Do You Have A Reservation In Heaven?

I know you are thinking what an odd question! 

But I want you to think of the eternal implications of the answer to this question. 

There is only one way to get this reservation! 

John 14:6

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

You must trust Christ and turn from sin.

Acts 17:30-31

30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,

31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead."

There is a 100% death rate! 

No one escapes death! 

Only those who are alive when Christ comes back will escape death. 

God has prepared a place for those whom He has called, those who have trusted Christ for salvation.

This place is Heaven.

John 14:1-5

1 "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.

2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

4 And you know the way to where I am going."

5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?"

But there is another place where rebellious unrepentant people go.

That place is one of everlasting fire and torment.

It is Hell.

Matthew 25:41

"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

2 Thessalonians 1:5-12

5 This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering-

6 since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you,

7 and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels

8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,

10 when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.

11 To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power,

12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Lambs Book of Life

Luke 10:20

Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

Revelation 21:27

But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Sweet precious Lord, we stand on your grace and mercy. That is all we have! Amen

Perfection Found in Jesus Alone

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:39

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

A perfectionist in the church is a miserable person. And not only that, but he makes everybody else miserable, too. The fellowship is never sweet enough. The teacher is never prepared enough. The music is never spiritual enough, and on and on it goes. 

Jesus supplies the only perfection that we will ever attain until we get to heaven. 

It is not perfection that God is looking for in His children; it is excellence. 

God is working in you to achieve His purpose for His glory.

ACTION POINT:

Memorize this statement, “I am worthy apart from my performance because Christ died for me and gave His life to me. My life is hidden in Him. Jesus loves me.”

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Perfectionism Is a Thief

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“For He hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Did you know that your performance doesn’t make you any more or less acceptable in God’s eyes? 

If you think that God is going to accept you on the basis of your quiet time, your Bible study, or your service, you will fall into a trap of never knowing if you’ve done enough. You’ll never truly feel accepted. 

Perfectionism is a thief. It promises rewards, but it steals both joy and satisfaction. Why? Because perfection is an unattainable goal! If you are a perfectionist, you’ve set an impossible goal for yourself, and therefore you will constantly be faced with frustration and failure. 

Two things about you are true, without your “performance”—

•    You are forgiven in Christ. 

•    You are righteous in Christ.

ACTION POINT:

Are you a perfectionist? Ask the Holy Spirit to free you from the fear of failure. Now make a conscious decision that you can be less than perfect and still be loved by God.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Justice, Mercy and Grace

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“...the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.” Psalm 84:11

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

There are three words that came together at Calvary: 

•    justice 

•    mercy 

•    grace

Justice is getting what we deserve. Mercy is not getting what we deserve. Grace is getting what we don’t deserve. 

But wait a minute; grace is more than that! It is grace that gives at great cost to the giver. It is not cheap. Grace cost the life of God’s Son. Jesus gave freely of Himself in agony and blood. 

Did you know that grace has to chase us down? If God didn’t run faster than us, we would never be saved! Grace seeks to give to vile and wicked people that which they don’t deserve and can never deserve.

ACTION POINT:

Are you a grace-giver? Find someone today and do a favor for them – something for which they couldn’t possibly repay you. Perhaps it will even be for a stranger you will never see again.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

God's Grace Takes The Initiative

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“We love Him, because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:1:9

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

When I was in the sixth grade, I wrote a love note to Joyce Louise Gentry. Then she became my bride and my beloved. Do you know, she still has that note? From that time on, she began to take an interest in me. Do you know why? Because I first loved her. 

Do you know what the Bible is? It is God’s love letter to you. It is God saying to you, “I have set My eye upon you. I love you!” 

You’re not saved by doing good works. You’re not saved by joining a church. You are saved by the grace of God that said, “I love you” first.

ACTION POINT:

•    When was the last time you wrote a love letter? 

•    When was the last time you received one? 

•    Spend some time today and write a love letter to the Lord.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

The Powerful Influence of Music

BIBLE MEDITATION:

 “. . . and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” 

2 Corinthians 10:5

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Satan is waging a battle to control the thought life of America’s teenagers. The typical teenager listens to an average of 10,500 hours of rock music from the seventh to the tenth grade. That’s only 500 hours shy of all the time he/she spends in school from first through twelfth grade! 

Do you have any idea of the fatalism that is bombarding the airwaves everyday into young people’s heads? The National Education Association estimates that a percentage of the 5,000 teenage suicides we have in America every year are caused by the fatalistic music of today’s youth. Somebody has said, “You let me write the songs that a nation sings, and I don’t care who makes its laws.”

ACTION POINT:

Is there a teen in your life? If so, spend some time this week talking with them about the music they listen to and the healthy choices they need to make to take back the ground that Satan is trying to conquer with his onslaught of fatalistic music.

Fear Not

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” Joshua 1:9

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

The devil is the sinister minister of fear. When he clamps his icy fingers of fear on your heart, do you become afraid of what he’ll do to you if you take a stand for God? Don’t be afraid. Fear is an insult to God, who said, “I will be with thee.” Fear will destroy you. 

Are you a worrywart? One lady said, “Don’t tell me it does no good to worry. Most of the things I worry about never come to pass.” Be not dismayed. God will take care of you.

ACTION POINT:

Ask the Holy Spirit to show you what your fears are, then confess them as sin. Repent, then reach up and take hold of His right hand that is outstretched to sustain you and give you the victory! 

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers