[0:00] Our welcome to our service this morning. We join together to worship God and we pray his blessing and his word to us today. We're going to begin by singing the words from Psalm 36. Psalm 36 verses 5 to 10. Psalm 36 verses 5 to 10. Thy mercy Lord is in the heavens, thy truth doth reach the clouds. Thy justice is like mountains great, thy judgments deep as floods. Lord thou preservest man and beast, how precious is thy grace. Therefore in shadow of thy wings men's sons their trust shall place. They with the fatness of thy house shall be well satisfied. From rivers of thy pleasures thou wilt drink to them provide. Because of life the fountain pure remains alone with thee, and in that purest light of thine we clearly light shall see. Thy loving kindness unto them continue that they know, and still on men upright in heart thy righteousness bestow. And so on. These verses, Psalm 36 verse 5 to 10.
[1:25] Thy mercy Lord is in the heavens, thy truth doth reach the clouds. Thy mercy Lord is in the heavens, thy true should come. Thy mercy Lord is in the heavens, they heart them principal, thy grace of once. Thy mercy Lord so über cuidates the sidewalks their My judgment, he passed last.
[2:02] For the preacher's man and peace, How precious is thy peace.
[2:17] Therefore, in shadow of thy grace, May sons and brothers shall praise.
[2:32] May with the pastness of thy house Shall be well satisfied.
[2:48] From rivers of thy pleasure, Will give you their provide.
[3:04] Because of Christ the fountain, You remain silent with thee.
[3:18] And with thy pure hell shine your light, With weary light shall see.
[3:35] Thy lovingkindness that to them Continue that we know.
[3:50] And still on heaven, A bright day are, Thy righteousness bestow.
[4:07] Let us join together in prayer. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, Blessed God, As we gather in your presence And in your name, Enable us to draw near And to seek to magnify your name.
[4:28] For it is a name that is above every name. You are the only living and true God. You are the God who is God From before the beginning of time.
[4:43] There is no beginning with you. There is no point at which The world, Which came into being By reason of the world that you declared, Did not have that world in the mind of the creator.
[5:09] We know that there are no surprises with God. There is nothing that your omniscience Has not before your mind's eye In fullness.
[5:27] So that even the things that Take place in this world That take us by surprise That take us And leave us with our mouth open Because we did not expect What took place.
[5:42] And yet with the God of heaven There is nothing like that. We bless you and thank you That because of that You have made provision for us On a number of occasions Perhaps unbeknown to ourselves Because when these things that surprise May come of way That you are there For your people in particular.
[6:13] And at that moment Underneath are the everlasting arms. And we pray that you would Remind us afresh Of the willingness And the ability that you have To encircle us with Arms that are almighty And provide for us In our extremities.
[6:37] We pray for your blessing Upon your people today Wherever they are found In this world. Our opening prayer Must take cognizance Of the needs of this congregation With whom we are met.
[6:54] Our prayer is a prayer Where we lead Those who pray To a throne of grace. Loud words And the words Of your people In prayer.
[7:09] And we pray for your Assistance Even the guiding of your spirit. So that what is heard Offered Audibly May be what is On our hearts.
[7:23] And that we may be exercised In that respect. So that as one Our desires Are made known to God Not just selfishly seeking Your blessing upon As in our need But More expansively Seeking that the needs Of others Would be met also.
