cannyben

Let heaven fill your thoughts; don’t spend your time worrying about things down here.” Colossians 3:2 When you live in light of eternity, you don’t get discouraged as easily by trouble. You don’t give up because you know what is coming is the best gift you’ve ever been given. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, “That is why we never give up . . . These troubles and sufferings of ours are, after all, quite small and won’t last very long. Yet this short time of distress will result in God’s richest blessing upon us forever and ever! So we do not look at what we can see right now, the troubles all around us, but we look forward to the joys in heaven which we have not yet seen. The troubles will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever”. I don’t know what trouble you’re going through right now, but I can tell you three things about it: • One, it’s not going to last. Even if it lasts your entire lifetime, it’s still not going to last forever. • Second, whether or not you c...

“For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.” Hebrews 13:14 Heaven is the place God is preparing for his family. God’s plan for eternity is such an amazing expression of his love. The Bible tells us that God created the entire universe because he wanted a family that would live with him forever. It wasn’t because he was lonely—because God is fulfilled in himself. He wanted to express his love by creating human beings in his image, so that he could adopt us into his family, and we could live with him forever. Ephesians 1:5 says, “[God’s] unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by sending Jesus Christ to die for us. And he did this because he wanted to!” (TLB). There’s a word for God’s family: church. The only thing in this world that’s going to last is the church—the people who have chosen to be part of God’s family in faith and obedience. As the Bible says, “We have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept i...

Can you understand the mysteries surrounding God All-Powerful? They are higher than the heavens and deeper than the grave. So what can you do when you know so little, and these mysteries outreach the earth and the ocean? Job 11:7-9 (CEV) The Bible says in Job 11:7-9, “Can you understand the mysteries surrounding God All-Powerful? They are higher than the heavens and deeper than the grave. So what can you do when you know so little, and these mysteries outreach the earth and the ocean?” (CEV). Heaven is a mystery that you will not fully understand until you arrive there. But the Bible does give important information about eternity, including five things that will not be in heaven. In heaven, there will be no sickness. The Bible says, “This is how it will be when the dead are raised to life. When the body is buried . . . it is ugly and weak; when raised, it will be beautiful and strong” (1 Corinthians 15:42-43 GNT). There won’t be any sickness because you’re going to get a new, perfect b...

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand.” Colossians 3:1 (NLT) People have many misconceptions about what heaven is like. You won’t be an angel. You won’t have wings. You need a correct view of heaven. The Bible says in Colossians 3:1, “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand” (NLT). So what does the Bible say about these “realities of heaven”? Heaven is where God lives and rules. The Bible calls heaven “the dwelling place of God,” “the house of God,” and “the city of God.” As these phrases suggest, heaven is where God lives. But Jesus also calls heaven “the Kingdom of God” or “the Kingdom of heaven” 31 times in Scripture. So heaven isn’t just where God lives; it’s also where he rules. Psalm 123:1 says, “Lord, I look up to you, up to heaven, where you rule”...

Things that are seen don’t last forever, but things that are not seen are eternal. This is why we keep our minds on the things that cannot be seen." 2 Corinthians 4:18 (CEV) Everything you see around you is temporary. It’s what you can’t see that will last forever. And those eternal, spiritual realities are what truly matter. The truth is, spiritual realities are just as real as physical realities. And you need to focus on the spiritual ones because they are part of reality. Here are five spiritual realities you need to understand: God made you to love you. Jeremiah 31:3 says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love” (NIV). God created you to love you, and he wants you to learn to love him back. This is the most important reality of life. You were made to last forever. The Bible says, “He has . . . set eternity in the human heart (Ecclesiastes 3:11 NIV). The evangelist Billy Graham talked about death this way: “Someday you will read or hear that Billy Graham is dead. Don’t you ...

“He has planted eternity in the human heart.” Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT) Heaven and hell are real. God wants you to understand this eternal reality and all the realities of life that are found in his Word, the Bible. The first reality of life is that God made you to love you, and he wants you to learn to love him back. The Great Commandment says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37 NIV). The second reality of life is this: You were made to last forever. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He has planted eternity in the human heart” (NLT). No matter how good things are on this planet, at some point in your life you’ll think, “There’s got to be more than this.” And there is! You’re going to spend far more time on the other side of death than on this side. This life is preparation for your life in eternity. Because of that, you have the third reality of life: God has prepared two eternal places, heaven and hell. God has been preparin...

“I am now giving you the choice between life and death, between God’s blessing and God’s curse, and I call heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Choose life.” Deuteronomy 30:19 (GNT) People ask all the time, “How could a loving God send people to hell?” Then someone comes along and says, “Let me help you out. I will take you to my house and help you get cleaned up and give you a new set of clothes and a good meal. And you can live at my house. You can become part of my family. In fact, I’m going to adopt you. You can take my name! I’m going to pay off all your debts. You can even have my credit card and access to the entire resources of my family. You don’t have to earn it or work for it. I’m doing this simply because I love you and want to show you grace. “However, if you live in my house as a part of my family, there are some house rules that you have to follow. We respect each other and help out with responsibilities around the house. You may choose to say, “Thank you, ...

“We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 5:8 (NKJV) It is eternal reality you need to know: There is no second chance after you die. You get to choose where you’re going to spend eternity. But you have to choose now while you’re alive, not after you’re dead. There is no going back! God gives you an entire lifetime to make the right decision. If you keep putting it off, then there will be no second chance to get it right once you have died. There is no halfway house between heaven and hell. When Jesus was dying on the cross, there was a man next to him who had been a criminal his entire life. In his last seconds, the man surrendered his life to Jesus and said, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom” (Luke 23:42 NKJV). All he knew about salvation was that Jesus could save him. He didn’t know all the doctrines or theology. He didn’t know all the “right” words. He just said “yes” to Jesus. Because o...

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NIV) Many think that people are basically good and by nature unselfish and that they naturally put the needs of others before their own. The world is filled with broken relationships, broken promises, and sin. Evil is all around you—from world politics to local conflicts you can see hatred, bitterness, and corruption. And because sin and evil exist, hell also exists. What was true in Noah’s day is still true today: “The LORD observed the extent of human wickedness . . . and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. So the LORD was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart” (Genesis 6:5-6 NLT). When God looks at all the wrong, evil things that are done in the world, it breaks his heart because he loves everyone and wants us to learn to love one another. But God is also holy...

"I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.” 1 John 5:13 (NLT) You probably have a picture that comes to mind when you think about what hell must be like. Your image likely has some red and black tones in it, a lot of fire, and maybe the devil looming over everything. Hell is described in the Bible as a place of torment. Matthew 13:42 says it is a “blazing furnace, where the people will cry and grind their teeth with pain” (NCV). That description sounds terrible, but do you know what the worst part of hell is? Hell is total separation from God, which means hell is the exact opposite of everything God is. The Bible says in 1 John 4:18, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear” (NIV). The opposite of love is fear. Living without love means you’re scared to death all the time. That’s hell. God is love, so there is no love in hell. God is light, so hell is complete darkness. God is good, so ther...

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:21 (NIV) When you’re faced with evil, don’t return it. Overcome it. This is opposite of human nature and what the world condones. When somebody hurts you, you want to hurt them back, right? When somebody hits you, you want to hit them back. But God says that is not the way you’re going to win the battle against evil. Romans 12:21 says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (NIV). That is God’s way of winning the battle. Jesus Christ came to Earth to show that you don’t destroy evil by retaliating; you destroy it by overcoming it with good. The Bible says, “The Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8 NLT). Jesus came to obliterate evil. He came to wipe it out. Evil is going to end one day. It is not going to exist forever. One day God is going to close the books. He’s going to settle the score. He’s going to end history and take his family into eternity with him. If you want...

“Each of us will give a personal account to God." Romans 14:12 (NLT) At the end of your life on Earth, you will stand before God and he’ll evaluate how well you served others with your life. The Bible says, “Each of us will give a personal account to God” (Romans 14:12 NLT). Think about the implications of that. One day God will compare how much time and energy you spent on yourself compared with what you invested in serving others. The Bible warns unbelievers, “He will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves” (Romans 2:8 NLT). And Christians who live for themselves will lose eternal rewards. The Bible says that you’re only fully alive when you’re helping others. Jesus said it like this: “If you insist on saving your life, you will lose it. Only those who throw away their lives for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live” (Mark 8:35 TLB). Then he repeats a similar truth twice in the book of Matthew and twice in L...

“It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others." Ephesians 2:10 (TLB) God calls you to a service far beyond anything you could ever imagine. You were put on Earth to make a contribution. God designed you to make a difference with your life. You weren’t created just to consume resources—to eat, breathe, and take up space. You were created to add to life on Earth, not just to take from it. God wants you to give something back—to help other people. The Bible says, “It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others” (Ephesians 2:10 TLB). Whenever you serve others in any way, you are actually serving God. As Colossians 3:23-24 says, “Do your work willingly, as though you were serving the Lord himself, and not just your earthly master. In fact, the ...

“For the Holy Spirit, God’s gift, does not want you to be afraid of people, but to be wise and strong, and to love them and enjoy being with them.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (TLB) When you’re full of fear and anxiety, you don’t get close to other people. Instead, you back off. You fear being rejected, manipulated, vulnerable, hurt, and these fears cause you to disconnect from the people around you. This fear is as old as humanity. When Adam and Eve sinned, God came looking for them. Then Adam said, “I was afraid . . . and I hid myself” (Genesis 3:10 ESV). People have been hiding ever since. We pretend to be someone we’re not. This fear leads to three things that will damage our relationships: Fear makes us defensive. You’re afraid to reveal yourself, but people inevitably spot some of your weaknesses. And when they point out those weaknesses, you defend yourself and retaliate. Fear keeps us distant. You’re afraid to be open and honest—to let people get close to you. Instead, you withdraw and pull ...

“It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others." Ephesians 2:10 (TLB) God calls you to a service far beyond anything you could ever imagine. You were put on Earth to make a contribution. God designed you to make a difference with your life. You weren’t created just to consume resources—to eat, breathe, and take up space. You were created to add to life on Earth, not just to take from it. God wants you to give something back—to help other people. The Bible says, “It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others” (Ephesians 2:10 TLB). Whenever you serve others in any way, you are actually serving God. As Colossians 3:23-24 says, “Do your work willingly, as though you were serving the Lord himself, and not just your earthly master. In fact, the ...

“Each of us will give a personal account to God." Romans 14:12 (NLT) At the end of your life on Earth, you will stand before God and he’ll evaluate how well you served others with your life. The Bible says, “Each of us will give a personal account to God” (Romans 14:12 NLT). Think about the implications of that. One day God will compare how much time and energy you spent on yourself compared with what you invested in serving others. The Bible warns unbelievers, “He will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves” (Romans 2:8 NLT). And Christians who live for themselves will lose eternal rewards. The Bible says that you’re only fully alive when you’re helping others. Jesus said it like this: “If you insist on saving your life, you will lose it. Only those who throw away their lives for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live” (Mark 8:35 TLB). Then he repeats a similar truth twice in the book of Matthew and twice in L...

“Each of us will give a personal account to God." Romans 14:12 At the end of your life on Earth, you will stand before God and he’ll evaluate how well you served others with your life. The Bible says, “Each of us will give a personal account to God” (Romans 14:12). Think about the implications of that. One day God will compare how much time and energy you spent on yourself compared with what you invested in serving others. The Bible warns unbelievers, “He will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves” (Romans 2:8). And Christians who live for themselves will lose eternal rewards. The Bible says that you’re only fully alive when you’re helping others. Jesus said it like this: “If you insist on saving your life, you will lose it. Only those who throw away their lives for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live” (Mark 8:35). Then he repeats a similar truth twice in the book of Matthew and twice in Luke: • “If you cli...

“It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others." Ephesians 2:10 God calls you to a service far beyond anything you could ever imagine. You were put on Earth to make a contribution. God designed you to make a difference with your life. You weren’t created just to consume resources—to eat, breathe, and take up space. You were created to add to life on Earth, not just to take from it. God wants you to give something back—to help other people. The Bible says, “It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others” (Ephesians 2:10). Whenever you serve others in any way, you are actually serving God. As Colossians 3:23-24 says, “Do your work willingly, as though you were serving the Lord himself, and not just your earthly master. In fact, the Lord Chris...

“It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for . . . part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone." Ephesians 1:11-12 Mark Twain once said the two most important days in your life are the day you’re born and the day you find out why. God has created everything with a purpose. Every plant has a purpose. Every star has a purpose. Every animal has a purpose. If your heart is beating, God has a purpose for your life. The very fact that you’re alive makes your life meaningful. If you want to know your purpose, you won’t find it in a self-help book, on television, or in the movies. You also can’t find it in yourself because you didn’t make yourself. God made you. Only God—the one who created you—can tell you your purpose. The Bible tells you this in Ephesians 1:11-12: “It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for . . . part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone” (Ephesians 1:11-12)...

“God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure." Ephesians 1:5 The whole reason the universe exists is because God wanted a family. He wanted children. He didn’t need us, but he wanted us so he could show his love. You are so valuable to God that he placed the Earth in just the right spot to sustain your life. He thought you up before he thought up the universe. You were the focus of his love. The Bible says this in Ephesians 1:5: “God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure”. God wanted a family and wanted you to be a part of it. God never meant for you to go through life alone. The first thing God told Adam was, “It is not good for man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18). Whether you marry or not is irrelevant to this issue. You’re made to be in a spiritual family that God created to take care of you—so you’...