Saturday Song: The Vogues, "Five O'clock World"

I know that we all look forward to the end of a workday. Even when we actually enjoy what we do, it still feels good to return home. Like that group The Vogues sang in "Five O'clock World," no one owns a piece of our time. 

Listen to the song here:

I, and most other Christians, look forward to the ultimate quitting time. Why so? We read the answer in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and 17 (Bible in Basic English). "Because the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a word of authority, with the voice of the chief angel, with the sound of a horn: and the dead in Christ will come to life first; Then we who are still living will be taken up together with them into the clouds to see the Lord in the air: and so will we be for ever with the Lord."

Though God cursed the ground for Adam's sake, work is still good and honourable. Ecclesiastes 2:24 (BBE) reminds us that, "There is nothing better for a man than taking meat and drink, and having delight in his work. This again I saw was from the hand of God."

The Lord also instituted the Sabbath for our benefit as well as a reminder of his care for us. Though we now worship on the first day of the week to honour Christ's resurrection, we still need one day out of seven to recharge our emotional batteries.

Peter also declared to the people of Jerusalem this final day of rest in Acts 3:19-21 (BBE). "So then, let your hearts be changed and be turned to God, so that your sins may be completely taken away, and times of blessing may come from the Lord; And that he may send the Christ who was marked out for you from the first, even Jesus: Who is to be kept in heaven till the time when all things are put right, of which God has given word by the mouth of his holy prophets, who have been from the earliest times."

What a joyful day that will be for us who love Christ. As the angel told John in Revelation 19:9 (BBE), "And he said to me, 'Put in the book, Happy are the guests at the bride-feast of the Lamb.' And he said to me, 'These are the true words of God.'"

I also feel confident that all of us who adore the Lord and his Christ echo the words of John in Revelation 22:20 (BBE). "He who gives witness to these things says, 'Truly, I come quickly.' Even so come, Lord Jesus."

In the event that day doesn't happen by Monday, I plan on posting about the nature of our nature.

Islam and Christianity on Heaven

Continuing on with my examination of Islam, I need to point out that their version of heaven is different from what God described in Scripture. Basically, it's fleshly rather than spiritual.

The Quran says in sura 3:15 (FAMILY OF IMRAN), "Say, “Shall I inform you of something better than that? For those who are righteous, with their Lord are Gardens beneath which rivers flow, where they will remain forever, and purified spouses, and acceptance from Allah.” Allah is Observant of the servants." There are many other verses which say essentially the same thing.

But Christ contradicts what the Quran says. The Sadducees, who say there's no resurrection, tried asking our Lord a trick question regarding a fictitious woman who wed seven husbands. They wanted him to tell them who's wife she would be in heaven. Matthew 22:30 (KJV) records Jesus' answer. "For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven."

However, the Quran describes heaven in sura 56:27-40 (THE INEVITABLE). "And those on the Right—what of those on the Right? In lush orchards. And sweetsmelling plants. And extended shade. And outpouring water. And abundant fruit. Neither withheld, nor forbidden. And uplifted mattresses. We have created them of special creation. And made them virgins. Tender and unaging. For those on the Right. A throng from the ancients. And a throng from the latecomers."

But Jesus said in Matthew 25:34 (KJV), "Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, 'Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:'"

Scripture talks about a feast for the righteous but it doesn't say what's on the menu. Revelation 19:9 (KJV) reads, "And he saith unto me, 'Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.' And he saith unto me, 'These are the true sayings of God.'"

And instead of lounging around and having sex, we'll be ruling with our Lord and Master. Paul said in 2 Timothy 2:12 (KJV) that, "If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:"

There's so much more I could write on this subject but the post would become too long. Instead, I'll write more about it in my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? The future God has planned for those of us who yield our lives to Christ is far more grand than mere bodily pleasure as the Quran teaches.

On Saturday, I'll post about a wonderfully truthful song I heard on a bargain bin record I bought. Better still, it's perfectly themed for Remembrance Day / Veteran's Day.

Who Called Whom?

As I promised in my previous post, I now deal with the thorny issue of predestination. Some Christians believe that it's up to us to call upon Christ for salvation and he doesn't predestinate, choose beforehand, whom he will save. Others believe that we had no part in being chosen by God. I agree with John MacArthur that both are true. The fact that we can't wrap our pea-brain minds around both ideas being simultaneously true doesn't cancel them out.

Consider all the scriptures which state that God called us. Here's but a few of them:

(1 Corinthians 1:2 KJV)  Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:

(1 Peter 2:9 KJV)  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

(Jude 1:1 KJV)  Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:

(Revelation 19:9 KJV)  And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

(2 Timothy 1:9 KJV)  Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

It's plain to see that the Lord chose some to be saved. In my next post, I'll show how we are also expected to call upon Christ for salvation. Watch this space.