Choose You This Day (Part 1 of 2)

Working their lines and even their trombones and let them forget their Bible. There is a October 7 is bring your bike across the nation and encourage your kids to carry their Bible and empower them with Joshua 19 them to let God's word honored held and heard and never forgotten your voice heard. Sign up for your Bible and everything that we are going to you as you leave the pointed question from today's guest and Graham will share with us a very vivid biblical description of what heaven is really like. Welcome to today's episode of Focus on the Family with your host focus.

President Jim Daly I'm John Fuller, John, we have an outstanding two-part message from, and Graham wants to share today, and next time and I know everyone will be riveted by her message. There is encouragement here for all of us who are looking forward to our heavenly home and interestingly in part to and will compare what the Bible says about heaven with what it says about hell and you will not want to miss that. So if you can't be with us next time.

Be sure to get the CD or audio download or get our app for your smart phone and Graham Watts is a good friend of this ministry and she is of course the daughter of the late Billy Graham. You'll hear echoes of him in her voice. She is the founder of Angel ministries and is a world renowned author and speaker.

In fact, she has a book on the subject called heaven.

My father's house get that book through us as we are supporting the work Focus on the Family does just call 800 a family or follow the link in the show notes. Let's go ahead and here now from and Graham lots speaking at a women's conference that was sponsored by Focus on the Family number of years ago. Talk about what I what God's word. Revelation chapter 21 John G Jesus Jesus Jesus on trial and God, which is all I will with precious just paradise is just you know where I daughter my daughter just got married in August and one is going to be married and she is and she is right, not really. She's she has chosen a day and time of day for the wedding ceremony. The ceremony where flowers and no stands. The green reception and wedding and John is dressed me his hair back in Genesis chapter 2 the Lord God prepared the first for the first and it was we talk about paradise paradise in the universe, God, you may never see the heart of man what he is caring for you last night you make makes you feel any go to prepare a play is going to get excited.

No, you see, Jesus is preparing for you home. You prepared place.

Not only is prepared first passed away and it was no longer any sea. When I first read that I was disappointed because I love the beach to watch the way love to see the ocean is no longer anything and maybe not but you know the right thing, something seems to separate continents from each other nations from each other. People from each other. Families from each other saying is that in heaven is going to be part is no longer have as your Savior and you know that you have no and no hard feelings and understandings and no business trips and no and no and no family visions or sickness or hurricane not from each other and from the Lord.

Heaven is a perfect place no separation perfect. Another no scars burst one on you and your and making everything you knew we live in Raleigh is about 50 years of age and I know I scrubbed and polished and wax and shine which I don't have the time to do. I still can cover up some of the marks the stars in the cracks and some of the things it just comes with having you know I think our lives are like that and we can come to Jesus Christ and we can say from his wrath washed away and we can become new creatures, but we can have the raised and maybe that your bearing scars in your life. Scars that come because of your treatments from someone else in the way you've treated somebody speaking at a university, and afterwards a woman came up to me and told me that when she was growing up she had been abused by her father and her brothers becoming very tomorrow herself that she got married and had children and she end up abusing her children and cries. She came across and she confessed and repented she was forget she was made a new person in Christ. I just know that, but I couldn't turn them into beauty marks compassion for other people like you.there no perfect and that there is no separation, no scars, no suffering. In verse three it says on the throne saying God is with them and be their God. He will wipe away tears from their and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, all is passed away. God himself is going to take your face in between his hands and wiped the tears from your cheeks. Listen, are you suffering today suffering is suffering emotionally because your husband is walked out.

Maybe your husband is just lost his job right. You had to go back to work maybe actually in that your husband is your superior and you feel somewhat foolish around play.

Perhaps there's heart disease, migraine headaches, some type of arthritis. Whatever. One day God is going to wipe away all is going to be no suffering, no pain, no abortion clinics are broken, broken dreams and sometimes we think that this life was supposed to be happy and healthy and wealthy and prosperous and problem free and is not reality is we have problems and struggles until the day we see Jesus face to face with Jesus face to face problems and no more struggling and no more suffering lies all you real angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of any measuring all like a square as long he measured the city with 12,000 in length, is why we think those measurements I think one of the things they say if you could heaven right now and you measuring tape, you can walk in his actual physical place of the angel can measure the measurements of the angel came up with. It turns out to me in 1500 square mop you. In other words, it covers an area from Mexico to Canada from the Rockies to the Atlantic Ocean.

