TheosGuy

Here are some things we will do in heaven.

• Worship God
• Please God
• Be happy and content
• Have sinless FUN!
• Rest – not “doing nothing” but doing all that God has for us without growing weary
• Serve God
• Reign with God
• Enjoy our heavenly inheritance
• Receive at least one praise reward from God. . .”Well done, good and faithful servant.” And we will know that it is only because of Him that we did anything good.

Here’s a list of some of the things we won’t do in heaven!

• Confess our sin, because we cannot sin.
• Say we are sorry, because we will not offend anyone.
• Have to admit we are wrong.
• Ask for directions.
• Go to the dentist!
• Call Tech Support.
• Worry about calories!
• Find clothes that make us look thinner!
• Struggle with our flesh (literally or metaphorically)
• Feel guilty
• Repair something
• Be late!
• Cry, be sad, be lonely
• Defend ourselves against unrighteousness
• Be cured . . . since we’ll never be sick
• Miss earthly pleasures
• Be God. . . for there is only ONE God, and we are not Him

Horatius Bonar wrote this nice little piece on why we as Christians are not to love the world.  It was originally published in The Christian Treasury.

1. Because the gain of it is the loss of the soul.—Matthew 16:25.
2. Because its friendship is enmity to God.—James 4:4.
3. Because it did not know Christ.—John 1:10; 17:25.
4. Because it hates Christ.—John 7:7; 15:18.
5. Because the Holy Spirit has forbidden us.—1 John 2:15.
6. Because Christ did not pray for it.—John 17:9.
7. Because Christ’s people do not belong to it.—John 17:16.
8. Because it will not receive the Spirit.—John 14:27.
9. Because its Prince is Satan.—John 13:31; 16:11.
10. Because Christ’s kingdom is not of it.—John 18:36.
11. Because its wisdom is foolishness.—1 Corinthians 1:20.
12. Because its wisdom is ignorance.—1 Corinthians 1:21.
13. Because Christ does not belong to it.—John 8:23.
14. Because it is condemned.—1 Corinthians 11:32.
15. Because the fashion of it passeth away.—1 Corinthians 7:31.
16. Because it slew Christ.—James 5:6; Matthew 21:39.
17. Because it is crucified to us.—Galatians 6:14.
18. Because we are crucified to it.—Galatians 6:14.
19. Because it is the seat of wickedness.—2 Peter 1:4; 1 John 5:19.
20. Because its God is the evil one.—2 Corinthians 4:4.

‘Love not the world! It cannot be your home,
Thy fatherland must be the world to come;
There lay up treasures for eternity;
And where thy treasure is thy heart shall be.’
—H.B.

Being prideful men (and women) we do not like to be reproved by our fellow brethern. But let us take a brief look at a short Biblical survey of the matter.

Let the righteous strike me; It shall be a kindness. And let him rebuke me; It shall be as excellent oil; Let my head not refuse it. For still my prayer is against the deeds of the wicked. (Psalms 141:5 NKJV)

Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you; Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you. (Proverbs 9:8 NKJV)

He who keeps instruction is in the way of life, But he who refuses correction goes astray. (Proverbs 10:17 NKJV)

Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, But he who hates correction is stupid. (Proverbs 12:1 NKJV)

By pride comes nothing but strife, But with the well-advised is wisdom. (Proverbs 13:10 NKJV)

The ear that hears the rebukes of life Will abide among the wise. He who disdains instruction despises his own soul, But he who heeds rebuke gets understanding. (Proverbs 15:31-32 NKJV)

Rebuke is more effective for a wise man Than a hundred blows on a fool. (Proverbs 17:10 NKJV)

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, (2 Timothy 3:16 NKJV)

Tags: Bible, Christian Living

The following words of exhortation are all from the Book of Hebrews. Hover over the Bible reference to see the words more fully in the context. This outline is adapted from an outline in the book, Twelve Baskets Full of Original Bible Outlines.¹

1. “Words of Exhortation,” Twelve Baskets Full of Original Bible Outlines, Pickering Hy. (Editor). London: Pickering & Inglis, 1918. p. 13.

Tags: Exhortation, HyP

John Piper did a sermon series on Battling Unbelief. The following is from one of those sermons about battling anxiety with God’s promises:

• When I am anxious about some risky new venture or meeting, I battle unbelief with the promise: “Fear not for I am with you, be not dismayed for I am your God; I will help you, I will strengthen you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).
• When I am anxious about my ministry being useless and empty, I fight unbelief with the promise, “So shall my word that goes forth from my mouth; it will not come back to me empty but accomplish that which I purpose, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11).
• When I am anxious about being too weak to do my work, I battle unbelief with the promise of Christ, “My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9), and “As your days so shall your strength be” (Deuteronomy 33:25).
• When I am anxious about decisions I have to make about the future, I battle unbelief with the promise, “I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you” (Psalm 32:8).
• When I am anxious about facing opponents, I battle unbelief with the promise, “If God is for us who can be against us!” (Romans 8:31).
• When I am anxious about being sick, I battle unbelief with the promise that “tribulation works patience, and patience approvedness,and approvedness hope, and hope does not make us ashamed” (Romans 5:3-5).
• When I am anxious about getting old, I battle unbelief with the promise, “Even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save”(Isaiah 46:4).
• When I am anxious about dying, I battle unbelief with the promise that “none of us lives to himself and none of us dies to himself; if we live we live to the Lord and if we die we die to the Lord. So whether we live or die we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and rose again: that he might be Lord both of the dead and the living”(Romans 14:9-11).
• When I am anxious that I may make shipwreck of faith and fall away from God, I battle unbelief with the promise, “He who began a good work in you will complete it unto the day of Christ” (Philippians 1:6). “He who calls you is faithful. He will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:23). “He is able for all time to save those who drawnear to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25).
• When I am anxious about the unknowns, I battle unbelief with the promise, “And the Lord is the one who goes ahead of you, he will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear, or be dismayed” (Deuteronomy 31:8).