[7:46] And not only Can we pray for Our homes And families Our loved ones Our neighbours Our friends We can go beyond These borders And pray for the needs Of the world We can pray For our nation We can pray For all the nations Of the earth And having Passed through A process Of the elections And seen In the last days A new Parliament Established In Westminster With you Members of that body We pray for your own Intervention In Directing their Eyes Beyond themselves To the God Who is God Of All grace And who is able To endow them With the worth of all By which to Function Not just on behalf
[8:48] Of the people But for the glory Of God While that has not Been in evidence In recent times Our prayer Must need To be addressed To the God Who can change Individuals As you can Change The bodies That we For and part of Or represent To that end We pray for The Parliament In Westminster We pray for Our Parliament In Holyrood We Remember To you The Newly elected Member of Parliament For these Islands And we Commit him To your Care and keeping Lord help us To bear the Burdens Of those Who are in Authority For We see The world In which We live So fragmented And so Full of
[9:50] All the Evidences That man Is Embroiled in Sin To the degree That there is Nothing Of us That has not Been spoilt By it Our thinking Our acting Our speaking All of the Faculties Of our soul Have been Affected By the Fall of Our first Parents And that is Amply Testified to By what Our I See In hope That your word Bears testimony To it And asks us To remind Ourselves of it Knowing that we Cannot Address these Problems Except by Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of Our faith To that end We pray that you Would bless And mercyfully Undertake for us In all the Things that we Need to face In this world
[10:50] We pray for Those engaged In peace Keeping Within our Nation And throughout The world Mindful of The raging Wars that Exist In different Parts of the World There are so Many imbalances In the Presentation Of what is Ongoing When What is Of primary Interest In our News Bulletins May be as Sporting Event Simply because Of those Who are Partaking In it While other Events Are Sidelined Just for A time And whoever Has the Editorial Responsibility For doing That Shows even There The Lack of True Understanding Of The needs Of mankind Help us To pray For Those in Need Those who
[11:50] Are Starving Those who Are Impoverished Those who Are Wounded In body And mind By The Effects Of war Those who Have been Traumatized By the Wickedness That is In man's Heart Even Within the Communities In which Many are For to Live There are So many Evils Carried out Against the Person And those Who are Responsible For it Are Ill Equipped To Recognize The Wickedness That Lies In the Heart Of man That is Responsible For that We pray Lord for A day Of power A day Of Outpouring Of your Spirit A day Where your Word Would go Out And that Those who Proclaim it Would do So without Fear
[12:51] And without Favor And that The pulpits Of our Villages Our towns Our cities Would Have in There The light Of the Lord Radiating Forth With the Gospel Proclaiming The genuine Peace Through the One who is The God Of peace We pray For Christ To be Magnified And for The enemy Of our Soul To be Displaced From that Position of Power that He has Usurped For himself Lord help Us to Remember That the Day will Come when All these Things will Come to Us an End And the World Will see For itself Who is Truly God And who Is truly King Help us To remember That So visit
[13:51] Us in Mercy Heal the Hurts of Those who Are hurting In our Community Remember Those who Are ill Remember Those who Are caring For them Whether they Are in their Homes Or being Cared for Elsewhere Remember The terminally Ill We pray Lord for Those who Have to Engage With Longstanding Illnesses Perhaps But Illnesses From which There is No possibility Of recovery Except By Divine Intervention Help Them To Resolve The Needs Of their Soul By Trusting In Christ We Pray Lord For Those who Have to Deal with Grief And sorrow And sadness We bless You and Thank you For the People of God Who You have Seen food To take Home And that The Homecoming Of such Is a Better day For them
[14:52] Than the Day of Their birth We pray For those That have Been left Downcast Because of The removal We pray For the Church From which Candles Have Been Removed And we Pray That you Would Light Other Lights That would Radiate In your Name We ask Your blessing On the Proclamation Of truth Here in Our midst And elsewhere Watch over As we Pray And all The activities Of our Congregation That may These things Be to The glory Of your Name Blessing Young Middle Aged And old Families And individuals Hear our Prayers On their Behalf In Jesus Name We ask All Things Amen We sing Now to God's Praise From Psalm 106 Verses 1 To 5 Psalm 106
[15:54] Give praise And thanks And to The Lord For Bountiful Is he His tender Mercy Doth Endure And to Eternity God's God's Mighty Works Who Can Express Or Show Forth All His Praise Blessed Are They That Judgment Keep And Justly Do Always Remember What For Thoseeties AreCarl It That Withveda thy chosen's good may see, and in their joy rejoice, and may with thine inheritance triumph with cheerful voice.
[16:35] These four stanzas, Psalm 106, from the beginning. Give praise and thanks unto the Lord, for bountiful is he. Give praise and thanks unto the Lord, from the ground, of liberty, this day cannot, and God seems and good, unto Deavais SimOs.
