Participants: Pr. Louis Torres
Series Code: OTR
Program Code: OTR000716
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01:00 Welcome back to Digging Up The Future,
01:02 we're glad you're here at this Bible prophecy. 01:04 How many of you have enjoyed the seminar so far? 01:07 And it's been a blessing to think about Jesus 01:10 and to, you know, focus on what He is doing 01:13 and we have the good news that He-- 01:15 we serve a Risen Savior and not only that we-- 01:17 we know what He is doing 01:18 He is ministering in the heavenly sanctuary. Amen. 01:21 And that's good news 01:23 and we're gonna continue with the good news, 01:26 more good news this evening we're gonna talk about heaven. 01:28 How many of you think the world would not really be bearable 01:32 unless we knew there was a heaven? 01:33 How many think that's true? 01:34 And tonight we're going to be talking about that 01:36 our Pastor Torres is in. 01:38 Let's just pray that the Holy Spirit 01:39 will be with him as he talks about this. 01:43 Father in heaven tonight we're thankful 01:45 that you were here, you lived here on earth 01:50 and you promised that you would come again 01:53 that you're in heaven preparing a place for us. 01:55 We want to learn more about heaven 01:58 about that place you're preparing. 02:00 Tonight we ask that you'd prepare our hearts 02:02 as you are also preparing heaven 02:05 and we come in Jesus name, amen. 02:09 We have a theme song we've been learning 02:12 and let's stand together as we sing 02:13 Marvelous message we bring Glorious carol we sing! 02:25 Marvelous message we bring Glorious carol we sing 02:32 Wonderful word of the King Jesus is coming again 02:39 Coming again, coming again 02:46 May be morning, may be noon 02:49 May be evening but shall be soon 02:53 Coming again, coming again 03:00 Oh what a wonderful day that will be 03:06 Jesus is coming again 03:14 Amen, you could be seated. 03:16 Are you thankful He is coming again? 03:18 Amen 03:19 Tonight we're going to learn about 03:21 what He is doing before He comes again 03:22 at least part of what is He doing 03:24 preparing that-- that earth may do 03:26 and we're gonna see a picture tonight 03:28 we have a special tree. 03:30 Pastor Torres doesn't only preach 03:33 he can play the guitar 03:36 you know coming up in the series 03:37 we'll learn more about 03:38 how he learnt how to play the guitar 03:40 and different things about that. 03:42 But tonight he is gonna use that instrument 03:44 to play some heavenly music 03:45 and he is going to be joined by Rafael Scarfullery, 03:48 who's been our, our resident maestro 03:50 for some of this series 03:52 and two of them are going to play together 03:53 I know you'll enjoy it. 03:55 Let's prepare our hearts as they come. 08:31 A young man in Vietnam had been wounded by shrapnel 08:37 and needed surgery but there was one problem. 08:42 He had a rare blood type 08:46 and there was none in Vietnam. 08:51 So the military then sent out 08:54 a hasty request at some place in America, 09:01 somebody has this type of-- of blood to please donate. 09:06 And fortunately there was a lady found in Boston, 09:09 who had the same type of blood that he had. 09:13 And so she donated it 09:14 they flew it over to where the boy was having surgery 09:18 and it arrived in time and the boy's life was saved. 09:24 He wrote to his father, about what had taken place 09:29 and told him that a certain lady 09:32 had donated the blood that they needed. 09:35 Well, the dad, being very grateful 09:38 for what the lady had done 09:40 decided that he would personally call her up 09:43 and thank her for what he had-- what she had done. 09:48 Well, when he called her up and they began to talk together 09:51 and compare notes, what do you suppose? 09:54 It turned out that she was a lost sister 09:57 that he hadn't seen for years. 10:03 As children they had been farmed out 10:07 and he had never seen his sister again. 10:10 But as they talked and compared notes 10:12 it was his lost sister. 10:15 And dad wrote back to the boy and said the following. 10:22 "Her blood has reunited the family." 10:29 And so it is with the blood of Christ. 10:32 He reunites the family, what do you say? 10:35 Thank God, for the blood 10:37 that Jesus shared for you and for me. 10:41 Again let us bow our heads together 10:42 as we study God's word. 10:43 Father, thank you so much 10:45 for the subject that we are about to study. 10:47 We're thankful that you reveal to your children 10:50 the wonderful things that you are preparing 10:52 and even though eyes have not seen 10:54 and ears haven't heard 10:55 the things that you're preparing. 10:57 We are glad that you gave us a foretaste 10:59 in thy Holy word, 11:00 so bless us with your spirit we pray in Jesus name, amen. 11:05 the subject of heaven 11:06 has always been very intriguing to me 11:08 when I was a young little lad my sister passed away. 11:12 In a very-- it was a very traumatic experience for us 11:15 because she was the only girl. 11:16 We all loved her, we use to kind of fight 11:18 as so who is going to hold her next 11:20 and mother would buy 11:21 her the best that she could afford. 11:24 Little, little dress that made to look like a little doll 11:28 and we were just so proud about our little sister 11:31 and then because of our impoverished conditions, 11:34 she developed pneumonia and passed away. 11:38 And I remember at the funeral I must have been four years old 11:44 but I still remember as it was today. 11:46 A lady dressed in black 11:49 patting my head because I was weeping 11:51 and said to me, oh, it's okay Luiceito 11:54 that's what they called me, Luiceito. 11:56 It's okay, Luiceito which just means little Luie. 12:02 Your sister is in heaven. 12:06 Well, she thought that would comfort me 12:08 but on the contrary it raised a lot of questions. 12:11 Number one, how can she see and I can't. 12:17 Do you understand? 12:18 I'm thinking of that, you know, how does she know? 12:21 Does she have telescopic vision or something? 