HT: Between Two Worlds

The Apostle Paul warned us of a future time that would come where men would turn from sound doctrine and follow their own lustful self-will. To a large extent self-will has always been a problem for the human race. It’s a wonder why man seems to be in love with the idea of human free will, as human self-will has only caused problems for humanity. As a Christian, I only want my Lord’s will, not my will. The following is a short outline, Self-Will¹ from F.E. Marsh, on the devastation of self-will.

1. Self-will turned Paradise into a desert. It has been well said, “My will and not Thine be done, turned Paradise into a desert. Thy will and not Mine be done, turned a desert into a Paradise.” (Romans 5:1)
2. Self-will is the mother of sin. This is illustrated in Cain, when he in self-will came to God in his own way instead of God’s way, and was jealous because Abel’s sacrifice was accepted and his was rejected, which jealousy led him on to kill his brother (Jude 11).
3. Self-will is the forerunner of disaster. Lot chose the well-watered plain of Sodom, and then soon after was found in Sodom, but he lost all he had in Sodom, and only escaped with his life (Gen 13:10).
4. Self-will shuts out from blessing. Moses struck the rock twice when God told him to speak to it, and was shut out of the promised land in consequence (Num 20:11-12).
5. Self-will brings punishment. King Saul lost his kingdom and the Holy Spirit through consulting his own will in opposition to God’s word, when the latter told him to destroy all the Amalekites (1 Sam 15:23).
6. Self-will brings injury to others. Peter acted on his own authority when he cut off the ear of the servant of the high priest (Luke 22:50).
7. Self-will means loss of blessing. The prodigal son found the difference between the swine troughs and the father’s table, and between the far country and the old homestead. (Luke 15:16-17)

1. 500 Bible Readings, Marsh, F.E., (London: Marshall Brothers, 1897). Reading no. 347.

Tags: Marsh, Theology

The following reading, Steps in the Christian Life is taken from F.E. Marsh’s, 500 Bible Readings.¹

THERE are some terms that relate to the Christian life which are of pressing importance, because of the issues involved in relation to them. The following seven words indicate a few aspects of the Christian’s life, namely, “Believe,” “Pray,” “Abide,” “Walk,” “Take,” “Stand,” “Watch.”

1. To believe on Christ is the secret of the Christian life (Galatians 2:20 NKJV).
2. To pray to Christ is the stay of the Christian life (Philippians 4:6 NKJV).
3. To abide in Christ is the strength of the Christian life (John 15:4 NKJV).
4. To walk as Christ is the shining out of the Christian life (1 Peter 2:21 NKJV).
5. To take from Christ is the supply of the Christian life (Isaiah 27:5 NKJV).
6. To stand with Christ is the staple of the Christian life (Ephesians 6:14 NKJV).
7. To watch for Christ is the standing order of the Christian life (Mark 13:33 NKJV). The term watchfulness is a comprehensive one. It signifies far more than merely holding the truth of the Lord’s coming. It covers the whole trend of the spiritual life in the variety of its traits.

1. 500 Bible Readings, Marsh, F.E., (London: Marshall Brothers, 1897). Reading number 382.

Tags: Christian Living, Marsh, Theology

Whatsoever is good for God’s children, they shall have it; for all is theirs to help them towards heaven; therefore if poverty be good, they shall have it; if disgrace, if erodes be good, they shall have them; for all is ours, to promote our greatest prosperity.

Though God deliver not out of trouble, yet he delivers from the ill in trouble, from despair in trouble, by supporting the spirit. Nay, he delivers by trouble, for he satisfies the trouble to cure the soul, and by less troubles he delivers from greater.

Richard Sibbes, Divine Meditations.

Dr. David Hocking in his study on Ephesians 2, indicated the following four characteristics of spiritual death (Ephesians 2:1). My added thoughts are included in blue.

1. An inability to discern spiritual matters (1 Cor 2:14)

   The “natural man” would include non-believers, but also could include carnal believers. We are told in 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 and Romans 8:1-7, that it is possible for the believer to operate in the realm of the “natural man” when he is not walking in the Spirit.

   The non-believer faces both inability and non-capacity for discerning spiritual matters. I think the carnal believer has the ability and has the capacity, but chooses not to operate in either, by walking in the flesh rather than walking in the Spirit.

2. An inability to receive any help from God (Psa 66:18; Isa 59:1-2)

   It may be that the only prayer of a non-believer that is guaranteed to be heard is the prayer of repentance and belief in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

3. An inability to produce any true good in the eyes of the LORD (Rom 3:10-12)

   I am reminded of the words of Christ that tell me what my personal efforts produce.

   John 15:5 NKJV – “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

4. An inability to please God (Rom 8:6-8)

   Colossians 1:10 NKJV – that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;