For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

 Our citizenship is in heaven:

 

Philippians 3:20-21

20     For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;

     21     who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

 

            You’ve probably heard the song that says, “This world is not my home. I’m just a passing through.” Well, it’s not our home. The verse tells us that our citizenship is in Heaven. My citizenship is in the United States of America. I have all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of an American citizen. We have all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of a citizen of Heaven. Right now you are reading a book that tells you about some of your rights and privileges as a citizen. Some of your responsibilities are also mentioned. We should desire to meet our responsibilities as a citizen of Heaven. These verses tell us that this frail (by comparison) body will be transformed into conformity with the body of His glory. Hallelujah! It will be a mansion in comparison to the tent we live in now. But don’t think that we can’t receive benefits of our citizenship for our bodies here on earth. We can and should. We can’t do the best possible for God if we’re handicapped by disease or affliction. I know a lot of Christians believe we can glorify God by the way we handle our suffering (and we can). How much more though can we glorify Him by being healed? What non-believer would want to become a Christian if he/she thought that would mean having to suffer affliction to glorify God? People usually cannot get out and around to minister to others when they have afflictions. They also have to put out money that could be spent to further God’s Kingdom.

 

If you could hear God speak to you, I believe this is what He would say:

            "Do not think that I have a second-rate body in store for you on that Day. It is a perfect body, just like My Son’s. It is a glorious body and will never wear out. It knows neither disease nor discomfort. It will be yours forever as you walk in Me. I will make sure that it is one that you will be proud of … that you can wear with no regrets or fear of what may happen to it. It is a glorious body, and it will sustain you for all eternity.”

 

            108. My citizenship is in Heaven from which I eagerly wait for my Savior who will transform my body into conformity with His glorious body by the exertion of that power which He has to subject all things to Himself.

The night before Christmas

 Good morning. Luke chapter 2: Caesar decreed that a census would be taken of all the inhabited earth. God uses things of mankind without them knowing He is, to bring about His plans. He needed to get Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem for Jesus to be born as prophesied, and this was how He did it. Joseph was a descendent of David (and if the genealogy in the book of Luke is based on Mary, as many believe, then she too was a descendent of David, but through Nathan and not Solomon), and so that is why he went to Bethlehem where David was born. While they were there the days were completed for her to give birth. All of this had to work out at just the right time for what was prophesied to happen. She gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. What if there had been room? Would what followed have happened? The shepherds were told they would find the babe lying in a manger. They weren’t given GPS coordinates. It was thus obvious where to find Him. If Jesus had been born in the inn, would the innkeeper have allowed a bunch of shepherds who had taken care of smelly sheep to enter his inn? Such was the beginning of the King of kings. If we had needed a ruler, Jesus would have been born in a palace. Instead we needed a Savior who could relate to every person small or great. Father thank You for Christmas, when You sent Your Son to be born in a manger - to die for our sins.

For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

 Our Bodies:

 

            We have a building from God:

 

2 Corinthians 5:1-4

1     For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

     2     For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven,

     3     inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked.

     4     For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life.

     

            Our bodies are about as sturdy as a tent in a tornado. By comparison, we have a house that God made for us that is eternal. The body people see when they look at us isn’t the real us. We’re on the inside looking out. We are a spirit; we have a soul; and we live in a body. Our body is like the spacesuit that astronauts wear. It’s so we can operate in this physical realm. That doesn’t mean that our bodies are unimportant. They are a temple of the Holy Spirit and we should treat them in the best manner possible. That way we can live a long and productive life glorifying our Creator.

 

If you could hear God speak to you, I believe this is what He would say:

            "My children, your eyes have not seen nor has your mind conceived what I have in store for you. I have a special treat for you when you come to meet me on that Day. I will provide for you a special treat to replace that body of yours. It is precious and immortal. It will never wear out like the one you have now. It is to be yours forever. I will hasten it to happen on that Day. It will be a glorious Day, and you will forever rejoice in it. I have set it in motion, and it will come to pass at the proper time. Do not regret the time that you have in your body. It is but a momentary flash in the eternity of Mine. You cannot conceive of what it will be like in your new body. It will be perfect, and it requires you to be perfect also.”

