When does sexual temptation end?

 

“Temptation ends about half an hour after you die.”

I’ve heard this adage used by many people who have lived long lives and have come to realize that temptations don’t just go away after a while. Now, of course, they haven’t died yet, but the point is taken. Temptation doesn’t just go away. Sometimes really simple things, which don’t seem to need to be said, need to be said. Temptation won’t just go away.

Temptation—sexual temptation for our purposes here—isn’t something that comes around during adolescence and leaves as a person passes into adulthood. Rather, ways of combatting temptation need to be mastered and powers need to be activated and strengthened within a person so that temptation doesn’t get the upper hand. Saint Paul puts it well: “I do not box as one beating the air; but I pommel my body and subdue it, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified” (1 Corinthians 9:26).

I pummel my body. I subdue it.

A brief sketch of the hierarchy of the human person is helpful here. God is meant to govern me, primarily as His truth is received by my intellect. My intellect is to govern my will which reaches for the good. The lower parts of me, such as the emotions (passions) and my body itself, are to be subjected to my will as the intellect governs all. Simple, right?

Wrong.

Because of the Fall of humanity, there is a disorder within us. Our bodies and emotions fight for control, trying to win over the intellect and will, so that we would go for what is pleasurable, rather than to go for what is truly good. Instead of God governing me by my intellect by receiving the truth, my body and emotions try to govern me, even if it means to be at odds with the truth—to be at odds with God. Not cool.

So, Saint Paul is indicating to us that we need to receive the truth, choosing and acting (with the will) in accordance with the truth, which means that we will need to deal a blow to our emotions and body. Sounds too rough, right? Well, whatever it sounds like, it’s Gospel truth. We need to pummel our bodies. Saint Paul goes on at length about this. I’m thinking of the Letter to the Romans, especially Chapter 6 (read the whole chapter). To pull a lengthy excerpt from chapter six:

“Let not sin reign in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. Do not yield your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but yield yourselves to God as men who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments of righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. … Do you not know that if you yield yourselves to any one as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness” (Romans 6:12-14, 16-18).

We can either be slaves to our emotions (passions) and body, or we can become slaves of obedience and righteousness. It’s one or the other.

We can now dismiss the idea that we can give in to sexual temptations for a while and that they will pass away with time. In fact, the more that we give in to temptations, the harder it will be to not give in to them as time goes on.

Every act we perform matters.

Repeated actions lead to them being repeated more easily again. Repeated actions become habits (either good or bad). Habits cultivated become engrained in us either as virtues (good habits engrained) or vices (bad habits engrained). Virtues and vices become second-nature to us; they become the way that we act. They all begin with single actions, repeated.

Young people often shoot a basketball poorly at first. They allow their posture to simply throw the ball toward the hoop, without any particular structure. They are to learn how to hold their hands and arms so that the shot goes up in a consistent manner each time, thereby giving them the best chance to get it in the basket over and over. Many a kid there is who allows their elbow to swing wide, and their shot is not consistent.

Coaches, if they are wise, will force the kid to bring the elbow in, so that the shot goes up with consistency each time. If the child learns this early, the shot will be better off. If a kid doesn’t learn this young, later in the career a coach may easily come along and force them to fix their shot. They will have to work hard to undo what they had learned so that they can learn to do it a different way—a better way. In the meantime, their shot will suffer immensely as they have to learn a different way, which will seem harmful (as far as results go) until the new habit is put in place.

So it is with the moral life.

People ought to learn from their youth how to pummel the body and subdue it so that the emotions (passions) and body don’t exercise authority over their ability to choose what is truly good. If not, they will learn ways and patterns of acting which are not helpful and will have a hard time later correcting themselves.

All moral actions begin in the mind. They don’t "just happen." Something is presented to my mind, either taken in through the senses or brought back to my mind via memory. The mind then attaches itself to the idea or dismisses it. If the mind allows the idea to be engaged, the entertainment of it begins a process of deliberation (interior act), which then leads to planning (interior act), which leads to the execution of an exterior act.

I see an apple. I think about the apple. I think I would like the apple. I decide to take the apple. I take the apple. I eat the apple. I draw out all of those particularities because they all are certain movements of moral actions. When it comes to sexual temptation, it begins as a simple stimulus presented to the mind. It is there, right away, that the battle needs to be won. If not, the stimulus will be entertained, delight will begin, plotting will ensue, choices will be made, and external actions will come about.

At every stage, choosing takes place.

The further along I am in the process, the harder it will be to stop the process. A person who allows an impression to remain in the mind for any length of time will begin to desire it, and it will be harder to stop. A person who lingers in desire will begin to chart a course of action via deliberation, and it will be even harder to stop. A person who goes through all of these steps is a fool to think that they can allow all of this interior acting to take place and then somehow to magically not want to continue through to some sort of exterior action. (I call the interior movements "acting" because external actions aren’t the only actions we make—we are morally responsible for the chosen interior actions which lead to any exterior acts.)

All of the above—the sketch of the hierarchy of the human person, the sketch of habituation, and the construct of the moral act—are extremely important to understand if a person is going to be successful in fighting against sexual temptation. To pummel the body and to subdue it begins in the mind. And so, if a young person is going to be victorious, the first battle to win is what is allowed to be in the mind.

Custody of the eyes is extremely important. Custody of the imagination is extremely important. Custody of emotions is extremely important. If the first battle is won, the others will be possible as well.

Maybe now the terrible old idea that "I can look but I just can’t touch" is seen for what it really is. If I look, then I have now brought something into my mind. Then what? Well, looking leads to touching. That’s why it’s a terrible old idea and terrible advice to try to live by. If it is the case that “temptation ends about half an hour after you die,” it does not have to be the case that sexual sin ends about half an hour after you die.

In fact, victory can be had now and all along the path of life, as long as you pummel your body and subdue it, at every step taking authority over what is in your mind, what is pondered and desired, what is deliberated and planned, and what exterior actions come about.

HE UNDERSTANDS

 

"Bro i think God must be tired of seeing me struggle and continue to fall again and again into this mess. I am tired of fighting, why can't this go away once and for all? I'm disgusted at the things i do and watch- i am sure God is so disappointed in me. I am sure He is no longer listening to my prayers!"

Heb 4:14-16: "Since we have such a great high priest who has ascended to heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us make sure we hold on to what we say we believe. For the high priest we have isn't one who doesn't sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who was tempted in all the ways we are, but did not sin. So we should go confidently to God on his throne of grace so we can receive mercy, and discover grace to help us when we really need it." FBV

Heb 2:14-18: "Because the children share flesh and blood in common, he shared in this in the same way so that through death he could destroy the one that had the power of death— the devil— and free everyone who through fear of death were enslaved all their lives. Of course it's not angels he's concerned about; he's concerned to help the children of Abraham. That's why it was necessary for him to become like his brothers in everything, so that he could become a merciful and trustworthy high priest in the things of God, to forgive his people's sins. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted." FBV

God KNOWS that your struggle with sexual temptation is real. He KNOWS its difficult for you to resist. Guess what? He is patient with your recovery process and He will NEVER give up on you!

Why is that?

Jesus the Son of God became human and in his humanity experienced every pressure to sin however he never gave in to temptation. This means that he understands how it must feel to be in your shoes to have all that pressure on you. He promises to give you strength in your weakest moments.

Do not give up, God understands.

Prov 24:16: "Those who do right may fall down seven times, and still get up again; but the wicked are brought down by disaster." FBV

SAY NO!