[17:13] God's mighty words, through God and trust, God, O Lord, all this grace.
[17:29] Blessed Mary, thy judgment key, and just with you all this.
[17:44] Remember me, Lord, with thy love, which art to thine God's spirit.
[18:00] With thy salvation, O my God, to his death be God the earth.
[18:16] But I thy chosen should miss thee, and with her glory rejoice, and with thy inheritance.
[18:40] Cry out with fearful voice. We're going to hear God's word now as we have it in the book of Revelation.
[18:54] And we're reading the last chapter of this book. New Testament Scriptures of Revelation, chapter 22.
[19:11] We'll read the whole chapter. And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
[19:26] In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the day of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month.
[19:38] And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 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.
[19:53] And they shall see his face, and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there, and they need no candle, neither light of the sun.
[20:05] For the Lord God giveth them light, and they shall reign forever and ever. And he said unto me, these things are faithful and true.
[20:17] And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angels to show unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. Behold, I come quickly.
[20:30] Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. And I, John, saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which showed me these things.
[20:49] Then saith he unto me, See, thou do it not. For I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book, worship God.
[21:04] And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book. For the time is at hand. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still.
[21:15] And he which is filthy, let him be filthy still. And he that is righteous, let him be righteous still. And he that is holy, let him be holy still.
[21:26] And behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me. To give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
[21:42] Blessed are they that do whose commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without our dogs and socialers, and whoremongers and murderers, and idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh alive.
[22:03] I, Jesus, have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
[22:17] And the spirit of the bride say, come, and let him that heareth say, come, and let him that is a thirst come, and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
[22:31] For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book.
[22:46] And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
[23:02] He which testifies these things, which saith, surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
[23:18] Amen. May the Lord add his blessing to the reading of his word, and to his name be the praise. We can sing now from Psalm 31.
[23:32] Psalm 31, And we're singing from verse 19 to the end of the psalm. How great's the goodness thou for them that fear thee keep'st in store, and wrought'st for them that trust in thee the sons of men before.
[23:53] In secret of thy present thou shalt hide them from man's pride, from strife of tongues thou closely shalt as in a tent them hide.
[24:04] All praise and thanks be to the Lord, for he hath magnified his wondrous love to me within a city fortified. For from thine eyes cut off I am, I in my haste hath said, my voice yet heard'st when to thee with cries my moan I made.
[24:26] O love the Lord all ye who sins because the Lord doth guard the faithful and he plenteously proud doers doth reward.
[24:37] Be of good courage and he strengthened to your heart shall send all ye whose hope and confidence doth on the Lord depend. We can sing these verses.
[24:51] Psalm 31 verse 19 How great's the goodness thou for them that fear thee keep'st in store. How great's the goodness thou for them that fear thee keep'st in store.
[25:15] and walk for them and walk for them a crown should be the sons of men before.
[25:31] And see with all thy presence thou shalt hide them from strength from strife of icelns let go as courts leesal and europa ecc radio and if all thrones サ retirement the Lord O hope and faith and Gest in Custom Air Is now all the glory O ye the magnified His wondrous love to me within I'll still be for delight
[26:37] For from thy eyes that long I am I am right as dead My voice yet heard the wind to thee With guidance thy hope thy way O love and heart from here Because the Lord has art The faithful and he treasured The duress of the Lord
[27:41] Be of good courage and peace And to you our child's end O ye the magnified And to you our God That all the Lord depends Shall we for a short time turn to the passage that we read in the New Testament The book of the Revelation chapter 22 And we can read verse 5 And there shall be no night there And they need no candle Neither light of the sun For the Lord God giveth them light
[28:44] And they shall reign forever and ever And there shall be no night there Do you ever pause to think About a loved one Who you believe to have gone to glory And wonder at that moment What are they doing?
[29:19] What are they doing just now In glory in heaven? I think sometimes Our thoughts gravitate In such a direction When we When we are face to face With death On the part of a loved one At the point of their death Or the hours Round about that We think about it We think about the translation that takes place We think about the experience The change wrought in them At death And the experiences that they have in this world That have come to an end And the experiences into which they have entered And I think that's common enough I think it's common enough for us to think at that time
[30:22] Along these lines But do we really think about it beyond that? How often do we think about it?
[30:33] Is it something that is common to us? That we might think of somebody That we know or knew Maybe a parent Grandparent Who we knew to be Christian Do we actually spend time Thinking about them As to what they are doing In the here and now Time wise I think there are times Which I think Maybe obviously There are times when things are wrong When there are Family sorrows And when events occur And they cause us Consternation and grief At that moment We think Well we're glad that this loved one Is not here to see this Or to feel this We're glad that they don't have
[31:34] To face this sorrow That we have Again that's natural But I think Both these thoughts Come from The The knowledge Or the understanding That there is something That lies beyond this world That the world In which we live Is not everything It's not All that is to it We We are We are Taught from the script To your Age of What we live believer is that they immediately pass into glory and that the soul of the believer is made perfect in holiness at that moment I was thinking well as a young Christian it might occur to you that that's a very small step the moment of death you're taken from this world into into the next and it's just a breath a heartbeat but I think the longer you live in this world the more the more you feel that the step is such a great one because the change brought in your mind is so great for a person who has come to know the reality of sin and the gross nature of sin in the heart that for you to see that step the step seems phenomenal for the believer to be translated from this world to the next yes a small step a heart beat as I said but the change brought where a person who is in the world a world of sin with a world of sin in their heart changed from that to perfect holiness it's a phenomenal phenomenal change well we know from the scripture that the believer can rightly expect something beyond this world which is beyond description in many respects and John the apostle was given a privilege and he's guided by the Holy Spirit to see as it were into glory into heaven and in his description of what he sees there are many things that may make his pause and reflect because there are things because of the language that is used by him that may be difficult to understand but I think purely from what we do understand it seems obvious that there are things that John would look for that he doesn't try and dare and he states it like that because the things that he is familiar with in this world are not to be found in the heaven that God's people are taken to and there are other things that are found there that are there in a greater degree or a more awesome experience of them than he ever had in this world maybe there were things that he experienced like you know John was somebody who
[35:42] enjoyed the company of the Lord Jesus Christ he shared in many of the experiences that the Lord had in this world and the one passion that he would seek out without question is that passion that he enjoyed intimacy with in the world the one passion that he would seek out and the Bible tells us that there are a multitude that no man can number and in this place and yet John would seek out this one passion because it's this one passion was the one he delighted to be in his company in the world and much of what he says speaks about the enjoyment of that company and the believer has a right to reflect on these things and to try and reconcile their own limited knowledge of the truth which is a mystery to them they have knowledge they have the faculties to retain that knowledge but that doesn't mean that what they have read that what they have understood to a degree that they fully comprehend the awesome reality of what it is that they have a right to expect but whatever it is that we may struggle with in understanding the fullness of the mystery of it every believer has a right to expect it and sometimes we get it so wrong you know for example in the Westminster Confession of Faith it tells us that the souls of believer are after death made perfect in holiness and we we understand what that means but sometimes you hear people speaking about the person dying and that person waiting for the resurrection and waiting with expectation rightfully for the resurrection that they think that there is some part of that experience that they have in heaven which is idleness or which is an experience of sleep which is deep sleep which is deep sleep now without question we can speak of the believer sleeping in Jesus but there is a heresy an error which speaks of the soul being asleep because when the believer goes to heaven even though there is yet to be accomplished in the believer in the believer's experience something that will yet to be true of them yet to be true of them that they are as active today as they ever were in the world spiritually speaking this is what the Westminster Confession teaches on the basis of scripture that far from being in the world in the world in the world in the world in the world in the world in the world in the world the saint in glory is awake conscious their faculties of soul are fully operational waiting for the fullness of the work of redemption to be accomplished that is the body and soul being reunited
[39:44] so that's something to think about when you think about heaven now for the believer that they are not as it were lying down idly passing by the moments of their experience of eternity they are actively engaged in the worship of their saviour with those who are also actively engaged in the worship of the saviour in whatever way they are able to do that which they were not able to do when they were here in this world because they were hindered by sin and in many respects the text that we are looking at today when people preach on this text and they preach the word there will be no night there that is the focus of their attention the night of the believer's experience which speaks of the spiritual hindrances that they have to endure in this world will be at an end so that these hindrances no more exist and no more prevent them from doing the things that they long to do here in this world and that
[41:13] I suppose is a way of dealing with this metaphor if it is a metaphor for Christians experiencing glory but I want us to focus on verse 5 and just two thoughts from that verse bearing all of these things that I said in mind first of all the glory of God and I think in heaven one thing that will stand out more than anything else for those who are privileged to be there is the glory of God and the second thing that we are told in this verse is that they shall reign forever and ever that speaking about God's people who will be in glory they shall reign forever and ever and that invites some reflection
[42:13] I would say so these two thoughts when John records what he says he sees there is no doubt that the spirit has taken him into this privileged position and as I said he draws attention to the things that he would expect to see but well not expect but things that he was more familiar with in this world which are no longer to be found in heaven but he returns to speak about something that he has spoken of in the previous verse chapter in the previous chapter chapter chapter 21 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 and then in verse 25 and the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day for there shall be no night there and there shall be no night there now you wonder why the repetition surely it's a simple truth to understand and yet it is so important to the apostle that this is one thing that stands out more than anything else that the place where he has been allowed to look into is a place where there is no night lighten it's not so much the way he describes it that there is the usual sources of lights are not there it doesn't say that it's not so much that the sun is absent or that there is no other source of light but that the passion that is the glory of this place is a radiant glory that means that there is no need for light other than that radiant glory
[44:29] I was thinking of this now if you go back to the old testament the work of God in creation you are given a stage by stage account of what God did as he created the world and on the first day we are told that God separated light from dark and that he called this is on the first day he called night night and day day but then on the fourth day we are told that he made the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light for the night and these we are told he placed in the firmament in the sky and the creator God who is God overall all the time that he was enacting this work of creation he is the God who is light the God who is light is the
[45:41] God who created these lights for the benefit of mankind that he was going to place in this environment that was his own product and again when we come to the New Testament and we see how God describes to us how Jesus the Lord came into the world in the first chapter we read there in the beginning was the world and the world was with God and the world was God the same was in the beginning with God all things were made by him and without him was not anything made that was made and that is just an explanation or a declaration of the deity of the person that is going to be declared the saviour and the redeemer of all men the person of the Lord Jesus Christ John the apostle speaks of him in this way and he goes on to say in him was life and the life was the light of men and the light shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehended it not there was a man sent from
[46:56] God whose name was John the same came for a witness to bear witness of the light that all men through him might believe he was not that light but was sent to bear witness of that light so in creation we have the God who is creator creating light which is created light but he himself is uncreated light the light that he is is there from before creation and the person that comes into this world to be a savior to sinners is the life and the light of all men and that light is his uniquely so what John sees in the new creation that God fills with his presence and makes the light he created pale into insignificance does so because he is light himself and not only is he light he is light like no light no other light nothing created compares to him that's what is meant by that at least there is no night there because this place that is heaven this place where the saints of
[48:25] God are gathered this place that has the son of the most high God sat upon the throne is the place where the light of God's glory radiates without hindrance for the benefit of all who are met in his presence the night is the absence of the light of the sun but it will never be night again go back to chapter 21 and read there and he carried me away in spirit to a great high mountain and showed me that great city the holy Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God a vision from God of Jerusalem the holy city and what does Jerusalem possess it has the glory of God and her light was likened to a stone was precious even like a jasper stone clear as crystal so the heavenly
[49:27] Jerusalem the new Jerusalem the place that is God's habitation where his people enjoy his presence is a place that is full of the glory of that God the new Jerusalem has the glory of God and it has no equal I wonder if you're impressed by that I wonder if you're encouraged by it I often believe that many people want to go to heaven I think a lot of people want to go to heaven but what do they want to go to where do they want to go what do they expect to experience in heaven what are they going to enjoy in heaven well one thing is sure that if they do not believe the truth that
[50:27] God has declared concerning the place that is filled with his glory the glory of the radiant presence of God will not be something that they will be drawn to understand this that it is by this light that we see the glory of God even though the glory of God is that light in a sense but he says it is by this light that we shall see his face it is by this light that we shall live in order to serve him and in this world we have many night time experiences as I said many believe this passage when they interpret it or explain it they are preoccupied with these night time experiences because they know this place to be a place where never again will these night time experiences be there there will never be a deprivation of
[51:35] God's presence there will never be sorrow or sadness there will never be tears and all of these things there will never be a moment when God will hide his face from them his glory will continue to shine without it being abated without it being obscured at funeral times we often sing the words of the psalmist the 23rd psalm and the words that really encouraged the believer in particular is the words I walk through the valley of the shadow of death you are with me and because you are with me as I go through the valley of the shadow I will fear no evil and that is true and that truth gives comfort but in this glory of which the apostle speaks this glory that he has been allowed to glimpse in what we are told is that this valley of the shadow is no more the shadows have flown away and the glory of the day has broken and that's the place that he is speaking of here there shall be no night there no need for a candle no need for the sun because
[53:07] God is the light offered not only the light offered he says the Lord God gives them that light this is his gift this is what they receive from him that light to be their light and in his light we shall see light the second thing we have here is something that appears to be out of step with the truth that the verse contains concerning the glory of God they shall reign forever and ever it's not God shall reign it's not the Lord shall reign but they shall reign where John has been taken is the place where the one on the throne is the king of kings and lord of lords but he has the right to honour his own you know what
[54:13] I was reminded of and I was reflecting on this was you know a long time ago when I was younger I remember the investiture of the prince of Wales the king the present king he was as a young man given this role as prince of Wales and there was a very formal investiture that marked out that step of progression into this place of honour but for the believer what we have here is an investiture of the kingdom the kingdom of God is their kingdom it belongs to them if you go back to the first chapter of this book John to the seven churches which are in
[55:17] Asia grace be unto you and peace from him which is and which was and which is to come from the seven spirits which are before his throne and from Jesus Christ who is the faithful witness and the first begotten of the dead and the prince of the kings of the earth and to him that loved us and washed us from our sins in and then he says and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his father to him be glory and dominion forever and ever Christ has this God given prerogative to invest his people with a kingly rule and it may seem to us to be quite strange that that would be what we see but perhaps when we read the apostle Paul when he speaks of
[56:17] God's people being the adopted children of God adopted into the family of God we are told that not only are they part of the family of God they are to be joint heirs together with Christ joint heirs with Christ all the people of God have they have because of Christ Paul says elsewhere if we be dead with him we shall also live with him if we suffer we shall reign with him all that we have in him is eternal it is forever and ever and his kingdom has no end at all and we shall reign with him this is what he is saying not for him not instead of him but with him they shall reign forever and ever now you can belittle that thought you can make it inconsequential you can make it to be something that is really not meant to be understood in the way that it is written but that would be so wrong go back again in this amazing vision that the apostle was given into glory itself and in chapter 11 describes to us again some of the things that that
[57:55] John was able to see or that he was able to describe they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them come up hither and they ascended up to heaven in a cloud and their enemies beheld them and the same hour there was a great earthquake on the tenth part of the city fell and the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand and so on but then he says in verse 15 the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign forever and ever Christ will reign forever and ever and all who are in him will reign with him the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign forever and ever and yes it's a mystery it's not something that's easy to explain but it is promised it is what awaits the child of
[59:07] God the believer the question for you is this is it what waits for you is this the kind of heaven that you're going to is this the kind of place that you expect to go to many genuinely believe nothing but the absence of pain suffering and all that makes this world miserable for them is what heaven is all about all the mysteries of this world being put to one side and then the pleasures whatever these pleasures are we will have without equal without number things that you enjoy today whatever they are be they sinful or otherwise these are the things that you heaven is going to be like perhaps
[60:13] I often I find myself disturbed by the emphasis that is put by a body that supports euthanasia I find it disturbing because I cannot but think of the soul because the passion who willingly enters to death believing that death is the end of everything is misguided because we all have a soul and to to denude man as created by God of all spirituality and the only spirituality we have is derived from the soul that God restored us with and to suggest that the soul at the point of death is not neither here nor there is a misguided truth it's a misguided thought it has no place certainly no place in scripture so for a person to suggest that mercy is being shown to the person who willingly enters into the experience of death without being prepared for what that death brings is not merciful yesterday
[61:49] I was reading an article on the BBC internet where it spoke of an individual and I suppose I read about him and I was looking for something because this person was diagnosed with terminal throat cancer last year at the end of the year and his testimony is that as he lives out his last days in this world and this personal testimony he is saying that as he engages with dying and the thought of dying and preparing for death that he has never been as happy as he has ever been in this life he was joyfully dying as happy as he has ever been and that's what he says but I was looking
[62:58] I was looking frantically for evidence of where that joy was founded if there was a secure foundation for it if there was something that would give validity to his joyfulness and there was no evidence of it I believe he entered into the hospice last Thursday and as far as I know he's still living and he knows he's dying but he doesn't know what death involves because for him and for many like him death is the end if death is the end what the apostle John saw is a fiction if death is the end what the spirit of the Lord led John to bear testimony to is a fiction if death is the end what Jesus
[64:02] Christ taught is a fiction Paul says it you read 1st Corinthians 15 and it speaks of not just death but the resurrection beyond death the graves been open the death rising and Christ returning to take his own people with him we cannot afford to get this wrong we cannot afford to imbibe the false doctrines of this word that says to you that you can go wide eyes wide open to the point where they are closed permanently thinking that that is what is going to bring your experiences to an end they will not I read a I've got a book there which
[65:04] I read just a daily readings writings of the Puritans coincidentally the Puritan can't remember which one it was the passage that he was reflecting on was this my desire is to depart and be with Christ for that is far better words from Paul's letter to the Philippians and he talked about this this is what he says affliction reveals the glory of heaven to be to the weary it is rest to the banished it is home to the scorned it is glory to the captive liberty to the warrior conquest to the conqueror a crown of life to the hungry hidden manna to the thirsty a fountain of life and rivers of pleasure to the grieved fullness of joy to the mourner who displeasures forevermore heaven is precious and the soul desires to be with
[66:20] Christ which is better or best of all thought it was a coincidence but there are no coincidence with God who can I ask again what is your heaven going to be like is it to be the heaven that God has prepared for his own people and failing that there is but one alternative and the scripture makes it equally so although many don't like to hear it there is a place prepared for the devil and his angels and all who are not Christ's that's where they will go at the death at the point of death your soul instantly in glory your soul instantly in a place prepared for the devil and his angels may God encourage you to think where you would want to spend your eternity he he bless to us these thoughts that's pray ever blessed
[67:43] God do not allow us to to take and imbibe the heresies that the church sometimes proclaims regarding the latter end of men and the promises that are declared within your word to whom they belong do not allow us to imbibe the error of the world which makes us think that when we spent our days here that the end is all there is it is a fiction that we dare not believe Lord help us to appreciate the truth as you were to us for the good of our soul have mercy upon us in Jesus name amen of closing psalm is psalm 16 and we're singing the last four stanzas of the psalm psalm 16 at verse 8 before me still the
[68:58] Lord I said if it is so that he doth ever stand at my right hand I shall not move be because of this my heart is glad and joy shall be expressed even by my glory and my flesh in confidence shall rest because my soul engraved to dwell shall not be left by thee nor wilt thou give thine holy one corruption to see thou wilt me show the path of life of joys there is full store before thy face at thy right hand are pleasure evermore before me still the Lord I set before me still the Lord I set set his soul I need the set earth shall not why your hand
[70:02] I shall be with me because so tis my heart to land that joy shall be in sense in thy hand glory and my place in love again shall rest because my soul is here to end and love me and thy need nor will be for God shall be for
[71:05] God to see I will be sure the the life of joy is so store before the days that die rise and God pleasure shall and the Lord the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit rest and abide with you all and always amen