How To Protect Yourself Now From Judgement Day

What a terrifying time it will be when Christ returns. For those who rejected him, it'll be their worst nightmare come true.

We read of how powerfully the Lord will punish the wicked in Jude 1:14 and 15 (BBE) when he wrote, "The prophet Enoch, who was the seventh after Adam, said of these men, 'The Lord came with tens of thousands of his saints, To be the judge of all, and to give a decision against all those whose lives are unpleasing to him, because of the evil acts which they have done, and because of all the hard things which sinners without fear of God have said against him."

Even worse for rich, wicked people, Everything they accumulated will be destroyed. As we see in 2 Peter 3:10 (BBE), "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief; and in that day the heavens will be rolled up with a great noise, and the substance of the earth will be changed by violent heat, and the world and everything in it will be burned up."

Revelation 20:12 (BBE) shows that neither will anybody be able to avoid God's courtroom. "And I saw the dead, great and small, taking their places before the high seat; and the books were open, and another book was open, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged by the things which were in the books, even by their works."

This Book of Life contains all the names of those who yielded up control of their lives to Christ. Revelation 21:27 (BBE) warns that only those who have their names in the book will be in God's new Jerusalem. "And nothing unclean may come into it, or anyone whose works are cursed or false; but only those whose names are in the Lamb's book of life."

But Revelation 20:15 (BBE) declares the fate of those who refuse Christ's plan for their salvation. "And if anyone's name was not in the book of life, he went down into the sea of fire."

Fortunately, there is a way to escape God's wrath. Romans 10:9 and 10 (BBE) explains how to become a child of the King of Kings: Jesus Christ. "Because, if you say with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and have faith in your heart that God has made him come back from the dead, you will have salvation: For with the heart man has faith to get righteousness, and with the mouth he says that Jesus is Lord to get salvation."

This is the central theme of my next book, You Think You're Going to Heaven? We should be glad that God has made a way for us to be saved from his justifiable wrath. Jesus took the punishment for those of us who have surrendered ourselves to his rulership.

On Saturday, providing the Lord doesn't return before then, I hope to post about being under house arrest and how the Apostle Paul made good come out of his imprisonment.

Will Christ Ever Return?

This is one question which, I feel confident, has crossed the minds of all believers at times. We've been waiting for almost two-thousand years but he hasn't wrent the sky to take vengeance on the wicked.

Even in the first century, people wondered when the Lord would return. We get a perfect answer to this question in 2 Peter 3:8 and 9 (BBE). "But, my loved ones, keep in mind this one thing, that with the Lord one day is the same as a thousand years, and a thousand years are no more than one day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his word, as he seems to some, but he is waiting in mercy for you, not desiring the destruction of any, but that all may be turned from their evil ways."

Until the last person preordained to be saved repents, we must wait patiently. As I wrote before, there are those whom God appointed for salvation. Ephesians 1:4 (BBE) tells how Christ chose certain individuals before the world began. "Even as he made selection of us in him from the first, so that we might be holy and free from all evil before him in love:"

We also have God's promise, relayed by angels, that Christ will return. Acts 1:10 and 11 (BBE) tells us, "And while they were looking up to heaven with great attention, two men came to them, in white clothing, And said, 'O men of Galilee, why are you looking up into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken from you into heaven, will come again, in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.'"

We also have Paul's encouragement of recompense for the persecution we suffer. We read in 2 Thessalonians 7 and 8 (BBE) that the gospel is a command meant to be obeyed. "And to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus comes from heaven with the angels of his power in flames of fire, To give punishment to those who have no knowledge of God, and to those who do not give ear to the good news of our Lord Jesus:"

When Christ does bring in that last sinner into his family, it certainly will be a frightening day for those who persist in rejecting him. Revelation 6:16 (BBE) shows just how traumatic it will be for them. "And they say to the mountains and to the rocks, 'Come down on us, covering us from the face of him who is seated on the high seat, and from the wrath of the Lamb:"

I hope and pray that my writing will be used by the Lord to bring in many lost souls to the kingdom of Christ. To that end, I'm writing a book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? With the Chinese flu keeping folks home, it's the perfect time to buckle down and get it finished.

On Thursday, providing the last sinner is still lost, I hope to post about how to protect oneself from Judgement Day.

Saturday Song: The Hollies, "Pay You Back With Interest"

This song is about a man who must be away from the one he loves. And as the song goes, he'll pay that person back with love and with interest added.

Check out this great sixties song here:

Our Lord and Master is in this position. He left this world to receive honour and glory in heaven but he hasn't abandoned us. Instead, he gave us a companion to help us.

Jesus told his disciples, and us by extension, in John 16:13 (BBE), "However, when he, the Spirit of true knowledge, has come, he will be your guide into all true knowledge: for his words will not come from himself, but whatever has come to his hearing, that he will say: and he will make clear to you the things to come."

While we await our Master, we have the Holy Scriptures to guide us. As Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:16 (BBE) about them, "Every holy Writing which comes from God is of profit for teaching, for training, for guiding, for education in righteousness:"

We are also admonished to edify one another while we wait. Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:14 (BBE), "And our desire is that you will keep control over those whose lives are not well ordered, giving comfort to the feeble-hearted, supporting those with little strength, and putting up with much from all."

Jesus also likened himself as a bridegroom whose bride is his church. Luke 5:33 and 34 (BBE) tells us of an encounter with the scribes and Pharisees. "And they said to him, 'The disciples of John frequently go without food, and make prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees; but your disciples take food and drink.' And Jesus said, 'Are you able to make the friends of the newly-married man go without food when he is with them?'"

A day will come when we are united with Christ. Revelation 22:1 and 2 (BBE) gives us a wonderful vision of this future consummation. "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were gone; and there was no more sea. And I saw the holy town, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, like a bride made beautiful for her husband."

On Monday, I hope to post about Christ's return and why he hasn't come yet. Of course if he does come, I won't be posting anything because I won't need to. ?

Why Christianity Matters

As fish aren't conscious that they're in water, we followers of Christ take Christianity for granted. Unless we spent time in a pagan culture, we aren't aware of how special our faith is and how it benefits all people.

We read in Galatians 3:8 (BBE) how the world would be blessed through Christ, Abraham's descendent. "And the holy Writings, seeing before the event that God would give the Gentiles righteousness by faith, gave the good news before to Abraham, saying, 'In you will all the nations have a blessing.'"

The gospel is that blessing. As Christ commanded his disciples in Matthew 28:19 (BBE), "Go then, and make disciples of all the nations, giving them baptism in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit:"

And since Christianity is a personal belief system and not a political or national one, it improves the lot of even its enemies. That's why Christ said in Matthew 5:43 and 44 (BBE), "You have knowledge that it was said, Have love for your neighbour, and hate for him who is against you: But I say to you, Have love for those who are against you, and make prayer for those who are cruel to you;"

Imagine how violent this world would be if Christians didn't love their enemies but sought to get revenge. Like a certain Chinese proverb says, "he who seeks revenge must dig two graves."

Even in the Old Testament, we read that God is the only one who can repay evil. Deuteronomy 32:35 (BBE) quotes him as saying, "Punishment is mine and reward, at the time of the slipping of their feet: for the day of their downfall is near, sudden will be their fate."

In a way, Christianity spawned hospitals. Christ told a parable of a man badly beaten and a Samaritan who had compassion on him. Luke 10:34 (BBE)shows how this caring gentleman made sure the beaten-up stranger had a safe place to recover. "And came to him and put clean linen round his wounds, with oil and wine; and he put him on his beast and took him to a house and took care of him." The Samaritan even gave money to the Innkeeper to pay for the man's extended stay.

But imagine if we lived in a non Christian world where vengeance reigned and violence was praised. This is what our western lands are becoming. Since governments have abandoned God, so god has abandoned our countries.

I hope to put my next book together and title it, You Think You're Going to Heaven? Just knowing that there are eternal consequences for wickedness has tempered our collective behaviour.

On Saturday, I hope to publish a post about a great song by The Hollies and how it relates to us believers in Christ.

Why is Christ Called The Lion of Judah?

Non Christians certainly don't understand the metaphors we use to express gospel truths. Having explained about the Lamb of God, I now want to write about the Lion of Judah.

