YEARS AGO, RADIO EVANGELIST CHARLES E. FULLER ANNOUNCED THAT HE WOULD SPEAK THE FOLLOWING SUNDAY ON "HEAVEN" AND THAT IT WOULD ALSO BE AIRED OVER THE RADIO.
DURING THAT WEEK HE RECEIVED A LETTER FROM AN ELDERLY MAN WHO WAS VERY ILL. HERE’S A PART OF HIS LETTER: "NEXT SUNDAY YOU ARE TO TALK ABOUT "HEAVEN.
I AM INTERESTED IN THAT LAND BECAUSE I HAVE HELD A CLEAR TITLE TO A BIT OF PROPERTY THERE FOR OVER 55 YEARS. I DID NOT BUY IT. IT WAS GIVEN TO ME WITHOUT MONEY AND WITHOUT PRICE.
BUT THE DONOR PURCHASED IT FOR ME AT A TREMENDOUS SACRIFICE. I AM NOT HOLDING IT FOR SPECULATION, SINCE THE TITLE IS NOT TRANSFERABLE.
IT IS NOT A VACANT LOT. FOR MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY I HAVE BEEN SENDING MATERIAL OUT OF WHICH THE GREATEST ARCHITECT AND BUILDER OF THE UNIVERSE HAS BEEN BUILDING A HOME FOR ME, WHICH WILL NEVER NEED TO BE REPAIRED BECAUSE IT WILL SUIT ME PERFECTLY, INDIVIDUALLY AND WILL NEVER GROW OLD.
TERMITES CAN NEVER UNDERMINE ITS FOUNDATION FOR THEY REST UPON THE ROCK OF AGES. FIRE CANNOT DESTROY IT. FLOODS CANNOT WASH IT AWAY.
NO LOCKS OR BOLTS WILL EVER BE PLACED UPON ITS DOORS, FOR NO VICIOUS PERSON CAN EVER ENTER THAT LAND WHERE MY DWELLING STANDS, NOW ALMOST COMPLETED AND READY FOR ME TO ENTER AND ABIDE IN PEACE ETERNALLY WITHOUT FEAR OF BEING REJECTED.
THERE IS A VALLEY OF DEEP SHADOW BETWEEN THE PLACE WHERE I LIVE IN CALIFORNIA AND THAT TO WHICH I SHALL JOURNEY IN A VERY SHORT TIME. I CANNOT REACH MY HOME IN THE CITY OF GOD WITHOUT PASSING THROUGH THE DARK VALLEY OF SHADOWS.
BUT I AM NOT AFRAID, BECAUSE THE BEST FRIEND THAT I EVER HAD WENT THROUGH THE SAME VALLEY ALONE LONG, LONG AGO AND DROVE AWAY ALL THE GLOOM. HE HAS STUCK BY ME THROUGH THICK AND THIN SINCE WE FIRST BECAME ACQUAINTED 55 YEARS AGO, AND I HOLD HIS PROMISE IN PRINTED FORM, NEVER TO FORSAKE, NOR TO LEAVE ME ALONE.
HE WILL BE WITH ME AS I WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOWS, AND I SHALL NOT LOSE MY WAY WHEN HE IS WITH ME. I HOPE TO HEAR YOUR SERMON ON HEAVEN NEXT SUNDAY FROM MY HOME, BUT I HAVE NO ASSURANCE THAT I SHALL BE ABLE TO DO SO.
MY TICKET TO HEAVEN HAS NO DATE MARKED FOR THE JOURNEY -- NO RETURN COUPON -- AND NO PERMIT FOR BAGGAGE. YES, I AM READY TO GO AND MAY NOT BE HERE WHILE YOU ARE TALKING NEXT SUNDAY, BUT I SHALL MEET YOU THERE SOME DAY."
IT IS SAFE TO SAY THAT A VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WANT TO GO TO HEAVEN. SADLY, THE REASON USUALLY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT GOD IS THERE.
MOST PEOPLE ONLY SEE HEAVEN AS AN ETERNAL PLACE OF REST AND PEACE FROM THE EARTHLY LIFE THAT IS FILLED WITH PAIN, SICKNESS, TROUBLE AND DEATH.
THEY ARE RIGHT TO SOME DEGREE IN LOOKING AT HEAVEN THAT WAY, BUT THEY ARE WAY OFF THE MARK WHEN IT COMES TO WHY THEY WANT TO BE THERE.
EVEN THOUGH IT IS WONDERFUL TO LOOK FORWARD TO NO MORE PAIN, SORROW, OR DEATH OUR MAIN REASON FOR WANTING TO BE IN HEAVEN IS BECAUSE GOD IS THERE.
THIS SHOULD BE OUR FOCUS ON WHY WE WANT TO BE THERE AND WHY WE SHOULD BE STRIVING TO REACH OTHERS WITH THE GOOD NEWS ON HOW THEY CAN JOIN US.
AS CHRISTIANS WE SHOULD BE STRIVING AFTER WHAT WILL BE WHILE LIVING IN WHAT WE HAVE NOW. REVELATION 21 IS A CHAPTER THAT TAKES US TO THE ULTIMATE PROPHETIC VISION OF WHAT WE’RE STRIVING FOR: ETERNITY.
IN THIS ACCOUNT WE HAVE SURPASSED THE RAPTURE, THE SEVEN YEARS OF TRIBULATION AND HAVE CONCLUDED THE ONE-THOUSAND YEARS OF CHRIST’S MILLENNIAL REIGN AND NOW PREPARE FOR THE TIME OF THE NEW CREATION.