12:24 She can see right up there and see her? 12:25 There is a lot of questions that were raised in my mind 12:28 and finally unfortunately 12:30 because there were lot of questions 12:32 that no one seemed to have answers 12:34 for I left all relationship with church et cetera 12:39 became atheistic in my thinking and lost my way. 12:45 It was not until I began to study the word of God, 12:47 did I began to understand 12:49 that in the word you find the answers. 12:52 In what? 12:53 In the word you find the answers. 12:56 Tonight let's study about heaven 12:57 that wonderful subject 12:58 that a lot of people have all sorts of ideas, 13:01 there are all sorts of heavens that people think about. 13:04 For example, I was in Norway 13:07 and while there I went to the Norwegian Museum 13:11 there in Oslo. 13:12 Now my wife's grand-- pardon me, great grand father 13:16 happened to be in the region sea captain 13:19 and he is in the Guinness World book of records 13:24 because he was a youngest sea captain that couldn't swim. 13:32 But he and his bride who was in Sweden, 13:35 who was a harpist at the conservatory 13:38 there in Sweden, they left 13:42 and traveled over to the United States 13:45 and settled up in a place called Minot, North Dakota. 13:48 Anyway, I was interested in going to Norway 13:51 because my wife's roots from there 13:54 and I went to the museum 13:57 and what do you suppose I saw there? 14:00 Boats. 14:02 Viking boats, I was excited to see a Viking boat. 14:06 Now, here is what I discovered however. 14:09 The Vikings had this notion and when they died the lords 14:13 that they would kill all of the livestock 14:15 and servants and all that 14:16 so that they could take their livestock 14:18 and servants with them to this other place. 14:20 And then they would of course bury all the boat 14:23 and everything else in clay 14:26 because they believe that they would take their boat 14:29 in the-- to the Netherlands. 14:30 You understand what I'm saying? 14:33 Can you imagine how shock those Viking lords would be 14:36 if they would wake up today 14:38 and find themselves inside a museum. 14:50 But God has a better place for us. 14:53 I want you to know 14:55 first of all Paul speaks about this and talking about heaven 15:00 Paul begins the 2 Corinthians 12 15:02 with verse 2 and 4 15:03 and he makes a very interesting statement 15:05 which sometimes people misunderstand 15:07 but I think it's clear. 15:09 Notice Paul says, "I knew a man in Christ 15:11 above fourteen years ago" 15:12 this language sometimes Prophets who were too noble 15:17 and too-- too or can I say 15:23 not proud but very shy about the fact 15:26 that they had special revelations 15:28 usually try to speak about some other person 15:32 when in reality they were speaking about themselves. 15:34 John did the same thing 15:35 if you read in the book of John, 15:37 He says sometimes the one whom Jesus loved. 15:41 You remember that? 15:42 The one who Jesus loved, laid on his breath 15:46 well, who was the one that Jesus loved? 15:47 Well, he is talking about himself. 15:49 But he was too-- too noble of a person to point to himself. 15:53 So, Paul says, "I knew a man about 14 years ago, 15:56 (whether in the body, I cannot tell; 15:58 or whether out of the body, I cannot tell)" 16:00 In other words Paul is saying that the experience was so real 16:04 that he could not tell if he was really there or not. 16:06 Have you ever had a dream 16:08 that was so real that you could not tell 16:10 if you were really there or not? 16:11 Have you ever had that kind of a dream? 16:13 Yes, and so it was so real to Paul 16:16 that he couldn't tell if he was actually bodily there or not 16:19 and that's the way it was with the prophets. 16:20 I mean you read in the Book of Revelation 16:22 John the revelator says, "I turned around and I saw 16:25 and then he says, I saw" 16:27 and he speaks about things 16:29 as if though they were right there. 16:30 Isn't that true? 16:32 Well, Paul says, "Such an one caught up to" Where? 16:36 "The third heaven." Notice it says which heaven? 16:39 The third heaven, well, that's interesting. 16:41 Most people think about only one heaven 16:43 but Paul is speaking about what? 16:45 The third, if there is a third, there must be a second, 16:47 if there is a second, there must be a first. 16:49 Okay, now, notice it says then in the next verse, 16:53 verse 4 "How that he was caught up" to where? 16:56 "To paradise" now, notice first he says, 16:59 the third heaven and now he says, what? 17:01 Paradise. 17:02 So, Paul is saying 17:03 that he was caught up into paradising the vision 17:07 and he calls that paradise the third heaven, you see that? 17:11 And says, "Which it is not and he heard what? 17:14 "Unspeakable words which is not lawful for a man to" what? 17:18 Utter." 17:20 He must have heard some sublime things, 17:26 but he was too humble to reveal them. 17:31 Well, when Jesus was on the cross 17:35 you remember the thief who is next to him 17:37 said, "Lord remember me when you come into your" what? 17:40 "Your kingdom" and what was Jesus' response? 17:43 He said, "I will say on to you today, 17:47 you will be with me" where? 17:48 "In paradise" 17:50 Now by the way some people misunderstands this text 17:53 and think that Jesus is saying 17:54 that the thief is going to paradise that day. 17:56 What they're saying is, I'm telling you today 17:58 you're gonna be with me in paradise. 18:00 We know that because Jesus himself 18:01 didn't go to paradise until after He resurrected 18:03 is that true, yes or no? 18:04 Yes. 18:06 In fact sometimes what happens is in the Greek 18:09 sometimes there-- by the way, 18:10 in the Greek there are no punctuations 18:12 but when they translate into English 18:13 they put commas to make the English sense 18:16 and sometimes some of the writers 18:17 did put a comma in the wrong place. 18:19 Okay, so they put the comma here in the wrong place. 18:21 Let me, demonstrate to you. 18:24 Listen to this phrase, "A woman without her man is nothing." 18:29 A What? 18:31 "A woman with out her man is nothing." 18:34 You ladies are not responding. 18:39 "A woman with out her man is what? 18:41 "Nothing." Is that true ladies? 18:44 Ah, we have a divided camp here, all right. 18:48 Now let me use some commas. 18:51 Let me use some commas, you see the-- what happens. 18:54 How it changes the meaning. 18:55 "A woman, without her, man is nothing." 19:03 Now, what happens? 19:05 The same sentence right but what happens? 19:09 The same sentence the meaning has changed. 19:12 The first one the woman is nothing without her man. 19:15 The second one, the man is nothing without the woman. 19:18 Do you understand what can happen with a comma? 19:20 All right. 19:21 And that's what happened 19:22 but anyway Jesus is promising the thief 19:25 "Today I'm telling you, 19:26 you are going to be with me" where? 19:28 In paradise." 19:29 Paul had a vision and he went to where? 19:33 Paradise and of course look at what it says in Revelation 2:7, 19:37 Revelation 2:7 "He that hath an ear, 19:40 let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. 19:43 To him that" what "that overcometh 19:48 will I give to eat of the" what "tree of life, 19:51 which is in the midst of the paradise of" Whom? 19:55 Of God. 19:56 So where is the tree of life? 19:58 In Paradise and what did Jesus say to him, 20:00 that overcometh I will give to eat of what 20:03 the tree of life which is in paradise. 20:06 So when Jesus resurrected and went to heaven, 20:08 where did he go? 20:10 He went to paradise. 20:11 When He's promised that thief that he will go to paradise, 20:14 he was actually--- promising him heaven. 20:16 In other words, Heaven, the third heaven 20:19 and paradise are synonymous words. 20:21 One it's just an exchange for the other. 20:25 So the first heaven of course the Bible calls the sky heavens 20:29 where the fowls fly, the birds fly. 20:32 "By them shall the fowls of what? 20:35 Heaven have their habitation?" 20:37 The Bible also refers to where the stars are as heaven. 20:41 Notice it says "And God made to great lights, 20:44 the greater light to rule the day 20:46 and the lesser light to rule the night. 20:48 He made the stars also and God set them in the" what? 20:52 Firmament of what? 20:53 Heaven to give light upon the earth." 20:55 So you see, there is -- 20:57 there is a first heaven, the sky. 21:00 There is a second heaven the stratosphere space 21:02 and the third heaven is paradise where God is. 21:06 Now we are talking tonight not about the first 21:09 not about the second but about which one? 21:11 The third heaven. 21:12 Okay, that's the one you want to know about, 21:14 what do you say? 21:15 So let's study them about the third heaven, paradise. 21:19 What is it all about? 21:21 You remember when Jesus was going to heaven 21:25 he promised that He would come back again and take us 21:31 and so that we could be with him where He is. 21:33 John 14 you remember that wonderful passage, 21:36 "Let not your heart be" what? 21:38 Troubled, you believe in God, believe also in whom? 21:41 In Me. 21:42 In my Father's house are many mansions. 21:45 If it were not so, I would have told you so. 21:49 I go and prepare place for you. 21:51 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will what? 21:54 I will come again and receive you unto myself 21:59 that where I am there you may be also." 22:05 By the way, how many of you have heard 22:06 this wonderful hymn called the Lord's Prayer? 22:09 Any of you? How does it start? 22:11 Our Father which art where? 22:14 In heaven. Okay. 22:18 Jesus then, promised that He would come from heaven 22:22 and according to Acts 1:10,11 22:25 the angels said the same Jesus was just taken up into heaven 22:29 shall so come in like manner. 22:31 All right? 22:32 So Jesus is taken up into heaven, 22:34 the Father is in heaven 22:35 and so the promise is then that Jesus will come back 22:39 and take His children where? 22:41 To heaven or to paradise where He is. 22:45 In fact, we are told about Abraham. 22:47 Notice what it says, that Abraham looks for what? 22:50 For a city which have foundations 22:53 builder and makers of who? 22:55 Yes, Abraham recognized that God had something better 22:59 than what mankind could do down here on earth 23:02 and so he looks for a city not that man could build 23:05 but that God would build. 23:07 Hebrews 11:10, so He looked for a city 23:12 now the question is this, what is the name of that city? 23:15 Well, the Bible gives us the name, 23:17 the Bible calls it the what? 23:19 The New Jerusalem, now please remember this 23:22 and we'll talk about this later, 23:24 but a lot of people look in two Jerusalem 23:27 but the Bible doesn't ask us to look two Jerusalem. 23:30 The Bible is asking us to look to the New Jerusalem 23:32 which one, New Jerusalem, you see. 23:36 Abraham was not looking for one who had foundations 23:39 whose builder and maker is man. 23:41 He was looking for a city that had foundations 23:43 whose builder and maker is who? 23:45 God. 23:46 So those people who put in their hopes in Jerusalem 23:49 are putting their hopes in a city 23:51 whose builder and maker is man. 23:54 But the Bible is not promising man 23:56 a city that's build by man the Bible is promising man 24:00 a city that's built by God himself. 24:02 What do you say? 24:03 And no wonder it says, I go and prepare. 24:07 Well, if He's preparing a place 24:10 well, if He's preparing it means 24:11 you have to do something to prepare right? 24:13 And then a place 24:15 well, if it says a place then it's a place. 24:18 What do you say? 24:19 I know that-- that the place that I'm staying right now, 24:24 is not some fictitious thing where I just float around. 24:27 Fortunately it's a real bed at that brother Brain's home. 24:32 And I could lie down on a place 24:35 that was provided for me or prepared for me. 24:37 You understand what I'm saying? 24:39 Jesus went to prepare the place 24:41 and it's called the New Jerusalem. 24:42 Well, what does this city have? 24:45 The Bible says that this city 24:49 is square is what? 24:51 Four square. 24:52 Notice it says, "And the city lieth" how 24:55 "foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: 24:57 and he measured the city with the reed, 24:59 twelve thousand furlongs." 25:01 So length, breath and height of all-- all of it is equal. 25:04 So here is a city that is foursquare 25:08 and is 12,000 furlongs. 25:10 Now you may ask the question how big is that? 25:12 Well, let me explain it to you. 25:14 12,000 furlongs is 250-- I'm sorry 2560 kilometers 25:21 which is basically four times around 640 kilometers 25:26 for those of you who are in Europe 25:28 but for those of you who are here in the United States 25:30 it's basically about 350 miles one side. 25:33 How much? 350 miles one side. 25:37 All right or 1500 miles around. 