 

            107. I do not have to fear that if this earthly temporal tent, my body, is torn down that there is nothing more. I know for sure that He has made for me a house eternal in the heavens with which I will clothe myself.

And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven

 Gather the elect:

 

Mark 13:27

27     “And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven.

     

 

Matthew 24:31

31     “And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

 

            These verses demonstrate that no matter where we are when Jesus returns, His angels will collect us together to be with Him. This is true whether we’re dead or still alive when He returns. Like most doctrines in the Church there is debate and disagreement as to what this actually means. In this case, there is much dispute as to when this will happen. A very popular view is that this will happen right before the Great Tribulation that is mentioned in the verses prior to these two passages. Thus, the believers, dead or alive, will be “raptured”, receive their glorified bodies, and be taken to Heaven to be with Jesus for the seven years of the Tribulation. Some believe it will occur half-way through. Others believe it will be at the end of the Tribulation. And still others believe it won’t happen until after the Millennium … the thousand year reign on earth by Jesus during which Satan is chained. In the end, we shouldn’t be concerned about when it will happen. We should get our lives in order so that if He comes before the Tribulation, we’ll be ready to meet Him in the air. If it’s during or afterward, we need to be prepared to rely on Him to supply our every need. That’s because it’s going to be rather nasty during it.

 

If you could hear God speak to you, I believe this is what He would say:

            "The time is soon coming when my trumpet will sound. It will be a blast heard round the world. No one can escape it. It will be a sound of great joy to you, but a sound of terrifying expectation for those who do not know Me. I have chosen you, and I will come to gather you together on that Day. It will not come as a surprise to you, for I will announce My coming to you My people. I will tell you when I am about to come. I will signal you through those who listen to My Spirit. I will not hide it from you. If you diligently harken unto My Spirit, you will know when I am about to come. I will not hide it from you, but will tell you as the time approaches. Do not hesitate to prepare yourself for Me. Those that wait will lose their desire to please Me. They will turn back from the plow. They will say it is not time and is not worth the loss of freedom. What they don’t understand is that My yoke is actually one of freedom. Accept My guidance in your daily life, and you will come to know My peace. It is one that worries not at the future, but looks eagerly forward to My coming and My Kingdom.”

 

            106. When Jesus returns He will send forth His angels and gather His elect, which includes me, from wherever we are located in Heaven, on earth, or under the earth.

This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day

                                                                         Chapter 10

 

Second Coming

 

 

           Jesus is coming again. Many people think it will be soon; but whether it’s in the next few days or the next few decades, He is coming back a second time. What does that mean to us? What is our destiny when He returns? The following verses give us some insight into exactly what our destiny is in regards to His second coming.

 

Process:

 

            Raise us up on last day:

 

John 6:39-40

39     “This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.

     40     “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”

 

John 6:54

54     “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.

     

1 Corinthians 6:14

14     Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power.

 

            It is not the Father’s will that we not make it to the end. It is His will that Jesus raise us up on the last day. We have believed in the Son, and so we have eternal life and will be raised up on the last day (remember our assumptions). He is not going to leave us stuck in the ground with no hope. It is not the end when we die. The world has no hope when it dies. We have an awe-inspiring hope. Again, hope is not wishful thinking. It is confident anticipation. This resurrection is not something that we have to work for to achieve. It is going to happen when Jesus returns.

 

If you could hear God speak to you, I believe this is what He would say:

            "I have not chosen you to fail. I have chosen you to succeed … to be established in the earth as a great people. I have not chosen you to let you wither on the vine. I have chosen you to be a great success. I will not abandon you like others have abandoned you. I will always be with you no matter what may come against you. You shall dominate the kingdoms of this world as you walk in My Spirit. I will not abandon you to disgrace. I will raise you up. Your faith in Me will not go unrewarded. You will be raised up in My glory. I will not abandon you to the grave, but will raise you up on the last day to My glory.”

 

            105. I have believed in the Son and so I have eternal life. He will not abandon me to the grave when I die. He will raise me up on the last day.