Col 3:5: "Therefore put to death your selfish nature by choosing to say No to all its desires. Say No to sexual promiscuity, perversions, pornography, lust, any impure thoughts, selfish desires and greed– all of which are forms of self-worship." The Remedy Bible 

There are many people who now regret ever embarking on the perilious journey that lead them into a path of sexual addiction.

They regret seeing the pornographic video they first got exposed too. They wish they never had tried masturbation and they wish they never had illicit sex.

The greatest challenge is this, once you experience it- your mind is affected permanently. 

Wounds may heal, but scars will always remain. This is why those who get to the point of "addiction" find it nearly impossible to curb their undesirable habits- the brain has been affected, they have lost control of their impulses. Even after significant recovery relapsing will always be a looming possibility because though the neural pathways for the undesired habit are inactive- they do exist and can be easily reactivate by a triggering event. 

It is better never to get exposed than to endure a continuos battle against pervasive habits.

How to Handle Intrusive thoughts

 

QUESTION:

How do i get rid of impure thoughts? I am trying to get rid of porn but i always have pornographic scenes replay in my mind. It even gets worse, i sometimes have vivid sexual dreams with pornographic themes. I am a mess, will i ever be O.K?

ANSWER:

You have to fully appreciate the nature of the struggle you are engaged in. People often don't realise one painful fact about porn- You cannot "unsee" what you saw. Pornography is intentionally designed to stimulate wild sexual fantasies. It is not easy to forget a bizzare sexual act you observed and enjoyed. This is relatable to experiencing a traumatic event in which you will continue to have flashbacks even in the recovery period. It is the Devil's idea to make you feel guilty and shameful for these intrusive and recurring sexual themes.

What should you do?

2Cor 10:5: "We break down every thought and proud thing that puts itself up against the wisdom of God. We take hold of every thought and make it obey Christ." NLV

Take hold of your thought and make it obey Christ. Here is an example of what to do when an intrusive sexual thought occurs:

1. Acknowledge to yourself that you are experiencing the thought.

2. Submit the thought to God in prayer and surrender it to Him.

3. Trust and rest in the assuarence of God's love. Once you have surrendered the thought to God it is now His responsibility to deal with it and its no longer your business even when you feel the thought is persistant still.

Sample prayer:

"Father i am having an intrusive thought right now and i am seeing....(describe what you are imagining). I know that this idea is not in accordance to your will. I am not able to overcome this thought and therefore i am giving it over to you so that you get rid of it for me. Please heal my mind from remnants of wounds that were caused by my use of pornography. I believe and accept the victory you have promised me. I therefore choose not to worry any further about this pornographic thought because i have surrendered it to you. Amen.

TRUE TEST OF LOVE IN RELATIONSHIP

Love is sweet but it is tested in bitterness, love is beautiful but it is tested in ugliness. Love is sometimes described as a state of happiness to some people but the truth is, it is best tested in times of sadness. Lots of relationships out there where partners claim they are in love are not true. Many of these relationships are not able to pass the test of love that is why divorce and heart break is so easy these days.

Sometimes you hear statements like "you are the only one who has touched my heart beautifully, I feel alive when I am with you. I can't live without you, you mean the world to me. Your touch, kiss take my breath away and leave my soul helpless.... I have no doubt you are my soul mate, we are created for each other…"

Wait for just for one mistake from their partner, and what you hear is "I curse the day I met you. You are the worst thing to ever happen to me". "Sorry I don't feel anything for you, I am no more in love, I have moved on.....".

Leaving the other partner wondering if it was love or were they dreaming? Some will spend weeks and months begging, trying hard to make the relationship work or get back to how they used to be, but that never happens.

Love has never been how great you talk, how long you lasted on the phone, how passionate you kiss, how great you had sex or how cute you look together; its not about the school you attended, your tribe or home town. Love is not when everything is sweet and rosy. It is sad these are how we see love to be even with the movies we watch, etc.

If love is all sweet and rosy, there won’t be "for better for WORSE" in a marriage vow, there won't be "for richer or POORER" in our marriage vows. There won't be "in health or in SICKNESS". Getting someone to love you for better is easy but the problem is who is willing to love you in the WORSE. Getting someone to love you with your riches is so easy but the issue is getting who will love you in POVERTY or when you are broke. Every one wants to be with a healthy partner, the challenge is who stays when you are SICK.

Love is always easy when there is nothing but sunshine and good time but the true test of love is in the RAIN, in the worst time, in poverty, in illness, in the thunderstorms. Marriage needs people who will stay to enjoy the rainbow together, for better for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness or in health. Whether you are single or married, it is inevitable that you will go through worse times in life, and at some point get broke or sick.

So before you call him or her your lover, be sure they will stay with you in the rain; before you name them as a best friend, wait for the bad times. When you lose your job one day, will they be with you? When you lose one leg, will they be your leg or support, leave you to your fate or kill you with insults?

One day when you are not able to conceive a child, will they still love you as they did from the beginning or call you names such as childless, barren, impotent or leave you in search for someone else? If one day you wake up with tears will they shout on you or be by your side to tell you "its just a dream, its ok".

When you get someone who never gets tired of understanding your nonsense attitudes, still proud of you and admire you despite your weakness, flaws, shortfalls, past, fights, argument, hurt, etc. you have met the one who loves you. Your marriage will only be separated by death not diseases, disappointments or destitution.

In conclusion, "Friends love through all kinds of weather, and families stick together in all kinds of trouble" - Proverbs 17:17 (MSG). Only the wise will understand!LET LOVE REFINE YOU!❤️

THE ONE WHO DIDN'T PICK A STONE

John 8:4-7: "Then they said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of doing a sex sin. Moses told us in the Law to throw stones and kill a woman like this. What do You say about it?" They were trying to set a trap to find something against Him. Jesus got down and began to write in the dust with His finger. They kept on asking Him. Then He stood up and said, "ANYONE OF YOU WHO IS WITHOUT SIN CAN THROW THE FIRST STONE AT HER."" NLV [Emphasis added]

As Jesus said these words he revealed a great truth about God's character- God does not condemn us for struggling with sexual sin. Among that crowd that gathered around that woman who had been caught in the act of sexual sin was one who was without any sin, yet he did not condem the woman for struggling. God would be justified to condemn us for our sins yet He does not condemn us.

John 3:17: "God didn't send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." FBV

God is like a Good Physician who doesn't punish a sick patient for showing terrible signs and symptoms- He is only concerned about bringing healing and restoration.

What would your fellow christian brothers do with you if they caught you in the act of watching porn, masturbation or illicit sex? (I hope you are not saying they won't catch you)

Anyway, the point is we often hide our struggles from our Christian brothers and sisters because we fill they would gladly pick a stone  to throw at us.

John 8:10-11: "Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Where are they? Didn't anybody stay to condemn you?” “No one did, sir,” she replied. “I DON'T CONDEMN YOU EITHER,” Jesus told her. “GO, AND DON'T SIN ANYMORE.”" FBV [Emphasis added]

Jesus offered her a second chance when her accusers were baying for her blood. There is a lesson we should learn here as the Christian Church - love is the strongest force in the universe capable of transforming a sinner. It is possible to love a person battling a sexual addiction to a point where they overcome their struggle. By love i don't mean a warm fuzzy sentimental emotional disposition but the decision to commit to a person inspite of the battles they are going through. The attitude that says, "Bro, i imagine that it must be tough dealing with your addiction. I want you to know i love you and i am commited to stick with you as you navigate through the complex journey of your recovery. No matter how messed up you feel- i have got your back!"

True Story

 True Story 

It happened in Tsholotsho, at Siphogweni Primary school. The school where I did part of my education. The place is a rural area, and I remember she was doing grade 6 and I was doing grade 3. She had stolen someone's lunch, ate it but they found out that it was her, and she did all this before break time. There is a borehole at the school where I used to learn and during break time we used to drink water there. So she came there and found us, we used to take turns, one would pump for the other and then vice-versa. Behind her was a group of several students taunting her and calling her all sorts of names because of the act that she did. It was a disgrace. The way they treated her, they said that's what she deserved. When she came closer these grade sixes told us the lower grades not to pump for her cause she was a thief, and anyone who would help her would automatically be identifying himself/herself as one with her. What happened next was a pitiful scene!😔. She would take one or two pump moves and run to the water outlet before it all water runs out. And I was watching her doing all that, I felt like helping her but I was afraid of being seen as one who identified himself with her as they said. I stood there, didn't leave, deep down I have a struggle as if they could see what I was thinking they kept repeating those words. She did all this several times until she quenched her thirst. My fellow grade threes were long gone and those grade sixes. At first when she came she looked shameful and regretful but that gradually changed as they continued taunting her, she became hard. " Akulandaba, vele ngizazipompela " these are the words that she said as she returned hate for hate. She had a beautiful name😊. Nkazimulo , that's her name, meaning Glory . I don't know why she was given that name, and it's sad that her life's walk wasn't according to her name cause even in my village she was known of stealing and being taunted would be her price always, worse she was a girl, people are used to guys as thieves not ladies. Now, when I look back at what I did, I too regret. Am sure tha had Jesus been there standing physically, he would have pumped water for her despite that she was a disgraceful thief. And the beauty of the glory(inkazimulo) of the Lord would have been shown to her as it was shown to the woman at the well, Zacharius and Mary Magdalene. And started from that she would have been won to HIM through unconditional help. Thief or not a thief. I tell you what, that day, Jesus was there in Spirit whispering to me to help her but I disappointed HIM, I denied HIM the chance for HIS name to be glorified and a soul was lost into darkness. I believe taunting was never gonna work to reform her, love was. I hope Nkazimulo is still alive and a reformed person ( reformed through someone's heeding to the voice of the Spirit, cause when I was given a chance I failed) and I hope to see her some day. How do you view God?

Written by Mbongeni Manaba 

Relationships

 #RELATIONSHIP MUSINGS

Love is not for rent or a moment of rental, it's not a relationship which resulted because someone bought airtime or data bundle for you, it's not as a result of someone getting you pizza or taking you out for an expensive date, or buying expensive clothes for you; it's not a relationship as a result of someone putting pressure on you to have sex with them. These are not love. Love is costly and doesn't come easily. Reserve your heart for someone who wants a lifetime commitment; that doesn't come easily. It’s a full time job.

Many people sell themselves so cheap with the ideology that love doesn't cost a thing, and this is making their partners not see their value. What you accept speaks volumes about your value. If you want to be loved, love yourself first; appreciate yourself because you know your value. You will stop giving people discount. No one will make you feel loved unless you decide to be loved. True love will not come to you. It can only come from you. Only the wise will understand!LET LOVE REFINE YOU!❤️

#DateWrongMarryWrong

KEEP FIGHTING

1Cor 9:26-27: "In the same way, I run straight for the place at the end of the race. I fight to win. I do not beat the air. I keep working over my body. I make it obey me. I do this because I am afraid that after I have preached the Good News to others, I myself might be put aside." NLV

Recovery from sexual brokenness is possible but requires your sweat, blood and tears - there are no pain free options. To get to a point where you may suspect you are now addicted it would mean that the repeation of the same undesires behaviour has over a period of time rewired your brain. Yes, your neural pathways change overtime as you continue to fall into the same habit. In the end your habit becomes part of you and peform it as a reflex action- it is quite easy to do it and very difficult to resist it;

"Man, i am a mess- i have done it again! I really try not to do it bro, but i keep falling back into it. Will i ever break free from this?"😭🥺😫

If people knew how difficult fighting a sexual addiction is, they would avoid sexual pitfalls in the first place.

However, there is hope for YOU. Recovery is a journey, and therefore it should be seen as a process and not an event. 

1. You have to ADMIT that you are a mess and are in need of help.

2. You have to seek for help. You CANNOT fight a sexual addiction alone.

3. Surround yourself with a support team- people who give you motivation to keep fighting and comfort you when you have fallen.

4.Keep vigilant. Remove every root that can connect you to the undesired behaviour. Delete the videos, block the conctacts, don't go to his/her place etc.

5. Keep praying and keep fighting.

ARE YOU STRUGGLING?

Are you feeling stuck?

Are you tired of falling again and again?

Are you addicted to porn, masturbation and illicit sex?

TESTIMONY

 TESTIMONY

(Male 23years)

 When I was young at the Age of 15 I accidentally found pornography in my uncle's phone  , from that day onward  I started to have interests in watching porn everyday. I reached  a point where had to  search all over in his bedroom looking for something sexually stimulating. I then found a certain DVD which was a collection of porn videos. I started regularly watching it and I was almost watching it daily  for almost 3 months.  

Then one day because I was left alone at home , I sat on my bed and and started having vivid images in my brain of all the pornography scenes i had watched. I impulsively found myself masturbating something i had never done before something I had not know. But because of the pleasure I experienced, I became hooked to this new habit and would do it daily.

 I soon discovered that my friends  watched porn too, but i couldn't tell them it was wrong because i was sinking in the same mess.

I couldn't stop it.

I struggled for 8 years.

It became serious to the point that i developed porn induced erectile dysfunction.

Because of these experiences i realized that I need to stop. This is what I am struggling with. This ministry has helped me to recover.

 That's my story

TESTIMONY

 MALE 34 YEARS

My first exposure to porn was when I was in grade six. I was friends with an older male who was a fellow tenant in the place where we used to stay. On a certain day he called me to see ‘’something interesting’’ in a certain magazine he was viewing. This turned out to be m first exposure to soft core porn. I would continue to be exposed in high school, some of my school friends would bring magazines containing erotic themes for us to view. On certain occasions, a friend would invite us to come and watch soft core pornographic films at his place. All of us thought these videos were good to equip us with appropriate knowledge to enable us to sexually fulfil a woman when the right time came. This seemed to be the ultimate goal for manhood, to be able to sexually satisfy a woman.

 This of course was a misguided ambition. What I first looked upon with disgust and shock became interesting and exciting to watch and led to another new problem, habitual masturbation. 

After High school, I moved to live with an uncle in a new town. There was an interesting observation I made about him. On Saturdays nights he would tell us not to switch off from certain foreign T.V channel on the decoder (he had a separate television set in his bedroom which used the same decoder in the living room). We got inquisitive and stayed late to see why my uncle was insisting on this and we discovered that on Saturday nights that particular night was for screening pornographic movies. So we too would stay up late watching porn in the living room.

At 19 years I moved out and started to stay on my own however my habits continued to haunt me. I had no television set hence I would visit certain neighbours and request to watch movies on Saturday nights. These neighbours least suspected what I was up to. They would tell me to wake them up after I was done watching as I left the house, they did not know that I was accessing the Saturday porn movies in their home.

My struggle continued to my work place. Our country had just experienced a boom in usage of internet and technology, and more companies now provided free Wi-Fi at the workplace. I started to search for and access pornography at work, it was messy. At some point the I.T department started to restrict access to questionable websites due to heavy traffic of users. Somehow I still managed to get a site that could not be detected by the system and hence continued to watch. 

My struggle continued. At one point a workmate remarked that internet data on a particular week got finished up before the expected time. Out of embarrassment I confessed to him that I had been downloading large files of porn videos. My workmate let my mishap go excused because he told me he would not judge my use of porn since I was married and it was probably for my benefit. I tried to be more careful though I still struggled.

By this time I could say I was heavily addicted. I would request from my boss to get Saturdays off in order to be able to attend church services and I would promise to do my workload on Sundays. While my colleagues thought I really wanted to be in church on Saturday, the real reason was that I needed enough time alone at the office to watch porn when everyone else was off and not at work. I would come late home from work and tell my wife I had been working on unfished business. My spiritual life got affected too. I remember missing a very important church program I was supposed to attend while I remained home for two hours watching porn. I had promised myself to watch for a few minutes before going to church but soon found that I couldn’t leave. I felt so horrible when I realised what had just happened. 

My relationship with my wife became turbulent and strained.  While I had a collection of porn videos on my laptop to which I had intended to watch with my wife I never could get her to watch. I was afraid that she could start behaving like the women in those videos. I was scared of what porn would do to her yet I was already facing a lot of problems myself. I developed erectile dysfunction and I suddenly became interested in flirting with other women. This led to a lot of disputes in my marriage. I would forget many things she would have asked me to do for her because when the urge to watch started, I would be so engrossed in it and be led to watch for many hours even up to early hours of the next morning.

Thankfully I’m on my recovery path now though I still have to continue in this fight. I am happy with the path of restoration in which I’m now on. However I have this to say pornography is a deadly enemy, no one should fall in its vicious path.

The Rapture and the Second Coming of Christ 11

 LESSON 11

THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS FROM THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST TO THE CREATION OF A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH

You are welcome to another edition of Insights from God's Word, a Bible study programme that is committed to sharing God's Word by allowing the Bible to speak for itself.

Friends, I want to thank the Lord so much for how far He has brought us. This study will be the last in our series on The Rapture and the Second Coming of Christ. In this last study, I want us to look at a summary of the sequence of events that we have considered so far in this series. Now, the sequence of events from the second coming of Christ to the creation of a new heaven and a new earth are as follows:

1. Christ Himself returns visibly to our earth the second time with all the angels of heaven (Acts 1:9-11; Matthew 25:31; Matthew 16:27).

2. Every living person on earth will witness the second coming of Christ (Revelation 1:7; Matthew 24:30). In fact, it is going to be a global event. It isn't going to be secret or silent; and you cannot miss it (Psalm 50:3).

3. When Christ appears the second time, those who have died in Him will resurrect, clothed with immortality (1 Thessalonians 4:16; 1 Corinthians 15:51-54). This resurrection of the saints is known as the first resurrection. In Revelation 20:6, we read the following from the apostle John: "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power...."

4. After the righteous dead are resurrected, the righteous living will be changed and also clothed with immortal bodies (1 Corinthians 15:51-54).

5. After God's people are clothed with immortality, they are all then taken up to heaven by Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

6. When Christ appears the second time, the brightness of His face together with the natural upheaval of the elements of the earth will destroy the wicked or unrighteous (2 Thessalonians 1:7-8; 2 Thessalonians 2:8; Isaiah 11:4; Jeremiah 25:33).

7. Now, with the saints taken up to heaven by Christ, and the wicked slain, there is no human being left alive on the earth (Jeremiah 4:23-27).

8. The only beings who will be left alive on the earth after Christ's second coming are Satan and his angels. God will restrain them on planet earth for a period of one thousand years to ponder over all the devastation and ruin that their rebellion against God had brought on the earth. On every side, there will be dead bodies, collapsed cities and utter desolation. Satan will have time to reflect on His rebellion and wicked deeds (Revelation 20:1-3).

9. Meanwhile, within the same thousand-year period, while Satan and his angels are bound to the earth, the righteous reign with Christ in heaven. They are given the books of judgement to check the records whether God has been fair with everyone (Revelation 20:4, 6).

10. After the end of the thousand - year vacation in Heaven, Christ comes with the saints to this earth in the city He has prepared for us; that is, the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:2, 9-27).

11. Now, as the city gets closer to earth, the Mount of Olives is parted and the beloved city settles on the vast plain that has been created (Zechariah 14:4). Christ then resurrects the wicked dead from their graves. This resurrection of the wicked, known as the second resurrection, takes place after the thousand years (Revelation 20:5).

12. Unlike the saints who are resurrected with glorious immortal bodies (1 Corinthians 15:51-54), the wicked will still possess their old bodies that are subject to disease and death after their resurrection. When the wicked are resurrected, Satan will quickly deceive them (Revelation 20:7-8), and marshal them into a gigantic army to try and overtake the city of God; that is, the New Jerusalem (Revelation 20:9).

13. At this time, God finally pours fire from heaven to destroy Satan, his angels, and the entire wicked world (Revelation 20:9). This is the time when hellfire will finally come from God out of heaven and do its horrible work. From what we've studied from the Bible, it is clear that hellfire does not exist at any place on the earth now; which follows that the wicked dead are not burning in hell now.

14. The Bible teaches that the fire that comes from God out of heaven after the millennium, will burn up the wicked (Malachi 4:1). This fire will reduce the wicked including Satan himself into ashes (Revelation 20:9-10; Ezekiel 28:12-18).

15. The lake of fire that destroys Satan and the wicked, will also cleanse the universe of sin. God will now create a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness (2 Peter 3:12-13; Isaiah 66:22-23; Revelation 21:1).

16. The Lord will now lead the righteous out of the holy city to inhabit a brand New Earth. This is the time when the righteous will symbolically tread on the ashes of the wicked (Malachi 4:3). The redeemed of all ages will now inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5). The New Jerusalem will be the capital city of the New Earth. God Himself will dwell with us in this New Earth (Revelation 21:3). The beloved apostle writes: "4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful" (Revelation 21: 4- 5).

Exhortation: Beloved, I’m tired of this sin-sick world. I earnestly wait for the day when Christ will come and bring an end to all the suffering, injustice and death that plunder our world. I long for the thousand-year vacation in heaven and the rich treasures of a world made new. If this is your wish, why don't you say a prayer to God for the strength to serve Him with all your heart today?

Stay blessed and keep shining for King Jesus.

Maranatha!

LONELINESS: IT’S CAUSE AND CURE

Have you ever been lonely? Many of my patients struggle with deep feelings of loneliness. These feelings can be so intense, so uncomfortable, that they become intolerable, and the loneliness spurs people to take all kinds of actions to make the feelings go away. Deep loneliness leads to co-dependent relationships, the willingness to tolerate mistreatment just to avoid rejection; serial relationships, seeking someone to fill the void inside; and various forms of thrill-seeking, pleasure-seeking, and risk-taking just to feel connected.

If you struggle with loneliness, here is a question I ask my patients: Is there a difference between loneliness and being alone? Consider that for just a moment.

Loneliness is not about being by oneself; those who struggle with loneliness will still feel lonely on dates, in groups, with family—because loneliness is about something other than being alone.

Loneliness is a deep longing for something that is missing. It is longing for love, acceptance, validation, being valued; it is a longing to be whole, filled on the inside with contentment and peace. But ultimately, loneliness is a longing for God—for His presence in the life, for Him to occupy the place in our Spirit temple that we were designed for Him to fill.

When Adam and Eve sinned, they broke their intimate connection with God and ran and hid because they were afraid. All human beings since then have also been running, struggling with these feelings of fear, isolation, and loneliness—and we have all sought to fill that void with people or things other than God.

Jesus met a woman at a well who struggled with loneliness. We read about it in John 4:4–26.

Jesus offers this woman a kind of water that if she drank of it, she would never get thirsty again—wow, what kind of water would that be? It wasn’t H2O! It was something else that would quench a deep thirsting in her soul. But what was she thirsting for?

