I am involved in BSF’s [Bible Study Fellowship] study of Revelation. The emphasis is one of certain hope. God’s hope is not one of wishful thinking. It is hope based in Him, and His perfect sovereign plan for people.
Jesus, as recorded by John in John 16, spent time with His disciples. During that time, He was preparing them for His death. His preparation included a list of troubles they would experience after He ascended to the Father. But God would not leave them alone. Jesus promised to send them His Holy Spirit. His Holy Spirit would permanently indwell them. In the past, God’s Holy Spirit would temporarily come upon people, not permanently.
Chapter 16 ends with this verse: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33.
God through Jesus told us that we would suffer, but he also gave his promised rescue plan! It is a perfect plan.
His rescue plan is based in the truth that He has overcome the world.
His rescue plan is based in the truth that He is the most powerful being who has or will ever exist.
His rescue plan is based in the truth that what He started, He will complete.
His rescue plan is based in His abilities, not ours.
His rescue plan is outlined in the Bible.
His rescue plan requires us to live by faith.
His rescue plan is only for those who have an intimate, personal relationship with Jesus.
But God, in His effort to reach people with the truth that Jesus is His only Son, who gave His life for us, requires those of us who love and follow Jesus to walk through tough times.
God wants those of us who have committed our lives to Jesus to demonstrate to the world that He is everything He states in the Bible. That is best done when we walk through periods of suffering, leaning upon Him, thus experiencing His power in and through us. Then we can testify to others that God is who He states He is our – loving, sovereign, omnipotent…and so much more – Heavenly Father.
I can testify to personally experiencing God carrying me through my trials. As a result, I am experiencing Him transforming my character so that I am more like Jesus. This is a lifelong work, but God is patient, and He is building that patience in me. I would not exchange my experience of God’s nearness for anything this world offers.
Though we don’t know every detail of God’s rescue plan, we do know the end of the plan!
In Revelation 21: 1-8, you will find some of the details for God’s endgame:
“Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
What points from the above verses give you excitement and hope for the future?
For me, I am excited to know that Jesus will be living among us. We will see Him. We will worship Him!
Perhaps you are touched by the truth that there will be no more death, mourning, or tears.
Justice will be meted out to those who reject Jesus. Maybe you are troubled by what appears to be evil succeeding in our world. But God will not let that go unpunished.
Want to know more? Stay tuned for Part 2!
Please contact me at: ButGodCares@gmail.com if you are uncertain that you will be living in the New Heaven and New Earth. You can know. You don’t want to be on the wrong side when your life ends.
Living for Jesus, Donna
P.S. If this has helped you, please feel free to share it with others!
Note: If the verses for Bible references do not appear when you hover over them, go directly to the website, and they should appear for you. Also, please remember to look at the full context of the verses by reading the complete passage.
Copyright 2024 Donna Shappy All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – without the prior permission of the author.