The UnSafe Bible

All of Scripture is a blessing to read. It’s God’s expression of love and grace in written form. As we examine today’s passage, Pastor Ken will point out that the book of Revelation brings an extra blessing for those who read it and heed what it says. So much of Scripture deals with the past or the moment we’re in, but Revelation gives us a promise of what’s to come. Not all of it is pleasant, but it reassures us that Christ will have the victory and we’ll live with Him forever in a glorious new Jerusalem.

As fascinating as it is to examine the book of Revelation with its vivid imagery and descriptions of events that are yet to happen, we can’t really begin to understand the scale and scope of what it reveals. In today’s message, Pastor Ken will wrap up his study of the first five verses of chapter 22, offering us a glimpse of what the new Heaven and new Earth will be like. It will be wonderful, with unfathomable beauty, cloaked in peace and not a hint of sin or death anywhere.

God blessed mankind with the privilege and responsibility to “rule over the earth and subdue it.” That goes all the way back to the beginning. Many have twisted this calling to an extreme, either recklessly abusing the earth or on the other end of the spectrum, worshipping it as a god itself. In today’s message, Pastor Ken will draw our attention to a beautiful restoration of our role as healthy keepers of the new earth. This new earth will also be restored as the dwelling place of our Heavenly Father.

We need relationships. There is a benefit to spending time in solitude and isolation from others, but it’s destructive when it becomes a way of life. Even Adam, the first human created by God – without sin or imperfection – still needed a companion. There are those who avoid Church and relationships with other believers, claiming they have a relationship with Jesus, but as Pastor Ken will point out in today’s message, that relationship with God can’t be healthy without relationships with others.

That sounds awfully exclusive, doesn’t it? In our world that pushes for the inclusion of all people, it goes against the grain to say that only people that have been redeemed will be allowed into Heaven. But, according to God’s Word, that’s the case. There’s good news though… everyone can be redeemed. As Pastor Ken will remind us in today’s message, Jesus desires for all mankind to come to Himself and receive salvation. He won’t force it, but if you accept that invitation, you’re granted access to Heaven.

Our limited minds have a hard time grasping God’s ability to be everywhere at once. As Pastor Ken will explain in today’s message, at one point, the Holy Spirit was found only in the Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle and then the temple. Apart from offering atoning sacrifices and living righteously, men couldn’t approach Him and experience His presence. The good news for us is that Jesus offered an atoning sacrifice once and for all, and because of that, the Holy Spirit can dwell in each of our hearts.

Heaven is a fascinating and inspiring subject to explore. In today’s message, as Pastor Ken continues our study of the book of Revelation, we’ll examine the glimpse of offers of that glorious city. Through the centuries, many have tried to recreate these descriptions through art, but nothing can capture what it will be like to stand in that place. The most overwhelming and beautiful element of it will be the presence of our Creator. That experience alone will be worth the worst suffering this world can bring.

If you’re in Christ, you have no reason to fear the forces of evil in this world. They can harm your body and they can bring trials and hardship to your life, but they can’t touch your soul. As Pastor Ken will point out in today’s message, while we don’t need to fear these things, that doesn’t mean we should ignore their existence. We need to be aware and on guard against their attacks on ourselves as well as others. These attacks are usually subtle and disguised very well, so we must be vigilant.

We tend to be very literal, and it’s hard to imagine Heaven as it’s described in Scripture. For the Heaven of Revelation to become reality it will require a complete reworking of the laws of physics and an overhaul of Earth as we know it. As Pastor Ken will explain in today’s message, that’s exactly what God will do. He’s going to make all of this new. That includes you and me – if you’ve accepted His gift of salvation, you’re promised a new body in that glorious new existence that He’s planned.

The concept of “heaven on earth” popularized in love songs is much different than the real Heaven that will be brought to earth by our God. The pop culture idea of heaven is often centered around romantic love or our own comfort and glorification, but as Pastor Ken will clarify today, God’s heaven will be centered around Him and our intimacy with Him. The things we value and idolize in this life will be common – replacing asphalt with gold for example – and the focus of all our worship will be on God.