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October 25, 2021 3:00 am
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A New Beginning is the daily half-hour program hosted by Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Southern California. For over 30 years, Pastor Greg and Harvest Ministries have endeavored to know God and make Him known through media and large-scale evangelism. This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners.
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Everybody you're listening to a new beginning, which is a podcast made possible by harvest partners. If this program is impacted you, I love to hear from you.
So just send an email to me at greg@harvest.org again it's greg@harvest.org you can learn more about becoming harvest partner by going to harvest.org there's an important event during odds end times plan that surprises many believers Pastor Greg Laurie explains today looking at the moment when heaven comes to work every kind of separation.
No is a thing of the there's no political separation. There's no racial separation.
There's no spiritual separation.
Everything is coming together.
God is making all things new and go to heaven permanent address.
Golden streets forever will yes and no. Today on a new beginning. Pastor Greg Laurie shows us clearly when the time is right, God will bring heaven down to earth, heaven and earth will combine flight co-mingled conjoint you're probably thinking of the question.
Pastor Greg has a lot of insight coming your way, little rubber Bible, Revelation chapter 21.
By the way were almost at the end of our series in Revelation were looking at the moment when heaven comes to work note, try to understand how hard this is for John. John the apostle banished to the island of Patmos for his faithful preaching of the gospel and Jesus comes to him and gives to John what we call the Revelation. The unveiling is what the word Revelation means and John is effectively catapulted into the future.
Sort of a spiritual Time Machine is a sub before.
I don't think it was a DeLorean but he saw things that were yet to come. He saw the afterlife.
He saw the final judgment even peered into hell itself in these trying to write all of this down. You know it's worth noting that the John spent 18 chapters describing the great tribulation. But only one chapter for the 1000 year millennial reign of Christ in less than two chapters on heaven. That's not because heaven is not important.
That is because heaven is beyond words. John was seeing colors and sounds and sights that he simply could not explain things that are in describable about the apostle Paul died and went to heaven and he wrote about it in second Corinthians 12 and he said I was caught up to paradise.
And I heard inexpressible things that I'm not even allowed to tell inexpressible things are what he saw. So John spends more time in Revelation 21 describing what will not be happening in the eternal every kind of separation now is a thing of the past. There's no political separation.
There is no national separation. There is no racial separation. There's no spiritual separation. Everything is coming together at this moment heaven is mentioned 532 times in the Bible more than 10% of those mentions are right here in the book of Revelation, John speaks about heaven 55 times so let's see what he has just say Revelation 21, read verses one through six. I'm reading from the new King James version. John writes in I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no more sea than I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband and I heard a loud voice from heaven say, behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.
I love this verse.
Verse four of Revelation 21 and God will wipe away every tear from there I will be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, and no more pain for the former things have passed away that he then send them the throne said, behold I make all things new.
And he said to be right for these words are true and faithful. Then he said to me, it is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end and I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.
There aren't those beautiful words. I love how begins behold I make all things new.
God loves new things he wants to make new people.
So, all things are new.
No more terminal diseases, nor hospitals, no more wheelchairs no more funerals, no more suffering number separations no more accidents, no more courts or prisons. No more divorces or breakdowns or breakups, no suicide, no rate, no missing children, no drug problems, heart attacks, no cancer, no Alzheimer's, no famine or disaster. God is making all things new and I pray we love you stuff think about when the newest phone comes out the new iPhone. The new android phone, people will stand in line to get theirs so they can walk out.