25:41 Now let's consider what this is talking about 25:44 because we're talking about a large city here. 25:47 I grew up in New York City. 25:48 How many of you recognize this lady? 25:50 Statue of Liberty and by the way I never knew 25:54 why people always wanted to go and see a statue. 25:56 I grew up and I never had any interest to the see the statue. 26:01 It was just one of those things 26:02 it was there in the backyard, do you understand? 26:05 And people would come from all over the world 26:07 to see the statue, 26:08 well, I moved away and went back to New York 26:10 to work as minister in the New York 26:12 and had some friends from other town 26:13 who came to see me 26:15 and what do you suppose they wanted to see? 26:17 The statue, so for the first time 26:19 I had to go and see the statue, all right. 26:21 Well, in New York City 26:23 they have an approximate population 26:25 about 16 million people, how many? 26:28 16 million people. 26:29 By the way in Australia, the whole country of Australia 26:32 they have about 18 million people. 26:35 About how much? 18 million people. 26:37 So in one small area of the United States 26:40 you have almost the total population 26:42 of entire country of Australia. 26:46 It's amazing, isn't it? 26:48 Ah, if you ever go to New York City 26:50 any of you have been to New York City? 26:52 What do you think of those skyscrapers? 26:54 You look straight up right 26:56 when the twin towers were there 26:57 I remember you can look straight up 26:59 and you have to look-- look up straight up. 27:02 And then when you got up on top you look straight down. 27:04 Those cars look like little ants going around. 27:06 You remember that? 27:08 Well, 16 million people in that little spot. 27:14 So let me show you a comparison of Untied States 27:16 you would see what we're talking about. 27:19 Right there where that arrow is, 27:20 that little dot right there that's New York City, okay? 27:25 And in comparison to that little dot 27:28 that's how big we are talking about the Holy City is 27:33 and for those of you are in the west coast of course, 27:36 I could have take that square and move it down 27:38 here it's about, about that size, you see that? 27:41 What state is that by the way you know? 27:45 So if you move that from there I live in near Portland 27:48 right now, that little dot behind there 27:50 and that's how big the city is in comparison to that area. 27:54 So let me ask you a question, 27:55 if 16 million people can live in that little spot there 27:59 how much people do you think can live in that whole city? 28:03 That's why the old negro spiritual said, 28:06 "Plenty good room-- 28:07 Plenty good room in my father's kingdom" 28:09 how many of you have over heard that song? 28:10 You never heard it some of you have, 28:12 yes, that's why 28:13 because God is preparing a place 28:16 that has enough room for all who want to be there. 28:20 What do you say? 28:21 So here's the question how many of you want to be there? 28:23 I haven't even told you what it's all about 28:25 and you want to be there? 28:26 So let's study some more and see what is in store for us. 28:31 If we were to go to Europe or Australia 28:36 we could put a square over it, here's Budapest 28:39 of course that's Hungary I was there in January. 28:42 And so I was showing them 28:43 the comparison of the city with-- 28:46 with the territory of Hungary. 28:51 And you can say if you move it I was Basel, 28:54 Zurich not long ago in Bern 28:56 and if you move it over there 28:57 you can see how much-- how big the city is. 28:59 Well, if you go to Australia 29:00 for those of you who are down under 29:03 here is how big that city would be. 29:05 It takes up all of Sydney et cetera. 29:08 Do you see that? 29:09 So here's Sydney in that dot 29:12 and this is how big the city would be. 29:14 So you can see friends that there is how much? 29:17 Plenty of room in the city 29:19 and God is given us specific description 29:23 to help us understand 29:24 that it is a real place for real people. 29:27 Plenty of room for all who want to be there. 29:30 I imagine friends that artists have 29:33 a hard time portraying the glories of it. 29:35 And artists do try to make an attempt 29:37 to give us some kind of idea 29:39 but fortunately the Bible says, 29:41 I have not seen though you have heard. 29:44 And that's 1 Corinthians 2:9 In other words, 29:47 it's very heard for us to imagine 29:49 how splendid, how glorious 29:51 that place will be for those who have loved God. 29:54 But apparently from what we read 29:57 God is really putting some-- 29:59 some wonderful material into that building. 30:01 Listen, let's see what-- what God is putting into that? 30:06 "First of all it says, 30:08 she had a great wall with how many gates? 30:11 12 gates and 12 angels at the gates. 30:14 Then it says that names were written on them, 30:19 which are the names of the 12 tribes 30:21 of the children of Israel." 30:22 Chapter 21:12, then it says 30:25 that each three gates is on one side 30:28 and three gates on the other side 30:29 and three gates on the other side 30:30 and three gates on the other side. 30:31 In other words it says North, South, East and West gate 30:34 and then it tells us 30:36 that that city has the gates made of pearl 30:40 and then it tells us that it has walls 30:44 that have many precious gems 30:49 used to make the foundations. 30:52 The walls are made of transparent gold 30:54 and tells us in verse 18 30:56 notice it says "The building of the wall of it was of jasper 30:58 and the city of pure gold, like unto" what "clear glass." 31:03 You see that? 31:05 Then it says, "The foundations of the wall of the city 31:08 were garnished with all manner of precious stones. 31:10 The first foundation was jasper the second sapphire, 31:13 the third, a chalcedony, the fourth an emerald 31:16 and so it continues explaining to us 31:18 giving us a different-- different stones. 31:22 Look at the-- the potential 31:24 of what that foundation would look like. 31:27 Today, when people make homes and they build a foundation 31:31 normally speaking they burry the foundation, 31:35 they hide the foundation, is that true? 31:38 But God is using precious stones for that foundation 31:42 and it speaks about the sardonyx, sardius, 31:46 chrysolite and the beryl the topaz the chrysoprasus, 31:51 the jacinth and the amethyst. 31:54 And the 12 gates were 12 pearls 31:55 every gate was of one pearl 31:57 and the street of the city also was of transparent gold. 32:01 The street is what? Transparent gold. 32:04 One time I was visiting a friend, 32:06 his name was Ofamez 32:08 and he happened to be a rock collector. 32:11 A what? Rock collector. 32:13 Now, I forgot the official term for it 32:15 so I hope you don't mind 32:18 we just call him rock collector. 32:20 He won't appreciate that if he ware alive today 32:22 but anyway I forgot the term. 32:24 But anyway, he took-- he took me to his home 32:28 and down stairs in the basement 32:30 he had all his beautiful collection 32:32 and he loved to make butterflies out of the rocks 32:37 that he would polish and all that. 32:38 So he had butterflies of all colors, 32:42 it was just marvelous. 32:43 Then he took us into a little special room 32:44 and he had a black metal box in this small room 32:49 and he turned on the light and said what do you see inside? 32:51 Well, we looked and we thought to ourselves 32:53 what's he so excited about? 32:56 All there was, was just a bunch of rocks inside there 32:59 and so we were thinking well, he has gone rocky. 33:01 You understand what I'm saying? What's he so excited about? 33:05 Well, he says okay, stand back 33:07 and we stood back he turned off the light 33:08 and then he turned on a black light 33:11 and all of a sudden we could understand 33:12 why he was so excited. 33:14 Those rocks were phosphorescent 33:16 and they were able to glow in different colors. 33:21 It was deep blues and violet, purples 33:23 and greens and yellows and bright reds. 33:29 It was just amazing. 33:30 I had never seen anything like that before 33:32 rocks glowing in gorgeous colors. 33:35 And when I stood back and saw that I thought to myself aha, 33:40 this gives me an idea 33:41 of what the foundation of the whole city will look like. 33:49 Listen there is more, 33:53 the scripture in telling us that there is transparent gold 33:57 scientists have discovered how to make transparent gold 33:59 I told you that-- that the other night 34:01 and for those of you who are new tonight 34:04 for centuries skeptics would scoff and mock 34:07 the Bible and ridicule 34:08 that who can ever see through gold. 34:10 You know, gold is normally yellow right, 34:12 white gold and you can't see through it. 34:14 Right, how many of you have gold on yourselves? 34:16 Okay, try to look through it. Yes, you are laughing at me. 34:20 While you are saying you can't see through gold. 34:22 Right? 34:23 Well, scientists have discovered how to make gold 34:25 and they use it in the airplanes 34:28 right there in the cockpit 34:31 there are two plates of glass inch and half thick a piece 34:35 and in between there is a film of transparent gold 34:38 and so they use the transparent gold 34:41 to heat up the windshield to the fogged 34:43 as well as to keep it flexible in flight. 34:47 And so, the technician that installs it told me 34:52 that it takes a 120 bolts to install it 34:54 and that each plate glass cost $20,000. 35:01 So skeptics no longer are laughing about 35:04 transparent gold, why? 35:07 Because the Bible is advance to science 35:10 as I told you the other day. 35:13 Well, as we continue 35:15 Jesus says, "I create new heavens and" what? 35:19 "And the new earth!" 35:20 In other words, my friends 35:21 as we understand it you remember 35:24 if you studied about the-- 35:26 the destruction of the wicked and the enemy. 35:29 Well, finally the Lord will make a new heaven 35:31 and a new earth and when He does 35:34 then that Holy city will be the centre of the universe. 35:38 God will then be in that city it says 35:42 and there will be no need of the sun there 35:44 because God will be the light of it. 35:47 Wouldn't it be a glorious thing for us to dwell with God 35:50 and to be in a city where He is there present? 35:53 How many of you would-- 35:55 would just love to be there with God. 35:58 I can't imagine what it would be like 36:00 to be in the presence of God forever, 36:02 what do you say? 36:03 An eternal bless and joy 36:05 and God has promised that He will wipe away 36:07 how many tears? 36:08 All tears from their eyes there shall be no more what? 36:12 There shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor what crying 36:17 for the former things have what, passed away. 36:20 In other words, God will wipe all evil away 36:23 as we studied in the previous segment. 36:25 And finally the Lord will restore everything 36:29 to His epidemic beauty. 36:32 In Revelation 22:1 it also tells us 36:34 that there is the tree of life. 36:36 The what? 36:37 The tree of life remember in Revelation 2:7 36:40 Jesus said, "To him that overcometh 36:42 will I give to eat of the tree of life, 36:44 which is in the midst of the paradise of God." 36:46 Well, here in Revelation 22:1 and 2 36:49 it tells us that the tree of life is there 36:51 but please remember 36:52 where was the tree of life to begin with? 36:54 In the Garden of Eden. And so what is God doing? 36:57 God is restoring to us 36:59 the privilege of living forever. 37:01 Living for how long? Forever. 37:04 I was in Romania talking about the tree of life. 37:06 And it says of the bares 12 manner of fruits. 37:08 How many? 37:09 12 manner of fruit which means then 37:11 if it has fruits somebody is going to eat it. 37:13 What do you say? 37:14 Now, I was in Romania and I love mangoes. 37:18 Any of you like mangoes? 37:21 Boy, in about three weeks I'm going to the Philippines 37:23 and it's mango season. 37:26 Sorry, folks but anyway I love mangoes 37:31 and as I was talking to the-- to the Romanian's 37:34 I said "Boy I hope one of the fruit is a mango." 37:38 And I was so excited about my mango. 37:40 And afterwards some people came up to me and said 37:43 Pastor, what's a mango? 37:47 I had no idea they had never seen a mango 37:49 before eating the mango. 37:51 And I said well, when you get one 37:52 a good one you'll understand what I'm talking about. 37:56 A tree of life with all manner of fruits. 37:59 The scripture also says then, 38:02 that we will build houses and what? 38:05 And inhabit them notice Isaiah 65:21 38:09 "And they shall build houses and inhabit them, 38:11 they shall plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them." 38:13 It even says in the Isaiah 11 38:16 that the animals will be tamed as well. 38:19 Notice it says, "They shall build houses and inhabit them, 38:21 they shall plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them" 38:25 then it says "They shall not build and another inhabit, 38:28 they shall not plant and another eat 38:30 for as the days of a tree will be the days of my people." 38:35 And then it says, "And my elect shall long enjoy" 38:39 how long? 38:40 "Long enjoy the work of their hands." 38:43 Would you love to look forward to that time? 38:45 You know, we think we own our homes 38:48 and it doesn't matter how much you pay on your home 38:50 even if you pay it off, 38:52 if you think it's your, don't pay the taxes. 38:54 Yeah. 38:55 And then you'll discover how much it re-- 38:59 how much really belongs to you right? 39:01 You know what I'm saying? 39:03 But the scripture says, here that that won't happen. 39:07 You will build houses you will inhabit them 39:10 think of it then. 39:11 If Jesus is preparing a place for you in the city, 39:15 it means that you'll have a city home. 39:17 If you build houses it means 39:19 that you'll have a country home. 39:21 You'll have both the what? 39:23 A city home and a country home. 39:26 I was talking to my wife 39:27 when we began to study about this and I-- 39:30 I said, look, honey why don't we talk about 39:33 what kind of living room we're gonna have over there. 39:36 And we thought about it would be a great idea 39:37 if we can have a waterfall 39:38 coming right into the living room 39:40 with all sorts of roses 39:41 without thorns all around there's couches to sit on. 39:45 Why not? What do you say? 39:47 Why not beginning to-- why not begin to think 39:49 about what you're going to do in the kingdom. 39:52 Well, listen, it says "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, 39:57 the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, 39:59 the calf and the young lion and the fatling together." 40:03 Now again people think this is a fairy tale 40:05 but I want to tell you it's not a fairy tale 40:07 God promises this and it will happen. 40:10 In Oregon, in the state of Oregon 40:12 there was a story about a lioness called Little Tyke. 40:16 Any of you have heard of Little Tyke? 40:18 All right. 40:19 I happened to know, I have a friend 40:21 who happened to go and visit the people 40:27 who own this lioness and they just said look 40:30 you just have to be a little careful with it. 40:33 Why is that, because she loves to play 40:36 and she doesn't realize how big she is. 40:39 She loves to what? Play. 40:41 She doesn't realize how big she is. 40:44 So Dwayne said he went people were in the living room 40:48 and he said just go gently you know, walk up 40:50 because if you walk too fast 40:52 she is gonna think you are playing with her 40:53 and well, well, Dwayne didn't have to be told any longer 40:59 what he had to do, you understand? 41:03 And he began to pet the lioness 41:06 and to him it was a thrill to find the lioness. 41:08 This lioness by the way was a vegetarian. 41:11 A what? A vegetarian. 41:14 Can you imagine that a vegetarian lion. 41:16 What would happen was that this lioness was a little cub 41:20 and the lion that had, the lioness that had-- 41:22 it actually had several other cubs 41:24 and killed them all except for this one. 41:26 This one was rescued 41:28 and was given to of all people a butcher 41:33 and so the butcher begins 41:35 and his wife begin to raise this animal 41:38 but to their shock it turned out 41:39 that even thought he was a butcher 41:41 he thought okay, good, great 41:43 I could draw my scrap in the mouth of the lioness 41:45 I won't have to worry about him anymore, you see. 41:48 Well, he had something else coming 41:50 because the lioness wouldn't eat the meat. 41:53 Here it is he is offering a piece of meat 41:56 and what's the lioness doing? 41:58 Turning his face. 41:59 In fact, they told them 42:00 that unless this lioness could learn to eat meat 42:03 that it would die. 42:04 So, in order to get the lioness to eat meat 42:06 what they did was they-- they took the milk 42:08 that lioness use to like 42:10 and they put a drop of blood in the milk 42:12 with the idea that once it began to taste blood 42:15 it get use to blood and eat meat. 42:17 Well, the amazing thing is that as soon as the lioness smelled 42:20 the one blood, one drop of blood 42:22 it would not touch the milk. 42:26 And you know, it's best pet? 42:28 They-- They actually had a TV show 42:31 and the-- the lioness would come into the room 42:37 running into the room and on the couch was a lamb. 42:40 You know what the lioness would do? 42:42 It would make a mag dash and of course the-- 42:44 people in the audience seeing that lioness 42:47 but all it do is just go look at the people turn around 42:49 jump on the couch and take the little lamb and cuddle it. 42:52 And so there it is-- 42:57 now friends let me ask you a question, 42:59 if it's possible in a world of sin, 43:02 will it be possible in a world with out sin? 43:05 Yes or no? Yes. 43:11 Isn't that wonderful? 43:13 Can you imagine what it would be like 43:15 to be in the world 43:16 where you don't have to worry about danger anymore? 43:22 No more concern about locks, 43:24 no more concern about crooks or thieves or murderers. 43:27 No more concern about wild animals. 43:30 I remember we use to live in Georgia, 43:34 in a place called Hoboken Georgia. 43:36 Now most people have heard of Hoboken, New Jersey. 43:39 And even people from Georgia 43:41 most people don't know where Hoboken is, 43:43 when I say I lived in Hoboken. 43:45 They say where is that? 43:46 New Jersey, I said no. 43:48 I'm talking to people form Georgia see down south 43:51 and I said Hoboken, say where is that? 43:52 New Jersey? 43:53 No, no it's not New Jersey it's Georgia. 43:56 There is no Hoboken, Georgia. 43:57 I said yes, there is. 44:00 And then I'd had to start talking in their language. 