She thinks concretely, only of liquid water, and asks Jesus to give her some, but Jesus directs her to the type of water she really needs. He points her mind to the deep emptiness inside her, to the reservoir in her heart that is empty and that she has tried to fill with something other than the water of life. He tells her to go get her husband, but she replies that she doesn’t have a husband. Jesus affirms her honest answer, saying, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true” (John 4:17, 18 NIV84).

What did Jesus just point out? That she had spent her life seeking to fill a deep longing in her soul—a sense of inadequacy, a loneliness—with one man after another. It hadn’t worked. She still wasn’t filled; she was still empty. She was still thirsty—thirsty for love, to be made whole, to be healed, to have the emptiness in her soul filled. She longed for the water of life that, if she accepted it, if she drank it, if she let Jesus into her heart, then His love would become a well that would overflow from her heart to others. Then, rather than seeking to use others to fill her, validate her, affirm her, make her feel okay about herself, instead of constantly thirsting for affection, she would become what God designed every human being to be: a living wellspring, a geyser of love that bursts forth and overflows to others!

Loneliness is not the same as being by yourself, and it is also not the same as our God-given desire for connection and intimacy. God in Eden, before Adam sinned, said it was not good for Adam to be alone; He created Eve to be Adam’s life partner. We are created as relational beings—to connect, to love, and to be loved. The desire to have someone to be united in love with and to share life with is not the same thing as loneliness.

But if we don’t first drink of the water of life, if we don’t first open the door to our hearts and invite Jesus in, uniting with Him and allowing Him to love us, to fill us, to whisper in our minds, “Well done! You are my good and faithful friend, you bring such joy to my heart. I love you and enjoy being with you every moment of every day”—if we don’t do this, then we will seek people to provide us something they never can; we will seek people to fill the place of God in our hearts. We will seek people to make us whole, to make us feel worth, to value us and validate us. But, until we let Jesus in and unite with Him, we may be in relationship, we may be with people, but we will still be lonely.

No person, no drug, no pleasure-seeking activity can fill the deep emptiness in our souls, because we were built as living temples to be filled by the presence of our living God. Only in union with Him are we complete. Only when He abides within us are we whole. Only when we open the door to our hearts and allow Him in do we find peace; only then does the loneliness go away, for only then are we functioning as God built us to function.

So, if you struggle with loneliness, do the following:

☆Recognize loneliness is not about being alone; loneliness is about being disconnected from God and longing for the wholeness, validation, love, contentment, and peace that only come from union with Him.

☆Start out each day (at least 15 minutes) alone with God, meditate on His Word, invite Him into your heart. Take Jesus’ hand and ask Him to walk with you to dark places in your heart—those deeply buried memories, hurts, disappointments, and failures that make you feel so inadequate, that incite fear of what others will think, that fuel the loneliness. Ask Jesus what He sees when you were bullied on the playground, when you were mocked, raped, molested, rejected, or when you were so lonely you looked a porn or hooked up for a one-night stand? See the tears in His eyes as He feels your pain, but listen to His tender voice telling you that you are His child, that He loves you, that He will take away your pain and heal your wounds if you let Him. Hear Him when He says you are loved for who you are—His child, not for anything you have done or anything that has happened to you. Let Him fill you with His love and presence. Ask Him to take away the hurts, the pain, the anger, the disappointment and to restore you to who He created you to be—His living temple—a holy place of love bursting forth to others.

Then as your day unfolds, talk to Jesus in your mind, make Him a part of the activities of the day. Share with Him your joys, frustrations, and concerns. In your mind think, “Jesus, thank you for the beautiful cardinal that just landed outside my window,” or, “Jesus, thanks for being with me in this traffic jam and giving me patience; please oversee my day and my schedule. I trust you with how things turn out. Thanks for never leaving me nor forsaking me.”

Is It Possible to Break Free From Porn?

Many people ask me—usually at the end of one of my presentations about the effects of pornography—if it’s truly possible to be free from porn. They feel they’ve tried everything and are beginning to despair. They’re beginning to think that, while it might be possible for some people to break free from porn, it’s not possible for them.

I know that freedom from porn is possible, and I know this for two reasons:

☆I, and many people I know who have begun to find freedom from porn, have been exactly where you’re at and have felt the same way you feel now.

☆As a Christian, I know that, no matter how entrenched in porn you are, God’s grace is bigger, and that He is able to do more than we can ever hope or imagine.

Before we engage in practical steps, we need to keep in mind these three important truths in order to even begin battling porn addiction effectively.

You should think about sex.

Freedom is one day at a time.

You should struggle with the temptation to look at porn.

1. You should think about sex.

Australian author Frank Sheed wrote that modern man practically never thinks about sex. He might dream about it, joke about it, write songs about it—but he doesn’t think about it.

What is the nature of sex? What is its purpose?

Sex wasn’t invented by Playboy, Cosmo, or 50 Shades of Stupid. It was warped and distorted by these things.

If we want to know whose idea sex was we only need to look to the very first commandment in the Bible from God to humanity. “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the face of the earth” (Genesis 1:28). And as Dr. Peter Kreeft notes, “I do not think that he meant, ‘I need you to grow pineapples and invent calculators.’” No. Sex is a good thing, a sacred thing. And so is sexual desire.

Christianity is not about the annihilation of sexual desire. It’s about the reorientation of it for the sake of love. Many people get confused because they think that strong sexual desire is the same thing as lust. It’s not. Sexual desire is a God-given gift that should propel us to make a gift of ourselves to another, according to the demands of chastity and prudence. Lust, on the other hand, doesn’t propel us to give, it compels us to take.

Love says, “This is my body given up for you.”

Lust says the opposite: “This is your body taken by me.”

2. Freedom is one day at a time.

If you view freedom from porn as a destination, you’ll almost certainly remain disappointed. This is because freedom is not so much a destination we reach as it is a daily decision we make. Freedom is one day at a time.

Your goal today is not, “Okay, I’ll never look at porn again!” Instead, it’s, “Today I resolve to be the person God made me to be, and one thing that means is this: today I will not get sucked into lust and pornography.”

As Jesus said: don’t worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Real freedom is a lifetime of todays: moment-by-moment choices.

3. You should struggle with the temptation to look at porn.

Many Christians I encounter seem to think that the word “struggle” is synonymous with “give into.” We hear people say, “I’ve been struggling with porn,” and we assume they mean “I’ve been giving into porn”—and that is what they mean. But struggle doesn’t mean “give into,” in fact, it means the opposite. It means “to contend with an adversary or opposing force.”

So now we understand that, I hope you won’t be offended when I say, “If you are tempted to view pornography, I hope you struggle with it, since the only other alternative is to just give in.”

Recognize this: when we struggle, when we “contend with an adversary or opposing force,” we grow stronger. When we struggle with pornography we grow in virtue. It’s not just the virtue of purity we grow in, we grow in other virtues as well: moral courage, patience, temperance, humility, and self-mastery.

If you struggle with pornography, recognize that you have an opportunity—an opportunity to tap into a massive outpouring of God’s grace.

WHY WE HAVE TO FIGHT THIS TOGETHER.

 

Eph 5:3,5: "Do not let sex sins or anything sinful be even talked about among those who belong to Christ. Do not always want everything. … Be sure of this! No person who does sex sins or who is not pure will have any part in the holy nation of Christ and of God. The same is true for the person who always wants what other people have. This becomes a god to him." NLV

If there is one area that many Christians struggle with it is sexual behaviour. While it is often easy to identify the wrongs that other sinners do it is often difficult to know if a person is struggling with sex as sexuality is a private affair. We often find it easy to speak ill of a drunkard visibly staggering his way up the streets- the effects of alcohol are clearly seen by all. However its quite easy to put up an appearance of a devout Christian who looks prim and proper whenever we dress up to attend church service. We can sing melodiously, preach passionately and offer heart moving prayers yet when we go back home we sadly come face to face with our reality. Nobody knows that behind the smiles, the singing , preaching and praying is a fierce battle with sex sins. When we are alone and no one is watching we are a mess.