I got my before anybody else got it. That may not even be that many changes in the new model over the old model but we love to have the newest and the latest version of whatever same thing for your favorite show you like to binge watch on Netflix or on television, all the new season is out. I can hardly wait to watch it. Hey, how about that new car smell is nothing like it. I reprinted just got a new car and I was driving around it it it smelled great, and so I left a burrito and it just to break and you'll find out that about a month or so anyway, what we see here is things are new and I think that marketers have discovered that if you put the words new and improved on something it may sell a little bit better now that fact is the only thing that's new and improved may be the packaging, but in this case. Everything is new. God loves new to he's bringing everything together and by the way, this is already done deal with them is a done deal. This is nap and you will indeed turn around in a sense it has its completed verse six says God said it is done in that phrase carries the idea of absolute finality with the literally these things have become done, it's done, and it secure using when God speaks of the future. He speaks with certainty because he lives in the future, but he understands the past and of course he's in the present. It's the eternal realm. Ecclesiastes 311 says whatever is happened in the past is present now. Whatever is going to happen in the future is already happening in the past.*Responsive versus what well this is simply describing something we don't fully comprehend its eternal realm. So my point is simply this.
When God says something is going to happen.
You can take it to the bank okay so here we are in the final chapters of the book of Revelation. Let's pick up what we last left off the next event on the prophetic calendar is the rapture of the church, then the antichrist emerges the great tribulation period begins two sections of 3 1/2 years at the end of the tribulation. We have the battle of Armageddon. Then the second coming of Jesus Christ. So let's bring it into the moment. What happens to a Christian when they die right now answer they go to have the moment you take your last breath on earth you take your first breath and have you close your eyes on earth you open them in heaven, but there is a generation that will not see death, they will not be placed into a casket and put underground. These people will be caught up in a moment, to meet the Lord in the air that's described I in first Thessalonians 4 and also in first Corinthians 15. Red says it will happen in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. When the last trumpet is blown of the trumpet sounds. The Christians who have died will be raised, would transform bodies and then we who are living will be transformed and we will never die will be transformed into heavenly bodies that will never.so when the rapture happens and what we go to have an somewhere after the rapture before the second coming is what we call the judgment seat of Christ, not to be confused with the great white throne judgment.
That's for nonbelievers only. But this judgment seat of Christ. Remember is sort of like an awards ceremony. Awards are given for faithful service to the Lord. Crowns are distributed, and so forth. And then sometime after that is the wedding supper of the Lamb. The believers are waiting in heaven for the tribulation period to run its course and then we return with Christ in the second coming.
Okay, then what happens then Christ establishes his kingdom. Finally, the answer to the prayer of the church for 2000 years happens, we pray by kingdom come that will be done on earth as it is in heaven now God's kingdom is come to planet Earth.
And this is a time where righteousness fills our planet. After the thousand years are completed. There's a brief rebellion. Satan is cast into the lake of fire. Then the great white throne judgment. Mr. Greg Moore will have the second half of his message in just a moment whatever you send us an email, text or post a comment on social media. We read every word Greg ministry right before coronavirus hit me when into lockdown sermons and how my walk with Christ and have learned and grown so much as a Christian marriage has been rocky over the last few years and I started listening even after seeing it was so beneficial to our relationship for your daughter and your messages course sky kept us together as a family.
Thank you so much as pastor Greg heard from you. How have these daily studies God's word encouraged pastor Greg let them know.
Send great@harvest.org again, that's great@harvest.4G. Will you join us for pastor Greg studies in the book of Revelation later will tell you about his new commentary that will allow you to take the studies even further. Or get those details now@harvest.org. Now it's time for the grand finale as the French would say that yes they resist thoughts that spreads for snails with garlic know that discard no pièce de résistance is is the final dish. The main dish in here now heaven and earth are coming together there merging and becoming one of the last marking of time is Revelation 20 after the millennial reign of Christ, we enter into sort of a eternal timelessness. Everything is now forever and ever going to vacation on lost track of time.