THE INTERESTING CONCEPT OF THIS TRANSFORMATION IS THAT WE DON’T GET ALL NEW THINGS, BUT THAT ALL THINGS BECOME NEW. A TOTAL RENOVATION OF THE UNIVERSE TAKES PLACE FROM THE COMMAND OF GOD WHO ORDERS IT.
A GREAT COSMIC RENEWAL OF DOING AWAY WITH ALL THE OLD THINGS OF SIN, WILL TAKE PLACE. EVERYTHING SINFUL THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED SINCE EVE TOOK THAT FIRST BITE IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN WILL DISAPPEAR.
NO MORE SIN, DESPAIR, BROKENNESS, DEATH, DECAY, GRIEF, CRYING, PAIN AND ALL THAT CORRUPTS LIFE WILL BE DONE AWAY WITH AND WILL NEVER BE ENCOUNTERED AGAIN FOR ALL OF ETERNITY.
GOD HAD ORIGINALLY CREATED THE EARTH AND HEAVEN TO BE OUR PERMANENT HOME. BUT SIN AND DEATH ENTERED THE WORLD AND TRANSFORMED THE EARTH INTO A PLACE OF REBELLION AND ALIENATION. SIN TURNED EARTH OVER INTO THE HANDS OF ENEMY-OCCUPIED TERRITORY.
BUT GOD HAS BEEN WORKING ALL THROUGHOUT SALVATION HISTORY TO ACCOMPLISH A TOTAL REVERSAL OF THIS EVIL CORRUPTION IN ORDER TO LIBERATE EARTH FROM THE BONDAGE TO SIN, CORRUPTION AND DEATH.
THIS IS WHY HE IS MAKING ALL THINGS NEW! THE GREEK WORD FOR "NEW" MEANS NEW IN QUALITY RATHER THAN NEW IN TIME. WHAT MAKES THIS COSMIC TRANSFORMATION GREATER THAN WHAT WE CAN COMPREHEND IS THAT GOD HIMSELF WILL DWELL ALONG WITH US.
THE HEAVENS AND EARTH ARE NEW BECAUSE OF THE PRESENCE OF A NEW COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE WHO ARE LOYAL TO GOD AND THE LAMB IN WHAT USE TO BE A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE WERE ALIENATED AND SEPARATED.
ONCE ALL THIS HAPPENS GOD WILL DECLARE "IT IS DONE! I AM THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA - THE BEGINNING AND THE END. THIS IS TO SIGNIFY HIS ABSOLUTE CONTROL OVER THE WORLD AND ALL HE CREATED.
THEN GOD WILL SAY, "TO ALL WHO ARE THIRSTY I WILL GIVE THE SPRINGS OF THE WATER OF LIFE WITHOUT CHARGE! ALL WHO ARE VICTORIOUS WILL INHERIT ALL THESE BLESSING, AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY WILL BE MY CHILDREN.
THIS INVITATION COMING FROM GOD IS SALVATION BEAUTIFULLY DEPICTED AS DRINKING FROM THE SPRING OF LIFE.
GOD IS INVITING THOSE WHO SENSE THEIR NEED AND ARE DRAWN TO HIM TO COME AND PARTICIPATE IN THE REALITY OF HIS GLORY. THE BEAUTY, AS STATED, IS THAT NOTHING IS REQUIRED OF YOU OTHER THAN TO COME.
THOSE WHO RESPOND TO THIS INVITATION ARE KNOWN AS OVER-COMERS. THOSE WHO OVERCOME WILL INHERIT ALL THESE NEW THINGS OF THE CITY OF GOD.
THEN GOD MAKES A STARTLING PROCLAMATION BY SAYING, "BUT COWARDS WHO TURN AWAY FROM ME, AND UNBELIEVERS, AND THE CORRUPT, MURDERERS, THE IMMORAL, THOSE WHO PRACTICE WITCHCRAFT, IDOL WORSHIPPERS, AND ALL LIARS - THEIR DOOM IS IN THE LAKE THAT BURNS WITH FIRE AND SULFUR. THIS IS THE SECOND DEATH."
THE STARK REALITY OF THIS STATEMENT IS THAT THERE IS A CONFRONTATION OF CHOICES. WE ARE FACED WITH MAKING A DECISION BECAUSE THERE ARE TWO NEW CITIES. THE CITY OF GOD OF ETERNAL INTIMACY AND THE CITY OF BABYLON CONTAINING TORMENT OF FIRE AND SULFUR.
THOSE WHO CHOOSE SALVATION THROUGH CHRIST BY DRINKING FROM SALVATION’S SPRINGS SUPPLIED BY GOD HIMSELF WILL INHERIT WHAT HE PROMISED.
THOSE WHO DO NOT WILL SPEND THEIR ETERNITY IN THE TORMENT OF HELL SEPARATED FROM GOD FOREVER. THESE WHO MEET THIS FATE ARE KNOWN AS "COWARDLY" BECAUSE, IT IS BY THEIR OWN CHOICE THAT THEY WILL RECEIVE THE DEPTHS OF BABYLON FOR THEIR HOME.
THE COWARDLY ARE THOSE WHO FEAR PERSECUTION ARISING FROM FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST. THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO DO NOT HAVE STEADFAST ENDURANCE AND ARE LACKING IN FAITH. THEY LACK EVERYTHING AND HAVE NOTHING BECAUSE THEY DO NOT HAVE JESUS IN THEIR LIFE.
TWO CITIES: THE CITY OF GOD AND THE CITY OF BABYLON, EACH WITH ITS INHABITANTS AND ITS DESTINY. THE CHOICE IS OURS WHETHER TO DRINK OR TO BURN. WHICH WILL IT BE?
I HOPE THAT IT WILL BE YOUR DECISION TO WANT ALL THINGS TO BECOME NEW IN YOUR LIFE TODAY.