We dress up to go to church and give a theatrical perfomance because we are AFRAID that someone will find out the real truth about us.

We fear that when this truth is discovered people will stop loving us and we will sink deep in shame. To avoid this we hide the truth about ourselves and continue pretending like everything is "O.K"

This is the elephant within our church walls.

ARE YOU STRUGGLING?

contact us: Make it Easy.

I WAS ALSO A VICTIM

My name is James, chukwuemeka. I am 24 years old, and I stand for sexual purity. 

Not only because we must strive to snatch

this generation of youths from the firm grip of immorality, but also because I, too, was a victim. 

This is my story.

I live with my family in a small city, southeast, Nigeria. My parents are both traders. They drove out early in the morning and returned with their weak shadows.  

So my elder sister and I trekked back from school to meet a padlock, freedom, and afternoon–food before we ran off to play with our neighbors.

On one of those evenings, we gathered to play our favorite game 'hide and seek’, and tell stories. We had rushed through our dinner and were sure that neither of our parents would call.

my sister couldn't make it, so I solely represented our flat. my friends,  a male, and a female (both are siblings) they came from the second flat.

The place was dark. So we only heard our hushed whispers. 

Minutes into the game, the brother said to his sister, then to me. It was in Igbo

"let's do that thing we watch on Tv. Sex.".

Our eyes widened. We stared. Then we agreed. whatever happened afterward, stayed with the three of us.

But I was only six years old.

Ever since my urge for sex rose. I was surrounded by people, but silently it bit into me.

At the slightest scratch of my skin with anything feminine, I felt something become uneasy within me.

I was that gentle sole that would close his eye or swing his face the other way until an immoral scene was clear. But away from prying eyes, I returned, fast-forwarded to that scene, and devoured to my full.

To me, that was normal. I didn't feel guilty because it brought that sense of strange satisfaction. Those feelings one could not explain.

It held me tightly. I couldn't move forward in school. My head was blocked. My academic grade dropped. I failed all my exams and repeated a class. But It still did not occur to me to readjust. There was simply, no reason to. 

What I enjoyed far outweighed what I stood to lose. I had thought.

When the urge deepened, I found magazines of fair women without clothes and fed on them

Often, I sat hidden in our small room, and slowly caressed my little penis without the knowledge of what masturbation meant.

Scripture Union was compulsory for all students in my junior secondary. So I was present every Friday, sang and muttered prayers; gave offerings, and sometimes spared a few notes for my friends. but it didn't stop me from downloading my first pornography. 

I watched it and surprisingly, felt sad but yet, saw no reason to seek help or ask someone the reason for that strange guilt.

I would kneel and pray, and sometimes make a vow, Not to... But the next minute a stronger force would lure me to my thirsty vomit.

I went to church with my parents, sat in the children's department but can't say about my relationship with God.

Family Morning devotion wasn't a norm for us. It came once in a while. A long while. Neither was reading the Bible compulsory. I heard just enough drumming from the altar, verse after verse from the children's church. Nothing changed. 

But surrounded with people whose words, and character, and did, we're always speaking, it came a bit under control. 

I still stared at an inciting picture, but not without a beating heart.

In senior secondary, I met this friend, Paul. I didn't tell him about my struggles, but he was there for me. He stood by. He watched me like his own brother. He gave me the small Gideon's bible and often reasoned over scriptures with me.

Gradually, I regained control over myself.  

I left senior Secondary school and met another academic failure. (JAMB) and something happened. 

I was so angry with God. I held him accountable for my failure.

 

Why should I fail!  

I was enraged.

I wanted to get back at Him(God), to hurt Him. To make him feel the same pain of failure like I did. So deliberately  I went and bought this movie, Spartacus, (it's another pornography) and watched it in tears with semen ejaculating. 

I wrote that exam again and still failed.

But on that day, around March 25, 2014, I rose from my seat in a Dunamis church in Umuahia, and walked to the altar...

I didn't know what happened. My heart was broken. Tears streamed down my cheek.  THERE, I  GAVE MY LIFE TO CHRIST.

I prayed and asked God to show me mercy and help me. Yes, he did.

Ever since, till today, God has remained FAITHFUL.

                           ~

Dear, God is still very much ready to help you break out from the chains of any form of sexual immorality the devil had held you bound with.

"You are not a slave to the flesh!"

Jesus has paid the price on the cross of calvary for your freedom, so you can't remain in chains.

“If the Son, therefore, shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. ”

(JOHN 8:36 )

It's your time to break out!!!

SAY THIS PRAYER

Lord Jesus, I have sinned against you and my flesh. Have mercy, and deliver me from this chain of immorality. 

From this day I vow to present my body as a living sacrifice Holy and acceptable unto you, which is my reasonable service.  help me oh Lord in Jesus' name, Amen.

#SexualPurityIsAMust

The Rapture and the Second Coming of Christ 10

 LESSON 10

THE NEW EARTH: THE ETERNAL HOME OF THE SAVED

You are welcome to another edition of Insights from God's Word, a Bible Study Programme that is committed to sharing God's Word by allowing the Bible to speak for itself.

In this edition, we continue with our series on The Rapture and the Second Coming of Christ. The topic for this study is: The New Earth: The Eternal Home of the Saved. 

In our last study, we considered the joyful, yet solemn study of the millennium and the end of sin. We learnt that after the saints have spent a thousand years in heaven, they will descend to earth in the beloved city of God. This city, the New Jerusalem, which comes from heaven, actually settles on mount Olives (Zechariah 14:4). From our previous study, we noted that at this same time when the New Jerusalem descends from heaven, the wicked dead are resurrected by God. When the wicked are resurrected, Satan quickly deceives them and marshals them into a gigantic army in a final struggle to overtake the beloved city, and ultimately the government of God. Now, as the wicked surrounds the beloved city, fire is poured out from God out of heaven to destroy them (Revelation 20:7-9). This fire that destroys the wicked also cleanses the earth from the curse of sin. With this introduction from our previous study, we will now move on to our study on the new earth. This study is categorised into five sub-sections as follows:

1. GOD WILL CREATE A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH

After the lake of fire has cleansed and purified the earth from sin, God will now create a New Heaven and a New Earth. After the account of the destruction of sin and sinners in Revelation 20, the first thing we read about in Revelation 21 is the creation of a new heaven and a new earth. From Revelation 21:1, we read the following from the apostle John: "And I saw a NEW HEAVEN and a NEW EARTH: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea" (Capital Emphasis Added).

Friends, the promise of a new heaven and a new earth is found in several portions of Scripture. The following are some of such passages:

a) "17 For, behold, I create NEW HEAVENS and a NEW EARTH: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. 18 But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy" (Isaiah 65:17-18; Capital Emphasis Added).

b) 22 For as the NEW HEAVENS and the NEW EARTH, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain" (Isaiah 66:22; Capital Emphasis Added).

c) " 12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for NEW HEAVENS and a NEW EARTH, wherein dwelleth righteousness" (2 Peter 3:12-13; Capital Emphasis Added).

Friends, the passages above make it clear that there is going to be a New Heaven and a New Earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. This present earth and the atmosphere which has been tainted by sin are going to be replaced by God with a New Heaven and a New Earth. But it is important to note that this New Earth is not going to be some alien place that we have never known. The New Earth is basically going to be a restoration of this present earth to its Edenic state. 