You know what I go on vacation which isn't very often it takes me about seven days to unwind gray stop being aware of what data is and you get a notification to you. Take a break and what day is it again in eternity. This is a beautiful thing. What were just now on God's time schedule and were seeing things the way God sees things to know God is not bound by our watches are our schedules or shed jewels, as they say in the UK. I know God lives in his own time zone and as his own schedule. In fact, Psalm 90, verse four says for God. The thousand years are as yesterday. There like a few hours. Sometimes residents think that God is late, Lord, what, why haven't you done this yet why would you come back. I think many people felt the Lord was laden sending the Messiah, but in Galatians we read when the time was just right, God sent forth his son, born of a woman, made under the law, to redeem those under the law, but note when the time is just right. Everything was aligned perfectly the Roman kingdom had pretty much taken control of most of the world. They'd established a common language, which was Greek. They had the Roman road system that open the planet up for the first time ever, when everything was right when everything was just ready. That's when the Messiah was born in Bethlehem and when everything is right on God schedule Christ will come again listen he's right on schedule and everything is going according to plan. Second Peter 39, says the Lord is in slow about his promise to return as some people think he's been patient for your sake because he doesn't want anyone to perish, Joe is giving more time for everyone to repent. I want you to notice one of the first thing that happens here in verse one is there's no more OSHA. No more see all the servers will do what's up hey God gives you in the place of the ocean will be so much better. You won't miss it worth noting that at present. Two thirds of the earth surface is covered with water, thus, only a small percentage of the planet Earth is inhabitable in God's going to remove these barriers that separate us right now think about this.
All people who have trusted Christ will come together ever got together for a family reunion in seeing members of your family. You haven't seen for so long and you wish you could go on forever are gathered with old friends and maybe you haven't seen it for a while and you're having such a good time. Imagine this heaven is a great reunion where everyone will be reunited in one time at one place all those who have died in faith over the centuries. All of us together evil be there.
Sarah will be there so will Ruth David know what Jonah, Peter, James and John, I think Abraham Lincoln will be there. CH Spurgeon a look at Dr. Martin Luther King over their own look at steel Moody.
It's Billy Graham. CS Lewis will be there.
Just think of the people that will be gathered together. What conversations will have what times will have together and for many of us.
Best of all, will be reunited with loved ones that have preceded us to have. This is going to be a wonderful time. Now God breaks the silence was something he wants us all to hear. Look at verse three heard a loud voice from heaven saying, behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God, you know, throughout history, God has effectively been shrouded from humanity sure he pick certain individuals to reveal himself to like Moses, where the Bible says the Lord spoke to Moses face to face as a man speaks to a friend, but of the Old Testament you would go into the tabernacle which means 10 later into the temple and you would have to go to the high priest would enter into the holy of holies and sacrifice an animal for the sins of the people. But God was not approachable, but that's all changed in Christ. Now God can be approached. God can be called upon. But now, when heaven and earth become one. You have open access to the presence of God. You want to say something the Lord say to them face-to-face.
You have a question for him asking what ever you want to ask no appointment required.
How wonderful would that be and I think if I could live at any time in history. I would surely pick the time when Jesus walked this earth. And what, how, what would it have been like to be one of the disciples of Jesus and asked him whatever was on your heart or mind and just spend time with him will you will have that moment in eternity.
When heaven and earth become one and also we see in this new earth where you have a new city verse two I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Notice that were prepared.
Jesus said I go to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you on the myself, that where I am, you may be also.
The word prepared is the same Greek word that Paul used in first Corinthians 29, when he said I is not seen, nor his ear heard the things that God has prepared for those that love you so heaven and the new word are prepared places for prepared people and we have the new Jerusalem. You know Jerusalem plays a key role in the history of humanity. The city of Jerusalem plays a part in our past and our present and in our future.
Jerusalem is the nerve center of the world.
Geographically, Jerusalem is a salvation center of the world spiritually and Jerusalem is the storm center of the world prophetically think about this.
Jerusalem is a city of the past. This is the city that was ruled by King David. This is the city where the first and second Temple were built and I was outside the walls of this city of Jerusalem that our Lord was crucified. And it's also where he rose again from the dead, but Jerusalem is also the city of the present when the Jewish people return to their homeland after the horrors of the Holocaust and establish themselves as a nation again. The prophetic clock started ticking because nothing like this. It ever happened on May 14, 1948, a prophecy was fulfilled. Listen to this. No nation is ever been able to maintain its national identity. 3 to 500 years after being removed from its own land that is with the exception of Israel. The Jewish people return to this place they knew this is the place the Lord was calling them Jerusalem always has been and always will be the eternal capital of Israel. But the Bible tells us in the last days that Jerusalem will play a key role in what is about to happen. Jerusalem is described in the Bible as an intoxicating drink. I heavy stone and a burden for the world. Zechariah 12 says God speaking all make Jerusalem and Judah like an intoxicating drink to all were nearby, who send their armies to besiege Jerusalem make Jerusalem a heavy stone in a burden for the world but Jerusalem is not just the city of the past that the city of the future here world history as we know it will come to completion, not far from Jerusalem.