44:01 Boy you don't know where you all live, do you? 44:04 And so-- so anyway 44:09 in that place we had a little farm 44:11 and one other things we had was rattle snakes. 44:14 We had what? Rattle snakes. 44:16 We also had water Markesan's 44:17 you know they are poisonous things. 44:19 And one day I remember 44:22 there was a big big piece of metal on the ground 44:25 and we were clearing it up. 44:27 And so I was about to lift it up with my wife and so, 44:29 then I thought no better not, 44:31 we don't know what's underneath there. 44:33 So I said let me get the piece of wood, 44:35 you know and I'll lift it up 44:36 and when we saw it clear then we will move it. 44:39 Well, as soon as I lift it up 44:40 what do you suppose was in there? 44:42 Huge about a six foot water Markesan. 44:45 And who do you think it run after my wife 44:49 and I did not know that my wife was a marathon runner. 44:55 But I'll tell you she took off 44:57 and I didn't know she could run so fast. 45:00 Well, anyway in the kingdom 45:02 we won't have to worry about that. 45:03 What do you say? 45:04 We will not have to be concerned 45:06 about things that destroy. 45:09 The scripture says that I'll be a place for real people. 45:13 Notice what it says, in Isaiah 66 it says 45:17 "For as the new heavens and the new earth 45:19 which I will make shall remain before me, says the Lord. 45:23 So shall your shed and your name remain. 45:26 And it shall come to pass" 45:28 wait a minute don't be too fast, 45:30 "And it shall come to pass 45:32 that from one new moon to another. 45:36 And from one Sabbath to another, 45:38 shall all flesh come to worship before me." 45:41 Let me read this again. 45:43 "So shall your descendent and your name remain. 45:45 And it shall come to pass 45:46 that from one new moon to another." 45:48 And now you can change. 45:50 "And from one Sabbath to another shall" what? 45:53 Or what? All flesh come to what? 45:57 "Worship before me." 45:59 Now what it's telling us 46:00 is that just as there it's going to be 46:02 a new heaven and a new earth. 46:04 You remember Revelation 21 John said I saw a what? 46:08 A new heaven and a new earth 46:11 and Isaiah the prophet in the Old Testament 46:13 supports that he says, 46:14 as the new heavens and the new earth 46:16 which I'll make shall remain before me says the Lord, 46:19 so shall your name also remain before me. 46:22 And it shall come to pass 46:23 that from one new moon to another 46:25 and from one Sabbath to another 46:27 shall all flesh come to worship before me. 46:30 Now notice it says shall all what? Flesh. 46:35 Now please remember this 46:37 we always have to go back to the beginning 46:39 remember in Genesis 1 and 2 and I'm saying this 46:42 because there are people who think that-- 46:43 that when you die you go directly to heaven 46:46 or you go to hell, limbo or someplace, 46:48 you understand what I'm saying? 46:50 And that people are spirits please remember this, 46:53 when God created Adam and eve. 46:55 He created them as what? 46:57 Spirit or as flesh? Flesh. 47:00 And if Adam and eve had ever sinned 47:01 how long would they have lived for? 47:03 Forever. 47:04 Let me show you a text in the book of Genesis 47:06 so you can see what I'm talking about 47:07 look at-- look at the book of Genesis 47:09 and look at Chapter 3, Genesis 3 47:13 and I want you to notice what it says there? 47:18 Genesis Chapter 3 47:24 notice we're reading in verse 19 and on 47:29 and it says "In the sweat of thy face 47:31 shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; 47:33 for out of it wast thou taken: 47:35 for dust thou art, and unto dust shall I return. 47:39 And Adam called his wife's name Eve; 47:42 because she was the mother of all living. 47:44 Unto Adam also and to his wife 47:45 did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them. 47:48 And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, 47:51 to know good and evil and now lest he put forth his hand, 47:54 and take also of the tree of life, 47:56 and eat, and live for" how long? 47:58 "Forever." 47:59 Now, let me ask you a question, 48:01 is this statement made before sin or after sin? 48:07 Which one? After sin. 48:09 So, what was God's concern? 48:12 That if we would let man stay in the Garden of Eden 48:15 that man would become an eternal sinner, a what? 48:19 A eternal sinner. And so what did God do? 48:24 God separated him 48:26 so he couldn't part take of the tree of life. 48:29 And therefore he couldn't live forever. 48:32 Do you see that? 48:34 So since this is after sin then. 48:37 Then you have to conclude 48:38 then that man could have lived forever in the flesh. 48:42 If he could have partaken of the tree of life. 48:48 And you and I are decedents of whom? 48:51 Of Adam and Eve and what are we? 48:52 Flesh and bones, yes or no? 48:54 Yes. 48:55 Now, why am I saying this? 48:56 Because in Genesis 1 and 2 48:59 God creates man in His own image 49:00 and God says that He creates in fact 49:03 Adam himself said this is now bone of my bones 49:06 and flesh of my flesh, doesn't he? 49:09 Yes or no? 49:10 So we see a consistency 49:12 before sin, they have bone and flesh 49:14 after sin there have bone and flesh 49:16 the difference is that if Adam and Eve 49:17 had never sinned they would have lived for how long? 49:20 Forever. 49:27 And the reason why Jesus Christ had to come 49:30 is because sin has robbed us 49:32 of that which God wanted for us to live with him forever. 49:44 There was an old man 49:47 who married a young Christian woman, 49:51 he was an atheist he thought that 49:56 his God was money and he had a plot, plan 50:01 that he was going to become a millionaire 50:02 by the time he was 35. 50:04 So he told his wife I'm going to make you 50:06 the happiest woman in the world. 50:08 I'm going to have the house for you in Florida, 50:11 I'm going to have house for your overseas, 50:13 they were Canadians. 50:15 And we will be set for life and I'll make you happy. 50:19 She said honey that's not what will make me happy? 50:22 He said what will make you happy? 50:24 If you could be with me in the kingdom. 