2. THE NEW EARTH WILL BE THE ETERNAL HOME OF THE SAVED

After God cleanses our present world with fire, He will recreate a New Heaven and a New Earth. The saints will then move out from the New Jerusalem and inhabit the earth.

From the psalmist, we read the following promise: "But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace" (Psalm 37:11).

Christ Himself reiterated this promise to His disciples: "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5).

Friends, the New Earth will be the eternal home of God's beloved people. As we have studied earlier, the saints will spend "only" a thousand years in heaven (Revelation 20:4, 6). They will then descend to the Earth with the New Jerusalem which will actually become the CAPITAL CITY of the New Earth (Revelation 21:1-27).

3. GOD HIMSELF WILL DWELL WITH US

From the New Jerusalem, the God of the universe will reign. The beloved apostle chronicles this fact in the following text: "2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God" (Revelation 21:3).

Friends, every Sabbath, the people of God who inhabit the New Earth will come to the capital city; the New Jerusalem to worship the Creator God. From the prophet Isaiah, we come away with such an understanding: "22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain. 23 And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD" (Isaiah 66:22-23).

Beloved, as the Sabbath was celebrated by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:1-3), so will the Sabbath be celebrated in the New Earth by the people of God. The saved from all ages will gather in the New Jerusalem every Sabbath to worship the Creator God. My good friend, if you are not keeping the Seventh-day Sabbath, begin to reflect upon this fact seriously. The saints will keep the Sabbath in the New Earth. Please don't allow the enemy of souls to deceive you into believing that the Sabbath has been done away with. The Scripture makes it clear that God's end time people will keep all of His commandments which include the Seventh-day Sabbath (see Revelation 12:17; Revelation 14:12). In case you want to study more on the Sabbath truth, please request for our Sabbath studies through any of our WhatsApp numbers below. This series of study is designed to answer various questions that you might have on the Sabbath issue.

If this was a live presentation, I believe someone is likely to have asked this important question at this point: It is clear from Isaiah 66:22-23 that the saints will go to the New Jerusalem every Sabbath to worship the Lord. But why will they go there every New Moon? I thought the New Moon festivals have been done away with! Yes! It is true friends, that the New Moon festivals have been done away with, but there is a good reason why the saints will visit the New Jerusalem every New Moon. The apostle John makes a statement in Revelation 22:1-2 that provides us with a clue on the above question: "1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations" (Revelation 22:1-2).

From this passage above, we learn clearly that within the city of the New Jerusalem is found the tree of life. Now, on every New moon (that is, the beginning of every month), the saints will go to the New Jerusalem, the capital of the New Earth to partake of the fruit of the tree of life. The fruit of this tree is what will perpetuate the life of the redeemed. We are told that even the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations (Revelation 22:2). Friends, sin has dwarfed our physical structure and marred the beautiful image that the Lord endowed us with at creation. As we eat of the tree of life and partake of its leaves in the New Earth, we are going to grow and be restored into the full image of God.

4. SOME AMAZING FACTS ABOUT THE NEW EARTH

The Bible gives us several beautiful insights about how our condition of life will be like in the New Earth. I have captured below some of these wonderful promises:

a) Day and night will continue in the New Earth.

Supporting Text:

"While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease" (Genesis 8:22).

Friends, even though day and night will continue in the New Earth, there will be no night in the capital city of the New Earth. The beloved apostle explains why: "23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. 24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. 25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there" (Revelation 21:23-25).

From the prophet Isaiah, we read something similar: "Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously" (Isaiah 24:23).

b) The entire land will be habitable.

Supporting Texts:

i) "1 The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. 2 It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God" (Isaiah 35:1-2).

ii) "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea" (Revelation 21:1).

In the New Earth, there will be no vast deserts and mighty oceans to separate the redeemed from one another. The entire land is going to be habitable.

c) The saints will build their own houses and inhabit them.

Supporting Text:

"65:21 And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.

65:22 They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

65:23 They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them.

65:24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear."

(Isaiah 65:21-24)

Because of the high level of poverty in our world, many of God's people have never dreamt of building their own houses in this present earth. However, God's promise is that in the New Earth, we are going to build our own houses and inhabit them. Think about the building materials that will be at our disposal. Do you want a glass house as it’s fashionable today? Well! That might be obsolete in the New Earth. We are going to have free access to better building materials such as gold, silver, sapphire, jasper, emerald, topaz, sardius and many more. With all these materials at our disposal, coupled with the best of celestial technology, we can only begin to imagine the kinds of buildings that will spread out on the surface of the New Earth.

d) The animals will be tame and friendly.

Supporting Text:

"11:6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

11:7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

11:8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.

11:9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea."

(Isaiah 11:6-9)

What a privilege it will be to have a close relationship with the animals with the assurance that none of them will hurt us. Like Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, we will go out and be at one with nature. We will befriend the animals on the earth (Isaiah 11:6-9). Talk about a better Zoology! All this will be experienced by the saints in the New Earth.

e) The saints will enjoy never-fading flowers, delicious fruits and magnificent trees.

Supporting Text:

"And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine" (Ezekiel 47:12).

Friends, our experience in the New Earth is going to be superb. Never fading flowers are going to perfume the environment. Like Eden, we are going to enjoy as our food the amazing fruits that dangle nicely on numerous magnificent trees. None of us is going to feed on animal food. Beloved, I think it is important that we begin to learn to get accustomed to the original diet that will be available to us in the New Earth. For the animals, instead of being food for us, will rather be real companions and true friends (Isaiah 11:6-9).

f) The people of God will have a fulfilling social life.

In the New Earth, we will have the opportunity to socialize and interact with our family, friends and people that we knew on the Earth. This will be made possible because the identities that we have on Earth now will be preserved after our translation. The Bible clearly teaches that when Christ resurrected from the dead, the disciples could identify Him. Mary could identify His unique call (John 20:11-16). The two disciples who encountered Him on the Emmaus road recognised Him by His unique mannerism in the breaking of bread (Luke 24:13-35). The apostles identified Him later by His physical form (John 20:19-20).

The Bible makes it clear that when Christ appears the second time, we will be like Him (1 John 3:2). We will possess a glorious physical body like that of Christ after His resurrection (Philippians 3:20-21). And as the disciples of Christ could identify the Lord after His resurrection, so would our friends and relatives be able to identify us in heaven and on the New Earth. And throughout eternity, the people of God will enjoy close social communion with friends and family they knew on earth.

Moreover, we will also socialize and interact with God's children who have lived through the various ages of human history. The apostle Matthew records the following in relation to social life in heaven: "And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 8:11).

Beloved, the saints will also have a similar experience on the New Earth. Think about having lunch with Abraham; reflect about taking a walk with Elijah and then spending a night at Moses' apartment. It is refreshing to ponder on the fact that we will be able to befriend and spend quality time with all the redeemed of all ages because we have all eternity at our disposal.

Unchained from the shackles of sin, we will be able to travel and explore the universe of God (Isaiah 40:31). Something that we are struggling to achieve today despite all our current technology, will then be made possible. From the earth made new, we will be able to travel from planet to planet, and interact with intelligent beings from other worlds. We will then be able to access their wisdom, knowledge and experience that they have accumulated over the years (see hints of intelligent life in Scripture: Job 1:6-7; Job 2:1-2; Job 38:1-7; Hebrews 1:1-2; Hebrews 11:3).