The last book of the Bible holds the answer. In the vision of the future which Jesus' disciple saw, nobody was worthy to open a scroll in heaven. Revelation 5:5 (BBE) tells how an angel named Christ as the only one who could break the seals and open the scroll. "And one of the rulers said to me, 'Do not be sad: see, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome, and has power to undo the book and its seven stamps.'"

Another title Christ has is the Son of David. Though King David died long before the birth of Jesus, he descended from him. That's why we read what we read in Matthew 9:27 (BBE) about him. "And when Jesus went on from there, two blind men came after him, crying out, 'Have mercy on us, you Son of David.'"

Of course the temple rulers didn't believe for a minute that Jesus was heir to David's throne. Matthew 21:15 (BBE) relates, "But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the works of power which he did, and the children crying out in the Temple, 'Glory to the son of David,' they were angry and said to him, 'Have you any idea what these are saying?' And Jesus said to them, 'Yes: have you not seen in the Writings, "From the lips of children and babies at the breast you have made your praise complete?"'"

Jesus himself knew that he was of royal blood and God-given power. Revelation 22:16 (BBE)says, "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give witness to you of these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright and morning star."

Furthermore, Muslims wonder how we could call Christ the Son of God when the Quran teaches that Allah has no partners. They don't understand that "son" means that he has the top rank and is chief over all creation.

God, the real one, said of Christ at his baptism in Luke 3:21 and 22 (BBE), "Now it came about that when all the people had been given baptism, Jesus, having had baptism with them, was in prayer, when, the heaven being open, The Holy Spirit came down in the form of a dove, and a voice came from heaven, saying, 'You are my dearly loved Son, with whom I am well pleased.'"

I could point out other scriptures which use metaphors but I'll save that for my next book, You Think You're Going to Heaven? We Christians need to realize that these terms we use sound like nonsense to today's unchurched masses.

On Thursday, unless Christ returns first, I hope to post about why Christianity and western culture matter. What a cruel world it would be without both of them.

Saturday Song: Harry Chapin, "Thirty-Thousand Pounds of Bananas"

This song about a real event sounds comical but it was no laughing matter for a certain truck driver. He descended the hill going into Scranton, Pennsylvania when his brakes failed.

Ever the storyteller, Harry Chapin immortalized this hapless driver in a song. Listen to it here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGldNpngDws

Death is the most-feared event for people, generally speaking. It ranks even higher than public speaking. In fact, most folks would rather not think about their impending demise.

Even so, death stalks us all. As James 4:13 and 14 (BBE) reminds us, "How foolish it is to say, Today or tomorrow we will go into this town, and be there for a year and do business there and get wealth: When you are not certain what will take place tomorrow. What is your life? It is a mist, which is seen for a little time and then is gone."

The reason we are all headed for death is because of Adam and Eve's disobedience of God's single prohibition for them. Genesis 2:16 and 17 (BBE) states, "And the Lord God gave the man orders, saying, 'You may freely take of the fruit of every tree of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you may not take; for on the day when you take of it, death will certainly come to you.'"

From that terrible day of disobedience onward, we all dwindle and eventually die. Death is also the payment for the work of sin. As Paul noted in Romans 6:23 (KJV) "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

A day will come when death will be no more. Revelation 21:3 and 4 (BBE) reminds us who have placed our faith in Christ, "And there came to my ears a great voice out of the high seat, saying, 'See, the Tent of God is with men, and he will make his living-place with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them, and be their God.' And he will put an end to all their weeping; and there will be no more death, or sorrow, or crying, or pain; for the first things have come to an end."

But those who resist God to their deaths will suffer a terrible fate. Revelation 20:14 (BBE) warns, "And death and Hell were put into the sea of fire. This is the second death, even the sea of fire."

On Monday, I hope to publish a post about why Christ is called the Lion of Judah.

Why Christ is Called The Lamb of God

This is an easy matter to answer. All we need to do is read John 1:29 (BBE) which reads, "The day after, John sees Jesus coming to him and says, 'See, here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!'"

But what does that mean? It's a reference to sacrificial lambs which were slaughtered each Passover. The first such Passover was recorded in Exodus 12:3 and 4 (BBE). "Say to all the children of Israel when they are come together, In the tenth day of this month every man is to take a lamb, by the number of their fathers' families, a lamb for every family: And if the lamb is more than enough for the family, let that family and its nearest neighbour have a lamb between them, taking into account the number of persons and how much food is needed for every man."

After explaining when and how to kill and cook the lamb, God explained why blood had to be smeared on the door posts of each Israelite house in Exodus 12:12 and 13 (BBE). "For on that night I will go through the land of Egypt, sending death on every first male child, of man and of beast, and judging all the gods of Egypt: I am the Lord. And the blood will be a sign on the houses where you are: when I see the blood I will go over you, and no evil will come on you for your destruction, when my hand is on the land of Egypt."

So, what does this have to do with Christ's death and us today? Luke 22:19 and 20 (BBE) gives us the answer when Christ instituted God's new covenant. "And he took bread and, having given praise, he gave it to them when it had been broken, saying, 'This is my body, which is given for you: do this in memory of me.' And in the same way, after the meal, he took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new testament, made with my blood which is given for you.'"

We also read of the messianic prophecy in Isaiah 53:7 (BBE) which likens Christ as a sacrificial lamb. "Men were cruel to him, but he was gentle and quiet; as a lamb taken to its death, and as a sheep before those who take her wool makes no sound, so he said not a word."

Since we can't earn God's forgiveness, only the sinless one could atone for our wickedness. This is what I'll emphasize in my next book, You Think You're Going to Heaven?On Saturday, unless the Lord returns first, I hope to post about a song regarding an unfortunate truck driver.

Why the Resurrection Matters

Having celebrated Christ's resurrection yesterday, many folks still have little or no understanding of why it's important. What most Christians don't comprehend is that we would have no hope if Christ stayed in Joseph's tomb and rotted.

The Apostle Paul explained why the resurrection is crucial to us in 1 Corinthians 15:19 (BBE) when he wrote, "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most unhappy."

According to Revelation 20:5 and 6 (BBE), we who place our lives in Christ's hand and believe in him will be resurrected, never to die or suffer again. "The rest of the dead did not come to life again till the thousand years were ended. This is the first coming back from the dead. Happy and holy is he who has a part in this first coming: over these the second death has no authority, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will be ruling with him a thousand years."

The resurrection of the dead isn't exclusively a New Testament doctrine. Job 19:26 (KJV) shows how even that ancient believer knew it. "And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:"

We also read in Scripture that the Pharisees and Sadducees argued continually about whether we would rise from the dead. Paul used this truth to his advantage in Acts 23:6 and 7 (BBE). "But when Paul saw that half of them were Sadducees and the rest Pharisees, he said in the Sanhedrin, 'Brothers, I am a Pharisee, and the son of Pharisees: I am here to be judged on the question of the hope of the coming back from the dead.' And when he had said this, there was an argument between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and a division in the meeting."

And as we read in 1 Peter 1:21 (BBE), Christ's resurrection sustains our faith. "Who through him have faith in God who took him up again from the dead into glory; so that your faith and hope might be in God."

Since Christ's resurrection is the foundation of our faith, I'll stress it in my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? Without it, Christianity would be like all other pointless belief systems.

Unless our Lord Returns before Thursday, I hope to post about why Christ was called the Lamb of God.

Saturday Song: David Bowie, "The Man Who Sold The World"

Imagine what it would be like to meet Adam, the first man, on the stairs at a party. That's what David Bowie envisioned in this song from 1971. Of course we know that Adam died "a long long time ago," but imagining scenarios won't hurt us like wrong doctrines will.

Listen to this song here:

Adam truly did sell the world. He listened to his wife who also sinned and plunged humanity into a perpetual state of sinful rebellion against God. We find the sentence the Lord gave him, and all men, in Genesis 3:17 (BBE). "And to Adam he said, 'Because you gave ear to the voice of your wife and took of the fruit of the tree which I said you were not to take, the earth is cursed on your account; in pain you will get your food from it all your life.'"

This curse of death which our federal head brought on the world is for all humanity. Claiming to have obeyed the law of God won't protect anybody from the curse. As the Apostle Paul pointed out in Romans 5:12 (BBE), "For this reason, as through one man sin came into the world, and death because of sin, and so death came to all men, because all have done evil:"

But fortunately for those of us who surrendered our lives to Christ, we have one who paid for our sins against God on the cross. As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:22 (BBE), there is hope for us. "For as in Adam death comes to all, so in Christ will all come back to life."

This is the resurrection which will happen when our Lord and Master returns. As we read in 1 Corinthians 15:51 and 52 (BBE), we all will receive our eternal bodies so we may live with him forever. "See, I am giving you the revelation of a secret: we will not all come to the sleep of death, but we will all be changed. In a second, in the shutting of an eye, at the sound of the last horn: for at that sound the dead will come again, free for ever from the power of death, and we will be changed.

What a joy it is to know that death won't have the last word. The second death, being consigned to the lake of fire, won't be our fate but it will be for those who refuse Christ's magnanimous offer of salvation.

On Monday, provided the Lord doesn't return first, I hope to post about why Christ's resurrection matters.

What Did God Do To Rescue Us?

As I promised, here is a more detailed explanation of God's plan to save humanity. Even so, I can't include every single point.

Remember what Genesis 3:15 (BBE) said about Satan? "And there will be war between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed: by him will your head be crushed and by you his foot will be wounded."

Lineage is important to our heavenly Father. That's why he promised to Abram in Genesis 12:3 (BBE), "To them who are good to you will I give blessing, and on him who does you wrong will I put my curse: and you will become a name of blessing to all the families of the earth."

The entire first chapter of Matthew and Luke 3:30-38 shows how Christ descended from Abram whom God named Abraham. Matthew records his lineage through the male side and Luke from the female side.

But God wasn't making things up as he went along. We read in Ephesians 1:4 (BBE)how he chose his saints before they were even born. "Even as he made selection of us in him from the first, so that we might be holy and free from all evil before him in love:"

Neither was Christ's choice of disciples haphazard, as he said in John 6:70 (BBE). "Then Jesus said, 'Did I not make a selection of you, the twelve, and one of you is a son of the Evil One?'"

Christ's crucifixion was planned from the beginning of time and the rituals Israel observed were a shadow of the real thing. Hebrews 9:11 and 12 (BBE) explains, "But now Christ has come as the high priest of the good things of the future, through this greater and better Tent, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this world, And has gone once and for ever into the holy place, having got eternal salvation, not through the blood of goats and young oxen, but through his blood."

I'm glad God knows the beginning from the end. It's one point I want to stress in my next book, You Think You're Going to Heaven? Errant teachers claim he has no idea of what will happen in the future. Are they ever wrong!

On Saturday, provided Christ doesn't return first, I hope to post about the man who sold the world.

Why Weren't Adam and Eve Killed Immediately?

We know that God specifically told the first two people that if they ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they'd die that day. So why didn't they fall dead? If Eve had died instantly, Adam might not have eaten of the fruit as well.

This might come as a surprise to some folks but our Lord is ever merciful. Certain people have the errant view that God is harsh, killing people who offended him. After all, he vaporized whole cities and drowned almost all humanity.

As I pointed out before, God is merciful as well as just. We read in Genesis 3:21 (BBE) how an animal died in their place. "And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife coats of skins for their clothing." This also covered their shame.

Better still, the Lord prevented the first couple from living eternally in their fallen sinful state. Genesis 3:22 BBE) explains why Adam and Eve were driven out of Eden. "And the Lord God said, 'Now the man has become like one of us, having knowledge of good and evil; and now if he puts out his hand and takes of the fruit of the tree of life, he will go on living for ever.'"

As I've also pointed out before, God prophesied to the first two people that the snake, emblematic of Satan, would be defeated. And so it happened when Christ went to the cross to pay for the sins of whosoever surrendered themselves to his rulership.

When the disciple, Thomas, said he didn't know where Jesus was going, he gave him this answer in John 14:6 (BBE). "Jesus said to him, 'I am the true and living way: no one comes to the Father but by me.'"

This is a most important statement as Christ was that perfect sacrifice, the only one God would accept. This is why we must tell people that the only way they can go to be with God is through Jesus. John 10:9 (BBE) states, "I am the door: if any man goes in through me he will have salvation, and will go in and go out, and will get food."