50:26 Oh, he blew up he said, he said he just blew up. 50:31 He told this to a preacher 50:32 he was attending a meeting like this 50:35 and after the meeting 50:37 he asked the preacher to visit him 50:39 and when the preacher went to visit him 50:41 the preacher was surprised 50:42 because the man didn't look like he was worth much, 50:45 he had a patch over his eye, he was kind of limping. 50:48 His clothing looked like they hadn't been pressed 50:51 and when the man-- 50:52 when the Pastor finally got to the-- 50:53 to the address it was a big mansion. 50:56 And so Pastor was kind of confused 50:59 and finally the man called from the side 51:00 and said hey, Pastor right this way, 51:02 so they cleaned up the little stair case 51:04 up to a little small habitat, where he was living. 51:09 And so he began to tell the pastor the story 51:11 and so he said that, there was a time 51:13 when I didn't believe anything like this 51:14 I didn't believe in God. 51:16 I married this young lady she was beautiful 51:18 and when she told me that what will make her happy 51:22 was for me to be with her in heaven 51:23 it made me so angry. 51:24 I determine I'm going to do 51:25 everything possible to break her faith 51:30 and so I did everything I could do, 51:34 to dissuade her from her faith, if I did. 51:38 And all I do was to break her heart. 51:41 And he said and she finally died of a broken heart. 51:47 And when that happened 51:50 I lost interest in all adventures that I had. 51:54 I loved her. 51:56 I just didn't like the idea 51:57 that she was mixed up with something 51:59 so in my estimation so idiotic, 52:04 so nonsensical of as a place that no one has ever seen 52:11 but when she died my whole life became meaningless. 52:16 I left home, I went out and traveled, 52:21 lost my health, lost my eye became limp, lost all my money 52:26 and I returned back here broken in spirit, 52:28 broken in health and broken in finances. 52:33 And I asked this man 52:35 I built this house for my wife and lost it. 52:38 And I asked this man if I could rent this little room 52:40 and he allowed me to. 52:42 And then he said took out of his chest 52:44 he had a locket of his wife. 52:47 And he opened it up and said look at her, 52:50 isn't she beautiful? 52:51 Then he began to cry. 52:54 Then he said I've been a fool. 52:57 The worst of it is that what troubled me 53:00 is that I would never see her again. 53:03 And I couldn't reconcile myself 53:07 to the fact that I broke her heart 53:08 and took her to the grave 53:10 and that I would never see her again. 53:13 Oh, what a fool I've been. 53:16 And he finally said, Pastor but now as I've been listening 53:21 I believe--I believe with all my heart 53:24 and I would like to be baptized. 53:26 I want to give my heart to Jesus, 53:29 I believe that my wife believed 53:31 and the most wonderful thing is that now I know of a certainty 53:36 that I'll see her again. 53:38 And what a surprise that will be to her, 53:41 when she wakes up and sees me there. 53:43 Pastor can I get baptized. Yes you can. 53:46 Well, the day came they went out to the lake 53:49 and there were several people 53:50 who came around to stood around the shore 53:53 and the time was for the old man to get baptized 53:55 and he began to kind of limp over to the water 53:58 and some of the deacons came over to help him, 54:00 but he said, no gentlemen, please, please, 54:03 I walked on these legs for 50 years for the devil. 54:06 I want to walk on them for the Lord now. 54:10 And so he walked into the waters. 54:13 And, he stood there. 54:16 Looked up into the heaven 54:18 and again he said, now I'll see her again. 54:22 And the Pastor baptized her, baptized him. 54:25 Well, on the shore, there was a family, 54:28 well dressed family. 54:29 It was a young girl, 13 years old 54:32 and as she saw the baptism, her heart was touched 54:35 and she turned to her dad, and said, dad, 54:37 I've been wanting to get baptized for a long time 54:39 and you keep on telling me to wait for you, 54:41 wait for you, I can't wait any longer. 54:44 Dad, I am going to get baptized right now. 54:46 So just as she was, she walked into the waters. 54:49 Well, that father, standing there, 54:52 who had been holding back his daughter 54:54 for all this time was moved, he took off his jacket, 55:00 and likewise, entered into the waters. 55:03 And was baptized also. 55:05 And there on that day, 55:06 there were three new souls born into the kingdom. 55:10 Oh, friends, listen, God has a real place for you. 55:14 What kind of place? A real place for you. 55:17 God wants you there. 55:19 God has revealed all these wonderful things 55:21 as an enticement to you to tell you, 55:23 my son, my daughter, I want you to be with me. 55:26 But here's the question, do you want to be with God? 55:29 That's the question. Do you want to be with God? 55:34 He has done everything he can so you be-- to be with him. 55:38 But will you do everything you can to be with him? 55:41 That's the question. 55:43 Oh, friends, God is preparing a wonderful place for you. 55:47 What more could God do? 55:48 He offered his Son to die for you 55:51 and then his Son goes and prepares a place for you. 55:54 And then the Son promises to come back and take you 55:57 and give you that wonderful trip up to space. 56:01 You'll see marvels that you've never 56:03 ever dreamed you would ever have seen 56:05 and then finally, that door will open into the Holy City. 56:09 And the day of days will come 56:11 when the whole group of the saved 56:14 will stand there foursquare 56:16 and the Father will say, welcome home, children. 56:21 This is the place I prepared for you. 56:24 How many of you long to be there? 56:27 That wonderful place, that real place, 56:29 shall we pray together? 56:31 Our Father in Heaven, how grateful we are 56:36 that the scripture reveals a real place for real people. 56:41 You've said that we'll know each other. 56:44 But then shall we know even us also we are known. 56:48 Oh, God, help us to long to be there. 56:54 Put in our hearts a longing for heaven. 56:57 Lord, this whole earth is getting darker. 57:00 Things are coming to an end quickly. 57:03 But we're glad that we have an escapement 57:05 through thy Son, Jesus Christ. 57:07 Accept us tonight, is our prayer, 57:10 in His wonderful and precious name. 57:14 Amen. |
Revised 2014-12-17