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God Gives

“If you then, evil as you are, know how to give good gifts [gifts that are to their advantage] to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask and continue to ask Him!” (Luke 11:13, AMP).

Our God gives for our greatest advantage.

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God Gives Life

“Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things” (Acts 17:25).

“For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world” (John 6:33).

God Gives Eternal Life

“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. So no one can take them from me” (John 10:28-29, NLT).

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

God Gives Abundant life

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

God Gives the Holy Ghost

“Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water” (John 4:10).

“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:13).

“Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15).

God Gives Revelation

“Now we have not received the spirit [that belongs to] the world, but the [Holy] Spirit Who is from God, [given to us] that we might realize and comprehend and appreciate the gifts [of divine favor and blessing so freely and lavishly] bestowed on us by God” (1 Corinthians 2:12, AMP).

God Gives Rewards

“Be loyally faithful unto death [even if you must die for it], and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10, AMP).

God Gives Healing

“Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk” (Acts 3:6).

God Gives Peace

“I am leaving you with a gift — peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn’t like the peace the world gives. So don’t be troubled or afraid” (John 14:27-28, NLT).

God Gives Wisdom

“Give me wisdom and knowledge to rule them properly, for who is able to govern this great nation of yours?” God said to Solomon, “Because your greatest desire is to help your people, and you did not ask for personal wealth and honor or the death of your enemies or even a long life, but rather you asked for wisdom and knowledge to properly govern my people, I will certainly give you the wisdom and knowledge you requested. And I will also give you riches, wealth, and honor such as no other king has ever had before you or will ever have again!” (2 Chronicles 1:10-13, NLT).

“If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him” (James 1:5, AMP).

God Gives Understanding

“The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple” (Psalms 119:130).

“For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy” (Ecclesiastes 2:26).

God Gives Grace

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

God Gives Our Desires

“Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass” (Psalms 37:4-5).

God Gives His Word

“In his goodness he chose to make us his own children by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his choice possession” (James 1:17-18, NLT).

God Gives Spiritual Gifts

“Therefore it is said, When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive [He led a train of vanquished foes] and He bestowed gifts on men. [Psalms 68:18.]” (Ephesians 4:8, AMP).

“God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well” (Romans 12:6, NLT).

“Now there are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but it is the same Holy Spirit who is the source of them all” (1 Corinthians 12:4-5, NLT).

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From the Distance or Up Close?

An old African story tries to explain why God withdrew into the heavens. The Old Woman was pounding her fufu. Each time she hit the Old Man in the head with the blunt end of her pounding stick. The Old Man, tired of being beaten, escaped into the skies above; always keeping His distance. Not bad for an old story. However, it does not contain any biblical truth. God occupies heaven, but also fills the earth. He is everywhere. He loves to be close to His people; lives with us; and in us.

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Another old woman (this one in God’s Word) felt that God had withdrawn from her. But one day she heard a rumor that provided her hope, that God had returned and turned His favor toward His people. “Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the Lord had visited his people in giving them bread” (Ruth 1:6).

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A Prepared Place for a Prepared People

Heaven is a prepared place is for a prepared people. Much is said these days about accepting the Lord as one’s personal Savior, and of the need for repentance. Yet, many times it stops there. We need to go on to full obedience to the plan of salvation.

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Jesus introduced this plan in Luke 24. Peter started preaching it in Acts 2. Let’s take a look.

“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38).

“(For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus)” (Acts 8:16).

“And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days” (Acts 10:48).

“When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 19:5).

“And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16).

“For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:27).

Why did Jesus command to baptize in “the name?”

  • His name is above every name (Philippians 2:9-11; Ephesians 1:21).
  • There is salvation in no other name (Acts 4:10-12).
  • Whatever you do should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus (Colossians 3:17).
  • We are washed in the name of the Lord Jesus (1 Corinthians 6:11).

The Apostle Paul was so convinced that baptism in Jesus name was necessary that he rebaptized some believers in the name of Jesus (Acts 19:1-5).

Baptism remits sin. The blood of Jesus Christ is necessary to remit sin (Hebrews 9:22; 1 John 1:7). The only biblical way to receive remission of sin is through baptism in Jesus’ name (Luke 24:47; Acts 2:38).

We are privileged to be filled with the baptism of the Holy Ghost. A sobering thought is this: “If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his” (Romans 8:9). This Scripture implies that if we do not have the baptism of the Holy Spirit we do not belong to Jesus Christ.

“But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you” (Romans 8:11). We will need the baptism of the Holy Spirit in order to go in the rapture.

One day the Master will call our name. We will have no choice but to answer, “Yes, sir!” However, there is a choice you now have. Where will you spend eternity? The right choice now ensures your new home later.

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Heaven

Jesus is coming back soon! (See Romans 13:11).

The Bible is filled with the promise of His return. David Jeremiah in Jesus’ Final Warning found that there are 1,845 references to this event in the Old Testament and 318 in the New Testament.

Forty books of the Bible speak of the promise of His return. For every prophecy concerning the first coming of Christ, there are eight concerning His Second Coming.

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The word “heaven” is mentioned 582 times in the Bible. It is real, a prepared place for a prepared people.

  • A place for born-again believers (John 3:3).
  • Glorious city (Revelation 21:11-18).
  • River of life is there to ensure everlasting life (Revelation 22:1).
  • The tree of life is there to insure abundant life (Revelation 22:2).
  • The throne of God will be there (Revelation 4:2).
  • It has twelve layers of foundation; each inlaid with a different gem. It has twelve gates with an angel standing guard at each gate (Revelation 21:19-20; 21: 12).
  • The main street is of transparent gold (Revelation 21:21).
  • It is a place for all eternity (John 3:15).
  • Location of our treasures as Christians (Matthew 6:20).
  • Our true home (Hebrews 12:22).
  • Dwelling place of God.

Jesus testified, “Surely, I come quickly” (Revelation 22:20). Are you ready?

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Our New Home

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home…. I am going to prepare a place for you…. When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am” (John 14:1-3).

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Ramesh Richard in Soul Vision tells of a Friday afternoon, and his last appointment with one of his students. Wilfred was a focused, determined thirty-three-year-old Ghanaian student at his college. Wilfred was the first man in his village to go to university and translated the New Testament into his mother tongue. He opted to go home for several years before pursuing his doctorate degree. He wanted his professor to come and visit him once he got to Ghana. With a smile, he said, “See you at home!” Sadly, those were Wilfred’s final words. God had a different meaning for the word “home.” Wilfred was hit and killed by a drunk driver that same night.

The Church is in the eternal home preparation business.

There are two things that we can do on earth that we cannot do in heaven. We cannot sin in heaven. We cannot prepare people for heaven – witness or evangelize. This work must be done now.

“Jesus has gone away to heaven, and some day, just as he went, he will return!” (Acts 1:11, TLB).

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