The battle of Armageddon will take place in it is at the East gate of the city of Jerusalem that the Bible says Messiah will enter through when Christ comes back again. This book will touch down on the amount of bollards. Remember, that's also the place where he ascended, it will split into and Messiah will walk through the East gate. But now were talking about the new Jerusalem that will come down from heaven. In this heavenly city.
There is no crime. There is no corruption. There is no urban decay were living in occurs free world and were busy as were about our father's business. Notice Revelation 22 three says his servants will serve him.
I think sometimes people think we just lay around and heaven and clouds and sleep and that might be appealing to someone in talking to, but I like to be active. I like to do things and will be busy doing creative things, things that honor God things that will bring great joy and fulfillment to the great glory, pinning an enlightening picture of the life to come from our studies in Revelation. You're on a new beginning good encouragement and there's more to come from the study investigates so many people wish they knew the book of Revelation better yeah they wish they understood the symbolism and had a clearer picture of what it all means. And of course your new book will help them with that, but she wants the byproduct of having a good understanding Revelation. What will it do for us as Bible students will be a blessing in your life and I base that on his statement in Revelation itself when it says blessed is the person who reads here's and keeps the words of this book so there's three conditions to receive the blessing promised to the person who opens up Revelation.
First you have to read it interesting that word read to be translated read it out loud and so you just need to read the book and then you need to hear it.
Jesus would often say he that has ears to hear, let him here. You need to open your heart up spiritually and let God speak to you this is a Bible prophecy is not a budget data we want to just fill our head with God wants to move your heart with that as well. You know in first-run. It says he that has a soap that is the home of the larger turn, purifies himself, even as he is pure there brings me to the third point you have to keep it so you read it you hear it and you keep it you do with the book says you should do actually Revelation as a lot deceive you personally as a follower of Jesus Christ. It's not just about eschatology. That said, you know, a theological word that speaks of the study of end times events, but these are powerful truth that God wants us to understand because he's attached a blessing to it.
Listen though you'll be blessed by reading the Bible and studying Bible prophecy in general. The fact of the matter is there is no other book that comes with a specific built-in blessing apart from the book of Revelation, so I'm sure you that are listing right now want to be blessed and that's why want to send you a copy of this new book that I've written based on revelation.
I simply called it Revelation, a book of promises. I think this'll probably be the easiest to understand book. Maybe you've read on the book of Revelation, and I think that you'll find it will open it up maybe in new ways for you. Look, the book of Revelation tells me that God is in control. The book of Revelation tells us about Jesus Christ. In fact, it's the unveiling of Jesus Christ. The book of Revelation tells me that we win in the end, so I want you to know more about that so order your copy of Revelation, a book of promises. It's a brand-new book, very happy with it. It's a big book.
It's a book that will be a great addition to your library is for sure and will be glad to send it your way to thank you for your partnership with us. It's only through the support of listeners that these daily studies can come your way and will only be able to mention this resource. A short time longer, so get in touch with your donation today and ask for Revelation, a book of promises.
And if you get in touch right away will include a custom bookmark that shows an overview of the events of the end times in chronological order. It's very helpful to keep it straight to contact us today at a new beginning.
Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300.
We can take your call anytime 24 seven again at 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.for what next time more fascinating insights about eternity. Pastor Greg returns to continue her studies in the final chapters of Revelation. Join us here on a new beginning. Pastor and Bible teacher Greg for to a new beginning. Greg Laurie podcast made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God sign up for daily devotions and learn how to become a harvest partner harvest.alert