But as long as it is and 20 billion residents of having more people live but if there were 20 billion residents of heaven have 75 acres for themselves with parks and public buildings and things like that and not all don't lie over population is choose to go there is John seven angels came to me and said come in the spirit showed me the holy Jerusalem, coming from God and show God is like that of a very precious jewel, like Jasper, clear crystal and had a great wall with 12 gates, and John describes the wall in verse 18 says the wall was made of the first characteristics of this physical place of heaven, and John was that the wall was 2 feet thick and it was later Jasper Jasper is like spectacular wall made of diamond like stone, but I think it means that heaven is not only spectacular to look at what heaven is saying if the walls are 200 feet that nobody is going to be breaking through frame and the victim of a violent crime. Something happened to one of your loved ones and perhaps when you're alone in your house at night you hear a strange noise in your heart you just get paralyzed with fear when some other way you've been afraid, maybe afraid for your children are afraid some other way and as walls 200 feet thick may not have done your same side of heaven. Nothing is going to break through and harm you ever something bad happened to you and your loved one when you nothing bad will ever happen to you again.

You'll be safe inside of those walls. John is describing the city with the 12 foundations, and each one a letter is a different precious time he sees that his name is written on one of those John. John is the miracle crucifixion and resurrection and ascension, Holy Spirit-reach Monday. John reached the church and he had been beaten and mocked and persecuted and when John was 12 foundations in his name written on one of the foundation just began to buy God name name. I am from Hebrews to follow God in the life of faith that he was lucky that he was no God foundation that is going this so you know all of my life.

I've come home. I wonder if you never really had a home we raised in an orphanage reviewing some sort of situation we are family moved from place to place.

The place maybe you live in a tent.

Maybe you live in a trailer. Maybe living apartment or condominium. You've never really had a place that was wrong. He will listen to me up in the universe there is a heavenly home that has your name written on and John is an apostle is representing you and me is the church in heaven is your home. When we place our faith in Jesus.

You don't ever have to worry about wandering around together.

Not having a place to call your own. Heaven is a place you can call your own. John saw the foundations in my name was written there.

I think also it means that heaven is a very stable place to start. 12 foundations heaven doesn't move in our society today what was wrong yesterday is right today and what was totally bombed nation yesterday is accepted lifestyle the day and things that we wouldn't have thought of watching on TV now are there for family viewing. You know there's so many changes socially, racially, morally just fluctuating stable doesn't move. It doesn't change its rest on 12 foundations never have to be worried about instability insecurity again not only other 12 foundations spots the streets in verse 21 are pure gold, like transparent you know down on her gold is one of our most precious possessions we wear go and we work for goal and we horn to go accumulated bank account work to get more golden. We just love gold.

As you can tell what God thinks about goal because it paves the streets of heaven you think about it for a minute that they find this most precious commodity when I can have on earth.

It is maybe you own paintings done by some of the old masters absolutely exquisite are maybe decorated home and most luxurious automobile in your garage maybe you have a perfect body and another thing, but you most exquisite treasures that we can just Jesus said don't let grim lots is better guest on today's episode of Focus on the Family is to continue this message about heaven. John, I love the picture and painted just a few minutes ago that heaven is a place we can call our true home, that's really something to hold onto.

Especially if you're experiencing a lot of difficulty in your daily life and many people are, whether it's the constant burden of chronic illness or the emotional pain of the prodigal child or some other source of suffering, it's important to know that as a Christian, your pain is short-lived, compared to an eternity in heaven.

And boy, if you're not a Christian yet or you have more questions about it please give us a call or visit our website we have a free booklet called coming home that will lay out the steps you need to take to become a believer in Jesus Christ and the resident in heaven, and if you're already a Christian and you appreciate the effort we make to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. Would you please pray for Focus on the Family and consider making a donation to support the work here. Every day we hear from people like Rachel in Utah who said this after becoming a foster parent. I realized I needed parenting help and I started listening to your podcast on a regular basis through the wisdom of your guests. Again, the parenting skills.

I desperately needed and began to develop a faith in God I began to see God working things out in our family. One day I walked into a church and receive Jesus Christ as my Savior. I'm so grateful to Focus on the Family for bringing me and my family to the faith know that's wonderful.

I love hearing that story. It's the best and the Rachel's note illustrates our mission perfectly to provide helpful advice for your marriage and your role as a parent and to introduce you to Jesus Christ and to help you grow in your faith. That's why were here and we are a listener supported ministry. So if you believe in our mission. Please make a donation today and when you make a donation of any amount I'd like to send you a copy of Anne's book called heaven.

My father's house and you can reach us by calling 800 K word family relive all the details in the episode and if you enjoyed today's program. Please do some social media workforce tell a friend.

Tune in next time we contrasting the biblical descriptions of heaven there is a place of great darkness on behalf of Jim Daly and the entire team. Thanks for joining us today for this Focus on the Family podcast on John Fuller inviting you back once again help you and your family thrive in Christ