Likewise, Revelation 3:20 (BBE) quotes Christ, "See, I am waiting at the door and giving the sign; if my voice comes to any man's ears and he makes the door open, I will come in to him, and will take food with him and he with me."

On Thursday, God willing, I'll post details on God's grand plan to save his faithful saints.

Saturday Song: Nilsson, "Good Old Desk"

Harry Nilsson was one of rock music's genius talents. His voice ranged over five octaves and his lyrics were inventive. Though he never became overly famous, he influenced many artists during the years of his life.

One song I relate to is "Good Old Desk." Being a writer, I spend most of my days sitting at one of a trio of desks in my home.

Listen to the song here:

As far as I could find out, there are no desks mentioned in Holy Scripture. Even so, writing is something done by both people and God. Exodus 31:18 (BBE) tells us, "And when his talk with Moses on Mount Sinai was ended, he gave him the two stones of the law, two stones on which was the writing made by the finger of God."

The books which were written by people used to be in scroll form. Solomon himself mentioned them in Ecclesiastes 12:12 (BBE), saying, "And further, my son, take note of this: of the making of books there is no end, and much learning is a weariness to the flesh."

Various men became the Lord's writing team, putting into print the Word of God. As Daniel 9:1 and 2 (BBE) informs us, "In the first year of Darius, the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldaeans; In the first year of his rule, I, Daniel, saw clearly from the books the number of years given by the word of the Lord to the prophet Jeremiah, in which the making waste of Jerusalem was to be complete, that is, seventy years."

The heavenly Father has his own set of books, as Revelation 20:12 (BBE) tells us. "And I saw the dead, great and small, taking their places before the high seat; and the books were open, and another book was open, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged by the things which were in the books, even by their works."

Writing preserves the truth, as I've written before. Therefore we can test and trust the Bible. Oral tradition becomes distorted as folks add to it or omit things they don't like from it. But the written word stands firm.

On Monday, I hope to post about why Adam and Eve didn't die immediately when they ate the forbidden fruit.

Why Is Sin So Sinful?

This seems like a silly question. Even so, it needs to be answered in order for us to understand why God hates sin.

Sin separates us from all God's goodness and his love for us. We see that when Adam and eve hid after eating that forbidden fruit. Genesis 3:9 (BBE) shows how the loving relationship between the first two people and God caused panic in their souls. "And the voice of the Lord God came to the man, saying, 'Where are you?' And he said, 'Hearing your voice in the garden I was full of fear, because I was without clothing: and I kept myself from your eyes.'"

For millennia, people have shunned the Lord's word. We find how he felt about that rejection in Jeremiah 44:4 (KJV) when he said, "Howbeit I sent unto you all my servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate."

God showed how wicked wilful disobedience is in 1 Samuel 15:22 and 23 (BBE) when King Saul didn't destroy all of the enemy's livestock like the Lord told him to. "And Samuel said, 'Has the Lord as much delight in offerings and burned offerings as in the doing of his orders? Truly, to do his pleasure is better than to make offerings, and to give ear to him than the fat of sheep. For to go against his orders is like the sin of those who make use of secret arts, and pride is like giving worship to images. Because you have put away from you the word of the Lord, he has put you from your place as king.'"

People often quote Jeremiah 29:11 (BBE) as if it applied to themselves. It actually was addressed to Israel while the nation was in Babylonian captivity. The verse reads, "For I am conscious of my thoughts about you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you hope at the end." But it is true that God wants to give us blessings.

Jesus told a parable about a landowner who hired out his vineyard to labourers. They beat and stoned the servants whom he sent at harvest time and the tenants refused to pay their rent. Mark 12:6 and 7 (BBE) records, "He still had one, a dearly loved son: he sent him last to them, saying, 'They will have respect for my son.' But those workmen said among themselves, 'This is he who will one day be the owner of the property; come, let us put him to death, and the heritage will be ours.'"

As Christ predicted,Jerusalem was utterly destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70. And a day will come when the entire heavens and Earth will be replaced with new heavens and a new earth. Every person ever born will be judged then.

I'll be mentioning this fact often in my next book, You Think You're Going to Heaven? People think their Christening or good works will get them there but they won't.

On Saturday, I'll hopefully post about a piece of furniture which writers use and why it's such a blessing to have one.