But beloved, the greatest relationship that will give us our ultimate pleasure in heaven and on the New Earth will be the relationship that we will have with our Creator. The Scripture teaches that we will see Him face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12; 1 John 3:2; Revelation 22:4). Day by day, we will learn more of His amazing love and greatness. What a privilege it will be to commune face to face with the King of the universe. The Scripture teaches that God Himself will dwell with us, and we shall be His people (Revelation 21:3). The love He will bestow on us will know no bounds. He will even be willing to sing for us. Did you ever catch that from Scripture? The God of the universe giving us a song! From Zephaniah 3:17, we read just that: "The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with SINGING" (Capital Emphasis Added). 

g) What about the marriage relationship? Will there be marriage in the New Earth?

Concerning social relationships in heaven and on the New Earth, many have pondered whether the relationship of marriage will be continued after this life. Beloved, the Scripture has a straightforward answer to this question. From the words of Christ Himself, we learn the following:

i) "For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven" (Mark 12:25).

ii) "35 But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: 36 Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection" (Luke 20:35-36).

Thus friends, there will be no marriage after the resurrection, neither in heaven nor in the New Earth. Our highest pleasure, just like that of the angels, will be to serve and worship the Lord. And this pleasure, I believe, will be more superior and fulfilling than any form of pleasure that marriage couples have ever experienced on this earth. In fact, the book of Psalms makes it clear that the saints will enjoy pleasures forever more in the presence of the Lord (Psalm 16:11).

Contrary to what many think about heaven and the New Earth, the Scripture teaches that the saints will have fullness of joy in the presence of the Lord (Psalm 16:11). For the apostle Paul echoes this precious promise in the following text: "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him" (1 Corinthians 2:9). Beloved, our joy will be full and our deepest longings will be met by our Creator. Loneliness and boredom will be a thing of the past. In the New Earth, we will put our highest mental faculties to work. And we will have joy immeasurable as we relate with God and the rich treasures of His creation.

h) Sin will not surface again.

In the New Earth, sin and sinners will be no more. Satan, the host of evil angels, and all the people they managed to deceive to rebel against God will be consumed by God in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:9-10). They will never again resurrect to harass the people of God. From Nahum 1:9, we read the following precious promise: "What do ye imagine against the LORD? he will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time."

Friends, in the New Earth, sin will not rise up again. The saints will go about their work and life without any fear of evil. We will not be afraid when we are left alone on the streets at night. For there will be no robbers, rapists, murderers or any kind of evil to haunt us. According to the apostle Peter, the New Earth will be a land wherein dwelleth righteousness (2 Peter 3:13).

i) The curse of sin will be forever gone.

From the prophet Isaiah, we read the following blessed conditions in heaven and the New Earth:

"65:17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

65:18 But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.

65:19 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying."

(Isaiah 65:17-19)

From Revelation 21:1 and 4, we read similar words from the beloved apostle:

"21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."

(Revelation 21:1, 4)

Friends, as the passages above clearly spell out; any curse of sin will not be found in heaven and the New Earth. There will be no sorrow, suffering, pain, sickness or death. There will be no troubles, tragedies, tears, disappointment, hunger or thirst. There will be no funeral trains of people mourning for their dead. Physically challenged people will be made whole. From the prophet Isaiah, we read this precious promise: "5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 6 Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert" (Isaiah 35:5-6).

Halleluiah! In the New Earth, the things of this present life that makes our hearts heavy and sad will be forever gone. The apostle John summarises the New Earth experience with these inspiring lines: "And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him" (Revelation 22:3).

5. HOW CAN I BE PART OF THE INHABITANTS OF THE NEW EARTH?

Beloved, it is a clear fact that this present world has nothing better to offer us; for it is filled with the bitter curse of sin. Our fondest aspirations of the future are always cut short by sickness, sorrow, and death. Maybe you are pondering in your heart, how can I be part of the inhabitants of the New Heavens and the New Earth? How can I be part of the true paradise that God is going to prepare for His people in the New Earth? Beloved, it is quite very simple. From John 3:16, we read about what each one of us ought to do; for we are told that "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

The same apostle reiterates this same promise in the book of Revelation: "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely" (Revelation 22:17).

My dear friend, Christ is inviting you and I to take the water of life freely. I wholly accepted His invitation some years ago. And I have never regretted for making that decision. Will you accept His invitation today? The only thing that can prevent you from entering into the gates of the New Jerusalem is by refusing to accept the precious gift of salvation that God offers us in the Person of His Son. You don't have to worry about where you are coming from or what you've done in the past. The salvation that Christ offers us is able to cover all our sins and our past (1 John 1:9; Psalm 103:12). If you accept Jesus today, He will help you to gain victory over sin. And He will prepare you a place in the New Heavens and the New Earth wherein dwelleth righteousness (John 14:1-3).

Exhortation: "For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else" (Isaiah 45:18).

"But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD" (Numbers 14:21).

"And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places;" (Isaiah 32:18).

SOME BIBLICAL EXPLANATIONS AND EXHORTATIONS FROM ELLEN G. WHITE

1. "Human language is inadequate to describe the reward of the righteous. It will be known only to those who behold it. No finite mind can comprehend the glory of the Paradise of God." -- GC 675 (1911).

2. "Jesus lifted the veil from the future life. "In the resurrection," He said, "they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven" [Matt. 22:30]." -- DA 605 (1898).

3. "There are men today who express their belief that there will be marriages and births in the new earth; but those who believe the Scriptures cannot accept such doctrines. The doctrine that children will be born in the new earth is not a part of the "sure word of prophecy." The words of Christ are too plain to be misunderstood. They should forever settle the question of marriages and births in the new earth. Neither those who shall be raised from the dead, nor those who shall be translated without seeing death, will marry or be given in marriage. They will be as the angels of God, members of the royal family." -- Notebook Leaflets from the Elmshaven Library, vol. 2, Page 163.

4. "There, when the veil that darkens our vision shall be removed, and our eyes shall behold that world of beauty of which we now catch glimpses through the microscope, when we look on the glories of the heavens, now scanned afar through the telescope, when, the blight of sin removed, the whole earth shall appear "in the beauty of the Lord our God," what a field will be open to our study! There the student of science may read the records of creation and discern no reminders of the law of evil. He may listen to the music of nature's voices and detect no note of wailing or undertone of sorrow.... All the treasures of the universe will be open to the study of God's children. With unutterable delight we shall enter into the joy and the wisdom of unfallen beings. We shall share the treasures gained through ages upon ages spent in contemplation of God's handiwork." -- Ed 303, 307 (1903).

5. "Unfettered by mortality, they wing their tireless flight to worlds afar--worlds that thrilled with sorrow at the spectacle of human woe, and rang with songs of gladness at the tidings of a ransomed soul.... With undimmed vision they gaze upon the glory of creation--suns and stars and systems, all in their appointed order circling the throne of Deity. Upon all things, from the least to the greatest, the Creator's name is written, and in all are the riches of His power displayed." -- GC 677, 678 (1911).

In our next study, which happens to be the last in our series on The Rapture and the Second Coming of Christ, we will map out a summary of the sequence of events from the Second Coming of Christ to the Creation of a New Heaven and a New Earth. I believe this summary will help us to recapture the high points in this series of study.

Stay blessed and keep shining for King Jesus.

Maranatha!

#Listen

#Listen

Take responsibility for your own limiting beliefs.

We all have limiting beliefs. They are the small voices that whisper in the dark, trying to protect us, but keeping us stuck in fear. 

"I will always be disappointed"

"Men can’t be trusted"

"Women will only use you for your money"

Your limiting beliefs are not your partner’s fault.  You had those beliefs long before your partner came along.  Learn to identify your limiting beliefs. Be careful that you are not projecting your beliefs onto your partner.🙏🏻

Good Evening