 22, 2016

You are the only heaven some will ever see...


Today, Pastor Matthew C. Butler, of 1st Bikers Church in Texarkana, preached on the fact that most people will never open the Bible to read it, so those of us who do should BE the Word in our own lives that others can see Jesus in us.

2 Corinthians 3:2
“Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:”


It has been my constant prayer that others are able to see Jesus in me, and that I may show others the end result of having a relationship with Him through my life.

During our study of Revelation in Sunday school, one member pointed out that some say that this earth is the only hell a true Christian will ever have to experience. Then, she said, "I'll take that a step forward, this earth is also the only heaven some lost people will ever see."

It's up to us, as Christians to bring heaven down to earth for others to see through our lives.

Are you living for yourself, or for Jesus today?

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Shocked...

I was shocked, confused, bewildered
As I entered Heaven's door,
Not by the beauty of it all,
Nor the lights or its decor.

But it was the folks in Heaven
Who made me sputter and gasp--
The thieves, the liars, the sinners,
The alcoholics and the trash.

There stood the kid from seventh grade
Who swiped my lunch money! twice.
Next to him was my old neighbor
Who never said anything nice.

Herb, who I always thought;
Was rotting away in hell,
Was sitting pretty on cloud nine,
Looking incredibly well.

I nudged Jesus, 'What's the deal?
I would love to hear Your take.
How'd all these sinners get up here?
God must've made a mistake.

'And why's everyone so quiet,
So somber - give me a clue.'
'Hush, child,' He said, 'they're all in shock.
No one thought they'd be seeing you.'

JUDGE NOT.

Remember...Just going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car.

every saint has a PAST...

every sinner has a FUTURE!

(Author unknown)